Pocono 500 - John Andretti Notes

John Andretti Notes, Quotes: Pocono 500

‘Looking to Turn the Luck Around at Pocono’

The only 500-mile race in the month of June, this weekend John Andretti and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the 2.5-mile, triangular shaped, Pocono (Pa.) International Raceway for Sunday’s Pocono 500. Teams just returned from a grueling 400 miles at Dover, Del., and are now preparing for a longer race at Pocono. The track is one of the most unique on the circuit with three very different turns and one of the longest and widest frontstretches in NASCAR Winston Cup racing. Cars usually tend to fan out four to five wide while racing into Turn One.

Andretti is in his sixth consecutive season with Petty Enterprises with over half of his NASCAR Winston Cup starts coming for the legendary organization. His vast racing experience ranks him as one of the most versatile and talented drivers on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. He is one of only two drivers to win in two different major racing series and also win two or more major NASCAR Winston Cup oval races. Winner of the 1991 Gold Coast Grand Prix in Australia, one of CART’s premier events, Andretti was also a winning driver in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1989 in the series then known as IMSA.

The thoughts of Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driver John Andretti heading into Pocono:

“This team always prepares good cars for Pocono. Last June we had a really good car and a really good shot at getting a good finish, but it didn’t turn out that way (the team was involved in a Turn One accident). It’s really frustrating when you have a good run going and have something bad happen to you. We had a fast car last year and, hopefully, we’ll have another fast one this time around.

“I have a lot of memories at Pocono, most of them good. I have driven go-karts, Indy cars, and now stock cars. I have had success and some bad luck too. We just need to stay away from the back luck there. So much has happened at the track but bad luck always seems to creep up. Maybe we just need more Lucky Charms to go with the Cheerios.

“It’s like Indianapolis. I have strong family ties there and at Pocono, but it’s amazing how much bad luck I have had at both. I can run around Pocono and have a great handling car, a strong engine, avoid debris, and still get caught up in an accident. If there was ever a place that owes me a win, it’s Pocono. It probably owes me more wins than races I have started.

“We want to be competitive and win races. This is what it’s all about. The next opportunity is Pocono. You can’t think four or five races down the road to win the next race. Our concentration is always on the next race. We are going into to this race with the goal of doing the best we can. Hopefully the best we can do will be satisfying to everyone involved with the team.

“This is a very competitive series. You see young guys like Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Jimmie Johnson come in and run side-by-side with Jeff Gordon - that’s unique to this series. Everybody in Winston Cup has accomplished something or they wouldn’t be here. You become surprised about how well they run, but on the other hand they are racing with guys who are past champions or are potential champions. They have a lot of experience to rely on.

“They are driving in good equipment and they have no perceptions about what their cars need to be doing. Those guys are wide open. They are like sponges and just absorb everything. They are probably the least surprised at their success.

“For me, right now, it’s short-term business at hand, which is Pocono. If you get a good car, the right strategy, and all of that, you can win Winston Cup races. Our goal is to run up front and get this #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge in victory lane.”

©Copyright 2003 Race 2 Win