CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES
STREETS OF LONG BEACH
ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 10, 2019

Carlin driver Patricio O’Ward met with members of the media following posting fifth fastest time of day one at Grand Prix of Long Beach:

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Patricio O’Ward, finished fifth fastest in today’s overall time sheets.

Pato, we saw you very close up on the timesheets, top five, your first time around this track. What are your initial impressions?

PATRICIO O’WARD: This place is a blast. It’s quite hard to get those last 3/10ths. It’s really, really hard to get everything right. You have to be precise because here you don’t have grass, you have a wall. It’s pretty tough to get around here with a perfect lap.

But I’m enjoying so far. We’ve done some pretty good running. Struggling with the blacks for some reason. But look to be OK with reds. So, we’re going to be working on that for tomorrow.

Yeah, looking forward to the event. All I hear is good things about this place.

Q. Pato, you said it was a blast. Are you actually having fun driving out there?
PATRICIO O’WARD: You have to be having fun doing this. I mean, I feel like if you’re not having fun, then why are you doing it, right? You have to enjoy it. You have to have fun where you’re at.

But I think it’s just a place that everybody likes to come to because of the energy around this place. I’ve never been here, but today is a Friday, man, and the paddock is full. The stands are, like, packed. I’ve never seen a Friday so full in my life.

It’s cool. It’s really cool. I wonder what it’s going to be like Sunday. So, I mean, I think Ryan knows better than I do, but I’m super excited. Every time (I go out on the track), it’s a track that rewards you in a way. If you get something right, it feels good, for sure.