IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 3, 2013
 
Ryan Hunter-Reay Wins Pole at Mid-Ohio with Chevrolet Power
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio (August 3, 2013) –  For the third time this season, defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay has set the fastest time in the Firestone Fast Six to win the Verizon P1 Award. The driver of the No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport Chevrolet missed breaking the track record by just two-hundredths of a second with his lap of 01:05.3519 minute/124.385 m.p.h. around the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Lexington, Ohio.
                                                             
Turning in the second quickest time of the session was Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.  It is his fifth time this season Power has posted a front row qualifying effort.

“Kudos to Ryan Hunter-Reay and the Andretti Autosport team for winning the pole today at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series.  “Ryan and his DHL crew have been strong all week here and are again showing that championship form.  Will Power and his Verizon / Team Penske squad have been quick all week as well, and will start alongside Ryan on an all-Chevrolet front row for the 200 mile race.  Our focus now shifts to providing the Team Chevy contingent with the most reliable, powerful and tractable engine so they may execute flawless race performances on Sunday.  We will not rest until the Chevy bow tie is on the top step of the podium.”
 
Giving Team Chevy three of the Fast Six was Marco Andretti, No. 25 RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet. Andretti was posted fourth in the final order of 24 cars that qualified for the 14th race of the 19-race season.
 
Making up the remainder of the Fast Six were: Scott Dixon – third fastest, Charlie Kimball – fifth quickest and Dario Franchitti turned in the sixth fastest time of the day.
 

JOHNSON WINS POLE AT POCONO
 
LONG POND, PA – August 2, 2013 – Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion and current series point leader, Jimmie Johnson, put his No. 48 Lowe’s Planes Chevrolet SS on the pole today for Sunday’s GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. Johnson posted a top speed of 180.654 mph in 49.819 seconds to claim his 31st Sprint Cup career pole, his fourth pole start on the 2.5-mile triangular track and a new track record.  He has three victories at Pocono, including most recently in June ’13.
 
Johnson had to make a second pass through pre-qualifying inspection after NASCAR determined the tow on his Chevy SS was off by one-thousandth of an inch. The No. 48 crew made adjustments and Johnson was able to start his qualifying run from the 29th slot in the order.
 
Fourth quick was last week’s Brickyard 400 winner, Ryan Newman in his No. 39 Haas Automation 30th Anniversary Chevrolet SS. Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of his No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevy SS qualified fifth, giving Team Chevy three of the top-five starting spots in the 43-car field.
 
Kyle Busch (Toyota) qualified second and Carl Edwards (Ford) qualified third to round out the five fastest entries.
 
The GoBowling.com 400 takes the green flag on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PLANES CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR TRACK RECORD SETTING QUALIFYING RUN AND STARTING UP FRONT ON SUNDAY:
“Track records are cool it makes all drivers and teams smile.  We got one at Martinsville this year and then to get one here is really cool.  The wild thing though is I practiced at like a 51.15 and then to go out there and run a 49.80 the speed difference and the senses you have inside the car.  I knew it was fast I just didn’t know how fast.  Each corner I made I tried a little bit harder and was more aggressive with my entry speed, my throttle application and just kind of challenging the car and it stuck.  In some ways I think I could have gone a little quicker if I knew what that felt like and I’m sure a lot of guys are saying that in the garage area right now to be honest.  It was an interesting lap because I threw everything I thought I could at it in turn one and it stuck.  So then turn two try again, turn three try again and it made it all the way around that was pretty awesome.”
 
WHAT WERE THE ISSUES THAT YOU GUYS WERE HAVING IN INSPECTION AND DO YOU THINK IT’S POSSIBLE THAT ACTUALLY GOING OUT FOUR SPOTS LATER THAN YOU WERE SCHEDULED MIGHT OF MADE A DIFFERENCE?
“Only four spots?  No, it didn’t make a difference.  We had the left-rear tow was off by a thousandth of an inch.  The system is a pass/fail, a thousandth of an inch.  Glad we got it sorted out and we got on the clock, which is always a scary thing to be on the clock, but we beat the clock.”
 
KYLE BUSCH KIND OF INSINUATING THAT SEVERAL TIMES YOU GUYS HAVE GONE THROUGH TECH MORE THAN ONCE THIS YEAR AND YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO GET FASTER.  WANT TO COMMENT AND REPLY TO THAT?
“I wish that there was some master plan behind it all.  They are welcome to try it.  They are welcome to experience the stress that goes with it.  My heart was pounding out of my chest trying to get in the car and beat the clock.  I don’t wish that kind of stress on anybody.  I think it’s pretty awesome how we have been able to perform in those moments, but it’s not what I want to go through.”
 
IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT POCONO IS BECOMING ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE TRACKS?
“Yeah, I mean shifting here makes this track so much fun. When we weren’t allowed to shift for a while the fun factor kind of went down some.  The gear change allows you to help turn the car it makes it interesting.  You’ve got to manage the tranny there is an RPM match you have to get right getting into third gear.  So, it brings back a lot of fun for me.  Trips to Victory Lane definitely increase the fun factor as well.  Sunday there is good potential for it to be pretty high on my list.”
 
THE FLAT TRACKS GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE ADJUSTABILITY MAYBE. WHAT DO YOU HAVE ON THE FLATTER TRACKS VERSUS MOST OF THE 1.5-MILE COOKIE CUTTERS WHERE YOU CAN ADJUST THE CAR AND MAKE IT WORK BETTER FOR YOUR DRIVING STYLE?  WHAT FITS FOR YOU?
“I think that our team, Chad’s (Knaus, crew chief) and my driving style it takes all those pieces to make it work.  I think we have excelled on different kind of quirky race tracks.  It’s just been us all along.  I know Chad really enjoys setting the car up here because in turn one you have some banking which puts a lot of vertical loading in the car.  Turn two and turn three there is a lot less banking so it’s more lateral load.  There are different adjustments on the race car to affect those areas.  He enjoys the engineering side of it.  I certainly enjoy driving it, but we’ve just had that knack for odd-shaped race tracks.  If it’s Dover, if it’s Martinsville, here has been good to us.  It just works for some reason.”
 
I ASKED JEFF GORDON EARLIER WHEN HE’S GOING TO PUT THAT DAD OWNER HAT ON FOR ONE OR BOTH OF HIS CHILDREN WHEN IT COMES TO RACING.  IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT FOR YOUR FAMILY? 
“We have another girl on the way and if they want to I mean absolutely.  I would love to teach my daughters how to race.  They probably won’t want to listen to me.  I didn’t want to listen to my dad.  I was talking with Ward Burton earlier today and tried to help Jeb (Burton) out as much as I can.  He was thankful because Jeb doesn’t want to listen to his dad.  I said ‘hey man I was there I know.’ So it might be more of a fantasy in my mind where it would be great to teach my children how to race and all that.  I can say that Genevieve is definitely on the girly route.  I’m not sure race cars are in her future. She is into anything pink and princess-ish. Maybe not her, but maybe the second one on the way will be.” 

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 2, 2013
 
Will Power Fastest in Opening Day of Practice
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio (August 2, 2013) –  Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, posted the fastest lap of the week just as time expired on today’s second practice session for Sunday’s IZOD IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. With a lap of 01:05.4332 minute/124.231 m.p.h., Power set the stage for a strong run in tomorrow’s qualifying for the 90-lap/203.22-mile race around the 13-turn/2.258-mile track.
 
After setting the fastest time on Wednesday during the open test prior to the start of the weekend’s activities, defending Series’ champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, turned in the third fastest time of the day at 01:05.5018-minute/124.100 m.p.h.
 
After a 45-minute practice session on Saturday morning, the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams and drivers will prepare for Firestone Fast Six qualifying set to begin at 2:00 p.m. Qualifying will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
 
Sunday’s race is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network.
 
Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 94 and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 212. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOBOWLING.COM 400
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 2, 2013
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Pocono Raceway and discussed racing at Pocono, upcoming test sessions and other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
 
WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK FOR THE RACE WEEKEND?
“It’s a good track for us, a good place for us to come and fight and do battle like what we’ve been used to doing this year and last year to claw our way into the Chase.  There’s not enough points that are safe enough and you want to get those wins to try to secure things up for you.  We’ve got a lot of tough competitors that we’re racing and battling with for 10th in points as well as this wild card spot.  To me, our focus is just getting out there and living up to our full potential and get some consistency out of it.  It’s been one of those years where we’ve seen guys, they hit on something and they go out and win the race and it’s not necessarily, there is no way to predict when and who that is going to happen with.  That’s why we just have to continue to stay focused and work hard because that could be us and if it’s not then we have to make sure that we’re knocking down those top-10s.”
 
WILL YOU START USING YOUR TEST SESSIONS NOW TO MAKE SURE YOU MAKE THE CHASE?
“We also had some tire tests that we had scheduled.  We tire tested at Indy, we tire tested at New Hampshire.  I feel like the one at Indy paid off for us, the one at New Hampshire did not.   The conditions were different when we went back I felt like and now we’re having to go back there again.  We have a test planned there this coming week.  I think that we’ve got some good tests planned.  That’s the tricky part about it is that it has to balance out for all of your teammates.  It incorporates the whole organization on these tests.  We’ve got to compromise a little bit for us where we’re at in points versus where they are and they have to compromise with us a little bit.  I think we found the best balance right now and we’ve got a good plan.”
 
WHAT CHALLENGES WILL THE ADDED SPEEDS PRESENT AT WATKINS GLEN?
“This car definitely has a really good amount of downforce in it and drag, which helps you get in the braking zones and is definitely going to make lap times come down at a place like Watkins Glen that is such a fast road course.  I don’t know if the tire changed there compared to the past and if that contributed to that as well.  The faster you go and especially if you’re getting into braking zones harder than the harder it is to have an advantage in those braking zones versus your competitors.  The more challenges come along with that and of course the faster you go, the more on edge that you’re putting the grip of the tires and the car.  I look for it to be a pretty exciting race.  If it’s tough to pass then that means that the restarts and those double file restarts are going to get wild and crazy like we’ve seen so much of in the past on the road courses.”
 
IS THIS SPORT MISSING YOUNG DRIVERS TO COME BATTLE WITH THE VETERANS?
“I think that’s always great and it’s always exciting to have and Jimmie Johnson’s been the dominant force.  I don’t think a lot of people thought of him as the young gun because he wasn’t super young when he came in the sport, but he certainly has taken all the challengers and thrown them off to the side.  I feel like nobody has really rivaled him and he doesn’t really have a rivalry there.  If he can keep that up, which all signs point that he will then an exciting young driver comes along and is with a good team that can challenge him, that would be the best thing this sport could ever ask for in my opinion.  There’s a couple of them out there, but they’re a few years away unfortunately.  Then there’s always those surprises, guys you don’t anticipate, guys you didn’t know about that come out of nowhere and just blow you away.  Jimmie Johnson is sort of one of those guys.  I don’t think many people anticipated him to do what he did in the Cup Series and look what he’s done.  There’s guys that aren’t on the radar that could do that and then there’s a couple that we all know about that are on the radar.”
 
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE MENTALITY TO WANT TO RACE EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK? “You’re trying to compare my mentality to Tony Stewart’s mentality?  I think he could sit right here and argue that as well.  No, I remember 1991 when I was racing Nationwide and Silver Crown and midget sprint cars and it was cool and exciting and fun and everything, but when I got full-time in the Nationwide Series, I just wanted to focus on that.  I tried to do Nationwide and Cup a couple times and I didn’t really enjoy going back and forth, but my hats off to the guys that do that and enjoy it and do well with it.  I did not see his video and I spoke to him and he seems to be okay.  I’m glad to hear that, but sprint cars are to me some of the most exciting and fun race cars there are to drive.  Anything that you do, you could put yourself at risk so I think that he knows the risks versus the rewards and chooses to do that and I think that’s awesome and he certainly is very impressive when he gets in them how competitive he is and winning World of Outlaw sprint races or being competitive in those races is unbelievable.  I certainly look up to him in that way because I raced those guys in sprint cars and know how difficult that is.  Especially when you’re not doing it all the time.  But you know, if he was a young driver that was coming to work for Hendrick Motorsports, I would try to discourage him from doing that because that’s an investment to us as a team.  We ask a lot out of our sponsors and our team and everything, but he’s the team owner so there’s no asking that out of him.  You don’t want to take away that joy that those individuals have, you want them to make those decisions and choices on their own and just understand what they’re getting themselves into.  Some of the younger guys maybe don’t always appreciate that, but somebody like Tony does and handles himself well with it.”
 
DO YOU THINK ABOUT BEING A TEAM OWNER FOR YOUR CHILDREN IN RACING?
“Oh yeah, when my son was born I thought about that.  My daughter, I kind of want to wait and see what kind of interest level she has.  Just knowing the things that she’s interested in, I don’t see her being that one, but she is very competitive.  My son just loves race cars already at a very young age.  He reminds me of myself.  I never wanted to get behind the wheel of a car, I was always like, ‘No, no, no, no.’  But when you got me in it, I loved it and I was good at it.  That’s kind of how he is.  Not really the first one to just go jump in at it, but once you do, he’s pretty excited about it and he does very well.  I think both kids will drive a race car at some time and then to me, it’s introducing them to it and seeing what kind of interest level they have and whether they’re enjoying it and whether they’re good at it and go from there.  It’s nerve-wracking for me to consider and think about that option because every parent that I talk to says that it’s like the worst torture you could ever have because you’re just not in control, that’s your child so you have this fear of just them not winning or getting hurt, all these things that you didn’t think about when you were doing it.”
 
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND HOW A DRIVER’S PERSPECTIVE OF A RACE IS DIFFERENT THAN THAT OF A FAN AND THEY WATCHED THE SAME RACE?
“Absolutely, but the driver is not watching the race, he is driving the race. There is a tremendous amount of excitement, pressure, and adrena
line rush that is going on inside that car. You could be racing for 26th and the camera never shows you and you may have had the best and most exciting racing you have ever seen but that doesn’t mean people watched it or enjoyed it from home.  So it’s a huge difference and with the world we are in today, it’s the people up there in the grandstands on watching on TV that matter the most.  Sometimes we wish we could change that from inside the car but we can’t so there is no comparison at all, and they are completely different views.
 
“I think what a driver means when he says that is that you wish the people watching, that are not inside the car….and even sometimes the pit crew guys….you wish they could get in there and understand what you are going through so that they would have a much better perspective.  Not only in talking, discussing, and criticizing the details of the race, but also to know what we are going through.
 
“When I watch a race for instance, I watch it with a different type of view because I am a driver and I go, ‘wow, that was an intense moment’, where that might not have even fazed someone who has never driven a race car.”
 
DO YOU HAVE A TESTING GAME PLAN THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US?
“We are going to New Hampshire next week.  We are going to Richmond and a couple weeks after that I think we are going to Texas and then we are going to Homestead in the next month.”
 
HOW MUCH INPUT DO YOU HAVE ON THE TESTING?
“You know, again, we discuss it in our Tuesday meetings and I think all the crew chiefs get together Monday meetings and they come up with the race tracks they would like to go to. 

“They talk to their drivers and get that kind of information and then on Tuesday we look it up on a board and we come up with the best scenario that works for all of us.
 
“For me I think we have a good game plan that works for all of us.   Again, I said earlier that it’s a compromise with the organization.  When you have four teams, not everybody is going to be perfectly suited.  But in this case, I think it suits our needs to get ourselves in the Chase and if we get in the Chase, then it suits our teammates to be very competitive in the Chase.”
 
YOU WERE HERE THE WEEKEND OF THE INDYCAR RACE, WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? 
“Yeah, it was so cool to see those cars doing those types of speeds around this track.  You know, that was probably the thing that stood out the most and was most impressive to me.  The cars are very cool so I enjoy seeing them up close and seeing the technology that they have.  I think my son kind of liked that too – seeing the difference between our cars and the IndyCars.  I can tell you what.  I am very, very appreciative of this sport and this series that we are in because when you drive in that tunnel for an IndyCar race, and you drive in here for a NASCAR race – you get a perspective of how big our sport is.”
 
DID YOU TALK TO A FEW OF THE DRIVERS? 
“Yeah, I talked to a few of the drivers.  What I thought was interesting was that I thought at Indy it was some of the most amazing racing that I had seen in the IndyCar series in a long time and I was hoping that Pocono might offer some of that same type of racing.  But they were saying that turn three was too long and flat of a corner for them to maintain that momentum behind somebody to get that big draft and make those passes down the straightaway versus Indy.  I thought that was very interesting and it was true once the race started because that was pretty much what they had.  I was really blown away with the speeds they ran in qualifying.  I mean gosh, 222 (mph) and to go flat out around here….I was thinking about it today coming down pit road and how much I was braking going into turn three and I just can’t imagine those guys running wide open.
 
“The biggest thing that stood out when I got here last night was all the motorhomes and all the tents and camping and the number of fans that are here for the NASCAR races.  Sometimes we see the decline or something going flat and we are not seeing these grandstands filled up, but let me tell you, go to an IndyCar race and then a month or two weeks later and come back here.  We better be very thankful for all the people we have here.  It’s pretty amazing.”
 
REGARDING IF KYLE LARSON IS MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS, AND WOULD YOU CONSIDER RUNNING A TRUCK AT ELDORA NEXT YEAR?
“I go back and reference 1991 for me and that was my first full year in the Nationwide Series and at that time you are building your career, aligning yourself with the best teams that you can, trying to win races, and trying to establish yourself to get to the next level.  So I think that Kyle (Larson) is quickly doing that and getting a lot of attention.  I think he should race everything that he can possibly get behind the wheel of.   The tricky part is going to be when he is either running for a Nationwide championship or does make that move to Cup, is where he starts to draw the line on that.  Because
 
“Sprint Car racing is in your blood and you want to do it, but again, the Cup team and sponsors invest so much into it that you want full attention.  It can either be a distraction or it can either help you, you just never know.  So, everybody might handle it a little bit differently but I certainly think there might be some cutting back and might not be so much of that.”
 
“He is doing beyond what he should be doing.  Let me tell you what, that kid is unreal.  I wish we had five or six more of him.”
 
WOULD YOU GET IN A TRUCK AT ELDORA?
“They need to shorten the rear bumper on those things (laughs).  They look pretty loose to me before the rubber got down on the track.  They look like fun but my whole thing about what I am driving whether it’s a dirt late model or a Sprint Car, a truck, or a Nationwide car, Cup….I just want to be competitive and want to get enough laps in the car or truck to be competitive at it.
 
“For Tony’s (Stewart) charity event, it’s for charity and we go there to have fun but I can tell you the fun quickly went away in that event as soon as guys started ramping up the seriousness and competitiveness of their cars and teams.   To me, I didn’t have the time to commit to it so I was like, ‘hmm I’m not interested’, and if that is the way it’s going to be.  If you just show up and run whatever you have and go have fun and everybody is laughing about it, then that is one thing.  As soon as it gets very competitive then all the sudden the fun starts to come away and the whole meaning of it starts to get blurred.  But I never say never.
 
“I watched it.  I watched practice, I watched qualifying, watched the heat races.  So I certainly was glued to it from a spectator standpoint.  I was very impressed with the job that the drivers and the teams did.  I was expecting to see a lot more chaos.  So that part was fun and yeah, it made me think that I would like to get out there and try it.  But I have no plans to.”
 
REGARDING HOW BATTLING FOR A CHASE SPOT NOW IS AS INTENSE AS IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE CHASE WAS AROUND:
“This year has been a strange year for us.  I feel like last year we showed a little bit more speed up to this point and I felt like all we needed were some breaks to go our way, and a few slight changes to get ourselves in.   This year we just can’t seem to really get ahold of it. I am approaching it the same way where I give the best information that I can to the team.  You know, continue to just work as hard as I can as a driver to bring us together to make those opportunities happen.  The last couple weeks have gone decent, but know we are capable of just doing so much
more.  So it’s frustrating. It is.  There has been frustration throughout the team that we haven’t been able to perform better than we have.
 
“So every year we have gone through this, it’s a different kind of stress level.  There are stress levels of meeting your full potential, there are stress levels of trying to not let some silly thing happen, or there is the stress level of one little incident.  For me this year it’s been a combination of needing more performance – especially in qualifying – and then I drew number one for qualifying.  So that is going to be interesting.
 
“And also this year I feel it’s been very difficult, because we haven’t qualified good and being further back in the pack and not being able to pass, and not being able to get up through there.   Or it seems like we are not able to get the strategy timed out at the right time.  Seems like there have been many times this year where we try to short pit the caution comes out, and when we try and stay out a caution comes at the wrong time.  So those kinds of things have been frustrating this year.  None of it stops us from working hard together.  We have been through enough that this team sticks together and they fight and we will continue to do that all the way to the end of the season.”  
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOBOWLING.COM 400
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 2, 2013
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the challenges at Pocono and of her year to date, her relationship with GoDaddy, the upcoming road race at Watkins Glen, and more. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
 
WHAT DID YOU LEARN AT THE JUNE POCONO RACE THAT YOU CAN BRING TO THIS RACE?
“Well, all I can think about is that we never did any qualifying runs last time when we were here, with the weather. And all we’ve done so far is qualifying runs. So it’s a very different Pocono, this time around. We’re just trying to work with it.
 
“We fired off okay and it just seemed like as we tried to increase speed, we were finding some issues that were preventing us from being able to go faster. So, we’re trying to keep up with what the car does in qualifying trim. So, it didn’t end up great, but hopefully it will be good in qualifying. It’s challenging to pass here. But I think that our race set-up is good. I felt like it was one of the more balanced cars that we’ve had so far this year, here. So, I think that we have a good direction to go for race runs, but we all know how important qualifying is.”
 
IS THERE A PARTICULAR AREA ON THE TRACK WHERE YOU CAN SEE POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT?
“Umm, when you’re turning the wheel (laughter). All three corners are pretty different, but definitely in the race, (Turn) 3 is very important because it’s the longest straightaway. And in qualifying (Turn) 2 is very important because it’s so fast. I’m looking at like what Tony (Stewart) is doing and I’m like I can’t do that, yet! But I’ll keep working on it.”
 
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU SAW FOOTAGE OF TONY STEWART’S FLIPPING FIVE TIMES IN A SPRINT CAR?
“Yeah, I did see that footage. I think he really much love his Sprint Car racing.”
 
HE SAID THAT US MORTALS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WASN’T A BAD SPRINT CAR FLIP
“Was it because it was slower?”
 
BECAUSE IT WAS KIND OF A LAZY FLIP AND IT WASN’T VERY VIOLENT
“He didn’t do a double flip? Just a single is no big deal? Well, I do understand obviously with how much Ricky loves Sprint Car racing and racing on dirt, that flipping and crashing is very much a part of that sport. And you catch the berm or you clip tires; I mean, it’s an open-wheel car. So, as Tony would say, ‘It’s the open-wheel car; it’s the original open-wheel car’. So, it happens. And with how much they race, some of them race 130 times a year; some race 80 or 90 times a year. There are a lot of chances for accidents when that happens. So, it’s not for me, but those who love it, very much love it.”
 
DID YOU GET A NATIONWIDE RIDE FOR NEXT WEEK? ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT RACE?
“Not at this point. But I can’t say that for sure won’t happen because my Talladega ride was fairly last minute, too. At this point in time, I’m just doing Cup and the good news is I have been there in an IndyCar so unfortunately we wrecked on the first corner last year at Watkins Glen in the Nationwide car, but we’ll get some practice in this time and be ready.”
 
YOU TESTED THERE IN A CUP CAR, DIDN’T YOU?
“No. We tested at Road Atlanta this week. The car felt really good when we went and tested. It is about as good as it’s unloaded off the truck at any point this year; anywhere we’ve gone. So, I hope that translates to good things. It’s not a bad thing, anyway.”
 
DO YOU FEEL GOOD IN GENERAL ABOUT A ROAD COURSE?
“If you had asked me when I was at Sonoma or anywhere around then, I would have said I don’t feel very good. But our test at Road Atlanta was very good, and in general I feel very comfortable on road courses. So, it will be nice because the road courses are a real opportunity for me to get the GoDaddy car further up where some of these tracks are a little bit more challenging for me. So, it’s definitely not Nationwide, when you’re racing Cup on the road courses, but I still feel like there’s an opportunity to have a decent weekend if we can nail the balance of the car and qualify well.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND CONVERSATION WITH THE NEW CEO OF GODADDY?
‘Yeah, Blake (Irving) is a great guy. I’ve met him quite a few times now and spent a lot of time with him. Well, the first time I met him I went in to just say hello and I spend 45 minutes in his office. He’s got a lot of great ideas. He’s got a lot of big plans for GoDaddy. He’s very good at what he does and he has the power to make what he wants to happen, happen because he has a lot of good people that he’s worked with over the years with the other companies that he has worked with. GoDaddy is an incredible company. They’ve grown so much over the last decade and that’s not going to end by any means.”
 
DO YOU FEEL LIKE HE WILL BE A FORCE TO HELP YOU CONTINUE ON?
“Well, Blake (Irving) loves racing with is good. He’s son is really into cars and that’s always a good thing when someone like that likes racing. But you know, it’s still about making that relationship work and making sure that there’s a return on investment for what they’re doing. It’s my job to get out there and represent the company well, to finish well for them so it’s in the papers and on TV. And it’s their job now as Blake really wants to do, is educate the consumer as to what GoDaddy actually does other than domain names. So there’s a big mission. But it’s all in the process right now.”
 
DID HE GIVE YOU ANY ASSURANCES THAT YOU’D BE WITH GODADDY?
“I mean, GoDaddy has been an incredible partner for a really long time and like I said, the most important thing is that there is return on investment for them and that their company keeps growing. And if they keep growing and I’m a part of that, I feel like we’re linked together and we help each other with the success. But it takes two. So my job is to do the best I can for them, and hope that it always continues. It’s been great so far for a long time and we’ve done a couple of contracts, so yeah. I like to think in my mind it starts today, every day it starts, you know? And you just go out and do the best job you can.”
 
YOU’RE NOT ONE OF THOSE DRIVERS WHO LIKES TO GO OUT AND RACE EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK
“No, I’m not.”
 
IS RICKY (STENHOUSE) LIKE THAT?
“Yes, he is.”
 
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT MINDSET AND WHERE IT COMES FROM?
“Yeah, you know, we were at a Kenny Chesney concert last night and this very topic came up and it was talking about how he could race every night. I just don’t have an interest in racing every single night. But coming from Sprint Car racing where you race 80 or 90 times a year, like he used to, 38 (races) is just nothing. So, Kenny was talking about how when he was younger, because well, Ricky is young, you know? And how he felt like he could perform every single night and do the same thing every day. And you get older and you know, maybe you don’t have that. Maybe you do. I feel like those Sprint Car drivers, man, they just love their racing. They are just are used to racing every night. I didn’t come from that background. I watched it. My dad was in it. He raced it and then he worked on the cars. And my mom and dad and sister would go watch on Sunday nights, but I just didn’t come from 90 races a year.”
 
YOU JOKED ABOUT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL HERE, BUT IS IT A HANDLING ISSUE?  DID YOU SEE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT AT INDY?
“I’m definitely working on getting into the corner better. I think that was an issue at Indy and it was an issue in qualifying out there, which is why when I started getting into the corner deeper that it was hitting the splitter and then it wasn’t able to turn and then it just sort of uncovers other issues. So yeah, I am. It started the year off really good from that perspective a
nd it was no issue getting into the corner, but for some reason a little bit lately, it is. I don’t know if it’s these bigger, faster tracks, or not; I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s Tony (Stewart) stepping-up his game (or) Ryan (Newman) getting more comfortable. But you know, it’s not a problem for me. I don’t mind when there are things that I have to work on because it’s something that I can control. When you’re doing everything you can and there’s no way to or you can’t seem to find speed or find a place to get it, then that’s frustrating. So, I understand that I’m a rookie. And I understand that I’m not Tony Stewart and I’m not Ryan Newman right now. And, they’re both extremely accomplished drivers. So, it’s not shocking me that I have things to work on. So I’ll just keep doing that.”
 
DO YOU FEEL ANY LESS PRESSURE OR IS IT CALMER HERE THIS WEEKEND AT POCONO THAN LAST WEEKEND AT INDY?
“No, I felt good last weekend, too. I have a good team around me that makes sure that I don’t feel overwhelmed or feel pressure from certain areas. We did a lot of work to promote the Brickyard 400, for sure, going back to Indianapolis to race a big event there. But I feel pressure every weekend. I don’t care where I go. I feel pressure going to a test. I want to do well everywhere I go and every time I get in the car. And it’s not a no-brainer for me yet. So, it doesn’t change from weekend to weekend for me.”
 
HOW DO YOU MEASURE THINGS? IS IT IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS, OR AT THIS POINT IS IT MORE ABOUT FINE-TUNING? HOW DO YOU ASSESS THINGS FOR YOURSELF?
“I think that it feels small right now, but I think when I look back in years from now, I’m going to see that it was big. But of course, being in the middle of it, the growth always feels small. So, it’s just a process I have to go through. And I hope I can look back and see the big growth because that will be a good thing for me.”
 
HOW DO YOU MEET THE CHALLENGE OF ACCEPTING THE GROWTH PROCESS? OBVIOUSLY, YOU’RE AT THIS LEVEL BECAUSE YOU ARE AN EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE PERSON. HOW DO YOU CONTROL THAT?
“It’s very hard to not get down when you’re not finishing where you want to, ultimately. But there are 42 other people that want to do the exact same thing that you’re doing or that you want to do. You just have to set small goals. That’s the only thing you can do to combat against getting frustrated in the process of where you’re at; set realistic goals. Realistic goals are the most important thing. For me, it’s just been Top 20 all year. And as soon as I finally start doing that all the time, I’ll adjust some. But for right now and for all year, it’s been that.”
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOBOWLING.COM 400
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 2, 2013
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 HAAS AUTOMATION 30TH ANNIVERSARY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Pocono Raceway and discussed his week following winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the similarities between Indy and Pocono, his outlook for this weekend and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM HAVE GOT TO BE FEELING GOOD COMING INTO POCONO THIS WEEKEND?
“Well, we do especially because this was the place of our second top-five of the year here in the first race. Felt like we had a car then that was capable of winning and ironically it was the same chassis as what we ran at Indianapolis last week. Coming off of the win and the momentum of that on top of the fact that we have a little bit of history here with this car at this track, I really look forward to it.”
 
IN ALL THE CONGRATULATORY TEXTS AND EMAILS AND CALLS YOU GOT, DID YOU GET ANY FROM POTENTIAL SPONSORS OR TEAMS BECAUSE OF THE WIN?
“Nothing with respect to that. It was more a matter of friends and family and people that I hadn’t talked to that have helped me in my racing career at some point in my life. Those people I think reached out more than anything else. Obviously it didn’t hurt with respect to that but it’s not like a light switch where you can just flip it and everything turns on. I think it’s up to us as well to do the same thing we did last weekend and at least show that it’s not just a one off deal. We can duplicate and replicate the things that happened. We’ll see how things go.”
 
WITH WINNING AND BEING HIGHER NOW IN THE CHASE CONTENTION FOR THE WILD CARD, HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THINGS FOR THE TEAM? ARE YOU MORE COGNIZANT OF IT NOW?
“It gives us more hope. I mean we had hope in the first place and I’ve said it every time I’ve talked to you guys. We still have a chance of making the Chase whether it’s mathematically or winning. And a win answered the mathematically and winning. Another win would be amazing just based on the history of what I’ve seen with the wild cards. Two is pretty much going to lock you into a wild card spot. And we still have a shot. I think we’re 25 (points) out of 10th and there’s still a lot of racing to go. It hasn’t changed my mentality other than the fact that it changed I guess your hope. It doesn’t change my drive. My drive is to go out and do the exact same thing regardless.”
 
HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE TEAM?
“Same way. They have the same mentality that I do. We’re all on the same ship right now floating in the same direction.”
 
THIS IS A CAR YOU TALKED ABOUT RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS LAST WEEK AND YOU’VE RUN A NUMBER OF TIMES. GUYS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE CARS ALL SEEM THE SAME, CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS CAR OR ARE THEY ALL THE SAME TO YOU?
“There’s nothing that stands out feel-wise that’s different. I think in the end maybe it’s just a matter of coincidence. Sometimes you do hit everything just right with a car where it bends the right way, the body is put on the right way, and things like that. But there’s nothing that I can say that says, ‘Man this car feels amazing compared to another car’. It’s not like we go to a test anymore and take two cars and run this car and then run that car. There’s no real answer that I can give you. Matt and the guys do a good job of taking each car to the wind tunnel and they seven-post the cars and things like that. But it’s hard to get that answer as far as if this car really is that much better. I just don’t feel it per se when it comes to just holding the wheel and pushing the pedals”
 
DID MONDAY FEEL ANY DIFFERENT? DID YOU DO ANYTHING TO CELEBRATE THIS WEEK? OR WAS IT JUST MONDAY AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO ON MONDAYS AND THE REST OF THE WEEK AND JUST FORGOTTEN ABOUT FOR THE MOST PART?
“I think more than anything else I was tired. I really was just tired and I’m still kind of catching back up. Between Tuesday and Wednesday at Eldora, and then we went over to my sister’s house on the west side of Indy on Thursday, and then the entire weekend and all the things. We stay really busy at Indy. It’s kind of like our second Daytona as far as media, events, and things like that. I was really just tired more than anything. I stayed up until 12:21 Sunday night responding to texts. I had 350 texts when I landed. So, that took me a little bit of time. And then everybody that you text responds with something else. It just made for a lot of work but I mean I was thankful for it. It was nice. I’d say of the 350, the coolest part was that there were eight people maybe where I had to text them back and ask who it was. It was just nice to see the people that reached out to congratulate me. There’s nothing that really felt different. I mean I’ve won races before. I’ve won Daytona. I’ve won Martinsville. I’ve won the big ones, I’ve won the “lesser” ones I guess you can say, but it’s still amazing. It’s just an amazing feeling to do what we did as a team. And a new team as I said with Matt and the guys. Matt and I have a lot of history but with these guys we had zero history at the start of the season. To win a big race like that felt amazing.”
 
YOU MADE CRAZY SPEED ALL WEEKEND AT INDIANAPOLIS, WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGE IS THAT? IT SEEMS LIKE THE 48 TEAM IS ABLE TO DO THAT A LOT CONSISTENTLY AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT TRACKS. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THEIR PERFORMANCE AND ABILITY TO DO THAT?
“I think there’s a part of it that is just pure preparation. There’s obviously an understanding. Whether it’s on Chad’s behalf or the engineer’s behalf or the engineering staff’s behalf back at the shop. I think that all that plays into a part of it. And Jimmie obviously, he has no Achilles’ heel. He’s good everywhere. That helps as well. I get to see the feedback of the drivers with our alliance with HMS and Jimmie has amazing feedback. Which I think definitely keeps things sharp. It keeps the pencil sharp at least for Chad to be able to keep doing the things that they do. They are not just good, they are great and that’s why it was additionally gratifying last week to beat somebody who is obviously one of the best and had proven to be the best last year at that race track.”
 
DO YOU GUYS FEEL LIKE YOU WERE AHEAD OF THE GAME AT INDY BECAUSE OF YOUR TOP-FIVE HERE AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE AHEAD HERE THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE OF THE WIN AT INDY?
“I think it helps, no doubt.  I think the tracks are closer than they have ever been basically on the premise of grip and ride quality.  But it doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen.  We can mess it up way easier than we can make it right when it comes to the car and the chassis, and everything else.  But yes, based on our experience in the first race and carrying that same car and information over to Indianapolis, it has great potential for this weekend and that is why I am looking forward to it.”
 
HOW HAS THE INDY WIN HAD AN EFFECT ON YOUR FUTURE AND DO YOU HAVE ANY SPONSORS TO TAKE TO A TEAM NEXT YEAR?
“I don’t know.  You can sit there and talk to somebody but until the writing is on the paper and the ink is dried, you really don’t know.  But I am in a situation where the phone has not rung off the hook with sponsors, or car owners, or manufacturers or any of that.  I didn’t expect it to and I think some people kind of expect it to.  I am working on what I need to work on I feel to be in a good, competitive position next year.
 
“The win helps, but it’s not a light switch.  It doesn’t turn everything on bright.  It helps and gives you a vision, but there is more to it than that.  The $20 million sponsor just doesn’t jump right after you. I wish it did, but it doesn’t.”
 
REGARDING SINGLE WIN SEASONS, AND IF THIS TEAM IS REACTING DIFFERENT TO WIN ADDITIONAL RACES:
“I h
ave got some one-win seasons that I guess on one hand, to go along with your question – that I am proud of.  But at the same time I am not proud of – because when you win once, you should be able to keep winning if you have the tools to do it.  Some teams are fighting for that first victory for maybe not one, but three or four years.  So yes, I think for me it’s a challenge this weekend because I have never won at Indy, and Indy and Pocono are so close.  I think the last person to do it that I remember was Bill Elliott….to go back-to-back and get that done.  I see it as a challenge and I don’t necessarily see anything that our team needs to avoid other than the things we have learned in the first few races before Indianapolis.  We had a bad pit stop at Indianapolis too, but it just wasn’t the last pit stop.   And everything that is negative, you have to avoid.   You are still going to have the negative in there, and it’s how you overcome those things that make you a winner.”
 
GIVEN HOW WELL YOU DID HERE IN JUNE AND THE WIN LAST WEEKEND, HOW DO YOU CARRY THAT MOMENTUM IN HERE ON SUNDAY?
“There are no guarantees, but it’s the same race car and I feel like we have been able to sharpen up some of the things that we did in the June race here.  We have done a lot of testing since then and obviously a lot of racing, and the Indianapolis race was huge.  So hopefully we can make it happen but like I said, there are no guarantees.   It is probably the closest back-to-back races that we have in the season that are somewhat similar on the set-up side.”
 
YOU RAN LAST WEDNESDAY AT ELDORA, AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DOWN THE ROAD NASCAR SCHEDULE A MONDAY NIGHT OR MID-WEEK RACE?
“I think it would be awesome and I have said that for a long time.  I said after Eldora that I can’t believe they are spending $400 million at Daytona when they just need to move dirt in. (laughs) Dirt is cheap…well, it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s cheaper than $400 million.   I think it would be amazing for our sport and I think Eldora was successful from a racer’s standpoint.  I did not see it necessarily from a fan standpoint, but I did actually watch the race afterwards.  I have a biased opinion sitting from my perspective, but I think it would be good and there is a market out there for it.  I think it makes sense to do it during the week, and I have said that for a while.  I wish that we could actually race on a week night and make it simple, and make it good for the fans so that they could come out and be a part of it and free up some of our weekends so that we can have somewhat of a normal life.”
 
REGARDING INDY AND POCONO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE EITHER ONE OF THESE TRACKS IN THE CHASE?
“I don’t really see the need to have either one of these tracks in the Chase.   To me the only wild card in the Chase is Talladega.  I think it would be…..and I think I have said it before….whether it’s even achievable or not, but I would like to replace Talladega with a road course race in the Chase.  What we do at Talladega is so random and your success can be – or your lack of success can depend on, somebody else’s inability so easily there that it’s not the ideal place to have a Chase race.  That is my personal preference.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOBOWLING.COM 400
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 2, 2013
 
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 FXI GUTTERCLEAR 365 CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Pocono Raceway and discussed running at Pocono, similarities between Indianapolis and Pocono, what it means to be in the Chase verses not being in the Chase and much more. Full transcript.
 
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RUNNING HERE AT POCONO:
“I think coming off of last week in Indy and everything that was learned there it will be interesting to see who ran well at Indy and also who can run well here. The tracks aren’t the same by any means, but they are a lot closer since Pocono was paved. We came here and tested in the spring and thought that really helped our program. We came here and ran okay. We had a good car, but didn’t finish as well as we needed to or wanted to. It’s going to be interesting. I think the biggest thing about this weekend is the people that ran well at Indy can they take the same stuff and run well here. I think everybody’s going to try. It will be interesting to see. We had a better car on Saturday than we had on Sunday. It seemed like everybody was affected by traffic for sure. I think our set up was affected a little more than most people’s. We didn’t run quite as well on Sunday as we did Saturday last week, so we made some adjustments and hopefully we learned something from Indy that we can apply here.”
 
WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF TRAFFIC SORT OF IN AND OUT OF THE TOP 10 IN POINTS OVER THE LAST FOUR TO SIX WEEKS; DO YOU SEE THAT CONTINUING OVER THESE NEXT SIX WEEKS?
“I see it continuing. I think there is a lot of inconsistency this year. You look at the teams that are from 10th to 20th, there’s just a great deal of inconsistency in there. None of those teams have shown the ability to maintain momentum. None of those teams have shown the ability from a speed standpoint or a reliability standpoint to get on a roll. Someone will, but I don’t know who that is. Honestly going into Indy I felt like there had been so many things that had gone wrong for us and we had been running so much better that I really felt like we were on the verge to getting on a roll then we had that issue last week. I think all those teams can make that comment. It just seems nobody can get in a rhythm. Someone will, but I expect to see a lot of inconsistencies. Now we’ve got Ryan (Newman) winning last week. That puts more pressure on more teams. That more pressure forces people to do things that otherwise they wouldn’t do and mistakes pop up. So, I think the next six weeks is going to be really interesting. I think it’s going to be a dog fight.”
 
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE NO. 48 TEAM’S PERFORMANCE THIS YEAR, AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THEIR PERFORMANCE AND THE REST OF THE FIELD?
“I think Matt (Kenseth) and his team have in some ways matched it, and in some ways maybe even out performed them. If you look at the mechanical issues the No. 20 team has had and you take those out and you match the reliability of the No. 48, maybe they look the best. Those two teams to me have stood out as being the two best, the two teams that have been able to make the most speed, the two teams that have been able to execute when the opportunity was there. It’s hard to talk about the No. 48 and Jimmie (Johnson) and what they do because what they’ve been doing is what is expected of them. They’ve set the bar so high that when they do phenomenal things it’s oh well its Jimmie. It’s not that big of a deal. It is a big deal, but it’s not perceived as a big deal. So, it’s really hard to put your finger on them because they have such a lofty expectation level. It’s like a football team that wins 14 regular season games. Nobody talks about it because it’s expected and that’s kind of how they are. What they have been doing is phenomenal but it’s almost expected of them.”
 
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE IMPACT OF MAKING THE CHASE VERSES NOT MAKING THE CHASE FOR TEAMS LIKE YOURS?
“It’s big. When you go into that 10-race shootout and you have a chance to win the championship, there’s a completely different feeling and a completely different environment that revolves around a team. Now you may be going into it without really looking at it by any means being the favorite, you might be going into it being the favorite, but you all go into it knowing you have a shot. Those weeks leading up to the Chase, whether you’re fighting to get into it or you already know you’re in it, that’s what it’s all about. When you don’t have it, it’s extremely disappointing and extremely discouraging to everybody involved. These team members, not only the ones on the road but the ones at home; they put their heart and soul into this thing. When you have a goal of making the Chase, and all your efforts are about making the Chase and you’re not going to, what’s your goal? If you have to diminish and lessen your goals, that’s not what any sporting team or business or anything else wants to do. So, it’s a demoralizing event. When that time comes where you are like we can’t make it, it’s just demoralizing. It is. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve still got to keep digging. But it’s a whole lot harder to bring the same effort that a team that’s in the Chase is bringing. It’s harder to bring that effort. You try and you put your effort into it. You get up in the morning thinking about it and you’re wanting to go and prove yourself, your team is wanting to prove themselves and you want to do it together, but it’s not the same as being in the Chase.”
 
WE’VE HEARD FOR YEARS WHERE DRIVERS WILL SAY, FROM WHERE I WAS SITTING THAT WAS AN EXCITING RACE BUT THE FANS WATCHING ON T.V. ARE SAYING ONE LEAD CHANGE UNDER GREEN ALL DAY, IS THERE ANY WAY YOU AS A DRIVER CAN APPRECIATE WHAT THE FANS ARE THINKING? AND IS THERE ANY WAY THE FANS CAN APPRECIATE WHAT YOU’RE THINKING WHEN THE RACE SEEMS TO BE SO DIFFERENT FROM THOSE TWO PERSPECTIVES?
“Not completely. Some drivers aren’t race fans. They race because it’s about them which is fine, there’s nothing wrong with that. We have other drivers that are big race fans. If a driver is a race fan, I think he can understand what the race fans are thinking and what they are saying but not in the extent that you pay however much money as you pay to sit in your seat and you watch a raced that wasn’t satisfying to you. The driver, no matter what the quality of the race is for the fan, his effort and his dedication it might be racing for 15th but he’s doing is best all day to find a way to go to 14th. I go up in the tower a few times a year, go up on the spotters stand or whatever and watch a race, man it’s a different perspective. It looks like everybody is just riding around. I’ll be honest, I’ve driven these things for a long time, there’s times I’m up there thinking man just drive it in the corner, but it’s just not that easy. It’s hard for both sides to see the other side, but I think drivers understand the fans want to see exciting racing. I think the fans know that the drivers want to be involved in exciting racing. It’s way more fun to run side by side and be in the middle of a real tight battle than it is to be nose to tail trying to find your way around one guy. It just is, so we want to be part of that too.”
 
THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE TRACK STARTING WITH THE CONFIGURATION, BUT OVER THE YEARS WE’VE SEEN SOME ODD THING HAPPEN LIKE A FAN WALKING ACROSS THE TRACK, KASEY KAHNE’S CAR GETTING INTO THE TREES OVER AT THE TUNNEL TURN, WHAT’S THE STRANGEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU AT THIS TRACK?
“The fact that they paint a lot of rocks here I think is pretty strange. That must be a Mattioli thing. I thought you were describing Saturday night racing at South Boston there for a little while, people throwing coolers and wildlife running across the track. I can’t say that I’ve had anything all that strange happen h
ere, but when you’re at a 2.5-mile race track and you have three distinct corners, this is a recipe for strange things to happen. It’s in a really interesting part of the country and there is so much wildlife here. It’s a very rural area. All that opens a door for opportunity for things you won’t see necessarily at Indianapolis for example. It’s a unique facility. There’s a lot of history here. When you come in here you can’t think but of Doc (Joe Mattioli) and everything they did to make this race track. I think the boys deserve a lot of credit, the newer generation for really trying to make this track a premier race track. Not only the big track, but the road course too. This new road course that they’ve put in is just a phenomenal facility. I think they deserve a lot of credit trying to step up the quality of the track, the quality of the experience for the fans and the competitors. They have taken a big gamble. Doc was very, very conservative in spending the money as related to continuing to update it. They have taken a different approach. It’s a bit of a gamble for them. They deserve a lot of credit. They’ve made some major expenditures in an effort to try to improve racing for people in this area. Not just stock car racing, but other kinds of racing as well. They need to be commended for that.”
 
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS SPORT NEEDS SOME YOUNG DRIVERS TO CHALLENGE SOME OF THE VETERANS TO BRING IN THE YOUNGER FAN BASE?
“I think we’ve seen a shortage of young drivers coming in over the years because of the lack of sponsorship. I think that part of the cycle of this sport is young drivers. Part of the cycle of this sport is veterans verses new guys. I think that’s exciting. As a 46-year-old driver I understand there’s a lot of young guys that want my seat. By the way, when I was 26 I wanted their seat. That’s how it works and that’s part of it. I think it’s good for the sport to see a mixture of veterans, a mixture of young guys, and a mixture of guys that are kind of on the brink of being one or the other. So, yeah I do. I think we’ve had a shortage, we haven’t seen a lot of rollover. Because of what has gone on in Nationwide, Trucks and other series no driver has ever really stood out because not a lot of drivers are getting the chance that I got or some other guys got. Sponsorship is dried up; a lot of things have happened that’s made it harder for younger guys to break into the Cup level. Yes, I do think it’s good for the sport. It’s natural, it’s what happens. You know, Richard Petty doesn’t drive anymore. Harry Gant doesn’t drive anymore. Those things cycle and it’s good for our sport.”
 
IS THE NEW CAR WHAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE LACK OF CONSISTENCY YOU MENTIONED EARLIER?
“I don’t think so. Really the new car is an aerodynamic change. Parts and pieces aren’t breaking on the new car, because of the new car rather. I think it’s just competitive. This sport from first to 24th is pretty darn competitive. The 30th place car isn’t as competitive as in the sports heyday, there’s no denying that. Those top 23 or top 24 are just really good teams. When you have a bad day it stands out. It really stands out. Good teams can run 18th. That’s what I think has created the inconsistency. It’s just so hard to be good everywhere. Our teams are getting smarter and smarter. It used to be that we would come to Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago or whatever race tracks and we would run the same set up. Maybe the sway bar is a little different, maybe a little less right rear spring, maybe the track bar a little lower, but it was pretty much a basic set up. Today, every race track has its own unique deal because of engineers and all the science and technology that has gotten into our sport allows that to happen. Somebody gets good somewhere at a particular race track; they could be good there but not be good the next week. We really see that in those teams that are from eighth to 20th. Those other teams, they seem to run well everywhere. That eighth to 20th deal, none of those teams, that includes us, have found a way to be good at almost any kind of race track.”
 
REGARDING THE INDIANAPOLIS/POCONO CONNECTION, WHAT EXACTLY TRANSLATES AND IS IT STILL AS TRANSLATABLE WITH THIS CAR?
“It’s more translatable since they’ve paved this track. I never understood how Indy had anything to do with Pocono when this track was a rough as it was and this track had zero grip compared to Indy. Now that this track was paved, there are some similarities in the sense that you have long straightaways. It’s all about aerodynamics, that’s what it boils down to. How you can get your car to sit down the straightaways verses the way it sits in the corners. Because you have long straightaways at both race tracks and both race tracks are smooth, both race tracks have limited banking, that opens the door to similar philosophies from one race track to the next. That’s really what it boils down to, banking, smoothness, grip level; those kinds of things are what make the track. So you can use a basic philosophy from one race track to the next.”
 
SO THE NEW CAR DOESN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
“I don’t think so. That’s my opinion. I don’t really see why this car would make any more difference than the old car. It’s really about the track.”
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOBOWLING.COM 400
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 2, 2013
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PLANES CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Pocono Raceway and discussed his workout routine on the weekend, his outlook for this weekend at Pocono and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR PAINT SCHEME THIS WEEKEND AND YOUR OUTLOOK FOR THE WEEKEND:
“Excited for it for sure, the Dover race earlier this year, I can’t remember what we had on.  Was it Madagascar 3?  Yeah, that is right I just didn’t have a wig to wear this time.  No, I won with 3 what was on the car earlier this year?”
 
THAT WAS DOVER LAST YEAR:
“But Dover this year I had something on there too.  You can tell it’s really embedded in my mind.  Anyway I think they are cool.  It’s great to have them on the race car.  It gets my daughter excited.  The way I became a fan was going to the race track as a kid and if we can capture young eyes and have them watch a race for whatever reason, if it’s a cartoon that they enjoy or a movie from Disney that they enjoy it’s helpful.  I think it’s good for all of us.  It’s fun to have the car look different and everything that kind of spins off from it.  We have had very fast race cars when we have had the Disney movies on our race car.  Excited for the opportunity I think Dane Cook is going to be here this weekend which will be fun.  I’m sure he will make some people smile and laugh.  From what I understand the fly over is going to be exciting too with the plane from the movie. All in all, just a fun way to tie it all in.  I think it’s good for the track, good for Lowe’s, good for myself, good for NASCAR and hopefully we get some new young fans out of it.”
 
MONSTER’S UNIVERSITY:
“That’s what it was Monster’s U.”
 
DOES IT MOTIVATE YOU GUYS WHEN YOU LOSE A RACE LIKE THAT TO COME BACK?
“No, I mean there is more frustration in it than anything.  I mean you hate to give away race wins for whatever reason, especially when you have a dominate car.  Whatever the mistake may be and where it comes from driver or team you just hate having that on your shoulders for the week following.  You are just eager to get on the track and get that behind you.  For me it hasn’t brought anymore focus or drive or meaning to the next event.  It’s some ways some relief, it’s something new to talk about, something new to put your mind on and to move forward from there.”
 
YOU HAVE BEEN DOMINATING THIS WHOLE YEAR IN POINTS.  DOES THAT INFLUENCE THE WAY YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GO INTO THE CHASE? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THE ADVANTAGE?  DOES THAT INFLUENCE ANYTHING THAT YOUR TEAM DOES?
“It’s nice to have the point’s lead.  I think it sends a message to the garage area that we are good on all types of tracks, all types of situations.  But through it all even though I have a huge points lead right now I still have my eyes on three or four cars that I think will be the guys to deal with in the Chase.  I watch them and their performance and how they run, especially on Chase tracks that we have a chance to race at in the regular season and form opinions through all of that.  There is nothing negative to come from the point’s lead and having a big one.   I think race wins sends a really strong message too especially late in the regular season.  If we could win some races that would be another very helpful thing for the No. 48 team.  When things change in September and you are seeded based on wins, 75 points we have now, right now we would be tied with Matt (Kenseth).  I don’t know I guess it would be 40 points, no 20 points, to the lowest person.  We are 75 up now.  It just shrinks so quick and getting into the Chase no matter how dominant you are your point’s lead is never going to be a 75 point spread.  I’m enjoying life now, but I know things are going to get really intense here in 6, 8 weeks, whatever it is.”
 
WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR FELLOW COMPETITORS DO TO STAY IN SHAPE ON THE LONG WEEKEND OTHER THAN GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE RACE CAR?
“I think a lot of us focus during the week in Monday to Thursday, our travel day is when a more structured workout routine and most of us have a trainer that we work with or nutritionist.  If it’s your own individual group of people you work with or someone that the team uses for the pit crew guys.  For myself when I get to the track on the weekends I still stay active.  I got up this morning and ran 6 (miles).  Tomorrow I’m going to ride, it’s just for fun just to stay active and tomorrow’s ride is a lot of fun.  There is a group of probably; it depends, but 8-15 guys that ride and the majority of them are all crew members.  We have our bikes here and we will load up and ride.  This is pretty hilly terrain around here so we will ride; I think this ride is about 50 miles and 5,000 feet of climbing.  We will ride on a Saturday.  That again it’s not a killer pace, we are not trying to race we are just riding along.  If we see a little country store we will stop and grab a Gatorade and a snack, talk a little bit and head off to the next spot.  It’s really a fun way to burn some calories, stay fit and get through the afternoon and not sit in the motorhome on a weekend and eat way too many calories watching television.”
 
HOW DO YOU USE THE NEXT SIX WEEKS?  DO YOU GO AFTER WINS AND THOSE POINTS OR CAN YOU GUYS USE THOSE SIX RACES TO PLAY AROUND WITH THE CAR AND EXPERIMENT?
“Honestly, we need to do both.  We have great speed now, but in two months’ time a lot can change.  If the Chase started now we would probably be more conservative and just refine the package that we have now.  You can’t give the garage two months things are going to change too much.  We will try to manage both.  I think the closer we get to the Chase the importance definitely is on winning, but top three’s, top five’s is really the motivation there and to get into that rhythm. To feel the pressure from a driver’s stand point to perform each week and also for the pit crew on pit road there is just a mental advantage, I believe, if you are able to live in that top three world week in and week out.  That is the world you have to be in to win the championship.  If you are running, 15th, 18th and then expect to handle all forms of pressure when the Chase starts, I just don’t think that is all that possible.”
 
WITH WATKINS GLEN COMING UP I JUST WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK TO LAST YEAR.  YOU FINISHED THIRD THERE, BUT THE END OF THE RACE WAS SO CRAZY.  WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE END OF THAT RACE?  JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING WHY HAVE ROAD COURSES GOTTEN SO CRAZY?
“They were too far ahead for me to really see.  My spotters around the race track kept encouraging me to stay on the road and hurry up because the leaders were going to crash and wreck.  When I saw the video now I understand why.  It was a really exciting final lap or so.  I think that we have all become very comfortable behind the wheels of these cars on the road courses.  When a so called ringer comes in I’m not sure if they really run in the top-10 any longer.  All the oval specialists have worked very hard to understand road course racing and the teams have as well.  It’s a chance for a win and I think guys are very hunger to win on road courses because there are only two a year and we all want to be well balanced racers.  We all want that nod of the hat, that ‘W’ in the win column that you have won on a road course.  I know that I did and I still want more.  I would love to have more than just one and hopefully we can get one at ‘the Gle
n’.”
 
YOU ARE ONE OF SIX GUYS THAT HAVE SWEPT THE SEASON RACES HERE AT POCONO.  YOU HAD A SWEEP AT DAYTONA THIS YEAR.  WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SWEEP RACES?  WHAT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS RACE AS OPPOSED TO EIGHT WEEKS AGO HERE?
“Pocono to me has always been a track that I felt a sweep is possible and easier to have a sweep here than other tracks just due to the calendar.  There is not a lot of time between the first race and the second race.  Things don’t change a ton.  The track doesn’t change a ton although it does lose some grip later in the season.  With the cool temperatures this weekend I’m not sure it’s going to be much different than what we had in the spring.  The Daytona sweep I would say is probably the hardest one to get.  When you look at restrictor plate racing and the draft and how many cars really have a shot to win, I think the odds shift the other way pretty far.  For a while there I think the first handful of years of my career we were able to sweep each year.  We had a nice consecutive streak going then that came to an end.  I’ve personally enjoyed sweeps. They have meant a lot to me and happy that I have one this year.  It would be awesome to have two sweeps in a year if that is possible this weekend.”
 
YOU ARE NOT USING THE SAME CHASSIS THIS WEEKEND AT POCONO THAT YOU USED LAST WEEKEND AT INDY.  HOW MUCH DO YOU LEAN ON ONE FOR THE OTHER GIVEN THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE TWO RACE TRACKS?
“We took the race winning car from here to Indy and finishing where we did we just didn’t get the car back in time to turn around and bring it here.  We would have loved to have brought that race car here.  We feel like in today’s world in the rules and the templates and everything it takes to bring a race car to the track today it’s much easier to repeat and bring a car as good if not better than five, six years ago especially the gen-4 race car.  It was very tough to repeat with those cars.  We definitely did have a favorite there.  Anymore I can’t tell the difference.  I know that we have our latest package on this car and it shouldn’t be a lot different than what we had before.”
 
PEOPLE ARE USING THE WORLD DOMINATE OFTEN TO DESCRIBE YOUR SEASON.  HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE YOUR COMPETITIVENESS AND SPEED EVERY WEEKEND TO THE BEST SEASONS YOU HAVE HAD TO DATE?
“I feel like the team, the cars, our racing ability and the things needed to be dominate it’s right there if not a touch ahead of my best year where I think I won 10 races.  The difference is execution.  We have left races sitting on the table.  We have the foundation of our most dominate year, but finishing it off and executing we have given up some races this year.  That would be the only difference in it, the only thing that would kind of pull it back down.”
 
SOME TALK LAST WEEK ABOUT PASSING VERSUS RACING AND WHAT MAKES A GOOD RACE.  FROM A DRIVER’S STAND POINT HOW MUCH MORE FRANTIC IF IT IS MORE FRANTIC FOR A DRIVER ONCE YOU LOSE ALL THE TRACK POSITION YOU HAVE HAD ALL DAY?
“It gets really frantic to be honest with you.  Especially if you haven’t been in traffic throughout the day and you have set your car up to run in clean air typically you can have the car a lot freer when you have the whole race track to yourself and solid clean consistent air on the car.  For me when I got in traffic last week my car would get a lot looser.  I was already on the free side and was already struggling up off the corner, but having the lead like we did, clean air, stable air, I could really use that to my advantage.  Lap traffic was a struggle then trying to run Ryan (Newman) down at the end was tough.  Obviously, didn’t get there and I only feel to second and I’m not saying that is why I didn’t catch Ryan. If you go from first to 15th it’s a game changer.  Your car drives so different.  Especially if you have run up front for an adjustment or two and you fall back it is a totally different world deep in traffic.”
 
YOU HAVE SAVED YOUR NASCAR TESTS TO THE LATTER PART OF THE SEASON WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE OR IS THERE A FEAR OF TOO MUCH WORK FOR THESE GUYS AT THE LATTER PART OF THE SEASON AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS GOING TO HELP YOU THE MOST AS YOU GUYS DO THESE TESTS UPCOMING?
“That is a great point we are definitely going to work our guys hard.  You have to build great depth in your team so that you can let your road crew guys sit home while the team goes and tests.  That is one thing we have been working hard on to make sure that we don’t have our race day road crew guys just getting worked to the bone. Although some cross over and go regardless we can’t get around that, but what really changes it this year and makes it less specific per team is the rules. You have to test as an organization.  So to get all four drivers and crew chiefs to agree on what are the most important tracks we all have to compromise a little bit.  Strategically we wanted to save some tests around the end of the regular season in case we had someone on the fence there and needed to get them into the Chase.  We have been preserving our tests waiting for the right strategy and trying to think what is best for the company, what gives the company the best opportunity to win a championship. Clearly testing at Chase tracks is the best thing for that.  It will put a strain on our crew and we have been trying to build depth.  Especially Chad’s (Knaus) side of things he has believed in depth for a long time and we can go look at our over-the-wall crew and see what he has done there.  We have the same thing going on in the shop.  I feel as far as the No. 48 team goes it’s going to be tough, but the guys are excited for it.  We do have some depth to get some rest.”
 
WAS THERE ANY EXTRA WORK DONE ON PIT STOPS THIS WEEK OR ANYTHING AFTER THE LAST ONE DIDN’T GO SO WELL ON SUNDAY?
“Not that I’m aware of.  I talked to the guys Sunday night and just asked them to enjoy the pain, let it sit there, let it hurt, let it bother you, but Monday morning when they started hitting lugnuts and jacking the car and going through their routine that it was out of their mind.  I asked them also to be fearless when they hopped off the wall this weekend and just do their jobs.  The worst thing any of us can do that have to go out and perform is to carry something in the back of your mind mentally.  That will do more damage than you can ever imagine.  We had some great conversations Sunday evening.  The guys had solid stops all week and I didn’t hear of anything additional.  Just kind of a normal week for the guys.”
 
WHEN YOU WIN SO MUCH AND WHEN YOU RUN UP FRONT SO MUCH DOES IT MAKE THE TOUGH LOSSES EASIER TO FORGET ABOUT THAN MOVE ON FROM THAN SAY A BACK OF THE PACK DRIVER WHO THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIS ONLY CHANCE TO WIN?
“It’s hard to say.  I mean Indy means so much to everybody.  I think that one stings universally it doesn’t matter if you are a regular up front or wherever you run.  For me my eye has always been on the big prize and that is the championship.  The comments I made following the race were sincere in how I felt because of where my viewpoint is.  I’m not going to make a comment that is going to tear down my race team and prevent us from winning the big prize, winning the championship.  That is the way we all think on the No. 48.  Eye on the big prize, it absolutely stung.  It wasn’t fun for any of us, but the best thing we could do is get back to our jobs and fortunately or unfortunately forget about Indy and move on. The faster we move on from that the better we are going to do here.”  
 

Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Teams Ready for Challenge of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 31, 2013) – After a short break in the schedule, the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams and drivers head to the rolling hills of central Ohio to take on the challenges of the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Lexington, Ohio.
 
“Team Chevy is anxious to get back to racing after a couple of weekends off to recharge,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “The Mid-Ohio circuit is always a favorite that poses a highly technical challenge for the drivers and teams to get the most out of their cars.  The Open Test hosted by IndyCar on Wednesday will provide a good opportunity to get dialed in before the race weekend starts.  With a baseline from last year when Team Chevy secured 7 of the top 10 finishers, we have a strong foundation to build upon, coupled with significant improvements since then and the best engine reliability in the Series.  It should be another great IZOD IndyCar race weekend for the fans.”
 
With just six races remaining in the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season, the 90-lap/203.22-mile race is pivotal in the overall championship battle.  Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves holds a 29-point lead after 13 races as he prepares for the Honda Indy 200 at the track where in 10 previous career starts, he has earned two wins (2000 and 2001), two poles and five podium finishes.  He’s led 141 laps at Mid-Ohio over the years and has completed all but three laps of competition in his starts.  Castroneves has one win this season, in June at Texas Motor Speedway.
 
Defending Series’ champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay, sits third in the standings on the strength of two wins (Barber Motorsports Park and Milwaukee Mile) with his Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti sitting fourth in points.
 
Chevrolet continues to lead the Manufacturers’ Championship standings with seven wins to-date.
 
Qualifying for Sunday’s race will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
 
Sunday’s race is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network.
 
Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 94 and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 212. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at

Brickyard 400
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Indianapolis Motor Speedway       
July 28, 2013  
 
Race Highlights:  
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 12th (Paul Menard), 19th (Kevin Harvick), 26th (Austin Dillon) and 43rd (Jeff Burton) in the Brickyard 400.
Following the event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Harvick remains fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Jimmie Johnson by 92 markers, while Paul Menard sits 19th, 39 points outside of the top 10, and Burton ranks 20th, 241 points back from the leader.
The No. 29 Chevrolet SS team ranks fourth in the Sprint Cup Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 27 team 20th in the standings and the No. 31 team 21st.
According to NASCAR’s Post-Race Loop Data Statistics, Menard ranked third in Green Flag Passes making 119 throughout the course of the 160-lap event, and was credited with one of the Fastest Laps Run.
Harvick made 99 Green-Flag Passes, ranking him fifth in the loop-data category, 29 of those passes came while running in the top 15 (Quality Passes).
Burton completed 53 Green-Flag Passes during 160-lap event and was credited with two of the Fastest Laps Run.
Dillon made 74 Green-Flap Passes during the Brickyard 400.
Ryan Newman earned his first victory of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season and was followed to the finish line by Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, August 4. The 21st race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at Noon Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio channel 90.
 
 
Menard Finishes 12th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400
 
Paul Menard started the No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet from the 23rd position and persevered through handling issues to finish 12th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. In the early stages of the Brickyard 400, Menard relayed to the crew that he was fighting a loose-handling condition. Crew chief “Slugger” Labbe elected to make a variety of chassis adjustments during the ensuing pit stops to help remedy the handling issues. Restarting 19th after a lap 83 pit stop, Menard quickly picked up three positions and was running in 14th when he communicated to the crew his car was the best it had been all day. On a different pit strategy than the majority of the 43-car field, Menard was able to stay out and lead lap 146 before bringing his No. 27 machine down pit road one final time on lap 147. Pitting for right-side tires and fuel only, the Richard Childress Racing driver restarted 17th with just 12 laps remaining. Determined to make his way back toward the front of the field, Menard gained five spots in the final laps to finish 12th at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Menard sits in the 19th spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings heading into Pocono Raceway next weekend.
 
Start – 23         Finish – 12         Laps Led – 1         Points – 19th
 
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“We battled handling issues throughout the majority of the race, but the guys never gave up. The No. 27 Duracell/Menards crew worked hard all day and we made a bunch of different adjustments. ‘Slugger’ (Labbe, crew chief) did a great job on the box with pit strategy; it wasn’t an easy race to call. The whole team fought hard all day and we were able to come home with a 12th-place finish.”
 
 
 
     
Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Team
Settle for a 19th-Place Finish in the Brickyard 400
 
Following a string of nine-consecutive top-10 finishes, Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s team settled for a 19th-place result in the Brickyard 400 Sunday afternoon. The California native started the 160-lap race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the 24th spot and maintained a position within the top 20 for the majority of the event, while battling handling issues. Crew chief Gil Martin utilized pit strategy by coming down pit road on lap 115 under caution for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment while other teams opted to stay out. The decision allowed Harvick to take over the lead on lap 144, while those who opted not to visit pit road under caution did so during green-flag conditions. Despite moving to the front and leading laps, the Jimmy John’s team wasn’t able to make it to the end without stopping again for fuel. Harvick relinquished the lead on lap 146 for the team’s final two-tire and fuel pit stop. The Richard Childress Racing driver returned to the track in the 19th position, where he ultimately finished the race. Following the event, Harvick remains fourth in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
 
Start – 24         Finish – 19         Laps Led – 2         Points – 4th
                       
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“This definitely wasn’t the finish the Jimmy John’s team was going for today. We just couldn’t get the handling of the car where it needed to be. We’ll continue to take this season one race at a time, put this one behind us and start focusing on Pocono (Raceway).”
 
   
 
 
Mechanical Issue Ruins Burton’s Afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
 
After running in the top 20 for most of the afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jeff Burton’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet suffered severe mechanical issues that relegated the Richard Childress Racing driver to a 43rd-place finish in the 2013 Brickyard 400. Starting from the 16th position, the South Boston, Va., native maintained a top-20 running position for the majority of the 20th annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at the historic 2.5-mile track. Working with interim crew chief Matt McCall, who was subbing for the ill Luke Lambert, the No. 31 Chevrolet pit crew improved the handling of the car during multiple four-tire pit stops early in the race. On lap 82, the 21-time Sprint Cup Series race winner radioed to the team there was a problem with the transmission of the RCR machine. Burton tried to bring the car to pit road for service, but wasn’t able to make it back and the caution flag was displayed. Burton went to the garage where the Caterpillar crew replaced multiple parts underneath the car and returned to the track on lap 128 in the 43rd position, 49 laps down to the leader. Burton spent the final 40 laps running consistent top-15 lap times, but the 46-year-old driver was unable to gain any positions in the process and scored a 43rd-place result. Burton now sits 20th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
 
Start – 16          Finish – 43          Laps Led – 0          Points – 20th
 
JEFF BURTON QUOTE:
“It was a tough day for the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team. We were hanging around the top 20 when something in the transmission broke and sent us to the garage area for repairs. I’m not sure what happened, but I’m proud of the team for getting the car back out there. This team never gives up. We just need to stay positive and know our Chase (for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) hopes are still very much alive.”
 
 
 
 
 
Dillon Earns a 26th-Place Finish in First-Career Brickyard 400 Start
 
Driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Mycogen Seeds, an Indianapolis-based D
ow AgroSciences brand, Austin Dillon earned a 26th-place finish in his first-career Brickyard 400 race. The Welcome, N.C., driver started the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the 20th position and cited a tight-handling condition at the start of the 160-lap event. A green-flag pit stop on lap 27 for four Goodyear tires, Sunoco Green E15 fuel and a right-side track bar adjustment designed to improve Dillon’s handling challenges provided no relief to the driver in subsequent laps, and he fell one lap down to the race leader during the next green flag run. Dillon spent the remainder of the race battling for the “Lucky Dog” position so he could rejoin the lead lap cars, but caution flags did not fall in his favor. When the caution was displayed on lap 59, the leader opted not to pit preventing the No. 33 team from taking the “wave around” to rejoin the lead lap. Instead, Dillon pitted for fuel and right-side tires, restarting in the 26th position on lap 64. The tight-handling condition remained problematic for the current NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader, even after making his final pit stop for four tires and adjustments under green-flag conditions on lap 145. He ultimately posted a 26th-place finish, one lap down.
 
Start – 20          Finish – 26          Laps Led – 0          Points – N/A
                                  
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“It was a long day in the Mycogen Seeds Chevrolet, but I learned a ton that I can use next year in this race. I was really tight all day and we never really got the track position we needed here, which is what it’s all about at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”