The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

NASCAR WCUP: Jerry Nadeau, Dave Marcis Second Round Qualifying Notes

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
What are your thoughtsgoing into 2nd round qualifying?

“We just need to post a time,that’s all we’re here for. Thentomorrow we can work on a race setup. Tony (Furr, crew chief) and the guys have worked real hard. The guys at the engine shop have put a lotof time in this motor. It’s kind ofweird going 2nd round. I’venever gone 2nd round before, but in this case, we had to do it.

We have a good racecar. We ran good in practice and even if ourspeeds aren’t as good, we know we’ve got a good racecar for the 125’s. We’ve actually got a car in the trailerthat’s a little bit better, but it just doesn’t seem to run as good in racemode. So we decided to take a chance onthe car that’s a little bit slower in race mode than qualifying mode. And we’llsee what we can do. It’s a good car.”

Now that 2ndround qualifying is over, and you’ve posted a time, are you relieved?

“I never was worried aboutqualifying at this place. I know wehave a good racecar. Really, we had toget a time, and that’s what we did and now we’ll just get ready for practicetomorrow and for the 125’s.

“The conditions aren’t asgood today as they were yesterday. You’ve really got a lot of wind on the front stretch that helps you out,but when you get down the backstretch, you lose about 400 rpm because of thewind. So the speeds aren’t as goodtoday anyway.”

Have the last three days been like an emotional roller coaster for you?

“It’s a little disappointing,but there isn’t much we can about it now. Really, we just need to look forward to the race. Besides our situation, there’s about 45other situations in the garage area. We just need to focus on the race. It’s just the first race of the year.

Can you turn this into a positive for you?

“I think so. That’s what I mean. We did it, we’ve got to pay for it. And then we’ll just move on. I know we’ve got a good racecar for Sunday’srace. Once we get over the hump, andonce we get to do the race and we get a good finish, we’ll forget about whathappened.”

What do you do now to prepare for the 125’s?

“We know what kind of setupto put in it. We tried it when we wereout here testing. This is a betterracecar than qualifying car. It’s never seemed like it’s gotten up to speed towell. I really like this car. I’ve always liked it. It handles better. I think the aero rules are going to be good in the racemode. I think you’ll see a lot morejockeying – just like you saw in the Budweiser Shootout. And I think that’s what the fans like tosee.

“In practice, we want to seehow the car is going to run after 30 or 40 laps. That’s really the big issue. That’s where handling is going to play a big part. If our car can stand it, with 40-50 laptires on it, then I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Do you think you have tolearn how to win in Winston Cup – get that first lesson on being positionedjust right and all – and do you think the next one will be easier?)

“You don’t know. You never know when your time is. I didn’t know I was gong to winAtlanta. But if you stay in the frontall day long, you have a better chance of winning if you know what I mean. If your pit stops are great, if you don’trun over that loose bolt on the racetrack – that’s what you want to avoid – andif we can get away from that stuff, we should be in good shape. We should be a contender.”

Can you comment about your crew chief, Tony Furr, and howmuch he believes in you?

“He’s awesome. I wish I had him when I started my career inWinston Cup. He’s a great guy. I get along with him, everybody on the raceteam does. Rick and John Hendrick, Randy Dorton (Engine Director), EddieDickerson (Chassis Director), every one of those people at Hendrick Motorsportsmake it happen. It’s just all a teameffort.”

Is there an area that you want to develop more as adriver, and is there a track you’d like to do better on?

“I’m not really sure. I know that there are some areas where I canimprove at some of the racetracks like Bristol – that’s a place where you’vegot to have patience, although it’s not a patient racetrack. But, you’ve got to last all day long. Youcan’t put your nose where it doesn’t belong, and that’s sometimes where I getin trouble. I’m very aggressive behindthe wheel and places like that tend to bite me sometimes. So hopefully I canlearn a little bit. Considering we got our first win and we’vegot a year under our belt, maybe we can prove ourselves.”

Did your Atlanta win take some of the pressure off?

“Hopefully. You get anxious at those little bullringsyou know, you want to go up there and attack and get to the front as soon asyou can. But then again, you’ve got tobe patient. Hopefully I’ve learned alittle bit more patience.”

Dave Marcis, No. 71Realtree Chevrolet Monte Carlo (comment on 2nd round qualifying):“It looked good here just before the end of practice, around 12:30, conditionswere great. It was great weather. Werun almost a tenth-and-a-half faster, and we thought we might be able to runeven two tenths better. But afterpractice and about 15 minutes before qualifying started, an awful strong windcome up off the ocean coming out of the east and blowing to the west and itreally hurt you coming down the back straightaway. I lost probably 150 rpm coming down the back straightaway on bothlaps. There’s nothing you can do about that. It’s just one of those deals here at Daytona.”

“I’m happy with the car. I think it’s running decent and I thinkit’ll draft good. But you know the goal was to move up in qualifying speeds andwe felt like we could probably run about a 49.65 and that would probably put usin the top 20 and we felt like that would make the show. However, that didn’t happen. We gotta just keep trying.”

Text Provided By Nancy Wager

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.