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IndyCar
IN THE COCKPIT: Alex Tagliani, St. Pete
St. Petersburg is a great place to kick off the IZOD IndyCar Series season and I think all the drivers were anxious to get back into the racecar.
Alex Tagliani was the top finisher for Lotus at St. Pete. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)
St. Petersburg is a great place to kick off the IZOD IndyCar Series season and I think all the drivers were anxious to get back into the racecar.
As excited as we were though, there was a lot of mixed emotion going into the season opener. Finishing the season in Vegas the way we did was really tough and we all went through a lot emotionally. When you’re a driver, you have to put that aside and it’s your job to focus on what you want to do.
It was fitting that St. Pete was Dan Wheldon’s adopted hometown. On top of that, we’re driving the Dallara DW12 that Dan tested and helped to develop. Overall, the race promoters and organizers did a great job of honoring his memory, with things like the Dan Wheldon Way sign that was hanging in turn ten.
The weekend started off alright and then I started feeling a little cough coming on Friday night. By Saturday, my chest was congested and I just didn’t feel well at all. It was the first time I’ve ever been sick on a race weekend! It was tough to breathe and I had some cold sweats, which just makes it not fun to drive.
We had a lot of good stuff going on during the weekend and it felt good to be back in the paddock, so I toughed it out. We had a full group of sponsors from Barracuda Networks and Bowers & Wilkins joining us in our Motegi Racing hospitality suite (like the plugs I just did there?!?).
I thought it was one of the best-looking hospitality setups I’d ever seen and it was obvious that the guests really enjoyed their race weekend experience.
We did the first Team Barracuda – BHA Tweetup in the IndyCar Fan Village and I had a lot of fun, even though I was sick. I really appreciate the support of the fans and it was cool to interact with them. The questions they were asking showed that they’re knowledgeable and that they are really following what we’re putting out there on @Tagliani, @BHA and our other social media channels.
On Saturday, we qualified in P17. We were basically a tenth and a half away from making it to the second round of qualifying, but I was proud of the team. They worked hard to get the car ready with a very limited testing schedule. Overall, I was happy with the car that they gave me.
When we started the race on Sunday, things were going well. My first stint was behind Pagenaud and I was following closely. We moved up to ninth and I was able to fight off Will Power, who was behind us. We were doing decent lap times, but then we encountered some problems in the pits. We lost some valuable time due to launch issues and our pit limiter only allowing us to do 53 mph instead of the allowed 60.
We finished the race in 15th place and were the highest placing Lotus-powered car. All things considered, it was a decent result, although we felt like we had a better car than the outcome reflected.
I’m still recovering a bit from being sick, so I’ll keep this first column short, SPEED.com. Plus, I hope to have a lot more to write about when we go for a better finish this weekend at Barber!
Alex Tagliani drives the No. 98 Team Barracuda BHA car in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series. Learn more about Alex, the team and their sponsors at http://www.bryanhertaautosport.com, and follow Alex on Twitter @Tagliani.
As excited as we were though, there was a lot of mixed emotion going into the season opener. Finishing the season in Vegas the way we did was really tough and we all went through a lot emotionally. When you’re a driver, you have to put that aside and it’s your job to focus on what you want to do.
It was fitting that St. Pete was Dan Wheldon’s adopted hometown. On top of that, we’re driving the Dallara DW12 that Dan tested and helped to develop. Overall, the race promoters and organizers did a great job of honoring his memory, with things like the Dan Wheldon Way sign that was hanging in turn ten.
The weekend started off alright and then I started feeling a little cough coming on Friday night. By Saturday, my chest was congested and I just didn’t feel well at all. It was the first time I’ve ever been sick on a race weekend! It was tough to breathe and I had some cold sweats, which just makes it not fun to drive.
We had a lot of good stuff going on during the weekend and it felt good to be back in the paddock, so I toughed it out. We had a full group of sponsors from Barracuda Networks and Bowers & Wilkins joining us in our Motegi Racing hospitality suite (like the plugs I just did there?!?).
I thought it was one of the best-looking hospitality setups I’d ever seen and it was obvious that the guests really enjoyed their race weekend experience.
We did the first Team Barracuda – BHA Tweetup in the IndyCar Fan Village and I had a lot of fun, even though I was sick. I really appreciate the support of the fans and it was cool to interact with them. The questions they were asking showed that they’re knowledgeable and that they are really following what we’re putting out there on @Tagliani, @BHA and our other social media channels.
On Saturday, we qualified in P17. We were basically a tenth and a half away from making it to the second round of qualifying, but I was proud of the team. They worked hard to get the car ready with a very limited testing schedule. Overall, I was happy with the car that they gave me.
When we started the race on Sunday, things were going well. My first stint was behind Pagenaud and I was following closely. We moved up to ninth and I was able to fight off Will Power, who was behind us. We were doing decent lap times, but then we encountered some problems in the pits. We lost some valuable time due to launch issues and our pit limiter only allowing us to do 53 mph instead of the allowed 60.
We finished the race in 15th place and were the highest placing Lotus-powered car. All things considered, it was a decent result, although we felt like we had a better car than the outcome reflected.
I’m still recovering a bit from being sick, so I’ll keep this first column short, SPEED.com. Plus, I hope to have a lot more to write about when we go for a better finish this weekend at Barber!
Alex Tagliani drives the No. 98 Team Barracuda BHA car in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series. Learn more about Alex, the team and their sponsors at http://www.bryanhertaautosport.com, and follow Alex on Twitter @Tagliani.
2013 INDY 500 Practice
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