All posts by ARP Trish

Chevy Racing–Phoenix Post Race

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
ADVOCARE 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 10, 2013
 
 
Kevin Harvick Wins at Phoenix for Second Consecutive Year to Lead
All-Chevrolet Top-Six Finish
Jimmie Johnson Extends Points Lead to 28 Points With One Race Today
 
PHOENIX (November 10, 2013) – Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, proved once again that not only is Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) one of his favorite tracks, it is also the track where he has scored the most victories in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) career. Credited with leading four times for a total of 70 laps, Harvick scored his fourth win of the 2013 season and his fourth win at the track in the desert west of Phoenix, Arizona.
 
“We were all pushing it on gas there to try to just put enough in it to get to the end so that we could gain all the track position we could under green,” said Harvick.  “I saw (then race leader) Carl Edwards slowing with about maybe a lap and a half, two laps to go.  Richard (Childress) came across the radio and said he was slowing down.  I’m like ‘dang we might still be in this thing.’ Just have to thank all the guys on my Budweiser Chevrolet.  The car was rocking all day.  Just wound up in Victory Lane where it needed to be.”
 
The victory keeps Harvick third in the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (Chase), just 34 markers behind the leader, with one race remaining in the season.  It also brought the total wins for Richard Childress Racing in NASCAR National Touring Series competition to an impressive 200 trips to Victory Lane.
 
Kasey Kahne, No.5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, finished second after leading twice for a total of 41 laps.  Kahne moved up one position to12th in the standings heading into the final event.
 
Jimmie Johnson came into the PIR race with a seven point lead in the Chase as he pursues his sixth NSCS championship, and finished third behind the wheel of the No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet SS.  After starting on the pole, the five-time champion overcame two close calls to lead just one lap in the 312-lap/312-mile/500K race. The team rallied back and now heads to the finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway with a 28-point lead.  Johnson needs a 23rd place finish or better to clinch the title; 24th or better if leading one lap or 25th or better if he leads the most lap.
 
“I knew I had a great race car and that makes life a lot easier,” said Johnson. “I really had to fall back on my dirt driving skills racing out here in the desert all the years that I did.  All those incidences were close.   The second one, I thought I was hitting the wall so I was glad that we got it gathered back up and got it going.  Then the No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) wasn’t having the best day, so after that issue we came to pit road and left and I expected him to be ahead of me and he was behind me.  So at that point I knew I was in good shape relative to the championship battle; knew I had a good car, knew I could get through traffic, and I knew it was just about getting points on him at that point.”
 
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS, finished fourth and remains fifth in the standings as the 2013 closes next weekend.
 
Kurt Busch brought the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet SS, to the checkered flag in fifth place to maintain 10th in the standings.
 
Giving Team Chevy the top-six finishing positions was Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS.
 
Ryan Newman, No. 39 Quicken Loans/Salute to Veteran’s Day Chevrolet SS, finished 10th to give Chevrolet seven of the top-10 in the AdvoCare 500. The run moved Newman up to 11th in the Chase standings.
 
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS, finished 14th after leading four times for a total of 49 laps.  The four-time NSCS champion sits sixth in the standings.
 
The final race of the 2013 NSCS season is scheduled for Sunday, November 17, 2013 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK AND CREW CHIEF GIL MARTIN, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS, AND RICHARD CHILDRESS, TEAM OWNER, RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING – RACE WINNERS
POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
 
KRISTI KING: We will continue our post‑race media availability.  We welcome our winning race team and our race winner Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet.  This is Kevin’s 23rd victory in 454 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, fourth win at PIR ‑‑ this ties Jimmie Johnson for most wins in Cup races here, ninth all‑time at Phoenix.  Fourth victory of 2013 and fourth victory again here at Phoenix.  Talk about the race out there today.
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, it’s always fun to come to Phoenix, and we’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success here in all the divisions, and today was no different.  We had a good car and really from the time we unloaded, we qualified well and were able to have three solid practices and a good qualifying session and a good race today.
 
With the way that the strategy and everything worked out today, you just had to play your cards right off the bat, and those guys got a little bit lucky with the way that the strategy worked out.  But our car was fast enough to work through traffic and keep ourselves in contention even with the other guys on the other side of that strategy, and we were able to be there at the end.  Everyone was able to put just enough gas in the cars to make it to the end, and our guys got it right and the other guys were a little short.
 
KRISTI KING:  Also joining us is crew chief Gil Martin.  Talk a little bit about the strategy.  Obviously a lot of folks saying that everyone was on pins and needles throughout the entire race and it seemed to last forever.  Talk about your strategy and how you prepared Kevin for this race going into today.
 
GIL MARTIN:  I mean, it was such a tough race because track position was everything.  We took two tires several times.  Last time we took left‑side tires was on lap 100, so with 212 laps on the left‑side tires, that was pretty amazing for the car to be that fast and only have that many laps on the left sides.  But we elected to come in and pit right there, I can’t remember the lap number now, but we pitted early, came back to top 15, and we knew at that point we’re able to put in one can of gas in at the end and we wouldn’t have to shuffle cans at the end.  We knew that was going to cost us a couple of seconds shuffling cans under green, and as it turned out, you can just about gauge how much fuel you’re putting in when you’re emptying a can, you know the amount of time, instead of having to guess when you’re shuffling cans, because the longer you sit there, the more you are.  You’re wanting to send him quick, because you know that you can’t lose any time there.
 
KRISTI KING:  Also up here with us, Richard Childress, owner of the 29 car.  Talk a little bit about how it feels to be sitting here. Anything can happen in a race.  I think we proved that today.  Kevin is only 34 points behind Jimmie Johnson.  Matt Kenseth is now just 28 points behind Jimmie Johnson.  He is definitely a contender for this championship.  Talk about how you’re feeling.
 
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Yeah, we’ve been there, I think this is the third time we’ve been going to Homestead with Kevin and a couple times with Clint. Having the chance to win the championship, mathematically you never give up until it’s over.  For us to have a shot going in again this year, that’s all you can ask.  You’d ask to be out front like he is, but if you can’t you’ll take this.
Q.  For any of you, is it harder to race a strategy race like this where there’s so many ups and downs than
just maybe a normal mile‑and‑a‑half race where you know you’re going to be wide open the whole way?
KEVIN HARVICK:  I’ll let him answer that question.  I know for me you just have to let it play out.  You just have to sit in the car, give him the feedback and just do the best that you can because they can see a lot more than I can.  He can tell you the stressful part of it.
 
GIL MARTIN:  The stressful part of it is we had dinner last night, the engineers and I, and we were sitting there trying to go over all the scenarios.  No matter how many you go over you don’t never go over the one you needed, and that’s the one today that we didn’t really go over last night about trying to make certain how much fuel we were going to put in at the end on a green‑flag run, and that made such a huge difference because when you’re trying to time how much gas you’re putting in by basically counting one‑1,000, when the fuel can is plugged up there’s a lot of variables you have there.  You’ve got the variable did the gas man get plugged up good enough?  Did he get it completely plugged up?  Is it flowing the right amount of gas?  We knew if we could time it out to where we were emptying one can of gas, we know exactly how long that takes, so we waited to pit until we got to that point, and then it worked out.  But when you run a race like this when the tires really aren’t an advantage, it comes down to the driver’s tenacity in the car.  It comes down to the fact of ‑‑ he has to give, not a 100 percent like they’ve asked, you have to give 110 percent every single lap because if you let up even one lap you lose too much time.  A tenth of a second here is a long way, and he didn’t do that today.
Q.  Richard, you’re standing right there when the 99 starts to slow down right in front of you.  What went through your mind?
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Well, I think I told him on that lap or a couple laps before that I thought the 99 was going to run out.  I didn’t think he had pitted.  I came on one time and told Kevin that he was racing the 5 and 48 for the win, and then when I saw the 99 had pitted, I didn’t think he could’ve got enough fuel in it, so it was close.  I knew that if he did, he wasn’t going to have enough fuel left to jump off his car.  He wouldn’t have made it back to the start/finish is what I was going to say.
Q.  Kevin, last December in Vegas you got asked how this final season with RCR would go and you said it would probably be your best season yet.  Now going into Homestead you’ve got a chance not just at the championship but to finish second in points.  Can you just talk about maybe this could be your best season at RCR kind of like what you were expecting, despite all the circumstances that you could finish second in points and go out on that kind of high with this team?
KEVIN HARVICK:  I think he’d probably sit here and tell you that we’ve been good for each other because we challenge each other.  You know, I obviously handle a lot of situations wrong, but it pushes a lot of buttons to try to make things better.  There’s no better way to go out than to do what we’ve done this year. Obviously we went to Martinsville, and I said things that I shouldn’t have said and put everybody in a position that was not good, but I think we had conversations about things after that that probably made us closer as people, and I think as we move forward will probably make us closer as friends.
It was a tough week to handle, but I think that some of the conversations that we had were good for all of us and made us really understand just the fact that how successful we’ve been together and how successful we’ve been for each other as RCR, and for me it’s great to be able to ‑‑ I think that situation really put into perspective, just made you think about everything that we’ve been able to accomplish and the things that we’ve been through together.  It’s more of a family conversation than it probably was a racing conversation.
 
For me that was great as a person.  You don’t want to put yourself in those particular situations just for the fact that it makes you look dumb, first off, and you want to go out on top.
 
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  We committed to each other early in the year that we’d give 100 percent, and we have, and Kevin has.  Just like we talked, we’ve had a great relationship, and when this race is over, I haven’t got a driver out there that’s driven for me or crew chief or anyone I can’t walk up and talk to, and that’s the way we want this to be.
 
We’re like family.  You spend a lot of time with each other at the track, so you’re going to have your spats and stuff, and just got to make it work.
Q.  Question for Richard Childress. Earlier it was announced that you’ll employ for next year Mike Coughlan from Formula 1 as technical director. What do you see as the benefit to employ somebody coming from a totally different environment?
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  He was in NASCAR with Michael Waltrip Racing for a year and a half and got their program really up going off the ground, and he’s going to be our technical director.  He’s going to bring a lot of design work, engineering work, and we’re really proud to have him there, and couldn’t be prouder for Eric Warren going out and putting together the people behind this race team that gives Gil and our crew chiefs what they really need to go out and win.
Q.  For Gil and maybe Richard, with everything that’s taken place this season and even as Kevin pointed out from earlier in the year, some people thought that just because he was leaving you guys would be overlooked.  How has it been being able to keep the team as a unit together and focused on the goal as you still have an opportunity, even if it’s slim, to win a championship or finish as high as second in points?
GIL MARTIN:  It’s funny you asked that question.  In our team meeting today before the race, after we talked about the things that we may do or not do during the course of this race, I told the guys on the team that very thing, that this garage is tough.  They look for any kind of flaw that you may have to drag you down because the competition is so close that they try to break your team down.  And that’s what I told these guys, that they have to be the toughest group that I’ve been around, just because of the simple reason of everybody has been expecting us to implode, everybody is expecting us to fail and not succeed, and with the rest of the garage trying to force some of that upon you, to not get distracted, whether it’s the team, whether it’s Kevin, whether it’s anybody involved with our organization, it just shows the quality of these guys because this is just a tough environment.  Nobody knows how tough this environment is until you live it every day.
 
But I can promise you, the guys that are next to us in the garage, if we find a chink in their armor, we’re going to get on it.  If it’s turning a radio up, like the 2 car tries to do to the 48 during the week to get under their skin or if it’s placing a fake camera on your pit box and trying to look like you’re recording what the guy next to you is doing and make him work undercover, we’re going to do it, because that’s just what’s going to happen in this garage area, the games that are played, and these guys are just tough.
Q.  Richard Childress, as you look back your entire history, compare if you will what you’ve got coming up in the next week to another time when you were going into a race and it was either going to be a championship or a second‑place finish.
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Yeah, I mean, you just give it everything you’ve got.  We’ve been in that situation in trucks and Nationwide and Sprint Cup and the old Winston cup, and you just go give it everything you’ve got, do what got you where you’re at, and that’s race as hard as you can.
 
It’s great to ‑
‑ you know, this is a long season.  Everybody goes through a lot of stuff, and you start to tire down, but it’s all about commitment and your employees and sponsors and everybody makes the commitment to start the year out, and your commitment is to go give 100 percent every weekend, and that’s what we try to do.
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  And Saturday I’m going to stand beside him and lock his radio out.  (Laughter.)
 
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Yeah, I don’t need to be on it.
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  We’ll be fine on Sunday but Saturday we’re going to have the defibrillator really close and we’re going to have his radio on easily to override.
 
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Yeah, keep me quiet.
 
 
Q.  You guys have known for quite a long time that you’re going in different directions next year, but for each of you, for Kevin and for Richard, how important is it that you’re going to finish strong this year no matter what, looking ahead to 2014?  How important is this finish?  What does this mean to you?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, I think as we talk and as we’ve gone through the year, we’ve been successful.  We’ve been able to win four points races, two non‑points races, and so we’ve been successful on the racetrack.  Obviously you wish you could have raced ‑‑ for myself I wish I could have raced Martinsville, but I think as you move forward, you look at ‑‑ you have to take those life lessons.  We’ve had a lot of life lessons together, and it started in 1999.  So we’ve had life lessons, and you try to become a better person, and I think as I’ve been at RCR, you learn from situations, whether it be just starting my job or last week at Martinsville or Dale’s situation in 2001 or the situation we went through with Gil and the things that we’ve done there.  So you always try to take those situations, and it’s not just really about ‑‑ you want to make your race team better, but in the end you want to be a better person, and you try to take those situations and apply them to what you’re doing and make yourself better.
 
I think we’ve been through a lot of the situations.  He’s taught me a lot about being a dad (tearing up).
Q.  Richard, how important is a strong finish?
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  It’s great.  You look at life, I’m sure y’all have heard that old song, don’t blink, 100 years goes by fast, and this is just another chapter in life that we’re all living, so it’s really.  You’ve got to be tough to hang in there and make it, and we’ve did a lot together.  We’ve won a lot.  We’ve been through some tough times.  But at the end of the day, 100 years go by awful fast.
 
GIL MARTIN:  And if you want to make some really good press, next week lock Jimmie in a Port‑a‑Potty so this can really look good.  It would be a Cinderella story.  It would be a good thing to write about.  (Laughter).
Q.  What’s that emotion I just saw? Where did that come from?
KEVIN HARVICK:  I think as you go through time, you look at situations as life, not about racing, and that’s a good thing.  Life is a good thing, and you want to be a good person.
Q.  Now on to what I was going to ask, and it’s on a similar note, what is it about you guys and controversy?  I think that some of the things you’ve faced over your lifespan together as teammates would completely disintegrate a lot of programs, but any time that happens, whether it was you and Richard fighting or Gil moving on to a different job and coming back and all those things, you end up winning.  How is that?  What is it about your personality types that allows that to happen because it wouldn’t work most places?
KEVIN HARVICK:  I know he might not want to hear this, but I always tell people it’s a generation gap.  So you have his generation, and then you have my generation, and then you have the guys that are stuck in between.  Then you have Gil and you have Mike and Dillon, and even Austin now as we go through time are kind of stuck in the middle.  It’s not that ‑‑ I don’t want to ‑‑ we want the same things.  We want to be successful and we want to win races, and I think we have a different approach of how you approach things and how you talk about things and how you move through things.  So these guys have done a good job of kind of being that glue, the glue that kind of holds it all together even when he and I are mad at each other.
 
So in the end you want to respect each other, and these guys do a good job of explaining that and really keeping it all together.
Q.  How would you describe the opponent you face next weekend?
KEVIN HARVICK:  Which one?
Q.  The 48.
KEVIN HARVICK:  We’re talking about locking him in the Port‑a‑Potty, so that should sum it up.  (Laughter.)
 
You know, we’ve stumbled ‑‑ I don’t know what the average finish is for us in the last nine weeks, but it hasn’t been too bad.  We’ve stumbled once at Loudon with a 20th place finish, and we’ve won a couple races, and here we are 34 points behind the 48.  So those guys are ‑‑ they’re good at what they do and they’re good at every track, and obviously Chad and Rick do a good job of keeping the next good thing coming.
But I feel like we’ve probably had the best Chase that we’ve ever had, and you go to Homestead 34 points behind.  They’re just good.
 
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Yeah, I’ll add something to that.  Those guys, you look back at the history, and some of you guys that know all the numbers about the sport, Jimmie Johnson and those guys and the Hendricks, they’ve just had phenomenal years.  Our average finish, we’ve been right there for a championship five out of the last 10 or 11 years, and counting Clint’s couple of runs and Kevin’s two runs and then this run, and to be able to be there and be beat by that same team says something to how strong they really are, and we’re going to go to Homestead and just try to win the race, and if we go down there and win the race, we’ve done everything we can if we lose.
Q.  Kevin, my question for you is it took you seven starts to win your first Phoenix race on the old surface compared to three for the new surface.  Was there anything difficult for you on the old surface that is not showing as much on the new surface, or was it based just on experience level?
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, I think the experience probably plays into that more than anything.  I think for us today, we found some good things that worked for us in practice with the grooves and the way that fit my driving style to get through Turns 3 and 4 that are very similar to the things that we used to do with the old surface.  So it just took me a while to adapt.  My first day here was I think 1995, and I wound up hitting the outside wall off of Turn 4, just trying to find that particular sweet spot that exists down there in Turn 4 that still exists there with this new surface.
 
It’s been a fun run at this particular track, old surface, new surface.  We’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of success on this track.
Q.  As it winds down to only one week to go, is there a sense of, I guess, dread that the relationship is ending, the working relationship, and what will you guys miss most about each other?
KEVIN HARVICK:  I think just the fact that ‑‑ probably just the fact that he challenges me.  You talk about that generation gap, but when you make a mistake, he is not scared to just step up and say, this is the iron fist that’s running this show, and I think you have to have somebody that’s willing to put that iron fist down and say, this is the line, this is how it’s going to be, and if you don’t like it, get out.  And that’s really how we ran ‑‑ DeLana and I ran our race teams.  This is our way, and this is how we do it, and I think that came from
him, was this is my way, and if you don’t like it, there’s the door.  That’s probably the part that I’ll miss.
 
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Yeah, you know, I think just ‑‑ we’re going to see each other at the tracks a lot and everything, but we talk about a lot of other stuff, too.  Like he said, the generation gap is bigger than what it was with Dale and myself, and it was, but at the end of the day, the one thing that we both do have is a word called respect, and we’ll always have that.
Q.  Kevin, you’ve been racing here for a long time, and I would like to know your personal feelings about this facility.
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, I have been racing here a long time, and I remember when I showed up at the first driver meeting and I used to pick on Rick Carelli.  I guess that would have been ’95.  He was the old guy at that particular time.  So you had Carelli and you had Mike Chase and you had Hornaday, and I went to the ‑‑ the truck race that I ran, obviously it’s known for a lot of different reasons, but the truck race that I ran in Martinsville, I went to driver intros and I’m like, alright, there’s Joe Nemechek’s kid, there’s Ty, and the average age was like 20 years old and I felt like I should be somebody’s dad, let alone grandpa.
 
It’s been fun, and you go through those times of really respecting the sport and those guys, especially at this particular racetrack.  I know Carelli has raced here for a long time, long before there was any of these grandstands sitting here and any of these buildings sitting here, and they used to run the open comp cars.  My dad would come over and work on the racetrack, and if you had a bad storm you couldn’t get to the track because the bridge was washed out.
 
So those were a lot of things that a lot of people don’t remember about this particular place, and this particular place is very special to me just for the fact that this was ‑‑ when you used to have the Copper Classic and the 300 lapper at the end of the year for the Southwest Tour cars, this was our Daytona 500.  So to be able to come back here and win races and be successful, means a lot to me, and you always come here with a lot of fans and a lot of friends so it’s fun.
 
RICHARD CHILDRESS:  We were here before the interstate.  Going to Riverside, I used to drive by here before the interstate.
           
 
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED SECOND
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED THIRD
POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
 
KASEY KAHNE:  I felt pretty good.  I had a lot better car, a lot more grip than what I had yesterday in practice, so I thank the guys, Kenny and Keith, they came up with some good stuff for today.  We were close with our Farmers Insurance car, and we were on a little bit longer strategy.  We stayed out longer so our tires were ‑‑ Harvick was on a lot fresher tires, I guess.  He was able to stay out longer and came out there at the end and was pretty quick on that restart, got by us.  Carl short pitted.  That’s how he got so far out front.  It was interesting; the strategy plays such a big factor here.  You have half the field doing one thing and half the field doing the other, and everybody is pitting five, six laps difference on those strategies, as well.
 
It’s kind of a crazy race, but worked out pretty good, and I thought the track got a little bit better as it went.  I just keep hoping we could get a little bit softer tires so we could race around a little more.
Q.  It’s definitely been an up‑and‑down season for you, but over the past couple races you’ve had a couple solid top 5s.  Over the course of the season has there been any point where you began to wonder if things were going to get better?  Did you lose any confidence?
KASEY KAHNE:  Yeah, I think you lose a little confidence.  I get down once in a while and feel pretty bad about what’s going on.  I thought just ‑‑ we’ve had a lot of things happen to us this year, but we’ve battled back the last two weeks.  We ran pretty good, fifth and second, so I’m happy about that.  We’ll try to finish off strong at Homestead with another top 5 and maybe prepare a little better for next year and try to have a little more consistent, stronger year from start to finish.
 
KRISTI KING:  Joining Kasey is Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, who finished third in today’s AdvoCare 500. Currently our point’s leader heading into our season finale next weekend in Homestead.  Jimmie, talk a little bit about your good battle out there day.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  The race was challenging.  Everybody says it’s a short event here, but man, it seemed like it took 600 miles’ worth of time to get through this race.  We had a very strong race car, so that made life a lot easier, especially comparing this effort to last year’s effort in the Chase.  You know, we did what we should have.  I felt like yesterday we had a race‑winning car, and today seemed to be like a second‑ to third‑place car.  I hate that we missed it a little bit there, but still, all in all a very strong performance for us.  We’re heading into Homestead in the position we want to be in.  I’ll have to go down there and run 400 miles.  It’s far from over.  You’ve got to finish that race.  Although we have a nice cushion, we still have to go down there and take care of business.
Q.  Jimmie, at any time in those two incidents today, for the tiniest fraction of a second did you think this is it, or were you too busy driving, correcting?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  The one with the 22 didn’t worry me too much.  I felt like I had enough room, and then the way the car was sliding to save it.  But the one with the 99, two different points as I saved it the car pointed back at the fence, and I thought I was going to hit it.
 
Thankful that that didn’t happen, clearly.  Certainly worried me, and then we were mired in traffic after that and I didn’t know what that was going to mean for us.  We were in a nice position strategy‑wise, but there was a caution and they missed some oil off of Turn 4 and that drug off the laps under caution and put everybody into the same fuel strategy.  I was starting to get worried at that point in time, but seemed shortly thereafter we left pit road and the 20 was behind me again, they came down pit road, then I felt like I knew where I was, I felt like I knew where I could manage things and it was about trying to get points again, and I found my way up to third.
Q.  Jimmie, mentioning those earlier incidents, we saw Matt, he struggled with his car all day and then they had issues on pit road.  Does a race like today just stress how on your game you have to be in these races?  Everybody talked about you had such a dominating run last week and it’s not going to be much of a Chase.  Does it tell you that these things aren’t over?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, everybody is so eager to predict the champion, but you’ve got to play the game.  You’ve got to run the race and stuff happens. There’s so many variables in one of our races, I think more variables than any pro sport out there.  We have all 43 teams playing, driving, racing, all the mechanical components on the race car, pit stops, other issues on other cars that can take you out, tires.  There are a lot of variables, so we don’t take any of these weekends lightly, even with a nice point’s lead I’m not going to take any week any differently.  There’s still a lot of pressure to get the job done, and it’s no lay‑up at all.
 
I sympathize with Matt.  We were in that position last year and we went to Homestead and still had a shot and put a lo
t of pressure on the 2, and then we made mistakes again that took us out of it last year.
Q.  Jimmie, you’ve been through these wars ‑‑
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Anybody have anything else for Kasey?  He needs to get home.  (Laughter.)
Q.  You’ve been through these wars seven, eight, 10 times now in these Chases.  Were you surprised how poorly the 20 ran all day?  They just weren’t there all day.  Were you surprised by that?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yes.  Yes, surprised, and at the same time, I went through it last year.  I don’t know how to quite describe it, but it can happen.  I thought that yesterday in the final practice session they made a nice run, and I thought that they got themselves where they needed to be.  But clearly today that wasn’t the case.
 
When the 11 was leading early, I thought that might mean good things for the 20, and I never really saw the 18, and that was another marker to me that the 20 was not having the best of days, and both of his teammates were slipping back.
Q.  Back in the garage area, Carl said that the last thing he wanted was to be in the position like that that might have affected the championship.  Do you accept that just in the context of the overall racing environment, or just at that moment what were your thoughts on that?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, without a doubt.  I know Carl very well, and I have a ton of respect for him and what he does on the racetrack.  You know, the contact we had was unfortunate, really not three lanes down there, and I was coming around the outside of him, and I guess the 29 had a run on the inside, and once we all went to the brakes we were all committed to three wide in there.
 
You know, a little contact and all that stuff.  At the time I was frustrated.  Happy I didn’t crash, and I was hopeful that I didn’t lose all that track position and really affect our performance.
 
There was some frustration initially, but deep down inside I knew it wasn’t an intentional situation, it was just a racing deal that didn’t go our way.
 
Q.  Jimmie, not to bring up bad memories, but your last two finishes at Homestead were 32nd and 36th.  I know that was somewhat circumstantial, but given that and knowing you only need a 23rd or better how do you approach next week at Homestead?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Well, we’re going to go down there and race as hard as we can.  I think the safest place on the racetrack is up front, and if I look back to our Texas performance, we found a way to race smart, stay out of trouble and still get the race won.  I would love to win the race and win the championship, but we’ll just have to see how things develop in the race and where we are relative to the 20.  The big prize at the end of the day is what we’re focused on, it’s not so much that individual win, but we need to go down there and be prepared and treat Friday and Saturday like we need to win the race so we can make the car as comfortable and as fast as possible to give us all our options on Sunday.
Q.  What about Kevin Harvick?  He’s closed up on the points, too.
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, he’s done a good job winning some races.  I guess he’s in third right now.  If we have a hiccup or some type of mistake in Homestead, it’ll be a race between the 20 and the 29.  But I feel like if we go down there and run as we should, we should be able to take care of business.
 

Chevy Racing–Phoenix–Post Race

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
ADVOCARE 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
NOVEMBER 10, 2013
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER:
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN YOU SAW CARL (EDWARDS) COME OFF THE PACE?
“Well I think we were all pushing it on gas there to try to just put enough in it to get to the end so that we could gain all the track position we could under green.  I saw him slowing with about maybe a lap and a half, two laps to go.  Richard (Childress) came across the radio and said he was slowing down.  I’m like ‘dang we might still be in this thing.’ Just have to thank all the guys on my Budweiser Chevrolet.  The car was rocking all day.  Just wound up in Victory Lane where it needed to be.”
 
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SEE CARL (EDWARDS) RUNNING OUT AT THE END?
“I really wasn’t expecting that, but just have to thank all these guys on our Budweiser Chevrolet.  Jimmy Johns, Chevrolet, Bad Boy Buddies, Hunt Brothers, Freightliner, Ollies, Odyssey Batteries, all the people who help us and the race fans and Sprint for putting us on this race track.  We had a really fast car all day.  We were able to make our ground through traffic.  We just we were on the opposite side of the strategy that worked out.  You just never know how the cautions are going to work out.  It was a great day and just have to thank Richard (Childress) and everybody at RCR for all they have done for me.  One to go.”
 
IT MIGHT BE A LONG SHOT BUT YOU HAVE STILL GOT A SHOT NEXT WEEK AT HOMESTEAD:
“Yeah and that is all you can ask for to happen.  Anything can happen.  You have to be in it to win it and done a good job of winning races in the Chase and we will see what happens.”
 
TALK ABOUT THE CAR ALL DAY LONG, IT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE YOU GUYS MADE HARDLY ANY ADJUSTMENTS:
“Yeah, we didn’t.  You know you never know how the caution flags are going to fly.  We wound up on the opposite side of.  You’ve got a 50/50 shot at the strategy, but our car was fast enough to make up ground through traffic. We were able to make some aggressive moves through the day and be able to put ourselves in position to win and here we are.”
 
DOES THIS PUT AN EXCLAMATION POINT ON WHAT YOU SAID EARLY IN THE YEAR THAT THIS IS NO LAME DUCK TEAM WITH FOUR WINS?
“Yeah and you know we have had a few bumps in the road.  Obviously, Martinsville was something I wish I could put behind me and keep my mouth shut.  But I think it made us closer in the end, myself and Richard (Childress) and Mike (Dillon) and Austin (Dillon) and all the guys on this team.  Just really proud to have driven at RCR and glad that we could wind up here in Victory Lane again and hopefully we’ve got one more shot at it next week.”  
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED THIRD:
“I knew I had a great race car and that makes life a lot easier.  I really had to fall back on my dirt driving skills racing out here in the desert all the years that I did.  All those incidences were close.   The second one, I thought I was hitting the wall so I was glad that we got it gathered back up and got it going.  Then the No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) wasn’t having the best day, so after that issue we came to pit road and left and I expected him to be ahead of me and he was behind me.  So at that point I knew I was in good shape relative to the championship battle; knew I had a good car, knew I could get through traffic, and I knew it was just about getting points on him at that point.”
 
HOW WILD WAS IT FOR YOU OUT THERE TODAY?
“Yeah, the opening lap was kind of crazy and then we had another moment later in the race.  I am just glad nothing happened on both of those.  The first one my car just went straight.  I couldn’t turn, so I ended up in like the second lane entering the corner.  It got pretty nutty there and then later in the race once again. But a solid race car, I’ve got to thank Chad Knaus (crew chief) and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for the awesome equipment they give me week in and week out.  Great pit stops and we had a good race here.  Last year at this race we had a tough day and we had a good day today.  Now we just need to go to Florida and have another good day.”

GIVE US THE MINDSET FOR THIS UPCOMING WEEK GETTING READY FOR THE FINAL RACE:
“Just excited to go racing.  I’m in a position I want to be in.  I want to go down there and need to defend the championship.  We’ve got a nice points lead so happy to be back on the West Coast.  I want to say hey to everybody in the stands.  Thanks to all those No. 48 fans out there and we will go to Homestead and race some more.”

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED SECOND:
DESCRIBE THE WAY THIS RACE WENT.  IT WAS UP AND DOWN THE LEADER BOARD ALL AFTERNOON WITH ALL THIS PIT STRATEGY HOW WILD WAS IT FROM BEHIND THE WHEEL?
“Yeah there was just really a lot of strategies throughout the race.  Everybody was kind of switching about 10 or 15 cars who were in the front and who weren’t.  We were able to work our way back.  Kenny (Francis, crew chief) had a great strategy throughout the race and we got our car really good about (lap) 150.  I got a little loose in the last restart, but actually the last full run prior to the restart as well.  Just felt good about our Farmers Insurance Chevrolet.  We made some big gains from yesterday and nice second-place finish.  I wish I could have held off (Kevin) Harvick once Carl (Edwards) ran out, but that is the way it goes.  We had a strong car today.”
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN/SALUTE TO VETERAN’S DAY CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 10TH:
“We had a good strategy, but we ran out of fuel coming to pit road. We had an opportunity to make something of it, but running out of fuel cost us four or five spots. That was probably the difference between us finishing fifth to where we actually finished, in 10th. Matt Borland and the guys worked hard to make the Quicken Loans Chevrolet better over the course of the weekend, and once we got in clean air the car was actually pretty good. But track position was everything. When we had it, the car was pretty good. When we didn’t, it was so hard to pass. But we got another top-10 finish, which means Quicken Loans will pay 10 more mortgages and everyone can head to Outback Steakhouse for a Bloomin’ Onion”.
 
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED FOURTH:
WHEN YOU CAME DOWN PIT ROAD WITH THAT LOOSE WHEEL DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD BE STANDING OUT HERE WITH A TOP-FIVE FINISH?  TALK ABOUT YOUR DAY:
“Yeah, I did.  We had a fast car.  I thought Steve Letarte (crew chief) could get some good strategy to get us back up into the top-10, top-five and I was real happy with the way we were able to rebound.”
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/DENVER MATTRESS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED FIFTH:
UP AND DOWN ROLLER COASTER AFTERNOON DID THE CAR RESPOND TO THE WAY YOU GUYS HAD IT SET-UP BASED OFF OF ALL THE PRACTICE SESSIONS THIS WEEKEND?
“Well we were fifth today and maybe we were an eighth-place car.  We got up as high as fourth.  We put a good effort in and we just didn’t have the muscle those top-five guys had.  With (Carl) Edwards running out of gas that put us fifth and we will take that.  This is a single car team in the Chase with the big dogs and we have had a very successful season.  It’s tough we haven’t won, but we have been knocking on the door.  We will give it everything we’ve got next week in Miami.  It’s been a good run.  Really have to thank those Furniture Row guys out of Colorado.”
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA,
NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED SIXTH:
“It was a good day for the Target team. The car was good and the guys did a great job with the pit strategy. It seemed like everyone was on a different pit strategy and I’m happy with a top-10 finish. The car had great speed all weekend and aside from a few handling problems the car was good.”
 
 

Kraig Kinser Racing–Kraig Kinser Finishes Fourth in Finale of the World Finals

Kraig Kinser Finishes Fourth in Finale of the World Finals
By Kraig Kinser Racing PR
 
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.— Nov. 10, 2013— Wrapping up the season on a strong note is what every driver shoots for, as it generally helps the long months of the off-season go by a little faster. Kraig Kinser was able to turn in a very solid performance on the final night of the Seventh Annual World Finals for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Saturday, Nov. 9, finishing fourth in the Bad Boys Buggies/Mesilla Valley Transportation/Casey’s General Store Maxim.
 
Kinser started eighth in the 30-lap main event in front of a sold-out crowd at Charlotte, and ran as high as third in the late going. The third-generation driver fell back a few spots to 11th in the early going, but by the eighth lap was all the way up to sixth. Just past the halfway point of the race, he battled Friday night’s winner Donny Schatz, along with Brian Brown, for several laps for the fifth spot.
 
Kinser would get around Brown for fifth on lap-16 and two laps later would work his way around Schatz for fourth. He found himself in third, following the final caution flag of the night for Sammy Swindell, who lost a tire while running second. Kinser ran third for the next 10 laps, before Schatz slipped by him with two circuits remaining. Crossing the line fourth, earned the 29-year-old his 10th top-five finish of the season.
 
“The car was great in the feature and really would go wherever I put it,” said Kinser. “We got a couple of breaks with a few of the cars in front of us having trouble and falling out, but we definitely had a fast car and it showed by the caliber of cars that we passed on our way to the front. After having not the best of nights on Friday, it was great to have a strong run and end the season on a note like that.”
 
Qualifying for the Saturday portion of the World Finals took place on Thursday, Nov. 9, with Kinser timing in 16th-fastest, which put him on the pole of the first heat race in the five heat race format. He would win that eight-lap contest to earn a spot in the dash. Kinser both started and finished eighth in the dash, and lined up on the outside of the fourth row for the 30-lap A-Feature.
 
“With the number of cars that were at the World Finals, qualifying was of the utmost important,” he noted. “It showed in the first qualifying session, when we qualified back a bit and really had to fight and claw our way forward on Friday. For Saturday night, we were in the perfect spot on the pole of the heat race and were able to win that and get in the dash, which really made the rest of our night go a lot smoother.”
 
During Friday night’s portion of the World Finals, Kinser used a provisional to start the main event in the 26th position and wound up finishing 23rd.  He finished sixth in the first heat race, after starting eighth, coming up two spots short of transferring to the main event. Kinser finished second in the C-main to earn a spot in the B-main, where he came home 10th. In time trials that took place on Thursday, Nov. 9, and Kinser stopped the clocks 36th out of the 53 cars that took a time.
 
The native of Bloomington, Ind., wrapped up the 2013 World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series season with one win, with that coming at Orange County Fair Speedway in New York. He recorded 34 top-10 finishes and was 11th in the overall standings. Kinser will spend some time in Australia during the off-season competing in a number of races Down Under.
 
“The competition out here was as tough as ever this year,” Kinser said. “Like I’ve said a few times this year, you have to have everything fall your way on a given night to be in contention. We had our ups and downs this year and learned quite a bit that will hopefully help us down the road. It’s always tough to see the season end, especially when you are running pretty good the last part of the year. We worked hard all year and I really have to thank everyone that helps us and sticks behind us.”

Richard Childress Racing–ServiceMaster 200

ServiceMaster 200
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Phoenix International Raceway  
November 9, 2013
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished third (Austin Dillon), ninth (Kevin Harvick) and 13th (Brian Scott).
A. Dillon leads the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings by eight points over Sam Hornish, Jr., while Scott is seventh in the standings, 106 points behind the leader.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team ranks third in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 33 team sixth and the No. 2 team 11th.
According to NASCAR’s Post-Race Loop Data Statistics, Dillon ranked second in Average Running Position (4.395).
Harvick was the second-Fastest Driver Early in a Run, third-Fastest on Restarts, had the third-Fastest Green-Flag Speed, earned the third-best Average Running Position (4.650) and had the third-best Driver Rating (114.3).
Scott was the sixth-Fastest Driver Early in a Run (128.230).
Kyle Busch earned his 12th Nationwide Series victory of 2013 and was followed to the finish line by Justin Allgaier, Dillon, Regan Smith and Sam Hornish, Jr.
The next Nationwide Series race is the Homestead 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 16. The 33rd race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
 
 
Brian Scott Earns a 13th-Place Finish at Phoenix International Raceway
 
Brian Scott and the No. 2 Whitetail team scored a 13th-place finish in Saturday afternoon’s ServiceMaster 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. The 25-year-old Nationwide Series driver started the 200-lap affair from the fifth position and remained among the top group of competitors for the initial green-flag run. Scott reported to crew chief Phil Gould he was tight through the corners. Gould brought the Boise, Idaho-native to pit road under green-flag conditions for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. When the field cycled through green-flag pit stops, Scott was running in the sixth position. The caution was displayed on lap 104 allowing the Richard Childress Racing driver to pit for two tires, fuel and chassis adjustments to help the handling of his Chevrolet. He restarted fifth and battled with the No. 7 for track position. The caution flag waved  on lap 130 prompting Scott to bring his Chevrolet Camaro to pit road for fuel only. On the ensuing restart, he made contact with the No. 22 as Scott sustained slight right-front damage, but not enough to hurt the handling of his car. Through the next several laps the he battled among the top-seven for every position he could earn. On lap 163, he got loose in turn one and slid back to 13th in the running order, where he ultimately took the checkered flag.
 
Start – 5         Finish – 13         Laps Led – 0         Points – 7th
 
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
“We had a really good Whitetail Camaro today at Phoenix (International Raceway), Phil (Gould, crew chief) and the guys brought a great car, and we had good track position to start the race. We fought a few handling issues in the beginning, but improved on each stop while staying inside the top-10. I made a mistake by getting into the 22, and then got loose on one of the restarts costing us valuable track position. I’m glad to be heading to Homestead (Miami-Speedway) next weekend. I ran well there last year and look to back that performance up once again.”
 

 
Dillon Leads NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship Standings with One Race Remaining Following Third-Place Finish at Phoenix International Raceway
 
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon drove the No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet to a third-place finish in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, extending his lead in the driver championship point standings to eight markers heading into the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Welcome, N.C. driver started the event from the second position and was a mainstay in the top five for a majority of the 200-lap event. He slipped into the fifth position during his initial run as he struggled with a tight-handling condition in the middle of the corners, and a loose-handling condition on exit of the corners. A green-flag pit stop for service on lap 78 helped alleviate the handling conditions Dillon was facing. Two-tire pit stops under caution periods on laps 107 and 132 helped crew chief Danny Stockman keep Dillon in contention and the championship contender drove to second on lap 163 before slipping into the third spot on the white flag lap, where he ultimately finished.
 
Start – 2           Finish – 3         Laps Led – 0           Points – 1st
                                                  
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“It’s exciting to head into the last race of the year with an eight point lead in the championship standings. I am going to try my hardest for all of the guys on the No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet team next weekend in Homestead.”
 
 
 

Harvick Earns Top-10 Finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Event
at Phoenix International Raceway
 
Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet team picked up a ninth-place result at Phoenix International Raceway in the 200-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series event Saturday afternoon. Starting from the third position, the two-time series champion battled a loose-handling Chevrolet during the early laps, but maintained a position within the top five until a two-tire pit stop under caution on lap 132. With varying pit strategies playing throughout the field, the Richard Childress Racing driver lined up eighth for the ensuing restart. The loose-handling issue continued to plague Harvick during the final laps leaving him to settle for a ninth-place finish in his 200th Nationwide Series start with RCR.
 
Start – 3         Finish – 9           Laps Led – 0          Owner Points – 6th
 
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“We worked on the Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet during the race and just couldn’t get it to tighten up like we needed. Hate it for the team that we couldn’t pick up a better finish, but between the handling of the car and the different pit strategies that played out, we came up short today.”
 
 

Summit Racing–Anderson’s Plan Foiled, Yet Optimism Remains with Fields Set in Pomona

Anderson’s Plan Foiled, Yet Optimism Remains with Fields Set in Pomona
 
Pomona, Calif., November 9, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson was off to a solid start at the final race of the season, the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and with a good baseline, he formed a plan to help his Summit Racing teammate Jason Line in his quest for the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world championship. Ultimately the plan fell through, but Anderson and the KB Racing team are ready to do their part on raceday to bring a win to the team, one way or another.
 
Anderson started the weekend on Thursday’s opening qualifying session with a 6.576 at 210.37 mph that would hold as his best number. Friday’s single session was good for a controlled 6.602 at a slowing 198.17 as Anderson began trying to position himself on the ladder opposite points leader Jeg Coughlin, who is heavy in the battle for the title with Line and Mike Edwards. Anderson clocked a 6.591 at 197.80 in the third session and ended with a 13.956, 61.94.
 
“I was basically just trying to get my car to run as well as I could yet not qualify in the top half of the show, and I was trying to qualify opposite Jeg Coughlin,” explained Anderson. “We have one shot at this thing, and somehow he has to lose first round and Jason has to go on to win the event. I would rather have it in our control; I’d rather race the man than count on someone else to beat him.”
 
The 74-time national event winner and four-time Pro Stock champion qualified in the No. 11 position while Coughlin landed in the No. 4 spot. Anderson will race V. Gaines in round one and watch as Coughlin races Vincent Nobile. Line is on the same side of the ladder as Anderson, and the two could meet in the semifinals. If they should meet, it will be an “every man for himself” situation as Line could be gunning for the championship but Anderson will be vying for his first event win of the season. This is the first time since 2000 that Anderson has not won an event heading into raceday at the final race of the season.
 
“I took a shot in qualifying, shutting the car off early to try to get matched up against [Coughlin] first round, but we still got all the data we needed to the 1,000-foot mark and could see how the car was running and how the changes we were making were working,” said Anderson. “We should have a good car tomorrow with my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and there is still a race to be won. Qualifying is behind us, and it’s out of our hands now. Whatever happens, we know we did what we could, and we’ll just have to see how the cards fall.”

Mopar Racing–Final Qualifying at Pomona Sets Up Team Mopar for a Dramatic Finish in Battle for NHRA Pro Stock Championship

Final Qualifying at Pomona Sets Up Team Mopar for a Dramatic Finish in Battle for NHRA Pro Stock Championship
 
·         Final qualifying for 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals sets up interesting scenarios in final showdown for the Pro Stock championship
·         Coughlin has 70 point lead in hunt for his fifth Pro Stock championship but faces Mopar teammate Vincent Nobile in first round
·         Johnson is defending title winner at NHRA Finals at Pomona and not ready to give up on championship hopes
·         Hagan qualifies second and sets track speed record in final session
·         Six Dodge Chargers qualified for Funny Car eliminations in final event of the season

 

Pomona, Calif. (Nov 9, 2013) – The field is set following final qualifying at the 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, and while each Mopar driver is looking at one last shot at winning a Wally on race day, there is one big prize that has yet to be determined —  the NHRA Pro Stock World Championship.

 

Pro Stock points leader and JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. ended the very first race of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with a final-round showdown at Pomona against J&J Racing teammate Vincent Nobile. In eliminations on Sunday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, on the last day of the season in the 24th race, Coughlin will once again meet Nobile, this time in the opening round — with a win possibly clinching the 2013 championship for Coughlin.

 

Coughlin, No. 2 on the starting ladder heading into the final two qualifying sessions on Saturday, improved his numbers with a 6.545-second elapsed time at 211.43 mph, earning one bonus point, but was still bumped down one spot to No. 3. In his final qualifying pass of the 2013 season, the four-time Pro Stock champion recorded a 6.548/211.10 mark, good for the No. 4 spot and another qualifying bonus point.

 

Qualifying behind No.1 qualifier Mike Edwards and Jason Line was Rickie Jones, whose presence amid the top-five mixed the ladder significantly enough to set up scenarios in which the three J&J Racing Mopars would now face each other within the first two rounds.

 

Heading into Sunday, Coughlin and Nobile (the No. 13 qualifier with a best run of 6.583/210.37) have squared off six times during the 2013 season. Coughlin holds a 2-4 record, including a final-round loss in that February matchup in Pomona at the NHRA Winternationals. With a 70 point lead over both Edwards and Line, who are tied in second place following qualifying, a win over Nobile in the all-Mopar matchup would essentially lockup a fifth Pro Stock championship for Coughlin, and back-to-back titles for the Mopar brand.

 

“We’re looking to get out and put down a really good run and turn the win light on,” said Coughlin, who has four 2013 title wins in eight final round appearances. “We were third-best in both sessions today and look to have a great car going into gameday tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of racing to do, but I love racing here at Pomona so I say bring it on. We’d love to perform well tomorrow, and let the rest take care of itself.”

 

Allen Johnson, the 2012 Pro Stock champ, isn’t ready just yet to cede the championship to Coughlin, his J&J Racing teammate. The Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger driver was No. 4 after his first three qualifying attempts, posting a 6.550/211.73 in his first run on Saturday. AJ wrapped up qualifying with a 6.553/211.46 to start from the No. 5 spot and will go head-to-head with Rodger Brogdon to begin what he hopes is a miracle Sunday finish. Johnson won the Pomona finale last season to wrap up his championship season but would need a number of scenarios to fall into place to claim back-to-back championships.

 

“Rickie Jones slid in there and moved it around there to where we didn’t like it much,” said Johnson who, while 98 points behind, still has the mathematical possibility of retaining his crown given the right scenario. “That just stirred up the drama a little. We had it perfect with me and Jeg on opposite sides of the ladder before he [Jones] did that, but now we’ve got to deal with it and we’ll all do our best. You go out on race day and do your best as a driver and as a team and not pay attention to who you are racing. Hopefully it’ll work out the way it’s supposed to.”

 

HEMI-powered Dodge Avenger driver and Pro Stock veteran V. Gaines (6.552/212.16), fresh off a final round appearance at the recent NHRA Vegas race, will start sixth and draw Greg Anderson as his opening foe, while Dodge Avenger driver Matt Hartford (No. 14, 6.589/210.64) lines up versus Jones.

 

A field full of Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car drivers — a total of six — will be in the hunt for the NHRA Finals event win on Sunday. Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Matt Hagan led the Dodge pack heading into Saturday at No. 4, with a best run of 4.043/319.52 in his Magneti Marelli Quality Auto Parts Offered by Mopar Dodge Charger R/T. Hagan recorded a solid 4.061/315.05 in the first session on Saturday, then put a bow on qualifying by unleashing his best run of the weekend, a 4.014/320.20 pass that lifted the 2011 Funny Car champ to the No. 2 spot and a first-round fight with Alexis DeJoria.

 

“It was a phenomenal day and weekend for this whole camp, with the boys working on this Magneti Marelli machine killing it this weekend,” said Hagan, who has taken the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Charger R/T to four title wins, eight final round appearances and five No.1 qualifier positions in 2013 after missing the playoffs last season. “We have a lot to be proud of this year. It definitely makes me excited about next year. The potential that this team has, what we have already proven, what we have already shown that we can do, it’s just going to grow and get better from here.

 

“Unfortunately, we didn’t do as well in the Countdown as we needed to win the championship, but we can still finish really strong and turn on some win lights tomorrow and secure this second place,” said Hagan who set track speed record on his final qualifying pass. “There’s no reason this team can’t do that the way this Mopar is running this weekend and how everybody is working together.  There’s no doubt in my mind that we can do it.”

 

Native Californian Jeff Arend posted his Dodge Charger R/T eighth thanks to a 4.067/311.85 mark, with Tim Wilkerson on tap in the first round. DSR driver Johnny Gray (No. 10, 4.077/311.20) gets a first-round fight with Chad Head, his Mopar-powered teammate and the 2012 Funny Car champ, Jack Beckman (No. 11, 4.077/309.20), will match up with Cruz Pedregon in round one, and the fourth member of the DSR quartet, Ron Capps (No. 12, 4.103/312.71), will need to get past Robert Hight to advance to the quarterfinals. Rounding out the Mopar Dodge contingent is Gary Densham (No. 13, 4.118/301.81), with Del Worsham his opening-round foe.

 

Summit Racing–Line Just Misses the Top Spot, Focused on Winning in Pomona

Line Just Misses the Top Spot, Focused on Winning in Pomona
 

Pomona, Calif., November 9, 2013 – Jason Line desperately wanted the honor of being the No. 1 qualifier at the last race of the 2013 season of NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and the Summit Racing Pro Stock driver put forth tremendous effort but came up just a bit short. Line, still in the hunt for the championship, will start from the No. 2 position for the first time this year, and he will be challenged by No. 15 qualifier Greg Stanfield in the first round of eliminations at the 49th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

For Line, his final shot at winning the championship trophy this year will come down to how points leader Jeg Coughlin fares in the first round and, if Coughlin bows out early, if Line can win the race.

Mooresville, N.C.-based Line started the weekend by picking up a pair of bonus qualifying points in the opening round. He raced to a 6.554 at 210.93 mph that was second-quickest of all the Pro Stockers. In the single session allotted on Friday, Line clocked a 6.567 at 211.30 – a decent run, but the best was yet to come, and on Saturday afternoon the 31-time national event winner and two time Pro Stock world champion raced to a swift 6.543 at a booming 212.16 mph. Another two bonus points went in the bank, and Line moved up to the No. 2 position, where he would stay after closing out qualifying with a 6.558, 211.56.

“It’s great that our Summit Racing Camaro is making it down the track every run, and sure, it’s good to be so close to the No. 1 spot – but I really wanted to be the No. 1 qualifier here, and I really felt like we had a chance of doing that this weekend,” said Line, who has been fifth or better in the qualifying order at 10 events this year and qualified in the top half all but three times. “So yes, we’re disappointed to miss it, but at the same time, we have to look at the fact that the car is running pretty darn well for not being in what my crew chief Rob Downing calls ‘its happy spot.’ We do have a good car for tomorrow. We can still win. So that’s what we’re focusing on now.”

The first-round meeting with Stanfield will mark the first time the two have been paired up since the event in Phoenix in 2012, when Line beat his opponent in the semifinals and went on to win the event.

“Whatever is meant to be is what will happen, but my plan is to go up there and try to be .020 on the tree and beat everyone all day,” said Line. “That’s all you can do. We’ll just do the best we can.”

John Force Racing–Final Qualifying at Pomona Sets Up Team Mopar for a Dramatic Finish in Battle for NHRA Pro Stock Championship

Final Qualifying at Pomona Sets Up Team Mopar for a Dramatic Finish in Battle for NHRA Pro Stock Championship
 
·         Final qualifying for 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals sets up interesting scenarios in final showdown for the Pro Stock championship
·         Coughlin has 70 point lead in hunt for his fifth Pro Stock championship but faces Mopar teammate Vincent Nobile in first round
·         Johnson is defending title winner at NHRA Finals at Pomona and not ready to give up on championship hopes
·         Hagan qualifies second and sets track speed record in final session
·         Six Dodge Chargers qualified for Funny Car eliminations in final event of the season

 

Pomona, Calif. (Nov 9, 2013) – The field is set following final qualifying at the 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, and while each Mopar driver is looking at one last shot at winning a Wally on race day, there is one big prize that has yet to be determined —  the NHRA Pro Stock World Championship.

 

Pro Stock points leader and JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. ended the very first race of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with a final-round showdown at Pomona against J&J Racing teammate Vincent Nobile. In eliminations on Sunday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, on the last day of the season in the 24th race, Coughlin will once again meet Nobile, this time in the opening round — with a win possibly clinching the 2013 championship for Coughlin.

 

Coughlin, No. 2 on the starting ladder heading into the final two qualifying sessions on Saturday, improved his numbers with a 6.545-second elapsed time at 211.43 mph, earning one bonus point, but was still bumped down one spot to No. 3. In his final qualifying pass of the 2013 season, the four-time Pro Stock champion recorded a 6.548/211.10 mark, good for the No. 4 spot and another qualifying bonus point.

 

Qualifying behind No.1 qualifier Mike Edwards and Jason Line was Rickie Jones, whose presence amid the top-five mixed the ladder significantly enough to set up scenarios in which the three J&J Racing Mopars would now face each other within the first two rounds.

 

Heading into Sunday, Coughlin and Nobile (the No. 13 qualifier with a best run of 6.583/210.37) have squared off six times during the 2013 season. Coughlin holds a 2-4 record, including a final-round loss in that February matchup in Pomona at the NHRA Winternationals. With a 70 point lead over both Edwards and Line, who are tied in second place following qualifying, a win over Nobile in the all-Mopar matchup would essentially lockup a fifth Pro Stock championship for Coughlin, and back-to-back titles for the Mopar brand.

 

“We’re looking to get out and put down a really good run and turn the win light on,” said Coughlin, who has four 2013 title wins in eight final round appearances. “We were third-best in both sessions today and look to have a great car going into gameday tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of racing to do, but I love racing here at Pomona so I say bring it on. We’d love to perform well tomorrow, and let the rest take care of itself.”

 

Allen Johnson, the 2012 Pro Stock champ, isn’t ready just yet to cede the championship to Coughlin, his J&J Racing teammate. The Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger driver was No. 4 after his first three qualifying attempts, posting a 6.550/211.73 in his first run on Saturday. AJ wrapped up qualifying with a 6.553/211.46 to start from the No. 5 spot and will go head-to-head with Rodger Brogdon to begin what he hopes is a miracle Sunday finish. Johnson won the Pomona finale last season to wrap up his championship season but would need a number of scenarios to fall into place to claim back-to-back championships.

 

“Rickie Jones slid in there and moved it around there to where we didn’t like it much,” said Johnson who, while 98 points behind, still has the mathematical possibility of retaining his crown given the right scenario. “That just stirred up the drama a little. We had it perfect with me and Jeg on opposite sides of the ladder before he [Jones] did that, but now we’ve got to deal with it and we’ll all do our best. You go out on race day and do your best as a driver and as a team and not pay attention to who you are racing. Hopefully it’ll work out the way it’s supposed to.”

 

HEMI-powered Dodge Avenger driver and Pro Stock veteran V. Gaines (6.552/212.16), fresh off a final round appearance at the recent NHRA Vegas race, will start sixth and draw Greg Anderson as his opening foe, while Dodge Avenger driver Matt Hartford (No. 14, 6.589/210.64) lines up versus Jones.

 

A field full of Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car drivers — a total of six — will be in the hunt for the NHRA Finals event win on Sunday. Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Matt Hagan led the Dodge pack heading into Saturday at No. 4, with a best run of 4.043/319.52 in his Magneti Marelli Quality Auto Parts Offered by Mopar Dodge Charger R/T. Hagan recorded a solid 4.061/315.05 in the first session on Saturday, then put a bow on qualifying by unleashing his best run of the weekend, a 4.014/320.20 pass that lifted the 2011 Funny Car champ to the No. 2 spot and a first-round fight with Alexis DeJoria.

 

“It was a phenomenal day and weekend for this whole camp, with the boys working on this Magneti Marelli machine killing it this weekend,” said Hagan, who has taken the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Charger R/T to four title wins, eight final round appearances and five No.1 qualifier positions in 2013 after missing the playoffs last season. “We have a lot to be proud of this year. It definitely makes me excited about next year. The potential that this team has, what we have already proven, what we have already shown that we can do, it’s just going to grow and get better from here.

 

“Unfortunately, we didn’t do as well in the Countdown as we needed to win the championship, but we can still finish really strong and turn on some win lights tomorrow and secure this second place,” said Hagan who set track speed record on his final qualifying pass. “There’s no reason this team can’t do that the way this Mopar is running this weekend and how everybody is working together.  There’s no doubt in my mind that we can do it.”

 

Native Californian Jeff Arend posted his Dodge Charger R/T eighth thanks to a 4.067/311.85 mark, with Tim Wilkerson on tap in the first round. DSR driver Johnny Gray (No. 10, 4.077/311.20) gets a first-round fight with Chad Head, his Mopar-powered teammate and the 2012 Funny Car champ, Jack Beckman (No. 11, 4.077/309.20), will match up with Cruz Pedregon in round one, and the fourth member of the DSR quartet, Ron Capps (No. 12, 4.103/312.71), will need to get past Robert Hight to advance to the quarterfinals. Rounding out the Mopar Dodge contingent is Gary Densham (No. 13, 4.118/301.81), with Del Worsham his opening-round foe.

 

John Force Racing–FORCE No. 1 AT AUTO CLUB FINALS; FIRST THREE SECOND FC PASS IN POMONA HISTORY

FORCE No. 1 AT AUTO CLUB FINALS; FIRST THREE SECOND FC PASS IN POMONA HISTORY

POMONA, CA (November 9, 2013) –John Force will go into race day at the 49th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals as the No. 1 qualifier. Force was the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday on the strength of his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Funny Car’s 4.015 second pass. Today during the final qualifying session Force was bumped back by Matt Hagan’s 4.014 second pass before the newly crowned 16-time Mello Yello NHRA Funny Car champion raced into the record books with the first three second pass in Funny Car history at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, 3.995 seconds at 319.37 mph.

Force and his Jimmy Prock tuned Castrol GTX Ford Mustang have put together a historic string of qualifying efforts over the last four races. From coast to coast Force has an average best qualifying elapsed time of 4.004 seconds. Starting in St. Louis (No. 3, 4.023 sec), Reading, Pa. (No.1, 3.987 sec), Las Vegas2 (No.1, 4.011 sec) and today at Pomona2 (No. 1, 3.995 sec). Three of the four runs have been track records (St. Louis, Las Vegas2 and Pomona2).

At the top end Force exited his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Funny Car and showered his crew chief brain-trust and his sponsors with praise.

 “What about that Jimmy Prock! That was pretty impressive when we saw Courtney (Force) run that 4.01 Mike Neff went into the box with Robert (Hight’s Auto Club Mustang) and everybody was going for it. Hagan comes up with a 4.01 and took low from me,” said Force. “I saw that look on Jimmy Prock’s face because he has seen what everyone else has done. Jimmy told me on the radio to ‘Hold on kid!’ I just want to thank all the sponsors Castrol, Traxxas, Auto Club, Ford, Mac Tools, BrandSource and Freightliner. We did that on Goodyear tires which was awesome. I want to thank Auto Club for extending our sponsorship.” 

This was Force’s record 146th No. 1 qualifier and it was his third in a row and sixth of the season. Force has won the last two races from the No. 1 spot and he will face journeyman Funny Car driver Bob Bode in the first round.

“First I am not writing any history. Jimmy Prock runs that Funny Car like I said yesterday. Right now we are on a roll and it is just working. This is a team effort with Mike Neff, Ron Douglas, Dean Antonelli, John Medlen working with Jimmy and Danny DeGennaro. We are all one team. Neff pushed it and went for it with Robert. Courtney ran 4.01. I saw the look on Jimmy Prock’s face and I knew he was going for it. The Schumacher’s they beat us to the threes but we got the record here at my home track in Pomona in front of a pretty good crowd. I am pretty excited,”

Force described the second three second run of his career to the media in the Shav Glick Media Center with his trademark enthusiasm.

“I knew it was a good run. I could hear my guys yelling. I knew it ran in the threes. It is just a feeling that you get. It is a rocket ship that goes down through there and it didn’t vibrate,” said Force. “It was on a mission. I heard my guys on the radio but they didn’t tell me exactly what it ran. I knew she ran in the threes I just didn’t know how quickly.”

In the pair right before Force’s historic run Robert Hight and the Auto Club Funny Car team were making their own bid for history. With the conditions improving rapidly crew chief Mike Neff was trying to get the maximum effort out of the track and was successful for approximately 700 feet. At the top end at the Auto Club Mustang was charging on all eight cylinders but Hight hazed the Goodyears and slowed as he crossed the finish line.

“We are ready for race day. We were going for a low elapsed time run and we just overpowered the track a little bit. That was all it took to smoke the tires,” said Hight, the No. 5 qualifier. “We can back it down and be ready for round one tomorrow. Our goal is to move up as high as we can in the points. We got bonus points in three straight qualifying sessions before the final qualifying session. This Auto Club Ford Mustang has been consistent all weekend and we will be ready to close out the season on a high note.”

Hight will face perennial championship contender Ron Capps in the first round. Both drivers are looking to move up in the points. Hight holds a 22-14 record against Capps. This will be the third time they have faced each other at the Auto Club NHRA Finals and currently their head to head record is 1-1 in the season finale.

Courtney Force opened up qualifying today in a great side-by-side match-up next to Capps. The sophomore driver posted a 4.109 elapsed time at over 312 mph and moved up a few spots in the Funny Car field. The Traxxas team had to bring out their back-up body after a small explosion on Friday during the second qualifying session.

“We had to switch bodies after yesterday. We put the pink car back on since we ruined our rookie car which is a bummer, but we’re excited that we’ve had some pretty good luck with the pink Funny Car. We went out there in the first session and ran a 4.10, which stepped us up a little, but the conditions weren’t quite perfect yet. We kept it safe on the first run and on the second we wanted to improve. We were looking for something better and we found it in Q4,” said Force.

The 25-year-old raced her pink Traxxas Ford Mustang to a 4.016 second run at over 319 mph in the fourth and final qualifying session today. Temperatures dropped quickly as the sun went down and helped to move the Traxxas team up into the top half of the field.

“In the final session we ran a 4.01 and went towards the top which is what we wanted. I’m very proud of my team. They thrashed to get that car ready for qualifying today and to go out and put a 4.01 on the board makes us very excited for what can happened tomorrow,” said Force.

Force will go into Sunday in the No. 3 spot and take on Funny Car competitor and Ford racer Bob Tasca III. Force is 7-1 to Tasca in previous match-ups.

The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster continued to impress on the final day of qualifying. Rookie driver Brittany Force lowered her career best elapsed time for the second day in a row posting a 3.784 second run at 323.74 mph. The run was good enough to keep the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future contender in the top half of the field in the No. 8 position.

“I’m very excited about our weekend out here. It’s definitely a tough field out here in Pomona for the last race of the season. Everyone is really trying to qualify well to get those extra bonus points. Our car has been running great. We ran our best ET ever, a 3.78, and we just did it again in the last session. We have a really good car- the best it’s ever run. It’s really consistent. We were No. 4 at the beginning of the day but got bumped down to No. 8. I’m really excited for tomorrow,” said Force.

Force will face Spencer Massey for the sixth time this season. Force recently defeated Massey in Las Vegas for the first time in five attempts.

“I’ve raced Spencer quite a few times and he’s kicked my butt in the past, but he’s fun to race. I got him last race in Vegas, but our plan is to go out there and get past first round. It’s going to be a tough match-up, but it’s nothing that our Castrol EDGE team can’t handle,” added Force.

Richard Childress Racing–Lucas Oil 150

Lucas Oil 150
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Phoenix International Raceway   
November 8, 2013
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished third (Brendan Gaughan) and fourth (Ty Dillon).
Because of those results, Dillon moved up one position to second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, 46 markers behind the leader; while Gaughan moved up two spots to seventh in the standings.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team is third in the Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 62 team ninth in the standings.
According to NASCAR’s Post-Race Loop Data Statistics, Gaughan maintained the third-best Average Running Position (3.460), while Dillon had the fourth-best (4.280).
Gaughan earned the third-best Driver Rating (115.7), while Dillon was ranked fourth (114.3).
Combined, RCR teammates Dillon and Gaughan posted 19 of the Fastest Laps Run, with 12 and seven, respectively.
Gaughan had the second-Fastest Speed in Traffic and was the third-Fastest Driver Early in a Run and third-Fastest on Restarts.
Dillon was the second-Fastest Driver Late in a Run and had the third-Fastest Green-Flag Speed.
Erik Jones took the checkered flag and was followed to the line by Ross Chastain, Gaughan, Dillon and Matt Crafton.
The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is the Homestead 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, Nov. 15. The 22nd and final race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
 
 

Dillon Earns Top-Five Finish at Phoenix International Raceway
 
Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team finished fourth under the lights at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday night. Starting the 150-lap event from the 12th position, Dillon immediately reported his Chevrolet was too tight. Relief came for the driver as the field slowed for a caution flag on lap 35. Crew chief Marcus Richmond called the Richard Childress Racing driver to pit road for two tires and fuel. The two-tire pit strategy boosted Dillon in the running order, allotting him the fourth spot for the ensuing restart. The 21-year-old driver ran as high as second during the race. Dillon slipped back to fourth on the final restart of the night where he would cross the finish line. The fourth-place result advanced Dillon one spot, to second, in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings with one race remaining in the season.
 
Start – 12         Finish – 4          Laps Led – 0          Points – 2nd
 
TY DILLON QUOTE:
“We didn’t get the qualifying spot that we wanted. We really had to dig ourselves out of a hole starting from 12th. Marcus (Richmond, crew chief) made a great call for two tires and helped us gain track position. This Bass Pro Shops team has a lot to be proud of, we’re going to fight until the end.”
 
 

Gaughan Earns Third-Place Result at Phoenix International Raceway
 
Starting from the third position, Brendan Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team picked up their eighth top-five finish of the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season under the lights of Phoenix International Raceway on Friday night. The Las Vegas native maintained a position within the top five for the majority of the 150-lap affair and battled a tight black and gold machine during the early laps of a green-flag run. The South Point Hotel & Casino pit crew made slight air pressure adjustments during scheduled two and four-tire pit stops on laps 37 and 89 to help with the handling of the Richard Childress Racing-prepared machine. Armed with a fast Chevrolet, Gaughan was able to maintain a position near the front of the field and cross the finish line third. The top-five finish allowed Gaughan to move up two positions, to seventh, in the Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings.
 
         Start – 3          Finish – 3          Laps Led – 3         Points – 7th
 
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“This was a great run for our South Point Hotel & Casino team tonight. I had to be careful at the end when I was racing Ty (Dillon) because you don’t want to do anything that could jeopardize your teammate’s run, but I knew we were a little bit faster at the end, and I really wanted the extra position. I was really hoping for a slightly better finish, but my team put forth a great effort and we’ll continue to fight for position in the championship point battle all the way to the end.”

John Force Racing–JOHN FORCE GOES TO NO. 1 AT 49TH ANNUAL AUTO CLUB FINALS AT POMONA

JOHN FORCE GOES TO NO. 1 AT 49TH ANNUAL AUTO CLUB FINALS AT POMONA

 POMONA, CA (November 8, 2013) – John Force and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang continued to flex their muscles Friday, climbing to the top of the Funny Car performance ladder while just missing an Auto Club Raceway track record on the way to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s 49th annual Auto Club Finals.

  While the newly-crowned series champion was putting himself in position to start from the front for the third straight race, rookie Brittany Force was applying an exclamation point of her own by driving the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster through the 1,000 foot timers in a personal best 3.787 seconds and 323.19 miles per hour.

 It was the third personal best in the last seven races for the 27-year-old contender for the Auto Club’s 2013 Road to the Future Award that identifies the NHRA Rookie of the Year and it sends her into the final two Saturday qualifying sessions as the No. 4 qualifier..

 “Coming out yesterday and running 3.84 with a cylinder out at about 200 feet, that was a pretty good number when you consider that,” said the aspiring schoolteacher.  “I felt pretty good about coming out here today. We were hoping to be able to improve – which we did.

 “That was the quickest run of my career,” she said.  “I am so excited for my team and my guys to run that 3.78.  I am so pumped and I can’t wait to get back to the track tomorrow.”

 “Being able to run that number just means so much,” explained the graduate of Cal State-Fullerton.  “This is the last race of the year and the last race of our rookie season. We want to do the best we can. We want to finish up the season doing our best and runs like that really help.”

 For his part, Force was low key about a 4.015 that put him in position to claim the 146th No. 1 qualifying award of his 36-year NHRA career.

 “We’re just trying to gobble up points to keep the competition from getting them,” said the 138-time tour winner.  We’d like to finish 1-2-3 (in points) and if everything goes right, I think we can do that.”

 Although he admitted that every conversation and every interview has been about his most recent championship, one he secured two weeks ago at Las Vegas, he said he’s focused on extending his current three-race winning streak.

 “I’ve learned to turn off the switch and focus on what I’ve got to do,” Force said.

 “It starts with the sponsors,” the 15-time Auto Racing All-American said of his most recent milestone.  “When you have sponsors like Auto Club, Force, Castrol, Traxxas, BrandSource and Mac Tools, that lets you hire the right people.

 “Then you rally those people together and you do your job as a driver and that’s what makes the ‘magic.’  It’s a team effort.  The crew chief has to have the right attitude, the team has to make the right calls and the driver has to do his job, too.”

 Hight, who can still finish as high as second in points in the Auto Club Ford, was pleased with his Friday performance.

 “We picked up two qualifying bonus points yesterday and one today,” Hight said, “so that’s big; that’s moving us in the right direction.  Going up there, (crew chief) Mike Neff said he thought we could run a 4.03, so we were two thousandths better than that. That shows you have a good handle on your race car.

 “We need to be at the top here. We’re really trying to win this race for Auto Club and end this season on a high note. So far, so good. I give my team an A+.”

 Although it was a good day overall for JFR, it wasn’t without incident as Courtney Force’s special edition Traxxas Ford Mustang suffered a mechanical failure at the hit of the throttle Friday, backfired the supercharger and inflicted serious damage to the carbon fiber body.

 “Our Traxxas team had a rough day at the office,” said Force. “The conditions were great; the track was cooling down because it was being shaded a little more. We definitely had our eyes set on a good run. We watched a couple of the cars ahead of us run in the low 4.0s.

 “There was a 4.04 and a 4.06 ahead of us, so we were definitely aiming low.  We wanted to get our car maybe even in the 3s if we could do it, but we definitely wanted to get a low 4.0 run to get us to the top of the board.”

 Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

 “We went up there and banged the blower. It’s unfortunate and I’m bummed for my Traxxas crew. This is the last time we’ll be running the rookie car. It definitely hurt it on that run, but the good thing is everyone is OK.  We’ll see if we can find and fix the problem and just get back after it tomorrow,” said 2012’s top rookie.  “We’ll be running the pink car for the rest of the weekend and I’m excited for that.”

 

Mopar Racing–Mopar’s Coughlin and Johnson Hoping to Add a Few More Memorable Moments in Final Battle for 2013 NHRA Championship

Mopar’s Coughlin and Johnson Hoping to Add a Few More Memorable Moments in Final Battle for 2013 NHRA Championship
 
·         Mopar battling for a series championship and event wins at 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals this weekend
·         Pro Stock points leader Coughlin keeps championship in his sights
·         Johnson is defending title winner at NHRA Finals and not ready to give up on championship hopes
·         Johnson and Coughlin recount their most memorable moments of 2013

 

Pomona, Calif. (Nov 8, 2013) – With the NHRA Pro Stock World Championship to be decided on Sunday at the 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. is still the points leader with two of four qualifying sessions complete, but he has some tough competitors right on his rear bumper, including teammate Allen Johnson, all fighting for that crown and the final title win of the year.

 

Following Pro Stock qualifying on Thursday, Coughlin was listed third with a 6.554/210.73 pass, behind his closest title contenders, provisional pole-sitter Mike Edwards and Jason Line, who along with Coughlin collected important qualifying bonus points. Coughlin earned two additional “little points” on Friday with a 6.552/210.77 run to move up to the No. 2 spot, behind Edwards. Johnson was No. 4 with a 6.558/210.70 effort on Thursday and remained fourth with a 6.556/211.53 mark on Friday. He did earn one bonus point for setting the third quickest time in the second session.

 

Johnson, the defending series champ, faces a significant deficit in his bid to catch teammate and points leader Coughlin, but isn’t about to quit in his bid for a repeat in his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger.

 

“I’m the eternal optimist and I still haven’t quite given up hope on the title,” said Johnson, who trails by 95 points with two qualifying sessions left before the elimination rounds. “Going into Thursday, I was determined to try to get all four three-point bonuses in qualifying and try to out-qualify Jeggie [Coughlin] by two positions. He could always go out early and I could win the race and beat him by a point. Now, after two qualifying sessions, it would be a bit more difficult, but looking at Sunday the weather may turn cool and we may just set a record, so I’m not ready to give it up just yet.”

 

Coughlin for his part doesn’t want to do the math, but is keeping the championship in his sights. He simply has his focus on the task at hand.

 

“I think we’ve got a great car but it’s all about keeping everything together, continuing to make good calls in the pits and then getting out there and driving sensibly,” said Coughlin, who has the experience of four Pro Stock championships under his seat belt. “I like the way I feel behind the wheel. We have a lot of good momentum going and after two runs, moving up a spot certainly didn’t hurt us a bit. I’m looking forward to Q3 [the third qualifying session] as it will likely be our fastest session of the four.  The air will be better, the track will be tighter, and we’ll be a little more aggressive with it, so elapsed times should fall. We’ll look to improve.”

 

As the finish line for the Mello Yello Drag Racing season approaches quickly, Johnson and Coughlin also took a moment to reflect on some of their memorable moments from the past year. For Johnson, among his favorite highlights was carrying the No. 1 on his Mopar throughout the season and his performance at Bandimere Speedway with a fourth consecutive pole position and fifth overall title at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.

 

“Of course, winning in Denver again was probably the most memorable moment this season, and coming out to the first race of the year as a Champion here in Pomona was pretty awesome,” said Johnson. The Greeneville, Tenn., native was also very proud about joining forces with Coughlin and Vincent Nobile, with Roy Johnson tuning their HEMI engines and sweeping the NHRA Western Swing with all three drivers.  The trio has, to date, scored a total of 11 wins and six No. 1 qualifier positions. “I think we won close to half the races between the three of us and that’s an awesome feeling for the entire team,” said Johnson. “We’ve got something special to keep working with and I think we can come right back out next season and be the same team again.”

 

For Coughlin, partnering with Johnson not only has paid dividends on the track but has added some memorable and fun moments as well. “Going into the final elimination against Allen [Johnson] at Gainesville,” remembers Coughlin with a smile. “I had to pick my heart up off the ground when, after I lost a motor in the semifinals, AJ looked at me seriously and said we were all out of engines. All I could say was [expletive deleted]. Obviously, he was just kidding, but he really got me. That moment really stands out and set a positive and fun tone for the rest of the year. Also, winning the first race of the Countdown in Charlotte felt fantastic and helped put us in the position we are today to fight for the championship, and capturing the pole at the inaugural event at New Hampshire was a fun highlight.”

 

In other Mopar Pro Stock qualifying, V. Gaines (6.562/211.36), runner-up at the recent Vegas race, had his Pro Stock Dodge ranked sixth after Friday qualifying. Johnson and Coughlin’s J&J Racing teammate, Vincent Nobile (6.583/210.37) clocked in at 10th, while Matt Hartford (6.589/210.64) was 12th in his Dodge. Deric Kramer (6.616/209.04), listed 17th, rounded out the Mopar Pro Stock contingent.

 

In NHRA Funny Car qualifying the Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Charger R/T of Jack Beckman sat atop the ladder on Thursday, thanks to a 4.077/309.20 run. Unfortunately, Beckman was unable to hold the top position after smoking the tires in his Friday qualifying attempt, falling to eighth on the provisional starting grid. However, Beckman’s Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Magneti Marelli Quality Auto Parts Offered by Mopar Dodge Charger R/T driver Matt Hagan, was able to make a move from sixth to the No. 4 position with a 4.043-second elapsed time, paired with a 319.52 mph, the top speed of the day.

 

California native Jeff Arend was ninth in his Charger, posting a 4.080/308.43. The DSR duo of Johnny Gray and Ron Capps were unable to get their Mopar-fueled Dodge Chargers down the drag strip under full power and were listed 11th and 14th, respectively, heading into the final two qualifying sessions on Saturday. Gary Densham was No. 12 in his Charger, with Grant Downing 17th in his HEMI-powered Funny Car.

Summit Racing–Line Looks Forward to Saturday in Pomona, Two Chances to Move Up

Line Looks Forward to Saturday in Pomona, Two Chances to Move Up

Pomona, Calif., November 8, 2013 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line is eager to get down to business on Saturday, the final day of qualifying at the 49th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Line, who entered the event sitting second in the standings and with the championship a bright beacon in the distance, is still gunning for the title. He first plans to ascend from his current position of No. 3 in the line-up and secure his third No. 1 qualifying start of the season.

Because of the unique format, Friday was the second day of the event, the last of 24 in the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and just one run was allotted for the day. Line pulled his bright white Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to the starting line with intent but was soon disheartened as the tires began to shake and shave valuable hundredths of a second off of the e.t. that would flash on the scoreboard.

Line’s 6.567 at 211.30 mph did not improve upon the 6.554, 210.93 recorded on the first day of the event, but it did provide valuable information that could easily contribute to a winning combination on raceday. Overall, Line was looking forward to two more chances to improve on Saturday to position himself as high as possible heading into eliminations for the last time in 2013.

“The racetrack out there is getting better and better with every run, just like it usually does here in Pomona,” said Line. “And the conditions for tomorrow look like they’ll be even better than they were today. I’m not going to lie – we were disappointed today because we felt like we could have run a 6.54 or even a 6.53, but I think we have a great opportunity tomorrow to improve with our Summit Racing Camaros. I still think we can get that No. 1. I’m optimistic, and I’m definitely looking forward to tomorrow.”

Chevy Racing–Jimmie Johson

Jimmie Johnson Wins the Pole at Phoenix with New Track Record
Chevrolet SS Drivers Capture Two of Top-Five and Six of Top-11 in Qualifying for Sunday’s AdvoCare 500
 
AVONDALE, ARIZ (November 8, 2013) Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and current point leader Jimmie Johnson was blistering fast in the heat of the desert sun at Phoenix International Raceway in setting a new track pole on the way to winning his third pole of the 2013 season.
 
With a lap of 25.858 seconds/139.222 mph, Johnson behind the wheel of the No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet SS, scored the 32nd career pole for race 35 of the 36-race season.
 
“Track records are awesome,” said Johnson.  “I don’t qualify on the pole all that often, so I take great pride in them; especially track records. It’s very cool to do. It’s clearly a great time in the season with the Chase and all that. We have a great pit pick and track position to start the race with and now we just need to be able to make the right decisions during the race and maintain track position.”
 
Jeff Gordon put is No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS in the fifth starting position for the 312-lap/312-mile/500K race to give Team Chevy two of the top-five starters.
 
Other Chevrolet SS drivers in the top-10 are: Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS – 7th; Kurt Busch, No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet SS – 8th: Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS – 9th and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS – 11th.
 
Rounding out the top-five qualifiers were Denny Hamlin (Toyota), Joey Logano (Ford) and Kyle Busch (Toyota).
 
The race is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN and MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
ANOTHER NEW TRACK RECORD AND DOMINATING PERFORMANCE BY YOU AND YOUR TEAM SO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR RUN HERE AT PHOENIX:
“New track records are awesome.  I don’t qualify on pole all that often so I take great pride in them; especially track records.  It’s a very cool of a deal.  It’s clearly at a great time in the season with the Chase and all that. We have a great pit pick and track position to start the race with.  Now we just need to be able to maintain that and make the right decisions during the race to keep track position.”
 
DO YOU REALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TURN IT UP AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON?  DOES SUCH A THING REALLY EXIST?
“I don’t feel like I’m doing anything different, but we have been able to, at least the year’s we’ve won championships, have been able to do more than we have during the regular season.  It’s hard when you are inside of it, inside the car, inside the team to know what the difference is because we are doing the same stuff.  But when I look around and I see what other champions do to win in the competitors, the battle between the two or three guys whoever it is they always seem to find a way to find a little more. So somehow we are doing it, yes, I recognize that, but it’s not a concerted effort.  It’s not something that we are doing any differently.  It’s just I think what you have to do to win championships.  We are trying to rise up to the pace of the No. 20 and beat him.” 
 
DENNY HAMLIN JUST BASICALLY ADMITTED THAT AN OFF DAY FOR YOU WOULD BE A FIFTH PLACE FINISH.  DO YOU EVER REFLECT ON KIND OF THE STANDARD YOU HAVE SET AND WHAT THAT MAY DO TO YOUR COMPETITION EACH WEEKEND?
“Man, I had like five races of 28th in a row before the Chase started I guess everybody forgot about that huh? (laughs) It happens to everybody.  You have bad days, but I feel like the majority of the tracks we race on are good for us.  There are a few in the summer months that beat us up from time to time and we went through that earlier this year.  Then racing luck can get you from time to time too.  In Pocono we blew a right-front (tire) leading, Atlanta we got smashed on a restart and on and on.  If you are going to win a championship you have got to run in the top-five week in and week out. Fortunately we have been able to do so really for these eight races.  Last year we made it eight races there and didn’t finish out that way.  So we need to make sure we finish out these final two with strong finishes.”
 
WHILE LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR YOU WILL START THE NEXT TO LAST RACE WITH A SEVEN POINT LEAD YOU WILL START SUNDAY’S RACE 23 POSITIONS BETTER THAN YOU DID LAST YEAR.  WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THIS RACE AND AT THIS TRACK?
“I’m not sure it means a ton.  Matt (Kenseth) if you look at the history of Matt, qualifying hasn’t been his best, but he is always there when the checkered falls.  That is what I have to expect out of he and his team once again.  I’m sure they will be there when the checkered falls on Sunday.  So we need to be buttoned up tomorrow, get our adjustments right, get the car right and then have a flawless race on Sunday.”
 
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE KEY FACTORS IN DETERMINING THE OUTCOME OF THE RACE?  GOING TO BE A LOT OF TWO TIRE STOPS? SOMEBODY MENTIONED CARL (EDWARDS) WENT THE WHOLE WAY ON LEFT-SIDES LAST TIME.  DO YOU THINK THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE?
“Yeah, I think tire strategy first of all and then a close second is really fuel at the end.  We have seen this turn into a fuel mileage race at the end of a few shows.  I think we won one and that is how we got closed the gap on Denny (Hamlin) one year as well.  I would say between those two parts.  You obviously need a good car and good (pit) stops and all that, but tire strategy and then fuel is going to be the key points.”
 
DID THE DRAW MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY?
“It didn’t hurt.  I will take it.  I was a little… probably like everybody else curious why things didn’t get faster sooner.  I don’t know TV almost had me believing there was a transition period that the track was going through, but I don’t have a clue.  But it didn’t hurt going out late for sure.”
 
HOW MUCH OF YOUR PRACTICE TODAY WAS TOWARDS QUALIFYING AND HOW MUCH TOWARDS THE RACE AND HOW CRITICAL WILL YOUR PRACTICE BE TOMORROW MORNING?
“Tomorrow morning, I guess I have to think it through about track temp and stuff, but I would assume the second practice is closer to what we are going to race on.  So the first practice we will make sure we are in the ballpark and things are going in the right direction.  But today we spent half, 60 percent on race trim and then switched over midway point and made a couple of qualifying runs.  Some tracks we go to we will start in qualifying trim and just focus on it solely, but here we felt like it would be nice to get some race trim in.  Have something to sleep on overnight to start tomorrow’s practice with.”
 
AS COMMITTED AND FOCUSES AS CHAD (KNAUS, CREW CHIEF) IS AND WHAT HE DOES HOW MUCH OF THAT HAS RUBBED OFF ON YOU AND EFFECTED THE WAY YOU APPROACH WHAT YOU DO?
“It definitely has.  He has shaped me and molded me into the teammate, the team leader, the driver that I am.  There are times when I do not want to hear what he has to say to me.  Sometimes it ends up being right.  In Homestead at our test there were a couple of examples of that which took place.  The good thing with Chad is his intensity is there all that is an obvious, but he doesn’t have a filter.  He is not fearful of getting something off his chest.  At times it can rub anyone in here the wrong way, it can rub the competitors the wrong way and it can rub me the wrong way, but at least it’s out there.  It’s nice working with a guy that isn’t afraid to get it off his chest.  Because then you have a chance to work on it and you have a chance to address it.  So from techniques and driving the car, what I do
during the week and my involvement with the shop, with the pit crew guys, over-the-wall guys or approach to the race track, even lines I drive on the track.  I know some crew chiefs get a kick out of listening to him because he will try to drive the car during the pit box during the race at times, but he only does it because he cares and that he is that focused on it all.  His intensity has shaped me into who I am today and very grateful to have that environment.  I think I thrive in that environment.  There are some drivers that want to crew chief from the seat. That is not our dynamic.  He has created an environment for me to thrive in and to learn.  So it’s worked out really well.  I guess I’m good at being told what to do (laughs).”

Chevy Racing–Phoenix Qualifying

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
ADVOCARE 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
“I just have to thank everybody on this Hendrick team. This KOBALT Tools Lowe’s Chevrolet has been very good off the truck and we were able to back it up and get it done in qualifying. I knew we had a fast car in practice and it’s tough to back it up. It’s a very tough field and a very tough industry and I’m proud of the effort across the board at Hendrick Motorsports to get it done today.”
 
YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOOD TRACK POSITION BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T THINK THERE WOULD BE MUCH OF A SECOND GROOVE ON SUNDAY. CAN YOU TELL US WHY?
“Yeah, since the repave we just haven’t seen it. And it was kind of a single-file track in the past. But, the old asphalt allowed a second lane at times to kind of run on. But now, we haven’t really seen an outside lane anywhere. I hope it comes. I know they spent a lot of money on Turns 1 and 2 and the back straightaway to promote it. Hopefully we get up there some day and we can use that progressive banking.”
 
WHAT DOES THIS POLE DO FOR THE ENTIRE WEEKEND FOR YOU? ARE YOU BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF?
“For today, but it’s still a long race and a lot can happen.  Strategy plays a big part in what takes place on Sunday during the race here. We did ourselves a lot of favors today with getting the pole and that first pit stall. Track position to start the race with and a lot of things directional will be in our favor. We’ve still got to go out there and go to work and get the job done on Sunday. But it’s a great start to the weekend for the KOBALT Tools Chevrolet.”
 
YOU ARE ON THE POLE.  WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND AND ARE YOU BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF?
“For today, but it’s still a long race where a lot can happen and strategy plays a part in what takes place in Sunday’s race.   So we did ourselves a lot of favors here today by getting the pole, having that first pit stall, and track position to start the race with.  A lot of things will be in our favor, but we still have to go out there and get to work to get the job done on Sunday.  We are off to a good start for the weekend in the KOBALT Tools Chevrolet SS.”
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED FIFTH
WAS QUALIFYING WHAT YOU EXPECTED?
“Probably even a little bit better. It is certainly a pick-up from practice which is great. Based on the angle of the sun going into turn one, it is so difficult. It is a guessing game down there. The car felt great in three and four, so I felt like the team made good adjustments, so I am pretty happy with that lap time because I wasn’t sure when I was out there if it was a good of a lap.”
 
DID THE TRACK HAVE A LITTLE MORE GRIP?
“One and two certainly does because it is all shaded, but like I said, you can’t see getting in there, so you have to be careful. My car felt pretty good in three and four also.”
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED NINTH
YOU HAD THE POLE FOR JUST A SECOND THERE TELL US ABOUT YOUR LAP.  IT IS AWFULLY HOT OUT THERE ON THE TRACK RIGHT NOW:
“Yeah, honestly felt really good about our Budweiser Chevrolet in race trim.  In qualifying trim we struggled a little bit, but they made some good changes and our car was substantially better than it was in practice and we were able to put up a good lap.”
 
DID REALLY WELL HERE A YEAR AGO, WON THIS RACE, TELL US WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT ON SUNDAY WITH THIS TRACK STARTING TO WEATHER IN A LITTLE BIT?
“If you push the car at all too hard right now it slides the front tires.  So it will be interesting to see what the race track does tonight and tomorrow night and we will just have to wait and see what Sunday brings.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 11TH
AN EARLY DRAW, BUT HOW ABOUT YOUR LAP?
“I really don’t know.  I think the car drove alright, but I just know that draw is not very good.  That is going to cost us quite a bit.  The guys did a good job giving me a car that was comfortable for that kind of a draw.  I think we got a pretty decent lap considering, but I don’t know where that is going to end up.”
 
WHAT DID YOU FEEL IN PRACTICE TODAY?
“Well we ran some race trim and felt good about our car.  In qualifying trim we really couldn’t progress like we wanted. Guys were picking up as they were running and we weren’t.  So we were a little bit worried about our effort in qualifying so we will just see how it works out.”
 
I HEARD YOU SAY YOU MADE A BIG MISTAKE ON THE FIRST QUALIFYING LAP, WHAT WAS IT?
“I was trying to roll the center real easy in (turns) three and four and didn’t anticipate the car turning as good as it did and I got down onto the apron coming into the throttle and just ruined the lap.  So, just tried to put together the best lap two I could.  I don’t know how good the draw is and I don’t know if that will be a top-15 or not and I know the guys are just going to get better from here on out and I don’t know how good that lap is to be honest with you.   Looking at what Matt (Kenseth) ran, I think it’s pretty good, but you never know so we will just have to see.”
 
HOW IS YOUR RACE CAR?
“I think we can race pretty well, and with how this tire works here – you don’t really need to change it – we can do some good strategy and get ourselves up front.”
 
DO YOU LOOK AT THIRD IN POINTS AS ATTAINABLE?
“I haven’t really looked at the numbers to know how far back we are. We are just trying to give it all we can each week, and see what we accomplish. We’ve already come a lot further than I thought we would after Chicago. I’m really proud of the team, and how they’ve hung in there, and they have done their best work in the last six weeks or so.”
 
WERE YOU TRYING TO LEARN SOMETHING FROM HOW JIMMIE DOES THINGS BY BACKING UP YOUR CORNERS IN PRACTICE?
“Well, we do that every week. We look at all the throttle input that every driver uses, and if we’re off a little bit, we might look at the fastest guy which tends to be Jimmie more times than not. My guys thought I might be over-driving the corner a little bit, so they wanted me to go out there and back up the corner a little bit like he was. I tried to do that, but we couldn’t make it work for us. The cars aren’t setup identically, the setups are really different. So you probably have to drive them a little different. We got a good lap there in qualifying so we will see how that works out.”
 

Chevy Racing–Jimmie Johnson–Phoenix

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
ADVOCARE 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed the championship battle with Matt Kenseth, racing at Phoenix and other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
 
HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT PHOENIX AND HAVING TWO RACES TO GO?
“Eager to get on the track and see where we are, see how our car is handling and excited to be at the race track.  When you’re sitting there Monday through Thursday thinking about a race, thinking about how your setups going to be, those are the hardest days.  I’m excited to be here at the race track and get out there and turn some laps.”
 
WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND LAST YEAR WHEN BRAD KESELOWSKI WAS MESSING WITH YOU IN PRACTICE?
“I don’t even remember that.  What did he do?  I don’t remember it, but Matt (Kenseth) and I in practice this year have been out there and really evaluating ourselves against one another to see what the other has.  It’s not uncommon.  I’m sure that’s what he’s doing and if you’re the guy that can overtake or I guess Brad (Keselowski) was trying to overtake me, there’s always a little message in that or a little smile from your team if you’re showing a little speed at that point.  I’m sure there was a little something in it, but it’s not uncommon.”
 
DO YOU ANTICIPATE MATT KENSETH TO MESS WITH YOU IN PRACTICE?
“We’ve been sizing each other up pretty good each week.  We roll out right near each other in practice each time.  Texas, I think I was catching him, he let me by and got up behind to take a look at my stuff and where I was.  I can’t remember the exact mindset last year what kind of led to it, but the end result I don’t think is all that uncommon just to size yourself up.”
 
ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT MATT KENSETH HAS BEATEN YOU AT TRACKS WHERE YOU ARE NORMALLY STRONGER COMING TO PHOENIX, ANOTHER TRACK WHERE YOU ARE HISTORICALLY STRONGER?
“I don’t know if the numbers mean much, especially in championship battles.  You look at Martinsville where the numbers skewed my way and Matt (Kenseth) came out with points.  Here, we’ve had some good success, but I can’t rely on that.  It’s all in the past.  They’re great stats, they’re a great reference, but the past is the past and it’s all about today and this weekend and I think especially when you look at the No. 20 car and there’s Matt in general and now that he’s in the No. 20 car, you can ‘t look at stats from the No. 17.  I think that there’s been quite a big improvement on a lot of race tracks for him.”
 
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DO THIS TIME IN THE CHASE THAN YOU DO THE REST OF THE SEASON?
“No, not really at all.  There are systems that are in place and there are systems that lead you to a playoff berth and get you in the Chase and then your systems keep you competitive in the Chase.  There’s been more pressure and I’m sure everybody is focused thinking about things a little bit more, it’s hard to say focused, but I’m sure there’s a little more thought in there and a little more emotion, but what we do is what we do and that’s what led us to where we are in the points and we’re not going to change anything there.”
 
DO YOU BELIEVE MATT KENSETH IS MORE MECHANICAL AND YOU ARE MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL?
“Yeah, I think Matt (Kenseth) with his upbringing and all the years he spent in stock cars, much more mechanically inclined on the race car and understanding the particulars of the chassis and the vehicle, vehicle dynamics and all that stuff.  My fifth year ever in a stock car was at the Cup level so I had two years of ASA, two years in Nationwide and then Cup so I was pretty far behind.  I remember being in Milwaukee with Howie Lettow as my crew chief just trying to understand what to do.  I didn’t know what wedge was so he literally took this little plastic table we had and cut one of the legs down and made it shorter and said, this doesn’t have any wedge in it and it’s tipping over.  Just had to go through all the basics and teach me the basics.  Matt is much stronger, back to your question, in that area.  I agree, I’m probably more on the psychological side.  Making sure that I’m buttoned up, trying to create a good energy through the team and keep the guys up and things like that.”
 
HOW DOES THE SEVEN POINT ADVANTAGE NOW COMPARE TO THAT OF LAST YEAR?
“I think as far as the No. 48, we’re in a very familiar spot, a very similar spot to last year.  I can’t remember which race off the top of my head, but competitive winning races, winning races to take the points lead, it’s very, very similar.  We got to this point in the year last year and had an issue at this race track and then made mistakes at Homestead.  That’s the area that we need to clean up and not repeat that aspect of history.  Make sure that we’re focused on doing a great job here and on into Homestead.”
 
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE GEN-6 CAR THIS YEAR AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE TWEAKED MOVING FORWARD?
“There’s a lot going on within the NASCAR offices and all the competition side and then what takes place in the garage area and the race shops.  In December there’s a big test session and we’ll know a lot more at that point as to the direction of the rules package and where it’s going.  Over the years I’ve learned to not stress about things.  There’s only so much I can contribute to in this decision making process.  When I’m asked questions by whatever NASCAR official it is, I’m more than willing to give my opinion and try to sound off and be a part of that process.  They’ve got to manage so many different angles and now we’re using a lot of data, some of its new data that they’re using to make these decisions.  I’m just sitting back patiently waiting where things go.  I always look at change as an opportunity and the No. 48 has taken advantage of those opportunities over the years.  I don’t care what package the car is, I’m very confident in my skills as a driver and what my team’s capable of, what Hendrick Motorsports is capable of and we’ll race whatever they decide to come up with.”
 
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO THE RACE ON SUNDAY?
“I think the largest issue is track position.  We haven’t been able to really work in a second lane around here and create passing opportunities.  That means your strategy on pit road and the stops themselves are where the weight really lies.  If you back up another step from that, making sure your car is good on older tires is going to be important as race practice develops and you’re not going to want to be on pit road much or very long when it shakes out on Sunday.”
 
CAN YOU COMPARE AND CONTRAST YOURSELF AND MATT KENSETH AS FAR AS PERSONALITIES AND ON THE RACE TRACK?  ALSO, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE STRUCK UP A PRETTY DECENT FRIENDSHIP CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW THAT HAS HAPPENED?
“Yeah, I think there are differences between us for sure.  I feel like we are both big picture thinkers and inside the race car and understanding the flow of a race, the flow of the Chase, the flow of a year, there is just a broader vision.  Being patient in the car at different times, if it’s racing someone in traffic or if mistakes made to not let an issue there destroy your whole race, again more of a big picture thinker and how to work through issues and come out of the race with your best possible finish.  We look at Matt over the years.  I think the best example of it would be qualifying effort.  Qualifying hasn’t been Matt’s strongest suit, but regardless of where he starts when that checkered falls he is there.  There is just a differ
ent kind of mindset and I feel the No. 48 is very much in that same line of thought. We find a way to be there at the end of the race. Friendship, yeah we have known each other, gosh, a long time now, probably 15 years with Nationwide included.  Just been able to get along from the beginning, there were a few bumpy episodes in the Nationwide series where I was the slow guy in the way.  He used me up a couple of times and I like to harass him about that and point that out to him, but we have had a great time.  Really since his championship, when we got home my wife and I drove over to his house and had a beer with him and Katie (Kenseth, wife) and his team when he was in the No. 17 car.  I would say from that point forward we have always had a strong friendship.”
 
FOR LACK OF RUNNING FACILITIES WE HAVE SEEN YOU RUNNING AROUND CERTAIN TRACKS.  DO YOU RUN UP IN THE HILLS HERE ANYTIME?  DO YOU BRING ANYTHING FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RATTLE SNAKES?
“No, I don’t get on the dirt around here not unless I have motocross boots on. I spent too much time in these deserts and know what is sitting in the bushes.  I haven’t been on any trails.  I considered bringing my mountain bike out to ride, but I will probably just hit the pavement on foot and on the road bike a little later on Saturday.”
 
THE CARS HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH HERE PRESUMABLY SINCE THE FIRST RACE AND YOU GUYS YOU AND MATT HAVE BOTH DONE BETTER AT TRACKS MAYBE WHERE YOU HAVEN’T DONE AS WELL IN THE PAST.  IS THERE ANYWAY WE CAN PREDICT AT ALL GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND WHAT TO EXPECT OR IS IT ALL PRETTY MUCH A CRAPSHOOT AT THIS POINT?
“Yeah, I think it’s a crapshoot that is the way I prepared myself mentally.  I look at Martinsville at a track that statistically showed to favor the No. 48 and it didn’t point’s wise when the checkered fell.  I’m using that to help keep my guard up.  I think he ran eighth or something here in the spring which is a great finish and we were second.  They are going to be strong is the bottom line and we have to be prepared for that and do our best.”
 
BRAD KESELOWSKI WAS SUGGESTING LAST NIGHT IN HIS COMMENTS THAT HE FORCED YOU GUYS INTO THE BLOWN TIRE LAST YEAR.  DO YOU BUY THAT?  SECONDLY, HE TALKED ABOUT TO BEAT YOU GUYS RUN YOU HARD AND APPARENTLY THERE IS A LINE THAT YOU CAN’T CROSS CAN YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
“I guess we need to ask Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, who else have I raced for a championship, Carl Edwards a lot of those guys how we race.  We race hard.  That is not a weakness of ours by any stretch.  Last year here they were better than us for sure.  We worked real hard to play catch up through the course of the weekend.  Sure we had a tire failure and yes we overworked the tire.  We created an issue ourselves.  We were lacking some speed.  The No. 2 had us covered the entire time here and that particular run where the tire blew I look back on it and think ‘man if I would have preserved my tire a little bit more and didn’t overwork my equipment and didn’t speed up that tire blowing and create that issue we would go to Homestead with a much smaller deficit and have a much better chance of racing.’ So that is the lesson I take from last year’s race here.  Again, we love to race hard that is what we are here to do.  I know some want to say we have been to Homestead and didn’t have to race for it, but you look at our last championship with Denny (Hamlin) and we had to come from behind and win down there finished second and won the race.  Racing is what I’m good at.  I’m not the best at putting up the fastest lap, the best at qualifying or the best at topping the speed charts in practice, but look who passes cars on the race track.  I’m good at racing that is my sweet spot.”
 
YOU GUYS AND JOE GIBBS RACING BOTH TESTED AT TEXAS AND HOMESTEAD.  NEITHER ONE OF THE TEAMS PARTICIPATED IN THE TIRE TEST HERE.  DOES THAT MAKE THIS RACE MORE OF AN UNKNOWN FOR YOU? SECONDLY, IF YOU APPROACH ALL THE RACES GENERALLY WITH THE SAME MINDSET HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT YOU WIN TWICE AS FREQUENTLY IN THE CHASE AS IN NON-CHASE RACES?
“I don’t know how to answer that one.  I’ll be interested to see the Chase tracks what my percentages in the spring, we got to a lot of these tracks they have been good tracks to me.  I guess what I’m getting at is the Chase tracks are just good tracks for us and we win at them spring or fall.  In my opinion, the stats may show differently, but that is the first thing that comes to mind there.  Gosh we would have loved to have been here and get some current data and be on the current tire, but when it gets to the end of the year NASCAR and Goodyear are very selective of teams they bring.  From what I understand in the conversations we have had with Goodyear not a ton different.  A small change I guess to the left-side.  Wish we could have been here, but just didn’t get that chance.”
 
IS IT A LOT HARDER THAN PEOPLE MIGHT REALIZE TO USE YOUR VOICE AND MAKE CHANGES AS A CHAMPION?
“There is definitely a learning lesson in it all.  I’ve been through it myself.  I guess to summarize it looking back on it all being the champion is an amazing thing and it does change a lot.  But it doesn’t change the way you are viewed in the competition department of NASCAR.  You are still a driver.  You are still one of 43.  Sure you have the big trophy, but it doesn’t change a lot there.  What it does change is in here (media center) and what happens out there with the fans and people listen more.  So you have an opportunity to speak your mind.  You have an opportunity to say more and to be heard and your voice carries a lot further that can be good and bad.  All champions, especially first time champions go through trying to understand how to use that new power.  It doesn’t change a lot in the garage.  It doesn’t change a lot in the competition department of NASCAR, but the other areas it does.”
 

Chevy Racing–Phoenix–Kevin Harvick

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
ADVOCARE 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed racing at Phoenix, the Chase Championship battle, his RCR career winding down and other topics. Full transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR FOUNDATION DONATION TO THE HIGH SCHOOL YOUR HOMETOWN OF BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA:  “We had our yearly event at home. In the past, we have taken care of something at my old high school. This year we donated 21 sets of gold clubs and golf balls and things to the girls and boys teams. It was a good event. We’ve done a lot of work with the school. It was great to see it headed in the right direction. It is always fun to go home and be able to give back to your hometown.”
 
DEFENDING WINNER OF THIS RACE, THIRD IN POINTS GOING INTO THE SEASON, TALK ABOUT THIS WEEKEND AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: “This has been a great race track for us in the past, and hopefully we can have another good weekend. The race track has changed over the last couple of years, so we have to do things a little bit differently than what we are used to. It is going to be a good weekend. We have the Nationwide car and the Cup car this weekend, so looking forward to getting in practice.”
 
IS WHERE YOU ARE IN THE POINTS MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO GO RACE AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT ANYONE ELSE IS DOING? “It is definitely less stressful. We wish we were closer to being in the top-two. We had one bad race at Loudon (New Hampshire).  I think we’ve averaged (finishing position) at seventh in the Chase as far as finishing positions. We haven’t been where we needed to be as far as keeping up with those two guys (Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth) as far as winning races and finishing a little bit better. Can’t complain about the season nor the finishes that we’ve had in the Chase. We knew we needed to win at least one race in the Chase, and we accomplished that. It just happens to be a year where you needed to win a couple or three races in Chases and finish in the top-five a lot. It’s not been anything to complain about. We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing, and try to win one of these or both of the last two races.”
 
AS YOUR CAREER AT RCR COMES TO AN END, AND YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR NEW TEAM, HOW ARE YOU FEELING? ARE YOU HAPPY? SAD? RELIEVED? EXCITED? “You know, Richard (Childress) and I were talking about it last week, just about the things that we’ve been able to accomplish and do, and win, and situations that we have been through. We had the incident at Martinsville, but it’s definitely not the hardest situation that we’ve been through as owner and driver, or friends, or whatever you want to call it. It is definitely something that we both have been fortunate to have a lot of success, and look forward to the next chapter. As we get to today for instance, this will be the last Nationwide race that we’ve run for RCR. We’ve won 30-some Nationwide races, a couple of driver’s championships. I think four or five owners championships. So it’s been very successful. It’s kind of like being a part of your family. You have some spats. You have some things. It seems like each instance makes you closer in some kind of way.”
 
WHEN YOU WON HERE LAST YEAR, IT WAS THE WEEKEND EVERYTHING BROKE YOU WERE LEAVING RCR. HAS THAT SET A TONE THAT HAS HELPED OUT THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS DESPITE SOME DRAMA OR WHO IS MAD AT WHO? “Well, I think last year everything did come out. I think a lot of the emotion was pretty calm for the most part. I think as we’ve got through the year, the performance has been good. We’ve been able to win several races as we’ve gone through the year. I don’t know that anybody really knew what to expect as we went through time, and went through week-after-week to see how it was all going to work. It’s kind of been a week-by-week thing. I think everybody has worked through it fairly well.”
 
IS THE CHAMPIONSHIP REALLY A TWO-MAN RACE, OR DO YOU STILL HAVE A REALISTIC SHOT AT THIS? “I think 40 points is a lot to overcome. We can control how we run, and that’s about it. Having both of those guys have major catastrophes in two races is asking for all but a miracle in my mind. We still have a lot to race for and two great tracks for us coming up. Just control the things we can control and go from there.”
 
WILL IT BE DIFFERENT FOR YOU NOT TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WHICH HAS HAD UPS AND DOWNS LIKE IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WITH RICHARD NEXT YEAR AT STEWART-HAAS? “Time will tell that. I think it is good to have somebody who challenges you. I think that Tony (Stewart) will challenge me in a different way. I think for myself and Richard, you push him; he pushes you and you meet in the middle and you finally have something that pushes the whole company forward. I think the roles will be defined a little bit more as we start racing next year, and understand how everything works and can start building on that.  I think with Tony’s passion for the sport and the championships that he’s won and the things that he has done on the race track; that itself will push you to respect the things that he has done and talking about. Same thing with Kurt (Busch). He’s won a championship, and won a lot of races. I think with the whole group, it’s going to be a really new group of people from a lot of different areas as you look at the cast of characters going into next year. It will definitely take a while for it to kind of build into what it is going to be.”
 
ARE YOU INTRIGUED BY HOW THAT ALL MIGHT COME TOGETHER SINCE THIS JUST SEEMS LIKE A MOTLEY CREW (LAUGHTER)
“Well, I think the bottom line is it’s a group of racers. And that’s really what we’re here to do and I feel very comfortable with the crew chief choice for my car for sure. With Rodney (Childers), he’s very calm but he’s also very engineering-minded and very competitive and loves to race. So, I think that balance will be very similar. When you look at Gil (Martin), he’s kind of been that guy that can always corral everything and take it in-house and figure out how to fix and make it better. So, I look at Rodney as a very similar person in that respect.”
 
HOW POISED IS YOUR TEAM? WHAT’S THE MOMENTUM AND THE FEELING? WHAT’S THE FEELING WITH THE TEAM RIGHT NOW HEADING INTO THE FINAL TWO RACES?
“Through the years we’ve been through a lot of different situations, for sure. So, I think the nucleus of all that is still Gil (Martin). This is a whole different group of guys than what we had three years ago and he’s made it into another great race team. So, I think he’s the one that keeps all that stuff together. But everybody is in good spirits. The testing that we did over the last two months has kind of worn everybody out, but everybody in the garage is worn out at this point. So, it’s good that we only have two weeks left and everybody can enjoy some down time with their families over the holiday season.”
 
YOU WILL FIGHT TO THE VERY END FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP. BUT IF YOU TAKE YOURSELF OUT OF THE EQUATION, DO YOU THINK EITHER JIMMIE JOHNSON OR MATT KENSETH HAS AN ADVANTAGE? WHO WOULD YOU PUT YOUR MONEY ON?
“If you look at the past, and I’ll use Martinsville as the example. Going into Martinsville, you look at it and say Jimmie is absolutely going to annihilate Matt at Martinsville, and Matt goes out and leads the most laps and has a chance to win the race. So, it’s just about who hits it the best on a particular weekend because those guys have run well all year and I think the part that everybody forgets are that the stats don’t really mean anything, especially on Matt’s side, and especially at Martinsville. Roush has never been very good at Martinsville and Gibbs has always been fairly good at Martinsville. So, it’s a crapshoot at this point. About the time t
hat you think that Jimmie hasn’t won a race on a 1.5-mile race track all year and goes out and just absolutely crushes everybody at Texas. So, it’s just a matter of who hits it on a particular weekend. Obviously this race track can play a lot of havoc on track position and things happening and get caught up in something, but I think performance-wise, it’s a draw at this point.”
 

Chevy Racing–Ryan Newman–Phoenix

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS/SALUTE TO VETERANS DAY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed memories at Phoenix, the 2014 season and other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
 
WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MEMORY OF RACING AT PHOENIX?
“I’ve been fortunate to be able to experience it and the old style or old shape of the race track and the way it is now.  Some of my fondest memories include the Copper World Classics out here and the midgets and Silver Crown cars.  That was our Daytona was to come out here the first of February and race and prepare in the off-season for our big race.  That was literally our Daytona 500 in the open wheel series.  Then to come back here 10 or 15 years later, whatever it was, to race in the Cup Series and have as many poles as I did here in a row and my win here would probably be the peak of it all because going back to the Copper World and having those poles, obviously you want to put the bookend on one side of it or at least a potential bookend and that was that victory in the Cup Series here.  And to do it in the style that we did it was pretty cool too.”
 
CAN YOU REFLECT YOUR STATE OF MIND LEAVING STEWART-HAAS RACING AND HEADING TO RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING NEXT SEASON?
“About four or five weeks ago somebody had asked me a similar question and to me, it was like a series of books where you’re not finished with one book so you can’t start the next and in that series of books you have to get the last couple chapters over and done in order to get started and understand the next one.  There’s part of me that’s excited about the future, no doubt and getting to that next book, but there’s part of me that wants to finish out these last couple chapters and do it strong and do it in the right way and we have two opportunities here being Phoenix and Homestead.  Those are tracks I’ve run good at.  I can’t even say that it’s bittersweet because I don’t look at it as bittersweet as it is just a matter of doing my job and having fun.  That’s what the whole goal is.”
 
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT JEFF BURTON, MARK MARTIN AND BOBBY LABONTE POSSIBLY RETIRING AFTER THIS SEASON?
“I think with Mark (Martin), I don’t know how to say that because Mark’s retired like 16 times now.  I guess if you look back at it, it was destined to come.  If you look back to when Jimmie (Johnson) and I came in, eventually we’re going to have that time too.  Same thing with maybe (Matt) Kenseth and (Tony) Stewart and a few other guys.  I think there’s going to be some waves of that happening and I think that those guys are definitely proud of their careers and the things that they’ve accomplished.  Someday I’ll probably be making that same announcement.  I think at this point in the season is where it all becomes kind of vocal.”
 
 

Chevy Racing–Phoenix–Jeff Burton

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
ADVOCARE 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
 
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CAT MINING CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media today at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed making his 1,000th career NASCAR national series start, his role in the sport in 2014 and many other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
A BIG MILESTONE FOR YOU THIS WEEKEND YOU HAVE HAD A STOUT CAREER IN NASCAR MAKING YOUR 1,000TH CAREER NASCAR NATIONAL SERIES START HERE AT PHOENIX.  TALK A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR CAREER AND WHAT THIS MILESTONE MEANS TO YOU:
“Well it means I’m getting old I guess, that is primarily what it means.  I’ve been really blessed to do it for as long as I’ve done it to do something that you love and to be able to do it as long as I’ve done it really is a blessing.  When I was seven years old I wanted to be a race car driver.  I’m 46 and I’m a race car driver.  I’ve just been really blessed.  The cool thing is I’ve met so many people and experienced so many things that I never would have been able to do.  To have a chance to compete for a living is really is a cool thing.  You know what your job is and go out and try to do it.  Competing to me means something.  To be able to do it this long has been really cool.”
 
IN SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM FUTURE IS THERE AN OPTION TO SET UP YOUR OWN SPRINT CUP TEAM?
“Do I look dumb?  (Laughter) You know there was a time that I really thought that would be an option for me, but in the environment that we have today I don’t know how a small guy could have a Cup team that would be a formidable force.  My pockets aren’t deep enough and wouldn’t have the financial; actually Jack Roush talked to me about the money tree one time.  If he had to he could turn the money tree on and create money for the investment until the investment had time to pay off.  If you can’t do that as a car owner I don’t think you can be an effective car owner.  So for me in today’s world there may be room for me as an ownership group, but to be the primary owner would be farfetched.”
 
OF YOUR 999 RACES WHICH ONE STICKS IN YOUR MIND THE MOST?
“I have done a terrible job in my career of taking time to enjoy it.  My personality is such that I’m always on to the next thing.  In many cases kind of looking back on now they are a little more special now than they were then.  Racing Matt Kenseth for those couple of wins that I got with him meant a lot to me because I respect Matt so much.  I respect what that No. 17 car was all about.  They meant a lot to me.  Winning my first races in Nationwide and Cup were big races.  Racing Kyle Busch at (Las) Vegas in a Nationwide car last lap battle.  I got by him on the outside, he spun coming off turn four.  That was fun.  It was just two guys racing hard.  If I would have finished second or spun it still would have been fun.  Those experiences are really neat.  Winning Darlington in adverse conditions, rain delays, those kinds of things, we went to Darlington and dominated those races for years and couldn’t find a way to win and then we won two of them in rain shortened races.  Winning the Winston ‘No Bull’ races I think we won three of those.  When we won three of those races three fans won a million bucks too.  Being in Victory Lane with those fans winning that money that was cool.  I hate to pick one out, but those were really cool events.”
 
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE YEAR WITH THE GEN-6 CAR.  WE ARE LOOKING AT MAKING SOME CHANGES FOR NEXT SEASON.  WHAT IS YOUR EVALUATION OF HOW THE CAR HAS CHANGED RACING OVER LAST YEAR AND HOW IT HAS PERFORMED AND ALSO WHAT WE NEED TO TWEAK?
“I think it’s an improvement over last year’s car.  I think that is evident in watching races I think it’s proven to be better.  I still think there is a step to go.  I’m guilty of comparing what we do today to what we did 15 years ago, but I think that’s irrelevant.  What we really need to be looking at is what do people want to see today?  So, sometimes we defend the racing today by saying ‘well it’s better than it was 10 years ago’, but that doesn’t matter because today’s fans are today’s fans.  There may be a fan that was there 10 years ago, but what they are watching today is what they care about.  So, fans want to see more action.  They want to see more intense racing.  The only way to do that is to get the cars closer together.  We talk a lot about making it easier to pass.  Well if you make it easier to pass are the cars really going to be closer together?  Do we really want it to be easier to pass?  I think the reason Martinsville is so much fun to watch and do is because it is hard to pass.  The definition of what better racing is that is where the problem comes in.  You are not going to make everybody happy.  I think what NASCAR has to do is they have to look and say ‘what is NASCAR all about’?  Then make the rules so that the racing is indicative of what NASCAR is about.  That should be close racing; not intentionally wrecking each other, but tire marks down the side of cars is cool.  That kind of close racing is what we need to be pushing for, but it is hard to do.  A 1.5-mile race track running 190 miles per hour into turn one it’s kind of hard to be rubbing tires.  We have got to find a way to have cars that can be closer together, can race harder to put on more exciting racing.”
 
IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER SPORTS AGE DICTATES HOW LONG YOUR CAREER IS.  AUTO RACING IS SO DIFFERENT FROM THAT IN THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A SAY ON WHEN YOU WANT TO CALL IT QUITS.  WHEN DOES A RACE CAR DRIVER KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO GO?
“Well that is a really tough question.  One thing I do know is when you aren’t having success and you are 46, it’s because you are 46.  That is what people think.  When you aren’t having success and you are a rookie it’s because you are a rookie also, it works both ways.  To me it’s about what you are willing to give up to be in this sport.  I think what happens is the older you get the more other things matter.  Racing still means a lot to me, but for me to sit here today and say it means the same thing to me that it meant when I didn’t have a daughter getting ready to go to college, a son that is racing, those things they do play a role.  I think that the schedule is harder today than it’s ever been.  I know guys used to race more in the ‘50’s, but I’ve been in Toronto (Canada) all week filming.  You are gone more today.  I think it boils down to desire.  If you have talent, I don’t think talent goes away.  Certainly eye sight changes, those kinds of things change, but we can fix that.  But talent doesn’t change; it’s more the passion that you are willing to bring to it.  As long as you are willing to bring that passion and you are willing to give something up then your career can go a long time.  It’s not a number; it’s more of a personal thing and what you are willing to sacrifice to be involved in the sport.”
 
YOU LOOK AT MATT CRAFTON HE IS 37, YOU LOOK AT TWO GUYS IN THEIR 40’S BATTLING FOR THE CUP TITLE, SAM (HORNISH, JR.) IS NO SPRING CHICKEN.  WE TALK ABOUT ALL THESE KIDS COMING UP, BUT DOES THIS YEAR TELL US MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE CAN STILL DO THIS?
“Well there is no question.  I mean we are blessed because we are in a sport that you can.  It isn’t like the NFL; it isn’t like Major League Baseball, where you don’t have to be young to do this.  Experience helps you here.  There is no question.  It’s good to see who is battling.  Don’t get me wrong I believe in the cycle of things.  I believe that we
always need to have young drivers coming and pushing the older drivers out.  I mean I’m a 46 year old driver saying that, but we need it.  Our sport needs that, but at the same time it’s good that we have two veteran drivers battling it out, because it is a sport that if you have passion and you have desire and you have the right situation you can have success well into your 40’s.”
 
IN YOUR BUSCH DEBUT BACK IN 1988 YOU MADE TWO LAPS IN THE GOLDEN SKILLET CAR BEFORE THE ENGINE BLEW.  DO YOU REMEMBER THAT DAY?
“Vividly, that was the second engine we blew up that day.  I had gone to the bank and borrowed money; we wonder why the banks are in trouble right.  I had gone to the bank to borrow money to buy and engine and it blew up after qualifying.  Hubert Hensley, Jeff Hensley’s dad who is a crew chief on a truck, said ‘hey man, I’ve got an engine if you need it.’  We went to his shop that night and we had a Pontiac engine in and had to put a Chevy engine in.  Which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it was a big deal.  We ran that engine for those laps and it blew up.  So, yes, I remember it vividly.  It took me about three years to pay that damn engine off.  No, it didn’t it took me longer than that.  It took me like five years to pay that engine off.”
 
OF THE TWO CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS MY GUESS IS YOU KNOW MATT (KENSETH) A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN JIMMIE (JOHNSON) PROBABLY CAN YOU COMPARE AND CONTRAST THEM BOTH AS RACERS AND AS PEOPLE?
“You know they are very similar in how they race.  They are both quietly aggressive.  They are both aggressive drivers, but they don’t do it by running into you.  They do it by driving into the corner a little deeper than perhaps they should to get that position.  They are both clean drivers, both very committed to the sport.  They are a lot alike.  I don’t know Jimmie nearly as well off the race track.  Matt is a smart ass.  We all know that right?  He knows that too.  He claims that he learned it from me, but I don’t think that is true.  They are both good people.  They both have values that you can be proud of. They are the kind of people that when they win championships you are proud that they represent the sport.  But you know their driving styles they really are very similar.”
 
WHEN YOU ARE A YOUNG DRIVER YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN ASKED ‘WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN’T DRIVING’.  LOOKING OVER YOUR LONG CAREER WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IF YOU WEREN’T DRIVING RACE CARS?
“I left high school and went to work for Jay Hedgecock building race cars, building chassis.  Actually me and Bobby Labonte and Jack Sprague all worked there at the same time.  So, I really enjoy that part even my time at Roush, Jack (Roush) let me kind of oversee the chassis department there for a while or be involved in it rather.  So I really enjoyed that part of it.  Had I not been able to make it as a driver that would have been the direction that I would have tried to go in; whether I would have been good at it or not I don’t know, but that is what I would have been trying to do.”
 
HOW DO YOU THINK KEVIN (HARVICK) WILL HANDLE NOT HAVING THAT TYPE OF FORCE OR PUSH FROM RICHARD CHILDRESS AND HOW THEY HAVE GOTTEN?  IT SEEMS LIKE THEY IN ONE SENSE MAYBE THRIVED ON HOW THEY HAVE PUSHED EACH OTHER AND WHAT IT HAS KIND OF BEEN LIKE.
“I think Kevin (Harvick) is going to wherever Kevin is he is going to be pushing.  That is one of Kevin’s strengths is to… Kevin is not the kind of guy that is willing to say ‘okay it is going to be good three weeks from now’.  He wants it good right now.  I think that RCR has benefitted from that.  I think that Stewart-Haas will benefit from that.  Kevin to me is a different person than he was four years ago.  Kevin owning those race teams, Keelan coming along, all those things have had a major impact on Kevin.  Kevin really sees the company.  He understands it has to be successful from a financial stand point.  He understands investment is not easy to make.  He has a much broader picture than he had say six years ago.  I think that he will help Stewart-Haas.  Richard (Childress) to his credit, much like my father did with me, Richard didn’t try to stifle Kevin.  Richard let Kevin be Kevin.  He would get mad at him, but he wasn’t the kind of guy that just would say ‘you are not going to do that’.  He would let Kevin be Kevin.  There was a lot of wisdom in that.  You have got to learn your way.  You can’t learn by somebody telling you not to do something.  You have got to learn by doing it and wishing you hadn’t of done it or at least that is how I have learned everything I’ve learned.  That is really what Richard, in my opinion, let Kevin do.  But Kevin is really good at pushing buttons to try to get things to happen.  You have to do that in this sport.  You have to do it.  If you don’t have that intensity of ‘we have got to succeed now’ then the future never gets here because if you are always building for something you are not doing it now.  The now matters.”
 
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF BEING IN FIVE YEARS?
“I don’t know.  I don’t know we will see. When this process started this year I decided to step back a little bit and take myself out of the mental habit of being at the race track every single weekend and look at things from a broader view.  Kind of ‘hey what else is out there’ in the racing world so to speak.  The last several months have been really interesting.  I have been offered some things that were just crazy that I can’t talk about today, but there were some really interesting things that have come my way.  I’m having meetings with people currently about doing stuff with them that are real exciting, but I don’t know.  We will see. I will be involved in the sport. There is a place for me.  I want to be here.  I feel like I can contribute so I would be surprised if five years from now I wasn’t still involved in the sport.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HARRISON (BURTON)? HAS HE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS TO DO IN THE FUTURE AS FAR AS NATIONWIDE AND EVEN A CUP DRIVER IN THE FUTURE?  IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT HIM TO TAKE A PATH WITH?
“Well, what I try to do with Harrison is to teach him everything I know about racing, but we don’t go racing trying to teach him how to be a Cup driver or how to be a Nationwide driver.  We go racing trying to teach him how to do what he is doing today the best he can and then when it’s over what did we learn.  Where that takes him we don’t know.  He is doing things at 12 and 13 years old that are pretty much unmatched. I mean no one else has been able to do the things he has done at his age.  I’m not bragging that is just how it is.  But what is more important to me is that through all this he is learning how to be a human being because driving a race car isn’t a given.  Just because he’s the son of a Cup driver that doesn’t give him the right any more than it gives anyone else a right to drive a race car for a living.  He has got to earn that.  He may not, as good as he looks today, he may not look that good five years from now.  You never know.  But he is always going to be with himself and so through racing we are trying to teach him how to be the kind of person that he needs to be.  That is really the primary focus.  Now don’t get me wrong we go to race we go there to win or we go there with a realistic goal.  When he races against Bubba Pollard and he races against some of those guys to think that a just turned 13 year old is going to beat those guys right now is sort of unrealistic, although he is getting close.  But what did h
e learn from that experience?  That is really what we are focusing on.  We are not worrying about what he might be one day because we don’t know that.  We are trying to train him so that mentally he is capable.  His physical skills will take care of themselves, but his mental skills are the most important thing.  As far as he’s concerned he is going to win three or four Daytona 500’s and four or five championships and all is good.  But I know that probably isn’t going to happen and that is what as parents that is what our focus is on.”
 
YOU HAVEN’T ANNOUNCED YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR YET, MARK MARTIN HASN’T ANNOUNCED ANY PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR NOR HAS BOBBY LABONTE.  AFTER NEXT WEEK’S RACE ARE WE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBLE END OF AN ERA?
“We are going to go film a movie about three old guys in (Las) Vegas (laughs).  That just dawned on me.  I’m thinking that might work.  Mark would be boring as hell though.  He would be in the gym every morning.  I find it hard to believe that we won’t still be around in some form or fashion.  Now the chances that any of us are going to be running for a Cup championship next year are obviously next to nothing.  But Mark Martin has a tremendous amount of value of being able to have a positive impact on this sport in some form or fashion so does Bobby Labonte and I feel that about myself as well.  Yeah, I think it is going to be different and that is okay.  I’m speaking for Mark or Bobby either one, but for me when I came in a spot was created for me somehow some way a spot was created for me.  Part of that is through older guys moving on.  It’s just the natural cycle of things.  But to think that Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte don’t have a way to contribute to make this sport better whether it is for a team of for the sport in some form or fashion to think that they wouldn’t is inaccurate because they can definitely help.”
 
A FEW WEEKS AGO YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE PRETTY CONFIDENT IN YOUR 2014 PLANS.  SHOULD WE TAKE THE SILENCE TO MEAN THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED?
“No, really nothing has changed.  I feel that I know what I am going to be doing it’s just you all don’t (laughs).  Some things have taken a little longer than I thought they would take and some of that is because of me.  Some of that is because I slowed some stuff down and wanted to really think about it. Some of it is because some situations have popped up that weren’t there a little bit ago.  I feel very confident.  I know exactly what I’m going to be doing part of next year and there is another part of it that I’m still working on, but really close on.  I’m just not the kind of person that is going to talk about it until we need to be talking about it.”
 
IS PART OF THAT PLAN DRIVING?
“Yeah, part of it is, yes.”
 

John Force Racing–JFR 2-3-4 IN FUNNY CAR AT AUTO CLUB FINALS THURSDAY QUALIFYING

JFR 2-3-4 IN FUNNY CAR AT AUTO CLUB FINALS THURSDAY QUALIFYING

POMONA, CA (November 7, 2013) – His Mello Yello Championship may be secure, but John Force still has work to do at this week’s season-ending 49th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Force started his bid for a record ninth victory in the season finale by driving the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang through the 1,000 foot timers in 4.105 seconds at 304.12 miles per hour, good enough for one bonus point and the No. 3 position after the first of four qualifying rounds.

“It is good to come out of the box first session and get down the race track. That gives you a strong tune up. I think we are all in the top four in Funny Car and Brittany is No. 7 in Top Fuel. Everybody is in the top half but tomorrow is a new day,” said Force, a 138-time NHRA National event winner. “We have wrapped up the championship but we are trying to win this race for all our sponsors from Castrol to Ford to Auto Club to Traxxas. Robert and Courtney are trying to get up to the No. 2 and No. 3 spot in the points. I have the championship but I still want to win the race because this is Auto Club Raceway and this is an Auto Club race.”

In fact, Force finished Day 1 just behind son-in-law Robert Hight and the Auto Club Mustang and just ahead of youngest daughter Courtney and the special edition Traxxas Mustang that commemorates the 25-year-old’s Rookie-of-the-Year season in 2012.

“That was a good start. We wanted to get a good run under our belt on the first day and go from there. That first run will really set up the event for us. We got some bonus points and we are trying to get up to the No. 2 spot. I am glad we put up a good number in the Auto Club Ford Mustang and I know Neff will start working on a great tune up,” said Hight.

The only quicker car was the Dodge of Jack Beckman, which took the provisional No. 1 at 4.077 seconds.  Hight was second at 4.096 and Courtney fourth at 4.115 coupled to top speed for Funny Cars at 314.97 mph.

Courtney Force and her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car team came out today in the opening qualifying session and posted a respectable 4.115 second run at 314.97 mph to put their hot rod in the No. 4 spot for now.

“It feels good to be back at a racetrack where we took home a win to kick-off the 2013 season at the Winternationals. It seems to be a lucky track for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team,” said Force.

The 25-year old made her first qualifying pass in the right lane beside competitor Ron Capps. The duo was the first in the Funny Car category to make two full, clean passes right down the track. Force’s ET tied Johnny Gray’s 4.115, but the female driver took the higher qualifying spot on speed, her 314.97 to Gray’s 306.46 mph run.

“It looked like a couple of cars were struggling to get in when we were watching the qualifying session start. We went down and ran a 4.11 and ran top speed of the session at 314. Just got bumped to the No. 4 spot so we didn’t get to pick up any qualifying bonus points today, but my teammates, my dad and Robert Hight did so we’re excited for them. I think we’ve got some fast Ford Mustangs out here for John Force Racing. We’re looking forward to tomorrow for another qualifying session and hopefully we can move up to the top spot,” said Force.

Thursday’s qualifying effort assures a favorable spot for all three Ford drivers in Friday’s qualifying order.

While the JFR Funny Cars were off to a good start Thursday, so was the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster in which Rookie-of-the-Year contender Brittany Force sped to the provisional No. 7 spot at 3.843 seconds at 312.86 mph.

“I’m glad to be out here at Pomona at my home track. I love racing here. We get to race at Auto Club Raceway twice a year and it’s nice for us because it’s close to home and our friends and family can come out to watch us race,” said Force.

“On our first qualifying pass we went out and ran a 3.84 and ended up No. 7. We’re super excited about that, but we still get three more shots at trying to improve on that so we’ll just try to keep moving in the right direction. We had a hole out on that run so hopefully we can run a little bit faster tomorrow.”

John Force has won the Auto Club Finals a record eight times but has never won in an odd-numbered year.  His wins came in 1988, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010.  The 64-year-old icon comes in on a three-race winning streak that ran his record total of tour victories to 138.