AJ Foyt Racing Notes - Long Beach Grand Prix

Sato won Long Beach for AJ Foyt Racing in 2013

AJ Foyt Racing is the only team to have competed in every race (274) since the Indy Racing League began in 1996. This race will be the team's 275^th start, Sato's 89^th, and Hawksworth's 20^th in the Verizon IndyCar Series. Driving for Foyt, Sato won the event in 2013 to become the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race.

TAKUMA SATO ON:

Long Beach circuit: "The Long Beach track has a great balance of layout. It has both high-speed and low-speed corners and heavy braking followed by good straights which means there are a few over-taking opportunities for drivers. The track is a little on the lower side of grip-level but it can evolve a lot over the weekend as it rubbers down in the consistently good weather. The venue has a fantastic atmosphere and great restaurants downtown or nearby. It's just one of the best street courses I've known from many aspects."

What makes winning at Long Beach so special: "Long Beach has got a long racing history with the greatest series [F-1 and IndyCar]. People love this race and winning it makes it even more valuable and special."

How the new aero kit will affect how he drives there: "It will affect the set-up as we have more downforce now. It should be a similar trend to the opening race which was another street course [St. Petersburg]. We were competitive there so we will see. In terms of driving approach, it shouldn't be much different and we will love it with more grip available. You can brake late and carry more speed than ever. It will be exciting."

Key factor to success at Long Beach: "The car needs a very good mechanical grip for sure and downforce level should be varied. Some cars will have heavy [downforce] and some will have light because the track has a long straight and you need to be fast there, as well as good on the corners, so finding a good balance for the downforce level is a key factor."

On why experience seems more valuable here (many multiple race winners like Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, Sebastien Bourdais, Will Power, etc.): "Perhaps the track condition is quite stable for many years because the weather is consistent and the track requires precision from many angles. If it were the opposite way around, then the winner might be changing all the time… So let's hope that history repeat itself!"

JACK HAWKSWORTH ON:

Long Beach Grand Prix: "Long Beach is one of the most historic street circuits in the world and the list of great champions who have won there is endless. It's a bit like the Indianapolis of street course racing and its history and prestige definitely sets it apart. In terms of track layout, it is very technical and challenging."

What he will look for in his Track Walk on Thursday: "Usually we'll look for changes in the track surface and corners' radiuses in comparison to previous years. Street circuits in particular are an ever evolving animal and it's quite common to find little changes from year to year. It's also a great time to talk about the specific driving and handling challenges each corner presents and what kind of things the car might need to deal with the challenges."

What he likes about racing at Long Beach: "The weather and the atmosphere. It's a fantastic track in the best location! The circuit has a fantastic feel to it and there is always a great crowd and buzz around the paddock."

Last year's race there: "We had a quick car in qualifying but we struggled a little for pace in the race. With that said, we ran top six for most of the race before the leaders crashed in front and I got collected in the accident. We sustained some damage but managed to get to the end albeit a few laps down."

On what he learned from the New Orleans race: "It's true that NOLA wasn't a good weekend on any front result-wise for us, but sometimes these kinds of race weekends are actually the most productive in the long run–they force you to dig deep and figure out how to come back stronger. I think we already have a pretty good handle on a few of the issues which hindered us and this will certainly help us all moving forward. Last time out on a street circuit (St Pete) the team showed some great pace in practice, qualifying and the race. With this in mind, alongside the great people we have in the team and the lessons from NOLA in the bank, I see no reason why the ABC Supply cars won't be up there fighting for a good result!"

Past Performance at Long Beach: Takuma Sato's best start and finish came in the 2013 race where he qualified fourth and won; that race was also the best performance for AJ Foyt Racing at Long Beach. Jack Hawksworth's only IndyCar start there came last year when he qualified fifth and finished 15^th after being involved in an accident triggered by the leaders.

A.J. Foyt will be watching from his home in Houston this weekend. Foyt is not planning to return to the IndyCar paddock until the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May.

ABC Supply celebrates the 10th anniversary of AJ Foyt Racing sponsorship: ABC Supply began sponsoring the AJ Foyt Racing team with the 2005 Indianapolis 500. The company has leveraged its involvement by entertaining nearly 70,000 associates and customers over the past 10 racing seasons. At Long Beach, the company will entertain over 400 guests.

ABC Supply national account Diversified Roofing, headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., will be featured on the engine cover of Takuma Sato's no. 14 ABC Supply Honda. Guests will receive the VIP treatment this weekend along with a Meet and Greet with Sato.

ABC Supply roofing customer, Pacific Homeworks, located in Torrance, Calif., won the ‘Your Name Here' contest for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 41 ABC Supply Honda. Guests will receive the VIP treatment plus a Meet and Greet with Jack Hawksworth.

Headquartered in Beloit, Wis., ABC Supply was founded by Ken and Diane Hendricks in 1982. The company has more than 490 branches in 49 states and is dedicated exclusively to serving professional contractors. ABC Supply has distinguished itself by following a simple guiding principle – take care of contractors better than any other distributor. It remains an "employee-first" company that treats its associates with respect and gives them the tools they need to succeed. As an eight-time winner of the Gallup Great Workplace Award, which recognizes the best-performing workforces in the world, ABC Supply is one of only three companies in the world to have earned this honor every year since its inception in 2007. More information is available at www.abcsupply.com.

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will be televised live on NBC Sports Network Sunday, April 19th at 4:00pm ET.