CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6
VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
DAY FOUR  PRACTICE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
 
INDIANAPOLIS (May 14, 2014) – For the second consecutive day, weather hampered the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams from getting valuable track time as they prepare for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, 2014. The rain cleared enough to get the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway dry and cars were on-track by 5:00 p.m. ET with the Verizon IndyCar Series extending the track time to 7:00 p.m. ET.
 
But a single-car accident at approximately 6:00 p.m. halted the action, and as they were cleaning up the debris, and repairing the safer barrier, the rain began again, and Series officials were forced to end the day’s activities.
 
JR Hildebrand, in his No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet entry, led the way for Team Chevy turning in the second quickest time of the day, 225.854 mph/39.8488 seconds.  Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet driver Scott Dixon was third in the final order, with Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves in the No. 3 Chevrolet in fourth.
 
Ryan Briscoe put his Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the 225 mph club and the top-10 in the final order, as did Juan Pablo Montoya behind the wheel of his Team Penske Chevrolet
 
Practice resumes tomorrow, Thursday May 15, 2014 from noon to 6:00 p.m.
 
Qualifying for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 will begin Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. and conclude Sunday, May 18 with the Fast 9 Qualifying beginning at 2:00 p.m.  ABC TV will air live coverage of qualifying from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.
 
DRIVER QUOTES:
 
JR HILDEBRAND, NO. 21 PREFERRED FREEZER ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 2ND IN PRACTICE:  ON HOW WEEK IS PROGRESSING: “I don’t care about putting up a big lap time; I care about how the car feels. It’s great to see that the car has the speed in it because you rarely go through practice with guys that are capable of setting those fast laps. They end up being the guys who have quicker cars. Certainly our focus is not that we can put up a big tow lap time, but we can catch-up to that guy, pass him and leap frog through the next guys ahead of that.  That is what we are working on right now. I think with myself and Ed (Carpenter) we’ve both had experiences over the last few years that have made us realize that the priority really is race day. And that is it. So far it has gone well. Glad we were able to get out today. We learned a few things with the conditions being quite different than they were over the last couple of days, and we will continue plugging away.
 
“Obviously we would rather be on the sharp end of the stick than not.  There’s two take aways I guess when looking at this. One is that Chevy and Honda seem to be quite evenly matched which I think is a good thing generally for the series. Two years ago when the engine competition first started, there was a pretty definitive difference – the Hondas were better on race day; the Chevys were better in qualifying. Last year Chevy had a little bit of an advantage across the board. It seems like we are in for a bit of a fight.  That is always good to make sure everyone is in contention out there.”
 
ON WHAT IMS MEANS TO HIM: “It is certainly the most important event that we run during the year. For me specifically, coming back here is starting over a little bit this year. Running with Ed Carpenter Racing is a nice new beginning for me. It is a great environment for me to come back to Indianapolis. On top of that, the equipment is as good as any bodies’. I found that to be a really refreshing change from being here in the past. We are excited to see what we can do together. For myself and for Ed, we are both in different situations, so being able to work together than we have been in a long time. Once you get here, the reminiscing of what’s happened for me goes away. For me coming here means time to get down to business. It’s hard to ignore. We are in the same garage area that I’ve been in for that last couple of years. Have the same crew chief. It is a lot of the same people around.  It is a new situation; it is a different environment. But there are some friendly reminders of where we have been at. For all of us we take what we’ve been strong at here in the past to try to put that into this year’s program.”
 
ON PREPARING FOR INDY BEING FIRST RACE: “Thank goodness once I get out on the race track, it doesn’t change that much. I was glad about that I was able to get back in the swing of things and get back in the swing of things and have it feel fairly normal.  When I first went out, I had a proverbial rusty couple of laps. But I kicked myself, and realize I did the last oval race that everyone else has done, it is time to get with the program, and we are quickly up to 220 and moving along. It is great to be back. It is a little bit different. We look at this as a team something to build upon for the second half of the year.  Hopefully we can show well enough and be strong enough that is where this moves along.”
 
SCOTT DIXON, NO. 9 TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, 3RD IN PRACTICE:  “We worked on just a few things today really, given the limited track time.  A lot of our focus today was on dampers and spring combinations.  We made some changes, but again very limited time on track today for Team Target and everyone else.”
 
HELIO CASTRONEVES, No. 3 PENNZOIL ULTRA PLATINUM TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 4TH IN PRACTICE: “It was a quick day due to the amount of rain we got this morning. The No. 3 Pennzoil team had planned to only run one lap due to our engine change last night but ended up taking it out for a few more laps to try an adjustment. Looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully the rain holds off so we can get more laps in.”
 
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 8 NTT DATA CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, 6TH IN PRACTICE:
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 7TH IN PRACTICE:  “There are so many things that are within our control, but the weather isn’t one of them. We didn’t need to see that rain today, but it is what it is. The No. 2 Verizon Chevy team is sticking to the plan. The good news is the car continues to show speed out there. Hopefully tomorrow is drier than the last couple of days.”
 
TONY KANAAN, NO.10 TARGET CHIP GANASSI CHEVROLET (IN T CAR), 11THIN PRACTICE:  “Well we waited all day for the weather to clear and we ended up getting some track time today, so I guess something is better than nothing in this case.  Just more of the same running really today. We worked on long runs in the Target car and our speeds improved a bit as well so that was a plus for us.”
 
CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 83 NOVOLOG FLEXPEN CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET,  13TH IN PRACTICE:
 
ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 14TH IN PRACTICE:  “It was kind of nice to get out at all today.  We thought it was going to be a wash out.  I felt like it was a bonus session today.  We were able to learn a couple of things and we are itching closer to where we want to be with the race cars.  Both J.R. and I have been trying a couple of things likely and I think we are both making progress.  I think we are making a step forward now.  Obviously, the cars have speed.  J.R. put up a big number today. That’s encouraging also.  Hope to get more track time on Thursday.”
 
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS:  No. 11 No. 11 HYDROXYCUT/MISTIC E-CIGS – KVSH RACING CHEVROLET, 17TH IN PRACTICE:
 
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA, NO. AFS 17 KV AFS RACING CHEVROLET, 23RD IN PRACTICE:
 
SAGE KARAM, NO. 22 COMFORT REVOLUTION/BRANTLEY GILBERT  DREYER & REINBOLD KINGDOM RACING CHEVROLET, 26TH IN PRACTICE: “The day went well. It was
kind of a weird day, waiting around for the weather to clear up. We actually didn’t think we were going to get out at all today, so just to get some laps in was a plus. I got to feel a new wind direction (a tailwind into turn one), which I think was the most beneficial thing for us this afternoon. Also it was a bit colder, so I got to feel what pit road is like in cool conditions. As far as lap times, we didn’t get into a strong draft today, so we mostly worked on setting up the car to run alone or with one car in front. We’ll see how it goes the rest of the week, and we’ll try to get the No. 22 car higher up on the charts before qualifying weekend.”
 
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 29TH IN PRACTICE:  Only made one lap today
 

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PATRIOTIC CHEVROLET SS, WAS THE GUEST ON THIS WEEK’S NASCAR WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE.
 
BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPT:
 
 
THE MODERATOR:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Today we’re joined by Jimmie Johnson.  Jimmie made his first Sprint Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2001 and he’s currently tied with Bobby Allison and Darrel Waltrip for the all‑time wins lead at the speedway with six victories.
 
Jimmie, a win this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway would be your third consecutive All‑Star Race win.  How would that help with your momentum going into the Coca‑Cola 600 the following week?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I didn’t realize some of the stats.  It’s really cool to hear.  I know the track has been strong for myself and Hendrick Motorsports really if you look at their history.  Want to keep those winning ways alive.
 
If we were able to win a third consecutive All‑Star Race, that would be something.  I’m not sure if that’s happened before.  I would love to have that honor.
 
Momentum is very helpful.  A race win does a lot for teams.  I think we’ve been knocking on the door throughout the year.  It would be a nice boost, shot in the arm for the team if we were able to do so.
 
THE MODERATOR:  Next week you’ll be the first active athlete to vote for a professional sports Hall of Fame.  Talk a little bit about that honor.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, that is a huge honor.  I’ve enjoyed studying up on everybody.  I have a huge booklet with 30, 35 names in it.  It’s the Hall of Fame, then there’s also another award that we’ll be voting on.
 
It’s been a fun process.  From what I gather, I guess it’s the 21st when we sit down and meet for a couple of hours.  It will be a fun and educational meetings.
 
I’m looking forward to more of the process and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been a part of so far.
 
THE MODERATOR:  We’ll now go to the media for question for Jimmie Johnson.
 
Q.  There’s been a lot of talk this season about the intensity of the racing given the new championship format.  From what you’ve seen so far, just how aggressive do you think the driving and the overall racing might be when we get into the Chase, especially these elimination races like Phoenix?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I think it depends on circumstances.  Everybody is always racing hard.  I think there have been a lot of efforts made in a lot of areas to increase the competition on the racetrack.
 
Look at rules packages, they’re always evolving.  We’re working on different tires.  Tracks are resurfacing.  The points system has changed.  I think there’s a little help from all areas to put on a great show for the fans and have a great product in NASCAR.
 
I assume it will continue to ratchet up, especially if you have drivers trying to move forward in the Chase that are near one another and a win is vital for them to transfer to the next segment.  You can get into those circumstances and scenarios as we get late in the year, and it can be exciting, especially like on a short track like Phoenix.
 
Q.  This creates a situation that’s basically an unknown.  Do you look forward to that kind of challenge or is it something that worries you?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, we don’t mind new challenges.  Our team has always adapted well.  At times we seem to grab things faster than others, at other times we don’t. We’ll take our chances.  We’ve been able to win with all types of Chase formats, all types of cars.  We’re up for the challenge.  We enjoy it.
 
Q.  I’m not sure how much you’re following him, but yesterday Kurt Busch was second fastest at Indianapolis Motor Speedway practice, up above 224 miles an hour.  Are you paying attention much?  Are you surprised or impressed by it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I missed yesterday.  That’s great news.  I’m stoked for him.  I’ve been talking with him some on fitness and hydration and nutrition.  He’s got a long, active month leading up to the big race next week.  He and I have been chatting more about hydration and nutrition than anything.  I’m happy to hear that.  I missed that yesterday.
 
I think he’s going to do an awesome job.  I’ve always wondered if you take somebody from a low downforce vehicle and put them in a high downforce vehicle, to see how they would do.  Yesterday is a great sign.
 
I feel it’s more difficult for an open‑wheel guy to come to a stockcar and have downforce taken away from them.  I’ll be interested to see if that’s Kurt’s opinion and how that all plays out in the end.
 
Q.  I know you explored it at one point.  What do you think the biggest challenge is for him?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Man, I think stress.  Stress takes a big toll on the body.  You’re stressed about your balance and your setup for your stockcar. You’re stressed about your balance and setup for your IndyCar.  Practice sessions.  Are you eating, drinking, getting enough rest.  Media obligations.  On Sunday, is it going to affect the IndyCar race.  Is the helicopter or plane on time.
 
I think it’s stress.  We all know what it does to our system.  It wears you down pretty quick.  I think it’s stress.  He’s got a lot of stress on his plate right now.
 
Q.  Given your history of success at Charlotte, the All‑Star Race in particular, do you bring just as much confidence into this weekend as you would if, say, you already had a couple wins under your belt this season?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, for sure.  That’s the one thing that I learned maybe year two or three in Cup, is that every weekend’s a new weekend. It’s a new track.  Even if you go from a mile‑and‑a‑half to another mile‑and‑a‑half, they’re so different in how they drive and the setup that’s required.  It is nice.  You can start on a clean sheet of paper and hit the racetrack and go.
 
Momentum that you do carry is I think noticeable maybe on Friday, opening practice, qualifying.  By the time you get to the race, you’re dealing with that weekend’s circumstances.  Just because you won the previous race or many races beforehand doesn’t change things on that given race day.
Believe me, it’s a nice week.  I’d say from Sunday evening after the race until maybe Friday, Thursday or Friday, depending on the format, when NASCAR timing and scoring begins again, that’s a good period of time and where you feel momentum the most after a win.
 
Q.  In terms of what drivers can do to each other on the track, is there anything that you feel is out‑of‑bounds in the All‑Star Race?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  It definitely changes things.  I think people are willing to take more risks and opportunities if they’re there.  Again, you’re really looking from second to first.  I think second place, if he’s in reaching distance of the leader, will certainly do what he can for $1 million and no implications in points.
 
From fifth to fourth, it doesn’t pay much.  Why are you going to risk making the guy in fourth mad?  He’s going to come after you the following week. Given the race format, I think it certainly can make things exciting.
 
Q.  I understand when you were untouchable in the early to the mid 2000’s, the car and track are different to what they are now.  Do you still carry the same level of expectation for yourself as you did when you were winning every week there?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I do.  Honestly, I’d say most tracks I carry that same expectation, swagger, whatever it is.&nb
sp; We’ve been able to win at so many tracks, have been very successful for a long period of time; we’ve set the bar very high for ourselves.  Outside of maybe Bristol or Richmond, you know, there’s maybe one or two other ones in there where you seem to get beat up on pretty bad and we don’t have the performance we want.  Those are the only tracks I walk into with a little less confidence.
 
But Charlotte has been so good to us.  Even though our dominance was a while ago, we’ve been able to win the All‑Star a few times since.  We’ve definitely been in the money and have had a shot to win.  I’m carrying good confidence in there.
 
Q.  With two straight All‑Star wins, you’ve had some nice point’s runs there recently; do you feel you’re getting something of an edge back at that racetrack again?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Man, I want to.  But Kasey Kahne, whatever I seem to find, he has and has found.  Harvick has been strong there over the years.  With their performance of late, I would expect them to be awfully tough.  I think more people have figured it out.  The surface was so rough and abrasive; we hit on some stuff that just worked.  I don’t know if you can find that dominance today, especially with the asphalt like it is.
 
So I think there’s a larger group of guys racing for the win now than when I had that dominant streak.
 
Q.  They changed the format of the All‑Star Race over the last decade.  Do you have a format you prefer?  What is your opinion to moving the All‑Star Race around to different tracks?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Moving the race around?  I get it.  I think it would be very entertaining on a short track.  But living it like we do week after week, man, it’s so nice for us to be home for a couple weekends.  39 races in 41 weeks.  The teams are based here.  It’s nice to be in our own backyard. From a selfish standpoint, I’m happy with it being here in Charlotte so we get time at home and see our families and sleep in our own beds.  That’s a nice perk.
Format‑wise, honestly I’ve quit paying attention because it changes so much each year.  I guess it is semi similar this year, although qualifying is right before the race, which is different for sure.  We would do things far differently to the racecar if it wasn’t an impound qualifying procedure this weekend.
 
There are some differences.  This many years into my Cup career, you just got to learn to go with it.  Whatever changes are thrown at you, you take it, deal with it, move on.  I don’t have a strong opinion either way.
 
Q.  It’s been a different season for you and the 48 team.  What has it been like to have to be chasing after it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  We’ve had to chase plenty of times.  I think some or many forget that, yes, we do have a lot of trophies and I’m very proud of them, but there have been plenty of slow starts, plenty of dry spells or stretches through a given season.
 
But one thing that’s always constant about the 48 is we’re going to work our guts out to figure it out.  That’s what we’re in the middle of doing now.  It isn’t fun, that’s for sure.  It isn’t a fun experience to work so hard and not get the reward that you want.  But that’s life.
 
I love to work and I know my team does, so we’ll just keep plugging away.
 
Q.  How about all this about it builds character, you would prefer it be easier?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I think we all prefer the easy road.  If we all had an easy button, I’m sure we’d push it multiple times a day just to make things better.  But it builds character.
 
13 years being the driver of the 48 car, we’ve had lots of ups and downs.  I think it’s safe to say we’ve probably had more ups than downs with all the success we’ve had on the team.  I take that into consideration, as well.
 
We’re going to work right now.  We’re trying to be a better race team.  That’s all.
 
Q.  I know your teammate Dale has his graveyard of racecars, all the wrecked racecars on his property.  Have you ever had a car donated to the graveyard?  You collect stuff from your wins, but do you have anything from any of your wrecks or would you even want any of that stuff?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I do have a car out there in his graveyard.  I can’t recall which one it is.  He’s very up to date on what car from what track and driver, all that kind of stuff.  I know there’s one out there of mine.
 
My crash at Watkins Glen in the Nationwide car in 2000, the next year I go up there and there’s a guy with a sign on the back of his pickup selling blocks of foam.  I bought a couple chunks from him.  I have those.  Fisher engines, who did our engines, gave us the oil pan that was twisted and mangled. So I had that.  I also had a steering wheel from it.
 
I found out with car was going to be cubed when Herzog Motorsports was going to be shut down.  So I found the car.  It was rusty and a mess.  I don’t have a car from that era of competing.  I’m going to restore it.
 
My brother has rebuilt it and restored it.  It’s sitting there and looks brand‑new and great in my warehouse.
 
It isn’t necessarily crashed, but it is the car I hit the wall with and I have it displayed there now.
 
Q.  Why would you want a wrecked car?  It’s understandable why a driver wants a championship car, but why would a driver want a memory of a car that was severely wrecked?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  My 2000 year wasn’t all that stellar.  The real highlight in the year, the point in time I was recognized, was in that car stuffed into the foam.  I guess there’s a little something to that, why I wanted the car (laughter).
 
Q.  I was in Lowe’s yesterday talking to a cashier about you.  I can remember doing the teleconferences in the past.  I got to thinking about the longevity you’ve had with your sponsor.  What effect do you think that has had on your career and on your success?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I’m obviously very proud of the long‑term relationship that Hendrick, Lowe’s and myself have had.  Truthfully when I look back at the decisions I made, the way my life has gone independent of racing, it’s been in the same respect.  I’ve always had long‑term relationships with friends, even through dating.  I’ve just been that way.  I’ve only driven for a few race teams.  Really the same team in off‑road days, then as I moved on, I drove for a long period of time for the Herzogs, then the Hendricks.
 
It’s my style and it’s worked out.  It’s so nice to know the faces, to know the names, and to know we return a value to their sponsorship, the money they put into our race team and into marketing, that we are an important part of their marketing program.  We take great pride in it.
 
I think it’s the longest standing driver/owner/sponsorship relationship out there, and I think one of the last singular sponsors of a racecar in a series today.
 
All those stats mean a lot to myself and I know they mean a lot to Rick, too.
 
Q.  I was there restoring a brass lamp, a 102‑year‑old lamp.  What do you think the chances are that I would find a screw for it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Judging by the tone of your voice, it went well, and I hope that’s the case.
 
Q.  It definitely went very well.  I was amazed.
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Good (laughter).  Glad you went there.
 
Q.  In all the years I’ve covered you, through all the challenges, you’re so calm when the craziest things happen.  I don’t see you riled too easily. What is the one thing that r
eally stresses you out?  You seem to have such calm blood going through your veins.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I get plenty stressed.  In the moment I guess my mind tries to stay calm and think things through.  I’ve had more success by handling the situation without fear, frustration, anxiety running through my veins.  I make better decisions in that space and I naturally kind of go there.
 
I get stressed out about plenty of things.  Speed in a racecar is top of my mind Friday to Sunday.  I find that in my personal life I fear and worry about a lot of things now that I’m a parent and have to worry about two little ones.
 
I would say between professional success on a Friday‑to‑Sunday routine, and then pretty much the entire week just worried about two little ones running around and their safety.  Those would be my two biggies.
 
Q.  With really no time to work on the car between qualifying and the race, will that change your approach at all, how you approach the weekend?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  It won’t change certain aspects of it.  From the way we go out and qualify, get our fast laps, do all that we do, that will be the same.  But the way we set the car up is going to be far different.
 
There are a few big things that you do when it’s not an impound race.  We take the ballast of the car and push a lot of that weight forward.  That really helps stabilize the car.  That’s clearly an adjustment you don’t want to do on pit road.  It’s pretty timely, as well.  We won’t have nose weight in the car.
 
Your goal in setting up your racecar for a race is to have it easy on the tires so they last as long as possible, whereas in qualifying you only need a couple laps, so you’re going to work a given corner or all four really hard.
 
We’ll definitely be doing things differently.  I don’t recall having an impound race this year for an open motor race, so it will be a new little twist on things.
 
I think it’s going to be exciting for the fans and create a little better show, a little more excitement through the course of the afternoon, with qualifying at 7:00 and the race at 9:00.
 
So I’m for it, but our race setup will be different.  The overall mindset will still be similar.  Track position is going to be everything and busting out a fast lap in qualifying is going to be key.
 
Q.  How much do you expect teams to be experimenting this weekend, or do you think there will be less experimenting considering that those guys that have wins can experiment throughout the season anyway?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Charlotte is always big for experimenting, largely because when you come back for the 600, the clock ticks so fast in practice, you can’t get to your list of things to try.
 
We practice during the day and race at night.  So things that show some promise, you’re always concerned to run them in the 600 because the bulk of the race is at night, and you just tried all these new experimental items in the sun.  Is it going to work?  Is handling going to change?
 
So it’s nice to get a race on your equipment if it’s setup‑wise or even engine stuff.  A lot of teams seem to debut new engine packages at the All‑Star Race.  They figure if they can survive the All‑Star Race, as hard as we run there, that we can take it to other racetracks.
 
I would say it’s safe to say that the majority of the field will be experimenting with something on their cars.
 
Q.  You said you bought the foam from a guy at Watkins Glen in 2001.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I did.  I bought two chunks from him.  He was out there selling the chunks of foam that were flying all over the place.
 
Q.  Did he realize it was you?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Man, I don’t recall.  It was so long ago.  It was in 2001.  I don’t know if he did.  I believe I would remember that.  He wanted five bucks a chunk for foam.  I gave him 10 bucks, took two pieces of foam and went on my way.
 
Q.  How did you find out about it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  We were roaming around through the campground looking for some trouble, I guess, just cruising around.  He had an old blue beat‑up pickup truck.  He had a plywood sign.  On the sign it said, Jimmie Johnson’s crash, the foam, all that kind of stuff, $5 a chunk.  I’m like, Man, I’m going to get me a few of those.
 
THE MODERATOR:  Jimmie, thanks so much for joining us today and good luck this weekend in the All‑Star Race.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Good deal.  Thank you.  See everybody.
 

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PATRIOTIC CHEVROLET SS, WAS THE GUEST ON THIS WEEK’S NASCAR WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE.
 
BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPT:
 
 
THE MODERATOR:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Today we’re joined by Jimmie Johnson.  Jimmie made his first Sprint Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2001 and he’s currently tied with Bobby Allison and Darrel Waltrip for the all‑time wins lead at the speedway with six victories.
 
Jimmie, a win this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway would be your third consecutive All‑Star Race win.  How would that help with your momentum going into the Coca‑Cola 600 the following week?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I didn’t realize some of the stats.  It’s really cool to hear.  I know the track has been strong for myself and Hendrick Motorsports really if you look at their history.  Want to keep those winning ways alive.
 
If we were able to win a third consecutive All‑Star Race, that would be something.  I’m not sure if that’s happened before.  I would love to have that honor.
 
Momentum is very helpful.  A race win does a lot for teams.  I think we’ve been knocking on the door throughout the year.  It would be a nice boost, shot in the arm for the team if we were able to do so.
 
THE MODERATOR:  Next week you’ll be the first active athlete to vote for a professional sports Hall of Fame.  Talk a little bit about that honor.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, that is a huge honor.  I’ve enjoyed studying up on everybody.  I have a huge booklet with 30, 35 names in it.  It’s the Hall of Fame, then there’s also another award that we’ll be voting on.
 
It’s been a fun process.  From what I gather, I guess it’s the 21st when we sit down and meet for a couple of hours.  It will be a fun and educational meetings.
 
I’m looking forward to more of the process and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been a part of so far.
 
THE MODERATOR:  We’ll now go to the media for question for Jimmie Johnson.
 
Q.  There’s been a lot of talk this season about the intensity of the racing given the new championship format.  From what you’ve seen so far, just how aggressive do you think the driving and the overall racing might be when we get into the Chase, especially these elimination races like Phoenix?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I think it depends on circumstances.  Everybody is always racing hard.  I think there have been a lot of efforts made in a lot of areas to increase the competition on the racetrack.
 
Look at rules packages, they’re always evolving.  We’re working on different tires.  Tracks are resurfacing.  The points system has changed.  I think there’s a little help from all areas to put on a great show for the fans and have a great product in NASCAR.
 
I assume it will continue to ratchet up, especially if you have drivers trying to move forward in the Chase that are near one another and a win is vital for them to transfer to the next segment.  You can get into those circumstances and scenarios as we get late in the year, and it can be exciting, especially like on a short track like Phoenix.
 
Q.  This creates a situation that’s basically an unknown.  Do you look forward to that kind of challenge or is it something that worries you?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, we don’t mind new challenges.  Our team has always adapted well.  At times we seem to grab things faster than others, at other times we don’t. We’ll take our chances.  We’ve been able to win with all types of Chase formats, all types of cars.  We’re up for the challenge.  We enjoy it.
 
Q.  I’m not sure how much you’re following him, but yesterday Kurt Busch was second fastest at Indianapolis Motor Speedway practice, up above 224 miles an hour.  Are you paying attention much?  Are you surprised or impressed by it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I missed yesterday.  That’s great news.  I’m stoked for him.  I’ve been talking with him some on fitness and hydration and nutrition.  He’s got a long, active month leading up to the big race next week.  He and I have been chatting more about hydration and nutrition than anything.  I’m happy to hear that.  I missed that yesterday.
 
I think he’s going to do an awesome job.  I’ve always wondered if you take somebody from a low downforce vehicle and put them in a high downforce vehicle, to see how they would do.  Yesterday is a great sign.
 
I feel it’s more difficult for an open‑wheel guy to come to a stockcar and have downforce taken away from them.  I’ll be interested to see if that’s Kurt’s opinion and how that all plays out in the end.
 
Q.  I know you explored it at one point.  What do you think the biggest challenge is for him?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Man, I think stress.  Stress takes a big toll on the body.  You’re stressed about your balance and your setup for your stockcar. You’re stressed about your balance and setup for your IndyCar.  Practice sessions.  Are you eating, drinking, getting enough rest.  Media obligations.  On Sunday, is it going to affect the IndyCar race.  Is the helicopter or plane on time.
 
I think it’s stress.  We all know what it does to our system.  It wears you down pretty quick.  I think it’s stress.  He’s got a lot of stress on his plate right now.
 
Q.  Given your history of success at Charlotte, the All‑Star Race in particular, do you bring just as much confidence into this weekend as you would if, say, you already had a couple wins under your belt this season?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, for sure.  That’s the one thing that I learned maybe year two or three in Cup, is that every weekend’s a new weekend. It’s a new track.  Even if you go from a mile‑and‑a‑half to another mile‑and‑a‑half, they’re so different in how they drive and the setup that’s required.  It is nice.  You can start on a clean sheet of paper and hit the racetrack and go.
 
Momentum that you do carry is I think noticeable maybe on Friday, opening practice, qualifying.  By the time you get to the race, you’re dealing with that weekend’s circumstances.  Just because you won the previous race or many races beforehand doesn’t change things on that given race day.
Believe me, it’s a nice week.  I’d say from Sunday evening after the race until maybe Friday, Thursday or Friday, depending on the format, when NASCAR timing and scoring begins again, that’s a good period of time and where you feel momentum the most after a win.
 
Q.  In terms of what drivers can do to each other on the track, is there anything that you feel is out‑of‑bounds in the All‑Star Race?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  It definitely changes things.  I think people are willing to take more risks and opportunities if they’re there.  Again, you’re really looking from second to first.  I think second place, if he’s in reaching distance of the leader, will certainly do what he can for $1 million and no implications in points.
 
From fifth to fourth, it doesn’t pay much.  Why are you going to risk making the guy in fourth mad?  He’s going to come after you the following week. Given the race format, I think it certainly can make things exciting.
 
Q.  I understand when you were untouchable in the early to the mid 2000’s, the car and track are different to what they are now.  Do you still carry the same level of expectation for yourself as you did when you were winning every week there?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I do.  Honestly, I’d say most tracks I carry that same expectation, swagger, whatever it is.&nb
sp; We’ve been able to win at so many tracks, have been very successful for a long period of time; we’ve set the bar very high for ourselves.  Outside of maybe Bristol or Richmond, you know, there’s maybe one or two other ones in there where you seem to get beat up on pretty bad and we don’t have the performance we want.  Those are the only tracks I walk into with a little less confidence.
 
But Charlotte has been so good to us.  Even though our dominance was a while ago, we’ve been able to win the All‑Star a few times since.  We’ve definitely been in the money and have had a shot to win.  I’m carrying good confidence in there.
 
Q.  With two straight All‑Star wins, you’ve had some nice point’s runs there recently; do you feel you’re getting something of an edge back at that racetrack again?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Man, I want to.  But Kasey Kahne, whatever I seem to find, he has and has found.  Harvick has been strong there over the years.  With their performance of late, I would expect them to be awfully tough.  I think more people have figured it out.  The surface was so rough and abrasive; we hit on some stuff that just worked.  I don’t know if you can find that dominance today, especially with the asphalt like it is.
 
So I think there’s a larger group of guys racing for the win now than when I had that dominant streak.
 
Q.  They changed the format of the All‑Star Race over the last decade.  Do you have a format you prefer?  What is your opinion to moving the All‑Star Race around to different tracks?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Moving the race around?  I get it.  I think it would be very entertaining on a short track.  But living it like we do week after week, man, it’s so nice for us to be home for a couple weekends.  39 races in 41 weeks.  The teams are based here.  It’s nice to be in our own backyard. From a selfish standpoint, I’m happy with it being here in Charlotte so we get time at home and see our families and sleep in our own beds.  That’s a nice perk.
Format‑wise, honestly I’ve quit paying attention because it changes so much each year.  I guess it is semi similar this year, although qualifying is right before the race, which is different for sure.  We would do things far differently to the racecar if it wasn’t an impound qualifying procedure this weekend.
 
There are some differences.  This many years into my Cup career, you just got to learn to go with it.  Whatever changes are thrown at you, you take it, deal with it, move on.  I don’t have a strong opinion either way.
 
Q.  It’s been a different season for you and the 48 team.  What has it been like to have to be chasing after it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  We’ve had to chase plenty of times.  I think some or many forget that, yes, we do have a lot of trophies and I’m very proud of them, but there have been plenty of slow starts, plenty of dry spells or stretches through a given season.
 
But one thing that’s always constant about the 48 is we’re going to work our guts out to figure it out.  That’s what we’re in the middle of doing now.  It isn’t fun, that’s for sure.  It isn’t a fun experience to work so hard and not get the reward that you want.  But that’s life.
 
I love to work and I know my team does, so we’ll just keep plugging away.
 
Q.  How about all this about it builds character, you would prefer it be easier?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I think we all prefer the easy road.  If we all had an easy button, I’m sure we’d push it multiple times a day just to make things better.  But it builds character.
 
13 years being the driver of the 48 car, we’ve had lots of ups and downs.  I think it’s safe to say we’ve probably had more ups than downs with all the success we’ve had on the team.  I take that into consideration, as well.
 
We’re going to work right now.  We’re trying to be a better race team.  That’s all.
 
Q.  I know your teammate Dale has his graveyard of racecars, all the wrecked racecars on his property.  Have you ever had a car donated to the graveyard?  You collect stuff from your wins, but do you have anything from any of your wrecks or would you even want any of that stuff?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I do have a car out there in his graveyard.  I can’t recall which one it is.  He’s very up to date on what car from what track and driver, all that kind of stuff.  I know there’s one out there of mine.
 
My crash at Watkins Glen in the Nationwide car in 2000, the next year I go up there and there’s a guy with a sign on the back of his pickup selling blocks of foam.  I bought a couple chunks from him.  I have those.  Fisher engines, who did our engines, gave us the oil pan that was twisted and mangled. So I had that.  I also had a steering wheel from it.
 
I found out with car was going to be cubed when Herzog Motorsports was going to be shut down.  So I found the car.  It was rusty and a mess.  I don’t have a car from that era of competing.  I’m going to restore it.
 
My brother has rebuilt it and restored it.  It’s sitting there and looks brand‑new and great in my warehouse.
 
It isn’t necessarily crashed, but it is the car I hit the wall with and I have it displayed there now.
 
Q.  Why would you want a wrecked car?  It’s understandable why a driver wants a championship car, but why would a driver want a memory of a car that was severely wrecked?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  My 2000 year wasn’t all that stellar.  The real highlight in the year, the point in time I was recognized, was in that car stuffed into the foam.  I guess there’s a little something to that, why I wanted the car (laughter).
 
Q.  I was in Lowe’s yesterday talking to a cashier about you.  I can remember doing the teleconferences in the past.  I got to thinking about the longevity you’ve had with your sponsor.  What effect do you think that has had on your career and on your success?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I’m obviously very proud of the long‑term relationship that Hendrick, Lowe’s and myself have had.  Truthfully when I look back at the decisions I made, the way my life has gone independent of racing, it’s been in the same respect.  I’ve always had long‑term relationships with friends, even through dating.  I’ve just been that way.  I’ve only driven for a few race teams.  Really the same team in off‑road days, then as I moved on, I drove for a long period of time for the Herzogs, then the Hendricks.
 
It’s my style and it’s worked out.  It’s so nice to know the faces, to know the names, and to know we return a value to their sponsorship, the money they put into our race team and into marketing, that we are an important part of their marketing program.  We take great pride in it.
 
I think it’s the longest standing driver/owner/sponsorship relationship out there, and I think one of the last singular sponsors of a racecar in a series today.
 
All those stats mean a lot to myself and I know they mean a lot to Rick, too.
 
Q.  I was there restoring a brass lamp, a 102‑year‑old lamp.  What do you think the chances are that I would find a screw for it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Judging by the tone of your voice, it went well, and I hope that’s the case.
 
Q.  It definitely went very well.  I was amazed.
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Good (laughter).  Glad you went there.
 
Q.  In all the years I’ve covered you, through all the challenges, you’re so calm when the craziest things happen.  I don’t see you riled too easily. What is the one thing that r
eally stresses you out?  You seem to have such calm blood going through your veins.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I get plenty stressed.  In the moment I guess my mind tries to stay calm and think things through.  I’ve had more success by handling the situation without fear, frustration, anxiety running through my veins.  I make better decisions in that space and I naturally kind of go there.
 
I get stressed out about plenty of things.  Speed in a racecar is top of my mind Friday to Sunday.  I find that in my personal life I fear and worry about a lot of things now that I’m a parent and have to worry about two little ones.
 
I would say between professional success on a Friday‑to‑Sunday routine, and then pretty much the entire week just worried about two little ones running around and their safety.  Those would be my two biggies.
 
Q.  With really no time to work on the car between qualifying and the race, will that change your approach at all, how you approach the weekend?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  It won’t change certain aspects of it.  From the way we go out and qualify, get our fast laps, do all that we do, that will be the same.  But the way we set the car up is going to be far different.
 
There are a few big things that you do when it’s not an impound race.  We take the ballast of the car and push a lot of that weight forward.  That really helps stabilize the car.  That’s clearly an adjustment you don’t want to do on pit road.  It’s pretty timely, as well.  We won’t have nose weight in the car.
 
Your goal in setting up your racecar for a race is to have it easy on the tires so they last as long as possible, whereas in qualifying you only need a couple laps, so you’re going to work a given corner or all four really hard.
 
We’ll definitely be doing things differently.  I don’t recall having an impound race this year for an open motor race, so it will be a new little twist on things.
 
I think it’s going to be exciting for the fans and create a little better show, a little more excitement through the course of the afternoon, with qualifying at 7:00 and the race at 9:00.
 
So I’m for it, but our race setup will be different.  The overall mindset will still be similar.  Track position is going to be everything and busting out a fast lap in qualifying is going to be key.
 
Q.  How much do you expect teams to be experimenting this weekend, or do you think there will be less experimenting considering that those guys that have wins can experiment throughout the season anyway?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Charlotte is always big for experimenting, largely because when you come back for the 600, the clock ticks so fast in practice, you can’t get to your list of things to try.
 
We practice during the day and race at night.  So things that show some promise, you’re always concerned to run them in the 600 because the bulk of the race is at night, and you just tried all these new experimental items in the sun.  Is it going to work?  Is handling going to change?
 
So it’s nice to get a race on your equipment if it’s setup‑wise or even engine stuff.  A lot of teams seem to debut new engine packages at the All‑Star Race.  They figure if they can survive the All‑Star Race, as hard as we run there, that we can take it to other racetracks.
 
I would say it’s safe to say that the majority of the field will be experimenting with something on their cars.
 
Q.  You said you bought the foam from a guy at Watkins Glen in 2001.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I did.  I bought two chunks from him.  He was out there selling the chunks of foam that were flying all over the place.
 
Q.  Did he realize it was you?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Man, I don’t recall.  It was so long ago.  It was in 2001.  I don’t know if he did.  I believe I would remember that.  He wanted five bucks a chunk for foam.  I gave him 10 bucks, took two pieces of foam and went on my way.
 
Q.  How did you find out about it?
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  We were roaming around through the campground looking for some trouble, I guess, just cruising around.  He had an old blue beat‑up pickup truck.  He had a plywood sign.  On the sign it said, Jimmie Johnson’s crash, the foam, all that kind of stuff, $5 a chunk.  I’m like, Man, I’m going to get me a few of those.
 
THE MODERATOR:  Jimmie, thanks so much for joining us today and good luck this weekend in the All‑Star Race.
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Good deal.  Thank you.  See everybody.
 

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6
VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
DAY THREE  PRACTICE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
 
INDIANAPOLIS (May 12, 2014) –  The No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet driven by Juan Pablo Montoya led the way for Chevrolet IndyCar V6 in the third practice session for the Indianapolis 500.  The session was scheduled to run from noon to 6:00 p.m., but severe storms produced heavy rain forcing the Verizon IndyCar officials to cancel practice after an hour and a half of on-track activity.
 
Joining Montoya in the top-10 quickest of the 30 drivers who took time today were Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and rookie Sage Karam, No. 22 Comfort Revolution/Brantley Gilbert Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing Chevrolet.
 
Practice resumes tomorrow, Wednesday May 14, 2014 from noon to 6:00 p.m.
 
Qualifying for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 will begin Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. and conclude Sunday, May 18 with the Fast 9 Qualifying beginning at 2:00 p.m.  ABC TV will air live coverage of qualifying from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.
 
DRIVER QUOTES:
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 3RD IN PRACTICE:  “We started today off in a little more of a qualifying setup on the No. 2 Verizon Chevy, just trying to creep up on what we’ll need for this weekend’s pole days. The car felt good and had a lot of speed since it was a more trimmed out. Unfortunately we had an electrical issue and it took us a couple of runs to figure it out, but that’s why I was stopped on the grass. Then the rains came and that was the end of the session. We ran a lot of laps yesterday in preparation for it so it’s nothing major and it gives the guys time to catch up on the car.”
 
SCOTT DIXON, NO. 9 TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, 6TH IN PRACTICE:  “Well it ended up being a short day today.  We got rained out after about an hour or so of running.  We worked again on long runs and race preparation in the Target car.  It looked like the weather isn’t going to be much better tomorrow so we’ll just have to sit and wait. Typical May weather for Indianapolis.”
 
SAGE KARAM, NO. 22 COMFORT REVOLUTION/BRANTLEY GILBERT  DREYER & REINBOLD KINGDOM RACING CHEVROLET, 9TH IN PRACTICE: “Today went well. We made some good improvements to the car which allowed me to run in more traffic and in bigger packs of cars. I was able to put up some pretty good times similar to what guys were running yesterday and close to the fast guys today. Getting into the top 10 is a good confidence builder for myself and the team. We’re going to work very hard to tweak the car and get it a bit better for me in traffic so I am more comfortable. Once we that happens, we are going to have a very good car for this month.”
 
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 8 NTT DATA CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, 12TH IN PRACTICE:  “We didn’t get a lot of on-track time today because of the weather, but I think we still made some really positive strides forward in the laps we did get completed.  We were able to make some solid race runs and get the No. 8 NTT DATA Chevrolet into traffic.  We’ll take any time we can get out there, but we’re really hoping that the weather can come around and we can get a full day in on the track soon.”
 
TOWNSEND BELL, NO. 6 ROBERT GRAHAM – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY CHEVROLET, 13TH IN PRACTICE:
 
HELIO CASTRONEVES, No. 3 PENNZOIL ULTRA PLATINUM TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 14TH IN PRACTICE: “Another great day for the Pennzoil Chevrolet. We did what we needed to do before the rain came in. Now we are just making sure that we are ready to go as soon as the track is open tomorrow. It looks like the weather is going to be hit and miss again, so when the track goes green we will be ready. But we are getting close to qualifying and that is what we are starting to think about.”
 
TONY KANAAN, NO.10 TARGET CHIP GANASSI CHEVROLET (IN T CAR), 15th IN PRACTICE:  “Not a lot on track today unfortunately.  We learned a little bit but really didn’t have a chance to go through our run plan like we would have liked to because of the rain.”
 
CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 83 NOVOLOG FLEXPEN CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET,  16TH IN PRACTICE:   “Even though we didn’t have a lot of on-track time today because of the rain, we were still able to work on some setup changes.  There are still some items on our test list that we need to work through and we’re hoping that the weather will clear up this week so we can make those changes.  We can’t control or change the weather, especially in Indianapolis in May, but Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing is great at adapting and making the best of the situation that we’re put in.  My engineers and I have a lot of confidence in the speed of the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet and we’re just looking forward to getting a full day on track.”
 
JR HILDEBRAND, NO. 21 PREFERRED FREEZER ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 17TH IN PRACTICE:  “With raining coming in, we tried to do a bunch of things early today.  We have a pretty extensive plan throughout the week, so we really want the track time.  Everyone is in the same boat on days like today.  We can then sit down and access our current situation with the cars.  We just hope that rain doesn’t come back in the few days.  It feels great to run with Ed and I am enjoying this team.  It is low key and very professional.  I hope to expand this program at Ed Carpenter Racing because I really like working with these guys.  Some of the them I have worked with in my Indy Lights and IndyCar career.  So it is pretty familiar territory for me.”
 
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 18TH IN PRACTICE:  “Surprisingly, the weather worked out for us earlier in the day to get enough laps in.  It was great to get out there today and the Verizon Penske Chevrolet is running very well and fast.  We’re making a lot of progress and, overall, I’m very happy with how the day went.”

ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 21ST IN PRACTICE: “It is tough when you can’t get a full day of running in at the Speedway.  But we expect some rain in May.  We just don’t pack everything up immediately too on a day like today. We have to take our cars through tech again and clean up some things so we are ready for qualifying.  I felt really good about day one (Sunday).  Then day two (Monday) and first part of day three (Tuesday) have been so-so.  I think we are better than what the time sheets have shown.  You want to be on track as much as possible with the changing conditions at IMS.  You don’t want to be surprised on race day.”
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS:  No. 11 No. 11 HYDROXYCUT/MISTIC E-CIGS – KVSH RACING CHEVROLET, 23RD  IN PRACTICE:
 
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA, NO. AFS 17 KV AFS RACING CHEVROLET,  30TH IN PRACTICE:

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6
VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
DAY TWO PRACTICE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
 
INDIANAPOLIS (May 12, 2014) – Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske Chevrolet,  led the way for Team Chevy on Day Two of practice for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500.  The on-track activity increased to 30 cars taking laps in preparation for the May 25th running of the historic race. Castroneves ran 96 laps in warm, muggy conditions with gusty winds and turned a lap at 223.635 mph.
 
Also putting their Chevrolet IndyCar V6 powered cars in the top-10 in the final order were Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, and Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
 
Practice resumes tomorrow, Tuesday May 13, 2014 from noon to 6:00 p.m.
 
Qualifying for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 will begin Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. and conclude Sunday, May 18 with the Fast 9 Qualifying beginning at 2:00 p.m.  ABC TV will air live coverage of qualifying from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.
 
DRIVER QUOTES:
HELIO CASTRONEVES, No. 3 PENNZOIL ULTRA PLATINUM TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 3RD IN PRACTICE: “I feel that the weather is the biggest contribution here. Sounds like tomorrow and Wednesday and even Thursday possible rains. So yea, exactly that’s why you want to take a chance with the hot weather conditions for the race plus when you put the turbo number, we’re going to put more pressure on turbo so the speeds going to go up and we’re still going to go with that kind of scenario so right now I’m very happy with our car. It’s not only pretty, it’s looking good. Pretty good. Like I said, we’re not looking for the times because if you like that way, it’s always a reference. It’s a little bit different. I think everybody is getting draft so that they understand what their car is doing in traffic. But at this point, the name of the game is the same for everyone. We’re just trying to put some mileage, especially on the engine and go for it.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 3RD IN PRACTICE:  “It was good to get out there and run a lot of laps today, which was important because we don’t know what the weather will be like for tomorrow. I will definitely sleep good tonight because that was a workout. I think the No. 2 Verizon Chevy showed good improvement from yesterday. We picked up some time, as did some other drivers. It’s all part of the step-by-step process to get to where we need to be for the race. All in all I think things are going according to plan.”
SCOTT DIXON, NO. 9 TARGET CHEVROLET, 13TH IN PRACTICE: “Today was the first true day of practice for us.  It was great to get out there and run for a while today.  We tried a number of things we’ve been working on, both in the offseason and in preparation for this first oval of the year.  It’s pretty cool having the silver Target cars here in May to celebrate 25 years of partnership with such a fantastic company.”
TONY KANAAN, NO.10 TARGET CHIP GANASSI CHEVROLET (IN T CAR), 10TH IN PRACTICE:  “We definitely put a full day in today with the Target car – well over 100 laps around Indy.  The No. 10 team is working really hard.  Lots and lots of running out there.  Today is only the first day of testing the primary car for the race, so we went through a laundry list of items we’ve been wanting to run.  Overall it was a good day of learning for us.”
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 8 NTT DATA CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, 12TH IN PRACTICE:  “It felt good to get out on track today and have some time to turn some real lap times.  Today was the first day I went out in the primary No. 8 NTT DATA Chevrolet and we just wanted to shake down the car and make sure the oval setup was good to go for tomorrow.  We’re looking at turning a lot more laps during the session tomorrow and making some long fuel runs
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 15TH IN PRACTICE: 
“The Verizon Penske Chevrolet has been really quick.  We didn’t run too many laps today, but because we ran a lot of laps yesterday, we’re in a good direction, which is important since it will probably be wet over the next couple of days.  We’re definitely getting to where we want to be.”
 
JR HILDEBRAND, NO. 21 PREFERRED FREEZER ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 18TH IN PRACTICE: “The conditions were tough out there today.  It’s pretty windy.  Ed and I were both trying to find a little more grip in the cars.  We wanted to work in traffic today.  I feel like we made good gains with the setup.  We didn’t really try to find a real speed in these types of conditions.  We were focused on race running all day.  With the variable conditions, that can be rough sometimes.  We found a couple of good changes at the end of the day that we will stick with in the future.  It is like a race day with the weather.  But you don’t want to be complacent on days like this.  You want to be really good in conditions like these.  We need to be a little better in these conditions and be prepared if it is close to this on race day.”
 
SAGE KARAM, NO. 22 DREYER & REINBOLD KINGDOM RACING, 23RD IN PRACTICE:  “We made some improvements today on the car and got up into the 220s.  I was able to draft a little bit for the first time in a Verizon IndyCar Series car, which was a new experience for me and took some time to learn.  The crew worked really hard to make the car’s balance better for me in traffic and I think today was a preview of what’s to come for me this week.  I want to use this week to get more comfortable in the draft and start working on getting higher up on the speed chart.”
TOWNSEND BELL, NO. 6 ROBERT GRAHAM – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY CHEVROLET, 24TH IN PRACTICE: “Another productive day in the Robert Graham – KV Racing Technology car. We ran a lot of laps. Worked through our program for the day. Ran some laps in traffic and with my teammate Sebastien Bourdais. A good day. It is a process, but we are making progress so overall I am happy with how the day went
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS:  No. 11 No. 11 HYDROXYCUT/MISTIC E-CIGS – KVSH RACING CHEVROLET, 26TH IN PRACTICE: “It was a good start. I liked the Hydroxycut/Mistic E-Cigs car right off the bat. The balance was pretty good. We worked on a few things then I worked a little in traffic. Every year is different, every day is different here. You run a lot of laps and try and get a feel for how the car is in every condition then try and make the right decisions for race day. That is what we are doing. It was a good day for the first day of practice.”
 
ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 27TH IN PRACTICE: “We had a couple of issues today that kept us off the track for some time.  But that is what is great about having a teammate here.  J.R. was able to put some good laps and test some things that I didn’t.  Hopefully it is dry for some time on Tuesday.  The weather forecast doesn’t look good though.  That’s why you want as much track time as you can get.  The conditions today were tough with the warmth, the humidity and the wind.  It was a lot like race day can be in a few weeks.  I think J.R. had some good runs today that can help our team.  That is what working together can mean to a multi-car effort
 
CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 83 NOVOLOG FLEXPEN CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET,  30TH IN PRACTICE:  “It was a shame we didn’t get more laps in today.  The weather conditions were interesting with the wind and the temperature today and the long-term weather is looking pretty indefinite for the rest of the week.  We’ll just have to run when we can and focus on what it’s going to take to make the
car better for the race.  We’re pretty confident in what we need to do to get the car ready for qualifying this weekend, but we need work on traffic and running with groups to get the car ready for the 500.”

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6
VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
DAY ONE PRACTICE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
 
INDIANAPOLIS (May 11, 2014) – The first day of practice for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 is in the books, and many of the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 powered drivers took advantage of the six-hour time frame to shake down their race cars for the first time.
 
Topping the speed charts was Team Chevy’s Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, with a lap of 223.057 mph/40.3485 seconds.  He was followed by his teammates Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet and Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske Chevrolet.
 
JR Hildebrand making his return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the No. 21 Preferred Freezer Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet turned in the fourth quickest time of the day.
 
Practice resumes tomorrow, Monday May 12, 2014 from noon to 6:00 p.m.
 
Qualifying for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 will begin Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. and conclude Sunday, May 18 with the Fast 9 Qualifying beginning at 2:00 p.m.  ABC TV will air live coverage of qualifying from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.
 
DRIVER QUOTES:
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FASTEST IN PRACTICE:  “It’s great, to be at the top of the speed charts, but the car felt really good, too, today and we got to do quite a few laps, try to get the mileage up.  You know, just anticipating that it might be wet the next couple of days.  But,  it’s only practice, first day, always handy to be at the top.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 2ND IN PRACTICE: “I felt really comfortable in the Verizon Chevy today. I did a lot of running by myself and then I ran behind someone just to start getting used to the feel of that; the understeer and how the car feels in traffic. Right now we just want to get comfortable in the car. The first time I was here it took me about three laps to get comfortable. This time it was a few more. One of the great things about being with Team Penske is our cars are so good.”
HELIO CASTRONEVES, NO. VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, 3RD IN PRACTICE: “Very happy the weather cooperated with us today. The Pennzoil Chevrolet was really quick today. I’m really glad we were able to do so on the first day of Indianapolis 500 practice. That always puts the boss (Roger Penske) in a good mood. I love this month and it feels good to have speed right out of the box. Things are looking good.”
 
JR HILDEBRAND, NO. 21 PREFERRED FREEZER ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 4TH IN PRACTICE: “It was a good day despite not running as many laps as we had planned.  The main purpose today was to get Ed and myself on the same page with the cars.  We wanted to see how we worked with a similar setup.  So as we work through the month we can get a good baseline with our cars.  Luckily we are looking for the same thing with cars right now.  So this was a great start and the cars have some speed in them.  I think it’s equally important that both of us are hunting for the same things out the race car.  Sometimes you have teammates who go different directions on setup.  Right now I don’t see that happening.  I think Ed and I are similar in our approach driving in traffic and other settings.  I feel good about how things are going right now.”
 
TOM WURTZ, TEAM MANAGER FOR CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 83 NOVOLOG FLEXPEN CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET,  7TH IN PRACTICE AND
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 8 NTT DATA CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET (IN ‘T’ CAR), 16TH IN PRACTICE:  WURTZ: “It was a very quick turnaround from the Grand Prix of Indianapolis road course setup to the Indianapolis 500 oval setup for Opening Day, but we made sure we were prepared to make the transition as easily as possible.  We didn’t get out until later this afternoon because we wanted to make sure our T (backup) car was ready to go to run some install laps.  Tonight we’ll pull the engine from the T car and put it in the primary car so that we can get out on track as soon as practice begins tomorrow at noon.”
 
ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, 8TH IN PRACTICE: “I always focus on the race, but I think after last year, the excitement of winning the pole, and then the disappointment of finishing tenth in the race with what was a fast car I think has made us even more focused on making sure we’re ‑‑ I don’t want to say more prepared, because I think we are prepared for the race. But, just more focused on getting the right amount of race running each day and running in enough different types of conditions, and not necessarily maybe worrying about qualifying quite as much.”
TOWNSEND BELL, NO. 6 ROBERT GRAHAM – KV RACING TECHNOLOGY CHEVROLET, 9TH IN PRACTICE:  “The Robert Graham – KV Racing Technology crew could not have made it any easier in terms of the preparation of the car. I had a really comfortable starting setup. There are a lot of people here that I have worked with before and I am really pleased with the group of guys we have put together.  It is never easy when it is a one-off situation, but right now I don’t think it could be any better in terms of the chemistry and the people that are making this all happen.” 
TONY KANAAN, NO.10 LEXAR CHIP GANASSI CHEVROLET (IN T CAR), 10TH IN PRACTICE: “It was a good day overall for the Target team.  Scott and I both had time today to shake down the backup cars.  I feel like we’re in a good position and we had a great start today.  The team worked really hard last night changing from the road course cars to the backup oval cars today.  There were a lot of long hours put into this last night after the grand prix, and it will continue again on through tonight.  But it’s worth it after all –  it’s the Indianapolis 500.”
SCOTT DIXON, NO. 9 TARGET CHEVROLET, 13TH IN PRACTICE:  “Today was pretty basic.  We did 11 laps in the T (backup) car and that was the goal today.  Everything went as planned for Team Target and we’ll move to the primary cars tomorrow.  Short day at the track.”
 
SAGE KARAM, NO. 22 DREYER & REINBOLD KINGDOM RACING: “I really enjoyed today and it went well. We finished the rookie orientation program to get those laps out of the way and went on to run 77 laps total. The set up we have on the car right now will not let me go too much faster than what I have shown, but right now the main goal is to get comfortable and I think that’s what we achieved. Later this week we’ll start trimming it out and making her faster to get up into the 220s.”
 
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
 
AN INTERVIEW WITH:
WILL POWER
ED CARPENTER
 
            THE MODERATOR: Well, this is an audition for Riverdance and right now I’m not quite sure how you’re doing it ‑‑ good lap, 223 and change, last time I looked up there.  You generally know how strong you went, but the real litmus test is how you felt about it.
            WILL POWER:  Yeah, apart from the speed, it’s great, to be at the top of the speed charts, but the car felt really good, too, today and we got to do quite a few laps, try to get the mileage up.  You know, just anticipating that it might be wet the next couple of days.  Yeah, you can’t ‑‑ it’s only practice, first day, always handy to be at the top.
 
            THE MODERATOR:  You’re a professional, obviously, and do this for a living, but was it weird at all when you first got out after having competed yesterday?
          &
nbsp; WILL POWER:  It was just weird waking up the day after a race and having to get straight back into the car and on a different style of track.  But you know, as soon as I finished up today, like as soon as I got into it today, I just felt normal again, back‑to‑back, focus on the 500 and get the most out of the car.  Can’t believe we actually raced yesterday, had totally forgotten about it.
 
            Q.  So it was weird switching from the two cars, but did it take very long?  And were you in the same car as you were yesterday?
            WILL POWER:  No, we were in a different car.  No, it didn’t take long.  It’s such a different discipline.  The oval is so different from the road course, tires are different.  Just get back into the swing of the oval feel, basically.
 
            Q.  We didn’t get to have you in yesterday, but you and Dixon had the moment in turn three and four.  Can you explain what happened there and just was he pushing too hard to get inside?
            WILL POWER:  Yeah, he went ‑‑ he went for a move up his side and hit me and spun.  I mean, I didn’t see.  I felt it, felt someone hit me.  Obviously come around the next lap, and he’s bumped (ph) ‑‑ yeah, he had a much better view than I.  Hit my back wheel.  Yeah, it’s a tough place to pass.
 
            Q.  When I saw it, I thought to myself ‑‑ that guy cannot get a break at this racetrack, speaking of you.  Do you ever have that thought about particular racetracks, and do you know if I always go here, I have success here or I have some tough luck a time or two here?
            WILL POWER:  Yeah, I would say that about this place.
            But although, I would say that my performance in 2009 to finish fifth with Penske kind of gave me a chance to be full time there.  I think Roger saw that, running five seconds.
            I think it’s really time to have a good Indy 500 finish, I really do.  I think after what’s happened over the last few years, it’s time to have a good finish, which is a win.
 
            Q.  You won the last 500 at Fontana, how much confidence does that give you?
            WILL POWER:  Yeah, it just was a great off‑season, obviously water under the bridge.  Since then, we have four races, all preseason testing.  Just, man, you know, it’s just more experience.  Obviously it does a lot better for your confidence than not finishing or having a bad day.
 
            Q.  Do you just throw everything away and start from scratch, or is there anything that you can pull from what you’ve done or is it just a completely different experience?
            WILL POWER:  It’s the first oval that we do all year.  So you’ve been in road course mode and you get to the oval, and it’s a lot different, and the way you race around here is a lot different with the drafting and pretty close quarters all the time.
            So, you know, you could say that, yeah, you’re starting kind of ‑‑ this is the start of the oval season when you start.  Obviously Brad’s obviously got three years with this car, so quite a bit of data to go off, but it’s a slightly different tire, too.
 
            Q.  What is your plan when you do get on the track?  Is it more race training earlier in the week or qualifying later?
            WILL POWER:  Yeah, actually we did a bit of race work today, just anticipating the rain here.
            I think it’s important to get some race stuff in, because you get to the end of the week and you get to thinking about qualifying, which pays big points, too.  So you have to be pretty honest with that.  But the whole race does pay massive points, double points.  Honestly, I think it’s way too far but it is what it is right now.
 
            Q.  Saturday also pays some pretty good points.  Right now you have a one‑point lead over Ryan Hunter‑Reay, but come Saturday, if you’re the fastest on Saturday, you’ll get 33 points if he has an issue and Sam gets ten points and all of a sudden your lead increases.  What do you think of the whole point structure for qualifying here?  There’s a lot of points available for that.
            WILL POWER:  Yeah, it’s a big deal.  Although, it’s a very ‑‑ you know, between points, it’s not a big spread.  So generally all the guys who are in the championship are in good teams and up front anyway in qualifying.
            So I expect ‑‑ I expect maybe to gain five points or something if you happen to be on the pole.  But like I say, who knows what can happen.
 
            Q.  And also, were you surprised at how brutal yesterday’s race ended up being, on equipment, on drivers, a lot of things?
            WILL POWER:  It was a surprise.  It was aggressive.  Yeah, it was a lot of ‑‑ yeah, I couldn’t believe it, some of those restarts.  I actually had a drive (ph) penalty, so I just backed off and watched one of them, and sure enough the car goes flying into the wall and bits of debris going everywhere.
            It just seems to get rougher and rougher in IndyCar all the time.  Like it’s just becoming ‑‑ I can’t tell you how many times I was hit yesterday, like side to side, and you kind of ‑‑ the cars are almost too strong now.  Man, we bang off each other a lot.  But it’s made for some good racing, but I just don’t want it to become dangerous.
          
 
THE MODERATOR:  You’ve been sitting here watching other people race, had to feel good to get in the car.
            ED CARPENTER:  Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to it.  Obviously like I said, I don’t think it would have mattered, really, if I had been running all the races up to this point.
            The start of the month of May is always special and it’s always exciting to get it started, so happy that we had weather that cooperated today and let us run all day
.
            THE MODERATOR:  By the way, your crew was working to get Mike back into action, really did yeoman’s work.  I was back there watching.
            ED CARPENTER:  They did a good job yesterday, and J.R.s guys for the 21 car were back kind of just working on the speedway cars, and I think everybody in the garage jumped in and got us back out.
            Sometimes yo
u do that and it’s not really worth it, but we picked up five spots and that kept us ‑‑ we dropped from fifth to sixth in points instead of seventh, and we are that much further ahead of eighth, still.  So I’m glad that we’ve put in the effort.
 
            Q.  In terms of the pole run last year, which was so spectacular, and I know it was a highlight in your career, do you build on that here or is it just the race that you think about and how you improve the actual ‑‑ running the 500‑mile?
            ED CARPENTER:  I always focus on the race, but I think after last year, the excitement of winning the pole, and then the disappointment of finishing tenth in the race with what was a fast car I think has made us even more focused on making sure we’re ‑‑ I don’t want to say more prepared, because I think we are prepared for the race.
            But just more focused on getting the right amount of race running each day and running in enough different types of conditions, and not necessarily maybe worrying about qualifying quite as much.
            I tend to worry about speed a lot, which makes me want to work on going fast.  So trying to not ‑‑ trying to not think that way as much this year, but at the same time, I think that the team has built a couple fast cars, and feel pretty good about where we are at the end of the first day.
 
            Q.  You’ve been out of the car I think since Fontana, or maybe you’ve had a couple refresher or test days.  How hard is it for you to get back in since you’ve been the sidelined person?
            ED CARPENTER:  I don’t know that it’s any different for me than guys coming from the GP yesterday to this.  It’s so different.  The car feels so different from road course spec to oval spec.
            I don’t think that I was at a disadvantage at all.  I’ve done as much oval testing since the last race at Fontana as anybody.  You know, we did two days at Texas and two days at Fontana.  So I don’t really ‑‑ I didn’t feel any rest.  I’m always so excited to get back out on this track, you know, so just glad being here.
 
            Q.  After being in the timing stand for the first four races, do you almost feel like, it’s my turn?
            ED CARPENTER:  Yeah, I feel like I’m back home.  I don’t know what I’m doing on the timing stand all the time.  I’m just trying to stay out of the way and I probably talk more than I should.  But the guys on the team do a great job and they don’t ‑‑ I think I’m a better asset to them in the car than I am standing up on the timing stand.
            So I’m happy to be getting sweaty again.
 
            Q.  You made the comment during the TV broadcast yesterday that the standing starts were yet another ‑‑ with the incident there.  Can you talk a bit about what that has done, whether you think it should be changed?  There is also the issues on a couple restarts, as well.
            ED CARPENTER:  Well, the restarts are a separate issue.  But I think when I look at the standing starts and the series, I can think of maybe two where every car went off the grid.  So I just don’t think that we have all the pieces of technology that we need to do the standing starts.
            It’s not that I’m against standing starts, but you’ve got Juan Montoya stalling, who has probably done more standing starts than anyone in the field with all the years he ran in Formula 1.  They don’t go off well.
            They are exciting when they work, but I think maybe we’ve had only one or two where everyone’s went.  Luckily I stalled on one of them, Charlie stalled on one.  This just happened to be a race where guys stalled up front and it made it even worse.
            But more of the ones we’ve done or not, cars haven’t gone, and I don’t think that we all just don’t know what we’re doing.  It’s really hard to do with the way the system is that we have.