CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
DESERT DIAMOND WEST VALLEY PHOENIX GRAND PRIX
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
RACE WINNER QUICK QUOTE
APRIL 29, 2017
SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 1 MENARDS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – RACE WINNER
DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD HEAR TH WORDS YOU’VE WON AT AN OVAL? WHERE DOES THIS ONE RANK ON THE CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT LIST?
“Those were the longest 50 laps of my life. I have a button on the steering wheel to check the lap count, ever lap I was pressing the button. It was the most stressful end of the race I’ve ever lived, but the car was just phenomenal. It was an incredible day for the Menards car, Chevy, incredible job with the aero package for these kinds of tracks and on the engine as well. Since the beginning of the season we worked so closely it’s been fun, I have to say. Obviously, thanks to Verizon as well for all the support that they give us. I’ve got to tell you, this is just incredible. For me, this is my best win because it’s so strategic to win on an oval. You have to really study what the others are doing, how your car is responding adjust it during the race to be good at the end and today was just exactly a perfect day. I couldn’t be any happier.”
GROWING UP YOU NEVER RACE ON OVALS. THE FIRST ONE WAS AT A TEST IN TEXAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WITH TOWNSEND BELL… HE TOOK CREDIT BY THE WAY…
“I’m sure he can. He taught me a lot actually that year. We were teammates at Indianapolis at Schmidt. He is gasser man he just goes full throttle everywhere and he taught me a lot.”
HOW TOUGH WAS PASSING WILL POWER?
“Yeah, he was great and I’ve got to say big respect. It was a great respect between teammates. We were struggling a little bit on the exit of (Turn) 4. My car was phenomenal all night out of 4 and I was trying to time a run, time a run, he had a slight mistake and I took my chance, but he gave me plenty of room between teammates that is what you want to see and I want to say hats off to him and to the whole team. All four cars were phenomenal this weekend.”
YOU COULD TELL YOU ENJOYED THIS WIN BECAUSE YOU HAD AN IMPROMPTU VISIT WITH THE FANS WAS THAT JUST OFF THE CUFF OR WHAT?
“I’m so excited. I don’t know if you can see it, but I’m so excited. This win for me has been a long time coming. I had to relearn everything. Oval for me was completely unknown. So, when you are 25-years-old and you have to relearn everything it’s not that easy, but I think now it’s coming.”
YOU ARE THE NEW CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER:
“Yes, I like to be proud of that number one and have a great result like that is very fortunate after you win a championship.”