NASCAR WCUP: Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes, Pontiac Drivers

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

KEN SCHRADER, NO 36 PEDIGREE PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

"We picked up every time we ran today, except one. We ran a '25' (29.25 seconds) on our 'banzai' [mock qualifying] run and thought we could pick it up from there. We did, but not enough. A '20' (29.20 seconds) ain't gonna get you anything. That's going to be way in the back."

(HOW DID THINGS GO WORKING WITH NEW CREW CHIEF NEWT MOORE FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY?) "It went good. We weren't real aggressive because we didn't want to screw ourselves over that way, but we probably weren't aggressive enough. We wanted to make sure if we had something wrong that it wasn't because we were too aggressive, but we probably didn't hit it hard enough."

(HOW TOUGH IS THE TRANSITION WHEN YOU BEGIN WORKING WITH A NEW CREW CHIEF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON?) "Any time you start over it's tough. But, it doesn't matter how tough it is. You need to be able to do it quick."

RON HORNADAY, NO. 14 CONSECO PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

"That's what we ran in practice and it really cooled down, so we figured we'd pick up a tenth or two. We didn't, though. Going into three I arced the car in more than I had been and the car wouldn't turn back, so I had to get out of the gas in three and four. But the thing is really responding good. Philippe Lopez and these guys on the Conseco Pontiac are doing an awesome job. I'm just the driver of this thing."

(IS IT PRETTY EXCITING QUALIFYING HERE?) "You've got to hold your breath for one lap. It makes you shake a little bit around here."

(DO YOU LIKE A FAST, AGGRESSIVE RACETRACK LIKE THIS?) "Yeah. When you get into a banking like you have here and at Texas and all that, I really enjoy it. These guys have a spring and shock combination that really makes the car feel good and gives you a good attitude in the car. I'm pretty excited about it."

JOHNNY BENSON, NO. 10 VALVOLINE PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

"I thought it {the lap) would be better time-wise than what it was, but I thought it was good. I think everybody did a good job. We obviously missed this race last spring, so qualifying 19th - I think that's a huge improvement. I think this race car will race good."

BOBBY LABONTE, NO. 18 INTERSTATE BATTERIES PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

"We were extremely tight at the beginning of the day. Then we loosened the car up, made our qualifying run and we were extremely loose at that point in time. We tried to tighten it up for qualifying, but we still don't have the car comfortable."

(DOES IT BAFFLE YOU A LITTLE BIT TO KNOW THAT YOUR RECENT ATLANTA QUALIFYING RESULTS HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE CHART?) "No, it's kind of normal now. It's not baffling at all anymore. We're kind of on a regular thing here now, evidently."

Text Provided By Al Larsen

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