Eric Filgueiras Discusses 2015 Season

{nomultithumb}What was your highlight of the season and why?

Eric: There are many things I think our team should be proud of. One highlight for me as a driver could be New Jersey, driving from 18th to 4th in one race. But as a team, I think it would be VIR weekend. I made a mistake in practice and crashed the car on Friday. It took us all night and all the next day to repair it. We finally got it finished 15 minutes INTO our qualifying. We qualified 8th for the race, then drove the car up to 3rd and claimed a podium position. My team and I never quit.

What was the most challenging weekend of the season for you?

Mid Ohio was really frustrating and what felt like an up-hill battle all weekend. The track’s grip was absolutely minimal, and we chased the setup the entire weekend in what ended up being a struggle that we made somewhat positive with a top 5 finish.

Best pass of the year?

I pulled off this slide job pass on Sam Chastain at VIR Oak Tree Corner (except with no tree anymore) that still blows my mind to this day.

You’ve raced a variety of cars, what are the selling points of the F2000 car for you?

I think the F2000 formant gives you a great foundation as a driver. If you can be fast in one of these cars, it’s an easy transition into anything else to be quick.

What are you doing for the off-season?

Obviously the regular stuff, working out- etc. But we will tear our car down completely and rebuild everything. The car needs it. I also work a full time job, as well as I travel doing  auto show work as an independent contractor. So I’ll be doing that too.

After your first season with the Van Diemen, how have you adapted to the car and improved your driving style around it?

I received a little help here and there, but our team does not have a paid driver coach or a paid engineer. So I have to constantly analyze what I’m doing in the car and what changes I need to make. But I’ve learned a lot, and have gained a substantial amount of knowledge throughout this season.

What do you eat for breakfast on a race weekend?

It’s usually been some kind of egg sandwich. I will confess with my nerves I don’t eat very much on race day. I’ve been like that since I was 5.

What’s your daily ride?

A 2011 KIA Forte Hatchback, but I also have a 1987 Porsche 944 that I love.

What advice would you give drivers looking to compete in F2000 next year?

Getting with a good team is important. Constantly think about what you can do to improve your driving, but don’t over-analyze what you should be doing with the car’s setup. The most important thing I learned driving an F2000 car this year is that as long as you have a good basic setup for the track, if you work on improving your driving from that point on you will be fast. Practice consistency and minimize mistakes.