NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
ON HIS RUN:
“Thank you. It is exciting. These guys do an awesome job in preparing the race cars. The first time here this year we struggled here after we unloaded a little bit, but they had it good by Saturday. We unloaded really good this time and it has carried through the weekend. So just really happy for everybody on our Budweiser Chevrolet. I have never really qualified that well really anywhere, but here, I guess that is going to be a good deal to have the first pit stall. Here, especially under yellow you just don’t have to go very far when you are leaving the pit box. The good pit stalls are typically on that end of pit road, and if you wind up having to get out of your pits, and guys are still coming in as you are in the front of the pack, it is hard to get out of your stall. So, just really excited.”
ON HIS SEVENTH POLE POSITION OF THE SEASON
“It’s been an amazing year for everybody on our Budweiser Stewart-Haas racing team; they just do a great job in preparing the race cars and put a lot of effort into qualifying and it’s translated into a lot of good finishes. We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. Track position is huge here, especially at the beginning of the race. I’ve never been in that stall, so I guess it’s going to be okay on that end of pit road. But all in all, I’m just really proud of all my guys. They’ve done a great job all year, but particularly over the last month and just getting consistent cars, finishing races, and doing what we have to do to get those solid runs.”
WITH 41 POINTS AHEAD OF THE CUTOFF, WHAT’S THE THINKING FOR THE TEAM GOING INTO SUNDAY?
“To just try to win. That’s really the thinking at this particular point. Obviously, points-wise, we feel like we’re in good shape and we just want to keep building on the momentum we have to try to further that to lead into Kansas.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 5TH
HAPPY WITH THE FINAL RESULT?
“I really didn’t even know we had advanced to round two after the initial round. We just barely got in, and made some good changes. The car was really loose on that second run. So I was surprised that I ran quicker than I did the first time. The McDonalds Chevy has been really good in race trim, so I am really excited that we qualified well. This is a tough place to pass at. Good pit selection and good starting spot, so off to a good start for the weekend.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 6TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:
“It is a good starting position. It’s been an interesting day for us. We weren’t real happy with the car in race trim. We swapped over to qualifying trim and then we were really strong and went out for qualifying and that first run the car just didn’t have the grip, just didn’t stick the way I expected it to. We feel behind. I didn’t think we were going to be able to make it past that first round and Alan and the guys did a great job making a few changes and adjustments. I was able to get up to fourth and then we had to make one extra run on our tires and a lot of those other guys we were competing against. I think that might have been a little bit of the difference there. The car is strong. We will go to work on it tomorrow for the race.”
HOW MUCH OF IT WAS ADJUSTMENT, AND HOW MUCH WAS IT OF YOU MAKING UP THAT TIME?
“The grip of the track threw us off. We were really strong in qualifying trim in practice and went out there trying to put down a similar lap, and I was just kind of caught off guard by the way the front was sliding. And then I put wheel to it and the back was sliding and we just didn’t make a good first lap. And some of it was maybe heat in the tires and some of it was just track conditions. So Alan (Gustafson) and the guys on this Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet made some good adjustments. I was able to go back out and get ourselves back into the top 12, and then we just had a little bit more time on our tires for that last run. I’m happy we’re up there. That was a good fight. That’s the way this place is. We’re going to have to do that all day long on Sunday; but at the same time, after practice, I thought we were going to be a little bit closer to (Kevin) Harvick, but at this point we just weren’t able to make at him there.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 7TH
“We have some work to do on our Target Chevy. In race trim, I didn’t think we were that great. We were definitely better in qualifying trim. We’ll go to work. I’m sure the guys are working on it now to figure out some changes for tomorrow. Hopefully it gets better. We’re close; we’ve just got to get a better balance on our Target Chevy and hopefully we can be a top 10 speed-wise, and then we can go win a race from there.”
YOU FINISHED 11TH HERE IN THE JUNE RACE. HOW MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE DO YOU FEEL IN A CUP CAR THIS SECOND TIME AROUND?
“I don’t know. We’ll find out. So far, this week, I feel better in the Nationwide car, like I figured some things out to get around here. So, I’ll try to translate those things into tomorrow’s practices in the Cup car and they work in that car. They’re two different styles of driving, but Dover is a tricky place. Hopefully we can put that to work and get a little faster.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 10TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:
“The car is pretty good. We worked pretty hard coming here we had a good run last time. We didn’t get rewarded for it because we ran out of fuel. So we were running eighth when that happened. I feel like we have a similar package that will run well here. I always love Dover it’s fun you can really get aggressive with the track and everything the grip, I’m looking forward to it that is a good starting spot for us.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 12TH
HOW GOOD WAS YOUR RACE CAR IN THAT FINAL SESSION?
“In qualifying, we were about four tenths off there, or three tenths. It felt good, but I just didn’t pick up the throttle soon enough, get wide-open soon enough, so I gave up a couple tenths at both ends, probably. But the car went around the track, we were probably about eight spots better than on average for us, so I’m not too disappointed with that. We need to be better. But we did some race trim this morning and I felt pretty close there. So we have that to work on tomorrow. Starting 12th, it should be a good race on Sunday.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SUNDAY?
“I feel good about it. I’m glad I still have a shot to move on and still have a shot to go to the next round. We barely made the Chase, and now we still have a shot to go to the round of 12, so I’m looking forward to that. I think as a team, we’re close. We need a little bit. And if we can hit on it; I mean at any one of these three races in each round we could really jump from a 10th to a 15th place car to a top 5 car in a hurry.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 HUNGRY JACK/ACME CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 28TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN:
“It sucked. We are just not fast enough.”
ARE TWO PRACTICES ENOUGH?
“I don’t know. We will find out. We are not very close right now.”