NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET, RACE WINNER: YOU GUYS WENT BARE KNUCKLES THOSE FINAL TWO RESTARTS. YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO LET YOUR DRIVING DO THE TALKING WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT WERE YOU MAKING WITH THAT FINAL RESTART?
“It was an awesome race. Great way to put it and the gloves are off and it’s bare knuckle fighting. I have a lot of respect for that No. 2 team. Those guys are doing a great job. Today I think our cars were pretty equal throughout the course of the race and at the end of the race we were on four (tires) had to take advantage of it. That second to last restart was pretty sketchy a couple of times how close we were and how hard we were racing. Luckily we brought the cars back, another caution came out and got a great restart and got by him. We knew that we had the speed if I could just get by him and got this Lowe’s Chevy to Victory Lane.”
BRAD SAID ON THE RADIO ON THE FINAL RESTART ‘I’M NOT GOING TO LOSE THIS CHAMPIONSHIP THIS WAY.’ WHAT DOES THAT MEAN COMING UP AT PHOENIX AND HOMESTEAD? “Well I expect a lot of hard racing. That is what we’ve seen all year long. All Chase long, you can’t count those guys out. There were times today late in the race where they were pretty far back and still worked their way up to the front. They are keeping us honest and pressuring us hard. I’m very proud of this Lowe’s team and everything they have done. Before we go off the air I just want to let everybody know that the Racing for Relief fund that Hendrick Motorsports and myself are matching what Lowe’s is doing. Thinking of everybody up in the Northeast and all the troubles they have had with Sandy. And 700 wins for Chevrolet so good day all in all.”
THIS IS THE WAY YOU WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP YOU LEAD THE MOST LAPS AND WIN THE RACE:
“Did we do that did we lead the most laps?”
YOU DID YOU GOT MAXIMUM POINTS FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK CONGRAULATIONS:
“Awesome, it’s a great number too it’s 48. 48 points today, just real proud of the effort. We didn’t have it right off the truck. Got it right and won the pole. Today we had a really strong car all night long. There at the end being on four tires was a little bit of help. Some crazy racing at the end and we were able to rally around the top finally and get the win.”
TALK ABOUT THE LAST COUPLE OF RESTARTS: “Yeah there was a lot of hard racing and just a lot of stuff going on. Glad that we made it through with straight race cars and nothing was torn up. It’s just a solid day all in all. I just have to thank my guys on pit road all day long for getting that stuff done, just a great effort all in all.”
YOU HAVE A SEVEN POINT LEAD TWO RACES TO GO I’M ASSUMING STILL NOT ENOUGH TO BREATHE EASY? “No, there is not going to be any breathing easy until the end. Breathing a little bit better. I was two points and now we’ve got seven, but there is a lot of racing left. We are running up front, running one-two all the time it doesn’t mean it will be that way for the final two races.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET, FINISHED 5TH: TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT ACTION ON THE RACE TRACK QUITE EXCITING: “Yeah, I think (Brad) Keselowski has a death wish (laughs), but man I’m proud of our guys. What an awesome, awesome come back. The set-up that we ended up running in the race we had six laps on at the end of happy hour yesterday. God I’m just so proud of everybody on the pit crew on the pit stops. The last two stops got us a lot of track position and really proud of Steve Addington (crew chief) he just kept digging away at it and kept tweaking on it making it better and better all day. Just really happy with the effort today.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR. NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET, FINISHED 7TH: ON WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE RACE? SEVENTH-PLACE FINISH YOU COULD HAVE HAD A TOP-FIVE THERE WHAT HAPPENED DOWN THE STRETCH?
“Well we just restarted on the outside and it’s a little tough out there to make any ground. We had been on the inside all day making up time. We had a pretty good car at the start of the race. We dialed it way out and got real slow and made some great changes near the end. The pit crew really did a good job, they gained us about eight spots on pit road there those last two stops. Just real happy with the way we were able to rebound. I would have liked to have run in the top-five maybe been a little closer to the front, but we definitely run a little bit better like we should.”
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WATCHING THE NO. 2 AND THE NO. 48?
“That was pretty crazy. I was thinking I might have a shot to win if they kept on going like that. Somebody else might win the race, but I was glad to see Jimmie (Johnson) take it at the end. What a battle this championship is. Brad (Keselowski) is putting up an awesome fight. He hadn’t really run good here. His stats were terrible for this place and they came in and they did their work. They have been real impressive. But I’m a company man so I’m glad HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) is on top tonight.”
ON CHEVROLET’S 700TH WIN: “I’m proud of my Chevy heritage, and happy for the success that Chevy has had in the sport. I’m glad that Hendrick Motorsports was able to bring the 700th win. That is a big deal for Rick (Hendrick). He’s got a great relationship with Chevrolet, and he is proud to do that for them. We want Chevrolet to be on top. Milestones like that certainly put it there.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/FARM AMERICAN CHEVROLET, FINISHED 8TH: ON HIS RACE: “All-in-all a good day for Furniture Row Racing. We battled back to get a top-10. Considering that we had a top-five or top-10 car at the last two races but got nailed in accidents, it was important to come away with a solid finish today. We’ve made a lot of progress as a team in a short period of time which gives us plenty of optimism for 2013. However, we still have some handling issues to work out, but we’re getting there. This was only our fourth race together and I am really proud of how we came back after struggling for a good
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 RHEEM/BUDWEISER CHEVROLET, FINISHED 9TH: ON HIS RACE “The team did a great job keeping us in the game today. We had a tough time making the right adjustments to get the Rheem Chevrolet handling the way I needed it to be, but the pit crew was solid today and I have to thank them for all their hard work this weekend.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET – FINISHED 18TH: ON HIS RACE: “We really worked hard for that 18th place finish today. The guys on our McDonald’s Chevy made a lot of adjustment during our pit stops today. We were lucky to get a few cautions to help us out with maintaining position on the lead lap, and keep us in a position for a top-20. Our car was back and forth on the handling all day both tight and loose at times, but the guys did a great job of adjusting along the way.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET, FINISHED 24TH: ON HER RACE: “We had a really nice first weekend. It was really steady from the beginning. The car unloaded and it had speed right off the get go. We just kept on improving with it. I felt like it was a nice progression of the weekend where I actually felt like I knew I why I went faster and I knew why I went slower. In the race we were creeping along. We spent most of the race tight, but there late in the race we finally got it freed up enough to start really running some good speed. Those yellows at the end I just didn’t do a good enough job on those restarts and lost a whole
bunch of spots. I always feel so defeated at the end of the race when that happens. It was a really nice first weekend with the new GoDaddy crew. Tony Gibson (crew chief) did such a good job. I’m really looking forward to next year.”
TONY GIBSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 10 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET: ON HIS FIRST RACE AS DANICA’S CREW CHIEF: “It was a great day and a great weekend for the first weekend working together. Qualifying went really well and practice went really well. She had an awesome race and she did a great job. We did the wave around twice and got back on the lead lap early and she stayed on the lead lap. She ran with guys that she’s never run with before, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin. To come here and run on the lead lap and a shot at a top-20 was pretty impressive.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 HUGGIES CHEVROLET, SIDELINED ON LAP 119 DUE TO AN ON-TRACK INCIDENT. CREW MADE REPAIRS AND HE RETURNED TO THE RACE, FINISHED 34TH: WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR WINDSHIELD? “It’s kind of a tough break. We had a decent car and I don’t know. They all checked up on the restart and I saw that I was either going to pile into them or… you see the leader going you go and we normally go and they all checked up and you got on the brakes. These things don’t slowdown that well so I went left to go through the grass to avoid the wreck. I don’t know there is like a manhole cover there or something. The car took off like two or three feet in the air; same thing as the No. 51. The crazy thing is we are not even up to speed yet. I mean I went from second, shifted into third, got on the brakes, went left and the car just flew up in the air. I hit something; you look at the No. 51 and the same thing. There is something there like a big step there in the middle of the grass and it kind of breaks race cars in half.
ON HIS RACE: Not a good day for the HUGGIES team. I was trying to avoid the No. 47 in front of me so I turned left and ended up in the grass. We must of hit something in the grass the car jumped up and the front end received a ton of damage. The guys worked really hard to get us back together and we were able to return to the track. We just haven’t had any luck this season.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON SCORES 700th Win for Chevrolet in
NASCAR Sprint Cup Competition
FORT WORTH – November 4th, 2012 – Jimmie Johnson’s win of the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet scored the 700th all-time victory for Chevrolet in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. This unprecedented win secured an important milestone for Chevrolet as the most successful manufacturer in NASCAR history. In addition to reaching this 700th win for the brand, Johnson brought the Chevy Impala to Victory Lane for the 151st time in the nameplate’s history.
“We are so very proud of Jimmie and his win today at Texas Motor Speedway, said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “On behalf of everyone at Chevrolet, we congratulate the entire No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team in this momentous victory. The unparalleled dedication and tireless effort of all our Team Chevy members have made this important achievement possible. We salute all the drivers, team owners, and crews for their performance and contribution in securing each and every one of the 700 wins for Chevrolet from 1955 – 2012 in NASCAR’s elite division.”
Chevrolet’s rich heritage in NASCAR competition began when Fonty Flock took the checkered on March 26, 1955 at Columbia Raceway in Columbia, South Carolina in his ‘55 Chevy. Fifty-seven years later the ‘Bowtie Brand’ has continued to set the mark.
“Chevrolet has a storied history in NASCAR competition,” said Mark Kent, Director of Chevrolet Racing. “Behind every single one of the 700 victories has been dedicated and talented Team Chevy drivers, car owners and crews who have worked together to create a tradition of excellence. They are supported by our formidable group of Chevy engineers and specialists that enhance the depth and legacy of the Chevrolet brand in NASCAR. We are truly proud of this accomplishment.”
This win was Johnson’s 60th NASCAR Sprint Cup career victory and fifth of 2012.
“This is a great performance by the entire No. 48 Lowe’s Team all weekend long”, said Johnson. To win the pole, lead the most laps, and then win the race is a big deal. The significance of 700 wins for Chevrolet is really huge for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s also big for me. The only thing I’ve ever raced throughout my career has been a Chevy. They gave me my first opportunity back when I was 15 years old and put me in an off-road stadium truck to help develop a new truck that was coming along. And I’ve been with them ever since. So, it’s very cool to hit this landmark number for Chevy and I’m very proud of the efforts.”
“I think this is a pretty big deal”, added winning crew chief, Chad Knaus. “We have a long relationship with Chevrolet and we’ve won a lot of races with them. We were able to clinch the Manufacturer’s Cup Championship for Chevy last week in Martinsville, VA; and to be able to come back this weekend and get win the 700th victory I think is really cool. Hendrick Motorsports is extremely dedicated to the product of Chevrolet and to be able to do that is an honor.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON WINS SECOND STRAIGHT RACE AND EXTENDS POINT LEAD WITH TWO RACES TO GO
JOHNSON’S TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY WIN IS 700TH FOR CHEVROLET
FORT WORTH – (Nov. 4, 2012) – Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, displayed a remarkable will to win on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) as he scored his second NASCAR Sprint Cup series (NSCS) win in a row, and his fifth win of 2012. Johnson led seven times for a race-high 168 laps; and was able to pass and hold off his closest championship rival, Brad Keselowski, for the win in a furious battle in the final laps after a green/white/checkered finish.
The win marked Johnson’s 60th career win; and 700th for Chevrolet in the NSCS, and allowed him to extend his point lead to seven points with just two races remaining in his hunt for a sixth career title. Johnson also extends his “Chase” win record to 22 with his second career win at TMS.
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, rallied from a 21st place start to finish in fifth place. Stewart won this race last year en route to his third NSCS championship.
Team Chevy driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., had a solid day in his No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet and finished today’s race in seventh position. Kurt Busch had his best finish to date behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet and come home eighth while Kevin Harvick overcame a freakish start that saw his team make repairs to his No. 29 Rheem/Budweiser Chevrolet after being hit by a sky diver’s weight bag in the pre-race ceremonies to finish ninth.
Rounding out the top five were: Brad Keselowski (Dodge) in second place, Kyle Busch (Toyota) in third, and Matt Kenseth (Ford) in fourth.
The tour now moves to Phoenix International Raceway on November 11th, 2012 for Round 37 of 38 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
POST RACE WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET
CHAD KNAUS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, the way things have been going, you have to win the race to get points. Reminds me of last year’s Chase in some respects. Just a great performance by the entire 48 team all weekend long. To win the pole and lead the most laps, win the race is a big deal. Just excited and really wish we were in Phoenix right now getting ready to start the next race.
Things are rolling. We’re
enjoying it. The significance of 700 wins for Chevrolet is huge for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s also big for myself. The only thing I’ve ever raced throughout my career has been a Chevy. They gave me my first opportunity back when I was 15 years old and put me in an off‑road stadium truck to help develop the new truck that’s coming along, and I’ve been there ever since. Very cool to hit those landmark numbers for Chevy and just very proud of the effort tonight.
THE MODERATOR: Also joined by winning crew chief Chad Knaus. If you could talk about that 700 victory for Chevy and what it means to you and the organization?
CHAD KNAUS: I think it’s a pretty big deal. Obviously, we have a long affiliation with Chevrolet, and we’ve won a lot of races with those guys. Being able to clinch the manufacturer’s championship last week in Martinsville, and then to be able to come back this weekend and get their 700th victory I think is cool. Hendrick Motorsports is extremely dedicated to the product of Chevrolet and to be able to do that is an honor.
Q. Those last few restarts were very physical. Brad and you both leaned on each other a lot. How would you describe what was going on there over the last two or three restarts?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, definitely was. You’re going to have that to a certain degree. On these big tracks I was a little shocked by the commitment into turn one. I’ve joked before about driving in far enough to where I see Elvis, and we went past Elvis. I don’t know who was coming next, but that 2 car was coming up the track and took us both to the fourth and fifth lanes.
So, fortunately, we both stayed one‑two and didn’t crash, didn’t lose a spot on the racetrack. But I knew he was serious about the race lead prior to that and that took it to a new level. That last restart I was able to rally around on the outside and finish so fast. I came so close to finishing the pass the restart prior, but I didn’t get it done. I made sure I got everything right on that last one and got by them.
Q. You’re a guy that’s known for being calm, cool, collected, that kind of thing. What was your emotional state after that next to last restart? You pulled up beside him at the end of the backstretch there. Just where were you at that point?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I just pointed at them. Just wanted him to use his head. There is no sense in taking us both out in the process. If I was ‑‑ if he was taking me out, you can count on the fact that I would have been on the gas and trying to take him with me. You know, it just doesn’t need to come down to that. Brad, also, after the race, came into victory lane and shook my hand.
The cool thing about it is we walked right up to that line, got right to the edge, and then it stopped. He showed a very classy move coming to victory lane and shaking my hand afterwards too.
Q. Jimmie, Brad feels like he still controls his destiny. He says, even though he’s 7 points back. But you’ve been adamant that the points leader is in control. How in control do you feel right now with two races to go and going into Phoenix a track where you’ve done so well?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: It’s a small amount of control, but we’re definitely in control. We don’t have to catch any or make up any points. 7 points is nothing to feel comfortable about and to relax on. We’re still going to go into Phoenix and act as if we’re behind and go in there to try to sit on the pole and win the race again.
Q. What were you angry about on the next to last restart with Brad? Did you think he went too early or is that just the way restarts are these days?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, seemed really early to me. Caught the 18 off guard and myself. I need to look at the video before I put my foot in my mouth or something here. But it seemed early. We have this gray area exiting on to the racetrack off turn two when you leave the pits. Last week, two weeks ago we had a hard reference point. This week we don’t. It’s just in the area of. We all know at Chicago the situation that was there.
On the front stretch for the restart, there were two lines there for a reason. I felt like he went really early and caught us both off guard.
Q. Right after the race, you said the gloves are off. It’s a bare‑knuckle fight. I know those are figures of speech, but is this the hardest you’ve been pressed coming down the stretch in a title run in your career. The most competition you faced maybe the better way to put it?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I’m trying to remember with Jeff in ’06, no it was ’07, ’08, I think we finished with a 4.8 average to win the Chase. Had to win four races to win the Chase, and Jeff was at a 5.0 and finished second to us. So it’s in line with that year. I can’t remember vividly what went on that year, but it reminds me a lot of that year.
Q. On the last restart, did you think Brad spun his tires? It looked like you beat him to the line right there on the last restart. Did he spin his tires or what happened there?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, he spun them pretty bad. I was pedaling trying to let him catch up as we got to the start/finish, and he kind of surged past right at it or just past it. NASCAR has been aware of that in the past and allows you, if you give that nose back, you’re in good shape.
Q. Are you a little surprised that the two‑tire strategy of Paul Wolfe seemed to work twice?
CHAD KNAUS: Nothing surprises me anymore, to be quite honest with you. I felt as though it was a gutsy call for sure. It worked midway through the race because everybody was kind of just fighting their way and getting to the end. I don’t feel like if the caution hadn’t come out, it wouldn’t have really panned out for them as well as what they had hoped. I felt like we were catching them pretty quickly before that second to last caution came out. We just scooted by him pretty quickly.
But I do think they would have ended up solidly second or third even with that call. So that was a solid call on their part. But we’ve been racing pretty conservatively the last couple of weeks. Been able to get the laps led and fortunately enough been able to get the victory. So we’ll they’ll have to continue to be aggressive to swing by us, I think.
Q. At the end of the race you had the
tire advantage. Is there any way Keselowski could have stuck with you being any less stubborn and ornery than he was?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Well, I think as Chad pointed out, I kind of forgot about it. The restart where we put tires on, they took their two and we took our four, and I was coming fast. Got by the 18, and made up a couple of seconds on them and we were there. So I feel like our car, and certainly the advantage of being on four was the thing. We improved our car because previously I couldn’t get by the 18, and I rolled right on by them and was heading after that 2 car.
So I think we were in the offensive situation there at the end. They had to protect because of the two tires those last three restarts.
Q. Is the process of getting through each week and preparing the cars now as it has been throughout the other title runs or are things in some way different or improved upon so to speak?
CHAD KNAUS: I think that’s the goal ‑‑ I shouldn’t say that’s the goal. I think it’s the good thing for the 48. Everybody thinks once you get to the Chase, you’ve got to ramp everything up. Being part of the 48 car, you’re expected to win every single week, so we really can’t prepare any differently. I think going to the racetrack each week, whether it be Martinsville or Richmond or Atlanta, wherever it may be, we put as much effort into the race cars as we can week‑in and week‑out. Once we get into the Chase, we really can’t do anymore.
We’re really operating in our comfort zone. Where I think what happens to a lot of the other teams, it takes them out of the comfort zone. They try to do more. They try to push that further. They do things that are outside the norm. I think that’s where usually people get in trouble.
Q. Are you impressed with how Paul Wolfe and Brad for their first run at the championship have stayed this competitive at every level physically and emotionally and in the actual preparation of the cars?
CHAD KNAUS: Oh, yeah they’ve done a good job. You have to realize that’s Penske Racing. It’s not like it’s a slouch team. Those guys have been building good cars for a long time. You look at Kurt Busch has gone very fast in that race car. There have been a lot of great drivers in that race car, and they’ve always run competitively.
I think that team is more than prepared to do it. I think Paul’s a great crew chief, and Brad is a really good driver. So I think they’ll be there through the end. They’ll be here for years to come and that’s good. That’s a good thing. We need that.
Q. It’s not the first time that Brad has kind of irked you a little bit during the Chase. Chicagoland and going back to Michigan, it seems like the 2 kind of likes to play games with you guys. Do you expect that gamesmanship to continue over the next couple races and how do you deal with it?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I’m not familiar with Michigan. Chicago was just a thing of pulling up on the track early. I said then and there that it didn’t change the outcome of the race. So it’s not those ‑‑ those are more ‑‑ I don’t know what the word is ‑‑ just the flow of the race and different things that go on. But the way we race this afternoon or this evening was that’s a different thing. That’s the first time that we’ve really engaged at that level and raced each other that hard.
To his credit, he did a nice job of getting right to the edge, and we brought home race cars. We weren’t wadded up to look like a bunch of fools over there and handing the 5 and 15 a big gift. So that’s a good thing.
Q. Do you expect that you have the car to do it? (Indiscernible)?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I don’t expect it to be easy to pass any chaser. It’s been that way all Chase long. Drop the flag at Chicago and then even in Loudon, the guys that aren’t in the championship battle seem to be a little bit more respectable. They’ll race to a certain point. But when you’re around a guy that you’re trying to beat in the points, it’s gloves off in a whole different deal.
Q. You were in here the other day talking about not being superstitious even after you had been sitting in the car after qualifying. I heard a story about a lucky charm that was from shooting the gun. Could you expand on that a little bit, and are you going to take that to Phoenix with you?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, when I shot the gun in qualifying, after qualifying and put the shells in my little glove box thing that I have. I’m not superstitious, but I’m just covering that base in case it does weigh into things (laughing). I’m not, but I cover every base.
I’ve set my alarm to 6:48. I get up every morning at 6:48, if not earlier. Microwave I put at 48 seconds instead of a minute, but, no, I’m not superstitious at all.
Q. (Indiscernible)?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: I don’t know. Again, Phoenix is Phoenix, I don’t think they’ll stay in the car. We’re probably not taking the same car, so they won’t go to Phoenix. Now you have me thinking about it, I might have to cover that base and take them to Phoenix.
Q. But you’re not superstitious?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: No, what would make you think that? I have no clue.