NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
KOBALT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 4, 2016
KURT BUSCH CLAIMS POLE FOR CHEVROLET AT LAS VEGAS
Team Chevy Takes Four of First Eight Starting Positions
LAS VEGAS – (Mar. 4, 2016) Kurt Busch captured the pole for Sunday’s Kobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) by posting a new track record of 196.328 mph in his No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS. It was Busch’s second consecutive pole for 2016, the 21st of his career, and second at his hometown track.
“It was insanely fast,” said Busch following his performance in the knockout-style qualifying format. “It’s amazing all the detail that goes into qualifying with finding that perfect lap three times out there. My second outing we were way tight, and I didn’t know where it came from. (Tony) Gibson, (crew chief) and crew went to town. They just adjusted on it. We gambled and we made that last session, which was great. That was icing on the cake to be able to go out into the third round. Two poles in a row is a reason to celebrate.”
The feat was Chevrolet’s fourth all-time pole position at LVMS. Team Chevy drivers will look to give the Bowtie Brand its eighth victory in 18 events at the track just outside of the famous Las Vegas strip. Chevrolet drivers have won two of the last four races at the 1.5-mile speedway.
Austin Dillon had a solid run in his No. 3 Dow Energy & Water/Intellifresh Chevrolet SS and will start the 267-lap race from the fifth starting position. Kevin Harvick was sixth quick in his No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevy SS, and Kasey Kahne qualified eighth in his No. 5 Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet SS; both posting faster laps than the previous track record.
Joey Logano (Ford) will start on the outside front row next to Busch, Matt Kenseth (Toyota) will start third, and Brad Keselowski (Ford) qualified fourth to round out the top five in the order.
The KOBALT 400 is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday March 6. Live coverage will be available on FOX, PRN Radio, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 MONSTER ENERGY/HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
WALK US THROUGH YOUR POLE WINNING RUN:
“It was quite the adventurous three rounds. We had to make an extra run because of the driver trying to go too hard and give it all that he could. I just overdrove Turn 1 in the second round. That forced us into a situation to where we had to go make an extra run and it just made it for an extra pressure cooker situation. All-in-all you just have to play it cool and rely on all of your team members. The way that the session unfolded for us we were in perfect position by the time we got to Round 3 because we had made it to Round 3. I said ‘you know we are either pole or we are 12th it doesn’t matter’. When you go tell yourself and rely on the car and the grip that the team gave you, you go for it. If it sticks then usually it’s a pole because I have that good of a team from Stewart-Haas Racing. Qualifying is getting so tight. Everybody is trying to find that hundredth of a second. It comes from all areas. I’m just blessed to have a great crew and a great group of guys that give it their all. No matter if it’s a qualifying session, a race session and each pit stop. I’m just very happy with the team right now. We will quickly celebrate this, but focus on long run speed for tomorrow’s practice session. Atlanta didn’t go as well as we had hoped as far as the long run speed, but two poles in a row that is a reason to celebrate. It symbolizes our hard work during the off season to come out of the box, sit on two poles, at two 1.5-miles right away.”
ON SETTING THE TRACK RECORD IN ROUND 1:
“Wow that is fast. As a driver you don’t necessarily know the speed or the lap time. You just go for it. It’s all due to the hard work of the engine shop, thanks to Hendrick engines, the guys balancing the car and the tire guy finding that special matched set. All-in-all it’s really cool to celebrate two poles in a row, get a track record and do it at your home town track. Today was a hell of a Friday.”
HOW MUCH LOVE DO YOU FEEL HERE IN LAS VEGAS?
“Vegas is different. It’s our hometown and we grew up racing on that little 3/8-mile bullring that is in the shadows of this 1.5-mile track. Every time I come out here it reminds me of all the people that helped Kyle (Busch, brother) and I, especially our Dad Tom. But the different late model teams, modified teams, the legend car races and all the competitors, the dwarf car days. It’s just fun to come back and reminisce. But, ultimately you’ve got to strap on the helmet and focus on the task at hand. The team gave me a great car to go for the pole. It’s always special in Vegas. Now I’ve just got to settle in and get the best 267 laps that I can on Sunday and try to drive our Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevy to Victory Lane.”
DO YOU FEEL MORE LOVE HERE THAN OTHER PLACES?
“Yeah, the love, the comradery, just the overall family and friend aspect. As I was just walking from Victory Lane from getting the pole I saw three old crew members and one of the lead track safety crew guys that when I was a volunteer. I volunteered to be on the track safety crew back in the ‘90’s just so I could be closer to the action. There was Scooter (track safety co-worker) he gave me a high five.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN BETWEEN THE SECOND RUN AND THE THIRD RUN? ARE YOU GOING TO ANY SPRING TRAINING WHILE IN PHOENIX?
“That second round I just drove too aggressively thinking that I needed to run in the 27.30’s, 28.30’s, I needed to run a 30, but it ended up I needed to run a high 40. When you press to run extra speed it only induces ill handling characteristics to the car. So, being on the tight side after that round, (Tony) Gibson (crew chief) just loosened it up and he said ‘calm down’ and it stuck. That is the confidence he gave me to go back out there and to reboot and to get that car through the second round.
“Spring training wise, I messed up my schedule, I’m staying here in Vegas extra and then I’m leaving Phoenix early to go to L.A. Just lots of sponsor things going on with Monster Energy. Haas Automation headquarters is out in L.A. and with all the different things going on here in my hometown I’m pretty busy this week.”
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERN ABOUT THE WIND ON SUNDAY? ANYTHING COME UP WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF RUNNING INDY THIS YEAR?
“Yeah, I’m looking at the forecast. It looks pretty gnarly for the wind. That’s a West Coast term, gnarly, but the speed of the wind will push us big time, from what I’m gathering, from a southwest direction into Turn 3. When you have a tailwind multiplied by 30 mph that is a head wind of 30 mph down the front straightaway. That is a swing of 60 mph. That is a significant difference that these cars are going to feel. We have tested Nashville a few times way back in the day where there was a cross wind of 40 mph. The downforce increase and decrease is staggering. We are all going to be out there struggling, fighting and trying to gain that grip with the tailwind.
“Nothing new on Indy. Part of the reason for staying here in Vegas extra is a few different meetings have popped up. We are going to go through some of the meetings, even bumped into Sam Schmidt today. There is definitely the interest, the intrigue, but nothing to announce right now.”
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN TAKE FROM ATLANTA FROM WHERE YOU WERE ON QUALIFYING DAY TO THE RACE TO MAKE BETTER TO HERE?
“It’s almost as big of a difference, a quick bowling comparison, when you have all the pins sitting there and you are going for a strike and when you have a spare to pick up you almost bowl a different bowling ball. You have a whole different approach and you have to completely switch gears into what race trim is asking. So, what I hope we learned from last week is don’t let the adrenaline, the energy and the excitement of getting a pole jade the focus that has to be given to race trim. Last week we just left too much of the tire aggressiveness in our car and we chewed up our stuff. We were out there struggling try to hang on to the lead lap halfway through the race. This week we just need to tone it down and go into a better race trim package and almost ignore the fact that we got the pole today.”
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE INSANE/LUDICROUS SPEED OUT THERE. HOW MUCH TIRE FALL OFF ARE YOU EXPECTING?
“Yeah that is Matt Yocum (FOX Pit Reporter) and I joking around about the ludicrous speed and the insane speed. We came up with that years ago from the movie Space Balls. That is like our inside joke, but when we go fast in qualifying it feels fast. Overall, I think this downforce package is almost the same with fresh tires, but when the tires drop off that is when the pace decreases even that much more so. That is why race trim and qualifying trim are now two completely different trajectories. Therefore, we are all going to be slip sliding around especially with the wind conditions. Once we all get out there together, 40 cars, that really stirs up the air and everybody gets crossed up out there with the lower downforce.”
BASED ON YOUR PRACTICE SPEEDS AND WHAT YOU GUYS DID IN PRACTICE HOW CONFIDENT WERE YOU THAT YOU WOULD BE ON THE POLE?
“When you are in the mix, that is what I call it, the Penske cars were 1-2, we were third. There is always a couple of sleepers like (Matt) Kenseth or (Jimmie) Johnson. (Kyle) Larson was fastest last week and then he didn’t even advance to the final round. You never know. I just call it in the mix and then you’ve got to adjust the car to the current conditions, which would be hopefully Round 3 and you are going for it. So, you always have to have the confidence you can do it, but it’s mainly the trust in the team.”
WHAT DID YOU PICK UP FROM THE TEST THAT YOU REALLY LIKED WITH THE CAR?
“I just hope I don’t trend on how I’ve trended in the past. This is statistically one of my worst tracks for finishes. It’s one of my best tracks for qualifying. The test session did help, but we were here to help Goodyear choose a tire that would give us the grip and the comfort that the drivers were looking for. As well as, give us the opportunity to try to race side-by-side and to put on that good show that our fans are thirsty for. We want to see that, but at a track like this where pace is so important you’ve got to make sure the fall off is proper with the tire. That is what we were focused on at the Goodyear tire test. All-in-all I think we are benefitting from all the hard work from behind the scenes from Stewart-Haas committing to the 1.5-mile program and getting us where we need to be.”