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NASCAR BGN: Driver Comments, Sam's Club 200, Post Race

22 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

SAM'S CLUB 200 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RACE
NORTH CAROLINA SPEEDWAY
Saturday, October 21, 2000

Hank Parker Jr., No. 53 Team Marines Chevrolet Monte Carlo (sidelined - caution #1): "I believe it was the casting or something on the carburetor, the booster failed. It started missing a little bit. I went down in the corner and the throttle stuck. When I stopped I checked the linkage and everything was fine. We pulled the air cleaner off and the booster was laying in the carburetor. I got hurt a couple of years ago when my throttle stuck. It's about the eighth time it has happened to me maybe, eight or ten times. I got the button shut-off about 10 feet before I hit the wall."

Kevin Grubb, No. 37 Timber Wolf Chevrolet Monte Carlo (sidelined - caution #2): "We just got back into the top ten in points, and I'm sure we're going to lose that again. We've had a couple problems. I'm sure he (referring to Kevin Harvick) didn't mean to do it. I've been racing hard and I feel bad for the team. We're going to need a couple of top five's now to get back in the top ten and that's going to be tough to do. There's a lot of competition, a lot of good cars."

Dick Trickle, No. 5 Schneider Chevrolet Monte Carlo (sidelined - caution #3): "We had a top-five car, we were heading that way. The car was good. All the guys did a great job on the pits. I got up in the middle of (turns) three and four, and the tires turned real good. Got a good line off. Got halfway off the corner and cut a right front tire down. It started to get over about three feet. And it got in the loose stuff, naturally. We cut a tire down coming off (turn) two."

Jeff Green, No. 10 NesQuik Chevrolet Monte Carlo (race winner) Comment on racing to the yellow: "With 20 laps to go it's all for who and who for all. It's a gentlemen's agreement. You can throw it out the window. You know, I hadn't led a lap yet, and I needed to lead that lap. You never know. It could have gone the other way. Jeff (Burton) let off, he made a mistake. He didn't think I would do that to him, but like I said, with 20 laps to go, the gentleman goes out the window. We try to win 'em any way we can.

"It got us in contention for the win. It got him (Burton) worried a little bit. But he passed me on that restart. I gave him the outside and I should never have done that. We talked about it on the radio. I was just trying to run the line I'd been running. But my tires was warmer than his was then. We were better than he was on the bottom when our tires was hot. But when his tires cooled off, he could just go on the outside. That's why I wanted to get up on the outside of him on that last re-startup 'cause I knew if I took that away from him, I would have a shot (at the win).

"People have been jumping me all year and I've been told that I don't have very good re-starts and I probably don't. I've been kind of conservative over the years and it was time to let one hang out for a while. I took a chance. He got going and I just tried to plan my timing that when he'd took off, I'd already be on the gas. And I did that. He spun the tires a little bit, which allowed me to get up on the outside of him. He was a gentleman, and he gave me every opportunity and every inch of the racetrack I needed and that's what I took. And with a one-lap shootout, since I took his line away from him, it was our race then."

Comment about having to start the Memphis race before clinching the championship: "I didn't want to clinch it here (at Rockingham) 'cause that means that Jason didn't have as good a day. We're working on first and second. He run his tail off today. I was really proud of him and I'm proud to be his teammate. We're going to go home with that trophy, there's no doubt about it. My hat's off to my guys. No matter where we are, they put a good car under me. When you have that, you have opportunities to win and that's what we did today."

Harold Holly, crew chief, No. 10 NesQuik Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "The whole key to the win today was Jeff Green. Our second set of tires took a long time to come in and the car never actually came in right. Fortunately we got good long green flag runs there, and we got to see where we was going to need for the end and we went back to what we were the best on the air pressure.

It freed the car up a little bit. Jeff drove his heart out and the guys worked hard. That's what we came here for was to win the race. With two seconds and a first here, we can't complain. We love Rockingham."

Jason Keller, No. 57 Excedrin Chevrolet Monte Carlo (finished 3rd): "It was just one of those deals there at the end. We ran hard, and our car had really gone away back there with about 20 (laps) to go when Jeff got by me. It was a great day for ppc racing. We had real fast Chevrolets all day long. Just stayed tight all day. We made contact with Elton (Sawyer) down there in (turn) one, and luckily I saved it. I don't think I saved it, I think the good Lord saved it. But we had a good day. The only way I could have any shot at it (the win) was on the bottom.

"We could have easily ended under caution and I thank NASCAR for that. The fans' come to see a race. It would have been a little easier on the heart to end it under caution. They paid money to see a race and they want to see in end under green. I know I would if I was a fan. They definitely got to see that today. Getting into (turn) three, I knew the only way I'd have a shot at (Jeff) Burton was if he slid up. And he slid up. But, I couldn't quite make it to the line. We had a great day. We just keep racking up those top fives. And it's still a lot of fun.

"I would really like to recall saving the car, but I had my eyes closed. It was just one of those things. When we got into the corner and made a little contact, I noticed that he was going to lose it. We made contact the second time, and that actually straightened him back out. We ran hard all day. Elton (Sawyer)is a great race car driver. He's a clean race car driver. We were both going for the same position. That's what can happen on 50-lap tires. No hard feelings with him and I hope he has none with me. We made contact, and that's just racing.

"When you bunch everybody up like that (re-start), cautions breed caution. Anything goes on the last lap. So with all that thrown in there, I guess it's going to be tough to get back to the line. Luckily for us we got a good re-start. We pulled the No. 66 (Todd Bodine)on the front straightaway, so I wasn't really too worried about losing third unless something drastic happened in (turns) three and four. And when Jeff Green shot up there on the outside, I thought, 'Man, we may have a shot at this thing.' It was a lot of fun. A lot of emotions went through my mind the last 10 laps. That's what I, as a race car driver, envision racing to be. No harm no fowl. That's great racing."

Todd Bodine, No. 66 Phillips Chevrolet Monte Carlo (finished 4th): "We missed the set-up pretty good. We kept adjusting it and every stop it was better and the last right there it was the best it was. I would never have believed we'd get a fourth. We might have been able to get Jason (Keller) if we'd had more time. He was pretty good too. But Elton (Sawyer) came up there and passed me on the outside and I decided I was going to get up there and try it. I'd tried it earlier, but I couldn't make it work. The car took off. It freed-up a little bit and I ran Elton and those guys down. I got fourth out of it.

"Unfortunately Jason keeps finishing in front of us each week. It was a good run, but we didn't have a fourth place car. We had maybe a 10th place car. We kept adjusting. We had great pit stops all day. We got up there. We got a couple of breaks with Elton (Sawyer) spinning out and different things. The Phillips 66 Monte Carlo was decent.

"I can't believe that Jeff Burton let Jeff Green have the outside. Man, all he had to do was run up there and block him and he'd have won the race. But that's racing. I'm sure Burton thought he needed to hold the bottom and Jeff Green knew he was going to hold the bottom, so he went to the outside. It worked out. I'm happy for Jeff Green to beat a (Winston) Cup guy."

Text Provided By Nancy Wager

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