NASCAR WCUP: Jeff Gordon Interview: Being the best in Happy Hour

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

August 19, 2001

Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet Monte Carlo -- 1st in Happy Hour session #1: (On the fact that there were only two Chevrolets in the top 19): "The track is certainly changing conditions right now and if you didn't get a good clean lap early on, then you weren't going to put any good laps up there. Our car feels pretty good. I definitely see a difference in the Dodges. They're much more competitive, so that's playing a role. But then I don't know if everybody is showing what they've got so far today compared to what they're going to have tomorrow."

(With the new schedule of running a second Happy Hour session after the Busch race, do you expect the track to be much different?) "Usually the track does change a little bit. I'm not sure what direction it will go. I'm hoping that the conditions are more like they are going to be tomorrow because if not, I'm going to be pretty upset that we waited until after the Busch race to have another practice. I'm not a big fan of that."

(Is MIS a track that we can expect to see the Dodges improve as a result of the rule change?) "What happens when you change your body like that and you push the nose out, it takes time to find the balance of what it really needs. If they find it tomorrow, this, to me, is a place where they really can win. Again, it takes the whole package (to win) and I think that's why we've been able to do so much with our Chevrolet this year - maybe more so than some other Chevrolets - is because we've got such a good package with our pit crew, our communication between Robbie (Loomis) and our whole entire team and our preparation going into the races. If you don't have all those things, you're not going to win - no matter how much front downforce you've got. But it they find the balance and if they put the package together, this is the place where I think they'll really shine.

"The Fords do run real well here and the ones that run well make a lot of horsepower and really get down the straightaway. But I think our motor program is as strong as it's ever been and I think that's really helping us out at a place like this. But, we've always run well here. I like this track, I'm comfortable with it, and always feel good that when they drop the green we're going to be a factor. But we've got two races going on right now. We're trying to win this race and we're trying to win that championship. We're going to try as hard as we can to put that car up front, but we're also going to be looking at the big picture."

Text provided by Nancy Wager

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