Chevy Rock & Roll 400 - Christian Fittipaldi Notes

Christian Fittipaldi Notes, Quotes: Richmond 400

‘Beating the Heat by Staying Healthy’

This weekend Christian Fittipaldi will pilot the #43 Cheerios Heart Health Dodge at the .750-mile Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in Saturday night’s Richmond 400.

Fittipaldi will be flying the decals of the Healthy Heart Dodge for the last time this weekend in what has been a three-week awareness promotion of heart health by Cheerios. Through the promotion, one lucky fan will sponsor the engine of the #43 Cheerios Dodge in an upcoming NASCAR Winston Cup event. The term ‘engine’ is used analogously with the human heart - the body’s ‘engine.’ The lucky winner will be awarded space on the hood of the car for appropriate signage, including their name, etc.

In the summer of 2002 Fittipaldi signed on to drive for the legendary Petty Enterprises. An open-wheel star, Fittipaldi, 33, is a two-time CART winner (California Speedway and Road America) and Formula One World Championship driver. Fittipaldi 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 the #43 Cheerios Heart Health Dodge driver Christian Fittipaldi heading into Richmond:

“I’ve been getting asked a lot what is the biggest difference between stock car racing and open wheel racing. Besides all the obvious answers, some people might not realize that Winston Cup races are a lot longer than most other series races. In CART or Formula One, we were only racing for maybe two-and-a-half hours at the most. In Winston Cup racing, we are out there for three or four hours. The races are 400 and sometimes 500 miles. It’s a long day in NASCAR Winston Cup racing.

“The cars get very, very hot. In open wheel racing you are not confined to a closed space. You didn’t get as hot, and that has taken some time to get used to. Even this weekend, in a night race, the cars get pretty hot inside. It’s not as bad, but with the heavy fire suit and the helmet, it’s tough to get cool air inside the car and into your body. We are out there racing for three or four hours, and by the end of the night you’re just all sweat. This race will not be as bad because its 400 miles and at night, but this race can still affect a driver.

“The best way to prepare for long races and the heat is to be physically prepared. You have to be in good shape. I like to run, and I can’t think of a better sponsor than Cheerios to help me stay strong. It’s important to be in shape. I don’t think you can be as good of a driver as others if you weren’t in good shape. I am lucky enough here at Petty Enterprises to have all the tools I need.

“The ‘Helping Hands’ over-the-wall crew guys on this Cheerios team are in top condition. They train back at the shop- lifting weights, practicing pit stops, and eating right. At the track we make sure that we take our vitamins and eat enough Cheerios in the morning to get our day started in the right direction. We are supported by a great company, Advocare, who supplies us with plenty of the right vitamins to get through the weekend.

“It’s always important for me to keep hydrated during the race. I drink a lot of liquid during the race. I’ve got a three-liter pouch that I have right next to me in the car and I usually drink all of it. You need to have the right amount of energy at the end of the race, just as you do at the beginning of it.

“I think it’s a lot easier for this team to stay healthy. We travel so much, and it’s easy for others to grab fast food in or out of the track, but we have all the ingredients we need to stay healthy right on this #43 transporter. The Advocare vitamins, and the different brands of Cheerios, help this team and myself stay fueled all weekend long. I know it will help us this weekend at Richmond and for the rest of the year.”

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