Interviews

Patrick Long talks to The Tour and Planetlemans

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

Passionate oval racing fans in the US will try and tell you that the likes of Dale Jnr or Jimmie Johnson are the greatest racing drivers from the good ‘ol US of A, others may point to Scott Speed being the 1st driver to have reached (and left!) Formula One in more than a decade but those in the know will tell you about a young man who is making a name for himself as one of the best Sportscar drivers around.

As he prepares for Sebring and a full time ALMS season behind the wheel of the No.6 Penske Racing Porsche Spyder in LMP2, Patrick Long took time out to speak to The Tour Podcast and Planetlemans. Pat talks about his ALMS season ahead, Le Mans and the GT2 battle. Below is just a part transcript of the interview;

SM: I know you have been really busy in recent weeks, tell me just how tough the Porsche training camp in the Canary Islands has been for the Porsche factory drivers?

PL: Its been a busy off season with Porsche. Aside from all the PR and photo shoot stuff we have had a lot of pre season testing and certainly the fitness camp took out a big chunk of February. The lead up to it and recovering afterwards pretty much took out the whole month! This was my 6th camp now with Porsche and it gets tougher and tougher. They continue to raise the bar and its unfortunate for the new guys as they have to pick up where we are!

SM: Congratulations on the full time promotion to the Penske squad, you must be really excited about the season ahead in the Spyder prototype?

PL: Yeah, it’s a gift to be placed there. I have worked really hard to achieve that opportunity and I am only there for results. Penske and Porsche had the belief to give me the nod in the No.6 car. Its certainly a car that is the favourite but with the change in the points system and improvement from Acura, its gonna be tough. I can’t count it as a learning year though; I need to get straight to it at Sebring.

SM: You mention Sebring and of course that was the only place where Penske didn’t win in LMP2 last year, just tell us about how testing has gone there so far?

PL: The car is really good. When I last drove the car at Sebring in 2006 it was basically at the inception of the programme, now from a reliability and speed standpoint you cannot compare the current car. Its great for me to feel the success and development of the car. It’s a tremendous package.

SM: Do you really believe that you have a big challenge this year? From the outside looking in you still look to be the class of the field.

PL: We will no more when we get into the main part of the season, such as the shorter tracks and street tracks such as Mid Ohio, Lime Rock and Long Beach. I think Acura have improved a lot. They seem to be running a lot of downforce now with the new chassis package and they are certainly a force to be reckoned with. Sebring will obviously be more of a Endurance philosophy but we will see more at some of the other tracks.

SM: Your biggest challenge is probably beating your team-mates. How do the two garages work at Penske. Is there a lot of data sharing and team work or is it each car against the other?

PL: Penske runs his team as a collective effort to share the resources and Porsche brings that same philosophy. Lots of information is shared but once we get into qualifying and then into the race it is each man for himself! Once in a while the Captain may get on the radio and give his two pence and make sure nothing stupid happens but for the most part it’s a team effort but once the race starts it is each car against the other!

SM: Moving on to Le Mans, congratulations on winning GT2 again last year, will you be defending your title with IMSA in 2008?

PL: I don’t know where I will be yet. If I am in GT2 then IMSA would be my preferred choice. I certainly felt a great bond with them. It was different running with a local team, there was more to learn for them but I certainly felt a part of the team structure rather than just a driver. It was a great feeling to win last year so yeah I would like to return and repeat the victory and I think there is a good chance of that.

SM: Is there a chance we may see you in Europe for any LMS or FIA GT events?

PL: There is always that shot. I love racing in Europe. Living all over Europe for 7 years its always nice to return. I am just so busy in North America at the moment and I am also the lead development driver for the Spyder aswell so that’s another season in itself! Maybe the Spa 24 Hours or something later in year. I would like to but we’ll see?

SM: I wrote an article recently regarding the pressure on Porsche to perform in GT2 this season, have you driven the latest 911 and do you think it can challenge Ferrari?

PL: I have jumped in the latest car, maybe not the final spec but I had a hand in a lot of the development in the car towards in the end of 2007 and also with the tyre development for Michelin. Certainly there are big steps forward with the car but of course Ferrari will have improved aswell. The lap times look really close. I think the Porsche looks good but it’s a real challenge as ever, I think Porsche has a better shot at it than last year.

The full audio interview will be part of the next Tour Podcast – for Fans of Global Motorsport. Patrick talks more about his Sportscar career, his time racing in the UK, the open wheel racing situation in America and even F1. The show will be published following the Sebring 12 Hours and will also include a full review of the race. See www.thetour.org.uk for more details.