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NASCAR WCUP: Buckshot Jones/Wally Dallenbach Quotes from Winston Preview

10 January 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

BUCKSHOT JONES (No. 44) Georgia Pacific Dodge Intrepid

You return to Winston Cup this year, you're in the fabled Petty Enterprise fold there. How does it feel to be working with that family?

I think it's the best opportunity I could get. My racing has always been a family oriented sport since Dad always owned a team, but to get together with the Petty's, the name kind of speaks for itself. You know the way they do things are so family oriented. That makes being in it more special for me.

Two things, first what's the status of your team in Spartanburg and with the unknowns with the Dodge going to Daytona, what do you feel like is possible there?

As for the team back in Spartanburg, I don't know who will be driving the car. I won't be able to drive there - Daytona and Indy are two races they don't won't me to run any Busch races. I plan to run Atlanta, Talladega and probably Vegas, try to get a sponsor so we can run some more races but we'll have somebody else drive. You know I've talked to a whole bunch of drivers but like I said the biggest thing is trying to find a sponsor so I think regardless we'll probably run 10 to 15 races. As for the Dodge, you know the cars seem to be really good. I know Curt Roenburg and you know he's been doing a lot of the R&D, him and Doug Hewett over at the Petty's and they're real happy with the Dodge. The numbers I guess from the wind tunnel. But I believe the biggest thing is just going to be the durability of engines. There's not been a lot of laps or miles put on the restrictor plate engines, so when we go down to test Daytona, that's going to be one of the biggest things is to put 600 miles or so, put all the laps we can on it. I mean we've done some other testing on the open motors and some of them have been pretty good I guess most of the problems were early in the season with the head gaskets and they had a problem with the blocks but seems like all the little problems are getting worked out right now.

Buckshot, I've followed your career from the time you got into the all pro, you basically had your own car family operation, but now you're up to the huge organization. How is this different, what are you having to adjust to?

To be quite honest with you there's not been a lot. You know the way the Pettys are, when I first came over there, they just make you feel so comfortable and welcome being around them. They don't put any pressure on you I mean with the name the Pettys you think it really would be but you know anybody that's spent any time around Kyle or Richard, the King, they're the same way so they're going me, John and Kyle are all getting the best equipment you can get. You got all brand new cars, all the cars they had last year they got rid of and they're doing a lot of things to help make all three teams the same. It's going to take a little while to incorporate that so about mid-season everything ought to be pretty good. It's exciting and I think more pressure will be there once you get to Daytona but in reference to the Pettys they won't put any pressure on you at all.

When you tried to run Winston Cup a year ago, you know you said that the biggest problem was just not being able to go to the track prepared because you had no history no data base to work off of. How different is it going to be to be able to go in and give it the best shot right out of the box?

It's going to be a lot different. You know the Dodge is going to be something that's new but the way the Pettys are all 3 cars are the same - the body locations, the chassises, everything so that way when you got to the track all 3 drivers me, Kyle and John can communicate about the car. It's going to be a real big benefit for me, not so much for John and Kyle, because I'll always be going to them asking them questions, but like I said I think it's the best opportunity, it's not just a chance to get back together with Winston Cup Racing or driving Dodge or that it's being able to drive for the Pettys. Like I said for me, it may not be for someone else, but for me this is the best shot I think I've got. You know they're going to give you everything that you need.

WALLY DALLENBACH (No. 75) PIZZA HUT

There's not a whole lot going on guys. We have no sponsor and I'm not sure where we're going. This week will pretty much be the week if we know if we're going racking or if the door's closed. We're going to do the test at Daytona Monday and Tuesday and then after that I have no idea. And I know Elliott's got a lot better deal than I do right now.

What are your options if the team does not land a sponsor?

Well, there are some options, but they're not on this side of the fence, so I'm going to have to wait and see. I'll cross that bridge I guess when I come to it. I'll stay here if I can get in a situation where I think I can be competitive in. But I'm not going to keep doing this the way we've been doing it. I was lead to believe that we had a 3 year deal, I was led to believe that we had a 3 year sponsorship, and that last year was a building program and that's not exactly what took place so. Then we felt like we had a pretty good shot at a sponsorship this year that would have put us where we needed to be money wise and material wise and people wise which was the biggest thing that we needed to do - put the sponsorship in place to get the people - to get the crew chiefs we needed, the engineers we needed, etc. etc. and then that didn't happen so now we're back in the same position that we were last year. Really no sponsorship you know just where everybody's got their hand in there and not knowing where to go so if this deals falls through, I'll start looking at some other things that I have, some other opportunities in other places that are with first class teams that can run races tomorrow and I guess when it comes down it that's what I'm interested in doing. As much as I love NASCAR Winston Cup racing, it's too long of a season to be miserable, so if I can get in a situation I've got an opportunity to be competitive, then this is where I want to stay, but it's got to be that opportunity.

Right now the best opportunity I have is in IRL and that's only because they know my situation there so you know we don't - haven't set anything we're trying to give it this week before we do any, but I've been approached by someone at IRL who knows what my situation's been because they're a good friend of mine so that's where we're at.

How hard is it to work with someone whose an independent and absentee owner? Obviously at this point of the game, we're looking where the people coming in, the people who are successful, they have racers as owners?

It's pretty hard, I mean Garland is a great person and a great friend but he came in here having no idea what this business was like so and you know I did my best and we all did our best to protect him from some of the things that could have happened and actually did happen, especially with the sponsorship situation, where we're getting led down a road and I was getting awfully worried and tried to put a time frame on it because we were starting to put all our eggs in one basket because they were pretty much telling us that it was going to happen and when we let other things go to the wayside, then they came back and told us tht it wasn't going to happen p then you're scrambling. So you know I think Garland got a pretty big education this year but it's was hard from the stand point that from - in the begining of the year we had Jimmy Johnson, we had some people in there we felt we can convince them and let Jimmy and certain people do their job, but it didn't work out that way.

Wally, you had an opportunity with John Barnes at one time is that where the opportunity is in the IRL?

Yes, obviously John and I are good friends and there is a possibility there and I didn't call him or anything it's just hey if things don't work out and you want to come over here, I'll put you in equipment that will be up front.

Wally, you probably thought your time with Jack Roush would be a wonderful opportunity. How frustrating is it that things didn't work out like you thought they would?

I've got good seasons with different race teams but didn't have the opportunity to have multi-year sponsorships. You just keep fighting to get better and better. I had a three contract and turned down good deals with good teams and I was honoring my contract. You've got to look out for yourself. I thought the 3 year-deal was great, I didn't realize it was a one-year deal.

Wally do you find it frustrating to see young unproven drivers have it better than you?

If I had been in market this year, I would have been in a different situation. You have to prove yourself in this sport. Most guys have held their own.

I know that everybody is trying to be positive. You don't go racing without a sponsorship. As of today, we do not have a sponsor and I want to be up front so everybody knows what is going on. We're still looking, but we don't have one.

Text Provided By Marie Mason

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