Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
April 4, 2017

CARLOS MUNOZ ON:
* Long Beach: “Long Beach is one of my favorite tracks, and everyone’s favorite tracks I think. The city is really nice, I always enjoy going there. I’ve had really good results in Long Beach so I’m looking forward to being there with the new ABC Supply Chevy team. AJ Foyt Racing has been really successful there, so hopefully we show what we proved in St. Pete from practice 1 to the end. The goal is to be competitive, and to do one’s best, and together we can achieve a good result.”
* The Grand Prix: I think everything is special about this race—it has been on the IndyCar calendar for a long time and there are always a lot of fans that come out for the event so we enjoy the support. The track itself is challenging and fast which makes it fun for the drivers.”
* The key to success: “The key there is to have a competitive car where it is good in all of the corners. And you need to be lucky with the strategy and the yellows. I won in Indy Lights and finished third in my first IndyCar race there, and with the package we had, I think I was pretty competitive. I enjoy all the tracks we race at but especially that one because from the get-go I felt comfortable there.”
* Importance of track walk on Thursday: “Over the years the track changes a little bit, you see what the differences are compared to last year. I think it’s more important on a street course because sometimes there are new bumps or they change the curbs. This way you know what to expect before you go out the first time with the car. It also helps your mind become mentally prepared for what you have to do.”

CONOR DALY ON:
* The Grand Prix: “I always look forward to traveling west for the Long Beach GP. There is such a great atmosphere all weekend and the track is fantastic. It was the sight of my first IndyCar street course event and my first Indy Lights win so it’s always meant a lot to me.”
* Why the Grand Prix of Long Beach is so successful: “I think it’s so successful because the city really embraces it. It’s always an enjoyable weekend, the weather is fantastic and the track is one of the best that we have on the schedule. There has been a huge crowd every year and it’s always great to see the fans come out for a great weekend of racing.”
* What he likes about this particular circuit: “I love this track because of how unique it is. Many of the corners are very different from each other which demands a lot of different driving and setup requirements. The track provides some great racing opportunities on starts and restarts with the famous hairpin and long straight after that.”
* What is the most challenging part of this circuit: “I think the most challenging part is the last sector. Combining the high speed brake zone at the end of the back straight followed by two quick corners into the first gear hairpin onto the front straight is a cool little combination.“
* What the key is to success in the race itself: “Staying out of trouble is most important obviously. It’s easy to get into trouble at a street course but another key is track position.”
* Why Los Angeles is his favorite vacation spot: “I have a lot of good friends in Southern California, the weather is fantastic and I just love how much is going on all the time.”

Fast & Furious: Conor Daly, a huge fan of the Fast & Furious movies, will have a chance to see some of those incredible cars during his visit to L.A. thanks to Dennis McCarthy who is the car consultant for the movie franchise among others. The IndyCar Access feature will appear in the pre-race show of Sunday’s broadcast on NBCSN which begins at 4 p.m. ET. Daly will no doubt catch the newest release “The Fate of the Furious” when it opens in theaters April 14.

Past Performance: Carlos Munoz’s best start at Long Beach in IndyCar is 10th (2016) and his best finish is third (2014). In Indy Lights, he swept the card in 2013, winning the pole and the race. Conor Daly’s best start and finish here in IndyCar is 13th which came in his rookie year (2016) although he did fill in at Dale Coyne Racing in 2015 as a last minute replacement, starting 21st and placing 17th. Daly also scored a victory here in the Indy Lights Series in 2011. AJ Foyt Racing won here in 2013 with Takuma Sato who also posted their best start of fourth here the same year.

Last Race: In the season opener at St. Petersburg, Carlos Munoz qualified 11th but was hit by Charlie Kimball after Kimball’s contact with Graham Rahal on the first lap; the team made repairs but Munoz eventually was forced to retire from the race. Conor Daly started 20th and finished 15th due to the pit lane speed limiter malfunction which hampered him on his pit stop entries and exits.

L&W Supply, a subsidiary of ABC Supply, selected national account Rockwell Drywall, Inc., based in San Dimas, Calif., to be featured on the engine cover of Conor Daly’s no. 4 ABC Supply Chevrolet. Guests will receive the VIP treatment this weekend along with a Meet and Greet with Daly.

ABC Supply roofing customer, Red Pointe Roofing, located in Indio, Calif., won the ‘Your Name Here’ contest for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet. Guests will receive the VIP treatment plus a Meet and Greet with Carlos Munoz.

ABC Supply celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. The company was founded in 1982 by Ken and Diane Hendricks with just three stores. The company now has over 700 stores and topped $7 billion in sales in 2016. ABC Supply began sponsoring the AJ Foyt Racing team with the 2005 Indianapolis 500. The company has leveraged its involvement by entertaining over 84,000 associates and customers over the past 12 racing seasons. At Long Beach, the company will entertain over 400 guests.

A.J. Foyt’s iconic career is honored in an extraordinary exhibit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. A.J. Foyt: A Legendary Exhibition presented by ABC Supply Co., Inc. runs April 14 through October 31. With additional support from Alfe Heat Treating and Chevrolet, the exhibit features over 30 different race cars Foyt drove plus rare memorabilia from his personal collection.

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will be televised live on NBC Sports Network Sunday, April 9, starting at 4pm ET. The radio broadcast will be on Sirius XM radio on the following channels: Sirius 212, XM 209, SXM 970.

For more information on the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt Racing program, please check our web site: www.ajfoytracing.com. To follow us on Twitter: @AJFoytRacing, @CarlosMunoz034, @ConorDaly22, @LarryFoyt14. On Facebook, we have the AJ Foyt Racing fan page.