Chevy Happy Hour Notes - MBNA 400 "A Salute to Heroes"

Chevrolet Notes & Quotes
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
MBNA 400 "A Salute to Heroes" Happy Hour Notes
Dover International Speedway
June 4, 2004

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S CHEVROLET 
ON HAPPY HOUR:  "There's a couple of guys that are really really fast.  There's a bunch of us fighting for third or fourth or fifth.  Hopefully we can make some small adjustments and make it better. The No. 19 looks like we did last week.  The No. 20 and a couple of other cars are a little bit ahead of us.  Hopefully we'll make the adjustments overnight and be ready."
 
WERE YOU GLAD TO HAVE THE HAPPY HOUR?  "It was nice to get out on the track.  I know the Busch guys are going to appreciate it a lot.  The track won't be green for them.  It's good for that and it's good for us to get out and shake the cars down a little bit.  All in all it's a good day for us."
 
ON HIS CONFIDENCE AFTER LAST WEEKEND: "It gives the team a lot of confidence on the race track.  The only problem is it's a new track and a new weekend and we made everyone mad after last week.  You can't expect that kind advantage track to track, week to week.  Every week is a new race and you've got to take it from there." 
 
HAVE YOU EVER DOMINATED A RACE LIKE LAST WEEKEND?  "No, last week was pretty special.  I did have a car like that like in the first 600 that I ran. I lead a bunch of laps there as well. That probably was the most dominant car I've ever had."
 
IS IT HARD TO GET IN ANOTHER CAR AFTER HAVING SUCH A GOOD CAR LAST WEEKEND?
"The thing about our race team and this sport is tomorrow is a whole new day.  Everyone is looking on to Dover.  As soon as we finish up the (Coca Cola) 600, our thoughts move to Dover.  You have to wait until the end of the year to savor the moment and reflect back on them at the banquet when you see the highlights.  If you spend too much time enjoying it, the guys remember what you did to them that week.  They come back to the next track ready to put it on you.  This week we don't have a car like what we had in Charlotte.  Those cars are far and few between.  Right how we're looking at a top five car and hopefully we'll make the right changes to make it a winning car."
 
ARE YOU USING THE SAME CAR AS CHARLOTTE?  "I know we ran this car at Bristol, but I don't know if this is the car we always ran.  I think it is.  Our Bristol car and our Dover car crosses over.  I crashed one pretty good here last year.  I'm not sure if that car retired after that."
 
ON HIS TEAMMATES:  "My teammates seem to be doing pretty good. Brian (Vickers) has been really strong.  Jeff (Gordon) always is good here.  I think everybody should be in good shape.  Brian qualified pretty strong.  Jeff and I were just under him.  He's got some good thin air up front and hopefully we'll be able to get up there and dice it out."
 
ARE THERE ANY OTHER DRIVERS YOU SEEMED IMPRESSED WITH TODAY?  "I didn't really run with many people to get a good feel for it.  Chad (Knaus - crew chief) was comparing me to the No. 19 the whole time.  He had a pretty good marking on most people.  I haven't had a chance to look at my lap tracker to see who's where yet, but the No. 19 is pretty stout."
 
ON POCONO:  "I look forward to going to Pocono.  I know I'll qualify well.  The last couple of times we struggled in race trim.  Hopefully we've got things squared away.  (Brian) Vickers went up and tested.  Hopefully we have a good race and we'll be shifting gears all day long."
 
TONY STEWART, NO. 20 THE HOME DEPOT CHEVROLET  
"I'm pretty excited about going into tomorrow's race.  We've got a good car.  It's just a matter of taking care of it and making it last."