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NASCAR WCUP: Post race quotes, Goody's Body Pain 500, Rusty Wallace

11 April 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

RUSTY WALLACE --2-- Miller Lite Taurus (Finished 10th) -- "I really thought with 70 to go we needed to put tires on to get position and go. I didn't think a bunch of them would just stay out like they did, they did. I got behind, my car pushed, and I just couldn't get back around them. Then a bunch of lapped cars got in the way, I got spun by one of them and banged by another one, so after that was when we got in the back. Track position is everything in the world nowadays and we should have just stayed out."

YOU HAD THEM BEAT TODAY. "I think we had the best car out there all day long. It was a real hot-rod it's just unfortunate that's all I can say."

WHEN YOU LOST THE LAPS EARLY ON YOU SHOT BACK THROUGH THE FIELD. "That's what made me think that I should put tires on late because it was just flying on those new tires and at the end all it did was push on tires, it was just real pushy. It's unfortunate."

DID YOU AND THE CREW AGREE ON THE DECISION? "Yeah, yeah, we were all for one on that one, it just didn't work out."

HOW BAD IS IT TO HAVE SUCH A DOMINANT CAR AND NOT WIN? "It was just real upsetting to have that dominant of a car. I just couldn't believe it when I'm sitting there running 15th and 13th going, 'Man, how in the hell did this happen?' But it was all track position. When I saw those guys stay out I went, 'Oh, man.' And then a bunch of them two-tired. With 50 and 60 laps to go I should have never pitted. I just shouldn't. I'll learn next time because track position is so important here and it just got me."

DID YOU THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE YOUR DAY? "I was hoping it was gonna be my day, I was looking like it was gonna be. I think the test session paid off good, everything worked good. The pit stops were fast as lightning all day long. Everything was right."

WAS IT JUST A WAR OUT THERE? "Yeah, it was just a bunch of guys -- they get here and they just drive wrong. There are a bunch of good drivers too, but a lot of them get frustrated."

Text provided by Ford Motorsports

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