CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES
103RD RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS 500 MEDIA DAY
SELECTED QUOTES FROM DRIVERS
MAY 23, 2019

TEAM PENSKE DRIVERS JOSEF NEWGARDEN, HELIO CASTRONEVES, WILL POWER AND SIMON PAGENAUD PARTICIPATED IN INDY 500 MEDIA DAY. SELECTED QUOTES FROM EACH DRIVER:

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 SH:ELL V POWER CHEVROLET:

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I don’t know, good question. I think it’s hard to be an underdog when you’re a Penske driver. I really do, just because we’ve all got great equipment. We’ve all seen each other’s stuff. We’ve all been able to follow each other quite closely. Yeah, I think we’re all ‑‑ we’ve all got a great shot. For sure Helio has got great credentials. Everyone knows that. Will is now on the credential list with his victory last year, but Simon and me, I think we’re right there with them, and it’s hard to beat these guys. You’d like to think it’s hard for them to beat me, but we thrive off that, as a team environment we thrive off trying to beat each other in a positive way, and I think it helps push us to be better than the rest. So I think we’ve got a good shot.

Q. Is it possible for anyone to trim a little bit this year based on where they’re starting? I know if you’re leading you’d rather take some downforce off, but do you have to set the car up as if you’re starting 15th?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Not necessarily. I think people that start 15th will set their cars up different than first, for sure. I think guys like Dixon are going to be pretty loaded up. He knows he’s got to come through traffic, and he’ll always have the capability like all of us will to take it out. That’s kind of part of your process throughout the race is when do you have downforce on, when do you not have it on, and you’ve got to judge that. Wherever you’re at in the field, you’ve got to make a decision on how much you want on at what specific time. It’s kind of part of the strategy in itself. Yeah, I think he’ll think about it. We’ll probably have a different strategy than the guy in 33rd.
Q. Five laps to go or one lap to go, do you want to be first or second?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Don’t know yet. You need to know that in the race, though. That’s ‑‑ when you put yourself in position, that’s what you’re trying to learn. And every year is different. You can’t just say, well, historically this is what works because tire changes, downforce level changes, the conditions change. Every year you’ve got to learn what’s going to be right for that year. So that’s ‑‑ I mean, that’s my plan.
Q. Right now you wouldn’t say that the leader is a sitting duck?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I don’t know that. He could be. He could be for sure. It’s possible, but maybe he won’t be. You never know.
Q. You had mentioned just a minute ago, you had said being an introvert ‑‑
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah.
Q. No, but is that in a way like when you said taking a nap refuels you, being away, Nashville, because you do, you give everybody so much?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I mean, the Nashville thing wasn’t part of it. It’s just normal things that most people wouldn’t think is draining is draining to me. It’s terrible, it’s not that I hate people, it’s just when I’m around people, I get worn out, and it’s just the psychology of certain people. So yeah, I just think this month is about ‑‑ but Nashville wasn’t really part of that. If I just go home, being home helps me. I’m a big home body, so when I get time there, I don’t even need to be doing anything, I could be staring at the wall and that helps me, you know.
Q. From a visualizing standpoint, how old would you say you were when you first had those dreams of driving in and drinking the milk?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Oh, man, from a very early age. Probably legitimately like 10 or 11. It might have been sooner than that. But from what I really remember, yeah, 10 or 11, dreaming about going to drive go‑karts. My dream was just to go drive go‑karts when I was that young, and I used to watch the Indy 500, and I was more scared of IndyCars back then. I didn’t think I would ever drive one. I didn’t know how it was possible for people to drive them. But I was young. I didn’t really know. And then the older you get, the more you learn about it, then you become a teenager, and yeah, the more you dream about that reality, especially when you get in race cars. When you move from go‑karts to race cars, then you really start to dream about, okay, what would it be like to win that race, to drink that milk, to be in the Yard of Bricks. It would be a dream come true.
Q. You’ve been close, so did you start to say, hey, this could happen?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I honestly thought it was the year in 2016. I thought we would have a shot. I think that was my only real chance so far of winning this race was that year. We were so close at the end of it, and it just didn’t happen. But that’s why this race every year that you have an opportunity to be here, think you’ve got to put yourself in position, give yourself a chance. That’s number one. Give yourself a chance to win the race and then hopefully it all works out.
Q. Will you dream about that up until even Saturday night?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah…
Q. Or do you have to let it go?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, you’ve got to dream about it, but then you’ve got to focus. Then it’s about, okay, how do I just work on what’s important for the day, how do we just focus on the race car, focus on the task. You can’t be dreaming about the milk when you’re in Turn 3 making a pass. Yeah, you put it aside at some point.
Q. And for probably the third time, weather conditions, how that’ll affect the balance of the car, it’s going to be kind of a crapshoot probably on Sunday?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, it sways up and down. I like a hotter day, but you’ve got to be good in both conditions, whether it’s cold, whether it’s hot, whether it’s windy, whether it’s not windy, you’ve got to be good in all those conditions. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I keep looking at the radar and it keeps changing. It’s almost like I’m just going to wake up on Sunday and look out the window and see what it is.
Q. This race is obviously the biggest of the season, but it has an impact obviously on your season‑long championship golds, also.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It does. You kind of put this race as its own thing. You want to win it at all costs. But if you have a great race here, it has the ability to catapult you into a very favorable position in the championship. It has a lot of knock‑on effect. You’ve got to have a good event here for the whole year, and you want to have a good event here because it’s the Indy 500. So it does a lot more than just giving you the milk to celebrate. It does a whole wealth of great things for you.
Q. And you just continue because then you’ve got a double‑header six days later in Detroit, which is not an easy task in itself.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Really these three or four weeks from the GP through Detroit is critical. You’ve got to get that all right. May is important, and if you do get that all right, then you’re for sure going to be set up for a championship run. You’ll be set up for it.

HELIO CASTRONEVES,NO. 3 PENNZOIL CHEVROLET:

HELIO CASTRONEVES: I’m not going to ‑‑ I’m going to use as much as I can of this situation to make it the most memorable one.
Q. You’ve come close, and you want to join that elusive club. Are you as driven as you were once you won three, or is it now at this point in your career just take it all in and let the chips fall where they may?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: If you go with that attitude, let everybody falls in, it’s not going to happen. The game changed a little bit. The cars are a little different. Our competitors are obviously becoming smarter. The field is tight, as well. Lines are becoming much more similar. Everybody is doing the same. So now look at what I just told you, you’ve got to change a little bit of the game. Sometimes you don’t see that, but you can’t do what you’ve done five years ago or even ten years ago. You can use some of the experience to prevent something to happen, but you’re always going to learn.
So the attitude that our No. 3 is going with is making less mistakes is probably going to give us an opportunity to challenge for the win.
Q. Having Rick Mears in your corner, what has that allowed you to do?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Oh, having Rick, having Roger, having those two guys just gives me the confidence that I’ve just got to go ahead and make it happen. Last year unfortunately we were playing the game, we were really cruising, by the way, and unfortunately it really caught up. I could not expect it.
This year we’re trying to make sure that we go in the same direction in terms of cruising but be a little more prepared since it’s a new car. However, the new car, my teammates developed very well. I’m not full‑time, but I understand a little bit what it needs to do, and I feel as strong as ever.
Q. You refer to that new car and what your teammates have done; what was it about sitting in the cockpit and discovering that new car that got you excited?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Oh, my God. Every time you’re talking about coming back to IndyCar, it’s part of my DNA I want to say.
Q. But with this car, have you noticed there’s a lot of differences between this car and last year?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Well, again, every time you’re talking about IndyCar, it doesn’t matter if it’s a new or old car, I’m ready to come back and ready to hopefully do what I’ve been doing for so many years. Even that I’m still doing obviously the sports car program, which I really enjoy, IndyCar is part of my DNA.
Q. Do you remember when you and I first met and the story that you told me when you were sitting in Brazil watching the Indianapolis 500 on TV?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: That was with Emerson. I do remember that one. It was an incredible win. And then afterwards I went to England and I was watching Jacques Villeneuve win and I remember they were showing Roger, as well, and I’m like, man, one day I’m going to drive for this guy, and well, you’ve got to dream big, and very fortunate, very lucky person.
Q. Does the anticipation and excitement ever get old? That’s all we hear is you’re going for four, but you still have a task at hand.
HELIO CASTRONEVES: No, it’s great. I see the warmth of the fans, the energy of everyone, to be honest, even those that probably don’t like me, they still are like, man, it would be really cool to see something history that I haven’t seen it, or I don’t remember, but I’m sure a lot of people that was born after those moments haven’t seen, either.
It would be cool to do something, and I am as ‑‑ I’m ready, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. If I don’t feel that I have an opportunity and a chance, and if I don’t get nervous like someone said, oh, he’s been here so many years, do you get nervous? Yes. It’s the Indy 500. So it’s a great place.
But at the end of the day, as soon as you close the advise or on, it’s another race. I’ve just got to apply what I’ve been doing many years and apply it again.
Q. It’s been 10 years since you won. Does it seem like 10 years?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: It does. I mean, obviously we’ve been close many times. It does. However, it doesn’t take away our quest and desire. Maybe it is the year that ‑‑ Tiger Woods took 10 years to go back and win another big one, so why not could be this year? So you’re always looking for a positive and ways to look, and I’m always a positive guy. But realistic the same way, and I feel great this year.
Q. Okay, you came back the year after the third one, now you get years removed. Do you feel the chances slipping away?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: No, well, you’ve got to seen, we have four cars. Before we had only two cars. The team started spreading out a little bit of the love with other ones, and now the other ones are smart. You have Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Josef Newgarden. All of a sudden when there’s so much that you can do and those guys are, as I said, they are champions, they know what they need to do, as well, so like Montoya when he came, he won 2015, and so my point is the team does everything they can to make the car win, whether it’s me or one of the other three. So that’s probably one of the reasons it’s becoming tough to do what we did in the past. But it does not prevent us from doing it.
Q. Some of the 500 winners in the past have been able to do cool things and have cool experiences because they won the 500. Is there anything that stands out in your mind from any of the times that you won that you were able to do that maybe you wouldn’t have been able to do if you didn’t win?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: I guess we’ll just talk about Dancing With the Stars. I wouldn’t probably be able to be on the show if I hadn’t won that. I’m still a big fan of the show.
Q. It’s kind of been a quiet month for you compared to Simon, Josef and Will. Does that kind of put it in your favor that maybe you’re coming in under the radar a little bit?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: No, I won here starting in 11th. I won here starting from 13th. I had a great race in 2017, starting from 24th, I guess. So yes, there are two kind of races, as I said before, the Indy 500 and the qualifying. But qualifying is over, now we’ve just got to try to make the best out of it. 12 is a good position starting on the outside, which I really like it, and it’s just ‑‑ I see my strong competitors, obviously my teammates, especially Simon, he’s been very strong, and every time you see a guy with that kind of speed, it automatically makes you a little bit more strong. However, it doesn’t make you invisible.
Q. You’ve won three times; can you sum up what it really takes to win this race?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: It’s a team. It’s not the driver. If you don’t have a good team supporting you, giving you the opportunity and the tools to put yourself in position to win, you won’t be able. So you’ve got to be patient, and you’ve got to respect this place because this place changes every lap.
Q. How did you see Simon evolve, the way he drives on ovals?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Oh, Simon? He’s been developing his skills a long time, an amazing talented driver, and what it showed is not because he did the pole position, but you saw what he did in the rain, and I’ve seen him work, I’ve seen him ‑‑ the way, the technical ‑‑ the technicality that he carries and the knowledge. So when you have that kind of scenario, speed becoming nature, no, he’s going to be a very strong contender for the race no question.
Q. Would you give him some advice about how you have to drive?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Oh, he knows. He’s been here. We talk. We’ve seen each other. Those guys, they are on a level that my advice, I don’t think it will help. But we are a strong team, and we want to obviously give another win for Roger.
Q. The pole position, do you think it’s an advantage?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: It’s not ‑‑ it doesn’t make you win the race. However, it does check some boxes, meaning people’s mistakes, probably stay away from you, so because you’re starting in the front you don’t have to face those kind of scenarios. So every time you eliminate scenarios that you can’t control helps. Starting on the pole is definitely a big help for the beginning of the race.
Q. Are you okay from last night’s incident? I heard there was a rumor that you pulled something jumping up and celebrating a ping‑pong victory too much.
HELIO CASTRONEVES: I wish you would be there, man. I was waiting for you to be there because you probably would be a good teammate. Do you play ping‑pong?
Q. Not very well.
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Okay, so forget about it, I would not invite you to be my teammate. But yeah, it was a good game. You were missed for sure there. I wish you were there.
Q. I heard after your victory celebration you pulled your shirt up to make sure ‑‑
HELIO CASTRONEVES: That was a first. I don’t know why I did that.
Q. That’s not true, I’ve had to change in the same locker room ‑‑
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Oh, okay. Yeah I was going 22, remember that song? Anyway, it’s an inside joke, a Taylor Swift song just to let you know. So good.
Q. Chevys and Hondas, if it comes down to the end, obviously you’re driving a Chevy, what’s going to be the difference between a Chevy and Honda with 20 laps to go.
HELIO CASTRONEVES: I have to say one thing. I was expecting ‑‑ I thought Honda really improved from last year. Chevy did a phenomenal job, and it’s natural. The competition brings the other one up. I feel we’re in great shape. I don’t think we’ve left anything on the table, and I trust the Chevy people. I do feel that we ‑‑ if I need it, they’re going to be there for me.
Q. When you get back here and you go to sleep at night, do you think about the good things that have happened here, or do you think about the close ‑‑
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Well, it’s hard to forget the ones that missed. Obviously great memories are the ones that it happens, but the ones that missed, it keeps in your mind. It’s about racing. Racing, you lose more than actually win more. But when you remember those ‑‑ when you accomplish the wins, you want to go back again. Right now, I’m just ready to go back.
Q. Any one of those close finishes play out a little bit more here than the other ones, or is it always the most recent one?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: No, it’s the ‑‑ 2017 with Takuma was really tough. I did everything I could. However, he did a great job, and hopefully won’t have to think about this year being a close call and just make it happen.
Q. What’s the most interesting thing that’s happened to you this month?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Hmm, interesting thing. I got really sick. Never happened before. But I guess I understand, with the Grand Prix was so cold and when they make me go around to the back of the truck, I felt this is going to be a tough one, so it was a tough week to get to ‑‑ to recover from this cough. But thank God I’m ready, and by Sunday I will be 100 percent.
Q. This is your 19th Indianapolis 500. What makes this race so special for you?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: The fans, the tradition. This place is magical, as I said before, so when you put it all together, it’s hard to miss ‑‑ it’s hard not to be here. It’s hard not to be participating, to be honest. So I’m just very fortunate to have a phenomenal team, to be able to give me the opportunity to go back and ‑‑ and I see, like I said before, all the fans really looking forward to being part of history, and I won’t give up until I make that dream come true.

WILL POWER

Q. Do you feel less pressure coming back as a winner?
WILL POWER: Yeah, in some respects you probably do. Like I probably haven’t got that looming over your head that maybe I won’t win this race in my career. I would have to say that has definitely made me a little more calm. But as far as the desire to win, it’s stronger than ever. You really want to get out there and experience all that again. Just as a competitor, you want to win.
Q. Is it kind of surprising that one race can produce so much more fame and workload and all that as opposed to a year‑long effort and a championship?
WILL POWER: When you look at the history of it and the size of the event, it’s not a surprise. There’s nothing like it around the world. No, you know, you kind of understand why it gets so much coverage, especially once you’ve won it and you get to do all the activities you do in the off‑season.
Q. Which is a lot of work, but it must be a lot of fun at the same time.
WILL POWER: It’s great. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of it. It did not feel like work.
Q. And your thoughts on race day? Any ‑‑
WILL POWER: I think it’s going to be a really tight race. I really do. I don’t think ‑‑ I just think it’ll be a tough, tough fought‑out race. That’s all I can say. I look throughout the field, and there’s just really no bad cars at all. They’re all good.
Q. Do you expect front ‑‑ I know we talked during the month, you thought first and second may pass easier. Do you still expect that on Sunday?
WILL POWER: Yeah, I don’t think the leader will get away. I don’t, especially if it’s like 70‑degree day and the track temp is down. I think it’ll be first, second, third ‑‑
Q. Would you rather be coming to the white flag first or second?
WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, honestly, that’s hard to judge. I think you’ll judge it at the time when you understand how it’s been playing out and if you can pass before the start‑finish line, if you can’t. That’s hard to say right now. But you’ve got to put yourself in position to understand that when the time comes.
Q. Have any of the new tools they’ve given you, are they making any difference?
WILL POWER: You can certainly step on the downforce if you want. But there’s definitely a drag penalty afterwards. Again, if you want to drive it, you can, also. Depends what you want. I don’t think anyone will run every bit of downforce in your car. I’d be surprised if you’ll see someone with everything on. Maybe you will right at the very back, but I’d be surprised.
Q. And the tire this year, can you feel a difference in the tire?
WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, how it’s set up is significantly different because of the tire. They did exactly what they said it would do. Like IndyCar and Firestone said, this is going to give you more front end, and it certainly did that. Like we’ve struggled with loose all month actually.
Q. Have you had some sleep?
WILL POWER: I’ve actually had some big sleep, yeah.
Q. You looked pretty knackered the last time we chatted.
WILL POWER: Yeah, I was actually starting to wear down a bit, but now I’ve had like two 10‑hour sleeps the last couple nights.
Q. Just describe the craziness that is the Indy 500 media day.
WILL POWER: Yeah, this is normal. I’ve been through it a number of times. Yeah, it looks ‑‑ I guess you could say it’s crazy with all this media walking around.
Q. And how are you feeling going into race day? Do you think you’re ready?
WILL POWER: Actually, yes I think we’re going to have some good stuff. The car should be better.
Q. What are you going to do tomorrow?
WILL POWER: We’re going to try the changes we made in the previous ‑‑ in Monday’s testing and probably try some pit stops, just start to really narrow it down and get into a rhythm and be ready to race.
Q. How do you get into the zone for race day? What’s your preparation?
WILL POWER: Yeah, just a normal ‑‑ I mean, normal for me is not really a process I go through. I just go about it. I don’t really do any meditation or anything like that. I know the mindset that I need going into a race, and that’s all I do.
Q. In your 11 starts here, you’ve only not started in the first three rows one time. How have you had so much success in qualifying?
WILL POWER: Yeah, you would think it was a lot of success, but I haven’t had pole here. But yes, we’re always starting in the first three rows. Honestly, it comes down to a great team getting ready for qualifying. What matters is the car.
Q. How much advantage does this starting position give you?
WILL POWER: I think a start at the front probably will make a difference this race. It’s just hard so pass. Back of the pack isn’t as good, but there’s no bad cars. So for sure the first half of the race you put yourself in great position.
Q. You’ve won this race before. The last person to win back‑to‑back was Helio Castroneves. How rewarding would it be to do that?
WILL POWER: It would be just so cool to win a back‑to‑back race. That’s the focus. That’s what I’m trying to do.
Q. What does it take to win here?
WILL POWER: Look, last year, it was just a flawless day as far as had a great car, drove it very well, no mistakes in pit stops. The whole package was just nailed. We didn’t do anything wrong.
Q. What’s it take to win an Indy 500?
WILL POWER: It takes obviously a lot of hard work from the team. I’m going to say months and months of work on the car and years of experience, and then from a driving perspective it’s to keep out of trouble all day, really make no mistakes, and also on the pit stops, the strategy, there has to be a complete execution.
Q. Everything kind to needs to go right?
WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s got to be your day. Doesn’t necessarily all have to go right at the beginning, but it’s just got to be your day. I’ve won many races, and it just ‑‑ when it’s your day, it’s your day.
Q. When there’s 300,000 people at the racetrack, can you feed off that adrenaline or do you just get into a racing zone?
WILL POWER: No, you’re just fully in the zone. You don’t think about the number of people. You only recognize whether it’s under yellow or your parade laps. That’s it.

SIMON PAGENAUD

Q. You got things turned around at Sonoma, and then so far this year you’ve had a lot of pace. We saw the Simon Pagenaud of old in the last 10 laps at the GP of Indy. Talk about the testament of all the work that you and what Team Penske has done to get back up ‑‑
SIMON PAGENAUD: Yeah, thank you. Absolutely. It’s been a lot of work last year for sure. You know, 500 aside because we had a really good race going here. But we worked really, really hard to understand this new aero kit as a team. I had full support from Team Penske. It’s been pretty amazing to see how much they wanted to help to get me back to where I want to be, and it was my desire also to get the car in a different spot. We’ve worked really, really hard with my teammates, also, and this year has been awesome. From day one in Sebring testing, I felt like we were right back where we need to be. First races, you know, the stars were not aligned, but now it’s aligned for us, and I feel like we’re peaking at the right time.
Q. Do you feel it’s ideal to just jump out there and get the lead and try and hold it, or do you think if you fall back a little bit you’ll be able to work your way back up front with the way the whole package goes and everything?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Very good question. I think we have a really fast car, which we saw in qualifying, so I know we can run up front. But I expect a lot like we used to see, a lot of passing between first and second. The draft is very powerful. It’s very hard to hold the lead. So I don’t expect someone to be able to lead the pack and leave the pack. It would be a lot of exchanging position between first and second. I want to stay there. I want to stay there to be able to take the lead whenever I want. That’s my goal.
Now, I saw on the Monday practice that we can come back from middle of the pack, so that’s new. Last year was impossible. This year I feel like the package allows us to do that and the car is strong for it. I think we’re ready.
Q. You’re aware of the last time a Frenchman won the pole position at the Indy 500, right?
SIMON PAGENAUD: I learnt it from you, actually, 100 years ago. Incredible.
Q. There’s some history there. That’s pretty cool.
SIMON PAGENAUD: It’s amazing because I ‑‑ a bit of foreshadowing, I sat in his car at the museum before the Grand Prix, so I think he may be looking over my shoulder trying to help me out. It’s incredible. I’m very proud for France, and we’ve had some tragic events in France lately, so it’s just great to be able to bring some smiles and fly the flag high.
Q. Pole position aside, what is different heading into this race today?
SIMON PAGENAUD: I think preparation. I really do. I think obviously my level of confidence, my level of preparation on an oval, I can see the play ahead really well, clearly, more clearly than ever, and the team. The team has been absolutely outstanding at preparing the cars for the 500 by giving us the best equipment. I feel very confident, very proud.
Q. Who do you think you’ll be looking in your mirrors further back? Who’s a dark horse?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Rossi for sure. He was very strong in traffic. Helio. Helio picked it up, and as usual, figured it out on Monday. So Helio is going to be a force to be reckoned. Then obviously Josef was stronger. Will will be strong. He always figures it out at the end of the race, so I expect him to come back. Those are the main cars. I was impressed by Ferrucci. I’ve been impressed by him. He’s been running really well. He’s got an interesting line that differs from others. It’s either going to work or not. But so far it’s been working well for him. Sebastien Bourdais has been strong. There’s a lot of really good potential cars.
Q. But even outside the top nine, there’s Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter‑Reay, those guys that are further back.
SIMON PAGENAUD: I run with Dixon a little bit. I think he’s still working on his package. He’s going to be there for sure. He’s a five‑time champion, and he’s not a five‑time champ for no reason. Obviously you expect him to be there. Hunter‑Reay is always going to be there, too. The main guys are always the same.
Q. There’s a new name on the pole, and it’s yours. Congratulations.
SIMON PAGENAUD: Thank you. I’ll tell you what, it’s a sweet moment, but I’m very focused on the race, and I want to make this happen. Obviously it gives me a lot of positive energy going into the race.
Q. You say positive energy; can you describe to someone how you channel that positive energy into 200 laps during the course of a 500‑mile race?
SIMON PAGENAUD: Well, my vision of things is ‑‑ have been like that since I’m a little kid, and that’s why I go here. I dream, and I believe my dream is possible. I always had those dreams and always did everything I could to make it happen, by believing. I strongly believe that when you believe hard enough and say it to yourself again and again, it happens.
Q. It’s been a heck of a month for you; it would certainly be great if it comes to its conclusion, but it’s also a month where Team Penske is celebrating its golden anniversary, and you’re a part of that. When you look at all the history that Roger, the captain, has brought and all the success that the Indy 500, do you look upon it as pressure or as support?
SIMON PAGENAUD: As support. But again, that’s part of positive energy, right? If you look at it as pressure, it’s only going to affect you. But I look at it as something really good, positive support, and like I just said, the team has been such a support to me. I’ve been with Team Penske for five years, been five years ‑‑ an inn credible five years, great success. Obviously I take too much credit for it because a lot of it is my team is preparing me the best equipment out there, and that’s why we’re in this pole position.
So now we’re about to have to execute and do the best we can, and then if the outside factors play in our favor, we’ll be the best.
Q. And those outside factors are?
SIMON PAGENAUD: So many. There’s like wind, mechanical, obviously the strength of our competitors, stars aligning. We could talk about it all night.