Minium's in the driver's seat
By Daniel Wolowicz camarillo@theacorn.com

RUBBER MEETS ROAD- Greg Minium, a 22-year-old Camarillo resident and senior at California State University Channel Islands, and his mom, Margie Minium Wager, share a moment together during a recent race at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Minium will race in the Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Championship Race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday. Minium drives his open-wheel race car, above left, at the Fontana track.

Greg Minium's race to the starting line for Sunday's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach began last week with an unexpected call from Reza Honarvar, owner of Corona-based Paladin Motorsports race team.

Honarvar asked Minium if he would drive for Paladin in the grand prix's Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Championship Race- the season opener for the Champ Car Atlantic Championship- the Triple A of openwheel racing.

For Minium, a 22yearold senior at California State University Channel Islands, making it to the starting line is going to be easier said than done. After all, he was given just nine days to prepare for one of Southern California's premier racing events.

When he slides into Paladin Motorsports' No. 45 car on Sunday morning, Minium said he will have spent about four hours wedged into the 300-horsepower openwheel race car. His time behind the wheel will include the two hours he'll spend practicing for his qualifying time.

Juan Carlos Alvarez, Paladin Motorsports' team manager and engineer since January 2005, said the last-minute call to Minium was made on Friday after Adrien Herberts- Paladin's 18-year-old lead driver- left the team following a recent contract dispute.

Alvarez admitted that switching drivers so close to a race, while not uncommon, was not optimal.

"It's not the ideal situation," Alvarez said. "From my engineering standpoint, I love to work with the drivers in a longterm relationship. The chemistry between the driver and the crew has to be the best (it can be)."

However, Alvarez said the team watched video from Minium's previous races and liked his ability to troubleshoot his car on the track.

"His maturity to solve problems on the car is not common," Alvarez said. "He's very smart."

Their goal, he said, will be to make Minium feel as comfortable as possible in the car.

"Because of the situation that we are in now, what I'd like to do with Greg is take all the pressure off," Alvarez said.

Minium will race wheeltowheel with 22 other drivers from nine different countries on one of the season's tightest and bumpiest street courses. The drivers will reach speeds of 150 mph as they slalom through the 1.97-mile circuit.

"It's very important to finish the race," Alvarez said. "It's a long race. It's very important to qualify because there are not many places to make passes."

To navigate the tough 60-minute race, Minium said he'll need to draw on his 14 years of racing experience. He'll be driving Paladin Motorsports' Swift 016.a with a Mazda-Cosworth engine.

"Everything happens very quick," Alvarez said. "There is no place for a mistake in Long Beach."

But Minium, who has been racing open-wheel race cars since age 17, knows that if he completes the Long Beach race he may be given the opportunity to stay on with Paladin Motorsports- a big step in realizing his dream of becoming a professional race car driver.

Many of the biggest names in racing have competed in the 34year-old Atlantic, including Danny Sullivan, Rahal Letterman, Jimmy Vasser, Gilles Villeneuve, Mario Andretti, Nico Rosberg and Paul Tracy.

Minium's dream hasn't come without sacrifice, both financially and physically.

Minium and his father, Don, had to raise the $55,000 needed to enter the race. Even though most Champ Car Atlantic race teams shoulder the majority of expenses- the race car, mechanics and travel costs- the driver must bring to the table their own sponsor and a portion of the team's costs.

Don Minium, an Orange County insurance broker, said although he has a number of sponsors lined up, including Los Angeles-based Trench Shoring Company, he will personally finance much of the entrance fee.

Don Minium said he estimates having spent nearly $250,000 in costs during his son's racing career. That includes the purchase of various race cars and all the other expenses that go along with the sport.

Earlier this week, the fatherson team was working on a sponsorship deal with New Yorkbased Glacéau, seller of Vitaminwater, Fruitwater, Smartwater and Vitaminenergy beverages.

"I'm extremely proud," Don Minium said. "It's enjoyable to do this with him. Even if we were to quit tomorrow, we can look back and say, 'Man, we did it.'"

More than the money, Greg Minium said he understands the risks of driving highoctane vehicles. At the age of 9, he broke his collar bone and suffered a concussion in a crash during a race, and in 2006 Minium nearly lost his arm following a motorcycle accident while off-road riding with friends in San Diego.

Minium has since recovered from the accident and stays in shape with daily runs and a cardiovascular-focused workout regimen.

Regardless of what it took to get him there, Minium said once the checkered flag is dropped and his car roars over the starting line, all that will matter is the next 60 minutes.

"I'm not thinking about concrete barriers or going (150 mph)," Minium said. "I'm thinking about what the car is doing and what we could do to make it better. I'm just going to make sure nobody is doing anything stupid and to keep it clean."

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach runs April 18 through April 20.

The Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Championship Race begins on Sun., April 20 at 10:35 a.m.