NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE NOTES AND QUOTES
MAY 13, 2016
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 NATURE’S BAKERY CHEVROLET SS – Involved in a practice crash will have to go to a back-up car.
WHAT HAPPENED?
“I got back to the throttle and it was like a really muffled, like it blew an engine and then it just got sideways and hit the wall. As you can see there were lots of flames too, obviously, some kind of oil or something like that in there that created that. I really feel bad because Jamie’s (McMurray) elbow hurt pretty bad and I don’t know if Tony (Stewart) is feeling perfect, but definitely unfortunate. Not something we commonly see. Not a lot of things like that happen, I feel like, these days. Usually it’s more driver error or something like that. We will figure it out. I don’t know if it was human error or just bad luck. Definitely, unfortunate for the first couple of laps of practice and the fact that rain is coming. Hopefully, everybody feels okay.”
DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH TONY STEWART?
“I think at any point in time you worry for Tony just making sure he is okay after everything he has gone through physically. Hopefully, he is alright, but that is I guess something he really knows how he feels right now.”
DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED OUT ON THE RACE TRACK TO YOUR CAR:
“Just rolling out for practice and I think that was only maybe crossing the line for five laps completed or something like that. Very early in practice and I got back to the throttle in (Turns) 3 and 4 and it was like something lost power to the engine and then it just slid sideways and hit the wall. I’m thinking something with oil, obviously there was a fire and obviously the car spun basically, but was caught by the wall. For sure there is oil all over underneath the car and I’m not sure what happened, but for sure these are not things you normally see anymore. You don’t really see a lot of failures like that the teams always do such a nice job and the engine manufacturers. I’m sure they will figure it out pretty quickly what it was. Hopefully, Jamie (McMurray) and Tony (Stewart) are okay. It sucks when it takes other people with you, but unfortunate for sure.”
DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOUR BOSS TO SEE IF HE WAS ALRIGHT?
“I mean obviously you saw him walk out. He left the medical center, so he is okay enough for that. Only he knows if he feels really sore or anything like that. I’m sure that anything that jolts his back will probably play some part. Hopefully, if it’s anything it goes away quickly.”
HOW HARD WAS YOUR HIT?
“My hit was really not too bad. I was very fortunate, especially contrasting Talladega, it felt like nothing. Just got back to the throttle in (Turns) 3 and 4 and it was like it had lost power to the engine and then it spun sideways and hit the wall with the right-rear and the right-front came around. I was hard on the brake to stop it as much as I could. Lots of oil all over the track, I saw the corner workers all slipping and sliding on it. Big mess, clearly it hasn’t even gone green again so it’s a big, big mess. Really sucks, because I think it’s drizzling already. It’s bad for me, bad for Tony (Stewart), bad for Jamie (McMurray), bad for everybody not getting to practice. I don’t really know what happened, but I’m sure we will figure it out. Something having to do with oil probably since there was a spin because of it and because there was oil all over the track and there was a fire. I’m sure I will get back there and they will have an answer pretty quickly.”
DOVER JUST ADDED 479 FEET OF SAFER BARRIER COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND. IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S NOT ENOUGH THOUGH:
“Did they? Good, well, did Jamie hit safer barrier because his elbow got a pretty big knot on it?
I DON’T THINK HE DID…
“I mean I know from the Talladega experience and all the experiences I’ve had hitting the wall, the ones where you hit the wall I think I saw it’s about twice the G-load impact when you hit a non-safer barrier. It shouldn’t even be a question whether or not tracks have safer barrier all the way around. It should be mandatory. It shouldn’t be a financial decision.”