TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES / KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY / NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

JUNE 29, 2014 – RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 3RD

THIS IS YOUR BEST RUN OF THE YEAR. KNOW YOU WANTED TO WIN THIS THING, BUT DOES 3RD PLACE PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AT THE END OF THE NIGHT?

“It’s a big gain for us and our Caterpillar Chevrolet. All the guys at RCR and ECR got us that first top five of the season. I’ve got to thank everybody from Caterpillar and Quicken Loans for the opportunity they’ve given us this year. It was a good run. The No. 2 (Brad Keselowski, race winner) was obviously the fastest car all night. The No. 18 (Kyle Busch) got a little bit better there at the end. We were pretty solid. We never really changed the car. It felt like we were pretty neutral and didn’t want to screw it up. So, we ended up where we did.”

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN REPLICATE AT FUTURE 1.5-MILE TRACKS?

“Well, we sure don’t come back here (laughs). So I hope it translates. And I think it will. I think we’ve got some stuff coming. Pocono and Indy are a couple of races that I really look forward to.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 5TH

YOU WORKED YOUR WAY TO GET YOUR THIRD TOP-5 IN THE LAST 1.5-MILE TRACKS. THAT’S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE

“Yeah, I didn’t have any answers for why we were struggling yesterday. Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and the engineers got in the hauler and talked all night long, and all day today and put a great car underneath us. And the pit crew did an amazing job tonight. Those guys were gaining spots for me every stop. Even when we were taking four tires, we were beating a lot of guys off pit road. They’re just a great group and deserve a lot of credit, too. The National Guard Chevy was way better today; a lot more fun to drive. This place is a bit of a handful for me. I don’t think I’ve got it figured out just yet. And I don’t exactly know what I’m looking for and how I need the car to drive. So Steve and the guys did a good job in having to deal with me and trying to put a good car under me this weekend. It was a lot of fun in the race. The strategy was good on pit road. Steve’s fuel strategy gained us a lot of track position.”

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 GREAT CLIPS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 8TH

ON HIS NIGHT:

“We battled hard.  I had to fight we had some damage when the No. 1 (Jamie McMurray) stopped when another car was spinning.  I couldn’t get stopped I hit him, the No. 43 (Aric Almirola) hit him, just too many cars in one spot on the road.  We had a bad pit stop at the end that put us 18th and got back to eighth so I was really happy with the speed of our Great Clips Chevy just too many errors if you want to run up front.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 10TH

WAS THE PENSKE DOMINATION TONIGHT DEMORALIZING AT ALL? OR WERE YOU ABLE TO RUN YOUR RACE DESPITE WHAT THEY WERE DOING?

“We had issues that started on Friday.  We didn’t qualify well that had us in a terrible spot with track position.  I would work my way to the front and get in the top 10, top five and then come down pit road and because of our poor qualifying position we just didn’t have a good pit stall.  I was between the No. 10 (Danica Patrick) and the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) and they were both fast all night long.  I would lose five or six spots on pit road each time.  According to lap times what I heard in my ear I think we were a competitive car and we could have been up there and maybe had a look at those guys in some clean air.  But we just messed up on Friday and got behind the eight ball.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 RUSH TRUCK CENTERS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 11TH

STARTED BACK IN THE BACK BUT BATTLED FOR A GOOD FINISH:

“Yeah I mean I would have liked to have been a little better than what we were there at the end, but I think we definitely had to fight our way up there through the day.  We never did anything trick to get track position.  We pitted every time the pits were open.  We didn’t do any less than anybody else did on any stop.  All in all I thought we had a pretty honest day there can’t complain about that.”

WAS IT ANY HARDER TO GET THROUGH TRAFFIC HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE? 

“No, the race track was wide enough and guys were moving around enough that if your car was working you could get through there.  It’s just we just weren’t working good enough.  I was kind of stuck in one or two spots on the track and not in a wide enough spot to really do anything.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS ARE MAKING PROGRESS? 

“Yeah, I think so across the board.  Kurt (Busch) and I talked about our cars right after the race and we both were fighting the same thing with our cars.  I think the No. 10 (Danica Patrick) and the No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) were fighting a different set of problems.  I think as an organization as a whole we were pretty good.  Danica (Patrick) was pretty good all night just got kind of off on the tire sequence there and I think that bit them.  I think all four of the cars were pretty good.”

MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 19TH

“We had a lack of grip and no rhythm tonight. We fought for every inch to finish 19th.  At the beginning of the race we didn’t have any rear grip. Once that got better we started to have trouble with our front-end grip.  Leaving our pit stall was also a problem tonight. We took a good hit from behind on one pit stop that caused damage to our Chevrolet and later in the race we were blocked in after taking two tires and hoping to gain on track position. We obviously wanted a better finish for World Vision but hopefully we’ll get another opportunity with them down the road.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – EXPERIENCED A TIRE ISSUE ON LAP 77 WHICH RESULTED IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WALL

ARE YOU OKAY?

‘Yeah, I’m okay. Blew a right front (tire). This is the first time that’s ever happened to me in stock car racing. So, big hits. But is sucks. We were hoping for a good points day to pad our points were we are before we go to Daytona where it’s a real crapshoot. It’s disappointing to have two weekends that didn’t end up very well the last couple of races. Oh, well. That’s how it goes. We’ll try and go to Daytona and rebound and gain some more points.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT WAS COMING?

“No, not really. I saw Denny (Hamlin) blew his right front and I’d been pretty tight. But I didn’t think we had any tire issues all weekend, so I was kind of shocked when he blew his right front. And then we were pretty tight on our run. I felt like I was using up my right sides; and run up in the grey a lot trying to get the top working. I told myself to get back down just in case there would be tire problems and I guess I just used up my tires too much.”

IT APPEARED THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED WITH DENNY HAMLIN EARLIER HAPPENED TO YOU IS THAT ACCURATE? 

“Yeah the same thing that happened to Denny (Hamlin) I think.  It looked like he blew a right-front (tire) and so did I.  I heard a big ‘pop’ and then it just went straight.  It sucks it happened, but I didn’t know we had any tire issues at all throughout the weekend.  I don’t know if the rain had an effect and washed the rubber off the track or what.  It sucks it happened but we will go to Daytona next week and try to get the Target Chevy into Victory Lane.”

ANY INDICATION IT WAS GOING DOWN?

“No I didn’t have any warning just was a little bit tight the whole race so far.  I didn’t really feel like I was abusing my right-front tire that bad, but apparently I was.  It just went.”

IT SEEMS REALLY ODD THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TWO ISSUES SO CLOSE TOGETHER ALMOST WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF LAPS ON THE TIRES:

“Yeah, I was surprised to see Denny (Hamlin) blow a right-front because I didn’t think that many teams had tire issues at all.  I hadn’t heard anything.  Then it happened to us.  Hopefully, it doesn’t happen to anybody else out there tonight because those hits definitely hurt.  Oh well, we will go to Daytona and try and do better.”

 

 

 

JEFF GORDON, NASCAR SPRINT CUP POINT LEADER, LEADS THE WAY FOR TEAM CHEVY AT KENTUCKY

Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet SS, qualified third Friday, June 27, 2014 for Saturday’s Nascar Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) standings

Eight Team Chevy SS Drivers Qualify in Top 12

SPARTA, KY. – June 28, 2014 – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point leader, Jeff Gordon, led the way for Team Chevy in qualifying yesterday at Kentucky Speedway, the 17th stop on the 2014 tour.  Gordon took his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SS around the rough, 1.5-mile track with a fast lap of 28.903 seconds/186.832 mph, which was good enough to claim the third starting position for Saturday night’s 267 lap/400.5 mile race.  The four-time NSCS champion was one of only four drivers to break the 28 second barrier in the final round of knock-out qualifying.

“Oh my gosh you never want to be satisfied unless you are on the pole or in Victory Lane, but this sort of feels like a victory for me because that first run was not pretty,” said Gordon following the qualifying session. “That was a pretty wild session for the Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, but those last two or three runs were just so solid.  We made some good adjustments really proud of Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the guys on the adjustments they made. I don’t know how far off of those guys we were, but solid.  That is a great place to start this race.”

Out of three previous races completed at Kentucky Speedway this marks Gordon’s best qualifying effort to date at the track, the only track currently on the NSCS schedule where he has yet to capture a win.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, qualified fifth and Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS qualified tenth Friday, June 27, 2014 for Saturday’s Nascar Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. Harvick is ninth, Patrick is 28th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) standings. (Photo by Harold Hinson/HHP for Chevy Racing)

In Saturday night’s 42-car field, Team Chevy will occupy eight of the top 12 starting positions. Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS team continued to show a strong qualifying program by recording their sixth top-five start of the season. When the green flag flies, Harvick will pilot his Chevy SS from the fifth position.  He will be followed by Rookie of the Year contender, Kyle Larson, who will start sixth in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS.

Nicknamed ‘The Rocket Man’, Ryan Newman will guide his No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS toward the top spot from the seventh starting position.  Last week’s pole sitter, Jamie McMurray, in the No. 1 Lexar Chevrolet SS, follows him in eighth.

Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS and Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Danica Patrick, No. 10 GoDaddy Chevy SS, will start ninth and 10th, respectively, in their Chevy SS race cars.   Paul Menard rounds out the top 12 Chevy qualifiers and will start 12th with his Chevy powered No. 27 Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet SS.

Brad Keselowski (Ford) won the pole, Joey Logano (Ford) will start second, and Denny Hamlin (Toyota) will start fourth, to round out the top five starters.

The Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET today, Saturday June 28th. Live coverage will be available on TNT, PRN Radio, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.

 

 

 

2015 JANUARY TESTING DATES AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ANNOUNCED

• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Will Test Jan. 15-16
• Rolex 24 At Daytona Test Set for Jan. 9-11

Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – June 25, 2014 – January testing at Daytona International Speedway will start a week later in 2015, Track President Joie Chitwood announced.

The Roar Before The Rolex 24, the critical three-day test for the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge teams, is scheduled for Jan. 9-11. The season-opening 53rd anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be on Jan. 24-25.

Preseason Thunder featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is scheduled for Jan. 15-16. The stars of NASCAR will be prepping for the prestigious season-opening 57th annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 22.

“A later starting date for January testing will be more convenient for both teams and fans,” Chitwood said. “Both testing sessions are important opportunities for teams as they prepare for their season-opening events during Budweiser Speedweeks. It’s also an exciting time for fans as they gear up for the start of the new season.”

The Preseason Thunder Fan Fest, the companion event to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing, is scheduled on Thursday night, Jan. 15. Tickets for Preseason Thunder Fan Fest as well as a schedule of driver question-and-answer and autograph sessions will be available at a later date.

During the Roar Before The Rolex 24, Daytona International Speedway will continue the tradition of hosting Scout Days. The one-of-a-kind event blends high-speed sports car action with two nights of camping and scouting activities. Scout Days scheduling and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

The stars of NASCAR return to Daytona International Speedway on July 3-5. Tickets to the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and the Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Nationwide Series race are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

You can also catch the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola live from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 5 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT. The race will also be broadcast on MRN Radio and SiriusXM.

Fans can follow NASCAR and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtag #NASCAR and #COKEZERO400. Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest news all season long. Fans can follow the latest on DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation at the “World Center of Racing” by using #DAYTONARising on Twitter or visiting www.daytonarising.com.

 

 

 

CHEVROLET SS LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN AT KENTUCKY

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

DETROIT – June 25, 2014 – In 2014 the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) will travel to 23 different race tracks.  Of those 23 facilities the Chevrolet brand has visited Winner’s Circle in every one, but one – Kentucky Speedway.  The 1.5-mile track located in Sparta, Kentucky was added to the NSCS schedule in 2011.  Despite two pole wins for Chevrolet’s Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the Bowtie Brand has yet to earn the trophy in the Bluegrass State.

After last week’s task at the first road course race of the season in Sonoma, California, Chevy SS teams and drivers must now switch gears.  Kentucky Speedway is not only a 1.5-mile track, but one of the most unique tracks drivers must tackle throughout the season. With its distinctive tri-oval layout, bumps and fast speeds achieving balance will be a hefty task.  Throw in the difficulty of racing under the lights, adjusting to changing track conditions, managing tire wear and fuel mileage each of the 23 Chevy SS drivers and teams competing in this weekend’s 267-lap/400.5-mile race will be busy on their quest to get to Victory Lane.

With 16 races complete in 2014 Chevrolet continues to lead the manufacturer standings by 31 markers over second.  Chevrolet SS drivers have won nine of the 16 races thus far as the countdown to the Chase creeps ever closer.  Prior to Kentucky Speedway five different Chevy SS drivers have collected victories in 2014, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kevin Harvick each have multiple wins, while Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon each have one win this season.  Given NASCAR’s new rules for making the Chase this season each of the drivers have all but locked themselves a position to compete for this year’s title.

Every Chevy SS driver that takes the green flag on Saturday night will be looking for their first career win at Kentucky Speedway hoping to mark that track off the list of venues that they yet to have collected a checkered flag at – the Bowtie looks to do the same.

The Quaker State 400 is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday June 28th. Live coverage will be available on TNT, MRN Radio, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.

TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:

• Chevrolet has won 37 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
• Team Chevy drivers have scored 727 wins and 655 poles in NSCS competition

CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY:

Following the first three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Kentucky Speedway, Team Chevy drivers have recorded six (6) top-five and 12 top-10 finishes

Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are the only two Team Chevy drivers with poles at Kentucky Speedway, Earnhardt, Jr. currently holds the track qualifying record

A Chevrolet has led 217 laps (27.0% of possible 801 laps) at Kentucky Speedway

CHEVROLET SPOTLIGHT: Kentucky Speedway is the only track on the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule that Chevrolet does not have a win at

BOWTIE BULLET: Chevrolet’s Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon (along with two other drivers) lead the series in top 10 finishes at Kentucky Speedway with three each

 

 

ENGINEER EXPERTISE FROM THE GARAGE AREA / ALBA COLON, PROGRAM MANAGER, NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES /CHEVROLET RACING:

Alba Colon

June 25, 2014 – “The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kentucky Speedway this weekend, and Team Chevy is looking forward to some exciting racing on Saturday night on this unique 1.5-mile Tri-Oval.  Also, the three main NASCAR series race this weekend.  There’s nothing better than a weekend full of racing.

“This track has a lot of character and is very unique.  It is rough, bumpy, challenging, and wide.  The teams will practice during the day but they mainly race at night.  They have to find the right balance and grip of the vehicles in order to be successful at this race.  The team that can master all these variables will likely be victorious at the end.

“It’s hard to believe that we are just 10 weeks away from the start of the ‘Chase for the Sprint Cup’, which ultimately crowns the 2014 NSCS Champion.  But first, we have to get there.  All our Chevrolet teams are very focused, and they understand the goal at the end of the upcoming ten weeks. We need to perform, achieve top finishes, and score wins.

“This will mark the fourth time the Cup circuit will race at Kentucky Speedway, and Team Chevy is really looking forward to visiting Winner’s Circle on Saturday night.”

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE THE CHEVROLET SS RACE CARS?

This weeks’ race is at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. 23 Chevrolet SS will attempt to qualify at the 1.5-mile track.  Fans can watch and/or listen to all the action under the lights on Saturday June 28th on TNT, MRN Radio, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com

TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – POINTS LEADER

“Kentucky is a very challenging track that is tough to win on. The transitions are tricky – it’s pretty flat from the back straightaway into to Turn 3 plus there’s a huge bump going in there.

“Winning at all the tracks would be something that I would be very proud of. But it seems every time we get close to accomplishing that goal, another track is added! But I think winning at all the tracks would be a pretty awesome feat.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 2ND IN STANDINGS

“It would be great to go to Kentucky and win, to cross another track off our list. We have run really well there, led a lot of laps but just haven’t been able to score a win. Last weekend we had a really great run going, I’m really proud of this team and I’m just looking forward to the upcoming tracks before the off-weekend  – Kentucky, Daytona and New Hampshire.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – 3RD IN STANDINGS

“I think we are pretty confident when we go to Kentucky that we can be competitive. We sat on the pole last year and were leading the race when we had a little bit of trouble and ran over something on the racetrack. The car should be fast, should be quick. It’s a fun place to run at. It’s got some bumps and some characteristics that are unique to that track. I can’t wait to get there and see what condition the racetrack is in.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN STANDINGS

“I love racing under the lights just about anywhere. I think it’s cool in Kentucky. I like that it has character and it has bumps. It is one of our one offs, so-to-speak. I think it falls at the most pivotal time in our season as far as racing to the Chase. Where you finish can make a big difference. I know the No. 31 Chevrolet was fast there last season, so I hope we can take what was done last season and improve upon it to be even better.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – 9TH IN STANDINGS

“It’s the newest, oldest track we go to. Kentucky Speedway is very rough. The corners are longer so they’re not as sharp, but the roughness of the racing surface is really what makes it unique in my mind. There is still a lot of grip, but the track has become rough over the years.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 10TH IN STANDINGS

“It’ll be nice to get back on an oval track this weekend.  Kentucky is actually where I had my first NASCAR national series start, in the Truck Series a couple years ago.  I’ve only raced there a few times, but I do tend to favor the mile and a half tracks.  I know Kentucky will be another physical track with the bumps, so hopefully my arms are recovered from driving around Sonoma without power steering for a while.  My crew has done a great job this season setting up really good cars, and our Target Chevy has been fast, so I’m looking forward to getting a good finish this weekend.”

PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 QUAKER STATE/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN STANDINGS

“It’s definitely a unique track with the surface. It’s one of the oldest surfaces we go to with the bumps that are characteristic of an old, worn-out track. It’s real flat, very wide. The fact that it is so multi-grooved makes it a fun track. You can run the middle, years ago we ran by the fence, which has gone away a little bit, but you can run all over the place.”

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 GREAT CLIPS CHEVROLET SS – 15TH IN STANDINGS

(ON THE TEAM’S RECENT MOMENTUM.): “I look at it as we need to score as many points as we can each weekend. We are in the midst of racing at tracks that we run really well at. We ran well at Michigan and Sonoma, and as a result, we had great finishes so we just need to continue that momentum and continue to do the best we can. We are figuring things out and starting to put full races together. If we continue to do that, we will be in a good spot with the new points system. We’re definitely not out until Richmond. You have a much better shot this way to make the Chase even if you are not running very well throughout the first half of the year.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 RUSH TRUCK CENTERS CHEVROLET SS – 17TH IN STANDINGS

“It’s got a lot of bumps, so that makes it very challenging. Trying to figure out exactly where to be, where to try to get around some of the bumps, how to get through them better, how to get the car to go through them better – those are challenges that kind of make it fun, because it’s not just flat and easy to get around.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 CHEERIOS PROTEIN CHEVROLET SS – 18TH IN STANDINGS

“The schedule goes from Sonoma Raceway to Kentucky Speedway, so it’s pretty much going from my newest track to my favorite track. I’m looking forward to Kentucky Speedway. I wish we could have had a test in there, just because I feel like it’s one of those places where we can go out there and have a shot to win. We’ll do our best this year to get after it in that race, I think we will have a solid run there.”

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 LEXAR CHEVROLET SS – 19TH IN STANDINGS

“I think the thing that comes to mind mostly about Kentucky Speedway is that it is a track that is really bumpy.  You have to really work on getting the car set-up right.  It is also a challenge because all of our practice takes place in the heat of the afternoon and we race later in the evening.  We have had really good cars all year and after a runner-up finish last year at Kentucky, I hope we can go back and be in position at the end this year too.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 SCOTTS PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS

“Kentucky Speedway is one of my favorite places and I’ve ran decent there before. It’s definitely got a lot of bumps in it. It is not like it is rough, but it is wavy and tough to get around. It will be warm this weekend, so the track will be slick. That makes it tough for the guys to set up the SCOTT Products Chevrolet SS and on top of that you practice during the day and race at night. It is one of those places where you have to get into a rhythm. The track is not really wide, but you have lines you can choose. If you can get your car working over bumps, then you have an advantage. You have to have finesse for this track and you cannot be aggressive. You have got to be patient because the track changes a lot and it gets slick.”

CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 24TH IN STANDINGS

“We had a strong run at Sonoma and if we didn’t get banged around there with around 13 to go, the No. GEICO Chevrolet SS would’ve had a top ten finish.  All things considered, we’re happy with 13th and now look forward to getting to Kentucky.  Kentucky is a track where we feel we can do well.  The first half of the season is winding down, so we’re looking for good runs at Kentucky and then Daytona to close it out strong.  I’m proud of the guys on this Germain team and everyone has worked really hard.  Also, our pit crew has been doing a good job, which has been a great help to me on-track.”

MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW CHEVROLET SS – 25TH IN STANDINGS

“Honestly, Kentucky Speedway is something different. It’s a rough racetrack but I think it is fun to race on. I personally like the old bumpy, slick and worn out tracks. Early in my career, I didn’t like these types of tracks. But right now I like them the most. I don’t know what has changed over the years either I figured out how to get my cars working on rough tracks or just have had better cars. I am confident that our Furniture Row Chevrolet with the World Vision paint scheme this weekend will be strong. We need another solid run, which we are capable of. I believe I’ve had two top-10s in the three Kentucky races. Regarding World Vision, it’s an honor to drive for such an outstanding humanitarian organization that fights poverty and injustice in nearly 100 countries.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – 26TH IN STANDINGS

“Kentucky is a tough 1.5-mile circuit that’s relatively new to the Sprint Cup schedule. The track has a unique set of bumps that makes it different from a lot of the typical 1.5-mile tracks that we see. It’s kind of a one-off race with its own set of setup issues. You can overthink Kentucky a little bit because there’s nothing similar to it.”

JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 BRANDT PROFESSIONAL AGRICULTURE CHEVROLET SS – 29TH IN STANDINGS

“Well, after my weekend at Sonoma [Raceway] I’m ready to get back to an oval track. Kentucky [Speedway] was never really one of my better tracks in the other series I’ve raced in there, but I’m keeping an open mind going in to this weekend with a Sprint Cup car. We were able to test a little bit there earlier this month, so we should have a pretty good baseline to start the weekend with.”

MICHAEL ANNETT, NO. 7 PILOT FLYING J CHEVROLET SS – 30TH IN STANDINGS

“I just feel comfortable at Kentucky. We’ve got a bunch of top-10 finishes to show from our races there in Nationwide. It’s just a really fun place, and I’m confident that, after our runs at Pocono and Michigan, we have a good feel on this car going into the weekend.”

 

 

CHEVROLET SS DRIVERS COLLECT SIX OF TOP 10 FINISHING POSITIONS AT SONOMA

Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Panasonic Chevrolet SS, races to second place Sunday, June 22, 2014 in the Nascar Sprint Cup race at Sonoma Raceway in Sanoma, California. Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) standings. (Photo by Christa L. Thomas/HHP for Chevy Racing)

Jeff Gordon Maintains Points Lead with Second Place Finish

SONOMA, Calif. – June 23, 2014 – Jeff Gordon came within 0.591 seconds of earning his sixth win at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Save Mart 350, but crossed the finish line in second. The driver of the No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet SS led a contingent of Chevrolet power in the top-10, seven teams strong.  Gordon led three laps in the 110-lap race to capture his 18th top 10 finish in 22-races at the 1.99-mile road course in Napa Valley.  The strong run extended the four-time champion’s lead in the 2014 point standings to 20 markers over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson.

“I was making some ground up on (race winner) Carl (Edwards),” Gordon said following the race. “I was good in the fast sections and he was pretty good in the slow sections. So, I was having to hit everything so perfect. And I just overdrove it into (Turn) 4 one time and went real wide off and that gave him enough of a gap that I had to close it back in and I just couldn’t put enough pressure on him. And I think had I put some more pressure on him; I saw him really struggling with the grip level. He drove a clean race and he did everything you need to do.

“But of course, on that last lap, I gave it my best effort and closed up on him, but I just drove into (Turn) 11 as hard as I could,” Gordon continued. “We weren’t good in 11 anyway. He didn’t overdrive it. I was hoping he might slide up and I’d get a run underneath him. But all in all, it was a great weekend for this Panasonic Chevy and I could have been more proud of the calls made and everything the team did. We didn’t qualify good, but we had a great car in the race.”

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the #88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet SS, races to third place Sunday, June 22, 2014 in the Nascar Sprint Cup race at Sonoma Raceway in Sanoma, California. Earnhardt, Jr. is third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) standings. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/HHP for Chevy Racing)

Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. piloting the No. 88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet SS, earned his best career finish at Sonoma Raceway in the third position.  Pole sitter Jamie McMurray had a solid day in his No. 1 Cessna

Chevrolet SS by finishing fourth.  Paul Menard, aboard the No. 27 Richmond/Menards Chevrolet SS, rounded out the Chevy power in the top-five with a fifth place run.

Kasey Kahne came back from mid-race contact with Casey Mears (No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS) to take his No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet inside the top-10 to finish sixth.  Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Johnson had a solid day at Sonoma and navigated his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS up through the field from a 22nd-place starting spot to a seventh-place finish.

The day ended in disappointment for AJ Allmendinger in the No. 47 Kingsford/Clorox Chevrolet SS.  He led a race high 35 laps, but was involved in an on-track incident with 24 laps remaining and was relegated to a 37th-place finish.

Carl Edwards (Ford) was the race winner, his second victory of the season.

The Sprint Cup Series heads to Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky next week to compete under the lights on Saturday night June 28th.

 

 

TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES / SONOMA RACEWAY / ALL CHEVY DRIVERS

Jamie McMurray

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – POLE SITTER

DESCRIBE THAT FINAL, QUICK LAP:

JUNE 21, 2014 – “I was really shocked that we could run fast on our third run. We made a change, but I’m not sure where that speed came front. That was a really good lap. The biggest thing here is to get off of (turns) 11 and seven with a drive.  I really could never get wide open in any gear – first, second or third – off of those corners. We kind of had all the rest of it down. Really good lap. I’m excited. It is cool. This is my third road course pole. That is pretty awesome.”

DESCRIBE HOW HARD IT WAS TO GET A CLEAN LAP OUT THERE:

“I think everybody in the garage area has been stressed out about trying to get that clean lap in qualifying all weekend long. I was really fortunate that we drew four, and I got to go right out. I didn’t hear of anyone getting in anyone’s way, but for me, I had two really clean laps so it was great.”

WILL WE SEE ANYTHING DIFFERENT TOMORROW?

“I think you are going to see more pit stops when cautions come out. Tires are so important, more important than ever.  Every time we go to a road course, we run backwards. Everyone pits 10 laps before they can make it on fuel hoping you are going to see some cautions, but I think you will see guys putting tires on tomorrow. Should be a good race.”

Danica Patrick

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, YOU WILL PACE THE FIELD TO THE GREEN HERE. HOW IMPRESSED WERE YOU WITH THE WAY THE TIRES PERFORMED IN THAT SESSION?

“Our car, I feel like all weekend long, has not been good on the first lap. Even in qualifying it seemed like I could run quicker on my second (lap). And every weekend, in this qualifying format you’re blown away that someone goes faster on older tires than they can on new tires. The drive off of (Turns) 11 and 7 is so hard here. I didn’t feel like I had that, but I feel like we’ve got the balance of the car better. So, it was a great lap. I’m so excited.”

BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, HOW WILL YOU SET YOUR STRATEGY FOR TOMORROW?

“Well, I thought our car in race trim was really good. The No. 15 (Clint Bowyer), I don’t know what happened to him in qualifying. I thought maybe he had the best car in race trim. But our car was really good on the long run. Track position is important. I think for the race, I think you’re going to more pit stops than normal because the tires give up so much. But we’re not going to change a whole lot. I feel really good about it.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KINGSFORD/CLOROX CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 2ND

OH, SO CLOSE, BUT NOT QUITE THERE:

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“Yes, Jamie (McMurray) put up a heck of a lap there. Two-tenths. Makes me feel a little bit better that he didn’t beat me by two-thousandths, because two-tenths is tough to find.  Just proud of everybody on the Kingsford Chevrolet No. 47 team. I think we have a good race car. Honestly, I was nervous about qualifying because we were that good in trim yesterday. So to be on the front row, it sure could be worse. We will go racing tomorrow.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 5TH

ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:

“It was a good lap.  We prepared well for this race with a couple of test sessions and executed a good practice run yesterday.  The lap time we ran put us P1 in the first practice.  We knew we needed to gain a little more and today we got beat by a couple of guys that laid down really good laps.  For us it was a better than average lap.  That gets us fifth and the way the team is bolted together this qualifying set-up I think that gives us a good pattern for what we have to put under it for a race set-up.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 OUTBACK/BUDWEISER FOLDS OF HONOR CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 6TH

ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:

Jimmie Johnson

“That was a good lap for us.  Road course qualifying kind of stresses me out because there are so many opportunities to make a mistake.  Our first goal was to get through the first round with a solid lap and we were able to do that.  Second round was good for us too, always want to do better, but we can see the front so that is a good thing on a road course.”

DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 11TH

“The GoDaddy car was pretty good. We only made one qualifying run yesterday, but it felt good in the opening round today. It just got tight in the second session and we ended up 11th. We would have liked it to be better, but we’ll take it. We’ve got a lot of folks from GoDaddy here tomorrow, so I’m happy we are starting up front.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 PANASONIC CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 15TH:

“Some of the things you’ve just got to be aggressive and hope that it sticks and right away the nose started moving around on me. I knew from that point to just not overdrive it. I made one mistake off of (Turn) 4 and I think ultimately that cost us enough to just make it through. The question and concern for us is how all these guys went out the second time and went so much faster. I thought I put together a pretty good lap that second time; I did get loose coming out of the esses, which is not a good place to do it. And we didn’t have enough to make it through. So, we’ll just get it ready to race. I’m excited to have Panasonic onboard this weekend and we’ve got a great race car. But we certainly needed to have a faster car for qualifying. But with the tires the way they are, I think that track position is not going to be nearly as important as it has been in the past.”

DO YOU THINK IT NOW BECOMES A 3-STOP RACE TOMORROW BECAUSE THE FALLOFF HAS BEEN SO GREAT?

Jeff Gordon

“Yeah, or four or five (laughs). It depends on how the cautions fall. But I think new tires are going to be big and I think having good rear grip on the long runs is going to be big. That’s where our focus is right now and I hate that it didn’t work out for qualifying. I love this new format though and while I wish I was in it, I’m looking forward to watching this next one.”

ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:

“We pride ourselves on being good on the road courses especially here at Sonoma.  Sixth hundredths from a second from making it is disappointing. But I think the bigger disappointment for us is how many guys went out and were so much faster the second time out and we didn’t.  That is a bit of a concern. Obviously we will talk to our teammates, and see what they were dealing with as well.  Very disappoint to not have any Hendrick cars in the top-12, so something we are going to have to work on. But I feel really good about the race.  Our car has been really fast. We didn’t show a lot of speed in qualifying trim yesterday, and we didn’t show it again today. But, I feel good about the race.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 17TH

ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:

“We had a good lap going, but the No. 66 run in the racing groove on his get up (to speed) lap and didn’t get out of the way.  We missed the top 12.  We would have made it.  We ran about a tenths slower than our best lap going around him on the outside of Turn 9.  That is real disappointing, but the car has been great.  Hopefully, we will be able to have a good run Sunday starting kind of mid-pack.  It’s going to be a little busy where we are going to be, but hopefully we can move forward.”

MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 18TH

ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:

“It wasn’t as crazy as we thought it would be.  Everybody was pretty nervous I think going into it, just about getting blocked and not getting a clean lap. Because the tires are so delicate here as far as how many times you run them.  We had a good clean lap.  We picked up a little bit of speed from yesterday which was good.  Just didn’t pick up enough. A lot of guys really picked up a lot from yesterday.  Not sure really what we missed there.  I feel like the car is in pretty good shape for tomorrow.  This is a long race it’s all about track position, getting on the right strategy and being up front.  I feel like our car will be good on the long runs and that is what is going to matter here. We will just see how it goes and we will find out tomorrow.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 22ND

“It was sixth-tenths faster than I had gone, so it felt plenty fast. Looking back, a lot of it probably went just me having the right flow and knowing where I can charge. Then you end up out there on warmer tires and scuffed tires, and the grip level changes so fast, you really want to get it on that first lap. We are just focused on the race tomorrow, and hopefully that pays off and get ourselves a nice finish here tomorrow.”

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 GREAT CLIPS CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 30TH

“The biggest thing is in Turn 4 when I come off the curb and land off the curb, I had to just stop and wait for the car; it just wants to run right into that wall. So, I’d just have to wait and then pick the throttle up down the road a little bit. So we gave up a lot of time right there. And then all the corners were just a touch snug. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll have really good forward drive in this Great Clips Chevrolet. That’s going to be huge. I’d say we’ll be putting on more tires and wearing tires out quicker here this weekend than what I can remember in the past. Hopefully our car will play into our favor tomorrow and we can have a good run.”

WILL TIRE WEAR IMPACT YOUR STRATEGY FOR TOMORROW?

“I think everybody is talking about that. I think it’s just rear drive; I think it has a lot to do with getting into the corner, under braking, and then letting your car turn in and being able to really still enter the corner. Yesterday I noticed I had to back up the corners a ton just to turn into the corner and I don’t remember that nearly as much in the past in practice. So I would imagine tomorrow will be a little bit worse, especially if it stays sunny. Overall, I liked my car yesterday. It wasn’t the fastest car, but I felt like it was pretty consistent.”

JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 PHOENIX RACING CHEVROLET SS –  QUALIFIED 35TH

“We had a couple of situations on our laps out there. Obviously we weren’t up there battling for the pole or anything, but still trying to improve our spot and got blocked a few times.  In road course racing you obviously have a lot of that in the race, but really frustrating when you have that much in qualifying.”

 

 

 

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT / SONOMA RACEWAY / JEFF GORDON

JUNE 21, 2014 – JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 PANASONIC CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Sonoma Raceway and discussed road course racing, how he works with his spotter, aggressive driving at Sonoma, and more

TALK ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO REALLY BE SUCCESSFUL HERE AT SONOMA:

“It’s been a little while since we won out here, so I feel like you constantly always have to challenge yourself, and just push the limited of your car. Yet, here at Sonoma, you have to be very careful not to overdrive it of course as well.  Same ingredients apply; a great race car always helps. Teamwork and communication – like for instance this weekend. We’ve got a really good car; very happy, but, I know that we have to make it better. In order to do that, I have to recognize the areas that we need to improve the car and try to articulate that to the team to find….I know they can help me in those areas, but I’ve got to be able to describe it in a way that they can understand it. Then, put those pieces together around the track.

“Once you get the green flag here on Sunday, there are very few adjustments you can make. So, it is really up to you to maintain the durability of the tires; they are really soft and fast in the beginning, but they are falling off quite a bit on the longer runs. So, wheel spin and trying not to lock-up front tires – managing that. As I mentioned, staying on course and being there for the finish when it counts.  I am pretty comfortable this weekend, and I’m really happy with the way things are going. I’m excited to have Panasonic on board.”

HOW IS YOUR BACK NOW? HAVE YOU HAD TO DO ANYTHING SINCE CHARLOTTE THAT YOU DON’T NORMALLY DO TO MAINTAIN IT?

“Since that incident in Charlotte, of course I had the cortisone shots – that was the biggest difference in things that I hadn’t had to do before.  Then there was waiting for that to wear off to see what happens.  In between that, I’m just doing a lot of ice, some TENS, the stimulation – the electric stimulation, and then my normal stretching and exercise routine that I always do. Just trying not to push it too hard. I’ve really gotten into bike riding this year, and was in great shape right before that happened in Charlotte. I’ve had to stay off the bike, but I’m looking forward to getting back on it. It feels pretty good out here. I’m happy as hard as you are braking, and all the shifting you are doing out here, I was a little concerned, but it has gone really well. The plane ride out was harder than anything, sitting there for five, six hours.”

WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR RECEPTION AT SONOMA AS COMPARED TO OTHER TRACKS?

“I got asked earlier this morning if this was my home track, and I had to think about it because it’s the closest track to my home, and a lot of my family is still here. But, I never saw this race track until 1993 when I drove my first Cup race. I mean, I drove by it; I knew of it.  It is hard to say it is my home track, but this is home for me. I love coming out here, and yet had I not moved to Indiana, I don’t know if I would be here today, and get the reception we get out here, which is a fantastic one. It is awesome. Even my truck driver was saying that the truck parade that was last night in Sacramento, he saw 24 hats everywhere. That is not necessarily the case in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is unique, and it is different. Of course the success we’ve had out here helps to contribute to that.   People like to pull for the hometown boy, or the old guy these days.”

TALK ABOUT THE AGGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE ROAD COURSE RACES NOW, AND SECONDLY, YOUR COUSIN IS RACING IN THE K & N RACE; HAVE YOU SPENT ANY TIME WITH HIM?

“As far as the first part of the question, definitely road course races we’ve always seen aggressiveness, and sometimes mistakes by people trying to be overly aggressive and making mistakes. That has always been the nature of this track and road course racing because there are two opportunities to really pass, and you try and take advantage of those opportunities. Then when they did the double-file restarts – that is what really changes things. It changed things on the ovals too, but it really changed things on the road courses because it gives you that extra opportunity to be aggressive, to get the position and take some extra chances to try to get that position. Or maintain a position and causes a lot of incidents. We see a lot of people running into one another. But it has also made the road course some of the most exciting races that we have now on the circuit.

“As far as James (Bickford), yes I am excited for him. This is his first season in K & N, he’s young, he’s 16 years old and he’s doing really, really well. I know he was nervous about running his first road course. He’s never had to shift, or downshift on a road course before. We were here for a tire test earlier in the year, and I spent a lot of time talking to him. It looks like him doing fairly well, before I left the truck, looks like he was ninth on the board so that is pretty good.  I haven’t had a chance to talk to him because when I am off the track, he is on the track and when I’m on the track, they are off the track. We’ll see if I can catch up with him before his race.”

REGARDING THE PANASONIC SPONSORSHIP, WILL YOU BE DRIVING THE CAR FOR THE ENTIRE TIME OF THE SPONSORSHIP?

“I love it. I love it.  We have a lot of sponsors signed for long periods of time. And I know I’ve said in the past that’s how we kind of dictate when I’ll be in the car or I won’t be in the car. But Panasonic has been with Hendrick for a number of years. They’ve just never been on the car and this is a great extension of that for Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 24 car. It doesn’t necessarily say or mean anything of how long I’ll be in the car driving. But I don’t plan on quitting any time soon. Don’t push me; don’t talk me into something I’m not ready to do (laughs). I was smiling when I said that. Just wanted you to know in case I came across too sarcastic. (laughter).

TALK ABOUT YOUR SPOTTER

“We depend on our spotters so much at the ovals; sometimes too much, in my opinion. We blame it on the spotter when we’re still in control of the car. And so I think on a road course, when you know there are blind areas out there and that they have bad angles as well and they can’t see everything, you take that into account. Obviously in the closing laps you’re going to take more risk and you expect them to take more risk, but what I normally do here is I talk with my spotter before race day. And I ask where he’s having trouble or where he can see really good and where he can’t. So, in those areas, when somebody is in that blind spot in that area, I’ll probably give a little bit more, or just know it’s at risk in those areas.”

HAVE YOU DEVELOPED ANY SUPERSTITIONS OVER THE YEARS? DO YOU PUT A LOT OF STOCK IN THAT?

“Yeah, I can’t say I put a lot of stock into things like that. I think if my routine were to be broken up, and my routine is the schedule comes prior to getting to the race track that weekend. I look at it. I glance at it. And I have an idea of what the expectations are going into each day, especially on race day. If that changes at the last second, it does get me off; and so, we try to make sure that doesn’t happen. Other than that, I like to get dressed at a certain time. I like to have our team meeting at a certain time and get to the car at a certain time and all those things. But, that’s just routine. I don’t feel like it’s any superstitious thing. It’s just preparation for what you have in store for that day.”

CAN YOU PUT THE FANS BEHIND THE WHEEL TO DESCRIBE DRIVING A ROAD COURSE?

“It’s always hard to describe whether you’re at Daytona or Bristol or at a road course. I love it when I get to talk to people within our sport, or our fans, or anybody out there who gets a chance to get behind the wheel because they’re always blown away at what it takes, and the focus, and how hot it is, and their heart rate and all those things. But on a road course, especially this track in particular, you want to really charge into those corners and brake as deep as you can, but you have to be extremely careful of braking too hard and shifting the weight balance to the front. It really creates a light feeling in the back of the car where the tires start to skip and hop.

“And then probably the toughest thing is that braking and matching the rpms and the downshifts. We don’t have paddle shifting and some of the technology that’s out there in cars on the street. So, all that happens through a rhythm and timing of how you go about it. The fuel injection has really helped that quite a bit. It’s just more precise and crisp, so that’s nice. And then the next challenging part is handling the wheel spin. We’re 860 horsepower with a tremendous amount of torque in these engines and not a lot of grip once the tires start to fall off. I could spin the tires in probably every gear if I wanted to.

“So it’s just trying to maximize the rear grip and just feed that throttle like there’s an egg underneath it and try to maintain that grip and then go up through the gears. You’re bouncing off curbs. It’s sort of like controlling something that’s completely out of control is how I like to describe it on a road course because it’s pretty amazing that we throw these big heavy cars with so much power around at a track like this, and yet keep it on the course.”

REGARDING THE HENDRICK ENGINES, DOES THE TALK ABOUT THAT ACTUALLY DISCREDITS THE EFFORTS & SKILLS OF THE DRIVERS?

“We’re driving great cars. So, I think that Rick (Hendrick) does an excellent job of hiring quality people and I think that’s behind the wheel as well as the people that work on the cars, all the way from crew chiefs to the people that build the engines and chassis. Yeah, I think you’d be discrediting all those efforts and across the board. To go down the straightaways, you’ve got to get through the corners pretty good, too. And right now, I think we’re doing both. So I’m pretty proud of that. And a lot of effort has gone into that. I definitely saw some cars at Michigan last week that were not Hendrick, that didn’t need to be complaining about their engines. They were getting down the straightaway plenty good. We were beating them in the corner, though.

“All I know is that over the years when other teams are complaining about us, that’s usually when things are going really well for us. It’s like getting booed. When you’re getting boos, that’s usually a good sign. So, we’re just going to focus on what we’re doing and continue to try to maintain that high level of competition on the track.”

EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE HENDRICK ENGINES AND THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE TEAM IS REALLY ON A ROLL RIGHT NOW.  WHEN YOU HEAR SOME OF THE OTHER DRIVERS SAYING ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS TO BEAT THE HENDRICK ENGINE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE THEY ARE ALMOST DOWNPLAYING THE SKILLS OF THE DRIVERS?

“We are driving great cars.  I think that Rick does an excellent job of hiring quality people and I think that is behind the wheel as well as the people that work on the cars.  All the way from crew chiefs to the people that build the engines and chassis.  Yeah, I think you would be discrediting all of those efforts and across the board.  To go down the straightaways you’ve got to get through the corners pretty good too.  Right now I think we are doing both.  I’m pretty proud of that.  A lot of effort has gone into that.

“I definitely saw some cars at Michigan last week that were not Hendrick cars that didn’t need to be complaining about their engines.  They were getting down the straightaway plenty good.  We were really beating them in the corner though.  All I know if over the years when other teams are complaining about us that is usually when things are going really well for us.  It’s like getting booed.  When you are getting boos that is usually a good sign.  We are just going to focus on what we are doing and continue to try to maintain that kind of high level of competition on the track.”

CHEVROLET HAS BEEN IMMENSELY SUCCESSFUL AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.  CAN YOU SPEAK ON WHY THAT IS?

“It must be all that horsepower.  I just think that Chevrolet has great teams.  We are certainly seeing that this year and a lot of others are going to focus on the Chevrolet’s.  That is fine, that is great.  Certainly they deserve that.  But I think and I’ve seen this throughout my career, you also have to look at the depth of the teams.  I think that Hendrick has a lot of depth, Stewart-Haas has a lot of depth and Richard Childress Racing has a lot of depth.  All of the Chevrolet teams that are out there are just doing a really good job and have some great components to work with.   When you get to Indianapolis you need all of those ingredients.  You’ve got to get down the straightaways, you’ve got to get through the corners, you have got to have good pit stops and Chevrolet teams right now are leading the way in all those departments and have a lot of momentum and I am looking forward to hopefully another Chevrolet being in Victory Lane there.”

YOU ARE THE ONLY DRIVER WHO HAS COMPETED IN EVERY SINGLE BRICKYARD 400 WHAT DOES THAT RACE MEAN TO YOU?

“To me as a kid even when I lived her in California and I was racing here it was sprint car racing and the Indy 500 beside the quarter midget racing that I was doing that was what I dreamed about.  It’s what I followed and when we traveled back to Indiana when I was racing quarter midgets visiting the Stanley family we would go over to Indy.  I was just in awe of the museum, the track, the race and so to get that chance to race there is unbelievable.  To know I have won it four times and look at those trophies sitting on my shelf at home is something I am very proud of.”

YOU WERE SAYING IT’S BEEN AWHILE SINCE YOU WON HERE, BUT IT’S ALSO BEEN AWHILE SINCE YOU WERE THE POINTS LEADER.  CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW IN YOUR CONFIDENCE IN WHERE YOU ARE IN THE STANDING AND HOW THAT WILL DICTATE WHAT YOU WILL WANT TO DO AND HOW YOU RACE?

“I mean we are very strong team right now with great cars.  I think we have had one of the best starts to the season that I can remember possibly ever having.  When you are in the position that we are in we are happy with that, but at the same time we know we have to keep pushing hard and hard because we have Jimmie Johnson right there next to us with two more wins than us.  We know that we need to get to Victory Lane a few more times and I think we are capable of doing that.  I think that we are a team that can be very consistent and yet also be a real threat to win.  This year the way my cars are running everywhere we go I’m excited to get in it, push the limits of it and I’m having a blast. Every time they drop the green flag I feel like we have a car that can compete for a win. That is very exciting and I’m proud of the effort that has been put in to make that happen.”

 

 

 

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT / SONOMA RACEWAY / TONY STEWART

JUNE 21, 2014 – TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1/BASS PRO SHOPS CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the first practice session, drivers on the road course, tire maintenance, how much he likes road course racing, and more. Full Transcript:

HOW IS YOUR CAR THIS WEEKEND?

“I think it’s hard to gauge this early. A lot of guys didn’t do any qualifying mock runs so, we did one there; so I’m not sure exactly where we’re at. We’re just trying to get the car balanced and I think if we get balanced, the speed will be there during the race.”

HOW DO YOU THINK THE NEW QUALIFYING FORMAT IS GOING TO WORK HERE ON A ROAD COURSE?

“By looking at practice, I think everybody will be mindful of whether guys are on lap and guys are trying to come in and cool everything off. So, there’s plenty of places where you can over. So, I think everybody will be fine. It’s going to be a lot more work for the drivers than what it used to be, just from the standpoint that you’re going to try to be courteous; and once your lap is over, you’re going to try to make sure you don’t mess somebody’s lap up.”

TALLADEGA AND DAYTONA USED TO BE THE WILDCARDS. BUT WITH THE CHASE FORMAT WHAT IT IS NOW, DO YOU CONSIDER THE ROAD COURSE RACES THE PLACES WHERE GUYS WILL GAMBLE MORE FOR THAT WIN?

“I don’t think so. It’s always the same old debate on whether we’re going to do it in two stops or three stops, so I think we’ll see here this second practice and see if guys do long runs, how much the tire falls off and I think that will give us a better read on what we’re going to do tomorrow. And then I think that will answer your question when we know that.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE ROAD COURSE RACING HAS GOTTEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN RECENT YEARS?

“It’s gotten more chaotic, that’s for sure. You’ve got first gear corners here that have really wide entries, so if there’s a hole, guys fill it and it creates a lot of problems. There are other guys that just are back in 20th and they don’t care; they’ll just bounce off somebody to get a couple spots. You definitely want to be in the top five on a restart and try to get away from a little bit of that group before you get down to (Turns) 4 and 7. If you can get through (Turn) 7, I think you’re all right. It just seems like getting down to Turn 7 on a restart is where all the action is.”

THE LAST FOUR WEEKS, YOU SEEM TO HAVE BEEN FAR MORE CONSISTENT THAN WHERE YOU FINISHED EARLY IN THE SEASON. DO YOU SENSE PROGRESS BEING MADE? ARE YOU HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

“Yeah, I think so. I value the consistency more than I do having a couple top 3 finishes and then running 20th the next week. So, I do. I feel a lot better about where we’re going right now and the direction across the board; our cars are getting more consistent with all four teams. That’s really what I’m basing how we are as a company right now and I think it translates to each individual team, as well.”

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A PLACE LIKE THIS WHERE YOU ARE USUALLY GOOD?

“If we can get a balance, I feel like I can for sure. This is one of the places I love coming to each year. So, if we get it close, I feel like I can get something done here.”

WHY DO YOU LOVE COMING HERE SO MUCH?

“It’s just a road race. We’re not at an oval like we were last week. It’s just something different.”

REGARDING HIS CRASH LAST WEEK AT INDIANAPOLIS

“We blew a tire. It destroyed the car, so it was a good hit.”

INAUDIBLE

“I think more times than not it’s accidental. I think the intention is to get in there and take a lane away and then try to gain a spot. A lot of times though, the intentional part is they get down there and they are over-committed or the door starts closing when they get there and can’t get out of the scenario they’re in. I think more times than not, especially late in the race, I think that’s not intentional. But there are guys who will get their feelings hurt on Sunday and they’ll take it out on somebody.”

ON THE BLOWN TIRE AT INDY

“I’m not sure what the cause of it was. I’ve asked them what the cause of it was, but that’s part of tire testing. That’s why you go to the test. I’m sure they’ll learn something from it and go on.”

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE OF TIRES HERE?

“The Cup series, it used to be years ago, that was the challenge every week. This is a track where you have to budget your tires. You can’t just go run 100 percent every lap and make it run to the end. And that’s what makes this place so fun is you can’t just flog the tires and run a flying lap every lap and expect to do well. You have to budget your tires. It is a challenge. It’s fun where you get in that scenario where there’s times when you want to be that guy on older tires and up front so you don’t have to worry about the chaos on the restarts; and then there’s time when you want to be that guy who has fresh tires that might restart 10th or 12th with ten or 15 lap laps to go and be able to charge your way up through there. I think the biggest thing that becomes the question mark, is what happens on the restarts and what happens behind you the whole time. That dictates whether having those fresh tires work or not.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK QUALIFYING WILL BE LIKE?

“I think it’ll be a big drama. Like I said, I think all the drivers will be pretty courteous. Even in practice, nobody knew who was trying to make qualifying runs and nobody knew who was on tires, so I saw a lot of guys that were being pretty patient, which is kind of uncharacteristic for here, but I thought everybody in practice showed a lot of patience and a desire to work with each other to make sure they’re not messing each other’s laps up. I think it will be that way in qualifying as well.”

ON KYLE LARSON LAST WEEK AT MICHIGAN

‘He’ll learn it’s not a good idea, too. If he didn’t learn it last week, he’ll learn it in the next couple of weeks. We had a really good car. We had a top 5 car for sure, and a top 3 car in my opinion according to listening to our lap times what the leaders were running. And then on a restart, he swerves over to block us and puts a big hole in the nose that we’ve got to come in and fix. By the time we get it fixed we’re buried so far back at the end of a race like that, we couldn’t do anything. So, I think he’ll learn, just like we all learned when we were rookies, one way or the other. He’ll either slow down enough and think about what he’s doing or he’ll be forced in a situation where he’ll have time to think about it and they’ll still be cars on the race track.”

WITH SO MUCH AGGRESSION ON THE ROAD COURSES THAT’S DIFFERENT FROM THE OVALS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS ‘OVER THE LINE’? WHAT CAN PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH?

“This is one of those places where most of the time you shake your head when you’re leaving here going thank goodness it’s over. The first half of the race is a blast because everybody is being patient and they’re driving like they have sense. The closer to the end of the race, the more that goes away and the more guys just try to take advantage of every situation and every hole that’s available.”

HOW PHYSICAL IS IT TO RACE HERE WITH THE HEAT?

“You’re busy. You just don’t get any chance to rest. You go to a track like Pocono and you spend 90% of the lap driving in a straight line and resting. You can actually think about what you’re going to do. Where here, you really only have probably 2 or 3 seconds during the lap that you’re actually not doing something, whether it’s turning or shifting, upshift, downshift; so it gives you plenty to do here. It makes it fun because you can’t let your guard down.”

 

GREEN FLAG EXPERIENCE GREAT ADDITION FOR FANS

June 20, 2014 – For the first time fans will have the opportunity to watch driver introductions from the track prior to the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger at Martinsville Speedway.

The rare on-track opportunity for driver intros is the premier portion of the new Green Flag Experience which will also include a morning full of fun and excitement on the track and under the large tent in The Plaza.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

The Green Flag Experience on October 26 will include everything from driver question-and-answer sessions from a stage under the tent and show cars at The Plaza to pre-race availability to walk the frontstretch of the track along with a presence at driver introductions.

“We believe, without a doubt, this is the best pre-race option for fans in racing,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “It gives fans the chance to do so many different things that will keep them entertained from early morning until race time. And they will be able to be on the track for driver intros.”

Diet Mountain Dew Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., a two-time winner this season, is scheduled for an emceed question-and-answer session in The Plaza, along with seven-time Sprint Cup winner Jamie McMurray and David Ragan, winner of two Sprint Cup races. Other drivers and racing personalities will be announced soon.

The Green Flag Experience, which costs just $30, includes:

• Opportunity to watch driver introductions from the track
• Emceed driver Q&A sessions
• Doughnuts, Danishes, coffee and juice
• Music, games and prizes in both areas
• Show cars and simulators
• Access to the frontstretch of the track
• Photo opportunity in the flag stand

The driver question-and-answer sessions, food, music, games and prizes and show cars and simulators will be held in The Plaza from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. The track will open for fans purchasing The Green Flag Experience at 9:15 and will remain open until the finish of driver introductions. The Plaza is located on the hill behind the souvenir display area.

The $30 charge for The Green Flag Experience does not include a ticket for the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger.

Ticket prices for the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger begin at just $37.

Tickets to the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger on October 26, the Kroger 200 on October 25 and the Virginia Lottery Pole Day on October 24 can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Source: Martinsville Speedway Website