Drivers' Quoteboard: After Austin

Plenty of drivers – and members of pit lane – aretaking the opportunity to continue travelling after flying to the US for theTexas event.

While many are headed to Indianapolis forthe Indy 500 next weekend, others are continuing on through America.

Jason Bright is off to England for awedding, Malta for a holiday, and then to France to spend time with his Le Mans24 Hour co-driver StéphaneSarrazin. Mark Winterbottom and Tim Slade will both be in Las Vegas and whileWill Davison was planning to go to Indy, after Sunday’s results he said he wasthinking of going home.

Some of the drivers spoke to V8Supercars.com.au ahead of their adventures overseas after Austin.

JasonBright, Team BOC:

“After this weekend we’re heading toEurope.

“I don’t get to drive the (Le Mans) car foranother couple of weeks – the weekend before Darwin we’re at Le Mans the threedays, we do the sign on Friday, scrutineering on Saturday and Sunday’s a fulltest day for the teams including a driver session, in which each driver has todo a minimum of eight laps.

“And then it’s a quick trip back to Darwinand then back to Sunday night to Paris.

“It’s going to be a long five weeks awaybut it will be a lot of fun.

“Since we’ve been (in the States), we wentto Miami and I went to visit the team I’m running with at Le Mans, they have aworkshop in Florida that they run their American cars out of. And I went downthere and spent a bit of time with my co-driver and had a look around theworkshop. It was good, really good, nice workshop.”

CraigLowndes, Red Bull Racing Australia:

“We’re going out to Whistler to do somemountain biking, there’s about eight of us. There’s a couple of groups breakingaway – there’s a group going to Vegas, we’re going to Whistler, there’s acouple of guys going to New York – we leave Monday to go up there, come backFriday, and are coming back to Indianapolis. So we all scatter and then we allcome back together on Friday at Indy and then we all go and watch theIndianapolis race on Sunday and fly home the next Monday.

“I’ve never been to America before, so forme it’s great to go out and have a look around. And this year I’ll find outwhere all the good things are and of course next year we’ll be better planned.We want to try and do a road trip and be a bit more adventurous.

“I’d love to go to Vegas – you hear a lotof things – but when the cycling trip came up, for me it’s a better tobond with JJ (engineer Jeromy Moore), do a bit of fitness and stay out oftrouble.”

FabianCoulthard, Lockwood Racing:

“We head off to Orlando (Monday US time),we’re doing the theme parks, because I’m such a big kid. And then we head offto Indianapolis for the Indy 500 on Saturday and then back on the followingMonday. So we get a bit of time, get to see a bit of America while we’re hereand from what we’ve seen of Austin has been awesome, so I’m looking forward toexploring more of it.”

JamieWhincup, Red Bull Racing Australia:

“I hate having a holiday mid-year, but mygirlfriend pressured me into it – she’s a travel consultant so she booked aholiday for us for a couple of weeks afterwards. So we’re going to go to theWest side of the US and check out a few things. I told her to organise it ... I just want to go to the Grand Canyon and check outAlcatraz. So we’re going to those two things and probably shopping the rest ofthe time.”

JonathonWebb, TEKNO Autosports:

“I got here early and went to LA, spent afew days cruising around LA, I haven’t been to the US at all. I’m here untilMonday and then we’ll go to New York for a week, cruise around there. See whatNew York’s got to offer and then head home and get ready for Darwin.”

TonyD’Alberto, Team HIFLEX:

“I have my wife over here so we came alittle bit early and travel on from here after the weekend – we’re goingto Miami for a week, then the Indy 500, that’ll be cool. I’ve never been toAmerica, so I’ve never been to that either. Then we’re off to Vegas and thenLA, so about two and a half weeks further stay.”

DeanFiore, Dodo Insurance Racing:

“New York. I’ve got my wife and my littleboy here, so we’re going for eight days.

“I’ve been before, but it was a while ago,so spending a little bit of time in Central Park and a little bit of time inSoho.”

ScottPye, ekol Racing:

“I’m off to New York, I’ve got mygirlfriend over here for this round, so we’ll go off to New York for six daysand LA for two. I think it’ll be awesome.”

GarthTander, Holden Racing Team:

“Going home on Monday night – boring!We’re releasing a new HSV so it’s a busy time at the moment.”