2003 SEASON ::: MORE RACING NEWS Trois Revieres Race Report Truth be told…I’m not a very good loser. Ever since I was a little kid…I’ve hated it. A lot. And along these lines I think it is a major reason that I’ve been able to have some success in racing. You have to want to win more than anything. As a driver, you put so much into trying to win…all of the training, all of the emotion, all of the chances you take on the race track. With so much invested, well it just pisses you off like you wouldn’t believe when you don’t win. In my mind, the race at Three Rivers was ours. Ron had a great first stint, running with the Ferraris and Ollie. He made a great move getting by Brabham, and was in good position in third, when Ollie chose to drop back a little to save his brakes. He was pushing Enge hard, when they pitted, and then we were first and second with the Corvettes. Bad luck hit the Ferraris when a yellow came out…and from that point on it was really just the 3 and 4 cars working for the win. After the pit stops, it was me...and Kelly right behind. I knew both cars were really equal…and that it was going to be a great race between us. It was really quite a challenging stint as we not only had to push hard, but also save the brakes as the heat was a big problem. My game plan was to drive a fast as I needed to stay ahead of Kelly for most of my stint, and then towards the end, push really hard, and try to get a gap for Ron. Everything was going to plan, until a Panoz made a late move on me, and Kelly had the advantage and got by. Luckily, a lap or so later, an Audi made a late move on Kelly, getting him out of position, and I was able to get my him. Really it was great racing. For the rest of my stint, it was pretty close, but then, I started to push really hard, taking lots of chances in traffic. I was able to open up about 5 seconds to Kelly when he had his spin. That was a huge advantage for us, and when it came time to pit, I think we were up about 12 to 15 seconds. Well as you probably know, we had a rather long pit stop…which for us is definitely out of the norm. Ron had a hard time getting out of the pits as a car was parked right in front of us…and well to make a long story short…after the stops were done, we were once again in second. Traffic totally did not work to Rons advantage…and we finished second.A great day for Team Corvette, but being honest….I’m still pissed we didn’t win. On the track… we were the guys to beat…but I tell you…to win these days, as strong as the 4 car is running, and the Ferraris…you have to be mistake free. Kelly and Oliver did a great job…and if we don’t win…well I’m glad it was them. Finally…lets talk about the Ferrari boys. They really are a great team, and have great drivers working for them. Having them to compete against…means a lot. For the past two years, a lot of people have been thinking that we were winning just because there was no one good to race against. This totally sells short how good the Saleen was as a race car, and how good the Viper still is. But more importantly it does not recognize how incredible the Corvette is and how good our team is. We win…a lot…because everyone on the team is awesome. We never quit. And rarely…do we make mistakes. I know that many fans thought for sure, that having the resources that Pro drive has, ( they are a huge company in motor sports…way bigger than Pratt and Miller ) and the drivers that they have…all of whom are very good, well I know a lot of people were thinking that we would get our asses handed to us. So to me…having them there…is great. Perhaps now everyone will truly understand what I’ve known since I first joined the team. Doug Fehan and all of the folks associated with Pratt and Miller…GM….are special. For them…with the Corvette…it is not just about being there. It’s about winning. Dominating. Making a statement that we are the ones to beat. Mosport is up next. Ron and I have won the last two years…and after this past week-end…well trust me…we’ll be flying… Johnny O 8/8/03 MORE REPORTS...   Site contents © 2002 Johnny O'Connell GM, GM Emblem, Corvette and the Corvette Emblem are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation and used with permission.