The expectations are high - Jan Heylen

Jan Heylen, the Belgian Champ Car driver of the Conquest Racing Team, is looking forward to his home race this weekend at Zolder. During the press conference of the Belgian Champ Car Grand Prix, I had an interview with this talented driver.

"The expectations are high, but of course you have to stay realistic. The last race in Road America, I finished 6th, what was a very good result for me and the team. The car keeps improving, so I hope for a top 5 finish here in Zolder."

"Absolutely! It's something really special to return to Zolder at the highest level and this in front of all my friends and family."

"All the people involved in Champ Car and the organisers here in Belgium have considered all the possible options and they decided to organise the race at Zolder. I really believe that they made the right decision. Zolder fits perfectly in the picture of Champ Car."

"Yes. It's hard to explain that here in Europe, but the car and the drivers are very accessible and this determines the atmosphere of the Series."

"Specific is the 'Push-to-pass'. It's a system that they don't have in Formula One or any other series. The push-to-pass system is a button we have on our steering wheel and when we push it, the horsepower limit gets a boost of 75hp. During the whole race, we have 60 seconds to use the push-to-pass system and we can use them whenever we want. Of course it's important to save as much seconds of push-to-pass as possible until the end of the race."

"Here in Zolder it will be a bit lower as the track isn't as long as the American Circuits. I think the top speeds will be around 300km/h this weekend. On circuits that are longer than the one in Zolder it will be around 330km/h."

"Yes, it's a big difference with the race series here in Europe. All of the drivers in Champ Car have a good contact with each other. We go out to diner together, we go cycling,.... It's really a very special atmosphere."