NASCAR WCUP: Chevy Driver Notes and Quotes, Post Race, Rockingham

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Michael Waltrip, No. 15NAPA Chevrolet Monte Carlo (notes only, no quotes): A bad pit stop droppedWaltrip from 7th to 16th. He is going to Atlanta to test on Tuesday and plans to compete inthe Winston West race on Wednesday night at the Bullring at Las Vegas MotorSpeedway.

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 GMGoodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo (finished 14th): “I think wehad an awesome first race. We wanted tostay on the lead lap and finish in the top ten, but given the circumstancesthat we’ve got, I think the whole team did a great job. You’ve just got to take what you can get andI learned a lot today. We’ll do betternext week, hopefully.”

Robby Gordon, No. 4 KodakChevrolet Monte Carlo (finished 26th): “We were tight allday. The car just would not turn in thecorners. Davi Ifft and the Kodak crewmade adjustments on every pit stop. Wewere stupid tight. I have only raced onthis track a few times, so we will take a solid finish and head to Vegas.”

Bobby Hamilton, No. 55Square D Chevrolet Monte Carlo (finished 13th) “I’m pretty happy with our run today. The race track changed from yesterdaybecause of the rain or whatever and we fought that a little bit. We never could get any track position. We’d end up adjusting the car and 16thand get all those lapped cars between us. But we had a solid run, didn’t tear nothing up. The guys did a good job in the pits and wefinished 13th and I know we gained a few more spots in thepoints. You can’t use a third of themotor you’ve got because it’s so slick. It reminds you a lot of Nashville. I’m glad to get out of here and leave for Vegas and lose some money.

“I was glad to see Kevin(Harvick) take the Goodwrench car up there today. That was a lot of pressure on him and everything. It was a good day for DEI and for RCR andeverything. Everybody ought to beproud. I’m glad it turned out thatway.”

(Before you even get toLas Vegas, tell us how your car feels) – “It’s okay. It’s one of those situations where weweren’t quite as good as the #33 and we learned some things off their car. It’sgoing to be somewhat of a test, but we’ve got it adjustable so we can go backlike we tested. I think we can squeezein a decent qualifying lap. I’ve neverdone real good there, but then I’ve never had a good race team like this one.”

Mike Skinner, No. 31Lowe’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo (finished 24th): “We were so looseall day long. We made real majorchanges at the end, the last stop there, and the car just finally might havebeen capable of staying on the lead lap. If we’d have started right there, we probably would have ran a littlebit better. We’re missing it a little bit. Royce McGee (crew chief) and I have got to get our communicationsdown. We need to understand eachother. I’m behind him 100 percent, andhe’s behind me 100 percent. We’ve just got to work on it.”

Text Provided By Nancy Wager

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