CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
100th RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES – MEDIA DAY
MAY 26, 2016

BUDDY LAZIER, NO. 4 LAZIER/BURNS RACING CHEVROLET, LAZIER/BURNS RACING (qualified 32nd; 1996 Indy 500 winner):

TALK ABOUT YOUR HISTORY HERE. “Two times we’ve had the race won and we had a little issue. In 2000 with Juan (Montoya) we were fast and we were quicker than he was. We had our car a little better on raceday, and we were getting killed every time we went in for fuel. We took fuel twice as many times as he did. We just missed that year – strategy and otherwise. We very easily could have won it. A couple of years later, we had the race won and our last set of tires we had no stagger. So these second-place finishes haunt you. When you win a race, you put it on a shelf. And this is such a special race to win. There have been probably four or five other times where we were a hair away from winning.”

HOW WAS THE RACE CHANGED SINCE 1996? “It’s remarkably similar. These cars’ aerodynamic efficiencies are actually more like the Reynards than say the first Dallaras were. The way the cars have evolved is that these are much safer than the Reynards; there have been enormous improvements in safety. Performance-wise, they’re actually very similar. So we’ve gone back to where we were. The skill set it takes to drive these cars to me is what it took to drive the Reynards of the 1990s and the Lolas.”

IS THE DRIVER COMPETITION IS AS STRONG OR STRONGER? “It’s as strong as it’s been since I’ve been here. There are 33 drivers here and no slouches. There isn’t one with a car that can’t win. That’s phenomenal.”
WHAT’S THE GOAL FOR YOU? “I think it would be amazing if we finish in the top-15. I think we’re capable of a top-10 and even better potentially. As a small team, it’s critical that we hit the air density, our ride height and a couple of basic numbers that if we miss then we’re in for a long day. If we hit it, hang on because it’s going to be a good ride and it will be a good show.”CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
100th RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES – MEDIA DAY
MAY 26, 2016

BUDDY LAZIER, NO. 4 LAZIER/BURNS RACING CHEVROLET, LAZIER/BURNS RACING (qualified 32nd; 1996 Indy 500 winner):

TALK ABOUT YOUR HISTORY HERE. “Two times we’ve had the race won and we had a little issue. In 2000 with Juan (Montoya) we were fast and we were quicker than he was. We had our car a little better on raceday, and we were getting killed every time we went in for fuel. We took fuel twice as many times as he did. We just missed that year – strategy and otherwise. We very easily could have won it. A couple of years later, we had the race won and our last set of tires we had no stagger. So these second-place finishes haunt you. When you win a race, you put it on a shelf. And this is such a special race to win. There have been probably four or five other times where we were a hair away from winning.”

HOW WAS THE RACE CHANGED SINCE 1996? “It’s remarkably similar. These cars’ aerodynamic efficiencies are actually more like the Reynards than say the first Dallaras were. The way the cars have evolved is that these are much safer than the Reynards; there have been enormous improvements in safety. Performance-wise, they’re actually very similar. So we’ve gone back to where we were. The skill set it takes to drive these cars to me is what it took to drive the Reynards of the 1990s and the Lolas.”

IS THE DRIVER COMPETITION IS AS STRONG OR STRONGER? “It’s as strong as it’s been since I’ve been here. There are 33 drivers here and no slouches. There isn’t one with a car that can’t win. That’s phenomenal.”
WHAT’S THE GOAL FOR YOU? “I think it would be amazing if we finish in the top-15. I think we’re capable of a top-10 and even better potentially. As a small team, it’s critical that we hit the air density, our ride height and a couple of basic numbers that if we miss then we’re in for a long day. If we hit it, hang on because it’s going to be a good ride and it will be a good show.”