By Stanton Barrett


After 5 years of competitive kart racing, 18 years of professional NASCAR racing, and 20 years of doing all kinds of stunts in movies, I just wasn't prepared for what an incredible experience it would be to drive in an IndyCar race. There are so many significant differences and adjustments that I need to learn, practice and master as a driver, to become competitive with the field. There are so many things that are not the same race procedures or car procedures as in the NASCAR racing series.

It's very cool to be an IndyCar Rookie and at the same time, have 18 years of professional experience from over 200 NASCAR races; but with everything that I have done in my life, I have found the premier experience that tops it all... racing in an IndyCar!

Over the next few weeks and months I'm going to share my learning curve and experiences with you online.


Sunday April 5, 2009 - St. Petersburg, Florida Grand Prix

Now the St. Petersburg course is a street course and I have never raced any of these in the NASCAR Cup or NASCAR Nationwide series but I have raced in many road course races at Watkins Glen, Sonoma, Montreal and in Mexico. Then in IMSA, the 24 hours of Daytona, and Road Atlanta in a GT-1 car where we had great finishes.

In my first ever IndyCar race which was in the streets of St Petersburg, the course had 12 turns over a 1.8 mile course. This means constant rapid acceleration, turning in both directions, precisely timed shifting and tough braking. The track offers very little, to no room for error whatsoever. The timing involved is intense and the walls run close on each side of the car, from one wall to the next, outside wall, to the inside of the corner of another wall. The cars have such a different feel with a down force that comes into play that I am simply not used to. I am accustomed to a mechanical grip from stock cars. So, when you think you're getting into trouble, the down force comes into play and can help to save you.


Of course, I really, really enjoyed my first IndyCar race and the small amount of testing and practice I got to do before this first race never prepared me for just how incredible it would be to race with all the experienced IndyCar drivers. (Fortunately I had some valuable discussions with IndyCar legend Al Unser Jr and also with Roberto Merano who both did their best to help prepare me prior to the race).

The whole team, including me, really made big gains over the last two days in St. Petersburg as we picked up several seconds in practice lap time from day 1 to day 2, and then we shaved a few more seconds off our best lap time during the actual race. This race had several cautions and a total of eight cars went out of the race due to high-speed contact. Fortunately my reflexes have been developed from all my years of NASCAR racing and I was able to stay clear of these.

I was in 11th place with two laps to go and had a missed cue with the race control when they said there was a full course caution.

I backed off and this cost me my 15 second lead and my first top rookie of the race standing this week. But I am very pleased with a 12th place finish. That puts us in a good position for next week's race, another street course, at the Long Beach California Grand Prix. I'll do my best to continue my learning curve, stay out of trouble, and then head to the oval track where I think all my NASCAR experience will help and give us additional benefits.

Live Free and Fast!

Stanton