NHRA NEWS: Teleconference Transcript, Jan. 30, 2007

The complete transcript of today's NHRA 2007 Season Preview
teleconference with John Force and Tony Schumacher can be accessed on
the NHRA Online Media Center at http://media.nhra.com
<http://media.nhra.com/> .

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

 

Force, on Ashley's car blowing up in a test session in Phoenix: "She had
a nasty fire. She said, 'Dad, it exploded. I couldn't see anything.' She
said, 'I triggered my bottles,' but it blew her windshield open. She got
a little bit of smoke. She was gasping to breathe and I felt so bad. It
was scary for me, but she was like, 'How long do you think it will take
to fix it?' She was like an hour and a half later back in the staging
(when he lanes running again. It was a nasty fire."

Force, on the stress of being a team owner as well as a driver: "It's so
much more of a job ... but I'm having fun. I'm out here with my teams.
My daughter's with me. It's great to get up in the morning and see her
because so many years on the road I never saw her. So I'm a happy camper
right now."

Force, on Ron Capps' chances in 2007: "I guarantee you, Ron Capps, he's
had three years of getting smacked around and he's going to have focus.
He's got a good race team. He almost got it last year (when he won five
times and finished in third place)."

 

* * * * * *

 

Schumacher, on being a one-car team in 2007: "I'm as happy as I could be
... (crew chief) Alan Johnson is the best in the business and to give
that information away, I'm just not that happy about it."

Schumacher, on his chief competition in 2007: "Just (Doug) Kalitta, man.
He's bad to the bone. He's the guy. And we're going to butt heads and
race all year. That's the one I fear the most."

Schumacher, on Ashley Force's debut in 2007: "She, in my opinion,
probably paid more dues than most of the people out there that have had
a chance to drive a fuel car. She's been in the Super Comps and Alcohol
for years and driven Funny Cars for a few years testing and testing.
That's pretty cool. Who has really gone through that much? So by the
time it's time for her (to make her pro debut ) in Pomona, to step off
the clutch, whoever is on the other side better respect the fact that
she may give them a whoopin'. 

 

Michael Padian

NHRA POWERade Series Communications

http://media.nhra.com <http://media.nhra.com/> 

O: 626-250-2217

C: 626-278-0312