RICHARD ANTINUCCI IN CONTENTION FOR TOP-LINE OPEN-WHEEL DRIVE
AS THE COUNTDOWN TO THE INDY PRO SERIES SEASON KICK-OFF GOES ON, SPECULATIONS ABOUT 2008 CONTRACT WIND DOWN AND DEAL TO JOIN TITLE-CHASING TEAM SEEMS WITHIN REACH
Tuesday, April 23, 2008
SAN DIEGO, CA. — Nearly six months removed from his last open-wheel outing at Laguna Seca's Infineon Raceway, Eddie Cheever's nephew can’t wait for the moment to report to work. As usual what is often aptly named “silly season” — the winter break — has fueled rumors, and from his San Diego home the American driver is adamant about what 2008 has NOT in store for him : "Every now and then I was getting wind that I had one IRL deal all wrapped up. Some rumors were hinting at a part-time season, some even at a full-time job. Well, this somehow may even be deemed flattering, but I have to set this straight : this is not going to happen. Not in 2008, anyway."
Although the former F.3 EuroSeries driver is aiming high, his practical side inclines him to hit the reachable goals first. "I had great results in the second-half of the 2007 Indy Pro Series season.” Antinucci elaborates “I've collected two wins and a second place. I am not one to underestimate my 2007, but the move to IRL is something that you can’t do with a thin curriculum. I think that racing-wise I have a thick curriculum, but as far as oval mileage is concerned I can better develop my skills there with some Indy Pro Series seasoning. Therefore my main goal for 2008 has been to land one of the IPS series’ top seats, I could also say the top seat, something that I am quietly working at for a while and that I am confident will be finalised soon. If this will happen this week it would make the ultimate birthday gift, as next Saturday I’ll be 27 ! I am quite confident of the path I am taking and I am sure this is the best way to prepare myself to be a IRL driver later on.”
Whilst Antinucci is honing in on his Indy Pro Series 2008 drive, he’s not forgetting his road-racing roots : "One quite can not sweep having raced on tracks across three continents under the carpet. I am fully committed to take the right steps to IRL now, but I look forward to be involved in road-racing to some extent in the future. One can not help but notice that sportscars are growing constantly these days, here, in Europe and Japan. Manufacturers are deeply involved in it and quite likely we’ll see more of that. IRL household names such as Castroneves and Kanaan, I mean guys who are proven winners, are not afraid that driving sportscars may distract them from their main goal. So I would, if the right opportunity should arise. To be honest if in the mid-term things in open-wheel should not pan out, I definitely would not deem it a Plan B to be driving in ALMS or FIA GT. Over there you find pros who have had exceptional careers, people like Tom Kristensen or Ron Fellows. Only someone who has poor judgment would not evaluate their achievements as something that stand out in racing. Morevoer, the IPS season ends in early September, when sporstcars and GT still are in the heat of their own. At Utah's Miller Park I had a chance to make my Grand-Am debut after the open-wheel season wound down, and in spite of a trying weekend I managed to come to grips with driving with a roof, as my topping the race timesheets confirms. I would like to do it again in 2008.”