Panther Pack - Team Q&A
Have a question about the difference between the IndyCar and the Pro Series ride? Curious about what the Panther drivers do away from the track? We select some of the questions that have been submitted and share the answers to those questions on the site. If you have a question of your own, you can
submit your QUESTIONS here.
submit your QUESTIONS here.
Displaying questions 1-10 (of 574 total):
- How many years is your sponsorship deal with the National Guard? It seems to me like Panther does an amazing job with the Guard. Hearing Dan's interview after St. Pete reminds me how important that program is for him and your team. I hope they stay around for a long time on the No. 4 car. (Simon, Washington, DC)
- Wow. Will Power is 2-for-2 and already has a big lead in the championship. He was also without a ride late into last offseason. Was he ever on Panther's radar. (James, Charlotte, NC)
- I thought the first few street races have been really good, does that change how most teams feel about street and road racing? It seems like most prefer ovals, and so do the fans. (Louis, Corning, NY)
- Are you guys any closer than before on announcing your second car for Indy? (Gene, Indianapolis, IN)
- I have a question. Was the St. Pete crowd as big as it looked for a Monday? My Dad and I couldn't tell if it was just people on TV saying so. (Morgan, Ocala, Fla.)
- What happened in the St. Pete crash. Good think Moraes was there, or that accident could have been scary. (Justin, Aspen, CO)
- What were your thoughts on the IRL's decision to grind the front straight like they did? (Tyler, Columbus, OH)
- I saw what Tagliani said about Wheldon after the race. Seems pretty absurd on his part. Why didn't you guys respond formally to his accusations? (Darren, Toronto)
- Good start to the season in Brazil, you guys have to be excited about that type of finish on a street circuit to open the season. (Aimee, Dayton, OH)
- The longer he’s a free agent, the more and more I think Graham Rahal would be a perfect fit in a Panther car. He reminds me a lot of Hornish, when you guys signed him when he was unknown back in 2001. Am I crazy? (Brian, Dublin, Ohio)
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Q. How many years is your sponsorship deal with the National Guard? It seems to me like Panther does an amazing job with the Guard. Hearing Dan's interview after St. Pete reminds me how important that program is for him and your team. I hope they stay around for a long time on the No. 4 car.
A. (3-23-10) Thanks for the kind words. The Guard can only do one-year contracts, but hopefully sentiments like yours will keep them with our team for the long term. There simply couldn' be a better sponsor to have.
Q. Wow. Will Power is 2-for-2 and already has a big lead in the championship. He was also without a ride late into last offseason. Was he ever on Panther's radar.
A. (3-23-10) Yes, John Barnes is a big fan of his, and I know there were some considerations, but nothing serious.
Q. I thought the first few street races have been really good, does that change how most teams feel about street and road racing? It seems like most prefer ovals, and so do the fans.
A. (3-23-10) It's hard to argue with how exciting the first two races were this season. I think, at the end of the day, people just like exciting races, regardless of what type of track they are on. The first two have been great, and hopefully that's a trend that continues on all season - on all the tracks.
Q. Are you guys any closer than before on announcing your second car for Indy?
A. (3-23-10) We're pretty close on a few deals. Stay tuned.
Q. I have a question. Was the St. Pete crowd as big as it looked for a Monday? My Dad and I couldn't tell if it was just people on TV saying so.
A. (3-23-10) It was a good crowd considering it was an early Monday morning. St. Pete has become a great event for the series. Had the race not been rained out on Sunday, the crowd would have been HUGE. But, like I said, all things considered it was still pretty darn big.
Q. What happened in the St. Pete crash. Good think Moraes was there, or that accident could have been scary.
A. (3-23-10) It was a suspension failure on the right-rear of the car. We had a part that failed, which caused the accident. Yes, it was scary, but honestly the damage to the car wasn't as bad as you would have thought.
Q. What were your thoughts on the IRL's decision to grind the front straight like they did?
A. (3-15-10) All we know is that it was a great race. Probably one of the best street course events I can remember. Kudos to the IRL for being proactive and fixing the problem so quickly.
Q. I saw what Tagliani said about Wheldon after the race. Seems pretty absurd on his part. Why didn't you guys respond formally to his accusations?
A. (3-15-10)I didn't think we needed to. Dan apologized to each member of their team and to Tags himself. If he had issues, he should have said something then, not when he spoke to the media. Overall though, I don't see it as a big deal.
Q. Good start to the season in Brazil, you guys have to be excited about that type of finish on a street circuit to open the season.
A. (3-15-10) Yes, it was a good start to the season for us. Especially when you consider we drove to the Top Five, had the incident with Tags, and then fixed the front wing and made it back to the front. It's certainly a good start to the season.
Q. The longer he’s a free agent, the more and more I think Graham Rahal would be a perfect fit in a Panther car. He reminds me a lot of Hornish, when you guys signed him when he was unknown back in 2001. Am I crazy?
A. (1-21-10) You’re not crazy and there have been some talks with Graham and his management, who ironically are the same folks that represent Hornish. There is nothing promising on that front, mainly because we don’t have the proper funding to ensure a competitive ride. If you find us a sponsorship program, we’ll sign him tomorrow.
