NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
DUCK COMMANDER 500
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 10, 2015
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 AXE CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Texas Motor Speedway and discussed returning to competition after missing the race at Martinsville Speedway, the mentorship program he is involved with this weekend with Coby Henslee and many other topics. Full Transcript:
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN AS PART OF THE AXE WHITE LABEL COLLECTIVE?
“I got to have some fun yesterday with Coby (Henslee) a part of the Axe White Label Collective it is a mentorship program. I got to go over there and drive a legends car for the first time. I think I was supposed to give tips, but that was my first time in the car so he was giving me all the tips. I had a lot of fun and it is cool to get to hang out with him this week. And get to try and give any advice I can. I hope he has had fun so far and looking forward to see how he does the rest of the week over there on the little Texas track.”
HOW WAS YOUR DAY COBY?
Coby Henslee: “My day has been real fine. Yesterday racing all day, all week, practiced Monday, running real nice out there. We have just had a streak of bad luck. It’s been fun.”
WHO KIND OF HELPED YOU GET YOUR START AND HOW DID THEY HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY?
“I would say my Dad was probably the biggest mentor to me growing up. Starting out in go-karts, really before go-karts, just getting me and even my sister involved in racing by going to sprint car races to watch growing up. He built me my first go-kart when I was four just to play around in, then got me into it when I turned seven to go racing. Even up until now he is still just like any Dad he gives you lots of advice and stuff. Definitely without him I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at today. Who knows what I would be doing without my Dad. He is definitely my greatest mentor I’ve ever had.”
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO FACE A MEDIA CENTER?
Coby Henslee: “It’s very nerve racking. Just staring at all the cameras. It’s a fun experience to have and to have that experience is really nice.”
SO IT’S A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO HAVE PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE ON A BIG PLATFORM IS THAT A GREAT DEAL FOR YOU? TO HAVE PEOPLE SEE YOU AND INTERVIEW YOU?
Coby Henslee: “Very much so. It’s really nice to be exposed and to have this experience is nice to have. Not everybody can do this. I’m just glad I can do this and get up here with Kyle (Larson) and have him mentor me.”
WE ARE SIX RACES INTO THE SEASON HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK WE CAN TELL WHO IS GOING TO BE GOOD AND WHO STILL HAS WORK TO DO?
“I think you could have evaluated after Atlanta really because those are the majority of the tracks we are going to run on. It seems like the same people that were good last year are good this year. There are a couple of cars that are better than they probably were last year and a couple that maybe are struggling a little bit more. I feel like our team is about where we were when we ended the season last year. We still have some work to do to be able to contend each week. We are getting really close. We just have to, both me and Jamie (McMurray) have to have a little bit better luck at the end of the race and we should be back up there challenging for wins.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR EMOTIONS SITTING IN THE HOSPITAL HAVING TO WATCH THE RACE FROM MARTINSVILLE?
“Yeah, it’s never good when you have to miss a race. But it was good to get all those tests ran on me to know that I am 100 percent healthy, just had a bad morning. Yeah, it is exciting to get back in the race car later today in a couple of hours. Missing one race sucks, but at least it wasn’t more than just one.”
INAUDIBLE:
“Yeah, definitely when you are young you think you are bullet proof and that is just one little instance that shows you that you aren’t. You’ve got to take care of yourself as you get older, definitely going to try and do a better job of that.”
BEING OUT OF A RACE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS DID THAT FEEL LIKE A LONG TIME GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF SEAT TIME YOU HAVE?
“Not really because I haven’t raced any sprint car stuff for a couple of years, at least during the year. But it was nice to have the real week off. It wasn’t nice not getting to race Martinsville. But now having a kid and stuff it’s cool to get to have an off weekend like that and get to hang out. We got in our swimming pool for the first time. We went to one of our mechanics house for Easter. It was fun to get to spend the weekend with them at home. Yeah, ready to get back on this long streak of races.”
HOW HARD WAS IT TWO WEEKS AGO TO WATCH THE RACE FROM MARTINSVILLE? WHAT PREPARATIONS ARE YOU TAKING THIS WEEKEND TO PREVENT THINGS LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?
“Actually I felt like I was still able to learn some things by sitting in the hospital bed watching the race. Martinsville is where I struggle the most on our tour. I was able to watch the good guys really because I’m never around the good guys during the race at Martinsville. The cameras are on them a lot so I can see what they are doing and listen to radio communications and things like that. Definitely learned a little bit and as far as here on out just make sure I drink enough fluids and probably try and eat breakfast in the morning.”
YOUR DIET PLAN HAS ALSO CHANGED? CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT?
“Yeah, it stinks when you come here to Texas and they have the Fuzzy’s Tacos that are really good and you can’t go over there and eat them probably. I hate breakfast, so I’ve got to find somethings that I like to eat in the morning and just make sure I drink enough fluids. I feel like I take decent care of myself. That morning was a little bit different because I overslept and had to rush out to the car, but we should be good.”
WHEN YOU ARE WORKING WITH A YOUNG DRIVER LIKE COBY WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES THAT YOU WANT TO HELP DEVELOP IN HIM THAT WILL DIFFERENTIATE HIM FROM THE THOUSAND OF OTHER TALENTED KIDS OUT THERE?
“I always try and make sure they are always having fun. That is the main thing. To separate them from all the thousands of kids that are trying to make it, it’s tough. A lot of it comes down to luck and meeting the right people. Hopefully, doing this will help him get to that next step. He is already a really good driver. Like yesterday, I really couldn’t give him any advice, because I was the one that was slower than he was. He was out there just playing with me really and slowing down so I could catch up to him. I hope with an opportunity like this for Coby it just helps him meet the next person that helps him get to the next step in racing.”
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO LEARN FROM KYLE LARSON?
Coby Henslee: “I think Kyle is a good mentor because he is good in everything he jumps in. In the legend car yesterday he was running amazing times. The way he handles himself in front of the media and like after races I just idolize him in everything he does. When he jumps out of the race car he is professional about what he does. That is just how I picture him is the mentor.”
IS THIS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM SOMETHING THAT WILL CONTINUE BEYOND THIS WEEKEND?
“Fans and whoever can go onto Chip Ganassi Racing’s Facebook page and register for another chance for me to mentor them. They will get to come to Charlotte and go to the Hall of Fame and come hang out at the shop. Then we will go to the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That is the next mentorship thing I’ve heard about. I would like to do it more in the future. This is really fun doing this stuff. It’s different than normal stuff we get to do.”
INAUDIBLE:
“I haven’t heard. That would be fun. I have gone there a few times to go watch on those Tuesday nights and they are exciting for sure.”
TESTING AT RICHMOND THIS WEEK WAS THAT BENEFICIAL AT ALL?
“Yeah I think so. Even though everything checked out fine it is nice to get in the car and make sure everything was still fine in the cockpit as far as health goes. And to get, after being out from almost two weeks, to get back in the race car before you come to a real race weekend. It was good too. It was nice to get in the car Wednesday there.”
SO MANY OF THE TRACKS ON THE CIRCUIT ARE 1.5-MILE, TWO TOP 10’S LAST YEAR AT TEXAS WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK THAT YOU LIKE OR YOU EXCEL AT HERE AND WHY?
“I like Texas because it is pretty bumpy and the surface is worn out. You can move around on the race track, you can run the bottom all the way to the top. (Turns) 1 and 2 are really tricky to run the top because there are so many bumps. So it is just a technical race track that I seem to do well at I guess. I hope we can go out there this weekend and improve on those top 10’s and turn them into two top five finishes this year. Two wins would be good.”
GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR SHORT TRACK PROGRAM AND BRISTOL SPECIFICALLY COMING UP:
“Bristol is one of my best tracks. I came close to winning a couple of Xfinity races there and ran pretty well there in the Cup car last year. As far as Richmond goes, it is probably one of the tracks that I don’t do very well at. So it was good to go there Wednesday to test and try and learn some more things behind the wheel, as well as, the team trying to get a better set-up there for us. Bristol is probably the only short track I run well at. Hopefully we can go there and do well again.”
DO YOU STAY IN CONTACT WITH CHRISTOPHER BELL? ARE YOU AN ADVOCATE TO SEE HIM MOVE TO NASCAR ONE DAY?
“He is already on track to move up in NASCAR with Toyota. They have been doing good with getting him in the right opportunities to win races in good equipment. Yeah, Chris is really good. He is probably, I don’t know, a lot of people here probably haven’t heard of him yet. Or maybe they have since he’s been racing late models, but he is definitely the best driver for sure for any age group coming up right now. He definitely has the talent and what it takes to make it to the Cup Series in a few years. I hope to see him up here.”