Having been spotted several times on the CDR garage in the paddock, rumors have continued to circulate that Jerome Torres is strongly in the works for a race seat for CDR next season. The Filipino driver continue to appease these claims, but says he is quite excited for an opportunity to get his first oval racing experience in the Super Endurance.
Reporter: We're here with Super GT driver and CDR young driver program member Jerome Torres. Jerome, you've mentioned before that you're being hopeful of getting a race seat for Cat Devil Racing next season? With your continued presence here in the paddock, how strong do you think your chances are now?
JT: Like I said before, nothing's still confirmed, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not expecting. Of course being in CDR's young driver programme is quite encouraging with regards to my chances, as I've been able to watch and learn from everyone, which is pretty amazing. I can't stress enough how much different of an environment this is from what I'm used to, so it's going to be crucial to know what to expect, so I'll be prepared when the time comes that I get here. Whether it be for CDR, or for another team, that's something I'll leave for the future.
Reporter: Speaking of different environments, you've been doing pretty well in touring cars and the VRR Super GT series, how does that affect your mindset whenever you're here with the team?
JT: To be honest, being here is a lot more relaxing than being out there in touring cars and Super GT, maybe it's because I don't have to be out there on track? *laughs* Still, it's a bit stressful, balancing my schedules. Two weeks ago I had to race the Integra Touring Cars in Laguna Seca and fly to Monza the very next day for Super GT. Thankfully, I performed well in both race events, so it's helping keep my confidence up, but it gave me quite the jet lag that I had to miss the Subaru Touring Car race at Bathurst because I had to stay an extra day in Italy just to get myself a day's worth of sleep, better to sleep in a comfy hotel bed than in a hospital bed because I fell asleep at the wheel of a racing car. *laughs*
Reporter: Now that your entry for the VRR Super Endurance is all but confirmed, your oval track time comes into question. How do you prepare for this?
JT: Like any rookie driver in any category, you'd want to impress, and while it's true that I've yet to do oval racing in my career, I think this is a great chance to gain some experience. Cat Devil Racing has certainly helped me prepare for this by letting me do some time in the simulators, but once I'm actually out there, I just need to make the most out of practice times and quickly adapt to the car's characteristics, as well as how the racing is going to go.
Reporter: Another driver that we often see alongside you in the CDR garage is
Sakura Ishibashi, and now that she's about to make her open-wheel debut here at Indy, how did you and the rest of the team help her prepare for this?
JT: We've known for quite a while that Sakura's going to race here at Indy, so in the past couple months, everyone in the team and our trainers in the driver program really focused on making sure she was well-prepared for this race. Personally, I really think she's ready for this, she actually couldn't stop talking about this last week at Ohio! Right now, we just have to make sure we're there to give her all the support she needs.
Reporter: Is there a rivalry brewing up between you two in the garage or in the CDR's driver program?
JT: Oh no, not at all, not even close! Sakura's been an amazing teammate and she's a fantastic driver. We both come from sportscar racing, so there's a lot of things we get along with, and we're both learning from each other during the course of the program. I just wanted to be here to help her stay in the right mind for the race, this race being her open-wheel debut and all.
Reporter: Last question, given how CDR seemed to struggle in the the practice sessions, what are your expectations for the team on bump day?
JT: I'm actually as excited as my qualifying sessions in Super GT! We all know that the team's practice results could be better, but that hasn't stopped the guys from working very hard here in the garage, which is a good sign. Come Wednesday, I believe the team can get all five cars in for Sunday's race.
Reporter: Thanks for your time, Jerome. We better leave you to get back to the team, enjoy!
JT: No problem, it was a pleasure to be here.