Chevy Notes - Bud Shootout Practice, Feb. 11

    

CHEVROLET NOTES & QUOTES

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES

BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT PRACTICE

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

February 11, 2005

 

BRIAN VICKERS, NO. 25 GMAC CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:

(ARE YOU GETTING USED TO THE SHOOTOUT?)

"I am getting used to it. It's a prestigious race and just to be in it you've got to have qualified, which is good. We're okay right now. We need to pick up a little bit. This isn't my best car; obviously we've saved that for the 500. We were really tight in that last practice and we made a bunch of changes."

 

(WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU MAKING?)

"Right now they're setting the toe. There are some things I can't talk about, though....just a lot of stuff up in the front end to make it turn better.

 

 

JOE NEMECHEK, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:

(HOW IS YOUR CAR?)

"My car is driving great. The Army car is good. The car is fast. I've been able to pass high and low. But it's driving right, and that's the most important thing for this race. I don't know what's going on with the tire, I guess we need to take a look at that. It's going to be a good race. We're going to try to see how much fuel we can get in our fuel cell, so we're just working on some strategy stuff."

(ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIRE PROBLEM YOU'VE HAD?) "You hope you don't have these types of things happening. We hope its just one incident here for us. We've had two tires that have done it. It seems to be doing it on our right on the tread splice where the tread comes together. If you've ever gone and seen how tires are made you'd wonder how in the world they ever last. There are so many variables in them and my hats are off to Goodyear. I don't know what's going on; I know a lot of other guys have had some troubles. But, my U.S. Army Chevy is fast and it's going to be a great week."

(WHAT IS IT LIKE WHEN THE TIRE STARTS TO GO?) "Everybody saw Dale Jr.'s tire from earlier and as soon as the tread starts to come off, you can feel it. Back there it had a little blister at the seam and eventually it cut and relieved itself. Until they get too big, it's hard to feel them. When the tread starts coming, it can tear a big piece off. Then it will start vibrating pretty bad."

 

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 8 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:

(WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CAR?)

"I ran out of gas. I thought we'd blown a motor because when it was slowing down, I looked down and it didn't have any oil pressure, but that was because the motor wasn't running! It sounded like it was running but it wasn't."

 

(WERE YOU CONCERNED?)

"No, not really. They build these things every day-that's the way you've got to look at it. When I was younger I used to get bent out of shape on that but you can't worry about stuff like that. But I'm sure if you ask Richie Gilmore he'd tell you a different story!"

 

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:

(HOW IS YOUR CAR TONIGHT?)

"It handles really well. I'd like to have a little bit more speed. With the new restrictor plates, it's a little tougher to get up through the field. We're just fine. So far everything feels pretty good."

 

(ANY PROBLEM RUNNING WIDE OPEN THE WHOLE WAY AROUND THE TRACK?)

No, not unless I'm going to run up the back of someone in front of me.