NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
MAY 31, 2013
 
 
“ROCKETMAN” RYAN NEWMAN LEADS TEAM CHEVY IN QUALIFYING AT DOVER
Three Chevy SS Drivers to Start in the Top-10 at the Monster Mile
 
DOVER, DEL. – Despite an early draw in the qualifying order for the FedEx 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway, Ryan Newman posted a strong speed of 157.604 mph in 22.826 seconds behind the wheel of his No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS to earn a fifth place starting position for Sunday’s race.
 
“Dover is just a track that’s a lot of fun. It’s a challenge. If you don’t like a challenge, you don’t like Dover. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s fast, it’s demanding. I like the banked racetracks, and it’s one of those,” said Newman, who has visited Victory Lane at the Monster Mile three times (2003 twice and in ’04).
 
Other Team Chevy members who earned top 10 starting spots were Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, who will start seventh, and Jamie McMurray, who drives the No. 1 Parade Media Group Chevrolet SS, will roll-off in 10th.
 
Denny Hamlin (Toyota) was the pole winner, Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota) – second, Kyle Busch (Toyota) – third and Matt Kenseth (Toyota) – fourth round out the top-five qualifiers.
 
In all, a total of 17 Chevrolet SS race cars will tackle the famed concrete track known as the Monster Mile on Sunday, June 2nd. The action begins at 1:00 p.m. ET, and will be aired live on FOX.
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED FIFTH
HOW WAS THE LAP FROM YOUR SEAT?
“It was pretty good.  I got just a little bit loose off of (turn) four because I was tight climbing the hill.  A good run for our Haas Automation Chevrolet. The guys have done a good job the entire time in qualifying trim.  We definitely want to see it pay off in qualifying.  So far it has.  I think it will get beat, but I think it will be top-10.”
 
DESCRIBE A QUALIFYING LAP HERE IN DOVER.  HOW WHITE KNUCKLE IS IT?
“It’s not white knuckle.  There is no air in your lungs.  It gets stale by the end of the lap because you are not breathing.  It’s pretty intense.”
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED SEVENTH
HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING LAP?
“It wasn’t too bad.  I was probably a little too conservative on the one end of the race track.  Then the other end just kind of slid around like we thought we would.  All in all our Jimmy John’s Chevrolet has been really good in race trim.  Didn’t really know what to expect there qualifying trim, but it was pretty much the same as what we had in practice.  Just needed a couple more chances to make it a little bit better, but all in all it was okay.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 12TH
CONVERSING WITH YOUR CREW CHIEF WHAT WERE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO GET THIS CAR BETTER AFTER THAT SOLID LAP?
“I think the lap was okay. I think we should have been a little bit better.  Expect ourselves to be a little bit better.  We’ve got to work on a few things with the balance. I’ve got to work on some things about how I’m driving the car and stay open minded about moving around trying to everything to make sure it isn’t something like that.  We’ve got a great day tomorrow to be able to work on it and be able to tune on it and try to get to where we want to be as a team.”