NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
SPEED WEEKS MEDIA DAY
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
 
 
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 SCOTTS/KINGSFORD/BUSCHS BAKED BEANS/CLOROX CHEVROLET SS, met with member of the media at NASCAR Daytona Media Day and discussed: having a full-time ride in the Sprint Cup Series; difference between open wheel cars and stock cars and level of difficulty for drivers; being a fan of other forms of racing and other topics.  Full transcript:
 
TELL US HOW YOUR OFFSEASON WAS:
“It was good. I did some karting and tried to be out there and be in a race car as much as possible. Between the switchover with the team and being back full-time, it’s been a good offseason. I’ve been happy and excited for this opportunity. I’m ready to go.”
 
DO YOU THINK ALL THE KICKBACK THAT DANICA GETS STEMS MORE FROM THE FACT THAT SHE COMES FROM OPEN-WHEEL? I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S THAT STOCK CAR PEOPLE LOOK DOWN THEIR NOSES AT OPEN-WHEEL PEOPLE OR WHAT THE DEAL IS. BUT DID YOU EVER GET SOME OF THAT KICKBACK SHE GETS?
“A couple of years ago when I first started, yeah for sure. But I don’t see it being a big thing now. The Danica thing… I don’t pay much attention to it, either. Everyone has an opinion – everyone’s got an opinion about me, everyone body has an opinion about Jimmie (Johnson), Danica and so on. I don’t really pay a lot of attention to it. Its more focusing on what I need to do to be better. That’s no disrespect to a certain degree. You have to let everything go from what reporters say – good or bad. Everybody has fans and everyone has haters. So I don’t pay attention to it.”
 
DO YOU THINK THAT COMING FROM OPEN-WHEEL THAT SOME OF THE STOCK CAR TRADITIONALISTS LOOKED AT YOU A LITTLE DIFFERENT AT YOU GUYS AS OPPOSED TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME THROUGH STOCK CAR RACING?
“I think eight, seven, six years ago they did because it wasn’t happening a lot. But all of a sudden there is that influx of open-wheel guys with myself, Juan (Pablo Montoya) and Sam (Hornish) coming over. The traditional not-Sprint Car drivers. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal now.”
 
HOW DO YOU THINK JUAN WILL DO WITH ROGER?
“I think it will be fun to watch. I was always a huge fan of Juan. Watching him back in the CART days, I was in awe of the car control he had. That series is tough. I got to experience it first-hand last year and how tough it actually is. But I think he’ll do a great job.”
 
DO YOU FOLLOW ANY OTHER SERIES?
“I follow all of them. I’m a bigger race fan than a race car driver.”
 
CAN YOU DESCRIBE TO THE FANS THE INTENSE, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGE OF WHAT HAPPENS DURING A RACE?
“Every race track is a little different. This place isn’t physically that hard of you. You’re not physically worn out. Mentally you are spent by the end of the race – trying to work the draft, figure out where to go, being tense for 500 miles because you know the big wreck could happen at any time. Every track has a little different nuance to it. But by the time you get out of a race car – either physically or mentally – you’re spent. It’s a rough three to four hours just because you are working so hard. It’s not to the point where you in the middle of a race can sit back and run 80 percent. You can’t do that. It’s almost qualifying every lap to a certain extent. Donovan McNabb may not think it’s tough but it definitely is.”
 
ARE THERE ANY DRIVERS IN FORMULA ONE OR INDYCAR THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE ABLE TO CRACK INTO NASCAR AND DO A DECENT JOB?
“There definitely are some who could crack into it. It’s tough, though. That was the biggest thing for me when I was watching it while I was in open-wheel racing. The Tony Stewarts, the Jeff Gordons, the Jimmie Johnsons… you know they are badass race car drivers. To get in these cars and the way they drive is so different than an open-wheel race car and anything anyone like myself has ever experienced. So that’s the biggest transition – the cars are way different than would ever believe.”
 
ARE THERE ANY DRIVERS – PAST OR PRESENT – WOULD HAVE HAD GOOD CHANCE AT FORMULA ONE?
“I think when Jeff came into the sport, he could have gotten into it and been really quick. Tony (Stewart) I would have to say, when it comes to driving any race car, is the best there is out there. I feel like he can get in anything and be fast right away. These are some of the best drivers in the world. They can cross over and be quick. But it’s different with every challenge you have.”
 
THERE WERE TIMES WHEN YOU WERE IN AND OUT OF A CAR LAST YEAR. I KNOW IT’S NOT LIKE WHAT TONY HAS HAD TO DO BEING OUT FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD. BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH CHANGES AND HOW MUCH YOU FELT CHANGES FROM NOT BEING IN A CAR EVERY WEEK?
“It was tough, especially because of the new car. I was in a decent amount of races early on. I took the break for Indy and when I came back for Pocono and realized, ‘Wow these cars are different.’ The spring packages everyone was starting run was a little different. It was tough jumping back and forth. It was a fun challenge; I really enjoyed the opportunity to jump in a different car every week. But I’m happy to be back full-time. Tony is Tony. He’s not going to have any rust. He will jump right back in and we know he will have a shot at winning the Daytona 500. I hope he’s right behind me. I hope he’s pushing me to the win. He won’t have any trouble. He’s Smoke.”
 
DID YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SET OF WHEELS GROWING UP?
“Steering wheels or tires? I’ll put it this way – anything that had a steering wheel and tires, I was happy. I had a Big Wheel that I wore through tires on, and on up. I just loved having steering wheel and tires under me.”
 
DID YOU GET A WORK ETHIC EARLY ON THAT HELPED YOU LATER ON?
“My parents were the biggest supporters of mine. Before I was ever racing something, I was watching my dad race full time. Nothing big. It was local dirt track stuff. Just his work ethic. He didn’t have a lot of money. My parents weren’t rich my any means. But watching his work ethic and how hard he worked at it, that’s what I grew up around and where I got it from.”
 
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HERE AND KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENED THE LAST 18 MONTHS?
“It’s been a crazy ride to a certain extreme. To be where I’m at – not just full-time but mentally and physically… I’m as happy as I’ve ever been. I feel like Tad and Jodi (Geschickter) and Brad (Daugherty)… their moral beliefs make this team like a family. Throughout this whole process, I’ve felt like part of their family and not just a driver. I really enjoy walking into the shop and the hauler. It’s such a fun time to be there. I’m really looking forward to it. It will be a great year. It will be a lot of hard work but I think we can go out there and live up to our work ethic and live up to the things we know we can do, we can win some races.”
 
INAUDABLE:
“It’s just life in general. There is pressure on and off the race track. You know how it is. You get into a bad place sometimes. It’s not just one little thing in a way, this is like starting over. But I feel like I’ve found a home. It’s a small team but I really enjoy that. It’s more like a family and not a driver-team owner relationship.”
 
YES IT’S A SMALL TEAM AND THERE WILL BE CHALLENGES. BUT REALISTICALLY THERE WILL BE SOME UPHILL CLIMBS. HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE BETTER PREPARED TO HANDLE THOSE TYPES OF CHALLENGES:
“It’s about setting our realistic expectations. My expectation is to go out and win every race. That isn’t going to happen. But realistically, we can go out there and contend. We need to make our bad days are 22nds or 24ths. There are going to be days like this. Are we going to roll into Phoenix – the first true race when it comes to outright speed – and be a top
-five team? I’d love to be, but maybe not. We have to take each day one at a time and see where that puts us. I don’t have a limit on ‘we need to be 15th in points or 13th is a bad year.’ Just take it one day at a time. With the RCR alliance and everything we have, we can go out there and have a chance to win. It’s about taking it one day at a time to get there.”
 
INAUDABLE:
“I think it was a start. To go out there and have that time with Brian Burns – the crew chef – who is relatively new… I really enjoy working with him and finding the weaknesses and strengths of the team. It’s led very well by Tad to start with but also by Bobby Hutchins. The RCR alliance will help us, so there are a lot of positives. Everybody sits here and say, ‘Oh we’re excited and we can win the championship’. But we have to take it one step at a time. I thought last year was a good stepping stone to see where we were at the time and where we need to go. It was fun last year but this year to be back full time and have everything that has come into play – we have a lot of good sponsors – as I said, my theme is one day at a time. We can’t go out and think we are going to set the world on fire. But we have the confidence in ourselves that if we get everything right, we can compete with the best of the best. I truly believe that.”
 
BEING IN INDYCAR, YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH KNOCKOUT QUALIFYING. CAN YOU GIVE A SENSE AS TO WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE AND HOW IT WILL CARRY OVER HERE
“It’s a little different. At most of the race tracks – especially the mile-and-a-halfs – it’s still going to be that one lap that you’ll have to nail it. If you don’t, then you’re probably done. But the fun fact about qualifying is if you don’t nail it the first time but just slide in, you have another shot at it. It will be interesting to see. There will be a lot of pissed off race car drivers and spotters fighting on the spotting stand! When you pull out in front of someone when you’re trying to get your lap or you mistime it or everyone waits to the last minute… you look at a track like Phoenix and no one is going to be the first guy on the track; everyone is going to be waiting. But eventually someone is going to have to go out there and everyone is going to pile on. It’ll be fun for the fans and drivers. I think there need to be tweaks a little a little bit.”
 
INAUDABLE:
“That’s what’s fun about the strategy. Like I said, at Phoenix you don’t want to be the first guy on the track. It’s bad to be that first guy. So everyone is going to be sitting in the garage saying, ‘OK, who is going to go? Oh crap, there’s
10 minutes to go. Someone has to go.’ You take a track like Vegas and maybe you want to be the first one to go. It’s about having that clean lap and banking it to sit there and wait. That’s what makes knockout qualifying so fun. There are so many different strategies you can play into it. At some point, you’re going to be on your lap and someone is going to pull out in front of you and it’s going to kill you. There is going to be a lot of fun.”
 
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP CHANGES, DO YOU THINK IT MAKES A TEAM LIKE YOURS MORE PRONE TO MAKING MORE GAMBLES?
“When I look at the change to the Chase, it doesn’t change how I drive. My goal is to try to win. If you can’t win, take the best finish you can. I don’t think it changes our risk-to-reward value. But at the same point, and I think it goes for any team, if you struggle the first 12 races usually your year would be over and you’re trying to get going and build momentum for next year. Now if you struggle for the first 18 races but win the 19th, you’re right there and have a shot at the championship. I think that’s what makes the new format fun. It’s cool to see what NASCAR is doing whether it’s the Chase or qualifying format. It leads to so many more variety of things that can happen. For us, I think it gives us a good chance.”
 
ARE YOU MORE WILLING TO TAKE THAT BAD FINISH KNOWING YOU HAD NOTHING TO LOSE?
“I’m not willing to take a bad finish ever. Points still matter too. If 16 cars aren’t in the Chase, it’s still the next guy up in points. So they are always important. I never want to take a shot at having a bad day over a good day because I changed my decision-making on having a chance to win. If I have a chance to win, I’m going to do everything it takes to go out there and win.”
 
WHO DO YOU PREDICT WILL BE IN THE FINAL FOUR?
“Me and three others guys! I don’t care! It’s no secret that Jimmie Johnson has a pretty good shot at it. If you take off from last year’s stats, I think Matt (Kenseth) has a pretty good shot at it, too. But it’s a brand new year. We don’t know. We will see what happens.”
 
WHAT FOR YOU IS THE MOST EXCITING CHANGE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE?
“Me being back full-time. That’s the most exciting thing! I love the qualifying format. Single-car qualifying to me is the most boring thing on the planet – not just in NASCAR but they tried it in F1 and IndyCar. The new format leads to so many different things that can happen on Friday. If Jimmie Johnson has the fastest car in practice and we’re in a place where it’s one lap on the tires and someone gets in his way, and he doesn’t make the next round, that makes it exciting. For the fans and on TV, you don’t know who is going to be on the pole until the last second of that final qualifying session. That is one of the most exciting things you can do.”
 
HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK SOME OF THESE CHANGES ARE TO BRING MORE LIFE BACK INTO THE SPORT:
“We have to continue doing the things that attract a younger fanbase and new fans. We have a great fanbase. NASCAR has some problems that other sports would like to have. Their bad day when it comes to a crowd is 75,000 people. You don’t get that at most sporting events. But we know we have to do things to get that new base in. Whether its qualifying or the Chase changes or just as drivers trying to get a younger fanbase to come in… the tracks have to work together as a whole as a whole asset of the Sprint Cup Series. There is a great product here. We have to keep getting out there and doing the right things to make it better.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
SPEED WEEKS MEDIA DAY
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
 
An interview with:
 
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/CHEERIOS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at the 2014 NASCAR Daytona Media Day and discussed: starting his rookie year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; driving the No. 3 Chevrolet SS; legacy of Dale Earnhardt, Sr.; expectations for Daytona and for season and other topics.    Full transcript:
 
Q.        WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND, SEE THE DALE EARNHARDT T-SHIRTS, ET CETERA, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
AUSTIN DILLON:  The legend of Dale has lived on for a long time and is going to continue to live on forever.  Dale Earnhardt is not just famous because of the number.  He is Dale Earnhardt.
He was a hero in everybody’s mind, including myself.
As far as Dale, Dale is going to fly here forever.  That’s the coolest thing about everything that’s going on.
 
Q.        GET YOU MORE FIRED UP OR DIFFERENCE IN FEEL NOW THAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY HERE, OR HAS IT BEEN A STEADY PROGRESSION?
AUSTIN DILLON:  Been a pretty steady progression.  Media Day gets us tuned in.  The first thing is when we get over here in the garage, get to walk around, I saw the haulers pulling in a few minutes ago, so that was pretty cool, pretty special.
 
Q.        REGARDING THE LOOK OF THE CAR
AUSTIN DILLON:  I haven’t really gotten to take a real good look at it.
I think we respect everything that the Earnhardt family has to say.  Dale Jr. and everybody has been very supportive of it.  It’s been a good thing so far.  Everything’s been great.  Just continue to move on with what we’re going with.
You know, I think there was something about the number and the color.  That is one thing my grandfather said from the beginning, that we weren’t going to have it black.  So luckily the Cheerios car and Dow, everybody, our sponsors, have some black in the color with their sponsor, exactly not a percentage that’s more than 50%.  I think the most we’ve got on a paint scheme is 60%.  That is one thing.  But we’re definitely respectful and going to keep it color sensitive.
 
Q.        ABOUT DALE EARNHARDT, JR. DRIVING IN THAT CAR
AUSTIN DILLON:  Yeah, I’ve always appreciated that.  Junior is an awesome guy.  I’ve got to spend time and sit down and talk with him and learn so much from him also.
I feel like for me experience is going to be big leaning on the people around me.  I’ve got a really strong family.  Leaning on those guys is very important.
 
Q.        TO THOSE THAT HAVE RESERVATIONS, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?
AUSTIN DILLON:  Everybody’s got their own opinion.  I feel like hopefully we can win them over as time goes on.  That’s all you can do.
Hopefully they’re open enough to take a look at everything that we’re doing.  I think as far as performance and moving forward, hopefully we can win them over.
 
Q.        HOW MEANINGFUL IS IT FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE FOR YOUR GRANDFATHER AT THIS LEVEL?
AUSTIN DILLON:  It’s great.  To be able to work for a company, every time I cross the railroad tracks in Welcome, North Carolina, it’s special.  I’ve enjoyed being a part of RCR.
The other day it was really awesome to be able to be part of the kickoff luncheon.  The guys were fired up.  I think it’s a new life at RCR.
 
Q.        WHAT KIND OF ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY DO YOU HAVE BECAUSE YOU’RE PART OF THIS NASCAR FAMILY?
AUSTIN DILLON:  I feel like for me it’s really more the employees at RCR that I know.  I’ve grown up with those guys, know how much heart and soul they put into the racecars.
I said it at our kickoff lunch.  We have a great house at RCR.  When I cross that bridge, that’s our house.
When we come here, my job and our teams’ jobs are to represent our house.  Hopefully we bring our house and represent it well at the track.  That’s what we try and do every time we bring our stuff to the racetrack.
 
Q.        REGARDING FANS AND THE NO. 3, BEING DELIBERATELY WRECKED
AUSTIN DILLON:  It’s racing.  I think I’ve been doing it forever.  People get into it, have battles, go hard each and every weekend.  You have those times when you’re racing hard out there and stuff happens.
I think we do a good job of handling it ourselves on the track hopefully.
 
Q.        WHAT DID YOU AND YOUR GRANDFATHER TALK ABOUT TO CONVINCE HIM YOU WERE READY?
AUSTIN DILLON:  I think both of us for years now, running the 3 in the last four years, it kind of prepared us for any kind of question or opportunity that arises.
The biggest thing is being respectful to all the family that is involved and also just, you know, taking this opportunity and hoping that fans are embracing it the right way.  We’re trying to continue the legacy of the No. 3.  I think we’ve done a good job of that so far.
 
Q.        ON LEGACY OF THE NO. 3          
AUSTIN DILLON:  I think Dale was so important in driving that number.  He was the guy that made that number what it is today.
But like I said earlier, Dale Earnhardt is Dale Earnhardt not only because of the number, but because he was a hero and created so many things for this sport.  The number for me, hopefully I can continue the legacy that it has and keep on moving on with it.
 
Q.        DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL SEE IT COMING UP IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND WILL HAVE AN AUTOMATIC REACTION, FEEL INTIMIDATED AND PULL OVER FOR YOU?
AUSTIN DILLON:  No, not at all (laughter).  I still have a long way to go in this sport.  This is my rookie year.  One day, if we’re winning championships, competing for wins, maybe it will happen.
 
Q.        TALK ABOUT THE ROOKIE CLASS YOU’RE GOING UP AGAINST.
AUSTIN DILLON:  I got to stay focused on what my goals are this year.  Rookie of the Year in the other two series.  I definitely want to accomplish that in the Cup Series.  I feel like the competition is stout.  I feel like every year I’ve been in Nationwide or Truck, there’s been some really good classes.  Then also last year battling for a championship.  Hopefully what I learned going through that with the stout competition we had last year in Nationwide will help me this year going forward.
 
Q.        ON BATTLES FOR NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AND NATIONWIDE SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS
AUSTIN DILLON:  I can’t remember the Truck and Nationwide.  I was more focused on last year’s Nationwide championship battle.  Having Elliott Sadler, Brian Vickers, Regan Smith, guys that have full-time Cup experience, battling them in Nationwide was very tough.  My battle in the Truck Series, I think Kligerman was there, a few other guys that year, too.  I can’t remember, though.
 
Q.        HOW DO YOU THINK THE SUM OF YOUR EXPERIENCES, CHAMPIONSHIP RUNS, SERVES YOU GOING FORWARD IN THE SERIES?
AUSTIN DILLON:  Hopefully it means something.  You know, I feel like the mental stability that you gain going through a championship battle, I think you can never lose that.  It’s a championship.  I feel like that will help going forward.
There’s definitely the new Cha
se presenting a definitely new outcome.  I won the championship last year without winning a race.  It’s a different mentality.  I can change the way I go about things, for sure.  I’ll have to go through that this year obviously.
I’m looking forward to that opportunity.  I think it gives a lot of chance and more going after it, more intensity to the races.
It seems the best way I can relate to that is when I go back and run a Truck race with no points, you can really get after the car and really challenge yourself to get everything out of it.  Not that you’re not getting everything out of the car when it’s a points race, but you’re definitely grounded in thinking what it means where you’re running and the positioning.  I think that’s where the Chase, the new format, presents a lot of action and pushing yourself.
 
Q.        ON THE NUMBER OF RACES  HE WILL BE RUNNING
AUSTIN DILLON:  Actually the same amount as far as running my modified, all the races that are available.  I might take the last night off depending on where we are in points.  The last night doesn’t count in points.  Hopefully we can win it off.  That ends Monday.
For me, as far as the year, I’m going to run some Nationals races during the Summer Nationals, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then get to the racetrack.  I’m still focused on that.  I think it really helps me as far as being able to get in those cars and just have some fun.
 
Q.        ANY THOUGHT TO CUTTING THAT BACK GOING FULL-TIME CUP?
AUSTIN DILLON:  My grandfather was a little on the edge of us running a little bit.  But I talked him into, so…
He knows how important it is to me and Ty to run our dirt cars.  He definitely knows the stress that I’m going to be going under this year.  So I think I relayed it to him in a way that it’s kind of a stress reliever if anything.  I can go out to the dirt track, focus on what I have to do.
 
Q.        REGARDING SAFETY OF DIRT CARS
AUSTIN DILLON:  Yeah, there’s that for sure (laughter).
Tony is in a Sprint car.  That’s a difference from where I’m running a modified or full-bodied late model.  Not that I’m questioning a Sprint car’s safety, but you’re definitely carrying a lot of speed in those things.  I’ve never been able to drive one.
We take a lot of safety precautions with our cars that a lot of other people don’t.  In the dirt world, we plate the interiors and do different things to make sure that we’re getting a lot of safety out of those cars.
 
Q.        WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE VETERANS?
AUSTIN DILLON:  You know, I’ve been through the Truck Series where there were some wily veterans, I guess you could say, and the Nationwide Series.  More in the Truck Series I think is where you learn about racing veterans.
For me it’s going to be tough because a lot of those guys I grew up racing against, not racing against, but watching on TV.  Seeing Jeff Gordon out there, you’re still in awe when you’re racing against him on the track.  And Dale Jr.  I’ll have to learn that throughout the year.
I think that’s the good thing about having those rookie stripes, I learned the first year what it takes to go to the second level the second year.  Hopefully I can evaluate after the first year and have a better answer for you.
 
Q.        DO YOU KEEP AN EYE ON KYLE AND OTHER ROOKIES?
AUSTIN DILLON:  I think you do.  If you don’t focus on yourself in the competition, you can’t gain points.  I think the biggest thing is trying to figure out what makes your team better and how throughout the year that you can develop for the following year.
This year for us, it’s such a learning year where we can really go out and attack and figure out where the edge is.  I think we need to figure that out at most of the tracks we go to.
 
Q.        INAUDIBLE
AUSTIN DILLON:  Somebody asked me that a minute ago.  I said, I really don’t.  I mean, the Truck Series, the Nationwide Series…  The Cup Series might be different.
I think racing for the win, anybody should wreck each other personally.  Last lap, that’s just how it is.  This year there’s going to be more of that because of what it means to win.
 
Q.        INAUDIBLE
AUSTIN DILLON:  I don’t know.  We’ll see if it happens, you know.  I’m fiery as it is.  We’re all passionate.  Everyone out here, we’re very competitive.  It will be wild for sure.  If we get that opportunity, hopefully we can take advantage of it and be on the winning end.
 
Q.        WHAT KIND OF STRESS DO YOU EXPECT?  HOW TOUGH COULD THIS BE?  YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW, BUT HOW TOUGH DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE?
AUSTIN DILLON:  I mean, it can get really tough.  You have so many ups and downs throughout the year in the Cup Series where you go through transitions.  I think you lean on family and your friends.  My family is RCR.  My guys are so experienced, I feel like I have a really experienced team.  Any one of the guys on my team could go car chief, most of the teams out there.
I’m very fortunate in the fact that I’ve got a great team.  We’re going to go out there and definitely work and use them and stay a tight-knit group work within each other.
 
Q.        YOU’VE HAD THE 3 COMING OUT.  THAT’S YOUR NUMBER.  WAS THERE EVER ANY CONSIDERATION TO CHANGE BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 3 AT THIS LEVEL?
AUSTIN DILLON:  There’s always thoughts of it.  I feel like you go through times, and you don’t know what to go through.  My family, RCR, all the people there around us, hearing it from Dale Jr. and people like that, is very influential I feel like to where we’re at today.
Yeah, I mean, I’ve looked at other numbers and stuff, too.  It wasn’t like, That’s the number I want to run.  Bam, bam, that’s how I was going to do it or nothing.
We were very respectful in the fact it was up to my grandfather and the people that were around that number the longest.
So I’m not a kid that says, Hey, this is what I want, this is what I’m going to get.  I’ve never been that way.  Hopefully I’m never portrayed that way.
I’m a very respectful person and look to the history of the sport.  I feel fortunate I’m getting this opportunity, though.
 
Q.        WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ALTERNATE NUMBER?
AUSTIN DILLON:  That’s a good question.  My dad had run 21 a few times.  Ty ran 2 a lot running up through the races.  41 was another one that got taken this year from Kurt that we would have probably looked at.  We also had 33 and different numbers.  But those aren’t really my favorites.
 
Q.        WHAT ABOUT GIVING PAYBACK?
AUSTIN DILLON:  Giving payback?  That’s what payback is, right?  I can’t think of the polite word to say it (laughter).
I guess if you have to do it, you got to let it be known.  Not let it be known, just do it the right way.  You get smart and get under their skin somehow.  Hopefully we don’t have to deal with it too often.  But there’s a chance of that with the way the new Chase lays out.  I guess you just have to look back and see how other people did it throughout the years.
 
Q.        WOULD YOU WRECK SOMEBODY FOR A WIN?
AUSTIN DILLON:  When I first started racing, I remember two opportunities where I wish I would have don
e things differently to win races.  I look back on those.  Now looking back, the memory of those, no one looks back and would have cared probably because I finished second.  If I would have won that race, it might have meant something.  I can remember those opportunities.  I wish I had them back.
If the opportunity arises, you’re there on the last lap in three and four, not necessarily taking them out, but laying your bumper to the end, I think that opportunity’s there, you got to take it.  You watch some of the Supercrosses this year, what’s going on, there’s some wild finishes at the end of those.
When you look back it creates a little history and some craziness.
I don’t know.  It’s all about morals in the end, I guess, how you believe you should race somebody, or you be at the end of the race.
 
Q.        INAUDIBLE
AUSTIN DILLON:  In those races I didn’t take advantage.  Actually one of them I feel like I jumped the start and I took the lead through one and two.  I kind of gave it back a little bit, and I never got the lead back.  I remember that one.  That was the big one.
Yeah, the other one I didn’t wreck somebody.  Tri-County in the east race and South Boston in the east race.
 
Q.        WHERE WERE YOU THE DAY DALE EARNHARDT DIED?
AUSTIN DILLON:  I was at home.  For me, we watched the race.  Then I was sent up to our barn where we were hanging out with my brother and some of our friends.  My mom came over and got us.  We went over to the shop.  Everybody came to our house, I’m sorry, the whole shop, and we had a Bible study.
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
SPEED WEEKS MEDIA DAY
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at NASCAR Daytona Media Day  and discussed: staring 2014 season in Sprint Unlimited; Richard Petty comments; expectations for Speed Weeks and the season and other topics.  Full transcript:
 
Q. ON STARTING THE NEW SEASON BEING IN THE SPRINT UNLIMITED
DANICA PATRICK:  You know, Ricky and I got in late last night because there was a little delay with flying in due to airspace.  We got in pretty late.  Laid down.  It’s like, You know what, it’s good to be back on the bus.  It always feels good to be back on the bus for some reason.  It’s a little home away from home or seems like more of a home than anywhere else.
So we both feel really good.  We were both talking about it last night.  I’m happy I’m in the Sprint Unlimited.  I’m happy he is, too, because it’s the both [of us on] the same schedule.
That’s something I definitely didn’t overlook when I qualified on the pole (indiscernible) the 500.  Hey, I’m in the Sprint Unlimited race.  It’s pretty cool.
 
Q. ON REALIZING SHE WAS IN THE UNLIMITED WHEN SHE WON DAYTONA 500 POLE IN 2013         
DANICA PATRICK:  I don’t know if I thought about it the same time, but I thought about it the same day.  I had just watched it, watched the incredible drivers that are in that race.  To think I was going to be able to get to be in it, too, I was happy right off the bat.
 
Q.        WHAT DO YOU THINK OF RICHARD PETTY’S COMMENTS?
DANICA PATRICK:  He asked it for you.  You were hesitating.  I saw it (laughter).  Oh, Bob.
You know, people have said things in the past, and they’re going to say things in the future.  I still say the same thing:  that everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.  People are going to judge what he said, whether they judge it well or not, and I’m just not going to.
 
Q.        DO THOSE THINGS MOTIVATE YOU AT ALL?
DANICA PATRICK:  You can’t try any harder in the car.  I think that’s something that probably every driver would tell you when someone questions our effort level.  You can’t try any harder.  You’re doing everything you can.  And maybe subconsciously there’s some motivation, but I can’t tell.  I’m giving it my all every single time I’m getting in the car, whether I’m making a simple qualifying run or I’m in the race.
It is what it is and, again, people are entitled to their opinions, and that’s fine.
 
Q.        REGARDING RICHARD PETTY
DANICA PATRICK:  I mean, really it’s more about my belief that everyone can have their own opinion.  It has nothing to do with where it comes from.
The people that matter the most to me are my team, my sponsors, you know, those little three-year-old kids that run up to you and want a great big hug and say they want to grow up to be like you.  That’s the stuff that I really focus on.
 
Q.        NOBODY SAID THAT IN YOUR PREVIOUS SERIES.  IT WAS MORE LIKE WHEN YOU WERE GOING TO WIN.  THAT’S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE.
DANICA PATRICK:  You know, I mean, two things.  In IndyCar I had probably a faster start.  I mean, I started on the front row of Motegi and finished fourth, then just about qualified on pole and just about won the race at the Indy 500 my first year, so that was race number four in IndyCar.  So I had a fast start.
I think that it also shows just the competition level in NASCAR.  Not only are the drivers very good, but also the teams are extremely competitive, too.  I don’t think that any one of them sit still.  There’s no like normal ranking of teams.  It goes up and down amongst many.  There are 43 cars, not 23 cars.  It’s just extremely competitive.
Also stock cars are not my background.  You know, I’ve done two full years, one in Nationwide, one in Cup.  I still feel like I’m figuring stock cars out and will for a long time.  I will never stop learning.
But figuring out the basics of how it work, there’s still stuff when I look under the hood, I don’t really know what I’m looking at.
 
Q.        WOULD YOU AGREE THAT OF THOSE 43 CARS, THE FIELD IS MUCH MORE STRONGER OUT OF THOSE 43 THAN THEY WERE WITH THE 28 IN INDYCAR?
DANICA PATRICK:  The competition, it’s difficult to get to the top of both of them.  But you’re just adding so many more cars into it.
I think one thing that I learned last year in Cup is that we struggled to start the year off and we worked our butts off and tested a ton, tried to work on getting faster, working in the wind tunnel, doing everything we could to get better.
We did make up some ground.  And as soon as you sit on that for a second and think, Okay, now let’s calm down for a second, let’s everybody can have a week off.  You know, I don’t think you’re doing it on purpose, but all of a sudden at the end of the year you realize you’re not making any more progress, in fact you’re falling behind again.
So the effort level it takes when you are full bore, doing all you can do to go faster is the only mode that you can be in.  That is a competition level that I don’t think I have ever experienced.  So that’s how hard everyone’s working.
That’s why I think there’s so many teams that come and go, but that come as well, because everybody’s working that hard.
 
Q.        THERE WERE A LOT OF PLACES WHERE A LOT OF LEARNING WENT ON LAST YEAR.  YOUR SPEEDWEEKS WENT REALLY WELL FOR YOU.  CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WINNING POLE, THE WAY YOU RAN IN THE 500.
DANICA PATRICK:  Well, I’ve been fortunate, whether it’s been in a Nationwide car or whether it’s been in a Cup car here.  I’ve been lucky enough to run really well here.  I have a pole in the Nationwide car and the Cup car.  So I’ve been lucky with Tony Eury, Jr. in Nationwide and with Gibson now.  They both build great speedway cars.
That’s so nice because when you get here, you kind of got what you got.  You’re not going to really move mountains once you get here with the car.  It is the speed that it is based on the work that they did before we all arrived.
And also the fact that speedway racing is familiar for me.  It’s very much like mile-and-a-half racing in IndyCar.  So I think between those two things, it’s a comfort zone for me.
 
Q.        REGARDING OPINIONS NOT SHAKING HER
DANICA PATRICK:  I really don’t.  I like that people have opinions.  That is fine with me.  I think that it creates such conversation.  As I said the last time that somebody said something that was not so positive for me, it spawned so many positive articles.
So, you know, there’s a positive side to it, too.  But more than anything, I love the conversation that it creates in sport.  Across the board it makes sports interesting.  It makes life interesting when people have different perspectives, and that’s fine with me.
 
Q.        HAVE YOU EVER TALKED TO THE KING, TO RICHARD PETTY?
DANICA PATRICK:  I know I met him.  I have this great shot of I think it was before last year’s race, maybe it was the Nationwide race, of him standing in front of my car on the pole and giving me two thumbs up.  It’s a back shot of his butt sticking out.  Apparently I didn’t notice him there for a while.  I must have been getting strapped in.
But, yeah, I mea
n, that’s about it.  I probably could dig up that photo for you guys if you want it.
 
Q.        IS IT A GENERATIONAL THING?  HE IS IN HIS 70S.
DANICA PATRICK:  I can’t speak to that.  I was born in the ’80s.
 
Q.        DO YOU PLAN TO FOLLOW THROUGH AT ALL?
DANICA PATRICK:  I don’t know why I would.
 
Q.        DID YOU TALK TO KYLE AFTER KYLE MADE THE REMARKS LAST SUMMER?
DANICA PATRICK:  I didn’t talk to him but he eventually wanted to come talk to me.
 
Q.        HOW DID THAT GO?
DANICA PATRICK:  I spoke to him eventually, but it wasn’t me seeking him out is what I’m saying.  I wouldn’t seek Richard out either.
 
Q.        HOW DID THAT CONVERSATION GO?
DANICA PATRICK:  My conversation with Kyle, it was all right.  It was fine.  It was lengthy.
You know, I think what I came to the conclusion was that really everybody does have their opinion, and that is totally fine.  Even if some of the things that came across weren’t completely accurate, there were things that I didn’t quite understand from the comments either that I learned.
So, I mean, it really just doesn’t matter.  It’s interesting conversation and I’m fortunate I’m in it.
 
Q.        ON WINNING DAYTONA 500
DANICA PATRICK:  Yeah, and I would agree, for two reasons:  that my team builds great speedway cars and I feel much more comfortable, and this is much more familiar to me than the rest of the racing in a stockcar because you’re taking the elements of learning how the car reacts to like how the bump-stops work, how the bar rack works, how different spring packages work.
That’s not a concern on the speedways.  It’s just about navigating, the cars around you, and drafting, your mindset throughout the whole thing, your discipline.
So I feel like it could definitely happen.  Shoot, I’m going to go try to win the Unlimited race so I can be in it forever.  Isn’t that what you get to do if you win it?  That’s what I’ve been thinking about the last week.  I want to win the Sprint Unlimited race so I can be in it forever.
 
Q.        LAST YEAR THE FIRST RACE WITH THE GEN-6, PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO REACT.  DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR?
DANICA PATRICK:  No, I think that it will be really similar to last year.  I think we saw leading up to the race that there was some unexpected spins and some exciting moments out there in practice.  I think that’s there’s just going to be less of that with the new rules.  I think it’s going to be great.
I think what’s going to be really interesting, though, is the Nationwide race.  They’ve banned bump-drafting, right?  That will be interesting.  I don’t know how that’s going to turn out.  That will be interesting.
 
Q.        YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING A PROCESS FOR YOU, COMING TO STOCK CARS, GETTING YOUR FEET WET.  WHERE DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS?  DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE GAINED ENOUGH WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAR, THE WAY IT HANDLES, BUMP-DRAFTING, DRAFTING?
DANICA PATRICK:  No more bump-drafting (laughter).
 
Q.        BUT TO GIVE YOURSELF A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE NOW GOING FORWARD IN THE SEASON.
DANICA PATRICK:  More than last year.  I mean, that’s the process that I’m in.  I think before I got into Cup, I would have said, Man, I feel like it takes a few years to really get up to speed and have a good grasp as to what you’re doing out there.
You know, I’m in the middle of that, or starting the middle of that.  There’s a lot I have to learn, and I know that.  But I feel better than I did last year.  I feel like, more than anything, I understand the effort level that it takes from a team and driver perspective.
But I also feel like throughout the year we were able to develop much more rhythm to the weekend than we did at the beginning of the year.  The beginning of the year we would sort of throw the kitchen sink at the car and just try and find anything that made it go faster.
I think what we realized at the end of the year, it was a much better approach ultimately to be more methodical.  It’s crazy how you can take these cars and take a 16th of packer out or take a 16th packer in and completely change the car.  It’s unbelievable.
So kind of like Daytona, you kind of got what you got when you get there.  That’s what you test for to develop a good setup that feels good.  After that it’s really about fine tuning I think.  That’s what we sort of started doing later in the year last year, which helped our qualifying.
Sometimes we hit it in the race; sometimes we missed it by a little bit.  I know at Homestead, I know I’m going long-winded right now, in Homestead we made one change in the middle of the race and it made it like it did in the beginning.  We were not great in the beginning, made it better, started making up ground.  Got the Lucky Dog.  Came from the back.  I had to come back down from pit road.  I started from the very back.  Passed like 15 cars.  The yellow came out just as I passed the car for Lucky Dog.  All of a sudden we made a change and I wasn’t any good again.  It was like, Holy crap, what did you do?  It was like one little change.  We went back on it, it was good again.
Crazy how you can make one little change.  Being methodical was something I learned last year.
 
Q.        INAUDIBLE
DANICA PATRICK:  No, let’s talk about Ricky.  That was much more fun.  I smiled so much more.
 
Q.        DO YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?  WOULD IT BE NICE TO COME IN HERE AND TALK ABOUT RACING AND WHAT HAPPENS ON THE RACETRACK FIRST THING?
DANICA PATRICK:  No, because we haven’t done anything on the racetrack.  I feel like what would you ask me if there are no fun things like there are today to ask, right?  How do you feel about Daytona, that kind of thing.
 
Q.        ON NEGATIVE COMMENTS
DANICA PATRICK:  That kind of thing gets in for sure.  Honestly, it doesn’t really bother me.  It just makes Media Day more interesting.
 
Q.        IF YOU WIN A RACE, GET INTO THE CHASE, I’M SURE THAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE REALLY LOOKING AT.
DANICA PATRICK:  That’s something that obviously we all thought about right off the bat, how strong we are on the speedways, how comfortable I feel on the speedways, the fact that a win gets you in the Chase.
I think NASCAR is going to create a platform to make for some interesting strategies, interesting races, something to talk about every week, because one win gets you there.
I can only imagine when there’s a dark cloud rolling in, potential rain, what we might see out there, who can get the win before it rains.
Anyway, a lot of people are going to be running out of fuel this year.  I feel like we’re going to see a lot of that.
 
Q.        DO YOU FEEL IT CHANGED THE TEAM’S PREPARATION AT ALL?  SOME TEAMS ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON TRACKS THEY FEEL THEY ARE BEST AT.
DANICA PATRICK:  I think there probably will be more emphasis on that, for sure.  I know last year when we went to Richmond for one of our team tests, we went there because Ryan felt that was a track he could win on, and they wanted to make more sure of that, given the Race to the Chase.
There was some of that already going on.  But I can
imagine there will be even more of that.  It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.
 
Q.        WHAT ARE YOUR VALENTINE’S PLANS?
DANICA PATRICK:  I’m the girl.  Don’t ask me.  Ask Ricky when he comes through.
I did say to him yesterday, I said, Hey, babe, I feel like I shouldn’t be thinking about this because it should be your job, but would you like me to ask someone to make reservations as a restaurant?
He said, No, I’ll get it.  I’ll figure it out.  I’ll ask somebody here.
I’m like, Okay, I’ll let you just do it.
All I know is that for our Valentine’s Day presents we both bought like $20 gifts for each other and paid like $100 in shipping because we did it last minute.  We were at my parents’ house, my sister had a baby two weeks ago, we were both there visiting.
We were both joking.  He was telling me how he had it shipped and it wasn’t there.  I said, I did the last thing, actually.  He said it was more expensive.  I said, Your gift was $22 and I paid $100 in shipping.  So that’s our Valentine’s Day.  We’re fortunate that we can do that, I suppose.
 
Q.        INAUDIBLE
DANICA PATRICK:  I don’t know.  I don’t know.  I think we’ll probably go to a restaurant.  I don’t know.  You’ll have to ask him, though.  Maybe he’ll tell you.
 
Q.        INAUDIBLE
DANICA PATRICK:  See how much happier I am when we talk about Ricky.
 
Q.        LOOKING BACK ON THAT, DO YOU LAUGH AT THAT?
DANICA PATRICK:  No, I wish I was still doing it.  This is much better.
No, it was fun.  We both look back at last year and we’re like, Remember what last year was like.  I just remember it being fun.  I’m sure it was fun to ask the questions and get the answers.
 
Q.        IT WAS A BIG COUPLE WEEKS FOR YOU LAST YEAR.
DANICA PATRICK:  It was a big couple weeks, no doubt, no doubt.  I don’t know.  I’m going to try and top it, but I don’t know how I will.