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TEAM AUSTRALIA READY TO BOUNCE BACK
June 15, 2006 – Team Australia will be looking to bounce back from a couple of disappointing results in this weekend's fifth round of the Champ Car World Series at Portland International Raceway in Oregon.
Alex Taglinai is coming off a couple of accidents, while Power will be determined to again skip away in the rookie of the year race after mechanical problems forced his retirement at Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago in his Aussie Vineyards Lola.
Thanks to the team effort, both cars will be ready to whip around the 1.964 mile (3.14km) Portland International Raceway.
After putting in over a 60-hour week, Team Oz was able to turn Tagliani's car around after a big practice accident in Milwaukee.
From the moment they got back home to Indianapolis it was time to burn the midnight oil and get everything prepared for Portland.
Helping in the quick process was the switch to Sherwin-Williams Planet Color Paint early on in the season. With all the damage done to the car and repainting that had to be accomplished, the paint dried so quickly, they were able to have the car ready in time.
Both drivers have been working diligently in preparation for the big weekend.
Tagliani went straight home to Las Vegas and immediately started training.
It was also a positive week for Tagliani as he had his six stitches removed from his right hand.
Power has also been training hard. Maintaining healthy eating and a strict regimen of fitness workouts, the Aussie rookie is ready for Portland.
With a good mix of running, swimming, rowing and weight training, Power feels mentally and physically ready to get back in the car and shoot for a podium finish.
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WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.....
Will Power - "I'm looking forward to Portland and getting back on a road course," said Power.
"Team Australia really keeps improving and the Aussie Vineyards car gets better and better each time we get it out on the track. Going into the weekend, I'm feeling really confident and have been working really hard training to prepare for the race. When we tested in Portland back in April we finished with a good setup and have really improved on that. Portland is a difficult circuit to find a good setup on because it's quite abrasive and hard on tires, so you don't get much running time on good rubber. When you put new tires on you find that you have an imbalance, but the team and my race engineer Brandon (Fry) have been working really hard to get me a good car, so I think now we are really prepared for Portland. I've had plenty of time to rest and train since Milwaukee, so I'm ready for the weekend."
Alex Taglinai - "I'm really excited for Portland and to be able to race this weekend," said Tagliani.
"I like the Portland track a lot. It's always very competitive and challenging, and I really enjoy that.
"The track is not very long but it has a really good mix of high and low corner speeds, which allows you to get into a good rhythm. Unfortunately last year, we blew an engine six laps into the race, but I'm excited because we have had a really good car this year so I feel more confident that we will finish with a positive result. Team Australia has worked really hard in the last two weeks to get me a good car that would be ready for Portland. I have great engineers, Mike (Pawlowski), Brandon (Fry) and Brendon (Cleave) who have made great improvements to the Aussie Vineyards car. Performance wise we have been doing very well, we have just had a few disappointments. I'm excited for the race and ready to give the fans a good show."
Derrick Walker - "There is no doubt that we have had a tough couple of weeks, but everyone has dug deep and we have got the job done," said Walker. "I think we have come a long way since we raced as Team Australia in Portland last year. Our test days have been positive, so now it is a matter of going out and doing the job."
Craig Gore - "It has been a tough couple of events for Derrick and the boys, but I am sure we can pull it all back together this weekend," said Gore. "Both drivers are still in the top 10 of the championship and Will is still on track for rookie honors. I am sure Simon (Pagenaud) and James (Davison) will also continue to do a solid job in the Atlantics."
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