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Gil de Ferran is ready to embark on the new challenge he set for himself since leaving last summer as sporting director for Honda Formula One.
The 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time CART champion will get back into the cockpit this weekend, co-driving an Acura ARX-01b with Simon Pagenaud in the American Le Mans Series race at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.
It will also mark the debut of de Ferran Motorsports.
"Considering this started as a conversation about a potential race team only a few of months ago, it is quite emotional to witness what has happened and see it evolve, develop and become reality," the 40-year-old de Ferran said.
"I was in the workshop (in Brownsburg, Ind.) last week and we had all our mechanics engineers and technicians there," the Brazilian said. "We had more than 20 people working incredibly hard inside a facility which didn't exist a couple of months ago. The car was finished, the new truck had arrived and, suddenly, it really hit me: `Wow, this is for real.'
"All our guys on the team have been working extremely long hours and pulled out a superhuman effort for the Sebring test."
De Ferran watched close friend David Brabham and past open-wheel rivals Adrian Fernandez and Bryan Herta driving the Acura machines in 2007. Hearing how much fun the LMP2 cars were to drive convinced de Ferran to see about getting back behind the wheel.
He worked with Acura and Honda Performance Development officials to form his new team and announced his new operation at Sebring, Fla., in January. De Ferran then hired racing veteran John Anderson to direct his new program as general manager.
"We have been very fortunate that our program seems to have generated quite a bit of interest within the industry," said de Ferran, who found sponsorship from Panasonic ELS. "We have a very experienced group of guys who come from a variety of backgrounds. We have a lot to learn, but I feel we have a very good group together."
A test at Sebring last month was the first time de Ferran had driven a race car since he retired from Team Penske following the 2003 season.
"Obviously, getting the team set up has taken a huge amount of my time," de Ferran said. "But now I am starting to concentrate on becoming a racing driver again. I have been working very hard on my fitness - both physical and mental fitness - to prepare myself to get back behind the wheel."
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BUSCH BEST: Kyle Busch crushed the competition on the track and in the ballots as the first quarter winner in the 2008 Driver of the Year balloting.
