Friday, May 9, 2003 | 9:39 a.m.
Editor's note: Tony Renna, a former Las Vegas resident, is writing a column exclusively for the Las Vegas Sun as he attempts to make his first start in the 87th running of this month's Indianapolis 500.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Being at Indy has been a goal for a long, long time.
My career path has sort of been molded by the Speedway. As a young kid, I realized early on that I wanted to race here at the Speedway, and I made all the necessary steps -- karts, quarter-midgets, Formula 3, Formula Opel, Nations Cup, Barber Dodge Series, Indy Lights.
We have been focusing on developing the racecar this week We want to get it as good as we can get it. Long term, our goal is just like anybody else's -- we're here to win the race. It's no easy feat for a rookie, or no easy feat for a veteran like Michael Andretti or Al Unser Jr., either.
Right now we're just going for a comfortable car, and making sure we have a great car for the race. We made some gains Thursday and started working toward qualifying. (Renna turned a lap at 230.309 mph Thursday, his best lap of the week.)
I have a very supportive family, and my Dad and I did a lot of racing together and we always saw Indy as the goal, and we formed our career path around that.
My first day at the Speedway there certainly was a lot going on, not necessarily on the track. There were autograph sessions and public relations things that go along with the Indianapolis 500.Getting into the Cure Autism Now/ HomeMed Pharmacy car was the first chance all day I had to really focus and concentrate on the racing side of Indianapolis, and that was nice.
Getting out on the track was exciting and things were a bit more intense than usual with all the hoopla. And there were a lot more fans than when we tested here.
Right now we're just going for a comfortable car, and making sure we have a great car for the race. I think if we get to the end of the week and we realize at some point that we have a shot at the pole, maybe we'll start thinking about that and really start trying to tweak the car.
We've had some really nice weather and the guys at Kelley Racing have just done a great job. We have gotten through whole programs of stuff, running with full fuel tanks and getting a good feel for what this place is like in race trim.
We've been patient and are just doing everything right. And I think by doing it this way we will find the speed and be in really good shape.
At this moment, we're just trying to focus on developing a really good car for the race. I think if we are able to do that and trim the car out for qualifying, we're going to be able to put ourselves somewhere in the first few rows. We're still pretty focused on the race, and I feel really comfortable with where we are right now.
As focused as we all are, there are times when you can't help but think about other things. Jerry Nadeau, the NASCAR Winston Cup driver who was injured in a crash a week ago, was a teammate of mine back in 1996 in Formula Opel over in Europe, and I'm thinking about him all the time. I'm getting constant updates, and I heard through a mutual friend that the prognosis looks very good. There is no fracture of the skull, which is what they were reporting. He has some swelling, which is pretty normal.
Jerry is a real tough cat; he's a racer through and through and loves it more than anything. He's like me; he's been doing this since he was 5 years old. I think you'll see him back in the car sooner rather than later.
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