NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
SPEED WEEKS MEDIA DAY
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 14, 2013

REGAN SMITH, NO. 51 GUY ROOFING CHEVROLET SS, met with media and discussed what goes through his mind during a crash, winning the Southern 500 and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET IN A CRASH?
“I think the first thing is how to I avoid it if you are about to get in it.  Once you know that you are in it, it’s more of a process.  When you are coming up on a crash that you think you might be involved in a crash you are thinking ‘how do I get out of it’?  When you know you are going to be involved in it you are thinking ‘okay how do I minimize damage’ that would be the next thing you are thinking about.  So you are trying to avoid as much of the other cars and steer out of it as much as you can.  When you know you are going to be in it and it’s going to be catastrophic you are thinking ‘okay what should I do next’.  You are along for the ride at that point and you are hoping it doesn’t hurt too bad.”
 
DO YOU EVER SLIDE OVER IN THE SEAT?  DO YOU EVER CLOSE YOUR EYES?
“If you can slide over in the seat that is bad.  You shouldn’t be able to move in your seat.  You should be pretty well strapped in good.  No, you can’t slide in the seat.  I usually don’t personally close my eyes.  I have only had one wreck that I remember recently that I closed my eyes in and it was Talladega.  I thin in 2011 and it was the hardest hit I ever remember taking.  Just no chance to slow down or anything like that.  Typically don’t close my eyes sometimes I take my hands off the wheel.  I’ve broken my wrist recently in a race car and don’t really want to do it again by catching it in the steering wheel spoke.  I play it cautious on that and pull my hands back.”
 
DID YOUR FIRST NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES WIN AT DARLINGTON GIVE YOU A SENSE OF ADDED CONFIDENCE?  A SENSE THAT YOU BELONG AT THIS LEVEL?
“It doesn’t hurt definitely.  Confidence is something that grows with you as you race and as you’re around.  I was maybe a guy that came in and tried to not ruffle feathers and keep things clean and do things the right way.  That for me was a moment where it was like ‘okay I can race with these guys and I belong with these guys”.  I belong next to them and I belong door-to-door even though it was with a smaller team at the time and now fast forward even to the Nationwide Series.  I expect it now.  It’s not a matter of ‘okay do I or don’t I’ I expect to be up there and be door-to-door with the best guys.”
 
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST MEMORIES FROM THAT NIGHT AND SOME OF THE CELEBRATION WHO YOU SHARED IT WITH.  IS THERE ANYTHING THAT STANDS OUT THAT YOU HOLD DEAR?
“I think the guys that took the time to come to Victory Lane.  There was a group of them that took the time and came down there and congratulated me.  That meant a lot.  I think some of the memories that I don’t really necessarily remember from the following night are more memorable (laughs).”
 
IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE THAT WIN, HOW WOULD YOUR MINDSET BE DIFFERENT?  WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT AT ALL?
“I don’t know that it would be different.  You get that first win then you want to get the second one. Then you want to get the third one.  You want to continue to do that.  You want to be the guy that can go out and win 10 races a year.  I think that, at least I can speak for myself in saying that I believe that I can do that.  It’s just a matter of being in the right situations and opportunities which from my standpoint I’m fortunate that I got the Nationwide car this year and it’s great equipment, a great team and I can go out there and showcase my talent.  Hopefully, we can have lots of wins and enjoy that.  It’s a situation where if you get one you want another.  If you get two you want a third.  There is never enough you always want more.”