dodge cup quotes from richmond qualifying

Friday, May 14, 2004.
Richmond International Raceway.
Qualifying Notes and Quotes.

RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge)

 

COMMENT ON QUALIFYING LAP "Going out first certainly wasn't an
advantage. The track really lost its grip. The sun cooked the oil out of
it for an hour or an hour and a half. It was a good effort. We unloaded
quick, and we kept getting faster as the track got quicker. I think
that's what you'll see as qualifying goes along. We've got a good
racecar, but we went out first and the track is black. It's fresh
asphalt and all the oils boil up out of it. The first couple of cars
have to clean all that stuff off and lay down some rubber. That's the
way it was when we first started this morning, and that's the way it is
now."

 

COMMENT ON 2005 SCHEDULE "I'm definitely going to miss Rockingham from a
racing standpoint. I haven't won there, but we've had a lot of good runs
there and I've won a lot of poles there. That's not to say we can't do
it at other racetracks. I think the disappointing part of it for me from
a schedule standpoint is you race for two weeks and have a weekend off,
race for two more weeks and have a weekend off, then go for 17 or
whatever it is and then for 16. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense
from a driver's standpoint, but it's the same for everybody. We'll see
what happens.

 

"Rockingham was one of the first places we went to and tested. I think
it was my first Busch test. There's a sense of home there. I guess we
can still go there and drive around. I don't see the point of going to
some racetracks twice when there are other markets out there and other
fans and people we can go out and touch, whether it's Kentucky or
Nashville. I think we should do those things and not go to the same
market twice. From a financial standpoint it might make sense, but from
a realistic standpoint I don't like it.

 

COMMENT ON RICHMOND TRACK "I think the Busch race will tell us what's
going to happen. No matter what, I think the track is going to have two
grooves. Whether it's faster or not will be determined later. It's got a
lot of potential. Usually the cars that go to that second groove are the
ones that aren't handling as well."

 

COMMENT ON QUALIFYING RIVALRY WITH KASEY KAHNE "He's done a great job.
His team has done a great job. I messed up at Darlington. I missed my
line, but we look forward to a good, competitive day of qualifying on
Friday with that team the rest of the year. I grew up racing midgets and
sprint cars and got a chance to race against Kasey. He's beat me and
I've beat him. We've had a lot of fun racing together."
 

JEFF GREEN (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge)

"I think the track will get a little faster as we go, but we were able
to pick up a little bit and some of the guys slowed down. These Cheerios
guys never give up, and I hope I have that attitude every lap. We want
to be competitive tomorrow night. My car worked the same on both ends
just like it did in practice. I'm proud of my guys. They did a great
job. We're just a little off on speed, but the car is driving good. I
try to save a little bit in practice, and the guys worked on it a little
bit, too. I wish we'd had a later draw, but we'll hopefully get a top 15
starting spot. I don't think our race setup is going to be a lot
different than our qualifying setuip."

 

KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge)

"The track is a lot looser. We were loose in practice and even looser on
that qualifying lap. It got loose through the center of the corner, and
I saved that. Then it got loose again on the exit and I didn't save
that. I should have maybe left a little bit out there instead of trying
for the pole. You know you've got to go fast, and I love going for those
Bud Poles. Sometimes it'll bite you when you do that. When you can't do
it, you've got to tell yourself you can't and let it go and start 15th
or something, not scratch on the field. It's tough, but I probably
learned something today. That's why I'm a Raybestos Rookie."

 

BRENDAN GAUGHAN (No. 77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions/Kodak Dodge)

"We came here and tested in race trim and were not really concerned with
qualifying trim. We wanted to have a good race car. We should have been
about 15th in qualifying, but something happened. A spring came out of
the pocket or a pin broke somewhere. The car went haywire, and I don't
really know what happened. We're going to have to battle now."

 

STERLING MARLIN (No. 40 Coors Light Dodge)

"We changed a bunch before qualifying, and it was way too free. We were
off in practice and then the track got looser. I wish they had never
paved it. It looks like it's going to be a one-groove race."

 

RUSTY WALLACE (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) - Qualified Seventh

NOTE: Wallace has finished first and second in the two previous short
track races this season.

"I was worried about everybody being so loose, and I drove it too easy.
I shouldn't have drove it that easy. I think we could have got the pole
based on what's going on. I should have got it in deeper. I was waiting
for it to go all over the place, and it didn't do it. I didn't hustle it
enough. We'll get ready to race now. We had a good test here a couple of
weeks ago, so I feel good about it. I wanted to get a good, smooth lap
in for qualifying and that's what I did. I didn't anticipate it to be
that good and it was. I should have charged it harder, and I could have
at least picked it up a couple of tenths."

 

 

 

 

 

JEREMY MAYFIELD (No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge)

"That was a great lap for us. The guys did a great job getting the car
ready. We ended up in the top 12, and that's pretty good. As much grip
as we have nowadays here (horsepower) does come into play, but the main
thing the track has been changing all day. We don't have a lot of
experience with this new pavement. It seems like every time we go out
the track is a little different. That's the biggest thing we did here
today. We kept trying to keep up with the track changes, and hopefully
it'll pay off for us."

 

JAMIE McMURRAY (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge)

"We were really loose. I had to save it a couple of times, so I guess
all-in-all it could have ended up worse."

 

CASEY MEARS (No. 41 Target Dodge)

"That's a good starting spot for the Target Dodge. Hopefully we can stay
up front all night and bring home another top 10 finish."

 

RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge) - Qualified Second

"Going out first is not exactly what we wanted to do, but nevertheless
it was a great qualifying effort. The track lost a lot of grip, but it
lost a lot of grip for everybody. I think it got better toward the end.
Congratulations to Brian for his first pole. We've got a good racecar.
We'll have to see what we can do in race trim. If we can keep our
fenders clean and do everything right, I think we've got a great shot.
Last year we were leading when we lost a rear end gear, and we won the
second race. The previous year we finished second in both of those
races. We've run well here in Cup racing, but it's just a matter of
getting to the end and being at the right place at the right time.

 

"I think variety is important to a champion. I think good race tracks
and good racing are important to a racecar driver. I don't want it to be
a track championship type series.

 

"I think whatever car crashed in practice off turn four, we were down
for about 20-25 minutes. We went back out and were the first or second
car on the track. The track sat for 20-25 minutes and it was slick then.
Obviously in the heat of the day at 3 or 4 o'clock after it sat for an
hour, I anticipated the track being kinda slick. At the same time, I
think that's why it didn't come back as much as everyone anticipated.

 

"The Busch race will tell. The reason I can't answer is that I haven't
been able to pass a car yet just because of qualifying trim and testing
and stuff. Without a doubt we'll do plenty of passing, and I think it'll
move up the racetrack and have two grooves and maybe just a little more.
We'll have to see. Time will tell and the Busch race will be the best
answer for tomorrow." 

 

"The track definitely rubbered up and picked up grip. We were the first
car on the track in qualifying today. Within three or four laps of my
first run the quickest lap was a 22-second lap. We didn't change the car
and with the same setup ran 20.36 later in the afternoon when the track
had rubbered up and cleaned up and everything else. It's just a matter
of what track conditions are going to be like. It's nice and smooth.
There's no signs of it to rip up and do things new racetracks do."

 

JEFF GREEN (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge) - Qualified Third

"We worked on our Cheerios Dodge in practice. We didn't come here to
test. We heard a lot of rumors and heard a lot of things were good and a
few things were bad. We worked on getting the car driving good.
Everything we threw at it didn't make it drive any better or worse. The
car drove good. We ended practice a little tight and the way it turned
out that's the way we needed to be. The track turned out to be a little
slicker and the balance of our Dodge was really good. That allowed me to
get after it a little harder. We actually picked up a little bit from
our practice run, and that allowed us to get up there.

 

"The last three or four years we've been able to run side by side and
the outside of the racetrack, the outside groove was even better than
the bottom. As a driver, that's what you want to see. I think the
surface, who knows, the Busch race will tell us a lot. I think we'll
still have that second groove, but it'll take awhile. The only time you
can have a second groove is when the bottom gets worn out. The pavement
is brand new, so it's not worn out yet. It's real important to get a
good starting spot. It'll help you through the first part of the race,
but you've got to make sure you keep that position for the second part
of the race.

 

"We've got the qualifying down now the last couple of weeks. We've done
good there. We just need to make sure we finish the race and have a good
effort doing that. These guys we race with each and every week,
fortunately these guys give and take a lot and give you the room you
need. The bottom will be the best, but if I had to pick one of the two,
I'd rather pick the bottom. I thought the track would get faster as we
went, but evidently it didn't. When you qualify you only have one
chance. In practice you have three or four chances. Some of those times
don't come back when you go to qualify.

 

"Any time you go to a black top racetrack the morning temperatures are a
lot cooler than the afternoon. Any time the sun hits the black top it
gathers the oil out of the surface and you're basically running on a
film of oil and that slows your car down. The track was a lot cooler
this morning. Guys had more grip. Even though the pavement is new, the
grip goes away when you have that hot sun on it. I don't know what the
temperature was, but it had to be up there. Any time you're sweating in
a racecar the track is sweating, too."