Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
IZOD IndyCar Series
ROOKIE ORIENTATION PROGRAM / REFRESHER — NOTES/QUOTES – Thursday, May 10, 2012
JOURDAIN JR PLEASED WITH HIS RETURN TO OPEN WHEEL RACING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2004; COMPLETED REFRESHER PROGRAM IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2012 INDY 500
MICHEL JOURDAIN JR, No. 30 Office Depot / RLL Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It was fantastic! I was thinking in the car when I was doing the laps ‘This is so much fun.’ I’m not going to say that it feels like yesterday that I was here but it doesn’t feel like 16 years ago. The car feels really stable. The team did a test here about a month ago with Takuma and the car feels really stable; perfect to do the refresher phases today. I thought I was going to be much more nervous but it felt really good. I was quite comfortable and relaxed – at home. I treated it with a lot of respect and built up to the speed. In the beginning I tried to not feel any pressure to do a certain lap time. I just tried to be smart and patient. The only goal was to get through these phases today. Tonight I have a lot to sleep on. The last couple of years I haven’t been sleeping that good but I slept through the night last night and woke up to the alarm which was really good. These things make me quite happy. I feel relaxed; I don’t know how I look but I feel really good. I felt at home in the car and I’m very, very happy.”
FAST FACTS: Jourdain completed all three phases of the refresher course with a best lap time of 213.633 mph over the 73 laps he completed… He will attempt to qualify for his second
BOBBY RAHAL, Team Co-Owner: “Michel did what he needed to do. Obviously we have a long way to go yet but it’s a good start. He’s comfortable in the car and today was all about making that happen frankly. We got through all of the phases. We don’t have the car set up to go fast other than to get through these phases so I think there is a lot more to come obviously. Now we start to work on the car and now he can go away and think about it and be ready to go on Saturday. It was definitely a good start.”
RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING AT INDY … The team’s highest start and finish in the event came in 2004 when Buddy Rice won from pole. In addition, the team has earned a total of four podiums (2nd – Meira 2005; 3rd – Rahal 1994, 1995). The team was in contention to win the race as recent as 2011 when Bertrand Baguette led laps 139-140 and laps 189-197 of the 200 lap race. Had a caution come our before Baguette was forced to pit for a splash of fuel, he might have been the victor. The race ultimately ended under caution when JR Hildebrand crashed on the front straight while in the lead on the final lap… The 2012 race will mark the 15th year for the team in the event. Prior to 2012, the team prepared a total of 26 entries for drivers such as
NEXT UP: Opening Day for practice for the 96th