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NASCAR WCUP: Driver Notes and Quotes, Post Race, Pennzoil 400

14 November 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

WARD BURTON, NO. 22 CATERPILLAR PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

(ON WHAT HAPPENED) "Well, I guess it's one of those racin' things. I contribute that to having a bad pit stop that got us in the back. The '99' (Jeff Burton) and '3' (Dale Earnhardt) cars went on the outside of me. I fell in behind the '99.' Some of it was my fault and probably some of it was Dale's fault, but the '3' car hit me in the back and there I went."

MIKE BLISS, NO. 27 VIAGRA PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

(ON THE INCIDENT INVOLVING WARD BURTON) "Somebody jacked up the '22' (Ward Burton) car down the back straightaway and turned him in the wall and I saw that. Then I headed to the bottom of the track and I lost sight of everything. I don't know what happened then. We got hit and I got put in the inside wall."

INITIAL THOUGHTS FROM 2000 NASCAR WINSTON CUP CHAMPION BOBBY LABONTE, NO. 18 INTERSTATE BATTERIES PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

"It feels great! It's an awesome feeling. Yesterday we weren't running that good and we worked really hard last night to see if we could get it right. We worked hard on it this morning too. We went back to a lot of old things we went to last year. We weren't as good as Tony, but a big congratulations goes out to those guys. We stayed tough the whole day and that's what it's all about. These guys on this Interstate Battery team did a great job. All the guys back at the shop did an awesome job too. It's a great team effort and between the "20" and the "18" car that's what it's all about.

(ON BEING IN THE POSITION FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP ALL YEAR) "We've had a great year and it feels great to beat the guys we beat like Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, and Jeff Gordon. It's just awesome. I can't really believe it. You start thinking it's going to happen but you never know until it's over.

(ON A COUPLE OF KEY RACES THIS YEAR) "Darlington was a key race for us. We worked hard that weekend coming off that big wreck on that racetrack. But let me tell you one even better then that. Testing in Greenville. We were up there testing and I wrecked it and instead of going home we fixed it and finished testing. Darrell Waltrip came up to us and said that it takes a lot of heart and a lot of hard work to fix that car because we could've easily left. That is what's been like all year - Teamwork."

(HOW MUCH DID TERRY MEAN TO YOU THIS YEAR TALKING TO HIM ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN) "Just watching him and going through it with him is a big deal. We talk a lot too but we keep stuff to ourselves as well. I'm still one behind him."

(ON NEXT WEEKS RACE) "I told the team that we can get back to racing now." DAVE BLANEY, NO. 93 AMOCO PONTIAC GRAND PRIX:

(ON GETTING HIS SECOND TOP 10 FINISH IN A ROW) "We got caught on that yellow flag for debris but the car ran great all day. We were probably a 5th to 10th place car all day and that's where we stayed. It was a good day for us. It's great to get two top 10s in a row. This is a great track. It's wide enough to pass and fun."

(ON TONY'S WIN TODAY) "Tony ran great all day. He had his car running great. He drove well, his car ran well and his teammates worked hard."

Text Provided By Al Larsen

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