How IndyCar door opened for Sato

Takuma Sato got a late start in racing, only beginning his career at age 20. The newly crowned Indy 500 winner admitted that when he first started racing, the idea of running the Indy 500 was not on his radar - until he saw it on television.

"This is no secret that I was aiming for Formula 1, only because that was my first race to see it with my father was Formula 1 in Japanese Grand Prix, so just naturally followed them," he said Monday. "But having said that, I do remember physically I watched the race through TV was the Indy 500 when it was '86 or '87. It wasn't remote control, it was dial. I was so keen on that TV day, and I didn't realize that was Indy 500, but now I can tell you 100 percent because it was superspeedway, it was oval, and I knew immediately the scenery, and it was the Indy 500.

"So when I got to Europe and go through the Formula 1 project, that was obviously an awesome time over there, but back of the mind always ringing the bell, Indy 500, it's something I really wanted to try all the time. And the opportunity come 2009 at the qualifying day, I came here the first time and stood inside of Turn 1, and I was very impressed. Coming from Formula 1, usually you don't really surprise by speed, but this speed is something completely different. You come down 240 miles per hour down the straight, and that speed, the driver going to the corner, and they are controlling. The car was sliding, I could see it physically, and that was like big, big surprise."

With his Super Aguri F1 team facing financial troubles and folding halfway through the 2008 season, Sato tested for the Toro Rosso seat that eventually went to Sebastien Bourdais in 2009, leaving Sato without a team until he signed with KV Racing in 2010.

"Jimmy Vasser told me that he would wait because back then there was no secret again I was nominated for the finalist for the winner Formula 1 team, so I was waiting for the final confirmation, and it didn't happen that way. But Jimmy, okay, by all means, let's go for the IndyCar, so that's how we started.

"Really big thanks to Jimmy to bring me in here, and of course after that probably give me a great chance, and everyone knows 2012 situation (with Rahal Letterman Lanigan), and after that AJ gave me four years of Lights for racing the No. 14 car, and now it's Andretti Autosport. It's a fantastic opportunity for me to work with Michael and driving the 26 car.

"How happy the boys are today, everyone is so happy, and the whole entire team, we just got a picture of every single family, and I was very, very happy. So even though it was two hours photo shooting, I don't mind, so I'm smiling happy."