NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
MEDIA DAY
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 16, 2016
MICHAEL McDOWELL, NO. 59 THRIVENT FINANCIAL/ KLOVE RADIO CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. Full Transcript:
HAVE YOU REPLAYED THAT (QUALIFYING) LAP IN YOUR MIND?
“I wish I wouldn’t have had breakfast (laughs). It’ll drive you crazy, wouldn’t it; two hundredths of a second. You know, the thing is, I got through the gears well. I think I maximized everything I could, so there wasn’t a whole lot that I could’ve done different. But there are always ways to find two hundredths; it’s the same for everybody. But you got to be a little bit, to me, I just let it go a little more than that and we just didn’t get in. We’ve got do it on Thursday.”
DO EVER FEEL FOR WHAT THE NEXT FRONTIER IN SAFETY IS? THE CAR, THE TRACKS?
“I think that the technology is always getting better and better; we have to stay current with that. The safer barriers have done a great job. I think that we are learning where the best spots are for them and not for them. NASCAR has added a tremendous amount of safer barriers around all the race tracks and they continue to do so. I think the cockpit area is the next big area of concern that we should approach. But it’s hard to do because these cars are – a lot is being manufactured at once and so the change of foundational, chassis structure is difficult to do. I know they are looking at door plates and cockpit restraint areas. Racing is dangerous. It will always be dangerous. I don’t want to say it’s supposed to be dangerous, but at a certain level, I feel like the reason that some of the guys in our support are super stars is because not your average Joe is going to go out there and put their neck on the line at 210 mph. If we make it so easy and so safe, it’s no different than hopping in your minivan and driving down the road, there is not much star power in that.”
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE DRIVING IN A BIG TRUCK?
“Yea, actually I do. I have driven my own haulers before.”
WHAT’S THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
“I love it! I’m not sure if I am the only driver or not, but I drive my motorhome to all the races with my family. I am on the road with the truckers every day. It’s a different perspective, you get windshield time. Windshield time is nice. You get ten or twelve hours of just you and the road. Gives you time to reflect and think about (things). Well it would be way easier to jump on my helicopter, then on my plane and have my motor coach driver drive it. But that isn’t in the cards for me. So you just enjoy it.”
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN OF ATTACK ON THE TRACK AT DAYTONA?
“Well, my plan is the similar to years past. Get in the line that is moving and get myself in a position to where if it does gets single file that you are in that lead pack and you can make it through that first pit stop. Because that first pit stop is really the key to the race. If you come off pit road and you are with the lead pack, then there is a good chance you are in a good position. If you slide your tires or somehow loose that pack, you are done. You are going to have to really push hard in the beginning to stay in that top pack.”
YOU’VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION BEFORE, DOES IT STILL MAKE YOU NERVOUS?
“Still makes you nervous. I’ve been in this position every time, I’ve never been locked in. But I’ve missed some too. You remember that and it’s not a position that you want to be in.”
IS TY (DILLON) IN YOUR DUEL? TALK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH RCR.
“I don’t know, I think he is in the second Duel. That’s the good thing with our partnership with RCR, there are a lot of RCR cars out there; so we will have some help.”