NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 11, 2015
TEAM CHEVY TOP 12 QUALIFYING RESULTS:
6TH – KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4, BUDWEISER/JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS
8TH – KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS
9TH – JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS
10TH – TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS
11TH – KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS
12TH – AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS
DRIVER NOTES & QUOTES:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER/JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 6TH
ON HIS EFFORT
“We were just loose from pretty much the drop of the green flag in the first run and just never really caught up with it as we got to the end. We made it better on exit, but never really got it all the way fixed or all the way through the corner.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 10TH
HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING EFFORT?
“I’ll take it. I don’t remember the last time I qualified in the top 10 at Richmond, so I’ll definitely take that. The car was a little tight in the center and a little bit loose off, but we had three solid rounds there. So I, personally, am pretty happy with that.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 12TH
HOW WAS QUALIFYING FOR YOU TODAY
“It was good. For us, that was the best qualifying effort we’ve had at Richmond. So, it was a good day for us. We learned a lot and I think we’ve got something for the race. I’ve never been really good here and we worked a lot today on my driving style and hopefully we can make that pay dividends tomorrow night.”
CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 15TH
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF YOUR QUALIFYING EFFORT?
“I thought it was good. Obviously we would have liked to make the final round and we were pretty close to that. The GEICO Chevrolet has been pretty fast. We unloaded quick. It’s been kind of a pleasure this weekend doing a little bit of fine tuning instead of kind of making wholesale changes. Proud of the guys they came with a good car this weekend and we are looking forward to the race tomorrow night.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 23RD
HOW CHALLENGING WAS THAT SESSION WHEN ONE END OF THE TRACK WAS IN THE SUN AND THE OTHER IN THE SHADE?
“Yeah, this is a tough place anyway. A short track doing multiple runs the fall off in the tires, but we are better than that. I hate it for our 3M Chevrolet team that we are going to be starting there, because I know we are better than that. I went for it on the first lap of that last run. I knew I had given up a little bit on entry on the previous run and we were a little bit free, but we tried to tighten it up. I drove in there a little deeper and it about came around on me. I had to give that lap up and the second lap the grip is just not quite there, at least it wasn’t for us. I put whatever lap I could together there and it just wasn’t enough. That is frustrating and we will start working on the race.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 29th
WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING FOR OUT THERE? WHAT DID YOU NEED IN YOUR CAR?
“I guess a couple of tenths. Just real slow; out of the track, not comfortable. We qualified 26th here earlier this year. I don’t know, man, we have been struggling all year in qualifying and it just doesn’t look like it is getting much better.”
YOU SAID THE CAR WASN’T DRIVING AS WELL. WHAT EXACTLY WERE YOU LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WANTED TO FEEL?
“It’s not driving good, it’s 29th. That was the second run on tires and the tires were used up. It’s not going to handle good on that run. Just real frustrated.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 31ST
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL HAVE FOR THE RACE?
“I don’t know. We ran really well here in the spring race. They have brought a different tire back and we were discussing between practices and qualifying it is so hard to make changes because you ran so well here in the spring race. We just haven’t had it all weekend. We were 20 something in both practices and now 30 something in qualifying. I’m not real sure. We have some work to do. The No. 42 car was really good in the first practice and it seemed like they struggled a little bit more in the second practice. Maybe there is something we can learn from those guys. The track changes a lot at night. I guess you cross your fingers and hope it goes your way.”
POST-QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 11TH:
YOU HAD A GOOD PRACTICE SESSION AND GOOD QUALIFYING EFFORT TODAY. TALK ABOUT YOUR MINDSET GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND
“It’s been a pretty decent day for us here at Richmond. We went out early is why we were P1 there in first practice. The track had a lot of grip. Second practice, I thought we were pretty decent in race trim as far as falloff went. I thought our forward drive stayed good for a decent run. We kind of fell off a little quicker than (Brad) Keselowski and (Kevin) Harvick, but they were really good. At the end of the run, I thought I was good.
“And then for qualifying, I would have liked to have been a little better, but it’s always nice to make the final round. So, we’ll start I think 11th tomorrow night and hopefully try and do our best as a team can do to get a win. That’s our only shot at making the Chase so if we could get a win that would be pretty awesome.”
HAVE YOU BEEN IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS BEFORE WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH ON THE LINE THAT YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND WIN?
“I don’t know. I guess. Maybe when I swept the four-crown I guess. That night wouldn’t have meant anything if I didn’t win. So, maybe that. But I was pretty confident that I could get it done, where this is a little bit different coming from behind. I don’t know. Richmond has been a difficult track for me in the past. We’ve always just been kind of average here, but I feel like our car is way better than it has been in the past. We’ve come here and tested a couple of times this year I think, for a Goodyear tire test. The last one, I thought we got a lot better, myself and our car. So, I think we’ll be okay in the race. It’s just tough to get to that next step of leading laps and winning races. I feel like we can run inside the top 10. It’s just tough to find that extra little bit to go out there and win.”
IS IT BETTER TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO WIN TO GET IN THE CHASE INSTEAD OF JUGGLING NUMBERS WITH THREE LAPS TO GO AND ALL THAT STUFF?
“I don’t know. I think everybody wants to win every week and that is their goal. I guess it would be nicer to be in Matt’s situation where you have three wins and knowing you are already locked in the Chase rather than knowing you have to go out there and win to get in. So no, I don’t think it makes it any easier. I think it almost makes it tougher knowing that you don’t have any room for error throughout the 400 miles or 400 laps or whatever it is.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO CHIP SINCE HIS BICYCLE ACCIDENT?
“No, I just sent him a text and wished him well. And he told me thanks for not driving like a goof and getting in the wall last Sunday. So typical Chip and yes he said goof. So that is a compliment from Chip and I was happy with that. “
HOW DID YOUR EVENT GO THIS WEEK?
“The go cart race? It was good. We did that go cart race where I grew up in California and I think it was the biggest turnout they have ever had there in 20 some odd years that they have had the track. It ran smooth too. We finished just after midnight but for running two-hundred and twenty some odd carts, that’s not bad. Lots of fans turned out for it, it was good racing and we had a lot of sponsors come on board for it too. I thought it was a really good success and I had a lot of fun. Ricky Stenhouse came and he had a blast and he can’t wait for next year as well as all the sprint car racers and your local go cart racers too. They had a lot of fun.”
WE HAVE KNOWN FOR A WHILE THAT ITS BECOME TOUGHER TO PASS HERE AT RICHMOND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THAT?
“I thought the racing was good at this race last year. We were able to move around a lot and the passing was good here last year.”