It was good to get back in the car at Sebring on Wednesday (Jan. 20). I thought it was a very positive day, a day with a lot of learning. When we get the new aero kit, just as we did last year, there’s so much to be found and understood and a lot of development to go. Really, today was that sort of day for us.
There definitely is a lot of work to be done. There were four cars in total there, the three Andretti cars and ours. The way we look at it, it was a pretty tire-limited day. You’re trying mainly to learn just as much as you can on different parts and pieces and try to figure out what we need when we come back to test at Sebring in about a month’s time. And then how to translate that, how to make that work when you go to St. Petersburg (for the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series opener March 11-13) right after that.
As far as comparing the first test of 2016 (photo of Rahal strapping in for the test at left) to the first test last year and the new aero package, I’d say for us it was similar. But again, these are early days for us and the development of it – and we didn’t really have the full 2016 kit. Our car was good, but there were little parts and pieces that we didn’t have yet. Also, with the way the engines are changing, both from a Chevy and Honda perspective for this year, there’s still a lot to be added to the equation. But we had a good start overall. I think we feel positive about where we are and our goal is obviously to keep up the competitiveness and the form of the team that we had last year.
The next thing up for us is the Rolex 24 At Daytona next week (the Rahal team has a BMW M6 entered in the GTLM class). My role, without a doubt, is going to be to try and carry my load, do my 25 percent (of the driving) if not more of what’s going to be asked of me. Typically, I like to carry the car through the night stints. If I can get through that and hand the car off in the best shape and speed possible to the regulars, the guys that drive those cars all the time, then that’s the best position I can put the team in. I definitely am looking forward to it. I won the “24” in a BMW before, in 2011, so it’d be cool to do it again.
On a more personal side, married life is good so far. I can’t say that much has changed. Courtney (Force) and I pretty much lived together the last couple years and so we’re kind of in the same boat. Maybe we’ve been able to see each other a little bit more than normal. It’s worked out pretty well the last couple months, but trust me, things are going to heat up here soon, so we’ll be on the road pretty much the rest of the year.
The one thing I think we’re lucky about this year vs. the last couple of years is the (INDYCAR and NHRA) schedules match up pretty well. We race in St. Pete, then she races in Gainesville (Fla.) the week after, and then we both have a weekend off. Then I race in Phoenix and she races in Vegas, which are very close together, so after our Saturday night race, I can come up there for her race on Sunday. I think it all should mesh pretty well this season, so I’m looking forward to it.
People ask me if there is a different feeling in being married. Sure, in your day-to-day decision making and all of your racing and business and beyond that, there’s a heck of a lot more to be responsible for now, that’s for sure.”
People also ask me about what’s it like to have Courtney’s dad (drag racing legend John Force) as a father-in-law. Well, he’s a lot to handle. He’s a very passionate guy, his out-of-this-world personality is what made him who he is and so successful. It’s really taken him out of the sport of drag racing and put him in a more mainstream light.
But when you’re dating or married to his daughter, you have to deal with all that, plus some. He’s definitely full of character. Before Courtney and I got married, my dad told me several times, “You’re marrying John, too.” John and my dad are polar opposites. They’re both very successful, but my dad is very understated, sort of a quieter guy, doesn’t really get in the way. In the day-to-day sense of operating the team, he lets his guys just do their job.
John’s completely the opposite. It’s funny when you have them both around. It’s pretty easy to see and it’s always entertaining.