First full-time driver from the Czech Republic
source:
irl.racing-live.com
Panther Racing finally committed to Czech driver
Tomas Enge to pilot the team's second car in 2005, just one day before the first
open test of the IndyCar Series season.
"I have a very good friend by the name of Derek Mower, who owned an F3000 team
(Nordic), who won quite a few races in Europe. He called me about three years
ago and told me about Tomas, and we tested him I think in 2003 at Fontana,"
Panther co-owner John Barnes said in making the announcement on a teleconference
Tuesday morning. "Just the stars and moons didn't align quite properly until
now. We're very excited about having him on board."
While Barnes and Enge were at the Homestead track Tuesday morning, Panther
co-owner Doug Boles was in Prague in the Czech Republic where a press conference
was conducted at the same time to make the announcement official.
Enge joins South African Tomas Scheckter at Panther Racing. The duo will compete
in the only cars using an engine from American manufacturer Chevrolet in the
U.S. based open wheel racing series. Chevrolet has already announced plans to
leave the IndyCar Series after the 2005 season.
"Representing an American brand and an American company against these Japanese
engine companies is a big honor. I will do everything for representing them as
best as possible," Enge said.
Enge competed in two IndyCar Series races in 2004 for Patrick Racing, also using
Chevrolet engines. Previously, he competed in the F-3000 series, where he has
been one of the most successful drivers in the history of that series.
Enge was weighing options for this season, when he got the offer to move to
Panther Racing.
"Obviously, when the opportunity came with Panther Racing, that was something
you would never say no to. So I'm really happy for that. And, obviously, with
Tomas (Scheckter) on board like a teammate, but a fast teammate, I hope we are
going to succeed even better than everybody thinks," Enge said.
Through the 2004 season, the IndyCar Series has been an entirely oval based
series and Enge had run just road courses until competing in the two IndyCar
Series races last year.
While he felt the opportunity with Panther Racing was not something he could
turn down, Enge knows it will not be easy. He is also happy to see the IndyCar
Series add three road courses this season.
"Last year was my first introduction into the series, into the oval racing,
which is a really different kind of racing what I used to drive before," Enge
said.
Asked to explain the difference in the styles of racing, Enge said, "it's
everything. It's firstly concentration during the whole race, which is very
important. Secondly- tactics. Then you have obviously the thing to drive behind
other cars in the draft or saving the fuel, saving the tires and so on and so
on. So there is a lot of things which are really different compared to driving
on a road-course track when you usually only go flat out from the beginning of
the race. Normally that's what happens.
"You have to drive more with the head than with probably the skills. But we have
to see how it goes on. I'm really looking forward especially to a road-course
track, as you can imagine."
Enge will be the first full-time driver from the Czech Republic in the IndyCar
Series, but being the first Czech driver in a series is nothing new for Enge.
"We are a very small country, and I was the first one driving in Formula 1. So,
as you can imagine, everybody or most of the people knows me back in Czech.
But, obviously, this is a different kind of racing. It's more American-style
racing than European. But I think there will be big support back at home and
also for me from spectators, as well. I'm really looking forward to bring this
kind of racing to Europe and especially to the Czech Republic," Enge said.
Enge is especially interested in the opportunity to compete in the Indianapolis
500.
"It's something I couldn't imagine that I'm going to participate in," Enge said.