Chevy Notes - NASCAR Media Day, Driver Quotes, Part II
CHEVROLET NOTES & QUOTES
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES
NASCAR MEDIA DAY
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
February 10, 2005
MARTIN TRUEX JR., NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO
(HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE DEFENDING CHAMP IN THE BUSCH SERIES?)
"It feels different. Last year I came here and expected good things but didn't even know if I'd be here now. Last year was a pretty cool deal. This year is going to be a lot more fun."
(HOW MANY CUP RACES ARE YOU RUNNING THIS YEAR?)
"I'm running seven."
(WILL THIS SEASON IN BUSCH BE DIFFERENT?)
"We've got a lot of competition in the Busch Series this year. We've got a lot of guys who have come in and run fast. It's going to be tough. They've got good teams. We've got to keep our guard up and win a lot of races this year."
(ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MEXICO?)
"Yeah, it's going to be cool. I've never raced outside of the country. There are a lot of things different about it, it being a road course and all."
BRIAN VICKERS, NO. 25 GMAC CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(WHAT DID YOU TAKE WITH YOU FROM LAST YEAR?)
"We learned a lot last year. It was a good experience for me. It wasn't the year we wanted or anticipated. This year I'm very excited. I've got Lance back now and Lance and I have been able to communicate well since the Busch Series. So, I'm excited. We've made some changes on the team and kept a lot the same. Now we're going to have the #25 and #5 in the same shop in the same way that the #48 and #24 are together."
(HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CHANGES TO DAYTONA?)
"This place has changed so much. And it's good. I suppose ISC was waiting for the right time to make all the changes at once and to make it nice and they did that. Daytona was a little overdue for a revamp for the fans and the teams and infield. They did a great job and I haven't even seen all of it. But from what I've seen it's been very nice."
(WHAT ABOUT THE NEW GARAGES WITH FAN WINDOWS?)
"You kind of get the feeling you're n the fishbowl. But, we're in an entertainment sport and one thing that has always been said about NASCAR is the access for the fans is great. And that's what it is about. We'll see what happens when it gets going. It seems little bit weird but the fans should know that we're glad they are there and are close. I understand that because I've been a fan. But they also need to know that we are there to practice and to be in the car. As long as they respect that, it will be great. I'm looking forward to it."
(ARE YOU EXCITED FOR YOUR FIRST BUD SHOOTOUT?)
"The Bud Shootout is going to be a unique experience. Any race that you can run at this level without points is fun. You can go out there wide open and have fun. It says a lot to be in it period."
"HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FORMAT?"
I have no idea. I just know it's Daytona and it will be wide open.
"DID YOU HAVE A HARD FIRST YEAR?"
Last year was a lesson on a lot of levels. The difference between Busch and Cup and different things you have to schedule for, fans, media attention, etc. I learned a lot and I think I can take it into this year.
JOE NEMECHEK, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(TELL US ABOUT THE COSTS OF GOING TO MEXICO FOR A TEAM OWNER)
"The cost of going down there is astronomical for the teams. Doing it early in the year is really tough. There are issues but there are issues with everything. Whether or not the Busch Series can withstand it, time will only tell."
(IS IT WORTH THE EXTRA COST?)
"You're asking the wrong person."
(DO YOU HAVE SECURITY CONCERNS?)
"No. Heck, we're taking the Marines or someone with us so we'll be alright. No, I have no concerns. I feel NASCAR has done their homework on the issue and it will be handled. The only concern for me was that in the Cup Series you only get three off weekends and Mexico is one of them. That's the only downside for me.
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 GM GOODWRENCH CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO
(WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO WIN THE 500 THIS YEAR?)
"As close as we've been the last 2.5 years, a win would mean a lot. We put a lot of effort into our restrictor plate programs. We've finished second a lot. One of these times we're going to break down the wall and get the win."
(HOW ARE THE NEW TEAMMATES?)
"Everything is going great with the new teammates. Jeff and Dave are great. We sort of went back and forth on our setups from testing and everyone seems to like what each other likes, or at least pieces of it. It makes it easier because if you're struggling you can take a setup from someone else's car. It's great."
(WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED BY LAST SEASON?)
"I think we were in good shape last season until we had a few races to go and we blew a few engines and the bottom kind of fell out of it. We did what we had to do all year long to stay in the chase and where we need to be. We obviously want to do better than we did last year. That's what we've prepared ourselves to do. We've dotted the i's and crossed the t's. Hopefully we can get off to a quick start."
(JEFF BURTON SAID RICHARD IS MORE EXCITED THIS YEAR. HOW HAS IT BEEN WITH JEFF IN THE SHOP?)
"Jeff's been good for our shop and for everything around it. He's very into the chassis. I went on vacation while they were making sure everything was right. Richard's been working hard to try to get all the engine stuff going in the right direction and if it's not where it needs to be now, it will be when we get down the road. He's had a lot of late nights trying to do the right thing."
(HOW DO YOU LIKE THE NEW GARAGES?)
"I'll be honest with you I haven't even been in the garage. We saw the nice new Busch garage during that test. I haven't been in the Cup garage.
(WHY IS THIS RACE SO SPECIAL?)
"The history of the Daytona 500 is what makes our sport. Everything that has happened here is the reason everyone wants to win. Knowing that, you work all winter to prepare for the season and nine times out of 10, you prepare most for the 500."
"We took the 1/10th approach this year and we had our super speedway cars painted and in the shop in the middle of December. We didn't bring our cars down to test. We decided to work on our downforce stuff. Nine times out of 10 you put a lot of preparation into this but we took a different approach."
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 8 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(IS THERE ANY PRESSURE LIFTED AFTER WINNING THE 500 LAST YEAR?)
"We won the race last year so we could come in here this year and enjoy it. You don't have to really worry about something going wrong. When we came here before, we hadn't won the race and worried about practice and qualifying and not blowing the motor and getting all the way to the end of the race. Now you get to enjoy it."
(WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN THE RACE?)
"It takes a fast car that doesn't fall apart. So you don't have to be racing people and getting in wrecks and all that. That's what happened last year and we won the race."
(IS IT A RISK TO CHANGE CREW CHIEFS AFTER A SUCCESSFUL SEASON LAST YEAR?)
"I don't think it's a risk. We just had to change. Things change in the world. It doesn't stay the same forever. I don't understand what the big deal is. If it doesn't work, we'll change again. That's what you do, right? Right now it's going great. I enjoy Pete's demeanor and he seems to have a lot of respect for me. Everything is working really well. We tested and California and Vegas. I'm not too worried about it. I enjoy the change. It's a breath of fresh air with me. Tony, Jr. and everyone is enjoying the challenges that they've been presented with now."
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CHANGES TO THE SHOOTOUT FORMAT?
"What did they do to change it? Did they add laps or something? Aww, man."
WOULD YOU RATHER IT BE SHORTER?
"Yeah, that's why they call it a Shootout! It's fun though. You're drafting down in each straightaway. You can't help but laugh at some of the stuff going on."
(WHAT ABOUT THE NEW 150s FORMAT?)
"I kind of liked it the way it was. They wanted us to pit. What's the big deal?"
(DOES THE SHOOTOUT GIVE YOU A GOOD IDEA FOR HOW THE RACE WILL GO IN THE 500?)
"No, in the big race, you're running fifth and you're cool. But in the Shootout, you have to be in the lead the whole time. Everyone wants to be in the front."
(HOW WAS THE SHOOTOUT FOR YOU LAST YEAR?)
"Last year I had a pretty good car but you got to keep shuffling around to be where you need to be on the last lap. Last year we were shuffling around and I go the bad end of the stick and ended up being in the position to push somebody else to win, but didn't get the chance for me to win. So, I said, here are the options I've got 'push this guy in front of me'. So, I pushed Dale Jarrett to the lead and he won the race. If we had more laps I might have made a run to win or pass him."
(IS THERE PRESSURE TO WIN THE 500 AGAIN?)
"I don't know. I just go out there and do the best I can. It would be awesome to win again. But like I said, when I won the 500, the first feeling I got was relief. It wasn't jubilation, screaming or excitement. It was relief. It was like escaping something. Like being let out of prison after 13 years or something. Maybe it's because we get so much attention. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to win, but everyone always says, 'I picked you to win it." So, when I won it, it was relief. And I watched my Dad run it and lose it a lot and finally win it. So I didn't want to be one of the guys who are retired and hadn't won that race."
(PRESSURE TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIP?)
"I still think I've not quite peaked as far as talent goes. I'm not yet in my prime. I feel like I'm not to the point where I need to get too worried about it."
(DO YOU LIKE THE POINTS SYSTEM)
"I like the points system and wouldn't change anything except that I'd give the guy who wins the pole some points. How we do differently in qualifying should be reflected in the point system. Even if it's just one point, it should be more to it that just where you start.
"There's a lot to it. It's a hairy lap and in some places it's a pretty scary run and when you get the pole you should be deserving of something more than just a plaque."
(ON THE RETIREMENT OF OLDER DRIVERS)
"I'm old school. Some guys come in the sport and are a little more polished and will probably opt out sooner. That's their deal, you know. I bet there are guys this year who will retire that haven't told us they are retiring."
(JEFF GORDON SAID HE HAS THE AGE OF 40 IN MIND FOR RETIRING. DO YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY?)
"I do that too but it's different every day. One day you wake up and say, '40, that's it.' Then you wake up and think, 'I'll go to 50.' Then you think, 'Naw, I think 45.' It changes every day. If a guy doesn't have a good income, he's going to have to race. But I think (Gordon) is in a situation where he can opt out if he's got his money well. Some people put themselves in a position where they don't have a choice."
(HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE 40 WEEK GRIND OF NASCAR?)
"The first year in the Cup Series was tough. With seven to go I wanted it to be over with. I just dreaded going to the race track. This is what I like to do and what I enjoy doing, but that doesn't mean it's roses every day. The Shootout adds a little more excitement. I don't take everything so seriously, so maybe that makes it easier to cope with the stress and the pressure. You have to brainwash yourself into accepting that it's what's involved. Eventually you get used to it, or you don't."
(HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NOT HAVING THE FAMILY CONNECTION WITH YOUR CREW CHIEF THIS YEAR?)
"I think it's good. Its unchartered territory for me. I'm working with someone that I can't walk up to and holler at and walk away without a worry. I like it, though. That's what I want. I want a situation like everyone else has. Family deals are tough."
TONY STEWART, NO. 20 HOME DEPOT CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(HOW DO YOU FEEL GOING INTO THIS YEAR?
"I feel like I do every year. It's a wait and see attitude. We don't really know what we've got. We need to run races and see what our strengths and weaknesses are."
HOW WAS YOUR OFF SEASON AND DID SKIPPING DAYTONA TESTING ALLOW YOU TO HAVE MORE OF AN OFF SEASON?)
"We're finding places to break the season up more. Right there gave me another week off. Finding little things like that help you extend your off season to help you come back. All we do at Daytona test for drivers is worry about not missing one of three shifts. That's the hardest thing we do at Daytona testing."
(WHAT ABOUT FEEDBACK FROM THE DRIVERS?)
"What feedback? You hold it wide open and you're in the same line every time. It's exactly as simple as I'm making it sound. Literally. You run the same line every time. The guys that are running these cars know how to drive the same line."
(IS PLATE RACING BORING TO YOU?)
"No, but it's a different challenge. This is not a race where you can go out and win it by yourself. You have to think about guys around you. You've got to be confident about the people you're around. If you pull out to make a move you've got to be confident that the guys behind you are going to move with you. It's not a race that can be won by itself. You need help from people to get where you need to go."
(HOW HAVE THE NEW RULES CHANGED HOW RACING WILL BE THIS YEAR?)
"No clue. As far as testing has gone, it really hasn't changed what we do. When it gets warmer, the downforce is going to be more critical when the track gets hotter and loses grip."
(DO YOU THINK YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO RUN SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE NEW RULES PACKAGE?)
"It is what it is when we get out there. None of us know until we're running in the pack. We can speculate but none of us know. It's wait and see."
(DO YOU FEEL THE NEW POINT SYSTEM WAS FAIR?)
"I guess. It is what it is. It's what we've got so why worry? It's the same for everybody. If it's the same for everybody, it's fair for everybody."
(WHEN YOU FOUND OUT THAT GREG ZIPPADELLI WOULD BE YOUR CREW CHIEF, DID YOU KNOW HIM AND WHAT DID YOU THINK?)
"No, I didn't know him. He knew me but I would have tripped over him if I saw him. But honestly it's one of the best things in my career to have Greg as a crew chief. We're like brothers, basically. The funny thing is that we'll be out and people will ask us if we're brothers. I don't know if my milkman was Italian or my mailman was Italian but I know my father wasn't Italian. It's fun to watch people around us thinking we're related to each other. We have the same passions. If we didn't know that we weren't related, we would assume we were."
(WHY HAS IT WORKED SO WELL BETWEEN YOU AND GREG?)
"It's chemistry. We have the same passion and desire to win. He understands me and I understand him. In all reality, I've never been married but I feel that with some of my buddies it's almost like we are married. When I'm having a bad day he has ways to pick me up and when he's having a bad day I have ways to pick him up. That's the kind of thing."
(WHO IS THE DRIVER WHO YOU'D BORROW MONEY FROM IN THE GARAGE AREA?)
"Casey Mears! He was the highlight of the tournament. He was so much fun to be around. He's a great guy. But I can teach him some things on poker. He's the guy you want to play every day of your life because you can beat him."
(WILL HAVING JOE GIBBS BACK IN THE RACING SHOP HAVE AN EFFECT?)
"I don't know. He hasn't been working on the cars these past seven years so I don't think it's going to be that different."
(HOW DO YOU RANK THE DAYTONA 500?)
"I don't know. It's one of 36. It's obviously an important race and probably the biggest race of the year. But at the same time it's at the beginning of the season and not one that you can put all your emotions into."
(HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE RETIREMENT OF RUSTY WALLACE AND MARK MARTIN?)
"I used to think I was a race car driver, now I have to be a columnist. They came along in an era that wasn't exactly the Pearson era, but they were kind of the first young development that came along. They were two guys that came from somewhere other than the south. One came from Wisconsin and the other came from St. Louis. They have fresh ideas and young ideas and they both played important roles in our sport. Rusty's been a great leader and so has Mark. I think they are two guys that have helped the competition side of the sport."
(ARE YOU A VIDEO GAME PLAYER?)
"Oh yeah. I've always been a video game guy. But I'm more of a video poker guy now. I never play NASCAR games on video games, because that's what I do three days a week. That would be like a reporter writing columns all week and then going to play a video game about writing columns."
(DO YOU WISH THEY BROUGHT POKER TABLES TO THE RACE TRACK?)
"I wish! I feel like my poker game is really good right now. Instead of it being a poker tournament on the race track, it's more of a chess match."
(YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF CHARITY WORK, DO YOU FEEL THAT PART OF YOUR LIFE IS AS IMPORTANT AS RACING ITSELF?)
"It really is. I didn't grow up in a rich family that helped buy my rides to get me where I'm at today. I had a lot of help from a lot of people. It's nice to finally be in a position where you can help other people. Whether it is young guys like Kasey Kahne, helping him with Ray Evernham, or doing charity events. The race fans and racing community do a lot for us so it's nice to be able to turn it around. Whether you won or lost it overshadows what you did that weekend."
(HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE TO HAVE A CREW CHIEF CHANGE LIKE DALE JR. HAS GOING INTO 2005?)
"I don't know, I haven't done it yet. It's a matter of chemistry. You guys are smart enough to know how to speculate about it. I don't speculate about anything anymore. I'm concerned with the black and white."
(WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRACK NOW AND THE NEXT DAYTONA RACE THIS SUMMER?)
"In February it's a lot cooler because of the winter season, obviously. And in July it's a lot hotter and it's a lot harder to get the car driving good. But it doesn't matter too much to me because, you know, it's the same for everyone. It's a matter of figuring out what your car needs to do."
(PLEASE COMMENT AGAIN ON THE DIFFICULTY OF MAKING A CREW CHIEF CHANGE)
"It'd be very difficult. This is my 26th year in racing and I can count the amount of guys on one hand I've had the relationship with in racing like I've had with Zippy. If we were separated it would probably be the biggest change in my racing career."
(HOW IMPORTANT IS CHEMISTRY IN WINNING?)
"Absolutely it's important. That's what makes champions in all reality. You can have the best driver on the race track and the best driver but you need the best crew chief, etc. You need to match them."
(HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT CHEMISTRY TO WINNING YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP?)
"It's extremely important. Like I said, he's there to pick me up and I'm there to pick him up. We've done that for six years and we can do that for another 26 years."
(HOW MANY WINS DO YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS YEAR?)
"Every year is a different year. Our goals have always been to win every race. When we get to the end of the year we'll evaluate that."
(WITH THE RETIREMENT OF OLDER DRIVERS DO YOU FEEL THE SPORT IS CHANGING?)
"It's a sad time for the fans. It's evolution but you know, there will be a time when I go away and Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr. go away. It's just part of the sport. It's odd because it comes in waves. You hate to lose three great drivers this year. That's going to be a pretty big change for this sport."
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO
(DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR?) "I really felt like things were going our away. With the winding down of the season, the races we were winning, closing up the points gap like we did, I really thought it was our year. Even Sunday morning at Homestead going through different parts of the race, watching the 97 have some problems, I really felt like it was our year and our championship. With about 50 (laps) to go I looked in the mirror and saw 97 there. Then all those feelings started to change and we had a race on our hands. I know for a fact it was the hardest racing I've ever done. A lot of it was side-by-side with Jeff (Gordon) and also with Kurt (Bush). I think as a fan you saw some of the best racing throughout the end of last season. We did all we could. There wasn't anything left on the table."
(DID YOU HUNGER FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP INCREASE DURING THE OFF-SEASON?) "They say before you win one you have to lose one. I hope last year was that case for us. We put up a great effort."
(WERE YOU SYMPATHETIC TO THE DRIVERS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE TOP TEN FROM A SPONSORSHIP STANDPOINT?)
"Not really. The truth of it is if you were 11th, you weren't going to win the championship. If you look at the numbers throughout the season, as you drew closer to the cut-off and when the Chase started, you had 10th through 15th getting a lot more exposure than they would normally had. If you look at the numbers and the end of the year, I think as a whole all the drivers, sponsors and team owners had more exposure than they did in the year previously. You just kind of feel left out that you're not in that final ten. I think that is going to make this year more intense when we get to Richmond and the races leading up to that."
(WAS MR. FRANCE SMART OR LUCKY WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP?) "I think he was smart. In order to take the biggest sport in United States and make such a change with it knowing how many people's lives it can affect. I really feel that he made an educated and calculated decision. He did a great job.
"I don't think that NASCAR as a whole would take a chance if there was a chance of it going belly up or hurting our sport. It was a very calculated move and it turned out how they expected."
(HOW DRAINED WERE YOU AT THE END OF LAST SEASON?) "I was beat. I didn't realize it until my honeymoon. I went from the end of the season to New York for banquet to Paris for the race overseas then wedding. On the honeymoon that's when I finally had a chance to sleep. With the way season was going, I was run down. So was the team and everybody. Driving race cars is what I love to do. There's nothing like it and like racing these guys. I could do that everybody. The rest of it is work. It's a tough schedule with the travel and the responsibilities you have as a driver. Those things really wear on you but climbing in a race car - I'll do that any chance I can get."
(WILL YOU APPROACH THE RACES LEADING UP TO THE FINAL TEN AS YOU DID LAST YEAR?) "I know it looked from the outside like we were trying to do some off the wall stuff since we had the points lead. We were experimenting but we really felt like we what we were trying was going to work. Knowing that and if we are in that situation again, I think you have to try to find an advantage for the final ten. I feel like we would take some chances again. If you can find an advantage with something the other guys aren't using for the final ten, you'll be golden."
(ON DRIVING A SPORTS CAR VS. A CUP CAR) "It's a totally different vehicle. They're at least half the weight. On top of that, the strong points of the prototype drivers are opposite of a Cup car. The Cup car has a lot of mechanical grip. We don't have a lot of downforce so you can roll through the turn and use the gas and carry a lot of corner speed. With the prototype you have zero mechanical grip and all downforce and is very light so can brake like you wouldn't believe and accelerate pretty strongly as well."
(ON THEIR ENGINE PROGRAM THIS YEAR) "It's fantastic on a lot of levels. Randy (Dorton) did so many things for our organization. Not only did he run the engine department, he was an important part of developing new products and new things for Hendrick Motorsports and involved with the driver development. He really eye for the future of Hendrick Motorsports.
"We have hired Doug Duchardt this week. I think Doug has the same mindset and was a really good friend Randy's and understood where Randy was going with things. I think that is going to strong asset to Hendrick Motorsports to carry that vision on that Randy had. There's no doubt that there's a huge void there and I'm not sure we'll ever be able to fill it. Randy believed in his guys in the engine department. They had a lot of free reign to experiment and try things and develop our engine program. Jim Wall and Jeff Andrews and all those guys know what to do. I don't feel we will enter the season with a soft engine program or have the excuse that we can't win a championship this year because of it. That doesn't exist. Even if there was something that was affecting us, we wouldn't admit it because we want to carry on Randy's name and everybody that was involved. We won't sleep. We'll work harder than we ever have to make up the difference out of pride and to keep Hendrick where it needs to be."
(DID THE 24 HOURS AT DAYTONA GET YOU READY FOR THE BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT?) "The 24 Hours is just a fun thing. You get to spend time in a cool race car different than what we normally drive. You do get the racing juices flowing in your mind. The cars are so different we can't apply it."
(ON PARTICIPATING IN THE BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT) "The Bud Shootout really won't cross over but it gets you ready for the duels and the 500. I think there is a small advantage to being in the Shootout if you go out and work on your set-up a little bit. You also have a chance to get on the track. It never fails you that half way into the 500 something comes to you that you forgot about but wanted to remember. So you get a head start."
(DO YOU THINK YOU AND JEFF GORDON HAVE CLOSED HERE ON THE DEI DRIVERS?) "I think last year showed that. Jeff (Gordon) won two and Junior won two. I don't think there's a gap anymore."
BOBBY LABONTE, NO. 18 INTERSTATE BATTERIES CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE IS A VOID AFTER NOT HAVING A RECENT CHAMPIONSHIP?) "There's nothing like winning. As much as it demands your time, if you're winning, there's a lot more demands on your time. You don't want to be not doing it. If you want to be juiced about it, you want to be winning races and championships."
(ON WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED SINCE WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP) "I think a lot of it happened just in life. As you get older you learn more. The biggest thing is you want to be first every year. If you're not, it's more humbling. You say there's next year and if you don't (win) next year, you get real mad. Once you taste that victory and Champaign in New York, you want to do it more and more. It's your ultimate goal. When you don't do it, it's frustrating and humbling."
(ON THE 24 HOURS OF DAYTONA) "It was good. It's a hard race. We take it for granted those guys that race and win those races and compete all the time. A long race like that is different from the shorter races they run. We had a good time and learned a lot. The guys that race that series take it seriously. It became a very competitive and challenging race. We look forward to hopefully doing it again."
BOBBY HAMILTON JR., NO. 32 TIDE CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(ON HOW HE FEELS GOING INTO THE DAYTONA 500) "We've just been testing so much. It's drug out so much leading into the 500 that by the time it comes, you're excited and ready to go. With it being the first 500 you look forward to it. It's something to add to your career. Through the winter we tested so you're mentally prepared before the season starts."
(ON HIS TEAM THIS YEAR) "We have all new people and all new race cars. RCR is providing the motors. I don't think it's going to be a 13-win year. It's going to be something to get the 32 car turned around. I think it will be a top 15, top 20 car on a bad day hopefully. We need to do that and get the foundation in place and have the team be consistent every week and no problems with the seat or the car malfunctioning. That's how you start putting yourself in the position to win. You do that, then you start getting closer to those wins."
