jeremy mayfield on nascar/nextel teleconference

Tuesday, June 8, 2004.
Ray Cooper

NASCAR/Nextel Teleconference
Clear!Blue

Pocono Advance Material
704-975-3232                             

 

 

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

 

HAVE YOU RECOVERED FROM DISAPPOINTMENT AT DOVER? "What helped us get
over it was we still came out of it with a top 10. After all the stuff
that happened we still finished eighth, and I think if that hadn't
happened it would have been devastating. We ran good and still finished
in the top 10 and we'll go on to next week."

 

WHAT'S YOUR SECRET AT POCONO? "I'm not sure what it is. It's one of
those places that early in my career I adapted to real quick. I like
going there. I like racing there. It seems like my confidence level is
up every time I walk into the gate, so it's just one of the places I've
always run decent at, but I've had some bad runs there, too. I'm either
real good or real bad, but it's definitely a place I like."

 

COMMENT ON 'LOSERS QUIT WHEN THEY GET TIRED. WINNERS QUIT WHEN THEY
WIN.' "I kind of live by that. There's a lot of little things you gather
over the years from your experiences, and I believe in fighting until
the end. We've done that every time. We've shown that a lot with this
team this year. The other day we came back and never quit, and just kept
going and going. That comes from the heart, how bad you want it. That's
certainly something I feel that's helped me get where I'm at today. We
just never quit and never give up, and I certainly believe that. Between
that and you always help other people get what they want and you get
what you want. I feel like that, too. That's just what I live by. I've
got certain things I believe in, and you've just got to shoot from the
heart sometimes."

 

DISCUSS CAUTION LAPS "The cars running a lot of laps under caution is
because of scoring and NASCAR is trying to get everybody back in the
right position because the field is frozen when the caution falls.
There's not as many cautions these days, and I'm not sure (what to)
attribute that (to). A lot of the race teams now are better prepared.
The cars are better. They handle better so there's less stuff breaking
on 'em and less stuff falling off of 'em or whatever creating the
cautions. There's probably no other way to say that other than timing
and scoring and the teams are better prepared."

 

TALK ABOUT FIRST WIN AT POCONO "That's the story of my career it seems
like and definitely the highlight of my career. Dale Earnhardt was a
true professional and a true champion all the way around. He and I got
to the point, that's about the time in my career I started running well
at a lot of places. We raced hard together it seemed like a lot. That
day at Pocono we were back and forth, whether it was first and second or
third and fourth. It seemed like we were in the top five all day racing
each other. He was racing behind me getting me loose and I'd move out of
the way. A few laps later we'd get him back. We did that all day long.
We did it more than it showed. The highlights show the last lap, but we
did it all day long. The last 30 laps he and I came in for a pit stop
and put on two tires each. That put him first and me second and I knew
then I'd try anything between now and the end of the race to pass him.
If I get in front of him he's going to probably turn me or get me loose
and I'm going to lose the race. I really feel like I had one shot to do
that, and to be honest with you we were dead even all the way to five to
go, nose to tail. We went into the tunnel turn and he pushed up a little
bit and allowed me to get a run on him. When I got around him I thought,
'man what a perfect situation here.' I really wasn't expecting to move
him out of the way. I thought the way he is you could bump him and it
wouldn't phase him. When I drove up behind him I guess it took the air
off of him. He got loose and there we were in position to win the race.
It surprised me about like it did everybody else. I just wanted to go up
there and bump him one time before it was over with to let him know we
were there. It all worked out for me and the good thing about it was
that Dale Earnhardt... I saw him a couple of weeks later. I avoided him
up until then. He grabbed me and rubbed his knuckles on my head a little
bit. I said, 'man, I thought you were going to be mad at me.' He said,
'no, I'm not mad.' He said, 'I'm mad at a couple of things you said.' I
said, "I rattled his cage because I knew it was the only thing that was
going to get me out of it.' I told him, I said, 'man if you were me and
I was Dale Earnhardt in the last quarter of the last lap at Pocono to
win the race, what would you do?' He smiled at me and walked off, so he
was just an awesome guy. He could dish it out and he could take it. I
think that's the sign of a true champion."

 

TALK ABOUT NASCAR SCORING "As drivers, owners, teams and everything else
we are NASCAR. I understand there are times they're going to be put in
different  situations in response when they've got to make quick
decisions. They've got to make the decisions and go with it. They're not
always going to be right. We've seen a lot this year where maybe they've
been on the edge of not making the right call or whatever, but you've
just got to go on with it and realize they've got their hands full, too.
It's not easy. I wouldn't want to be in their position making the right
calls and getting everybody straightened out and all that. I think it's
going to pay off in the long run. The big picture is going to be they're
going to get it worked out and they're going to get the timing and
scoring situation worked out where it isn't going to take as long to get
everybody lined up. Really, the only thing I see that's been a problem
that I haven't heard anybody wanting to work on is the situation we got
into the other day. It's the tail end of the lead lap deal. I never
understood that, and now I really don't understand it after what
happened the other day. We're sitting there leading the race and I got
started almost dead last in the pack. If I'm there running along about
to get lapped and the caution comes out, I get to advance all the way
back around and not go a lap down. I'm sure they'll figure it out, but
that's the only thing I saw that was a problem the other day."

 

WHAT SHOULD NASCAR LEARN FROM THE DOVER EXPERIENCE? "I think the big
problem was who was on the tail end of the lead lap. That doesn't make
sense to me. Then you've got the 12 car arguing that they should be the
leader. When we go through the tech line, it's black or what. Either
they do (pass) or they don't. Either they car weighs enough or it
doesn't weigh enough. That's the way I feel about this lead lap deal.
The problem the other day was who was on the tail end of the lead lap
and where should the 12 car line up. That doesn't make sense to me. Make
it black and white like they do everything else. If the caution comes
out and you're on the lead lap you get to advance around and start just
like you would normally. I don't understand this tail end of the lead
lap deal. That's probably what had them messed up the other day. I would
say that's the first thing I'd work on. Make it black and white. Either
you're a lap down or you're not a lap down. If you come in and pit or
stay out and hit the barrel and speed down pit road, penalize that guy
and he should line up where he's at, meaning the 12 car. Go from there.
I think it's pretty simple."

 

TALK ABOUT SHIFTING AT POCONO "We were one of the first cars to shift
four times a lap. I'd go down the frontstretch and I'd shift into
overdrive. Going into turn one I'd go back down into third gear. Then
I'd switch back to overdrive and going back into the tunnel I'd go back
into third gear. That's four times, two up and two down. Now you're
seeing more people doing that and even taking it to another level by
shifting in the short chute. That would be six times shifting. I think
you're going to see a lot of shifting patterns or combinations going on
versus gear ratios. There's definitely an edge there if you can find it.
You've just got to find out what's best for your combination and if your
driver is comfortable shifting that many times. It's definitely
different, and it's getting even more different at Pocono just because
of the fact you've got three different corners and three different
straightaways. The guy who ultimately gets the most out of each
straightaway and each corner will be fastest. It's something that's no
different than it's been in the past, but people are taking it to the
next level and you have to do that anymore. Everything we do from the
time we enter that racetrack and unload the cars we're trying to get
better in every area. That's one of the areas you can definitely take
advantage of at that racetrack."

 

TALK ABOUT HOW EQUIPMENT IS DISTRIBUTED AMONG TEAMMATES

"We really didn't have a one-team operation when I was at Penske. We had
two teams in two separate buildings doing two separate deals. Then we
built our chassis like we wanted to build them at the 12 and they did
what they wanted to do. I got with Ray's deal, and that's what I thought
a team was supposed to be like, the way he's got it set up. All the cars
are kinda built in one place, and you've got one fab shop doing all the
work for both cars, one body shop doing all the work for both cars,
actually three cars. It just makes it that much more valuable having a
teammate. You get to run the same stuff, share the same notes,
information. When you go to the wind tunnel for one car it helps both
cars. That's something we didn't have at that time with the 12, but I'm
sure they do now. The way Ray's got our deal set up is the way a team
effort and a two-car team should be."

 

WHAT'S STATUS OF EVERNHAM CHASSIS? "We're starting to get into that, and
actually I think I'm running one of the first for the 19 car this week.
We've done a lot of testing with it. I think Kasay ran one in the
All-Star race, and Bill has done a lot of testing with them. They look
great. There's a lot of good ideas. A lot of engineering went into it,
and I think it's going to be a good piece for us. It's just another one
of those things that's going to be in-house like we want 'em. All the
cars will be the same. That's something that's hard to get anymore, but
Ray and the guys at the fab shop have done a great job making sure the
cars are consistent with each other. Used to you'd hear about these guys
having one good car. Any car I get into up there now, they're all the
same. They all feel the same. They all drive the same. That's something
Ray did at Hendrick for Jeff and we've got that now. I think the chassis
deal is going to be the next step up for us."

 

ARE YOU SURPRISED HOW WELL KASEY IS RUNNING? "I think he's done a
tremendous job of jumping in there with all the pressure, all the hype,
the publicity, everything he's got going on, the Busch deal, he's done a
tremendous job with that.

That's a great race team, and Tommy (Baldwin) has done a great job
taking over for Mike Ford. Ray's done an awesome job of setting these
race teams up where they're capable of doing that. You can switch out
guys, and it's probably not going to hurt the performance of that car
any. Kasey has certainly stepped up to the plate with his driving. I see
a lot of good things happened for him. I'm looking forward to seeing him
win races. We're doing what we can to set the bar up for both of us. I
think it's going to be a good team for both of us."

 

TALK ABOUT TEAM CHEMISTRY "I think I can help (Kasey). I've been on both
sides of the fence. I've seen a lot of different things with different
race teams. I feel like I know it's an important role for me to be able
to help, to be the conduit or bond the chemistry together with both race
teams, with not only my team but with Kasey's team. The more the team
sees the two drivers talking and communicating well with each other, it
trickles down and it trickles out. It's just one of those things I know
I've got a lot of responsibility as far as helping both of these race
teams. For that fact, it goes with Bill's team, too. I think right now
it's as good or the best it's ever been. For me, it's certainly the best
situation I've ever been in. Ray has done an unbelievable job as an
owner, putting the right people in the right places to let the chemistry
form. He's very good at that. He's certainly got a lot of talent for
that, and I have a lot of respect for him doing that. The chemistry
could not be better right now."

 

YOU'VE BEEN THE YOUNGER TEAMMATE FOR ELLIOTT AND WALLACE. CAN YOU USE
THAT EXPERIENCE TO HELP KAHNE?

"Yeah, I sure can. That's what I feel like I've kinda done in one sense.
First of all, Kasey has done a great job of that, too. I learned a lot
of things from Rusty and a ton of things from Bill Elliott. Bill is a
great teammate. Rusty was a great teammate. I've got a lot of respect
for Rusty and what he's done. I've learned a lot from him and Bill
Elliott. I hope one day all of that will pay off, and I think it will,
whether it's me being able to translate it to Kasey or my own team or
whatever. I'm hoping the experience I've gotten in that area will help
both of us."

 

WHAT MUSIC TO YOU LISTEN TO? "I think the last CD I bought was Eminem or
Kid Rock. I like the rock. I don't like the new wave stuff. I don't want
nothing that's going to bring me down. I want stuff that's going to fire
me up and keep me motivated and get up on the wheel."

 

DISCUSS MEMORIES OF KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY "That's where it all started.
Actually, I'm from Owensboro, Ky., but there's a little town called
Wythville, Ky., and there's a little racetrack I raced at. I learned a
lot there. I learned a lot about life, and a lot about growing up, doing
what I love to do and that's race. It's pretty cool. John Michael
Montgomery was a good friend of mine. When I moved to Nashville to race
down there, John Michael hadn't signed his label yet and he was dating a
friend of mine's sister. So he stayed with us for awhile and I got to
know him. I'm glad to see he went on to do bigger and better things.
That's pretty cool. I know he's come a long way. He's a great guy. Other
than that, I've got a lot of memories around Kentucky and Nashville.
Then I moved to North Carolina, but all I've ever done is raced and
worked on racecars. I'm kinda like the North Carolina type (barbeque)
guy now. I like Owensboro but once you get out of there you get
acquainted with new and better things. I still like to go home and eat
barbeque, but I'm cool here, too."

 

ARE YOU WATCHING THE POINTS? "We're watching them, but we're racing like
there's no tomorrow. We're here to win races and just run hard every
week and let the points take off. I'm not points racing by any means.
We're running hard as you can see from Sunday that Kasay and I both are.
We want to be in that deal at the end, but you if you sit back and start
points racing that can get you in more trouble than it can running hard
every week. We're going all out and see what happens. I think we're
going to have a shot at it. If we can just get in, I don't care if we're
399 within the leader...If we can just get in it's going to be big
because the last 10 races are on our style of racetracks. We're counting
on being there. We've got great racecars. We've got a great team. We've
been running up front, but little things are still biting us. There's
nothing we can do about 10 or 15 cars lining up in front of us when
we're leading the race. We'll just do the best we can. If we hadn't got
in the wreck the other day, and Kasey hadn't got in his wreck we were
going to be 1-2 somehow. Things like that happen, and it would have got
us right back in the hunt. It didn't happen, and you've just got to move
on. We've just got to keep doing what we're doing every week and we're
going to win some races."

 

TALK ABOUT THE NEW TIRES "You haven't really heard a lot about the tire
deal. You know the tires you're running and you get your car running
better and better. If your car is running good, it doesn't matter what
tire Goodyear brings. Really, it comes down to who has the best handling
cars and whoever has their stuff working the best. I think they've done
a great job with the tires they've got. I feel like we've got a hold of
our chassis and aero package for this tire. It still comes down to
strategy and how your car is working. I don't have a problem whatsoever
with Goodyear and the tires they've got. I think they're working out
fine."

 

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