RFM Front Page News

Photos courtesy Kate Shaw and Champ Car World Series
TORONTO, Canada (July 8, 2005) – When we last met up with Bruno Junqueira, driver of the No. 2 PacifiCare Newman-Haas car, he was leading the Champ Car championship points race and looking forward to a wonderful 2005 season. Then came the “Indy 500” and a horrific crash into a concrete wall, as an inexperienced (and some have said inept) A.J. Foyt IV turned well before the actual corner instead of allowing himself to be lapped. While Junqueira is recovering, his racing season is for all intents and purposes over, and Oriol Servia now pilots the No. 2.

Much speculation has been heard about the true condition of Junqueira, and most of that has been worried – are they telling us everything? Is Bruno all right? The fans bombarded the injured driver with thousands of e-mails (he reported receiving over 1,000 in the first two days after his accident) and even came to the hospital; they sent flowers, chocolates and cards enough to make the postman consider a change of career. No one could have answered them all one by one, especially if he’s recovering from a big crash. So Bruno Junqueira rallied his strength and joined the Press at the Molson Indy Toronto to show us he’s not only alive and, well, not kicking exactly but well on the road to kickinghood, and to fill us in a little on what’s been going on with him since the crash.

The best news was that Bruno walked into the room under his own power. He moves slowly and carefully, but without crutches, cane or other assistance, and he made it up the one step to the platform where he sat to talk to us. He looks better than many of us had expected, although he’s thinner and rather more tired than we remembered him being before; and he seemed happy to be greeted with a round of applause welcoming him back to the family.

Naturally the main thing we wanted to know was “How are you feeling? How are you healing?”

Bruno answered frankly and simply, “Dr. Trammel said I am doing well. I don’t remember much of anything until Tuesday after the accident, which is probably a good thing. My back is very delicate; I have lots of titanium back here now! I have plenty of physical therapy; the therapist comes to me three times a week and I work on my own on the other two days. I’ve lost a lot of weight, especially in my legs and lower back; I’m doing exercises to regain my muscle tone and strength again.” And he concluded bravely, “I am happy to be here; this accident is a part of racing, and I look forward to getting back in my car and driving even better than I did before.”

While Bruno admitted that progress has not been as quick as he wants it to be, he gave all praise to Dr. Trammel for his hard work and care, and to his sponsor, PacifiCare, for the treatment he now appreciated even more than he had before. “It’s an interesting thing,” he mused. “When I drove for Another Team [Target Chip Ganassi] I was sponsored by Target, and everybody knows what they do – you go there and buy things. But although I knew that the PacifiCare people were great guys and that they were my biggest fans, after I got hurt and needed them, I learned to appreciate how important the best medical care really is.” With a smile that was flash of the old Bruno, he added, “It’s great to know you’ll be well cared for and not to have to be anxious about it any more.”

Naturally there were frustrations to be dealt with, although Bruno emphasized that he was trying his best not to dwell on the negatives. “I used to work out three or four hours a day,” he said wistfully, “and now I’m lucky I can work out 90 minutes. If I drop something I have to ask someone to pick it up for me; I have to have the door opened for me. I am living like a girl!” At the general smile that went through the audience, he added, “I am lucky to have my sister and Mom to look after me and do the ‘man things’ that I can’t do right now.” Another frustration was the discovery of a broken ankle, once the swelling had gone down, necessitating a special boot and crutches for a couple of weeks. Thankfully they are no longer needed, and Bruno is very glad to be shed of them.

Two very difficult questions were asked of him at the end of the session, and Bruno handled both of them with determined good grace (although one could detect the gritted teeth behind the soft words.)

“When will you be back in the car?”

This was clearly a question that had been answered in a way that Bruno chose not to take as final. “Dr. Trammel first told me that injuries like this usually take 18 months to heal. But he has told me that because I am in such good shape, or I was, that maybe it will take me 6 months. That would take me past the end of the season, and I am hoping that he’s wrong about that; I would like to get a couple of races in this year. Dr. Trammel said that usually it takes two months for a patient to walk after an injury like mine; I was up and walking in two days! I’m very strong and I’m going to work very hard.”

And then the question he clearly liked least of all. “Has A.J. IV or his family said sorry to you for the accident? Have they spoken or written to you at all?”

“No,” Bruno said very shortly. “I believe they sent flowers, but I haven’t heard anything from them.” He paused, thinking, and then added, “I forgive him for what he did. I really think he is in much more trouble than I am, because his grandfather was a great driver and won the Indy 500 several times, and he doesn’t have the talent to go along with the pressure that’s on him.” A question about whether he would race at “Indy” again (and whether the SAFER barrier worked) brought a frown. “I might,” he said, “if they made a few changes. There are at least six drivers in that race that should not be racing anywhere. They need to change that before I would go back.” As for the SAFER barrier: “Because he turned in so far before the corner, I missed the SAFER barrier by fifty feet and slammed right into the concrete wall.”

Fortunately the final questions were more upbeat, and Bruno could smile again.

“Have you been able to learn anything from watching the races on television?”

Bruno actually chuckled at that. “On the Monday after the race,” he said, “I get five calls – Oriol calls, Paul [Tracy] calls, Sebastien [Bourdais] calls, my crew chief calls, and Cristiano da Matta calls. So I get five different views of the race – and then in watching it on TV as a fan, I get another view that’s completely different from what all those people are telling me! So I am learning a lot about all the different things people pay attention to when they are watching a race. And it’s interesting when someone who ended up 7th or 8th will tell me ‘oh, I would have been P1 but I got balked by the red flag!’ And I think to myself, ‘Oh, and the guy who really got P1, he didn’t get balked by that red flag, did he?’ And I look at that and try to figure out why that is. I’d rather be in the car trying to figure it out for myself, but it’s interesting to be able to consider things from a different point of view.”

Finally someone asked him, “Was that the biggest crash of your career, and did it make you feel like maybe you’re not invincible after all?”

Bruno answered that question honestly and without hesitation. “I never thought I was invincible,” he said. “I know that things like this happen in racing, and I have to look forward, not back at what I can’t change anyway. I love to race. Racing makes me happy. And you know what? I’d rather live a short life and be happy, than a long, unhappy life.”

No one can be happy that Bruno was so seriously injured, that his career was detoured in pursuit of a race that didn’t offer him any points or help him on his way to the Championship. But Bruno Junqueira has dealt with what has happened to him and determined that what he needs to do now is move ahead as quickly as those who are caring for him will allow him to move. And with his new found maturity he can even meet that future with a smile. "I was in a good position to win that race," he reminded us. And winning races is what he's all about.

The last thing he said to us this afternoon was this. “I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to all the fans and the drivers who supported me, who continue to support me – who call, write, send e-mail, and wish me well. You should know how much this has helped me, and I can’t wait to come back in the car better than ever, for you!”

We can’t wait either, Bruno. Keep on getting well and come back to us as soon as you can. You can bet we’ll all be right here when you do!

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