NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
5-HOUR ENERGY 400
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 9, 2014
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed racing both the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 on Memorial Day weekend, his physical fitness routine to prepare, the busy schedule, and more.
 
ON TALKING TO TONY STEWART ABOUT DOING THE ‘DOUBLE’
“He said you know the IndyCars have less horsepower. They have less pick-up, acceleration, and feel even though the cars weigh 1500 pounds, IndyCars don’t accelerate like stock cars do. So you have to look ahead. You have to anticipate. You have to digest what’s happening in front of you when guys get side-by-side, how quick you’re going to catch them.”
 
ON THE PACES FOR NEXT WEEK
“That all starts on Thursday to Friday of next week. Andretti Autosport and the way that we’re going to go through our paces next week, most of the practice runs are in race trim for the Indy 500.”
 
ON INDY 500 QUALIFYING
“That’s a nice gift so to speak. We still don’t want to be part of bump day or in that lower half of the field or lower third. So, to me it still is following Andretti Autosport’s lead even if we had a threat of having to qualify in, I’d be leaning on every bit of experience from them. But it will be nice not to have to worry about getting bumped out.”
 
WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST?
“I would say the open arms and the feel in the paddock of the IndyCar guys and team owners and other sponsors and the drivers; it’s been an amazing welcome to our garage area.”
 
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF TRAINING?
“I think it’s going to be upper-body strength. On the physical side of it, my hands have been very sore after each of the practice sessions just from the death grip on the wheel. I need to relax more and just let the car come to me instead of me forcing the car. So, it’s just getting comfortable with the driver controls and knowing where everything is around me.”
 
HAS DANICA PATRICK BEEN HELPFUL?
“I was going to talk to Danica this weekend and I still have more race review tape to watch, so it’s like doing homework after all my practice as well.”
 
DID YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ROOKIE ORIENTATION?
“Yes, it’s been a good confidence builder all through the few days I’ve been in the car. And Andretti Autosport had done a tremendous job in allowing me to roll as a rookie and to feel the comfort levels each time we go out in the car and not overstep anything that’s asked me to do too much as a newbie.”
 
ON LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DOUBLE
“The excitement is building up. It’s been great all this whole month. Just over the past year of putting two competitive contracts together, I have a chance to win with an Andretti Autospot car and I’ve got a chance to win the Coke 600 with a Stewaart-Haas car. At the end of the day there still is a full second half of this double. There’s a stock car race. There’s a 600-mile event where I’ll be driving the Haas-Automation Chevy and this team here that I’m with, they’re rooting me on but I still have my job to do when I show up. And there has to still be a lot of focus around the stock car side of this.”
 
WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE GOING TO BE LIKE FOR YOU?
“We have a pretty straightforward schedule on the IndyCar side. It’s very different than our scheduled practices in stock-car-land. What’s happening on the IndyCar side is the track is hot every day from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. So I’m on call every day, 12 to 6 pm. Andretti Autosport has their sequence of schedule on when we’re going to go out on the track and that’s been given to me. And we have more time than we do tires over there on that side of the garage.
 
“We have our practice sessions all planned out already. So it’s neat to have a mindset to know where we’ll be and what needs to be done on both sides of the garage area. Mother Nature ultimately is in change. She is dishing out a little bit more of a percentage chance of rain early in the week. And then it’s cool conditions with very consistent conditions Friday and Saturday next week up in Indy.”
 
WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO GETTING AROUND KANSAS?
“This place is fast and it’s a matter of getting the car setting into the corner the right way to where you don’t lose a lot of speed getting back to the gas. I see the way the test speeds have shown, we’re probably not going to be out of the gas all the way. And so we’re going to be holding a lot of throttle in the car, and hopefully the car doesn’t step out on you. With the wind direction here, that changes; looks like today we have a wind blowing towards Turn 2. That will make Turn 2 the toughest corner when you cross over into a headwind.”
 
ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR EFFECTS OF THIS BEING A NIGHT RACE?
“It will be just that much faster. The tires might take a little bit to come in with temperature. I see us pitting with two stops to go for tires and then that last stop will probably just be for fuel only. So we’ll have heat in the tires on that last pit stop.”
 
HAVE YOU LOST ANY WEIGHT SINCE YOU STARTED TRAINING?
“I’ve bulked up a little bit just with muscle mass. I’ve gained about three pounds. It’s been a noticeable slight difference.”
 
HAVE YOU TALKED TO JUAN PABLO MONTOYA?
“I haven’t talked to Juan. I think Juan will be a smart guy to talk to, based off of his transition from NASCAR to IndyCar just in the last six months. He was there on my rookie orientation day, but I was in the car and all the drivers were outside telling jokes. It was a great group that was there to support me for my rookie orientation.”
 
WHAT MAKES IT A SUCCESSFUL ‘DOUBLE’?  FINISHING BOTH RACES, WINNING ONE OF THEN, OR WHAT?
“I think finishing both races. That’s just a quick honest answer. I’d love to finish in the top half of the field at Indy. I’d love to stay out of trouble all day and just experience it all. But once this week gets further down the road, I think with just the comfort level that I will gain, I’ll want more. But right now, it’s a matter of just finishing both races. Eleven hundred miles is tough to do.”
 
WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONS AND THIS GETS CLOSER?
“Each day I wake up it’s like its now, it’s here, and I’m giving it my best. And right now I have a couple hours of NASCAR practice on this Friday to dial our car in for race trim and qualifying trim, and then we’ll probably go back to race trim to finish. It’s just me going into that compartmentalized component of what has to happen every session or every time I’m in the car.”
 
ON GETTING BACK AND FORTH, INDIANAPOLIS TO CONCORD
“Cessna has been phenomenal. They orchestrate all the logistics to fly me back and forth. The team here, Stewart-Haas has been through this before, and the Andretti Autosport guys know that my day job at the end of the day is the Coke 600. So it’s been fun. The balance of both race teams, the practice sessions, learning a new IndyCar and then still coming back here to my comfort zone, which is the NASCAR garage and driving the No. 41 car.”
 
INAUDIBLE
“It’s a matter of still just pacing myself. The 600, you don’t as a driver get too excited about that the sunshine’s out anyway. It will be the first 100 -200 miles that we just have to log laps with anyway. And at the end of the day I’ve got Monster Energy to help me out. If I need to get jacked-up, I’ll just chug a can. And we’ll do this. It’s been a lot of fun to push myself through training, to work some marshal arts thought processes as well. I hope that the IndyCar thing goes smoothly. I don’t need to be in a wreck or have my laps cut short up in Indy because it would be a disappointment in all the effort and training that I’ve given it.”
 
WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL WORKOUT ROUTINE?
“A no
rmal workout would be strength training with lifting weights, getting on the treadmill, and then running a half hour. Half of that half hour might have been a strong walk to a strong run. I’m running to the gym, so it’s a mile and a half there and a mile and a half back. When I’m there, we keep my heart rate up above 140 and I track that with my Basis watch, which has allowed me to download my workouts and to see the actual results. And to have information downloaded on graphs is neat to be able to see that. Running, the amount of time engaged with my heart rate elevated, learning more about nutrition and having the foods that I eat release the energy into my body in the right way. It’s just been a lot of fun to get into more depth in all areas. And I feel like that’s going to help me, being 35 years old here in the Cup garage, with another strong ten years. Ramping up this format is going to carry and prolong my activity level here in the Cup garage.”
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
5-HOUR ENERGY 400
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 9, 2014
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed not having a win in 2014, the potential to change up the All-Star format and many other topics. Full Transcript:
 
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR FANS WHO MIGHT BE CONCERNED THAT YOU HAVEN’T WON YET? 
“Until we are not locked in I mean there is nothing to worry about.  Where we sit in points right now we are locked in.  Of course we want to win; we want to win every race we go to.  We have been in the ballpark and have been very close to victory a couple of times and it got away.  Yes, there have been some poor performances.  We are trying to raise that.  I don’t think that we are where we want to be as a team right now, but we have had a few looks at wins and I know we will get a few more.  We just need to capitalize on that.  If not, points still matter.  There is a bigger window to make the Chase today than there was last year.  Last year was 12, this year it’s 16.  I don’t think there is anything to stress out about yet.”
 
TALK ABOUT THE SPIN LAST WEEK AND YOU AND CHAD (KNAUS) AND THE TENSION OR HOW YOU GET OVER THAT. 
“Really last week was just plate racing.  We had a very fast race car and felt like a car that I could create opportunities to pass and win.  Was very pleased with how the day was going.  We got caught up in the first big wreck and did some damage to the car.  After that the second wreck was me spinning out. I’m still assuming with the right side damage we had on the car that was a big factor as to why I just spun out.  We fixed the car from there and I was racing through the field again.  I got clobbered at the start/finish line taking the white flag and broke the right-front suspension.  So it is just plate racing.  It’s easy to write it off as to plate racing when the championship is not on the line at Talladega.  When we go back in the fall it’s a much different race for us all.  Our big thing is lets at least see the white flag.  If we make it to the white flag we are happy.  Dale, Jr. has kind of instilled that in our race shop.  We saw the white flag so I was cool.”
 
INAUDIBLE:
“We are going.  I mean Chad (Knaus, crew chief) isn’t happy unless we are winning races we all know that.  He certainly has had some sleepless nights.  We tested last week at Nashville.  We are working hard.  Chad doesn’t have an outbound filter.  When he hits the button or when he speaks there is nothing slowing down his honest opinion.  13 years of working with him it’s family.  That stuff doesn’t bother me.”
 
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WAY BRAD KESELOWSKI WAS RACING LAST WEEK AT TALLADEGA?  I WANT TO GET THE VETERANS PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE CODE IS AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT DID TRANSPIRE THERE:
“It’s a tough position to be in.  You have to think being six laps down you are not going to get back on the lead lap.  There is an opinion you are on the race track you deserve a right to go race regardless how many laps down you are.  I’m sure that is probably a smaller percentage of people have that opinion.  It’s very easy when you are caught up in that wreck is to go ‘why were you racing, you are six laps down’.  It just depends on where you are.  If you are a No. 2 fan or Brad (Keselowski) you are probably over here.  If you are one of the drivers’ the fan base that was caught up in the wreck you are probably in the majority in thinking it wasn’t right to race then.  Six laps down, me personally I would have just been riding and tried to save our race car from getting torn up.  Just sit there at the back of the pack.”
 
FROM A RESPECT POINT OF VIEW DOES BRAD NEED TO EARN MORE RESPECT NOW BECAUSE OF WHAT DID TRANSPIRE?  OR IS THIS JUST WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE?
“Nobody intentionally tries to crash and take out other race cars.  I personally think that what happened in Talladega just falls into that restrictor plate bucket that we just kind of overlook a lot of things that take place at plate tracks.  Then you move on and you go to a normal downforce track and race.  Yes, cars were crashed, but it’s not like, just using Brad as an example.  It’s not like he went into the corner and just dumped somebody and there is going to be retaliation for a move like that.  It is plate racing and you just again throw it in the plate bucket and move on.”
 
WHAT ARE YOU AND YOUR TEAM DOING TO GAIN ANOTHER VICTORY IN THE ALL-STAR RACE AND USING THAT RACE TO HELP YOU IN THE COKE 600?
“We have been able to get the All-Star portion under control the last few years.  We lacked a little bit in the 600 although we still had decent finishes.  You race that is the fun thing about it.  You don’t have the pressure of championship points or now a race win to make the Chase weighing on your shoulders.  You can be more aggressive with set-up’s.  You can be more aggressive with the engine package.  You can be more aggressive with how you drive, pit stop calls, going over the wall, just all those things.  It just gives us a chance to be freer with decisions that we make.  That is fun.  The big prize at the end of the day it’s one of our best paying races and mama can buy a lot of shoes after you win that race (laughs).”
 
ONCE A TEAM REACHES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SUCCESS AND YOU GUYS HAVE OBVIOUSLY SET THE BAR REALLY HIGH.  WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES AT MAINTAINING THAT SUCCESS?
“Successful teams can sometimes be their own worst enemy with expectations that are set in that respect.  We have been through dry spells before.  A 10-12 race dry spell isn’t a very long one period.  We have set an expectation that is less than that.  I get it.  I understand if we didn’t have any looks at wins this year I would have a much different opinion.  I still feel that we are extremely competitive and I feel as an individual I’m a better race car driver today than I was last year.  I just keep learning more and experiencing more and add that to my repertoire of things to do.  Our team is as strong as it has ever been. Our teammates are all running very well this year.
 
“Our relationship with Stewart-Haas those cars are quick.  Everything is there we just need to own this new rules package and find the No. 48 set-up in it.  That is what we are searching for.  Some tracks we have been close others not so much, but our drive to compete it really exists within Chad (Knaus) as an individual and me as an individual.  That hasn’t changed one bit. We are still as hungry as we have ever been.  There is no guarantee that success will be as it was in the past, but we are going to show up and give 100 percent each week.  I know we will win our fair share of races.  We will make Chases and certainly be a threat for championships.”
 
TALK ABOUT THE FIRST TIME NIGHT RACING AT KANSAS, WHAT APPROACH AND WHAT CHALLENGES IS THERE ON A TRACK FOR THE FIRST TIME AT NIGHT?
“We know we are going to pick up grip.  Some tracks lean towards more front percentage.  Other tracks it’s more rear percentage.  Don’t know why, but the balance changes.  Some tracks we know as the night wears on you are going to get looser.  That is probably more of the standard, but there are a few tracks that go the other way.  We will kind of take our best guess moving forward and look at past notes and when the track surface is cool where the balance is.  Through our day practice sessions take that into consideration as we set-up for the race.  We are back on a tire that
we are familiar with.  The new surface has had a few races on it, so I don’t think there is going to be any big concerns or questions pop up.
 
“It’s just about sorting out the new rules package and getting to work.  I think night racing is great for our fan base.  It’s tough for the teams and drivers because we are so used to a Sunday format and what happens.  We sit around a lot in the morning.  The crew goes to work and the drivers sit and wait and then it’s finally time to go.  If the fans are smiling and hopefully they will show their support by coming out and tuning in Saturday night on television.”  
 
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO POINT’S RACE?
“There are instances where you are wrecked and you work hard to get your car back on the race track to advance ahead of other people that crash or break or pull out so you are trying to get every point then.  If you are protecting something you can point’s race at that point and maybe give 98 percent instead of 100 in a situation.  I still think that is pretty rare, especially with the Chase format at the end of the year.  You need every point you can get if it’s even leading a lap.  I would say it kind of really fits the back side and when you have a crash or some type of mechanical it’s important to get back out on the track to get every point you can then and kind of slow the bleeding down for that weekend.”
 
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE ALL-STAR FORMAT?  HOW THEY MIGHT CAN CHANGE OR IMPROVE IT TO CREATE MORE LAST LAP DRAMA?
“If they have us run the first two segments going the correct direction and then the final segment we run backwards (crowd erupts in laughter).  That is about the only thing we haven’t tried.  Every year it’s a different format.  I don’t know, but that could work. Or we just run the short track, the small track.  Run the first two heats on the big track and then run the small track at the end.  Or the road course, hell, shoot us through the road course. I mean it hasn’t been from a lack of effort.  I can’t think of the 13 years I’ve gone in racing the All-Star event there has ever been the same thing each year.  I respect and I say all that not trying to knock the track or the format, but we try.  There is unfortunately a level of competition that there are some facts that the fastest always finds its way to the front.  We also know that the faster we go the harder it is to pass.  Charlotte is a very fast race track so the groove gets narrower and narrower so there are some things we just can’t overcome I feel.  Unless we mix it up and run it backwards or run the short track.” 
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
5-HOUR ENERGY 400
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 9, 2014
 
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KINGSFORD CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed last weekend’s finish at Talladega, his season thus far and many other topics. Full Transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR RUN LAST WEEK AT TALLADEGA:
“I was just happy to roll the car back onto the hauler with all the tires on it still.  I have not had good luck there so I tried to do everything that race that I thought was right to put myself in a smart position to at least finish the race.  And then hopefully have a good finish at the end.  That last restart starting on the bottom I had a lot of help with Paul Menard.  His car was really fast.  All the RCR cars and the ECR motors were fast.  He hooked up with me and a couple of those gaps opened up.  It was like the seas parted for us on the restart and got to fifth.  I’m not sure if I would have had a shot if the yellow didn’t come out.  I had a run coming to the white flag, but Paul (Menard) wasn’t clear at that point, so I didn’t want to move up.  But overall to have a top-five finish at Talladega, have the car roll back in the hauler no scratches on it, good day and good momentum.”
 
YOU AND THIS TEAM HAVE REALLY PROGRESSED THIS SEASON.  WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS GOING TO A RACE LIKE THE COCA-COLA 600?  WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO GET THE NO. 47 TEAM IN THE ALL-STAR RACE NEXT WEEK?
“I try to take it one weekend at a time.  I’m really proud of this race team right now.  It’s good with the way we are running, all the sponsors that we have on our race car, all the big-name sponsors to get them publicity gets them some promotion.  The team is always doing a lot of promotion with the sponsors.  Just to be able to get that out is really good.  Really for me I know we are 15th in points and everybody talks about ‘you are right on the edge of the Chase’.  I don’t even worry about it.  It’s just one weekend at a time.  We are going to have our up’s and down’s.  We can come to Kansas this weekend we could dominate, we could struggle.  It’s just the way being a small team is just really trying to take it one practice session, one lap at a time.  Obviously, it would be awesome to win this weekend, get into the All-Star race go to the Coke 600 and have a good run and keep the momentum going.  But the only way we can do that is just keep building as a team.”
 
WHAT HAS CLICKED HERE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS?
“I think it is just we are starting to put the weekends together.  We are maximizing the practice time.  We are doing just good things throughout the race, whether it’s pit stops or just making the right calls, and we are having fast race cars.  The beginning of the year we had decent cars, but we just never put the weekend together.  We would either struggle really bad on Friday or qualify really bad or make an uphill climb on Sunday or have to really make a lot of big changes going into Sunday and not know really what the car was going to do.  I feel like the last few weekends Brian Burns (crew chief) and I we are really starting to gel and this whole team.  
 
“We sit down and discuss how to maximize the practice sessions, what do we need to do.  We are learning with the new rules package, working with RCR the whole alliance.  We are learning our set-up’s about where we need to start to be closer when we start unloading the weekend.  It’s just baby steps.  That is really what it is. I’m trying to not get too high with where we are right now because there is so much time.  I will worry about possible Chase or where we are at in points when we have 20 races in things like that.  At the beginning of the year if you said coming into Kansas you are 15th you are right on the edge, you have had three top 10’s, you have been running well I would have said ‘perfect I’m happy with that’.  I’m happy with where we are at right now, but not satisfied.  I know we have a lot of room to improve and a lot of steps we need to improve on.”
 
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT THE TIRES THIS WEEKEND DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY CONCERNS GOING INTO PRACTICE AND FOR THE RACE THIS WEEKEND?
“Same tires for everybody.  We didn’t test here so I didn’t feel the other tires.  To me it’s good for me it’s all new to everybody now so we are not really at a disadvantage.  I mean tires when you bring something completely new that nobody has run everybody is going to have a little bit of a concern with it.  It is what it is.  You have got to adjust your car to what tires are on the race car.  Goodyear is working hard to try to get the best tires possible.  To me it’s been fun to a certain extend because you have to set your car up. You have to be easy on your tires.  You can’t over abuse your tires at some of these race tracks otherwise you will use them up.  We have seen that and I felt like our team has done a good job at adjusting to it.  In the end it’s four tires on the race car.  You set your car up around them and you go racing.”
 
WHY SHOULD FANS VOTE FOR AJ ALLMENDINGER THIS WEEK TO GET INTO THE ALL-STAR RACE?
“Because they’ve got to be tired of voting for Danica (Patrick) I really feel like.  I’m a fun loving guy.  I was with Miss Sprint Cup last week, we were talking about it. I said I would do the worm across the stage if I get voted in, bust a move, whatever.  We will have a good time with it.  I’ve raced my way in a couple of times to the All-Star race.  I love the new format now with us racing on Friday.  So if you do get your car into the show and your whole team you can enjoy it a little bit more.  When you race your way in you have no time to really have fun with your guys.  It’s like turn the car around, okay everybody go up on stage, alright, boom, let’s go race.  I like the new format of knowing that after Friday night you are in or you are not in.  It would be cool.  It’s just another chance to go out there and keep learning and keep improving.  A fun race and hopefully the fans see when we are in it I have a good time with it.”
 
HOW MUCH FUN ARE YOU HAVING RIGHT NOW IN SPRINT CUP?
“I really enjoy it.  I’ve been on a lot of teams.  I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing, but right now with this whole No. 47 group it starts with Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi and Brad Daugherty just the atmosphere that they put around this team.  The guys seem to be really enjoying it.  I really enjoy this core group.  I love being a part of this small team and leading the team and learning how.  It’s the first time I’ve really had to learn how to lead a team.  Every other team I’ve been on I’ve been the secondary guy and just kind of went along with the program.  So right now I just enjoy so much.  I put a lot of pressure on myself because Tad and Jodi and Brad have put so much sweat and tears and money into this team.  We have got a lot of great sponsors that I have said.  This weekend we have Kingsford on the car. They do a cool promotion for grilling out for Mom on Mom’s day so stuff like that.  Right now when it comes to just family atmosphere, having fun with the team it’s by far the most fun I’ve ever had.  I’ve told Tad many times already I would love for this team to be the last team I drive for.  That is how much fun I’m having and just to keep trying to climb that mountain and have that David versus Goliath attitude to where we’ve got to go bet the big teams.  I wouldn’t say we are beating them yet, but we are least getting closer.  I take a lot of pride in
it and I’m really enjoying it.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE RCR ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR TEAM AND HOW THAT ALL WORKS?
“With the RCR alliance it’s been great because Richard (Childress) for our team at least has just opened his doors.  I mean giving us all the information we can have.  Our cars right now aren’t brand new cars they are cars from late last year.  A lot of the No. 29 cars a couple of them that Kevin (Harvick) won with.  So they are not brand new cars, but at the same point they are still fast race cars.  They have given us just basically open information, engineering, set-up’s, everything that we need to know what makes the cars fast.  It’s been great sharing and hopefully we are bringing something back to them.  That has been my goal is to not just keep taking but hopefully bring something back to where they are learning and we can make everybody as a whole better.  Richard has been just fantastic.  I’ve been part of an alliance before and this is the best I’ve ever seen.  All credit goes to him and their race shop for allowing us to have that.  Hopefully it just keeps continuing.”
 
 

2014 Corvette Stingray to Pace Grand Prix of Indianapolis

 
DETROIT – A 2014 Corvette Stingray convertible will serve as the pace car for the inaugural Verizon IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis this weekend.
 
“Chevrolet and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have such a long history together, so it is exciting to be able to produce another ‘first’ at the famed Brickyard,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports.
 
Although this weekend’s event will be the first Grand Prix of Indianapolis, it won’t be the first time a Corvette has led the field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: A Corvette has been a pace car for the Indianapolis 500 a record 12 times, starting in 1978. A 2014 Corvette Stingray paced the Indianapolis 500 field last year.
 
“Chevrolet…especially with a V8…leading a field of race cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There is nothing better. Nothing,” said Doug Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 
The 2014 Corvette Stingray is the most powerful standard Corvette model ever, with an SAE-certified 455 hp and 460 lb.-ft. torque. The Corvette Stingray backs its performance capability with the greatest efficiency of any sports car on the market, delivering an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city driving and 29 mpg on the highway with the all-new seven-speed manual transmissions. No other car offers more than 455 hp and greater than 29 mpg on the highway.
 
The all-new, aluminum frame of the Corvette Stingray was designed from the outset as a convertible, so there are no structural differences compared to the coupe. In fact, the coupe and convertible have nearly identical curb weights, suspension tuning, and driving experience. Other key features for the Corvette Stingray convertible include:
 
An all-new, fully electronic top on the convertible that can be lowered remotely using the key fob and operates at up to 30 mph
Advanced driver technologies, including a five-position Drive Mode Selector that tailors 12 vehicle attributes to fit the driver’s environment and a new seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching that anticipates gear selections and matches engine speed for perfect shifts every time
An all-new 6.2L LT1 V-8 engine combines advanced technologies, including direct injection, Active Fuel Management, continuously variable valve timing and an advanced combustion system that delivers more power while using less fuel
Lightweight materials, including an aluminum frame; carbon fiber hood and removable roof panel on coupes; composite fenders, doors and rear quarter panels; carbon-nano composite underbody panels and a new aluminum frame help shift weight rearward for an optimal 50/50 weight balance that supports a world-class power-to-weight ratio
A sculpted exterior features advanced high-intensity discharge and light-emitting diode lighting and racing-proven aerodynamics that balance low drag for efficiency and performance elements for improved stability and track capability
Track-capable Z51 Performance Package, including an electronic limited-slip differential; dry-sump oiling system; integral brake, differential and transmission cooling; as well as specific wheels, tires, brakes and a unique aero package that improves high-speed stability.
 

MAY STARTS NOW: CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6 TEAMS DESTINED FOR THE FAMED INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Team Chevy Looking to Score Third Victory of the Season at the Inaugural Grand Prix of Indy
 
·       2014 marks Chevrolet’s third year in Verizon IndyCar Series with 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged direct-injected purpose-built V6 engine fueled by E 85
·       Chevrolet won the IndyCar Series Manufacturer Championship in 2012 and 2013
·       Chevrolet kicked off the 2014 season with wins in the first two races – Will Power in his Team Penske Chevrolet at St. Petersburg and Mike Conway in his Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet in Long Beach.
·       In the first two seasons of competition, Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers won 21 of the 34 races
·       Chevrolet IndyCar V6 driver Tony Kanaan is the defending champion of the Indianapolis 500
·       First IndyCar race on redesigned Indianapolis road course
 
 
DETROIT – (May 7, 2014) – Chevrolet is back at the Brickyard for the month of May – a time-honored tradition for IndyCar drivers and teams.  But ahead of the Indianapolis 500 later this month, the defending Verizon IndyCar Series engine manufacturer champion has more immediate business to tend to – the first IndyCar race on a redesigned road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 
The inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis will precede the traditional festivities surrounding the Indy 500 – a race won by Chevrolet in 2013 –  and features a 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course within the confines of one of the world’s great racing venues.  Chevrolet driver’s and teams had the opportunity to test on the road course last week with Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe setting the two quickest times in their Chevy V6 IndyCars.
 
“There was general enthusiasm from the Team Chevy camp after the Open Test conducted last week on the newly configured road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, Verizon IndyCar Series. “The track updates have produced a fast, flowing circuit that is fun to drive according to many of the drivers.  The Chevy-powered teams were prepared and posted quick times as they dialed in setups and racing lines. The high speeds at the ends of the front and back straights will certainly provide a show of engine power, a workout for the tires and brake systems and coupled with the generally wide and smooth racing surface provide for many passing opportunities. It is not often that a new race track is christened, so Team Chevy is proud to compete in the Inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis.”
 
Throughout the race weekend and the entire month of May, the Team Chevy IndyCar display will be on site for fans to visit. For the Grand Prix of Indy, fans can look for the Bowtie in the infield at the corner of 6th Street and New Myers Drive. The display hours of operation are 9 a.m – 6:30 p.m., Friday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday.
 
A number of vehicles from the Chevrolet line-up will be on-site including Impala, Malibu, Silverado, Sonic Hatchback RS, Traverse and Volt.  Fans will have the opportunity to get an up-close look at the No. 3 AAA Chevrolet V6 IndyCar of Helio Castroneves as well as check out a variety of other specialty vehicles on display. There will be interactive activities for children and adults.
 
The highlight of the weekend will be the driver visits to the Chevrolet stage in the display where fans can participate in question-and-answer sessions with Chevrolet’s top IndyCar stars.
 
On Friday, fans can see – Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastian Saavedra at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at noon Helio Castroneves, Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya will make appearances followed by Ed Carpenter and Mike Conway at 1 p.m., and Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan at 2 p.m.
 
The inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 10 with live television coverage on ABC.  The live IMS Radio broadcast will be available on Sirius and XM channels 209 and www.indycar.com. Race timing and scoring can also be found on

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA COATINGS CHEVROLET SS, WAS THE GUEST ON THIS WEEK’S NASCAR WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE.
 
BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPT:
THE MODERATOR:  Good morning, everyone.  With us today is Jeff Gordon.  Jeff currently holds the Sprint Cup Series points standings lead with four top 5 and seven top 10 finishes on the season.  He heads to Kansas Speedway this season where he has two career wins.
Jeff, you joined Charlotte Motor Speedway this morning at the NASCAR Hall of Fame to celebrate the anniversary of your first Sprint Cup Series win, the 1994 Coca‑Cola 600.  Can you talk a little bit about that race and your first trip to Victory Lane in the Sprint Cup Series.
 
JEFF GORDON:  Yeah, that was just a very special moment to relive.  Such a great moment in my career.  Hard to believe it’s 20 years ago.  But what an amazing day to go to Charlotte in the 600, such a tough race, compete against the best guys.
 
Rusty was certainly very strong that day and the car to beat.  Then Ray Evernham made a great two‑tire call.  We had a fast racecar, but that two‑tire call made the difference.
 
To see the emotions that I went through because it meant so much, to commemorate it here at the Hall of Fame, was very, very special to go through.  20 years, wow, it’s hard to believe, but it’s been amazing.
 
THE MODERATOR:  We’ll now go to the media for questions for today’s guest, Jeff Gordon.
Q.  You have 88 trophies that belong to you.  Where do you display them?  Is your first trophy in a very prominent place either at your office or at home?
JEFF GORDON:  That’s a great question.  We built a new house a couple years ago.  Something I’ve really never done at home was display really many trophies.  If I had a shelf maybe in an office or somewhere, I might put one or two.  The 600 from ’94 has always been a prominent trophy that I’ve displayed.
 
When we did this house, we made an area that has very, very important trophies to me.  I have the four Cup trophies there.  I have the first Brickyard, a couple helmets.
 
The 600 is in the house but it’s not currently being displayed there.  It’s one that has always been the one that I’ve displayed, it just didn’t fit in there (laughter).  I have to redesign that area so I can make sure it’s there.
 
I don’t have all 88, that’s for sure.  Hendrick Motorsports, and at my office, we have all the trophies.  The ones that have been very special to me are at my house.
Q.  It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years.  Is it one you can still think about and remember vividly?  How does that one rank in your mind?
JEFF GORDON:  I can barely remember how we won Martinsville last year (laughter). That’s why I love this event that I just did.  They showed video from that day and some crucial moments.  It really makes me want to go back and get the whole video and watch the race because it was such a special day.  There are so many things that I don’t remember about that day.
I remember I started on the front row, that we had a good car.  We led quite a few laps.  But Rusty was the car to beat.  Ray made that great call.
 
Even watching me coming down pit road for that final pit stop made me chuckle because they didn’t measure pit road speed the same way we do now so it looked like I was speeding, but they didn’t have a way to measure other than by a stopwatch.
 
I’d love to go back and relive the race because there are a lot of things that I don’t remember.
Q.  Out here in the Bay Area, looking forward to the race in Sonoma in a month and a half.  Speaking of walks down Memory Lane, you’ve won here five times in Sonoma.  Take us back to your first victory there in ’98, what that win meant for you, what you remember from that day.
JEFF GORDON:  The things that really stand out to me for Sonoma is, yeah, I grew up in Vallejo a few miles from there.  I never went to that course.  I always was on ovals or dirt tracks.  It was a drag strip, as well.  I never raced there.  Never even got to make a lap there until I was preparing for my very first Cup race and went to the driving school out there.  Immediately saw the challenges, all the fun that could be had there.
 
The first few years were just so challenging trying not to miss shifting, trying not to overdrive the track.  We used to have the carrousel turn there.  It was such a difficult corner to make.  I remember being in the tire barrier on my side one year there during practice.
 
To me, my memories are getting through all those challenges and becoming more competitive on a road course like Sonoma.  Obviously from ’93 to ’98, it took a while.  It’s not an easy track to conquer.
 
Then we just went on an incredible tear to win those five races.  I can’t say I remember all the details from that first race, though.
Q.  You’re still a young guy, off to a great start this season.  In the back of your mind, are you concerned that time is running short to win another championship?
JEFF GORDON:  I mean, I know that time is running short.  I can’t say I’m sitting here concerned about it.  I’ve had an amazing career.  I’ve accomplished more than I ever thought that I would.  Then this year my focus is on what a great racecar and race team that we have.
 
I think it’s just part of my personality or maybe part of a racecar driver’s personality that I don’t look too far ahead.  I worry about the things that I can control.  Right now the things I can control is that racecar on the weekends, working as hard as I can with the team to get the best results.
 
We’re off to a great start.  Right now I’m healthy.  I’m in good shape.  I’m having a lot of fun.  We’re very competitive out there.  That’s taking all of my attention.  Besides the time I spend with my family, that’s where my focus is.
 
Not really thinking of anything else other than maybe the urgency of how important it is to win this season if you’re going to win the championship.
 
Q.  You’ve won at Kansas twice previously.  That’s going back to 2001, 2002.  How different does this track race with the variable banking, especially since it went through a tough winter?
JEFF GORDON:  Yeah, I’m excited to get there and see what the track has to offer, as well as with the new ride heights, the downforce that this car has this year.  We seem to be excelling at a lot of different tracks, but the mile‑and‑a‑half’s in particular.
 
Kansas has always been one of my favorite racetracks.  When they repaved it, it moved a little further down my list.  It seems like every year we go there, it ages, goes through the winter, gets back to the type of Kansas that I excel at, that I really like.
 
The transitions are all still there.  The variable banking is always a plus.  But what I’m most excited about, and this is true for every track we’re going to, is how good of a race team we have right now.  Everywhere we go we have competitive cars.  We don’t always start the weekend out that way.  Some weekends we unload and we’re just fast and it stays that way throughout the whole weekend, and others we’ve had to really work at it.
 
To me, that’s the sign of a great team and that’s why I’m excited to go not only to Kansas this weekend but every track on the schedule.
Q.  Earlier you talked about how well you did in the 600.  You’ve had so much success at the track prior to that.  You almost won the Winston Open in ’93.  Does that give you any more confidence heading into the 600?
JEFF GORDON:  You mean in ’94 when we won it?
Q.  Yes.
JEFF GORDON:&n
bsp; Definitely.  My first pole came at Charlotte in October of ’93.  I won two Nationwide races in ’92.  That track was always something, from the first time I made laps around it, I enjoyed doing it.  It was a fun, fast racetrack.  I feel like it’s always been one of my better tracks.
 
Yeah, I definitely have confidence from previous history heading into that ’94 600.  The car was great that weekend.  It gave me good confidence to know that we had a shot at winning.
Q.  Do you remember thinking, ‘this is a track I might win my first race at’, or was it a surprise when it happened?
JEFF GORDON:  I don’t remember.  I don’t know.  I just remember that we were running well.  I think at that point I lacked a little bit of confidence of whether I had what it took to not just run 600 miles at Charlotte but to get a Cup car into Victory Lane.  I felt like we were getting closer and closer.  Even when you get close, you’re like, yeah, but it’s not a win.
 
From that point on, it solidified our team and myself and gave me confidence that, okay, I’ve got what it takes, we have what it takes, we can go win races from that point on.  I don’t remember what my mindset was prior to that race.
 
Q.  We’re basically 10 races into a 26‑race season.  Do you sense any panic from other teams throughout the garage area to get a win before Richmond in August?
JEFF GORDON:  I think we’ve seen a lot of first‑time winners so far in the season.  To me there’s the teams that understand how important it is to win not just to get in the Chase but to have a shot at the championship.  Those bonus points that come along with winning are very, very important.
 
The ability to win, to show that you’re a team that can win as well as win the championship is extremely important.  I feel like you need to get a win prior to that, prior to the start of the Chase.
 
It’s not the only way to get in.  There’s other ways to get into the Chase.  I don’t think anyone is in panic mode unless they’re outside the top 10 in points.
 
I would say anyone outside the top 8 or 10 in points now that hasn’t had a win, yeah, there’s definitely going to be in a little more urgency and, as you call it, panic mode.
Q.  You just mentioned the Chase elimination, changes.  Some of the drivers that haven’t won think it doesn’t change strategy at all.  Yet when some of these guys win, it seems like it changes their track and pit strategy.  You’ve been so close to winning.  What is your take on that?  Do you think your take in strategy will change once you do get that win?
JEFF GORDON:  I think anybody that says that winning a race isn’t going to change their mindset and strategy moving forward is only fooling themselves.  There is no doubt.  I saw a change in the 88 team after they won Daytona, just that comfort and ease knowing, okay, we have this win in our corner, and now we can be more aggressive with things that we do to get that second win.  I’ve seen it with Harvick, the 2 car, others as well.
 
I’ve never seen winning be so important as it has this year.  It doesn’t stop everybody from trying just as hard to win.  We’re all out there working as hard as we can to win.  When you get that one win under your belt, I think that one win will get you into the Chase, two wins is for sure going to guarantee you a shot in the Chase.
 
But when you get that one or two wins, it just puts you in a place where now it doesn’t really matter where you’re at in points, and it’s just all about getting those bonus points and be the No. 1 seed going into the Chase.  You can be more aggressive with everything that you do from here on out.
 
So I think that’s a lot of leverage to have as a team.  That’s why we feel some urgency to get that win because we want to be in that same place.  We have been very, very close, so that’s why we’re excited about those opportunities coming up that we can get a win at.
Q.  Kansas has produced its share of bizarre finishes over the years.  Is there a reason for that or is it just kind of circumstances?
JEFF GORDON:  Give me some examples.
 Q.  Biffle running out of fuel, being passed by Jimmie and Bowyer.  Carl’s dive bomb move.  Tony Stewart racing to the finish out of gas.  Last fall’s race wasn’t exactly standard either.
JEFF GORDON:  Yeah, I mean, I think we’ve seen a trend of fuel mileage becoming more and more important, saving fuel, track position.  Probably the most important thing we’ve seen on mile‑and‑a‑half’s in general, but especially on a repave that has become even more important because tires are hard, to be durable, a little bit harder to pass.
 
That’s why I’m excited to get to Kansas to see the tire combination with the track now that it’s aged some, as the groove has moved up, how well you can pass, how important track position is going to be.
 
Those things start to really paint the picture for your weekend for how hard you’re going to focus on fuel mileage, pit strategy, two tires, no tires, fuel only.  The speeds, the tire wear and the ability to pass will all start to play out as we get to the race on Saturday night.  Plus it’s a night race so that’s going to change things slightly as well.
 
I’ve just always enjoyed Kansas.  As I mentioned, the transitions are really nice, straightaway into the corners.  When you have nice transitions like that, nice banking, just a great racetrack like Kansas, it allows you to get more aggressive as a driver, get more aggressive with the setups, gives you a little more comfort and ease to know you can make a move like Carl made.  He dove in there, knew he wasn’t going to make the corner, but he knew he had room to slide up.  I think he probably thought, Man, I wish I wouldn’t have carried quite so much speed in there.
 
Kansas is one of those tracks that offers that type of racing and I think we’ll see more of it this weekend.
Q.  The Sonoma race, the 26th running of the race, seems like guys used to dread coming out to the wine country, weren’t thrilled about it.  Now it seems like the attitudes have completely changed.  Do you agree with that?  If so, why?
JEFF GORDON:  Yeah, I definitely think so.  I think there was a switch in the mindset, in the trend, I would say in the mid ’90s to late ’90s where a road course, if you were going on a road course, it didn’t really mean a whole lot towards the championship, or if you were bad on a road course.  The challenges you face on the road courses, the amount of effort and work that goes into it as a team and driver, sometimes guys looked at it as it wasn’t worth it.
 
For me, I liked the challenge.  Our team liked the challenge.  We were focused on making better brake packages, transmissions better, different gearing, all those things that come along with being good on road courses, and the most important thing:  keeping it on the course.
 
I think that now for the championship it’s an opportunity to win, but even before this year winning being so important, you couldn’t give up a race.  There became a time where the competition got too great.  You could no longer give up a race, where you used to be able to give one up and still manage to win the championship.  Now you’re not able to do that.
 
People are more focused on putting energy into it.  Now you’re seeing a far more competitive field at those races.
Q.  You’ve won that race five times, which is the most ever.  You haven’t gotten back into Victory Lane in quite a few years there.  How badly do you want to get back into Victory Lane?  What would a sixth win mean for you out here in the wine country?
JEFF GORDON:  I love it out th
ere.  Being from there, I’ve got family and friends.  Being in the wine business with the Jeff Gordon label, I love it out there.  It’s a beautiful area.  I’ve really gotten into that business, the wine making, what it’s like to go through it.  I admire all those great growers and farmers as well as wineries out there that produce great wine.
 
Then there’s this awesome racetrack over there in Sonoma that we’ve been successful at.  I feel we’ve had cars capable of winning there the last couple years.  We just got to keep pushing forward, keep pushing hard, doing the things we know what to do on those tracks, trying to improve, and hopefully we can get back to Victory Lane there soon.
 
THE MODERATOR:  That’s all the time we have today.  Jeff, thank you for joining us and good luck this weekend at Kansas.
 
JEFF GORDON:  My pleasure, thank you.
 
THE MODERATOR:  Thank you to the media for joining us, as well.
                      

CORVETTE DPs AT LAGUNA SECA: Chevrolet Regains Prototype Engine Manufacturer Lead
Third runner-up finish for Jordan, Ricky Taylor in Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP
 
MONTEREY, Calif. (May 4, 2014) – Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor gave the Corvette Daytona Prototype program another podium finish Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, moving Chevrolet back into the lead of the Engine Manufacturer championship standings for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
 
The two brothers drove the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP to a runner-up finish – their third such result in four rounds of the inaugural TUDOR Championship.
 
“Congratulations to Ricky and Jordan Taylor, and Wayne Taylor Racing on today’s runner-up Prototype finish,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “Given the difference in performance between the Corvette DPs and the rest of the field, this is an outstanding achievement and moves Chevrolet back into the lead of the Prototype Engine Manufacturer championship.”
 
Unofficially, Chevrolet now leads the category by one point.
 
Action Express Racing’s Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi placed fifth in the No. 5 Corvette DP. All four Corvette DPs entered led the race at one point. The No. 90 Spirit of Daytona entry of Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante led the first 26 laps, and Marsh Racing’s No. 31 Corvette DP of Eric Curran and Boris Said led just prior to the race’s midpoint.
 
The next round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers on May 31 from The Raceway at Belle Isle Park.
 
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DP, FINISHED 2ND
“That was as good as we could have done. We knew coming in here the P2s were going to be strong. Going on that out lap, I knew that was where they struggled and we had to make the most of it. We made a move around the No. 90 and the No. 5 and got the lead; we were able to stretch it but as soon as we made that last stop, we were saving fuel all the way to the end and I think we were the only Daytona Prototype to do that. We should be happy with a second-place here, and good points for the rest of the season.”
 
RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DP, FINISHED 2ND
“We didn’t expect to beat the P2, but it’s a really good points day. Jordan did a great job. The team did a great job making the changes overnight – really transformed our car. We’ll go on to some of the strong tracks for us and I think we are in a really good position. We did some mechanical things to the car, and went back to what we knew from last year and the car was really, really strong.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Second Straight Win for Magnussen, Garcia
New Chevrolet Corvette C7.R a winner again in California
 
MONTEREY, Calif. (May 4, 2014) – It wasn’t nearly as easy as last time, but Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen scored their second straight GT Le Mans victory in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship on Sunday. The duo won a hard-fought battle for the second consecutive season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – this time in their No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R.
 
Garcia won by 4.710 seconds as Corvette Racing took its third straight win at the track and seventh since 2004.
 
“Today was another fantastic day for Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Corvette Racing,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “It was a tremendous performance by everyone involved. The strategy and execution was perfect from the start. We saw again why this class of racing is among the best in the world.”
 
Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R ran among the leaders early and often before finishing fifth in class after Gavin was hit from behind and spun off track late in the race.
 
Magnussen led all 42 laps of his stint, although this one wasn’t nearly as calm as his race to victory at Long Beach last month. Instead of a 10-second lead, he rarely led by more than a second and was under tremendous pressure. Twice, the Dane had to lock up the brakes going into the Corkscrew turn, the first time when he was pushed wide by a prototype just before the braking zone.
 
On a one-stop strategy following a pit stop and driver change at the one-hour mark, the focus of the battle turned to Garcia and Giancarlo Fisichella’s Ferrari. Garcia bided his time and used a slower car as a pick to move into the lead with 22 minutes left. With solid tires and great balance, he was able to steadily pull away.
 
Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14-15. The next GTLM round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship takes place at Watkins Glen on June 29.
 
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“I knew we had a really good car going into this race. The C6.R was successful coming into here, and I knew the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R would be good too. We proved that yesterday (in qualifying) because everything was running up to where we wanted it to. I knew the trick would be to save the tires because I saw Jan was having troubles with that. I knew he flat-spotted once or twice the front right, so it was difficult for me getting into the car knowing I had to save the tires. It was a good call on the pits just to do one stop. We lost a position to the Ferrari because Jan lost quite a bit on the in-lap and we lost maybe a second. I tried to overtake once or twice the Ferrari but I saw on pure pace that it couldn’t happen. Then getting back on my mind I knew I had to run those tires for half an hour, so I decided just to give up a little bit of pressure on them and just start saving tires as best I could. Doing that I wasn’t losing much time to them, maybe a little bit, and as soon as he caught traffic I could get him back. In the end if paid off pretty good and then I used traffic again. When I saw that prototype going to pass (the Ferrari), I really went for it and make a run as much as possible and he had no chance to block me. Then with 20 minutes to go I could use the tires I had saved.”
 
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“This is the perfect preparation for the team to go on to Le Mans full of confidence. We know when everything works we can win. Antonio did a fantastic job. He was fighting every lap. When the opportunity came there wasn’t a clear track where he was able to pass the Ferrari. As soon as the opportunity came he was there and then able to pull away for a safety margin. It was a fantastic job by the whole crew, the engineers, everyone at Corvette Racing.”
(His stint) “This was a tough stint. To begin with I had quite good grip and balance in the car. Towards the end there when the Porsche was catching me,  I got pushed a little bit wide by the DeltaWing and had a huge lock-up into the Corkscrew which gave us a flat spot so that kind of took our edge away a little bit. I really, really had to fight for my position then.”
 
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“It was another one of those races where we showed a lot of promise, and it just didn’t really work out for us whatsoever. With the limited track time we got here,  we took a bit of a shot with the setup of the car. For whatever reason, we were working our rear tires just a bit harder than most other cars out there. Tommy did a great job in hanging on to the car for so long with those worn rear tires. We took a gamble with the tires for my stint, and it was looking like it was going to be pretty good. Then the rear of the car just started to really snap away. It caught me out going into (Turn) Six – I ran wide up the hill there. I was able to get back on it and got going again. But then the No. 56 BMW was coming like no tomorrow; they had stopped and I knew they were quicker than us… I don’t know what happened, but as I came through the center of turn one, I got hit and turned around and we lost three spots. It kind of summed up our day really… very frustrating. A lot of effort from all the guys with the stop, and they did a great job. It is frustrating. It just seems right now like we can’t seem to catch a break. We always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with people. We’ve got to turn that around. We go to our next race, which is our biggest race of the year, the Le Mans 24 Hours. Hopefully it is a really nice change in our fortunes this year because it has been  a rather testing first few races for us. We need to go back, regroup and think about exactly how we are attacking these weekends and if we are doing something slightly wrong, we need to address it and  fix it because we need to be 100 percent for our next big race in Le Mans.”
 
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“Tough stint there for sure. With the practice schedule, we didn’t get a whole lot of running. We weren’t too sure how long the tires were going to last. We found out pretty quickly in the race that we were on a little too soft of a compound early on so our lap times suffered quite a bit. Then I made a mistake in (Turn) Four and ran wide. We lost five or six seconds, something like that. Stuff like that makes a difference in a race like this with no yellows. It would be nice to get a yellow to pack everybody up, and go for the race. But, that is probably not going to happen. The gap was pretty big for awhile there, then it kind of closed up as Jan had issues as well. So he kind of brought the whole field back to me again so we aren’t too far away. But, it is hard to pass here, so every little mistake and things like that will definitely show itself at the end of the race.”
 
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“What an incredible day for Corvette Racing! Today, everything had to be perfect to win – the driving, the strategy and execution. Once again, Corvette Racing did it all and that is what enabled this victory. Two victories in a row is a great way to head to Le Mans – the most important race on our schedule.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AARON’S 499
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 4, 2014
 
CHEVROLET’S AJ ALLMENDINGER FINISHES FIFTH AT TALLADEGA
Jeff Gordon Maintains Point Lead
 
TALLADEGA, Ala. – (May 4, 2014) – Chevrolet’s AJ Allmendinger received a final push from Paul Menard during the three-lap dash to the finish at Talladega Superspeedway, to finish fifth.  The 188-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup race began with nine Chevrolet SS race cars leading the field to the green flag.  At the end of the 499-mile race at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, five Chevrolet SS drivers recorded top-10 finishes.  Allmendinger’s run was the first top-five finish for the No. 47 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet SS team this season.   
 
Menard backed up a second-place qualifying effort with a sixth-place finish at Talladega.  Having led 10 laps early in the race, the driver of the No. 27 Richmond/Menards Chevrolet SS was forced to the back of the pack after sustaining damage in a late-race crash. Menard made a charge to the finish to try and regain the top-spot and finished sixth overall.
 
Two-time winner in 2014, Kevin Harvick nearly recorded his third win of the season and second at Talladega.  On the final restart Harvick’s No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS was lined-up second in the outside lane, but the bottom line was the place to be.  With little drafting help, Harvick dropped back, but was able to surge ahead as the checkered flag flew to finish seventh.
 
Kasey Kahne was able to avoid most of the race mayhem in his No. 5 Farmers Insurance/ Thankamillionteachers.com Chevrolet SS and earned a ninth-place finish. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS, brought home top rookie-of-the-race honors with a 10th place run.
 
Despite being caught up in a multi-car accident on lap 138, Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS, remains the series point’s leader after the first 10 races.  Gordon maintains a three-point lead over second place.  
 
Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also had disappointing runs and finished, 23rd and 26th, respectively.  Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s/Valspar Reserve Chevrolet SS was involved in a crash on lap 176, which thwarted his quest for a third victory at Talladega.  Earnhardt, Jr. in his No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS became mired back in traffic with too few laps in the race to make a charge back to the front after leading 26 of the 188 laps.
 
Denny Hamlin (Toyota) won the race, Greg Biffle (Ford) was second, Clint Bowyer (Toyota) was third and Brian Vickers (Toyota) was fourth, to round out the top-five finishers.
 
The series resumes May 10th for the first Saturday night race at Kansas Speedway.
 
 
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 10TH (TOP FINISHING ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CONTENDER)
 
KERRY THARP:  Let’s roll right into our post‑race for today’s 45th annual Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race here at Talladega Superspeedway, and our top Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate finishing in 10th place is Kyle Larson.  He’s the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, and Kyle, just talk about your run out there this afternoon at Talladega.
 
KYLE LARSON:  Yeah, it was good.  I think we were actually a little bit better than 10th.  I think the finish was when we crossed the stripe.  But I was really hoping for a top 20 just to stay out of trouble, and to get a top 10 is really nice.
 
I spent most of the day just ‑‑ well, pretty much all day just trying not to make any spectacular moves to put myself in a bad spot to get in a wreck, because like I said, the 42 hasn’t had much luck on superspeedways with Juan and myself at Daytona.  Just wanted to stay out of trouble.  We’ve been making up a lot of points throughout the year after Daytona, and to come back to another superspeedway, I was really nervous.  Glad to get a good finish and stay up there in points.
Q.  If you could just kind of talk about that last restart, I think you were third at the time the flag fell.  Talk about what happened there and how it all shook out.
KYLE LARSON:  I was fourth.  Yeah, I was able to get a decent restart behind Denny and push him to the lead before we got that last yellow, and just couldn’t do the same with Kevin.  He got a little bit far out in front of me, and then the 40 pulled out of line down the back stretch and I got stuck in the middle and killed our run for the middle lane and the top lane, and then just kind of had to hold on to what we had there.
 
I hated that I couldn’t help Kevin get a Chevy into victory lane, but it was still an okay restart for us.  We didn’t lose too many spots.  All in all, it was a pretty decent day.
Q.  What do you think you learned here today that you can only use two more times a year when we go back to Daytona and Talladega?
KYLE LARSON:  I learned that I was really slow on the bottom line, or I needed somebody right behind me to make any ground and help the inside lane.  I felt like when I was in the middle lane to top lane I could keep up without anybody behind me, but once I got down on the bottom, I had to have somebody within a half car length behind me to help the guy in front of me.  When I wouldn’t have people behind me I’d lose ground and people would keep shuffling down in front of me and hurt me there.
 
It worked out at the end, and I was far enough forward at the end to where I could be on the bottom and maintain.