Taylor Fletcher is at ease, resting comfortably in the front room of his house, as he speaks calmly about the time he spends on the track.

His mild-manner demeanor doesn't seem befitting a man who enjoys being strapped in his car solidly enough to survive a crash at speeds over 200 m.p.h.

However, talking with Fletcher, it doesn't take long to figure out he's just as much at ease then as he is now.

He as no choice, really.

If he expects to compete, let alone, survive at such extreme speeds.

Making decisions in split-seconds requires a clear head and a single-minded focus.

Anxiety and doubt have no place in a driver's head. One slip and finishing the race suddenly becomes secondary to the tragic possibilities.

But that too has no place in a driver's head.

So as Fletcher talks about his upcoming race in the Indy Racing League Infiniti Pro Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there's only one thing on his and his crew's mind.

``Getting on the podium,'' he said.

On Friday, Fletcher gets his chance.

The race is televised live on ESPN2 at 11 a.m.

``This is a great opportunity for me and the team to run at Indianapolis again,'' Fletcher said. ``The track is steeped in a nearly 90-year tradition and it is awe inspiring just to be here.

``I feel like we will be able to utilize all that we learned last year as a rookie on the track.''

Racing at Indy is different than racing at any other track.

The 2.5-mile track, which is basically a rectangle with rounded corners and little banking, is the longest track on which the series races.

The design makes it difficult to drive, requiring the mechanical set up of the car to be perfect.

The driver also must be perfect, along with his crew and spotters.

``The Speedway at Indy is a very unique track in terms of chassis set-up and driving skill,'' Fletcher said.

``It is also a great opportunity for me to be able to race at the largest Motorsports event in the world.

``We have also been able to assemble a team of highly skilled and talented individuals, which will certainly help in our ability to have a successful race.''

Racing has always been in Fletcher, who resides in San Clemente.

At the age of 10, he began racing go-karts and made his way through the Skip Barber Racing School series.

He now drives for Bullet-Team Motorsports, which promotes the children's charities World Vision and Olive Crest Foundation.

``The charities are very important to us,'' Fletcher said.

Finding sponsors is also important, as building cars and repairing them gets expensive.

A good showing Friday will help.

``This race will further enable the team to seek additional sponsorship to supplement our current program,'' said Ron Radmer, the director of marketing for Bullet-Team Motorsports.

No matter what happens Friday, there's one constant that never changes.

``(Racing) is the most fun thing I've done,'' Fletcher said. ``Going that fast, functioning as a team, and everybody is totally focused.''