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Notes & Quotes: GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma

Takuma Sato: No. 14 ABC Supply Honda
Jack Hawksworth: No. 41 ABC Supply Honda

Takuma Sato On:NQ SON TS

  • Sonoma Raceway: “I feel the same way every year, but again I can’t believe it’s already the last race of the season! Sonoma Raceway is a very challenging track and I enjoy driving there a lot. We have had strong finishes at Sonoma so I hope we can repeat that in this season’s final race. It’s obviously a fantastic venue as it’s in wine country where you have so many choices of great restaurants plus beautiful weather. Fans and guests always enjoy these pluses in addition to the racing and so do I.”
  • Testing at Sonoma:  “Testing is always great. You can learn so much stuff and we had a productive day. It was a little windy in the afternoon as usual but the track stayed consistent and in good condition so we were able to do a good test. The team is analyzing a good amount of test data and trying to make the car fast, so I am excited to get back in the cockpit again in a few days.”
  • Why qualifying is so challenging here: “Partly because the track conditions could change a lot between the morning and afternoon so it’s difficult to get the balance right. The tires are a very soft compound here for the low grip surface which means you have one shot at a chance to do a good lap. A couple of heavy braking places are also very slippery so it is quite challenging to get the lap perfectly right because it’s unpredictable.”
  • Favorite thing about racing in Sonoma: “The track is just so dynamic and I really enjoy the sensation of speed in a lot of the elevation changes. One lap is a good feeling on new tires which have a strong grip but you struggle after a few laps which makes it challenging but also gives us opportunities in the race.”
  • Favorite place to pass at Sonoma: “Turn 7 is probably the most popular while Turns 9 and 11 are also possible.”

Jack Hawksworth On:NQ SON JH

  • Sonoma Raceway:  “It's the most difficult track on the schedule for the drivers and engineers. Very low grip but with some high speed corners which require support from the car. Track conditions can change a lot throughout the day as well.”
  • Testing at Sonoma: “It was a good day, we rolled off with a good baseline and made some adjustments that improved the car performance. Unfortunately I had a brush with the wall during the afternoon which cut our day short but I think we are in a good spot. I feel we will be strong over a single lap and will qualify well but we will need to work on longer run pace due to the high tire degradation.”
  • Why qualifying is so challenging here: “As with any road course or street circuit you have to put together a committed, clean and precise lap. It's something I have always enjoyed and that I always do well so I don't really see this as a big challenge. Adjusting the car for the red tires and track conditions is always the critical part.” 
  • Racing at Sonoma and what he looks forward to: “Honestly, the racing here is very difficult, high tire degradation and limited passing opportunities make this a very strategical race where pit stop exchanges will be absolutely critical. I look forward to the race but especially qualifying where I can push the car on new tires. I think we have a chance to make it to the top 10 in qualifying for the third time out of five permanent road courses this year or even the Firestone Fast 6 for the first time since the Indy road course. This is my goal.”

Past Performance at Sonoma: In five races at Sonoma, Sato’s best start and finish came with Foyt Racing: starting 13th in 2013 and finishing fourth in 2014. Last year, Jack Hawksworth started 18th and finished 15th. In nine appearances, the Foyt team’s best start (13th) and finish (4th) came with Sato.

This season’s performance: Takuma Sato’s best start is 3rd (Pocono) and his best finish is 5th (Long Beach and Toronto). Hawksworth’s best start is 4th (Grand Prix of Indianapolis) and his best finish is 11th (St. Petersburg and Elkhart Lake).

ABC Supply Co. is in its 12th season as marketing partner of AJ Foyt Racing: ABC Supply began sponsoring the AJ Foyt Racing team with the 2005 Indianapolis 500, and is the second longest active team sponsor in the Verizon IndyCar Series. With this season, the company ties U.S. Tobacco’s Copenhagen brand in length of sponsorship of Foyt’s team.  ABC Supply has leveraged its involvement by sponsoring races at Milwaukee (in the past) and now at Pocono Raceway with the ABC Supply 500, and by entertaining over 75,000 associates and customers during the past 11 racing seasons. Over 520 guests will be entertained this weekend.

ABC Supply Co. national account Star Roofing Inc., located in Phoenix, Ariz., will be featured on the engine cover of the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda. Guests will receive the VIP treatment this weekend along with a Meet and Greet with Takuma Sato.

ABC Supply roofing customer, Kuhlman Roofing Co., Inc., located in Freedom, Calif., won the ‘Your Name Here’ contest for this weekend. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 41 ABC Supply Honda. Guests will receive the VIP treatment plus a Meet and Greet with Jack Hawksworth.

Headquartered in Beloit, Wis., ABC Supply was founded by Ken and Diane Hendricks in 1982. The company operates over 600 branches in 49 states plus the District of Columbia and is dedicated exclusively to serving professional contractors.  ABC Supply has distinguished itself by following a simple guiding principle – take care of contractors better than any other distributor.  It remains an “employee-first” company that treats its associates with respect and gives them the tools they need to succeed.  As a 10-time winner of the Gallup Great Workplace Award, which recognizes the best-performing workforces in the world, ABC Supply is one of only three companies in the world to have earned this honor every year since its inception in 2007.  More information is available at www.abcsupply.com. 

The GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma will be televised live Sunday, Sept.18, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network.