Andretti Autosport Press Conference

Lucille Dust/AR1.com

An interview with:
Marco Andretti
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Carlos Munoz
Justin Wilson

THE MODERATOR: We're pleased to be joined by the four Verizon IndyCar Series drivers of Andretti Autosport: Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Carlos Munoz and Justin Wilson.

Justin, this is your fourth start with the team this season, but obviously now you're on a more consistent basis for the rest of the season. How are things going so far? Everything gelling together the way you would expect?

JUSTIN WILSON: Yeah, it's great to be back with Andretti. The team's working great, really enjoying my experience.

Milwaukee went really well, apart from the end result. The car was fantastic in the race, kept moving forward. We'd find a way to shuffle back, then we'd move forward again. I was really pleased with the car. Unfortunately had a problem with the engine there toward the end.

I think doing more races, getting into the flow of things, getting into that rhythm, is definitely going to help. Hopefully I can help these guys, support them and do the best job we can, just try and move forward as much as possible.

THE MODERATOR: Ryan Hunter-Reay has won twice here at Iowa Speedway. Ryan, you were doing some media in Des Moines yesterday morning and you kept mentioning the physicality of this race, the G loads your body goes through. Can you elaborate a little?

RYAN HUNTER-REAY: (Iowa is) certainly the most physical (track) we go to. It's one where you have to have the car right in that perfect window to get it all right all the way through the stints from the beginning of tires till the end.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]It's going to be difficult here with practice in 90-degree heat, then racing at night, it will be quite a bit different. We'll have to keep an open mind to that.

Always love coming back to Iowa. Hopefully we can get our season turned around here. I didn't want to peak too early (this season). Wanted to sneak up on everybody here. Hopefully we're going to do that.

THE MODERATOR: Marco Andretti, also a winner here in 2011. What do you remember about the 2011 victory?

MARCO ANDRETTI: Just the monkey off my back, which is the biggest thing. That monkey is as big as anything right now. Just sort of what Ryan is doing for his season, I'm doing in my career right now. We're hoping to get a bunch of race wins. We have plenty of podiums, plenty of laps led, but that's not good enough for me or anybody, really.

Yeah, just felt relieved, that was the biggest thing. Hopefully we can do it again.

THE MODERATOR: Carlos started fifth in his one start here at Iowa Speedway. Carlos, you're with a team that's won six of eight races here at Iowa Speedway. Does that give you confidence?
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CARLOS MUNOZ: I think Iowa and me, we are not really good friends. I've been good in qualifying here in Indy Lights, but we struggled a little bit in racing in Indy Lights. Last year was a really tough race. Like Ryan said, you have to have a really good car. It's going to be really physical as well.

The team has been really good here in the past. I think we still have to work a lot this year in general, and we'll see where we are with the new aero kits, where Chevy is, where we are. I think we have to work a lot this weekend. It's good to have three teammates doing different stuff. In the end, you're picking the best of each of things, so it's nice.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. What was it like driving the Formula E car for Andretti?

JUSTIN WILSON: The Formula E experience was fun. It was a really interesting car to drive, completely different in many respects. In some ways, it was like doing Indy car racing. You have to save energy, just like we have to save fuel.

The biggest thing I had to get my head around was switching cars halfway through the race. That was a little weird, but it all worked well. I had a lot of fun. You wouldn't think you could actually race cars around that street circuit because it's so narrow, but the cars are scaled down to fit those kind of tracks.

Good fun, but I'm really happy to be back in INDYCAR. This is where I feel want my career to be. This is what I want to do. Jumping back in just felt like being at home. Everything was familiar, I knew what to do, knew where to be at what time. It's a much more comfortable feeling once you have that experience.

Q. Marco, you were one of the two drivers who got to test here for a half day. How is it different from the kind of stock Dallara aero kit and how do you expect the racing to be different tomorrow night?

MARCO ANDRETTI: For me, it's still a big unknown. I think Practice 1 is going to tell the story because, when we tested, it was very cool. The test was very easy, which something tells me is not going to be the case in this heat. These cars behave totally different, especially with the track temps up. Still, the ambient temp is going to be a lot hotter than when we tested. I don't know how the race is going to play out.

Like I said, the test was very stress-free. We just ticked off a lot of boxes. Still a big unknown right now.

Q. Justin, you mentioned how at home you feel here in the Verizon IndyCar Series. How important are these last few races for you for this season looking forward to a full-time ride for next season?

JUSTIN WILSON: I think it's as important for me as with any driver. You want to finish the season on a high.

It's great to come in and get the last four or five races (with Andretti Autosport). I just want to do the best job I can. I want to work with the engineering team, produce the best race car I can, get the best results, see what that does for the future.

I have no idea what happens after Sonoma at this stage. But that's still more information than I've had for the rest of the year, so I'll take it.

THE MODERATOR: I mentioned that stat, six of eight race wins here for Andretti Autosport. Throughout the season, people have looked at Team Penske as the people to beat. Do you feel like you're the hunted team here?

MARCO ANDRETTI: I'd like to think so. The team, for whatever reason, rolls off pretty strong here. I think last year we started to struggle a little bit, but they definitely pulled the rabbit out of the hat there in the end (with Hunter-Reay winning). It was frustrating to watch. Ryan and I were running together the whole time. My engine blew up, then I was watching from my bus.

Yeah, it was cool to be able to keep the streak alive. That's still the goal.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]CARLOS MUNOZ: This is INDYCAR. You never know who is going to win. Milwaukee, I wouldn't have put my dollars in on (Sebastien) Bourdais. This is INDYCAR, anything can happen till the last lap. That is what is nice about the series.

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, good luck in practice today