NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 29, 2013
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER
IT’S YOUR EIGHTH VICTORY AT DOVER TODAY. TALK ABOUT THE LAST RUN. I’VE HAD CREW CHIEFS TELL ME THAT TWO TIRES WILL NOT BEAT FOUR TIRES. HOW DID YOU HOLD OFF YOUR TEAMMATE, DALE EARNHARDT, JR.?
“Two (tires) worked good for us in practice. And believe me; I wanted to see four tires line-up in the fourth or fifth row. When they lined up right behind me, I thought I was going to have my hands full. And I really did. Junior drove a whale of a race and track position really gave me the advantage I needed to hold him off. It’s good to get this KOBALT Tools Chevrolet in Victory Lane. I’m very excited. I’m very happy to have Mr. Hendrick here. I wish that I had my family here. I want to say hi to my girls at home. Thank you to all the fans and to Sprint. This is just an awesome day and awfully timely in the scheme of things.”
 
YOU ARE ONLY EIGHT POINTS BEHIND MATT KENSETH NOW. HOW STRONG IS THIS TEAM, GOING FORWARD, FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
“It’s good. All these things are great. When you put the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) and No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) up there, it’s going to make it a very difficult deal. And I think it’s going to be fun for the fans to watch. We came to a good track and we got what we needed to, done. I know that No. 20 is going to be awfully strong for the rest of the stretch, and I look forward to racing with him.”
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR PLACE IN THE RECORD BOOKS NOW. IT USED TO BE YOU AND RICHARD PETTY AND BOBBY ALLISON TIED FOR THE MOST WINS AT DOVER. NOW IT’S JUST YOU:
“It’s incredible. To do anything that Bobby or Richard has done is quite an accomplishment. We’ve had a few sneak away from us here, too, over the years. I’m just so happy to get that done and be the sole leader of race wins here. It’s a very special day.”
 
TALK US THROUGH YOUR DAY AND THIS DOMINATE RUN THAT YOU HAD:
“Just a very fast race car.  I think we were a little vulnerable on stickers and new tires to get going for five to eight laps.  Then after that this KOBALT Tools Chevrolet was really strong.  I was fearing cautions at the end.  Of course we had one.  I felt like two (tires) was good for us.  We knew that it was going to work well for us.  I wish that four (tires) was going to start further back.  When I saw four was the car right behind me I knew I was going to be in trouble.  (Dale Earnhardt) Junior drove a whale of a race.  He kept me super honest there at the end.  So a very strong day.”
 
GIVEN THAT YOU WEREN’T AS GOOD ON THE SHORT RUNS AND YOU HAD TWO TIRES WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND DALE EARNHARDT, JR. RIGHT THERE AT THE END OF THE RACE?
“I think really just track position.  He had a great race car all day long.  I think really between the No. 88, the No. 20 and the No. 48 we seemed to have all the speed to be the three fastest cars.  I saw him miss pit road early in the race.  I’m sure that was tough to rebound from.  He finally got back up to the front there and was awfully strong.  It has just been a track that I’ve adapted to since the beginning and I’ve really enjoyed running at.  The longer the run the better I perform here.  This track isn’t easy to drive.  You’ve got to be up on the wheel for four hundred laps around here and I enjoy that aspect too.”
 
10 POINTS THAT YOU KNOCKED OFF OF MATT KENSETH’S LEAD IS THIS THE POINT THAT JIMMIE JOHNSON AND THE LOWE’S TEAM STARTS TO MAKE THEIR MOVE?
“I still think it’s too early to say somebody can make a move.  You just don’t want to give points up.  Today we got max points so we didn’t leave any on the table and we will go to Kansas next week and see what we can do.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED SECOND
YOU CAME UP ONE SPOT SHORT WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE AT THE END?
“Well, Jimmie (Johnson) was just that good.  I thought that four tires were going to be enough to get to him and get him out of the way, but he is just that fast around here.  That track position is really important and I gave that up early in the race with that mistake coming onto pit road.  And it cost us a shot at the win there.  We still had it.  My crew gave me a good enough car to get us back into it, so I’ve got to thank them, National Guard, Diet Mountain Dew, Time Warner Cable and all of our partners.”
 
HOW DID THE RACE TRACK CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY?
“The balance moved around a little bit not quite as much as we have seen here in the past, but I think we just brought a better race car this time.  That is why we had a better time of it.”
 
YOU WERE THE FIRST CAR WITH FOUR TIRES ON THAT LAST RUN. DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET IT DONE?
“Yeah, I did. That’s real disappointing there; but Jimmie (Johnson) is really that fast. He’s that good around this place. I thought we might be able to get to him and I was definitely going to do whatever I could to win if I could get within reach. But I just couldn’t get to him. So, I’m just real disappointed. We’ve had a couple of good weekends. These are two of the best cars I’ve had all year. I’ve got to thank the team. But, running second is no better than running 10th. I’d like to get a trophy here soon.”
 
YOU HAD A COUPLE OF ISSUES ON PIT LANE TODAY. DO YOU THINK ULTIMATELY THAT HAD ANY AFFECT ON WHERE YOU FINISHED?
“Yeah, I take responsibility for getting a little too eager coming onto pit road for that green flag stop. We’re lucky we didn’t have more trouble through that whole deal.  I didn’t know what the heck the rules are for that, so I was figuring we got off pretty light. But I had a fast enough car to get back to the leaders, but you’ve got to be the leader on that last start. You see most of these races are won by the guy leading it at the last restart or after the last round of pit stops. That wasn’t us today. I’ll take responsibility for that mess-up coming on pit road for sure.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED FOURTH
DESCRIBE THE WAY THINGS WENT THIS AFTERNOON FOR YOU ON THIS TOUGH RACE TRACK:
“It was definitely tough.  Our Axalta Cromax Pro Chevrolet was very good.  We had moments where I felt like we had the best car and there were moments where I felt like we were one of the worst cars.  Man, I did not want to see that last caution. I felt like we were really in the perfect position fuel mileage wise, tires, speed of the car, we were just sitting there riding trying to get to the end.  Then we had to make a decision on two tires, four tires.  I felt like two was going to be the right thing.  It worked out for Jimmie (Johnson) to win it.  Congrats to him, but just didn’t work out for us.  Our car just didn’t take off very good there.”
 
YOU HAD A GREAT CAR AT TIMES. IF THIS RACE HAD STAYED GREEN THE REST OF THE WAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU HAD FOR THEM? YOU WERE ALSO SAVING FUEL FOR A WHILE:
“I think we definitely had that strategy nailed. We came in; stretched it as far as we could and the team did an excellent job getting it full of fuel. I was saving (fuel) most of that run. So, we were four short. But it doesn’t matter. The caution came out and we just did not have a short run car. We took two (tires) to get track position, which won the race. But it just didn’t work for our car. All in all, it was a great day for the Axalta Chevrolet. I was very happy with just the overall performance of everybody. And I was having fun. Congrats to Jimmie (Johnson). He’s so tough here. It’s no surprise that he won. It was a great job by (Dale Earnhardt) Junior, too; that was fun to watch.”
 
YOU
GAINED IN THE POINTS AND TECHNICALLY TIED FOR FOURTH, BUT YOU ARE IN FIFTH. LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE AND MOVING ON TO KANSAS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR CHANCES?
“Oh, well, if we keep performing the way we’ve been performing; a driver can’t slide into the pit stall too far, and we’ve just got to keep knocking out good pit stops and having good race cars like we’ve had. I’m very excited and motivated by how well this team has stepped-up ever since the Chase has come around. I can’t wait to get to the next race.”
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED SIXTH
TELL US ABOUT YOUR RACE:
“That was a long day.  All in all, all the guys on our Budweiser Chevy did a good job of just kind of keep pounding away.  That is what you have to do here at Dover as you get towards halfway it just kind of seems like you can make up positions by just staying in the game.  We just kept ourself in the game today.  We didn’t have a great car, but we still have some work to do to get the performance a little bit better.  We have got to fix pit road.”
 
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHERE YOU STAND AT IN THE CHASE RIGHT NOW?
“We beat the points leader so we probably didn’t gain any points, but we didn’t lose any either.”
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 STATE WATER HEATERS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED EIGHTH
“Our day started out really well, the car was great for the first 100 laps or so. It got tight after that and we never could make the right adjustment to get it handling like I needed it to. I think we finished eighth, but I know a lot of the guys we’re in the chase with finished ahead of us. All in all, it wasn’t a bad day for the State Water Heaters Chevrolet. We got another top-10 finish, which means everyone can go to Outback Steakhouse and get a free Bloomin’ Onion, and we paid 10 mortgages with Quicken Loans’ “Bring it Home” promotion.”
 
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 13TH
HOW WAS YOUR CAR TODAY AND WERE YOU GUYS HAVING A MECHANICAL ISSUE?
“We don’t know yet.  Something was wrong and we lost a lot of power.  Didn’t seem like the engine, maybe it was something else like tail pipes or something. We are not real sure.   We just salvaged a good finish and we didn’t pit there and got a top-15.  So that was good for what we had and what we were dealt with.”
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/DENVER MATTRESS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 21ST
ON HIS RACE:
“A loose wheel did us in. We were way off at the start, but after the first pit stop we made some good changes and started to make a move. But once again we had an issue with a loose wheel (right rear, Lap 156) and that put us a couple of laps down. And with the lack of cautions we couldn’t make it up. This is the Chase and you can’t afford to have these problems. We need to regroup and get it together for Kansas next week.”

Chevrolet Wins 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Engine Manufacturers’ Championship for the Second Consecutive Year
 
LAKEVILLE, Conn. – September 28, 2013 – For the second consecutive year, Chevrolet has won the GRAND-AM Rolex Series Daytona Prototype (DP) Engine Manufacturers’ Championship. Today’s win by Wayne Taylor Racing in the season finale at Lime Rock Park capped the championship-winning effort by the seven Corvette DP teams.
 
“Winning the GRAND-AM Rolex Series Engine Manufacturers’ Championship for the second consecutive year is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the Corvette DP teams and drivers,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicle and Motorsports. “Our partners at Earnhardt-Childress Racing along with our Powertrain team worked each and every week to deliver the right combination of power, fuel economy and durability. It was truly a team effort. “
 
On the way to winning the coveted title, Chevrolet’s Corvette DP teams and drivers won eight of the 12 races held during 2013 season.
 
“With the efforts of Earnhardt-Childress Racing, the technical support Pratt and Miller provides, as well at the expertise from GM Racing Powertrains, Chevrolet Racing in the Rolex Series has accomplished a great deal this season,” said Mark Kent, Director of Chevrolet Racing.  “As a new chapter is set to begin with the debut of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship in January, 2014 at Daytona International Speedway, we are honored to leave the final event of the GRAND-AM Rolex Series as a champion.”
 
The Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype team and driver roster that contributed to Chevrolet capturing the Manufacturers’ title are: Wayne Taylor Racing – Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor. GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing – Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney; Spirit of Daytona Racing – Richard Westbrook and Ricky Taylor;  Action Express Racing (two cars) – Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa, Brian Frisselle, and Burt Frisselle and 8 Star Motorsports (two cars) Enzo Potolicchio, Stephane Sarrazin, Michael Valiante, Sebastien Bourdais and Emilio DiGuida.
 
“Congratulations to our Chevrolet teams and all of our technical partners on winning the 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Series DP Engine Manufacturers’ Championship,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. “The level of cooperation and dedication among our Corvette Daytona Prototype teams, in addition to the tremendous support from our technical partner were the key components of this championship-winning effort. I am very proud of the contributions made by everyone involved in this program, and celebrate this achievement for Chevrolet as we move to the Tudor United SportsCar Championship in 2014.”
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
 
 
DALE EARNHARDT JR. WINS POLE AT THE MONSTER MILE FOR CHEVROLET
FIVE TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS QUALIFY IN TOP 10
 
 
DOVER, DEL. – September 27, 2013 –  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. powered his No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS into the pole position with a track-record lap of 161.849 mph in 22.243 seconds for Sunday’s AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. It was his 13th career pole win, his second of the 2013 Cup season, and first on the mile-long, high-banked concrete race track for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender.
 
“The car had really good speed and a really good balance right off the trailer, and it felt like we were really competitive, more so than we’ve been here in the past, especially in practice,” said Earnhardt, Jr.
 
“I think I did a good job driving it, but most of the credit goes to (crew chief) Steve (Letarte) and the guys for preparing the car throughout the week. I thought they did a really good job giving me a great chance to go out and trust that the car is going to be right there, and run a good lap.”
 
Ryan Newman, also a Team Chevy Chase contender, posted the third quickest qualifying lap in his No. 39 State Water Heaters Chevy SS, giving Chevrolet two of the top five starting spots.
 
Jamie McMurray, aboard his No. 1 LiftMaster Chevrolet SS qualified in the seventh position, seven-time Dover winner, Jimmie Johnson, qualified eighth in his No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevy SS and Kurt Busch qualified ninth behind the wheel of his No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevy SS; to give the Bowtie Brigade five of the top 10 starting spots.
 
Chase contenders Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS and Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Axalta Chevy SS will roll off from the 12th and 16th positions, respectively, in the 400-mile race.
 
Rounding out the top five qualifiers were Matt Kenseth (Toyota) – second, Carl Edwards (Ford) – fourth, and Aric Almirola (Ford) – fifth.
 
The third event in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will take the green flag on Sunday, September 29th at 2:00 p.m. EDT and aired on ESPN and MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
 
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
 
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR RUN OUT THERE TODAY:
“Yeah, the car had really good speed and a really good balance right off the trailer.  Felt like we were really competitive, more so than we had been here in the past, especially in practice.  When we put the car into qualifying trim, made a couple of mock runs, the car showed again really good speed.  It wasn’t quite the fastest car, but the way the car drove was really relatively easy and to make the runs we were making wasn’t very challenging and the grip in the car was just really over the top.  I was expecting to put a good lap down.  I thought we would be competitive enough to get inside the top 10 pretty easily.  We just made a couple of changes that we typically make in between practice and qualifying and went off to run the lap.
 
“Made a couple of just small errors driving the car, but you never drive every lap perfectly.  Always kind of wish you could have done things a little differently.  I think the car had maybe another half a tenth or a tenth in it.  It was really just a really good car.  I think I did a good job driving it, but most of the credit goes to Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and Kevin (Meendering, engineer) and all the guys just for preparing a car throughout the week that unloaded so close.  That makes everything so easy when the car is close especially for practice before qualifying.  You are going out there and you are making these laps right on the edge and when you are not really moving the balance a whole lot or making a ton of changes the driver can narrow down what he needs to do and minimize the errors that he is going to make and I thought that they did a good job giving me a great chance to just go out there and trust the car is going to be right there and run a good lap.” 
 
TO MAKE UP GROUND IN THE LAST EIGHT RACES YOU PUT YOURSELF IN AN EXCELLENT POSITION.  IS IT AT ALL A LITTLE DISHEARTENING TO KNOW THAT THE GUY YOU ARE CHASING WILL BE STARTING ALONG SIDE YOU ON THE FRONT ROW?
“Yeah, not really.  I expect our competition to be tough every week.  Nothing really surprises me when they perform well.  We are not really going to count points and I’m not going to sit here and figure out how far I’m behind and come up with some equation that I need to perfect to gain points each week.  I’m not going to sit here and do that.  We are just going to show up and try to run hard and be smart.  If we can unload great cars like this it makes that all easier.  We are going to try to win some races before the year is out.  I would be really disappointed if we don’t win a race this season because I think we are a better team than we were last year.  I felt we’ve came so close so many times so we would just like to get out there and get some trophies.  The points will take care of themselves when you are doing that.”
 
WHEN YOU GOT OUT OF THE CAR IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU FELT YOU HAD LEFT A LITTLE BIT OUT THERE.  WERE YOU SURPRISED THE LAP HELD UP?
“Yeah I was.  I watched the tracker on a couple of guys.  The No. 99 they were a tenth and a half better than us by the time they got into turn three or the middle of (turns) three and four.  Yeah, I think there was a good amount of time left out there for a lot of guys myself included.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT TIRES WERE? I KNOW YOU GUYS WERE CHANGING TIRES A LOT AT THE END OF PRACTICE:
“Well we practiced and used our tires how we typically do every week.  We ran the beginning of practice on a set of tires. We ran a couple of race runs to get ourselves a good idea of where we were for tomorrow to try to anticipate improving the car. That saves us a little bit of time tomorrow.  If we waited until tomorrow to find out what we could learn today you know it’s just saving us a little time doing that.  Then we have two sets of tires left to go out there and make one mock run and make another mock run.  We thought scuffs weren’t too bad actually and we have rolled the lefts in here before.  We put the qualifiers on and rolled the lefts in a little bit, left the rights off the car and then we made our last run on the last set of tires.  It was just what we normally do every week aside from the scuff for the lefts which you do on occasion depending on the track.”
 
ANY SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE TO SETTING A TRACK RECORD AND KNOCKING SOMEONE LIKE JEREMY MAYFIELD OUT OF THE RECORD BOOK?
“Well this car has been faster everywhere we have been this year so I anticipate seeing the lap records kind of fall throughout the season.  I don’t know how many that we have broken this year, but it has to be a significant amount compared to past years.  This car has got a lot more downforce and has been a good bit quicker everywhere we have been with it this year.  But it’s a good feeling you know we have won two poles this year.  If we don’t get one at Daytona or Talladega we usually don’t get one at all.  This feels pretty good.”
 
YOU JUST MENTIONED TWO POLES THIS YEAR THAT IS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE HAD MORE THAN ONE IN A SEASON SINCE 2002.  IS THAT A REFLECTION OF WHERE THE PROGRAM IS?  IS THAT A REFLECTION OF COMFORT IN THIS NEW CAR?  HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
“I would say it’s a reflection of where the program is.  Just how Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and I since we first started working together we have
gotten better each year.  One of the things we started focusing on last year was qualifying and I think that has rolled over into this season.  We continue to put importance on that and try to improve on that.  The racing and the cars and the speed the cars have in the races has also improved.  We really focused on qualifying last year and even more so this year.  He and I are working better together.  The longer we work together the better we get at it and the more we understand each other and the more he understands what I need in the car.  We have also kept the majority of the team intact from the beginning.  That is so important to keep that together if you can because everybody sort of learns what they can about each other.  Steve is really good… he has made me a better race car driver.  He makes his engineers better.  I mean he is really good at his job.  So he deserves a lot of credit for us improving and being able to get these poles and just qualifying better.”
 
STEVE (LETARTE) SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN AN UNHAPPY RACE CAR DRIVER IN A FAST CAR IS THAT ACCURATE?
“That is true.  When the car is fast usually the driver is not talking or complaining.  I mean I know that even the guy leading the race has got something he would like to fix on his car.  Or something about the car it could do better.  Yeah, when you run well you definitely are a happier guy.  I mean just look at how we were after last week’s qualifying effort compared to this week.  I thought we had a good car last week.  I don’t know we just didn’t get the job done in qualifying and I was so disappointed.  When you’ve got the car and you know the potential and you go out there and realize it like we did today it makes it a lot easier.”
 
HAVE YOU TALKED TO MATT (KENSETH) AT ALL?  IS HE KIND OF HAVING ONE OF THOSE ‘PINCH ME’ TYPE OF SEASONS?  OR IS HE HAVING ONE OF THOSE THAT HE KIND OF EXPECTED EVERYTHING TO FALL INTO PLACE SEASON?
“Matt (Kenseth) never would expect things to go this well.  I’m always having to pump him up, tell him how good things are going to be.  He’s always a worry wart I guess is the best way to describe him.  I’m sure he is enjoying the success and knows how talented his team is around him.  Every time I see him even when his car is fast in practice he might say his car is not that good.  He is one of those guys, but he’s having a great year.  Hopefully we can beat him.  We want to get up there and regain our ground and get back into this thing if we can.”
 
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 STATE WATER HEATERS CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD
 
A GREAT RUN FOR YOUR TEAM HERE AT DOVER:
“Yeah, we came off the truck really good and we were in qualifying trim and basically stayed real close to where we were.   I just sharpened up the pencil as far as driving the race track and it all kind of stayed the same for us.  It was obviously close and I think we were fifteen-thousandths off of the pole – which is always close here.  But nevertheless a good start for our State Water Heaters Chevrolet and good pit selection.  No matter what though, it’s still a tough pit road here and we will see how it all works out.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR HUNTING TRIP THIS WEEK, DID YOU GET ANYTHING AND WHAT WAS IT LIKE HANGING OUT WITH CLINT (BOWYER) IN THE WILD?
“Yeah, he only went to the hospital once.  It wasn’t that big of a wound, and I didn’t hit him quite where I wanted to.   But nevertheless, we had a lot of fun and I want to thank Bill Jordan and everybody at Realtree for giving us the opportunity to just get away and relax.  Obviously that takes and understanding wife and couple kids at home that got sick and had to get through all that stuff.   In the end, he killed an elk and I didn’t.  I was close and had a questionable shot and used better judgment.  I will go back when gun season comes in and I am able to fit that into my schedule.
 
“I had a blast and it’s beautiful country.  I have been under the weather since Monday and was fighting some flu symptoms with fever, aches and pains, and stuff.  In the end we had a lot of fun and I am thankful for the people that gave at least Clint and I the opportunity to do that.”
 
WHY WOULD THE QUALIFYING TIME BE ALMOST FOUR MILES AN HOUR FASTER HERE TODAY THAN IN JUNE?
“We are just trying harder (laughs).  No, I think a lot of it has to do with the temperature.  A lot of it also has to do with us getting a better package with the car for a track that is this sensitive let’s say.  With the bumps in turn three and that everybody has sharpened up on the aero side of this track.  The track is super-fast and I think everybody is making more downforce.  I think everybody has gotten things a little more fine-tuned and that makes a big difference. 
 
“You see how close everything is here.  It’s not like one team is four-tenths quicker.   We are all a good bit quicker.  I think a big part of it is the conditions and it definitely wasn’t as hot here today as it was in the spring.  And then obviously just the race cars.”
 
THE TRACK RECORD IS LIKE NINE YEARS OLD BEFORE BEING BROKEN TODAY.  ANY PARTICULAR REASON IN GOING BACK THAT FAR?
“I don’t know. We could change the tire and break the track record by six miles an hour tomorrow and that is not so much the deal.  We used to have tires that would fall off a lot and now the tires don’t fall off that much and the cars are faster.   I think that it is what it is, and it’s a coincidence. That’s my answer.”
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – POLE SITTER
HOW WAS YOUR LAP?
“The car has been excellent all day and I just overdrove (Turn) 1 a little bit and didn’t really trust the car as much as I should have off of (Turn) 4. The car is a lot faster than that. But hopefully it will be a good qualifying run.”
 
THAT WAS A GOOD LAP:
“I think we could have done a few things different and had a better lap.  I over drove the entrance to turn one a little bit and should have trusted the right rear a little bit more off of four.   The car has been great all day so you have to give Steve (Letarte), Kevin (Meendering, engineer), and all the guys all the credit.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 STATE WATER HEATERS CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD
TRACK IS GETTING QUICKER?
“No, I just tried harder (laughs)”
 
OH, I’M SURE YOU DID. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT?
“Actually I was 118 percent that time. The State Water Heaters Chevrolet was good off the truck. The car is very similar; the track was actually very similar to how we practiced. I just kind of had to capitalize on everything. Obviously it wasn’t quite good enough, but it’s a good place to start here in Dover.”
 
YOUR EXPECTATIONS BEFORE THE LAP AND HOW THE LAP ACTUALLY TURNED OUT?
“Good and good.  I thought we had a shot at it.   I think during the last fifteen laps in practice the track got a good bit faster.  We had the car basically how we unloaded it, other than one small change.  The State Water Heaters Chevrolet SS was good and Matt (Borland) and the guys did a good job.   Especially off the truck and we only made a small change all practice.  Hopefully we will stay in the top five.  The 20 and the 22 are going to be stout as well, but happy to be where we are at after 34 cars.”
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED EIGHTH
YOU ARE JUST AHEAD OF KURT BUSCH RIGHT NOW. DO YOU THINK THERE’S ENOUGH FOR THE POLE HERE TODAY?
“We’ll see. It’s so early it’s hard to tell. And if you can outrun the No. 78 in Q-trim, you’re doing a good job. So, I feel that’s a good marker. Inside the car, it felt pretty good. (Turns) 1 and 2, I was off a little bit, but I really nailed (Turns) 3 and 4. We’ll just see. Hopefully it’s in the top three or four so we can get a nice pit stall on pit road. But it’s a good start for this KOBALT Tools Chevrolet.”
 
HOW WAS YOUR RACE CAR ON THAT LAP?
“Pretty good.  I am real happy with our KOBALT Tools Chevrolet and it wasn’t so bad really.  We will see how things go and I think from the temperature standpoint it’s going to be pretty equal through the field.  So we stand a good chance of having our time hold up.   There is a lot more rubber down from the Nationwide practice, and that is going to throw some guys a challenge. So I think we did a good job, and we’ll see if we can stay on top.”
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/DENVER MATTRESS CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED NINTH
ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP:
 “The track has changed a little bit and it just seems like it’s tougher to get the grip out of the front tires, but the rears are right on edge too.  It was a decent lap, and I don’t think we will miss the top 10 with a lap like that but we will see where it stacks up and keep track of the changing track conditions.  The track will continuously get darker and darker and get rubbered-in more and more so we will try and stay on top of it.”
 
YOU HAD AN EARLY DRAW, BUT THIS CLOUD COVER…..DID IT HELP?
“It helped us and we will see how it balances out throughout the session, but our Chevy is fast and we just need to keep up with the track conditions.” 
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 12TH
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING LAP?
“It wasn’t bad.  We were a touch too tight right there, but we had been edgy throughout the whole day and we improved on our practice time.  A lot of guys are slowing down so I think that it will be a decent starting spot.”
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 13TH
HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING LAP?
“It was okay.  We were a little too loose through the middle so I couldn’t get to the throttle the way I needed to, but it was okay.  I wanted a little more, but sometimes here you try to get a little more and you end up screwing up.  So for what we had, it’s pretty good.”
 
JEFF GORDON, AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 16TH
SOME DRIVERS WERE SAYING THE TRACK WAS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM PRACTICE TO QUALIFYING.  DID YOU FEEL THAT AT ALL?
“Well its felt a lot worse here in the past and the last time we were here the conditions changed dramatically.  So things change a little bit, and you get cloud cover and I am hoping that sun comes out and saves us.  It wasn’t our best lap and the balance just wasn’t quite there and we didn’t make a very good lap in my opinion.”
 
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 20TH
AFTER THE NATIONWIDE CARS HAVE BEEN OUT HERE, DOES THE TRACK FEEL THE SAME AS IT WAS IN PRACTICE?
‘I felt a little bit looser than what I had in practice earlier. I felt like the track was freer because tightened up and I was still pretty similar. So I don’t know; it’s hard to say how that will be. We beat a couple of cars that were in front of us, but I would think you’re going to need to go a little quicker than that if you’re going to qualify first today.”
 
HOW WAS YOUR LAP AND HAS THE RACE TRACK CHANGED FROM PRACTICE?
“We tightened our car up quite a bit and it still felt kind of similar to what it was.  Maybe a little bit.  Still seemed a little loose and it still seemed like an alright lap and we will see kind of where that goes.  I don’t know.  Not sure how it was.”
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 31ST
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE TIME WAS LOST?
“Looking back at qualifying here, it doesn’t usually go faster. And on average, it was a tenth slower last time. So, I didn’t expect to go a lot faster but I also didn’t expect to go three-tenths slower. So, it was really loose and I can definitely attribute some of the time lost to being loose. There is a lot of rubber out there, but it feels slippery. And/or, we just freed it up too much for qualifying. I can’t blame the boys for trying, though.  I might maybe be just fine for the race, but at this point in time we’re definitely disappointed that we went so much slower. But hopefully that’s a trend here.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
                                                       
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway and discussed racing this weekend at Dover, his current position in the Chase, the new restart rule and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COMING INTO DOVER THIS WEEKEND:
“Excited to be here it’s obviously a great race track for the No. 48 team.  Good time in the year for us to come to a strong track.  We will just kind of see what happens.  I know it’s a good track for the No. 18 and historically Matt (Kenseth) has been strong here when I think back to some of the Roush days years ago, they are not too far back.  I think with how he has been running this year he’s going to be tough to beat and we will just get out there and race hard and get every point we can.”
 
AT THE END OF THE RACE LAST WEEK YOU SAID THAT YOU LEFT A LITTLE BIT ON THE TABLE.  IT JUST DIDN’T SEEM LIKE YOU TO BE SAYING THAT LIKE NORMALLY THE NO. 48 AND YOU DON’T DO THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING REALLY SORT OF UNUSUAL ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING RIGHT NOW OR DO YOU FEEL THAT IT’S JUST PAR FOR THE COURSE AND YOU JUST HAVE TO ADAPT TO THE RACES THAT AREN’T SO GOOD?
“I think that is really the requirement for a Cup team, Cup driver is you have to be able to adapt to situations.  At the end of the race (last week) we had that inside lane on two occasions and that is where our opportunity slipped away.  We had a great pit stop and came out and thought we were going to be the leader and the No. 15 and the No. 9 stayed out so that put us in third position on the inside.  On that particular start Matt (Kenseth) started fourth and with that outside lane was able to get by the No. 9 right away and by the No. 15 and take control of the race at that point.  I really feel like if we would have had a slow stop and came out fourth we would have been in that position ourselves or if those two hadn’t pitted.  So that was really the opportunity in the race for us to take control and not by our own circumstances or design it just didn’t happen.  Then the next restart we were on the inside again and rallied our way back to fourth I guess it was.  Each one of those restarts you kind of lose a little ground and then have to work my way through and that is where opportunity missed us.”
 
HOW DO YOU VIEW THE STANDINGS AT THIS POINT?  HAVE YOU LOOKED AT IT AND DO YOU THINK IT’S A THREE MAN RACE AT THIS POINT LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING?
“I mean it’s easy to look at it that way, but I’m not putting my guard down.  We still have Talladega and a lot of these tracks can take out multiple cars.  You have that risk here if something happens you usually take a car or two with you.  I don’t know.  I’m certainly looking forward and there are only two guys that I’m paying attention to right now, so in that mindset, sure you can call it a three man race.  It’s still way too early to count many out yet.”
 
DO YOU HAVE ANY LESS OF A MENTAL HURDLE COMING IN HERE KNOWING THE RESTARTS RULES HAVE CHANGED AND DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEL OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN JUNE MAYBE PLAYED A ROLE IN NASCAR CHANGINGS THE RULES?
“Oh yeah, it definitely had a role in that.  I think it was three or four restarts I was a part of that helped shaped the rule that we have now.  I think it’s a good fix.  I think it’s a good compromise between protecting second on a lot of these mile and a half’s where we have an apron that drivers can shoot down onto and make a pass.  I think it’s protecting second place from that situation.  At other race tracks and like what happened to me here, where the leader doesn’t go, it takes that away from the leader.  So I think it’s good.  I think it’s a good compromise for what the drivers and the front row have to manage.  I’m glad that it’s in place.  I hate that it took so long, but I think it’s a good change.”
 
IT’S ONE THING FOR THE FIVE-TIME CHAMPION TO HAVE ONE CAR AHEAD OF HIM IN THE POINT STANDINGS IN THE CHASE, BUT ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE TWO JOE GIBBS RACING CARS AHEAD OF YOU AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS TURNED THE TIDE FOR THAT ORGANIZATION?
“We have known for years and years and years that they are strong organization.  When you peak is very important in our season and I think that the No. 20 and the No. 18 are really coming to the top of their game right now at this point of the year which is good for them.  Arguably and there is still racing left so I hope this is wrong, but so far our peak was probably about the third mark of the year, third to three eighths mark of the year.  I feel like we are trending back up with our two top fives and heading in the right direction, but time will tell how high we rise and where we get to.  They have always had good equipment and they have always had fast cars. I really feel like Matt (Kenseth) and the relationship that he and his crew chief have and what they have been able to bring to the table has helped elevate them to Joe Gibbs the next level.  The experience that Matt brings in, the smarts, the knowledge, the consistent driving that is a nice kind of rock within that organization that without a doubt has helped them.”
 
ON KYLE BUSCH, HE’S GOTTEN OFF TO TERRIBLE CHASE STARTS AND HASN’T PUT TOGETHER A CHASE. NOW THAT HE’S GOTTEN OFF TO THIS TYPE OF START, HOW FORMIDABLE OF A CONTENDER DO YOU THINK HE WILL BE FOR THE LONG HAUL IN THE CHASE?
“He has the ability. We’ve all seen it week in and week out. We’ll see if he can keep it together over the course of 10 weeks. We all have something out there that media, fans, and competitors hold against you and make you think about from time to time and they always bring up a question. His question is can you hold it together for 10 weeks. And we’ll see. I believe that he has the ability to do it. He’s shown at different points in time, he wins in anything and everything he drives at all types of tracks.  So, it’s in there. It’s just finding it; and finding it at the right time amongst all the pressure that it put on a team and driver in the Chase. But, he’s definitely on his game this year.”
 
YOU HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE DRAMA-FREE IN YOUR CAREER. BUT REGARDING PEOPLE LIKE CLINT BOWYER OR PERHAPS JEFF GORDON WHO GOT THRUST INTO THE CHASE AT THE LAST MINUTE, HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE MENTALITY OF THE TEAM? CAN THAT WEAR YOU DOWN AS OPPOSED TO JUST BEING ABLE TO STAY THE COURSE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CHAMPIONSHIP RUN?
“I think Gordon’s situation is helpful. There is a lot of positive behind that. I don’t see that wearing on him or his team. They feel like they have a second shot in some ways in their opportunity to win a championship. I feel like they have, on their own merit, earned their way in to win the championship and circumstances kind of changed that. So, they’re in the right spot, mentally. For Clint, that whole situation is really tough. And we all know him well and know how positive of a person he is and the charisma he has and that outward excitement he has. To carry around the load and burden of what’s gone on, I don’t know for sure. But I have to imagine it’s tough on him. It’s got to take a toll to some degree, and test him and his team more than I’m going through in the Chase. I’m just focused on going out and running well. They’ve got an extra force out there weighing on them. Without a doubt, I bel
ieve it’s weighing on them.”
 
INAUDIBLE:
“We’ll see how far he can fight back, but it’s only going to make him stronger. And I’ve lived through it under my own circumstance with (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) being thrown out of the 500 that year and how we came back and were able to win races and the championship and be a stronger team as a result. If you look at the current point in time, it’s tough. It’s hard on you. But you fast-forward six months to a year from now, Clint Bowyer and his team are stronger, for sure.”
 
YOU MENTIONED THAT EVERY DRIVER HAS A LINGERING QUESTION THAT FANS BRING UP. WHAT IS YOURS? WHAT DO PEOPLE BRING UP TO YOU?
“For me, it’s the two-year dry spell. Like it’s been an eternity since I’ve won a championship. So, that’s the question that I seem to get.
 
 

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND – IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS
CHEVROLET DRIVERS AND TEAMS RACE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP HARDWARE AT LIME ROCK PARK
 
DETROIT – (September 25, 2013) – The 2013 GRAND-AM Road Racing season finale at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut will play host to tight championship battles.  Chevrolet drivers and teams in both the Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype (DP) and Grand Touring (GT) classes will take on the challenge of the 1.53-mile, seven-turn road course in pursuit of the season’s ultimate goal – a championship.   During the two hour and 45 minute Rolex race to decide who is crowned this year’s champions, each of the Team Chevy drivers knows that not only are the team accolades on the line, but also the coveted Manufacturers’ Championships for Chevrolet.
 
“Lime Rock is a shorter track with tight corners followed by rather long straightaways,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager, Rolex Sports Car Series. “It is always a question of give and take in getting the right balance for the corners and the speed needed on the straights. Our Team Chevy crews and drivers will be well prepared for the battle.
 
“This weekend’s race will be intense for the Chevrolet teams and drivers, especially in Daytona Prototype.  There is a very tight point’s battle for both driver and team championships with three of our Corvette DP teams and drivers in the thick of it.  Excellent performance and perfect execution is what the teams will strive to attain in order to bring home the championship for their team, drivers’ and the Manufacturers’ Championship for Chevrolet.
 
“In GT, Stevenson Motorsports GTR Camaro is within striking distance of driver and team championships if racing luck falls their way. The No. 57 team has worked hard on preparations for this critical race.”
 
The pairing of Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli lead the pack for the 2013 DP drivers’ title as the Series rolls into Lime Rock Park. Taylor and Angelelli won the two most recent races in Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP and enter the finale with an eight-point lead. The duo can clinch the title with a fourth-place finish at Lime Rock Park.
 
History is on the side of Taylor and Angelelli at Lime Rock. Wayne Taylor Racing has been undefeated since DPs began racing at the circuit in 2010. But two other Corvette DP teams are also in the hunt for the drivers’ championship. Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP, are only 11 points back while co-drivers of the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP, Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa are still within striking distance sitting 13 and 15 point’s out of the lead position.
 
Another title on the line at Lime Rock is the DP team championship. Wayne Taylor Racing currently sits 11 points behind the leaders.  A strong finish at Lime Rock could mean a double victory for the team.
 
Chevrolet heads into the final Rolex race of the year leading the Rolex Daytona Prototype Engine Manufacturers’ standings by 32 points.
Not only are the Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype drivers and teams in a tight championship battle, but co-drivers John Edwards and Robin Liddell have a GT class-high four victories in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro, and enter the finale 11 points behind the leaders in both the driver and team championship standings.
 
Liddell and Edwards know a bit about winning at Lime Rock Park – they’ve each won two races on the 1.53-mile course, and at least one of them has been atop the GT podium for the past three years.
 
The duo will defend their 2012 Lime Rock victory this weekend and will be joined by teammates in the No. 75 Chevrolet Camaro Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia. The Corvette Racing drivers won last weekend’s GT class in the ALMS race at Circuit of The Americas, taking the lead in the championship in the process.
 
Chevrolet sits third in the Manufacturers’ standings, but a strong run can substantially change the final standings.
 
This weekend at Lime Rock Park also marks the last race of the season for the Camaro GS.R drivers and teams in the Continental Tire Sports Care Challenge series.  Matt Bell and John Edwards led the way for Team Chevy on the strength of two wins in 2013 at Road Atlanta and Kansas Speedway.  Headed into the weekend’s race the driving duo are 34 points out of the lead in both the driver and team standings, but a misstep by the leaders could mean a big day for the No. 9 Stevenson Camaro GS.R drivers.
 
The first race of championship weekend at Lime Rock Park will be the Lime Rock Grand Sport Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge two hour and 30 minute contest which is scheduled to take the green flag at 9:50 a.m. ET on Saturday September 28th followed by the start of the Rolex Sports Car Series championship deciding two hour and 45 minute race at 1:00 p.m., ET.
 

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS, WAS THE GUEST ON THIS WEEK’S NASCAR WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE.
 
BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPT:
 
 
JENNIE LONG:  Good afternoon, everyone.  We are joined by Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Harvick is currently 6th in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with two wins and seven top 5 finishes this season.  He has scored top 10 finishes in four of the last five races at Dover, the site of Sunday’s AAA 400.  This weekend seems like the perfect time to make a charge towards the top of the standings.  What’s your outlook heading into Sunday?
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, it’s been a good racetrack for us as we’ve gone to Dover the last few years, so obviously we’re looking forward to going back, and hopefully matching that success this weekend.  We didn’t run so well at Loudon last weekend, so we need a good weekend going to Dover this week.
 
Q.  I actually kind of had a big‑picture question for you.  I wondered if you could just talk a little bit about Richard Childress Racing today as you are getting ready to leave versus when you came in, how the team will be structured beginning next year?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, I think as you look at how I started at RCR, obviously I came in in the year 2000, actually at the end of 1999 to run some ARCA races and started off with a brand new Nationwide program that we put together and won the Rookie of the Year, won the championship in the next two years, and that Nationwide program has gone on to have a lot of success.
 
 
I think the Cup side of it came in under obviously distressed circumstances with everything that had happened to Dale, and for us we had already laid out a plan of what we were going to do for the next four years, and obviously that changed.  So the first few years at RCR were a little bit confusing just for the fact that we were basically just running the 29 car, which was the 3, to keep the company going and try to establish some groundwork as to what we were going to do in the future.
 
 
Luckily that all played out, and for me it was an opportunity to come in and race as a young racer from the west coast who was just looking for an opportunity, and Richard gave me that, and now the sport is a lot different than what it was in those days with multi‑car teams and the state of our economy has changed the way that the sport operates and functions.
 
 
A lot of things are different now than what they were then.  There was a lot of sponsorship and a lot of things were a little more fly by the seat of your pants then than they are now.  It’s definitely a different landscape than what it used to be.
 
Q.  If I recall correctly, 2006 New York, when they used to bring the Chase drivers there before the Chase began, talking to you in one of the press sessions, and I think I asked you what your approach would be in the Chase, and this was your first Chase, and you said you just thought you would do things as you normally would and then you kind of smiled and said, well, maybe I’ll be surprised.  I’m just curious, you’ve had several Chases since then.  What have you learned?  Can you just race the way you normally do or do you have to change your approach?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  We just do things the same way, and obviously that hasn’t exactly won us a championship, but I don’t know of anybody else who does it any differently.  You just have to go out and drive your car as fast as it’ll go, and the guys on the team are going to try to change the tires and make the right decisions just as they would every other week.
 
 
A lot of people think that we change our strategy, but our strategy is to try to win every week, and obviously you can’t do that every week, and you have to try to pull the best finish that you can from that particular weekend.
 
 
Really that’s our strategy is to go out and try to perform the best that you can, and if you’re having a good day, capitalize on it.  If you’re having a bad day, try to figure out how to create a decent finish for it and gain maximum points.  It’s really the same strategy, Chase or no Chase.
 
Q.  Considering where you’re at in the points and the season that you’ve had, how feasible do you see being able to put together a string of some wins and top 5s to kind of get back into this thing?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, you know, right now I honestly hadn’t even really looked and seen the points deficit and paid attention to it.  For us it’s really about just going out and doing what you can week in and week out, and where you fall is where you fall, and that’s the cards that you were dealt.
 
 
At one point we strung together nine weeks in a row there with top 10 finishes and some wins, and I think that’s what you need to do anyway to have a chance at winning the championship.
 
 
But if Matt keeps doing the things that he’s doing and winning every race, it’s going to be hard for anybody to make up points, and those guys have run well this year, and for us we ran well at Chicago and overcame a lot of mistakes.  Last week we weren’t able to overcome an ill‑handling car and make something out of it.
 
 
I think at Dover, obviously you have to go up there and get your car handling well and do the things that you would normally do to try to have a good day.  I think the capability is there for us as a team to string some finishes together, but it’s just a matter of putting the next eight weeks together, and we’ve done it before this season, so we’ve just got to do it quick.
 
Q.  Ever since you announced that you were moving on, you haven’t exactly let up, obviously, and done really well.  Could you talk a little bit about being able to have your sponsors go with you, what that means to you and how that’s going to help you going into next year?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, for me it was an interesting period, for me to transition through this year and into next year.  And part of the intrigue of the Stewart‑Haas situation was for me when I signed my contract, we had no sponsor, no team, no number, nothing, and from a contractual side, I couldn’t really be involved in any of the sponsorship stuff that was going on so that I could focus on the racing at hand this year.
 
 
It’s been an interesting time for me because in the past we have been so involved in the things that are going on.  But to see Budweiser and Jimmy John’s and to have Outback come on board next year is pretty satisfying for me, and just for the fact that the sponsors have enough value in the things that we’ve done on and off the racetrack from the past to carry that forward, and to be able to represent the brands Budweiser and Jimmy John’s that we’ve represented in the past is obviously something that I’m used to and I’ll be able to see familiar faces and brands going forward as I go into my new position at Stewart‑Haas Racing.
 
 
I’m excited about that.  Everybody over there has obviously done a good job.  It’s going to be great getting to finally know those guys once I’m done with my work at RCR.  It’s been an interesting transition, and obviously things seem to be working out well.
 
Q.  This is kind of a follow‑up.  Heading into the Chase was there a certain number, whether it’s top 10s, top 5s, average finish, or number of points that you couldn’t allow yourself to fall behind as we go into the Chase?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  You know, honestly we don’t sit and figure those things out.  We just try to go out and do the best job that we can.  I’ve been involved in this Chase and had high single‑digit average finis
hes through the whole Chase and not won.  You can go through these Chase races and you see Carl lost it with I think a high‑five average, to Tony who won five races.  So you just never know who’s going to be on a hot streak and who’s not, and it’s really a one‑week‑at‑a‑time battle to put yourself in the best position that you can, and if you make a mistake and don’t run well like we did last week, you have to be able to rebound the next week or your gap gets a little bit further and further apart every week.
 
 
It’s just a matter of overcoming a bad day this week with a good finish, and that’s really what it all boils down to.  There’s no magic number.  There’s no thought process.  There’s no average finish.  There’s really no rhyme or reason to how the 10 races are going to work out, so you just have to go out and do your thing.  It’s something that for me works well is to shut off the media and the fans to a certain extent and what their opinions are, and you go out as a team and try to do the best you can.
 
Q.  And on a similar note, does the fast start that Matt has got off to change the way that you approach the final eight races?
KEVIN HARVICK:  No.  I mean, there is no different approach.  You go out and run your car as fast as it’ll go and you try to put yourself in a position to win every week, and when you can’t win you try to take the best finish that you can out of every week.  If you’re in a position to do that, then that’s what you do every week.  It’s all about capitalizing on the moments and making a bad day into a better day and trying to make as few mistakes as possible.  There’s really no change.  Everybody thinks that you change the way that you race; well, that’s really not possible because you have to race as hard as you can to get through the first 26 weeks and then you’ve got to do the same thing in the last 10.  There’s no change of what you do.
 
Q.  Once a driver makes the Chase, what are some of the basic ideas that you bring up to a crew chief or a crew on how to improve in the last 10 races of the season?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, really everything has to get better.  You have to have a little bit better in each department.  It’s really not one particular thing.  It’s really not a conversation that you have to sit down and have.  I think everybody on our team has been around it long enough to know that in order to do better than what we’ve done in the past, we have to get better in every spot, whether it’s the driver, the crew chief, the pit crew, and everything that goes with it.
 
 
With the experienced teams, I don’t think there’s a conversation that needs to be had.  I think everybody just knows they have to get better, and you have to minimize the mistakes that you make in all positions and try to capitalize on the things that you’re doing well and get results out of them.
 
Q.  Do you almost have to kind of roll your eyes and shake your head because it seems like it happens all the time when you hear these are the only guys that are going to win or stand a chance to win?  How do you go about that?  Surely you’re looking ahead and you’re seeing Talladega, what could happen there, but do you just not let that get to you at all?
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, I mean, from a media standpoint or a fan’s perspective, if you look and read and listen to the things that they said at the beginning of the year, we wouldn’t even be sitting in this chair right now in the Chase because everybody had kind of written us off at the beginning of the year waiting for our team to implode from within and not even having a chance to race for the championship.
 
 
For me it’s really something that I don’t even pay attention to.  I know a lot of people say that, but you really just turn the media and the opinions of the fans, you have to turn those away to stay focused on your team and the things that you do.  It’s really a simple process and how you do that.  It’s hard to make yourself do that, but through the years you learn that it’s way easier just to focus on the guys around you and not get caught up in the mixture of opinions and how things are going to work out because nobody really knows how it’s going to work out until we run the race and all the circumstances and different racetracks and things play out through the end.
 
 
JENNIE LONG:  Kevin, thanks for joining us, and best of luck this weekend at Dover.