RICHARD ANTINUCCI WILL MAKE HIS DEBUT AT A CANADIAN VENUE IN SUNDAY'S HONDA INDY TORONTO

The Italian-American takes 23rd spot at the Ontario street circuit, and tomorrow he aims at making the best use of his sets of red tyres

Saturday, July 11, 2009

SUNDAY'S NOTES
Richard Antinucci has raced on three continents, but as yet he had never taken part to a race on Canadian soil. He's to fill this void tomorrow taking part to his second IndyCar race at the 1.755-mile, 11-turn Toronto circuit, where he'll move from Row 12. The San Diego-based driver had had a grim Friday practice, and Team 3G was set to propel him back into the picture, but the morning practice was delayed by a heavy downpour and then unfolded on a damp track, forcing the team to try the set-up in qualifying, where it proved a disappointment. The only silver lining to the dismaying Saturday was that Antinucci safeguarded his sets of alternate tyres, which may well help him tomorrow as those are deemed quicker than the black he had fitted to his car today.

RICHARD'S TAKE
“After Friday's practice we had some tech talk within the team aimed at fixing the understeer problem I was experiencing yesterday. Sadly, focusing on the rollcentre proved the wrong direction to go and this afternoon my Dallara-Honda was pushing like hell and things just got worse. As we, and morevoer I, lack track time after having joined the fray at mid-season, we may be forced to use qualifying as a development session, in this case to no avail. Obviously we can not test at most venues and there's a toll to be paid there, but it's quite frustrating when this kind of things happen as I am convinced that our car with a proper set-up could turn a lap at 1m02s.”