Ryan Hunter-Reay tells all to pressdog

What does pressdog and Ryan Hunter-Reay have in common? We've both driven tractors. And we're both huge advocates of ethanol, both the burning and the drinking kind.

Extreme and sustained shout outs to Rahal Letterman Racing PR Giant Eric Mauk for helping me get Ryan on record. Check out the very sidepod-worthy responses from RHR below.

pressdog: What’s with the hyphen? What’s the story behind that?

RHR: My last name is of British origin, it's a Limey thing.  It's not because my parents are divorced or something.  I'm 100% all-American though, don't get it twisted.

pressdog: Rahal Letterman came charging out of the gate pretty well at Homestead. To what do attribute the improvement?

RHR: We've got a great group of people at RLR and we've been working very hard. The chemistry in the team is great and I think that has a lot to do with it, that and we race very well. We're not by any means the king of practice, but when the green flag drops we'll be in the hunt all year.

pressdog: When you did your video thing in the ethanol plant, what was the most impressive/surprising to you about being in the plant?

RHR: The complexity of the process is unreal. When it's explained on paper you get the idea, but to see it all at work in an Ethanol plant is unreal. You think of a plant that makes fuel to be some big, dark, dirty thing billowing black smoke, but it's so unbelievably clean and emits only steam! The technology that goes into the process is evolving constantly making it more and more efficient, it's really cool to learn all about that.

pressdog: Did you actually drive the tractor in the video? Did it have a little understeer to it or anything? Need more front wing?

RHR: Sad to say, but that tractor was so much fun to drive. Kind of reminded me of a stock car! It had two different gear shift levers and loads of torque and loads of understeer. More front wing needed for sure.

pressdog: Do you actually hang out with David Letterman? Got him on speed dial? What’s he really like?

RHR: He keeps asking me to do his show, but I'm like "Dave, c'mon man, I just don't have the time." No, I met him my first day on the job at Mid-Ohio, talk about pressure!! He's extremely down to earth, a very normal guy.

pressdog: Tell me Rahal Letterman doesn’t get giddy every time you have a chance to pass the Number 7. Come on, you know they do.

RHR: They don't get giddy over something they've become accustomed to.

pressdog: Eric Mauk, man or myth?

RHR: All myth, I understand he can change from street clothes to a business suit in a telephone booth in 8 seconds flat!! I'm just glad they don't let him drive the IndyCar for fear of my job....if you've ever seen him drive a golf kart you'll know what I'm talking about....

pressdog: What’s the biggest mistake you see rookie/younger drivers making?

RHR: Holding onto and dwelling on their mistakes. Let it go man!

pressdog: What are some of the things you wish you could do differently during your development as a driver.

RHR: I wish I drove higher horsepower/lighter weight race cars at a younger age. Some of the ladder series cars are way too heavy and slow. That and I wish I would have been jumping from and open-wheeler to a sports-car to an off-road car every week, just race everything under the sun. You learn so much about yourself and your driving when you leave your comfort zone.

pressdog: Team Ethanol’s driver, does that require you to actually use the beverage-grade product extensively?

RHR: Ethanol actually sends me 100% Ethanol (moonshine) without the additives for my get-togethers.  That stuff'll put some hair on yer chest.

pressdog: Quick, what’s the chemical formula for ethanol?

RHR: CH3CH2OH. That was actually off the top of my head as I'm sitting here with my beaker and protective glasses.

pressdog: What’s your favorite track so far and why?

RHR: Favorite track would have to be Mid-Ohio, it's like a roller-coaster. I love it.

pressdog: Is it easier for an oval driver to get up to speed on a road course or a road course driver to get up to speed on an oval?

RHR: It's hard in both directions, but I'd have to say its the hardest for an oval racer to go road course racing. There's just so much more you have to do over a single lap.

pressdog: What’s your favorite time-killer when you have time to kill on the road?

RHR: Usually not much time to kill, but when there is I usually watch race footage from past IndyCar seasons to pick up on the small things....

pressdog: What is the part of your job that most fans think is super easy but is really super difficult?

RHR:  Fans have no idea how complex these cars are and how difficult they are to set-up. My engineer, Neil Fife, is a genius but he can only tune the car with the information I give him on the car's balance over a session. We brake every corner down into three or more segments.... there's aero grip, mechanical grip, ride heights, weight balances, etc etc. It's a big puzzle and over a race weekend we have to piece it together.

pressdog: How do you spend your off season?

RHR: You definitely need some decompression after the season, but after that its straight into training and working with the team on making the car better for the following year. We analyze everything. I spent most my time in a shifter kart pounding laps until my hands were numb. There's no physical preparation for racing quite like a shifter kart.

pressdog: Goals for this year?

RHR: My realistic goal is to finish 7th or better in the Championship. I know we can do better than that and that's why I truly believe we can win a race this year.

pressdog: You’ve won at Surfers Paradise before. So is that your race this year?

RHR: I'm looking forward to the short ovals as well. I dominated at Milwaukee in 2004 and hope to have a good run on similar tracks. I can't wait for every race, cheesy, but really I can't. We will run strong all year. That's our objective. Mix of ovals, road and street... that's my kind of deal.

pressdog: What part of your driving game has improved the most in the last few years?

RHR: I'm just a smarter driver overall. I've matured.  I know how the pace of a 2 hour race goes. I also know what I want from the car and that's key to speed over a weekend.

pressdog: What areas of your game still need the most improvement.

RHR: With the group I'm up against you always have to better yourself. I am never satisfied with my performance, there is always something better I could have done. I analyze it after a race weekend and do my best not to repeat even the smallest mistake. I believe I need to be a better fuel-saver. You'd think racing's all about running balls to the wall, unfortunately it's not all the time.

pressdog: Give me the big three personality traits for a big-league race car driver.

RHR: Self-confidence, tenacious, extremely competitive (to a fault)

pressdog: Funniest driver in the league:

RHR: Helio by far. In a good way, he's hilarious. Darren Manning's right up there as well.

pressdog: Predict your finish in the 2008 Indy 500.

RHR: You can't predict and IndyCar finish, c'mon now! OK P1.

pressdog: Anything else you’re dying to let the fans know?

RHR: They'll find that while in the garage area I'll take as much time, if not more, than any driver to talk to the fans.  It's all about them and I actually appreciate their being there making my job possible.

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Comments

[ramblin man]

Thanks pressdog. Even though I live 2 hours from the track at Indy, our small town coverage of Indycars is zip. So I live for the internet and TV for Indycar coverage and you bring a much needed voice to the sport.

Thanks to Ryan for his time and the cool down to earth interviews that pressdog comes up with.

Best of luck to RHR and RLR.

Go Graham! (all in the family)

Gonna be a great year!

[James Smith]

Great Interview. Relaxed and informative.

[LA]

Gotta love RHR. He's soon going to be a fan favorite! Great job P'dog!