Brickyard 400 - Christian Fittipaldi Notes

Christian Fittipaldi Notes, Quotes: Brickyard 400

‘100 Percent Focused on Indianapolis’

This weekend one of the most famous names in open wheel racing will return to the most famous speedway in the world. Christian Fittipaldi, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, heads to the 2.5-mile Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Brickyard 400. It will be the 10th Brickyard 400, and is considered one of the most prestigious races on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit.

Fittipaldi, whose uncle Emerson is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, has only one start at Indianapolis. Fittipaldi was the runner-up for the 1995 Indianapolis 500 in his rookie year on the CART circuit, easily winning rookie-of-the-year for his accomplishment.

In the summer of 2002 Fittipaldi signed on to drive for the legendary Petty Enterprises. An open-wheel star, Fittipaldi, 33, is a former two-time CART winner (California Speedway and Road America) and Formula One World Championship driver. He is the first-ever Brazilian native to run full time in NASCAR’s top series and is the only full-time NASCAR driver to have raced full-time in Formula One and CART.

The thoughts of Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driver Christian Fittipaldi heading into Indianapolis:

“At this point in my career, every Winston Cup race in which I am participating is going to be pretty big, but to be able to go to Indianapolis is just huge. The Brickyard 400 is just a huge race for me. I started the year at Daytona and that was just as important for my career. To be able to race in the Daytona 500 was an awesome experience, and now to be able to return to Indianapolis, it is just as exciting.

“This is an awesome place, and it’s almost hard to put into words what Indianapolis means to a driver. Anytime you race and do well it’s a great feeling, but to be able to do it at Indianapolis is just an added bonus. My family has had success there and that has been great. I have had some success in only one start, so it makes me feel good about the track. I am focused on doing a good job this weekend.

“My uncle’s accomplishments are nearly unmatched, and now I am trying to bring the winning tradition at Indianapolis back to my family in a stock car. A trophy at Indianapolis is admired by all no matter what you are driving. You can’t compare winning the Indianapolis 500 to winning the Brickyard 400, they are two different races in two different cars, but winning at Indianapolis is a racer’s dreams. It’s one of the greatest accomplishments you can have.

“It’s hard to say which is the bigger event, the Indianapolis 500 or the Brickyard 400. I am focused on doing the best I can do for Petty Enterprises, Cheerios, Dodge, and all of my other supporters. Right now, the Brickyard 400 is the bigger event to me. Maybe others will argue that the Indianapolis 500 is the greatest event, or the Daytona 500 is, but for me right now it’s the Brickyard 400. I have chosen to race in stock cars, and I want to be a winner in NASCAR, so that means winning the Brickyard 400. I also want to be a winner at Indianapolis. This is my chance to make my dreams come true. Other drivers may have different dreams, but this is my weekend to chase mine.

“I have raced from Europe to Australia to Canada to the United States. There is nothing like racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s the Mecca of automobile racing. It’s certainly the most impressive track that I have ever seen. There are tracks that are also impressive, but Indy is for sure the top infrastructure that I have ever seen.

“This, like all other races, is important for me and this Cheerios race team. To be able to race well is important, but to be able to race up front this weekend at Indianapolis, it will be self-rewarding. I am looking forward to this weekend and crossing that yard of brick for the first time in a Cheerios Petty Enterprises Dodge.”

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