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Chat Reel: Scott Sharp
Indy 500 pole sitter needs a good strategy to win the race
Posted: Monday May 14, 2001 5:34 PM
Updated: Monday May 14, 2001 5:34 PM
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Scott Sharp currently ranks third on the IRL's points list. Robert Laberge/Allsport |
CNNSI Host: Welcome to today's chat with Indy 500 pole sitter Scott Sharp. Welcome and thanks for joining us!
Scott Sharp: Thanks. Great for the opportunity to be with everybody today.
From Indy Renegade in Indianapolis: Scott, congratulations on a great week at Indy. Not only were you faster than everybody else on Saturday, your setup seemed to be more stable than the other pole contenders-- not as dangerously close to the edge. Was your ride as smooth as it looked or were you sweating bullets?
Scott Sharp: Well, to run fast for the pole, you really can't have much downforce for the car, and the balance of the car has to be pretty aggressive. It was a little loose for the first couple of laps, then came to form for the rest of the run.
From bill: Hi Scott, congratulations on the pole. My question is: How tough is it for drivers in the back of the field when they come down the front straight at full speed for the first time? I've heard so much about 'bad air' and the car feeling loose, tell us what its really like being 20th or 30th in the field on that first lap, and also whether the rookies in the field struggle with this.
Scott Sharp: Thanks, first of all. These days, with the levels of downforce of the newer IRL cars, I don't think it will be as bad, but I remember my first year in '94, when I started in the middle of the field, and for the first couple of laps, the car almost moved around on its own.
From OWR: What is the effect on Indy racing of the recent influx of so many rookie drivers?
Scott Sharp: Well, I think obviously with there being two series in open-wheel racing right now -- it adds the opportunities for many younger drivers. Particularly in the IRL, there's quite a crop of young American drivers.
From AJ LaFollette in Savoy, Ill.: It's obvious that Robby Gordon and Greg Ray don't like each other much, and Gordon says he's going to beat Ray into turn one. Are you going to play it cool and let them fight it out, or do you intend to teach them both a lesson when the green flag drops?
Scott Sharp: It's really hard to predict what will happen going in to turn one. I just know that we have a race pace and a race strategy mapped out that won't change because we're on the pole. And while I want to lead some laps, we want to make sure we're there for the finish.
From Gret: What do you think Tony Stewart racing in both the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600? Do you think you will switch to NASCAR?
Scott Sharp: I'm pretty committed to the IRL and really enjoy racing Indy cars, but you never know what the future holds. Obviously a big task at hand for Tony. 1100 miles of racing in one day is very tough, and it was very physically demanding for him a couple of years ago when he tried it.
From Fordman: Do you have any concerns about racing at Texas Motor Speedway on June 9th, given that CART cancelled their race there?
Scott Sharp: Absolutely zero concern. I think the IRL package has proven to work perfectly on those high-banked tracks, where we are able to run two and three abreast all the way around.
From bill: Scott, what is a typical night like the night before the race? Do you hear about guys going out and partying or is it pretty sane?
Scott Sharp: Due to the crowds at the Indy 500, we really have to get up early to go to the track. And I always have some commitments to Delphi, my sponsor, the night before. So I try to eat the right meal and be in bed by 9 or 9:30.
From Savman: Do you think CART and IRL will ever resolve their differences? Wouldn't make for great racing if they did?
Scott Sharp: I agree it would make for a tremendous series. And probably what it would take to ever have open-wheel racing compete against NASCAR. But in the foreseeable future, the differences are too wide. There's a lot of foreign interest in CART, including a fair amount of foreign races, as well as road courses and circuits that the IRL doesn't compete on.
From Eric Fry in Providence, Utah: Scott, What do you think it will take to win this year's Indy 500?
Scott Sharp: Hi everyone. Biggest thing for us is to have a competitive car, being there for 200 laps and not having anything go wrong. Having good pit stops, a good strategy, and not getting caught up in someone else's accident.
From Dana in Madison, Wis.: Great job on getting the pole Scott! What is your favorite track to compete on?
Scott Sharp: Thanks a lot. Indianapolis is by far my favorite track, ever since I went to rookie orientation the first time and came out of turn two and saw that long back straightaway, every lap has been very special to me.
From Borg: Greg Ray said here that being a one-car team was an advantage. Do you feel that a teammate gives you an edge or holds you back?
Scott Sharp: I guess it all depends on how it is structured. At Kelly racing, we've worked really hard to not let the two sides of the team get competitive with each other. Very often that happens and instead of competing against all the other teams, you're No 1 competitor is your teammate. However, I think it has worked very well for Greg being in a one-car effort. The real advantage for myself in a team has been that when we get at a disadvantage and can't get the car
From Which: Who is your biggest competition amongst the drivers in the first three rows?
Scott Sharp: It's hard to pinpoint one driver - there are so many strong combinations in those first three rows. Certainly my teammate, Tony Stewart, Arie Luyenduyk, and the Penske effort of Gil de Ferran are all going to be cars that are capable of running in the front the entire day. So hopefully, we'll end up with just a little better car at the end of the day than those guys have.
CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Scott Sharp. Good luck in Indianapolis and thanks for joining us!
Scott Sharp: Thanks. Bye.
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