Patrick Carpentier Time Quotations

Toyota has really improved the performance of their engine lately, ... For the first time this year, I could keep up with the leaders without relying on race cautions to maintain contact with them. We are still lacking a bit of power to go for the win on a regular basis, but we are getting there. Toyota is really working hard to catch up to Honda. We are going to Watkins Glen next week for a day of testing in order to be more competitive for the penultimate race of the 2005 season.

It was a great day for me, but I'm definitely sorry about what happened to Alex. You always hate it when these things happen, and he's just ended up in the wrong place a couple of times this year. For me, it was very fun racing today. Things were a bit crazy at the beginning, but the guys calmed down and made the car a lot of fun to drive. This was by far my best race on one of these fast ovals. It was the first time that we were able to stick with the leaders, but it's not going to be the last.

Going into the last race, you always want to run strong, but it's also important to be safe. I've had quite a bit of experience at Fontana, so there really shouldn't be too many surprises. I should have won there a couple of times, but circumstances didn't allow it. I really expect the #83 car to be competitive in the race. Toyota has made some big improvements, and we were able to hang with the leaders on a big track for the first time at Chicago. So, I think we should be able to finish the season on a high note.