NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GEICO 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 17, 2014
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed post-race activities at Charlotte last week, his opinion of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format at this point, the upcoming Martinsville race, qualifying at Talladega, and more. Full Transcript:
WHAT’S YOUR OPINION OF THE CHASE NOW THAT WE’RE HALFWAY THROUGH IT?
“I think there’s definitely an increase of intensity on the track and off the track; there’s no doubt about that. You’ve opened it up to more competitors, which makes the intensity even more. You get more attitudes and egos in there. That, I think, is kind of expected. Some of the skirmishes (post-race, Charlotte) were a little bit unexpected. And probably the people that were in the skirmish were unexpected, as well. But you’ll have that, from time to time.”
IS MARTINSVILLE LIKE THE ‘WILD CARD’ OF THAT GROUPING OF RACES?
“There are no wild cards in what we do. You usually have equal opportunity; some more than others. You could say Talladega is a wild card for this round. But really, it’s the track that you have the least amount of control of your destiny; that doesn’t make it a wild card. You still have the opportunity to make as many points as anybody else.”
IS THERE ADDITIONAL PRESSURE? DOES THAT CHANGE AT ALL?
“It just gets narrowed down. You just still have to go out there and do your job. To me, it’s no different in this Chase than it was before the Chase, or last year’s Chase format. You still have to go out there and do your absolute best job you can do for me and for my sponsors. You don’t see who is up in the grandstands when you’re crossing the Finish Line. It’s ultimately all about just doing the best job you possibly can.”
WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DID NASCAR SEND OR NOT SEND WITH THIS WEEK’S PENALTIES? ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT MATT KENSETH WAS NOT FINED?
“At first, I was a little bit surprised that Matt Kenseth wasn’t fined, but it’s always been kind of a closed-fist type deal. I didn’t see any fists thrown. I don’t know that everybody saw everything. In the end, there weren’t any fists thrown, which is different than what we had at Richmond. Obviously the level of intensity is high. There are some frustrations. After watching the replay, if I was Matt I would have been frustrated, too. In the end, NASCAR made a call. Using your car as a weapon or a tool for destruction is not acceptable before the race or during the race or after the race. I guess maybe the biggest question in the end will be eventually, at what point is money not the object and what point is points and you’re costing of a championship or your risking of a championship is going to be stepped in.”
SO IF YOU WERE TO DO WHAT MATT KENSETH DID TO SOMEBODY, WOULD YOU NOT BE WORRIED?
“When you’re provoking something, and that’s not something that they want to see, any punches thrown; and I guess if you can do what Matt Kenseth did and not get punched, then you’re still doing all right. So you’ve got to be quick on both sides.”
ON THE TEST IN MARTINSVILLE THIS WEEK
“We had a good test; not a great test. It was really difficult because it kept raining on and off and we kept losing the rubber on the race track, which is a pivotal part of testing there and racing there. But in the end, I think there are some things that we can benefit from and learn and hopefully that pays off after this race.”
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF AUSTIN DILLON’S SEASON?
“Austin has had a good season. Kyle (Larson) has had a great season. Both having not won, but Kyle’s top 5 performance has been pretty impressive for a rookie. They’re both great drivers and obviously are going to be in the sport for a while.”
ARE YOU SURPRISED WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE THIS YEAR?
“I’m not surprised. I feel really blessed. I’ve worked really hard. Everybody has worked really hard to be where we are. I don’t look at it as a surprise. I wouldn’t think about it long enough to say I am surprised.”
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF A GOOD OR BAD RACE AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN HERE?
“I know what could happen here. I’ve been on every part of it. I’ve had a car lying on top of me and finished third; I’ve landed on top of a car and not finished. I’ve had a little bit of everything happen to me. And I’m not saying I’ve had everything because something else will happen. But in the end, we just need to have a good, uneventful day and get our good finish, and that will lock us into that next round.”
SINCE THE OLD ‘BOYS HAVE AT IT’, DO YOU FEEL LIKE NASCAR HAS TIGHTENED-UP THE REIGNS A LITTLE BIT?
“Without a doubt, they’ve tightened it up as far as pushing and punching. In ‘Boys Have at It’ in what we used to see, with guys spinning each other out after the checkered flag and things like that, that’s something you really can’t do anymore without some sort of penalty.”
WHY DO YOU THINK THEY CHANGED?
“I think they had to change it at some point. They got what they wanted to out of it. Marketing slogans only last so long in business (laughs).”
ON THE NEW QUALIFYING FORMAT AT TALLADEGA, DO YOU THINK IT WILL HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE RACE ITSELF?
“I think qualifying will have no impact. It’s never had any impact on how we race here. It really just changes your pit selection and provides the opportunity to get a bonus point for leading the first lap, or a lap, at the start of the race. So no part of what we have here in qualifying is anything I’m looking forward to.”
DO YOU THINK MATT KENSETH DID WHAT A LOT OF DRIVERS WANTED TO DO AT SOME POINT IN THE SEASON TO BRAD KESELOWSKI?
“We all have frustrations toward each other at some point. And we can get along with each other five days later. That’s part of what we do. Our athleticism is unique and respected. We’re not 350 lbs. and 6’ 8’’ and going out there and doing what some of those other sports are like. We just do what we can and there are times when it’s got to be frustrating.”