I'm confident that we will be back in this market in 2007. We want to keep an open mind and an open dialogue and do what we can to get back in this market in 2007. -- there are hurdles to overcome. |
If Danica and Buddy run, which Bobby Rahal told me they would, then we'll have 18, and I consider that a full field. |
If there is no competition in 2007, there are some short term benefits to that as well, |
It was a tough day in a lot of respects, including the decision to move forward. Looking back on it, I think it was the right decision. |
It's an important market to us; it's a great racetrack. When you make a change as dramatic as we made to condense the time frame in which we're going to run our events, it becomes a difficult thing from a flexibility standpoint. |
It's really unfortunate that Fontana was not listed on the 2006 calendar, |
It's something we're going to take a look at, even for some of the events the remainder of this year, looking at the calendar, working with the promoters and the teams. It's a lot easier to do at the three-day shows. Two-day shows, it's more difficult to give them enough track time to work on it. But the three-day shows we'll definitely put an eyeball on them and see what we can do. |
Looking back on it, I think it was the right decision. |
Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with the Dana family and everyone associated with the Rahal Letterman race team. |
Our entry blank says 33, and if we get to that number and nobody gets bumped like last year, so be it, |
Paul Dana succumbed to his injuries shortly before Noon. |
Paul was an extremely competent and capable driver. Look at Paul's background and history: No one had worked harder to get to this level than Paul did. He ran our Triple-A series for a couple of years, won a race at Milwaukee, finished second in the points [2004]. He got an opportunity to go test, and he had thousands of miles in our cars. |
People are saying she's gotta win, ... But rookies don't win at this level. |
Regardless of the number of participants we have on May 30, and I'm confident it will be 33, we will have again for at least the second year in a row, one of the deepest and most competitive fields in the history of the Indianapolis 500 with more cars, more teams and more drivers capable of winning than this place has had in past history. |
Some of the most respected drivers in our sport have had similar situations, and I'm sure it's happened in other formulas as well. It's happened before, and it likely will happen again. |