Dodge Cup Quotes from NHIS

New Hampshire International Speedway
Sylvania 300.
Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004.

RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 Mobil/ALLTEL Dodge) - Finished 33rd

"I'm disappointed in one respect. The car was awesome, but something
happened in the motor. It was a good day for the ALLTEL/Mobil One Dodge.
The guys did an awesome job with pit stops and everything. We tried some
things there at the first of the race with two tires and a bunch of
other stuff. When we got four tires on it we went to the front. We had a
really good car on the long runs. We've got to smile and go on. If we
can do what we did today in the rest of the nine, they'd better watch
out.

 

"The bottom line was we didn't make it to the end. Something in the
motor just let go. It kept running, and I don't know how it kept
running. The bright side of the day is we ran as well as we did. The
dark side of the day was we didn't make it to the end. I wouldn't have
it any other way. We went out when we were on top.

 

"We can make it up. We don't want to be in a position to have to make it
up. We had to make it up from the get-go with being in 10th. We'll go
on. It hurts, but it doesn't kill us. We definitely had a shot at
winning this race, but woulda, shoulda, coulda. We'll go on to Dover. We
look forward to going to the Monster Mile. We'll go there to win, just
like we did today. We'll go on.

 

"I guess the bottom line is don't cry. You can stay negative about the
situation, but unless you're positive you're not going to get anywhere.
The team did a great job today. They're not the ones who built the
engines. We'll figure out what happened and go on. Dover is a great race
track for our team and for the entire Penske Racing. We'll go there with
our eyes wide open and see if we can shut the door on everybody else.

 

"We've struggled to have cars like that all year, and to come to the
front was great for us. We'll keep smiling and keep on going. It helps a
little bit (that three drivers in top 10 had problems today), but we're
here to win. That doesn't mean anything as far as the big picture goes.
We want that NEXTEL Cup championship. I don't think we've been
eliminated yet."

 

STERLING MARLIN (No. 40 Coors Light Dodge) - Finished 12th

"The car wasn't bad. We were just too tight. We were terrible on new
tires. Once we got 30 laps on 'em we were pretty good. I think we were
as good as anybody." ON BUMP WITH ROBBY GORDON "He didn't do anything. I
think he checked up a little bit up off the corner. We just all got
together. It was just one of them racing deals."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAMIE McMURRAY (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge) - Finished fifth

"We kept adjusting on the car. We left a lugnut off, and I had to go all
the way to the back at one point. I about wrecked in three trying to
pass the 99 on the outside. Donnie put two tires on and that gave us
good track position, but I flat spotted the left front really bad coming
in for my green flag stop and we weren't as good there at the end.

 

"We came from the back twice. We pulled some rubbers out of the right
rear and we fought back and passed a lot of cars. We adjusted on the car
and got it better, and that's always good when you can do that. We only
put two tires on that last green flag stop, and that was bugging me
mentally. I was really worried about it blowing out. I was trying to
baby it. When you've got those guys racing with 10 to go, they're really
racing you hard. I think two tires probably hurt us at the end, but when
those guys have four tires they're a little bit better and there's not a
lot you can do about it.

 

"I think we feel like we belong in that top 10 chase, but all you can do
is try to win races and get ready for next year. All-in-all it was a
good day."

 

JEREMY MAYFIELD (No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) - Finished 35th

"We had our bad race today. Ryan and his team had one. I'm just ready to
get out of here. We didn't give up before, and we ain't going to give up
now. Robby will have his day. I don't know who will do it, but I'm just
an innocent bystander here and I'm just voicing my mind. I guess Biffle
started it and Robby came back. Maybe it was just racing, who knows?

 

"They didn't see me. That was just part of it. They shouldn't have (seen
me), but they also shouldn't have been doing that on the racetrack. Take
care of it off the track.

 

"Our car was great. We were running fourth or fifth. Then we pitted and
got off synch a little bit, but we were still fast. Even after we
wrecked we were fast. The team did a good job, but we just came up short
today. We'll get 'em next week.

 

"I just think Robby Gordon and Biffle ought to go outside the racetrack
and fight and get it over with. Go outside and settle it somewhere
else."

 

KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) - Finished 4th

"We were about like that all race long. We kind of fought back and
forth, tight-loose a little bit. There at the end we just needed that
yellow to catch back up with those guys. We had four tires and a few of
them didn't.

 

"It was real close to the best it had been at the end. We've been racing
Jamie McMurray and Mark Martin the last five races. Mark got in the top
10, so he'll be racing for the championship and me and Jamie will be
racing for 11th.

 

"On the long run four tires made a difference. Just taking off under
green, sticker tires were real slippery for about three or four laps,
moreso than usual. We had a few close calls, but you'll always have that
when you race this hard.

 

"It kind of went back and forth. We got two tires and other guys got
four and we were off sequence. As the day went on we got four tires on
that final stop and it worked out pretty good. We got some cars after
that yellow."

 

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