Notes & Quotes: Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Takuma Sato: No. 14 ABC Supply Honda
Jack Hawksworth: No. 41 ABC Supply Honda
Takuma Sato On:
•Mid-Ohio circuit: “Mid-Ohio is one of the most popular tracks among fans and it’s my favourite. I enjoy driving this twisted road-course and it always reminds me of the UK’s national circuits like Oulton Park where I was competing in British F3 and I loved that. In fact, some fans brought pictures of my F3 days as well as F1 so that’s telling you the fans coming here are so enthusiastic. Also we have a great support from the Honda employees and families so that is also very nice. I look forward to having a good weekend.”
•The trickiest part of the Mid-Ohio circuit: “The trickiest part would be adapting to conditions. This track is famous for what is known as massive track evolution. The track usually has very little grip when it’s “green” then it starts to grip up more with some rubber down. By the end of the day or the session, it’s gripped up a lot and it affects the car balance and setups. Also some times, the different rubber [from different tire manufacturer] doesn’t like each other [mesh well] which means if we have sports car program with us then at the beginning of the session, the track feels greasy even if there’s a lot of rubber on track. So we have to be proactive with the setups for that condition which is tricky.”
•Last week’s test session: “It was a productive day. Testing is always great in that we learn so much. As described above, we have to be a little careful about the conditions as often the test and race weekend are quite different. We had a list of basic test items which is not affected too much by grip level and we should be able to adapt for good balance and speed for the weekend.
•Strong performance at Toronto: “We have been strong at street courses in general, and the last couple of years at Toronto yielded good results for us so it was nice to see that we kept that trend. We had good pace at Toronto and the strategy worked in our favor so it was a very good weekend for us. It was certainly a good lift for our team’s morale so we hope we can continue good performances for rest of the season.”
•Key to success: “Make no mistakes and have a good qualifying session. Mid-Ohio is a great track but it’s difficult to overtake as is generally the case with road courses. So starting in a high position certainly helps towards getting a strong result, and after having had a good test day there, I’m looking forward to having another good race weekend.”
Jack Hawksworth On:
•Mid-Ohio circuit: “Mid-Ohio is one of the most technical and flowing tracks on the schedule. It demands not only a good car in the high speed and low speed sections but also good technique with clean footwork in the low speed rhythm section and commitment in the high speed sections.”
•Last week’s test session: “It was positive for us, we learnt a lot about the evolution of the circuit in both hot and cooler conditions. I think we will be able to look back on certain areas from the test to help us develop the car as the weekend progresses.”
•The physicality of the track: “There are some high G corners and some technical twisty sections which keeps the driver very busy.”
•How much fuel strategy plays into this race: “It depends on the year. This race has run green the whole way many times before and when it does, then it makes qualifying extremely important as it is certainly a track-position race. However, if a yellow comes out then the whole race can quickly be tipped on its head.”
•His favorite section of the course: “I like sector two, the flowing infield section. It rewards precision and accuracy and allows the driver to have some influence.”
Remembering NBC Sports Producer Jenny Nickell: The AJ Foyt Racing team will be among the teams whose cars will carry a memorial tribute logo this weekend which features Jenny’s nickname “Jicknick.” Her nickname stems from her ability to come up with some “jick” about any driver she was doing a graphic on. It’s testament to her wide-ranging knowledge of all the drivers in motorsports (not just IndyCar). Jenny was a pioneer for women in motorsports broadcasting, a passionate ambassador of racing as well as a great friend to many. Her sudden passing on Tuesday, July 19 has left her many friends, including A.J. Foyt, and NBC Sports Network colleagues (and former colleagues at ABC/ESPN and FOX) in shock. Her family is planning a memorial service later in the year as a celebration of Jenny’s remarkable life and impact on a sport she dearly loved.