Penske team president perfects multitasking
For 11 minutes, 56 seconds, at least, Tim Cindric was motionless. Sitting on the leather couch of the Team Penske coach on Friday afternoon, he was between stints trying to run both the IndyCar and American Le Mans Series programs that were preparing to race this weekend in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
By BRANT JAMES
Published March 31, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG - For 11 minutes, 56 seconds, at least, Tim Cindric was motionless. Sitting on the leather couch of the Team Penske coach on Friday afternoon, he was between stints trying to run both the IndyCar and American Le Mans Series programs that were preparing to race this weekend in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Also, on the television screen, the company president eyed his third responsibility as NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying began at Martinsville, Va.
"The fun thing is we basically have a race car on the racetrack about 80 percent of the time (here)," he laughed. "The difficulty is trying to understand the details of what is happening in between sessions. You need to rely on your people and know they're making their own decisions. I have a more strategic perspective once the cars hit the racetrack. My job is to be done once we arrive, until the flag falls."
Penske's sprawling operation will contest two more IRL-ALMS weekends this season, at Belle Isle, Mich., and Mid-Ohio. So busy was the workload that Penske arrived two days early to help Cindric. That, of course, was made easier with his yacht moored in the basin beyond Turn 10.
"It's good to see him on a weekday," Cindric laughed. "He has a day job (running his multinational corporation) and usually on Friday he's doing his day job. On weekends, he usually comes and sees us but he decided to come see us today, so maybe he's playing hooky."
TOP GUN: By posting the top practice speed, Helio Castroneves earned the right to determine today's qualifying order. Cars will qualify either in ascending or descending order of best practice speed. Castroneves can make his one-lap run first or last; he must decide by 11:45 a.m.
MORE PLEASE: Andretti Green Racing officials still assert that a multiyear extension to bring the Grand Prix back to St. Petersburg is nearly completed.
"I think everybody involved wants to get it done," said Michael Andretti, co-owner of the race promotion group. "I think it's a question more of the mechanics of getting it done.
DEJA VU? After American Le Mans Series qualifying, Audi driver Allan McNish kidded Romain Dumas, the fastest overall qualifier, that he wouldn't mind a repeat of the 2006 Lime Rock race in Connecticut.
Dumas' Porsche team sat on the pole at Lime Rock but McNish's team took the overall championship. Dumas didn't like that idea, and he lightheartedly slammed his water bottle on the table.
"We are always concentrating on (the) P2 (championship), but if we can get up there and play with Allan and Audi then we will," Dumas said.
Dumas went into qualifying without much practice, but took advantage of his car's agility on the turns. McNish struggled during the morning practice and finally found a rhythm in qualifying. His afternoon ended abruptly with an accident at Turn 8, around Pioneer Park. "I was pushing for the front row and tried to get the gap back," McNish said. "I didn't and ran out of road."
SPARK PLUGS: With their class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring two weeks ago, Andretti Green Racing's Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta and Tony Kanaan are the only drivers to win races in the IndyCar, CART and American Le Mans series. Sunday's Grand Prix will be the 975th major open-wheel racing start in Andretti family history. That includes Michael, his current driver (and son) Marco, Michael's father, Mario, brother Jeff and cousin John.