MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
MONSTER ENERGY ALL-STAR RACE
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 15, 2017
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS, met with a select group of media last weekend at Kansas Speedway to discuss the upcoming All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Transcript:
ON THE NEW TIRE OPTIONS FOR THE ALL-STAR RACE:
“… I’m excited about it. I hope that the option tire is a good thing, because I think that would be a cool kind of added thing for regular season races in the future. I’m sure NASCAR and Goodyear are trying to probably use this All-Star event as a test to see if it’s going to work. I hope it does. I hope the racing is really exciting.”
WHAT MADE THE ALL-STAR RACE SPECIAL TO YOU YOUR FIRST TIME COMPETING IN IT?
“Well, last year it was my third attempt to make it into the All-Star race. The final round or whatever of the Showdown I had to drag race Chase Elliott and beat and bang off of him to make it. And then, we were extremely fast in the All-Star race and was leading with two or three laps to go and (Joey) Logano got by me. Came up just a little bit short of winning a big race like that was special. I just hope I can go there again and be competitive. I’m excited about finally being able to do the qualifying with the live pit stops. I’ve always thought that is one of the most exciting things we get to see all year. To be a part of that for the first time will be pretty fun.”
WHAT IS YOUR GUT, DO YOU THINK WE WILL ACTUALLY SEE DIFFERENT TIRE OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN POINTS PAYING RACES IN THE FUTURE? WE HAVE SEEN IT IN OTHER FORMS OF MOTORSPORTS, BUT NASCAR IS A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE:
“I think it’s definitely something, you know, if it works and I’m sure even if it doesn’t work they can figure out a way or another tire to make it work later on like getting a second attempt at it, but yeah, I think you see, honestly, every other form of motorsports has tire options and compound options and NASCAR doesn’t. I think strategy is a big part of our sport and if we have that option tire to use throughout any point, I mean we have it really to use throughout any point of the All-Star race, but I’m talking regular season stuff, I think if we have that option it just adds strategy and excitement to the races.”
HOW DIFFERENT IS YOUR MINDSET GOING INTO THE ALL-STAR RACE THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR? NOW THAT YOU ARE GUARANTEED IN THE RACE THIS SEASON?
“My mindset is different now because I know we have good race cars, where last year the All-Star race was kind of the beginning stages of our race cars getting good, so I didn’t really know that I was going to be good there. So, this year I expect that we are going to go there and be contenders and hopefully be running up front and be a part of that final 10-lap segment and have a shot at a million dollars.”
WILL THERE NEED TO BE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES WITH THOSE SOFT TIRES TO MAKE IT GOOD? OR IF ALL THE 10 FINALISTS ALL CHOOSE THE SOFT TIRE JUST FOR THAT LAST RUN COULD IT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE?
“Yeah, I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting to see how it works out. I don’t think you will have every car on the option tire for that final segment, but I could be wrong. Because there are going to be some people, I think, that will probably use it in that last segment before the final one to try and better their average position to lock into that top 10 for the final stage. So, yeah, I don’t know, it’s hard to predict the future, especially when you have something that is very new like this with the option tire and all that. We will have to just wait and see. I think we will get an idea of kind of how the tire will be because we get one set to use in practice next week. So, we will have to learn as much as we can on that and get a good idea of what it’s going to be like.”
WITH DALE EARNHARDT, JR. RETIRING YOU HAVE SO MANY GUYS LEAVING YOU SEEM TO BE AT THE HEAD OF THE CLASS FOR THIS NEW WAVE OF YOUNG DRIVERS. IS THERE SOME PRESSURE THAT COMES WITH THAT? DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
“I don’t think about it a whole lot. I would actually say Chase (Elliott) is probably the head of the class, just because of him being at Hendrick, him being in the No. 24 and stuff like that. Yeah, it’s just a really cool time for NASCAR. I know they may be a little nervous and fans may be a little nervous about what it’s going to be like without (Dale Earnhardt) Junior, but I think it’s going to be great for our sport, honestly. Because I think if Junior has got 60 percent of our fanbase they are going to have to go somewhere and they are going to have to cheer for drivers and I think they are going to cheer for a lot of different people. I think it’s going to build some rivalry back into our sport between fans and stuff like that. I think it’s going to be good. And to be considered one of the few young guys that could be the face of NASCAR is special. As long as we can keep our race cars fast and keep running up front it will be cool. I don’t worry about it a whole lot. I just try and go race and do the best job I can.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR HAS BEEN VERY COMPLIMENTARY OF YOU AND THINKS YOU ARE A GUY THAT CAN HAVE A LONG CAREER, WIN A LOT OF CHAMPIONSHIPS THINGS LIKE THAT. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HEAR A GUY LIKE THAT SAY THOSE THINGS ABOUT YOU?
“Yeah, that is awesome, it’s big. He has done so much for our sport and is the most popular driver, most well-known current driver for sure, so for him to be talking highly of me it means a lot. Like you said, it probably adds some pressure, but I don’t think about pressure or anything like that. I just go out there and have fun. As long as we can keep doing what he has kind of saying I’m capable of doing is going to be cool. I’m excited about the future. I know Dale is excited about the future and where the sport is going to go. Hopefully, we can make him proud and make everybody at NASCAR proud. Like I said, we are in a really good spot in our sport. I’m excited about the future.”
DOES IT MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU TO HAVE SUCCESS WHEN SOME OF THESE GUYS ARE STILL OUT THERE COMPETING LIKE DALE (EARNHARDT, JR.) AND (TONY) STEWART?
“No, I don’t think of it that way. I don’t know. That’s hard to answer that question because I don’t care if I’m beating the four of you I’m still pumped up about that. It doesn’t matter to me that I beat Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. When Alex Bowman was in the car last year it was just as cool to beat him as it is to beat Dale, Jr. it’s just nice to be running up front all the time.”