Kyle Petty and Sterling Marlin Talk NASCAR Richmond

 

     KYLE PETTY (No. 45 Sprint Dodge Intrepid R/T)
     NOTE: Petty, a 41-year-old driver from Randleman, N.C., has moved from
38th to a share of 21st place in the NASCAR Winston Cup Standings in the
past seven races. Petty has an average finish of 15.58 in those seven races.
Petty will make career start No. 620 on Saturday night at Richmond. He's won
eight races and eight poles in his career. A former winner at Richmond,
Petty has 40 career starts at Richmond with three top fives and 12 top 10s.
He won there in 1986 driving for the Wood Brothers and recalls being a
little disappointed with the victory.

     "I was running fifth when Dale and Darrell tangled in turn three. Geoff
Bodine was third and Joe Ruttman was fourth. Geoff had trouble in turn three
and Ruttman had trouble in turn four and we ended up winning the race. We
were a little upset because we had the 21 car (Petty) in the pool to finish
fifth and we were going to win the pool. Instead, we ended up winning the
race, so I guess that was a pretty good consolation prize.
     "I like to race at Richmond. The race we won was on the old track, and
we haven't done that well on the new track. We ran good the second race up
there last year. We ran in the top 15 most of the night, and that was
probably the first time we even saw the leaders in the past two and a half
years. Steve Grissom tested the 44 car up there last week and had a good
test. Robin Pemberton went up there and we think we're going to be in good
shape for the race. 
     "In fact, we're pumped up about it. You need the right chassis and aero
for Richmond and you need a decent motor. You don't need 900 hp. You just
need to get off the corners straight. It doesn't matter how much engine you
have if you can't come off the corners straight. Steve Lane (crew chief) has
done a great job this year with the chassis. Our engines are better this
season and that affects how the car handles. When the 44 tested up there, we
used an old engine from last year. We weren't that fast, but the car drove
good and our test speeds were competitive.
     "Steve does a good job testing. He can help tell us about the springs
and shocks and we're able to work on the total package. Steve brings a lot
to the table for us because he can go test and we can all benefit more from
it.
    "I guess it's incredible when anyone moves from 38th to 21st in the
standings in seven races, but it's even more incredible when we do it. How
many times have you seen someone like Jeff Gordon fall out of the race at
Daytona and be leading the standings after 10 races? We're doing a lot
better than we were at this time last year. We'd already missed three or
four races. To be just a year removed from that and to climb back like we
have is a real tribute to the team. I'd say the drive has contributed a
little, but very little. It's been a group effort. All the guys that work at
Petty Enterprises, from the fab shop to the engine room, have been working
hard, trying to make all three teams better. Mike Ege's engines have been a
big plus for us. Robin has been overseeing everything and taking a lot of
pressure off me. Steve Lane has been working great with the 45 car. It feels
different going to the track now. You know you have a shot at running good.
You're going to be competitive, you're going to be able to pass cars. Last
year we were just a car to be passed and so were the 43 and 44. 
    "I think we can win with all of our cars, but we can't win consistently
and that's what you've got to keep working toward. We're not a Gibbs team or
a Hendrick team or a Roush team or a Ganassi team. It's going to take time
for us to get like that. It's kind of like the Yankees in the 20s and 30s.
They ran on some hard times but eventually you knew they would be back again
and dominate and they have. It's hard for a race team to get back to where
it can win consistently, but that's what we're building toward. We're just
on the tip of the iceberg with it right now.
     "In a perfect world, if NASCAR never changed the rules, would it take
us five years to come back? No. But NASCAR will alter the rules and we know
that. We've got to be adjustable and you can't put a time limit on that.
We're consistently now in the 15th-25th zone. By the end of the year, we
want to pick that up. It's almost like Emeril on the cooking show - Bam! We
want to kick it up a notch. You can't go from 25th to winning on a
competitive basis, but when you go from 25th to the top 10, then you have a
shot to win if everything goes right. We're not in the top 10 yet on a
consistent basis, but we're not that far away. We're a big ship now with
three teams. The engineering and aero and everything else have to work
together. It's a slow, methodical process.
     "In the old days, you could get there with sheer determination and hard
work. The second time around, you can't do it that way. You've got to lay
the groundwork and stick to your game plan. Look at the Ganassi team and
Sterling.
    "There was never a doubt in my mind that Sterling could drive a race
car. There might have been a question about some of the cars he was in.
Sterling finally got with the right group of people and he's comfortable
over there working with Tony Glover. The whole team is geared up for running
for the championship. Dodge is dedicated to helping him run for the
championship. Sterling just got in the right place at the right time with
the right team and he's taking advantage of everyone's talent over there.
He's got everything on his side and the sun is shining on him now. You've
got to make hay while the sun shines. Things have to continue to go his way,
and if they can't win, they have to salvage the best finish they can out of
it. That's where they're good right now. If they can't win, they get a top
five. If they can't get a top five, they work on a top 10, and he's been in
the top 10 most of the time this year. That's why he has such a big lead
right now. A few teams will make a run at him, but if he keeps up the pace
he's on now, he's going to be hard to beat. Sterling's team finished strong
last year, and if they can finish that way this year, it's going to be
interesting to see who, if anyone, is able to make a run at him. I'd say the
Ganassi team is really in the driver's seat right now, and Sterling is doing
a great job in his Dodge. We've got to get our Dodges up to that level, but
it's not going to happen overnight. However, I think we are headed in the
right direction."

     STERLING MARLIN (No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Intrepid R/T)
     NOTE: Marlin has a 143-point advantage over second-place Kurt Busch in
the NASCAR Winston Cup Standings after the first 10 races. The difference in
winning and leading the most laps and a 43rd-place finish is 151 points, so
Marlin has pulled out to a seemingly comfortable advantage. However, just
two races back, Busch was sixth in the standings, 182 points behind Marlin
at the top, and Marlin led Matt Kenseth by only 27 points heading into
Talladega. Marlin has gained 116 points over second place in the past two
races, but Busch has gained 39 points on Marlin in the past two events.

     "We've just got to try to keep that lead. It can really go away quick.
A lot can happen, so we're just trying to take it race by race. It got down
to 27 points and then Kenseth had  some trouble at Talladega and Fontana.
Busch has been running real good, and there's always going to be somebody
knocking at your door. Hopefully we'll be able to keep slamming it shut.
    "Rusty kind of knocked us in the wall Sunday at California and it
knocked the tow in out and our car got real tight. We finally got it freed
back up, and I think if we'd had a few more laps we could have finished in
the top five. We probably had a top three car if we could have stayed out of
trouble.
    "I like running at Richmond. We were leading up there last time when we
broke. It seems like you're either on or off up there. It's critical that
you get the car driving good. It's a good track to race on. You can run side
by side and mix it up a little bit. I've never been able to win up there
(best finish was fourth in 32 career starts), but I know Tony and Lee will
have the car ready when we get there, and it's always fun running under the
lights. We'll give it all we've got and see where we end up. Then we'll take
a week off and get ready for Charlotte. That Coors Light Dodge shines up
real good under the lights at Richmond and Charlotte, so maybe May will be
our month."