08/03/2006
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Ireland arrived in Laguna Seca today for the penultimate round of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations. A critical weekend faces A1 Team Ireland for the tenth round of the championship. Following a series of blows in the recent races, the team is confident that podium finishes remain within its grasp so long as on track incidents and reliability issues can be avoided.
The second of the North American races, Laguna Seca brings the championship's inaugural series into the USA, the world's biggest consumer market, therefore making performance here crucial to the Irish team both in terms of points and exposure. The team will have a number of VIP guests in attendance including potential sponsors.
The track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the most famous in the racing world and celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. The Corkscrew, an incredible curling downhill series of turns, is arguably one of the most infamous bends in the world. The 3.602km anti-clockwise track with 11 turns is a first for driver Ralph Firman and he's hoping beginner's luck will be on his side – as well as the tenacity of the team who worked so magnificently to rebuild the car after Mexico's collisions.
With just two remaining rounds of the A1 series to go, the Irish team recognises that time is running out to secure that first, elusive Grand Prix victory.
For driver Ralph Firman, it will be his first time at the circuit but he is confident his skills and the behind-the-scenes work of the team will help him achieve a podium finish and regain the points A1 Team Ireland needs. Firman, who has just flown in to the US from his home in Japan where he has been testing the Honda NSX GT car – and came quickest in testing – is in confident form, buoyed by the performance of the team when faced with immense pressure in Mexico.
Firman said: "I have not raced at Laguna Seca before but am obviously well aware of its history and very much looking forward to racing. I, along with the rest of the team, have been extremely frustrated with the results in recent races. It has been one thing after another, and it's high time we saw a change in our fortunes. Everyone who watched the Mexico race saw how hard the guys worked to repair the car after the accident. The results have not been up to our usual standards and we have all been left hugely disappointed with how things have turned out, and while obviously we have to reflect on things and learn from them, I can honestly say I think we are one of the best teams out here and we thoroughly deserve to have things work out this weekend."
Technical Director, Andy Miller is looking forward to the weekend's racing. "After a disappointing weekend of racing in Mexico we are ready to win back the championship points we lost last week. We have a well-balanced car and Ralph is driving superbly at the moment so we will all be working hard to get the result we want on Sunday."
A1 Team Principal Mark Gallagher said: "From an A1 Team Ireland perspective, the race is critical insofar as it represents the second to last chance we have to make up the ground in the championship. We have not finished a feature race since Malaysia, and the race in Mexico last week marked the first weekend we did not score a championship point. The run of disastrous luck we have had in the feature races needs to come to an end and the team has to be totally focused in scoring points in both races, with a podium finish absolutely our target.
"We can't hide the fact we are very disappointed with recent results, but it was not through lack of trying and the team remains highly competitive. It's been a combination of race incidents and reliability issues mainly unconnected with the team, and it all combined to give us a very hard time. We want to finish the series on a high note for Ireland and with new sponsors showing real interest ahead of next year's season it would be nice to come away with some silverware."