Chevy Racing–Corvette Racing–Rain Sets DP Field for Six Hours of The Glen

Rain Sets DP Field for Six Hours of The Glen; Front Row will be Corvette Daytona Prototypes of Wayne Taylor Racing and Bob Stallings Racing
Stevenson Motorsports Continues Roll in GT with Pole Winning Effort for Sunday’s Endurance Race
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 29, 2013) – The No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette Daytona Prototype (DP) of Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) and the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP will occupy the front row of Sunday’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen after qualifying Saturday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International was cancelled due to rain and the grid was set per driver’s point standings as set forth in the GRAND-AM rulebook.
It is the third consecutive race that the DP point-leading driver pairing of Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor will bring the Rolex Series field to the green flag.
Qualifying for the Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Touring (GT) class was completed just prior to the rain.  Robin Liddell, driver of the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro, led GT qualifying. It was his first pole of the season but third for the car, with co-driver John Edwards winning poles at Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio. Eric Curran, who shares the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette with Boris Said, qualified second in-class.
Other Team Chevy in the DP starting field are:
No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP – 4th
No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP – 5th
No. 9 Action Express Corvette DP – 8th
No. 3 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP -10th
No. 4 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP – 14th
 
Race time is 11 a.m. EDT Sunday with live television coverage provided by SPEED. Live radio on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 begins at 10:45 p.m. Live timing and scoring during all on-track sessions can be found at www.grand-am.com, and on mobile devices at m.grand-am.com and the GRAND-AM smartphone app.

John Force Racing–Chicago

JOHN FORCE CONTINUES HOT STREAK IN CHICAGO

 

JOLIET, IL – For the second race in a row John Force was the best of the field on Friday in Funny Car. With only one qualifying session contested today due to the threat of inclement weather Force powered his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Funny Car to the top spot with a 4.035 second run. He had to wait for a number of top contenders to run and the closest Funny car to the 15-time champ at the end of the night was Matt Hagan’s 4.040 seconds.

 

“You are racing here in Chicago and you have killer conditions and a killer race track. Everybody stepped on them after Chad Head put up that great number 4.05. Everybody knew it was out there. (Crew chief) Mike Neff does a great job and he has a great job around him,” said Force, who could clinch his third No. 1 of the season tomorrow.

 

“I am excited. Anytime you run good that is exciting. The car ran good and the parts looked good. I haven’t had a race car for a while and I have a pretty good race car now. We will see what we can do with it,” said Force. “Robert Hight and the Auto Club team stepped up and ran 4.05, too. I think Courtney needed a tire swap and we just made on our dragster in the staging lanes. It cooled down real quick and their tires were too big and her Traxxas Mustang was weak and it shook. We just needed to get a different tire on it and didn’t have the time.”

 

As conditions improved there was speculation that a Funny Car could make a three second pass something that has only happened at two other race tracks, zMax Dragway and Maple Grove Raceway. Force would have been impressed if a team would have made an attempt with the changing weather conditions on the horizon.

 

“Boy, whoever has the nerve to push and run in the 3s I would tip my hat to them. You have to make the show you don’t know what could happen tomorrow. What is it rained tomorrow and you only got one lap. We could see conditions like this tomorrow and you could run good again. Sure we will push it if we get more runs. I wasn’t surprised but every now and then a guy like Jim Head will throw it out there. That is what he wants is that big number,” said the winningest driver in NHRA history.

 

After a slow start Force has raced to back to back finals the previous two races with a win in Bristol and a narrow loss to daughter Courtney last weekend at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. Running so well and consistently gives the driver and the team confidence and momentum as they approach each run.

 

“It helps not only for the driver because once you get back in the game you start remembering what you learned over the last 35 years. That is just confidence and that is good for anybody from an Olympic swimmer or runner or NASCAR driver it doesn’t matter. It is confidence which makes you better,” said Force. “It does the same thing for the crew chief and the guys on the crew. They start having more confidence and they make the right calls and right moves. Last week I just got beat by the better race car of my daughter. She smoked the tires and I had to pedal. She drove around me. It wasn’t going to make it. It was over for me if I didn’t pedal it. She got hers to the finish line and she got the win. Good for her and good for Traxxas. I wanted another win and I’ll get another shot this weekend.

 

The Auto Club Force Mustang jumped into the field with a strong run and for Robert Hight and his team it was just what the doctor ordered. His 4.055 second run had the 2009 Funny Car champion in the provisional No. 5 spot. Prior to the session NHRA announced there would only be one run today but that did not affect how Hight approached his only run of the day.

 

“That doesn’t change anything. You should never change your routine not in qualifying or on race day. It doesn’t make any sense to change up because of weather rolling in. It is what it is. You have to do your best every single run,” said Hight. “We went back to the Funny Car we ran in Topeka and went to the final. It was a perfect straight run. I think we have a lot to build on. The conditions tomorrow night should be really good since they are predicting a cold front. You may see some three second runs tomorrow night.”

 

Courtney Force and the Traxxas Mustang will be on the outside looking in going into Saturday. They posted the 18th quickest run when her Funny Car rattled hard and could not hook up on her run. Her time of 9.742 will not carry over to tomorrow. She and her Traxxas team are scheduled to have two runs to grab one of the remaining four qualifying positions.

 

Top Fuel pilot Brittany Force wrapped up day one of qualifying in the 10th position in her Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster.

 

The 26-year-old ran a pass of 3.849 seconds at 317.49 mph in the first and only qualifying session following a brief rain shower at Route 66 Raceway.

 

Despite inclement weather, Force met with fans to sign autographs and took photos with them out at the ropes before Friday night qualifying.

 

“We ended up 10th at the end of the night. We ran a 3.84 so I’m really happy about that, and that being our first pass. We had good weather conditions and it went down there. We had some trouble after we shut it off at the other end and put some oil down. That’s the first time we had ever done that, but now that I know the feeling of it, I can catch it sooner in the future. I’m glad we’re in the top half of the field and that number will hold going into Saturday,” said Force, a top contender for 2013 rookie of the year.

 

However, in spite of only getting one run, the Road to the Future candidate is optimistic going in to Saturday’s sessions.

 

“Obviously we want the most runs we can get to learn about the car and figure out how to tune it for race day. It’s not just my team, it’s all the teams that’ll hopefully get three runs. We did lose that second run, but that’s just the way the game goes.”

 

Chevy Racing–Kevin Harvick–Kentucky

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 28, 2013
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kentucky Speedway and discussed racing at Kentucky, going to Fort Bragg, preparing for the Chase and other topics. Full transcript:
 
ON FINDING THE SOLDIER HE MET AT FORT BRAGG NORTH CAROLINA:
“None of that was really intended to be a public matter, to be honest with you.  I thought when we went to Fort Bragg I thought we would easily be able to find out the gentleman’s name that I had just talked to. We got the information, and looking forward to talking to him, hopefully at the race track sometime in the near future.
 
“We went to Fort Bragg, and just kind of took it for granted that the situation, and the fact that we didn’t get his name. We thought it would be rather easy to find out somebody’s name that we just talked to 15 minutes ago, and it has taken this long. So finally we took it among our group to take it to social media, and in a day and a half, we had found him, so it was pretty cool.”
 
HOW DO YOU STAY FOCUSED IN THIS LONG STRETCH DURING THE SUMMER MOVING TOWARD THE START OF THE CHASE?
“It is nice being in the position that we are in. You know we’ve been in several different areas of the points throughout this time of year. Obviously with a couple of wins, and where we are in the points, you are really going after wins. It is just like this week; we’ve been gone for three or four weeks with the testing, appearances, the races and the travel. For myself, after we got home Monday night, I just shut it down for three days, and took a few days off. The biggest thing is just once you have experienced, no matter where you are in the points, once you’ve experienced this time of year, you learn how to maintain yourself. If you are in a bad spot mentally, you know you need to shut it down for a couple of days. Or just physically not feeling well, you need to just take care of yourself. It is all about being ready for that first race of the Chase. Right now it is all about trying to gain more wins.”
 
DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAME HERE AND TESTED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO PUTS YOUR TEAM A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE CURVE?
“This is a unique race track with just how rough it is. I think everywhere we have been the car has required something different to be able to make it go around the race track like you need it to. We have a limited amount of practice time today. We have two practices and qualifying today, so everything is very condensed into a short amount of time. So hopefully we have a good place to start. Sometimes those tests backfire on you. At Pocono, it all worked out for us, and we had a competitive car and were able to run fast, and do the things we thought we should be able to do from the test. As you come back to a race track and you see a lot more rubber on it, and you see some different weather conditions, you are always a little bit concerned until you get through practice and the race and see where everything is at.”
 
HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGE IN THE TRACK SURFACE FROM LAST YEAR?
“No, the track surface is pretty consistent. This is just a really rough race track. There is nothing wrong with the race track; it is just rough. We’d rather see a rough race track than a re-paved race track. I don’t feel that we had much difference than we had last year.”
 
WHEN YOU ONLY GET FOUR OF THEM, WHY TEST HERE?
“Honestly, I haven’t even been asked where to test. Let me rephrase that. I’ve been asked where to test, but never really been in the meetings as to how those conclusions have been come up with. We all kind of put in a hat as to where we want to test, and the crew chiefs and management decide where they want to go from there. You get asked, and hopefully the decisions are made from a group of common denominators I guess you could say of the tracks that were picked. The crew chiefs and management make those final decisions. I would rather not test anywhere to be honest with you (LAUGHS).
 
“The Ford camp had Casey’s (Mears) here with all the Roush people working on it. They were here for three days. I don’t know what we could have done for the third day, but two days was plenty for me. Our testing was condensed into Pocono one week; Kentucky the next week. We definitely changed a lot of things from the time we started. The Pocono thing – we kind of got Pocono, Michigan and Indy kind of falls into that same group of race tracks. This one doesn’t really fall into much; but we hadn’t run very well here, so I think that was probably why they decided to come here.”
 
WHAT IS IT ABOUT TURN THREE HERE? DO YOU HAVE TO GET THAT RIGHT BEFORE YOU WORK ON REST OF TRACK?
“Turn three is just really flat getting into the corner. You have more banking as you exit the corner, so you kind of drive into the banking and it progressively gets a little bit more as you come off of the corner. It’s really flat right there, and you are carrying a lot of speed. You just wind up being loose into the corner for the most part. As you go through the weekend that will be the toughest spot to navigate for sure.”
 
ON KYLE PETTY’S COMMENTS ON DANICA PATRICK:
“That is a loaded gun right there. I think this (racing in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) is hard to do. You see there is really no good training ground for it anymore in the Nationwide and Truck Series because of the lack of horsepower. It is really hard to understand what you need to drive these cars, and to be able to drive them fast. It is just not something that is going to happen overnight. I don’t know that I would go as far as calling her not a racer because she has raced her whole life, and I think on a continuous learning curve. She’s obviously dedicated at what she does to try and get better, and knows she has a lot of hurdles to overcome in a short amount of time.
 
“She’s fortunate to have a sponsor that is willing to back her, and take those learning experiences with her. Hopefully as the week’s progress, she gets better and better. In that aspect, I think you look at that, and you try to put all that in perspective. I couldn’t imagine just coming in here and having two-and-a-half years of stock car experience, and expect to come here and be competitive knowing what all this entails. It’s hard. And it’s not going to get easier. I think that is why over the years you’ve seen less and less new drivers come into the sport because the cars have become harder to drive. There’s just nowhere to figure out how to drive them other than being on the race track on a Cup Sunday or Saturday that we race. Because they are just hard to drive.”
 
IS IT A DIFFERENT LEARNING CURVE EVERY TIME WITH GOING TO A NEW TRACK FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH THE NEW GEN 6 CAR?
“They’ve obviously created some new challenges for us. Different types of race tracks. As you look through the schedule, and you look at everything that we’ve done, just think they are going to run faster everywhere. They are going to run faster, but how you get there is a totally different equation than what we had to put together last year. It is just much different. We’ve progressed in a different direction than everything we had last year.”
 
AS AN ATHLETE, HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO SIT THERE AND HAVE PEOPLE SAY THINGS LIKE THAT ABOUT YOU IN A SITUATION LIKE DANICA PATRICK IS IN?
“It is almost that unfair part of being really popular. In her case, she obviously has got a lot of attention and things that come with it. She seems to, just being around her the little bit that I have, seems to have kind of become immune to it, and understands what the goal… I think she is realistic with her goals, and understands that she has a lot to learn and tries to take everything in. It is easier just to turn it all off. Not read it. Not listen to it. Because at some point, whether it is her,
or myself, or Dale, Jr. or Tony Stewart, or whoever it may be; you are going to be criticized, and you are not going to like it if you read. So it is easier just to not pay attention to it. I think if you can make yourself do that, life is a lot better, and you understand where your team is at, and where your goals are; and how you need to adjust them. And how you need to better. There is really nobody inside of any of our situations that can really understand why things are like they are; why they are good; why they are bad, or what you need to do to fix them. Because until you are in it on a day-to-day basis, this is really how to do.”
 
WILL THE NEW TIRE THEY ARE BRINGING TO DAYTONA GOING TO CHANGE THE RACING NEXT WEEK? 
“I didn’t even know they were changing the tire. (LAUGHS)  See, that is how I stay detached from it, so I don’t have any preconceived notions going to the race track on a given weekend.”
 
HOW DO YOU COMPARE TOMORROW NIGHT’S RACE TO THE COKE 600 IN TERMS OF ADJUSTABILITY?  “When we tested, we tested from day to night. I think as you go into the race, you try to build some of things into  your car; whether it will be more or less – hopefully we’ll have some things that we can go back and look at, and realize what we need to do at a certain time of day. No matter what race it is, you have to have adjustability in your car no matter where you are because you never know what the conditions are going to be like when you start the race in a pack. You never get to run in a complete pack like we will when the race starts.”
 

Chevy Racing–Kentucky–Danica Patrick

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 28, 2013
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kentucky Speedway and discussed practice, the learning curve switching from IndyCar to NASCAR, Kyle Petty’s recent comments and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
HOW HAS PRACTICE BEEN?
“I think that we unloaded a little bit better than we have lately or well, in general. A little bit closer to start and made a nice change the first time and ran a little bit quicker and then we have just been trying to search and find some front grip out there. Made a few good changes. It’s hot and slippery and this is a bumpy old track and it’s slippery, especially as the sun beats down on it and rubber gets laid down and the rubber gets slippery.  I think we’ve got a general direction and we’ve been loose in for the most part everywhere we go and this was the first time that we’ve been a little tight in.  We’re just trying to address our issues, but then they present new issues.”
 
REACTION TO THE BLACKHAWKS WINNING THE STANLEY CUP:
“I tweeted, ‘Hawks win, Hawks win,’ because who is the Cubs guy that said, ‘Cubs win, Cubs win?’  Harry Carey — that’s why I did it.  It was a really good game and it was a good series.  They were playing really, really hard that’s for sure.  Fast and hard and I’m sure some people lost teeth, but it was exciting to watch.”
 
REACTION TO KYLE PETTY’S COMMENTS:
“Read it yes. I just think that it’s funny how he said that I could qualify, but I can’t race because those of you that actually watch what I do would know that I can’t qualify for crap. In the race things go much better. It’s a little bit funny, but the most important thing to me is that I can keep my team happy, we’re moving in the right direction, that Go Daddy is happy and that when you walk out of the garage or walk around the track and meet a little girl that wants to grow up to be like you then you’re doing something right — those are the things that feel right.”
 
DOES IT MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS ABOUT YOU AND DOES IT MOTIVATE YOU IF PEOPLE TALK NEGATIVE ABOUT YOU?
“Thanks Kyle (Petty) thanks for motivating me. I really don’t care, I don’t, it’s true that there are plenty of people who say really bad things about me, I hear about them or I read about them or read them on Twitter. People want me to die. At the end of the day, you just get over that kind of stuff and all you can do is trust that you’re doing a good job and that’s all that matters and the people around you believe in you.”
 
WHERE ARE YOU ON THE LEARNING CURVE AND HOW MUCH BETTER DO YOU EXPECT TO BE?
“This is my second full year in NASCAR and it’s in the Cup Series so it’s definitely jumping in the deep end on some level. I’m grateful that I was recommended to do Nationwide before Cup, I think that was a good idea. You talk about the curve and the curve is different for everybody.  I think at times on some level I think I am ahead of it and at times I feel like I am behind it.  And that is just because the curve is different for everybody and I don’t know at what time it flattens out and you are where you are, but it’s not yet.  I know from my perspective that I feel like I am feeling the car better and I think that over time being able to feel the car better is going to result in a car that is set up for me and will allow me to driver harder and faster and to be better.  So that what I am learning now, the feelings about the car.  Shoot if I got tight off the corner last year, or any other time I drove the car, I would have said it was just ‘tight off’.   I would have had no idea the splitter was coming up.  Now it just seems simple and straightforward to me.  These are the things you learn over time and there is no se amount of time that you get to flatten that curve out, but it will someday.  I have no idea when.”
 
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO SILENCE THE NAYSAYERS?
“You really think that I will silence naysayers?  That is the answer, you don’t.  I am sure every driver has them on some level.  There are going to be people that believe in you and those that don’t.  You surround yourself in people that believe in you.  And that is what matters.”
 
YOU HAVE RACED HERE WITH YOUR INDYCAR, NOW YOU ARE HERE IN THE CUP CAR.  HOW DO YOU PREPARE DIFFERENTLY AT THIS TRACK?
“It’s a whole different thing.  It’s a different line and it’s completely different.  For me it’s not about coming here in a different car, it’s about me coming here and spending my first time driving around here in a Cup car for the first time and getting used to how that feels.  That is it and there is almost no comparison.  You are still driving around the track, but they are completely different animals.”
 
CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE TO CHANGE WHAT I ASSUME WAS RICKY’S (STENHOUSE) CAR INTO THE PARKING LOT AFTER LAST WEEK?
“I think you just explained the scenario.  For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you would have seen that it was taking a really long time to get into the track, and he (Ricky Stenhouse) had a team meeting at the top of the hill.  That was a long walk and he was going to be late if we parked down in the paddock area so being the nice girlfriend that I am, I said I would just drive the car down and park it and you get on with your meetings.  So, it was really as simple as that.”
 
DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE AT KENTUCKY SINCE YOU ARE ONE OF THE NEWER DRIVERS AND NO OTHER DRIVERS HAVE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE HERE?
“I suppose there aren’t as many set ups to fall back on and trends of the track and things like that on some level.  But at the end of the day, no matter what the scenario is, or what weekend we go to, you tend to see the order fall in a similar fashion.  That is just the way it goes, and it takes time to move it, so I guess on some level.”
 
HOW EAGER ARE YOU TO GO BACK TO DAYTONA NEXT WEEK AND HOW WELL DO YOU ANTICIPATE DOING THIS TIME?
“Well, we lost that poor car at Talladega.  So we are going back with our backup which is a really good car anyway.  We tested with it at the beginning of the year and I expect it to go in a similar fashion.  I think we will still be pretty fast.  Will we qualify on the pole and run in the top-3 or five all day?  I don’t know, maybe.  But the heat always changes a little bit but it’s a different car, and it’s going to be a different Hendrick engine.  All that stuff just leads to a slightly different weekend.  But I expect it to be somewhat similar at least from a good standpoint in my head.”
 
DO YOU FIND IT ENJOYING TO LEARN A NEW TYPE OF CAR OR DO YOU FIND IT FRUSTRATING?
“It’s frustrating.  It takes time and you always want to get to the ultimate where you kind of end up running well every weekend.  I would imagine if you asked the guys that run up front if they would like to be back in their first years and learning again if they find that more fun than to be running where they are at, then I would imagine they would say they were having more fun running up front.  It’s a process and that is what makes doing well feel so good – is the improvement that you have.  It’s far more exciting to run better every weekend.
 

Chevy Racing–Kentucky–Jimmie Johnson

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 28, 2013
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS, met with media and discussed the ‘race to the Chase’, going to the Yankee game with his son, being recognized in New York City, his qualifying efforts, the upcoming Brickyard 400, and more. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR MINDSET BEFORE WE SET THE FIELD FOR THE CHASE:
“We know that this is an important race for us and every one from here on out is going to be crucial for us to get ourselves into the Chase as well as be a threat for the championship. You always know if you’re in it, then you have a shot at winning. Anything is possible when you accomplish that. We know that we’ve got to work hard and keep our heads up and build some momentum off the great run last week and here at Kentucky, this is crucial for us to run well here on a 1.5-mile and follow-up what we did at Sonoma, with a great run on an oval. Today went really well. It’s been a good day. It’s been a good week and I’m very happy with the car and hopefully we can follow that up in qualifying.”
 
CAN YOU RECALL ANY OTHER POINT IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU HAD THIS KIND OF URGENCY AND WERE WONDERING WHAT’S GOING ON AND WHEN ARE THINGS GOING TO FALL INTO PLACE?
“Last year. It’s pretty familiar to us. Maybe not quite at this level; I think we were further back than 10th at this point last year than we are now. So, obviously last year things didn’t go so well. I would point out this year and then 2000. Those are some years that stand out to me. There was one when we didn’t win a race. But I thought that year when we didn’t win a race that we actually had several shots at winning races and we finished second quite a few times. So it wasn’t quite like dealing with some of the things we’ve had this year. Yeah, you know, it’s certainly been frustrating.
 
“I think that this team, the way I look at our team, is that we have high expectations put on us. We know the pressure that comes along with that to perform. And when we don’t, the criticism comes with that. But I also know that nobody is more capable of pulling ourselves out of a hole and getting back on track than this team. It’s Hendrick Motorsports. It’s the No. 24 team and we have the capability of being very, very strong and getting on a roll.
 
“So, you just never give up. You never lose faith in one another. We lost a little confidence in ourselves with some of the things happened. Qualifying, primarily; I think in the race we seem to be able to perform pretty well if we’re there, if we have a car in one piece. But when you get caught up in some wrecks and some different things, it can definitely be a little frustrating. But the qualifying is what has broken our confidence down a little bit. And so hopefully we can qualify a little bit better today.”
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR DAY WITH (SON) LEO AT YANKEE STADIUM:
“It was unbelievable. I took my daughter when she was around the same age and it was a really special experience for me and her and it was a special one for Leo and myself, as well. I’m so blown away with the experience of going to a Yankees game with the new stadium. It’s just unbelievable. We got on the train and rode the train all the way there. There were all the Yankees fans and a few Texas fans, too, that were on the train. It was Thursday afternoon; 1:05 p.m. game and I couldn’t believe how many people were at this game. It was incredible. I think for Leo, baseball might not be quite as exciting for him as Monster Trucks because I did take him to Monster Trucks this year, too; and he seemed to be in that and not pulling on me going, okay I’ve seen this. This is cool, but I’m ready to go home (laughs). But yeah, it was a great father/son experience and I had a lot of fun doing that.”
 
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HIS TRACK AS HAVING A LOT OF CHARACTER. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS KENTUCKY TRACK?
“If you are trying to be kind to the bumps, then you’d call it ‘character’. I don’t even see how we make it through a race here from a mechanical standpoint. This place is so hard on the driveline and the suspension components, shocks, and springs. The loads are just unbelievable. But if you just look at the pure grip level of the race track, that part of it I really like. The transitions make this a very tricky track. It’s pretty flat from the back straightaway to Turn 3; plus there’s a huge bump going in there.
 
“So, it really makes you work hard and it’s hard to get the car working right in every aspect of the track. And the bumps are definitely one of the things that do challenge the cars and the set-ups. So, I like the fact that those challenges allow you, as a driver, to have to search around the race track. The car is never going to be perfect and you’re going to slide around. And that seems to suit me a little bit better than some of these new super-fast, high-grip race tracks that we go to.”
 
CAN YOU GO ON THE TRAIN AND TAKE LEO AND MERGE WITH THE FANS AND NOT BE JEFF GORDON? OR, DO YOU GET RECOGNIZED?
“I saw one couple looking at me, but they didn’t say anything. Nobody said anything to me. I would say 99% of the people on that train had no idea who I was. At the game, once I got inside, there were several people that came up to me and were really kind, and everything. But it wasn’t a distraction from me and Leo being able to have a special moment.
 
“But we got back on the train and not one single person said anything to me. And that’s one of the things I love about New York. I go through that on a day-to-day basis up there.  When you do get recognized, it’s actually a moment where you’re like wow, I can’t believe somebody recognized me in New York City! I did have one kid the other day. I had picked up my daughter. She was at this little camp and we were going back to the apartment and what’s real popular is these kids that ride these bikes that can take maybe two or three people in the back. I can’t remember what they call them. But, the guy had my hat on. And so I came up to a stop and he was next to me and I looked at him and I thought it was a No. 24 hat and I said, ‘Nice hat’. And he looked at me and said, ‘Thanks’. We went up to the next hat and I said, ‘Do you know why I said, ‘Nice hat’? He kind of looked at me and I said, ‘That’s me’. And he said, ‘Oh, yeah, it is’! (laughter). So I walked right by him and he didn’t know. And even if there are fans there, which there are plenty of fans in New York City, but a lot of times they just don’t expect you to come walking by.”
 
THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IS TALKING ABOUT 40 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS TO A TRADITIONAL HISTORIC TRACK.  WHAT WOULD BE BEST TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON FOR DRIVER’S AND FAN?  WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT LIGHTS AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY? 

“Well, you have to understand from a fans stand point I’ve never, not since I went to an Indy 500 when I was a kid, have I sat in the grand stands.   I think the fans are much more in tune with what’s going on from a fan stand point where that money would suit their needs.  From our stand point that track is very difficult to get a tire.  It’s a very abrasive race track and Goodyear is very challenged with the race track.  I’m not saying repave, but just wondering how we could make it a little less abrasive.
 
“Lights… I mean lights would be cool.  Lights are cool everywhere, I love racing under the lights.  I don’t know what it costs for lights around Indianapolis, but Indianapolis is already to me one of the top facilities that we go to.  The garage area is immaculate.  They just do everything first class there.  Where they located the tunnels you don’t even feel a bump when you go over them like every other track we go to.  You can rid
e around there and tell them exactly where the tunnel is because there is a huge dip there.  You don’t get that at Indianapolis.  Once you get outside the race track and outside the garage area I really couldn’t tell you accurately where it would be good to spend some of that money.
 
“We know that our race has had its challenges as far as the crowd.  When I first started going to Indianapolis in 1994 with the Cup cars I mean the people lined up 10 deep around the garage area and filled the grand stands.  It was standing room only.  It sure would be nice to know why that hasn’t continued and how we get back to that.  That would be awesome.  I love racing there.  Just the history of that place is second to none for me who went to an Indianapolis 500 as a kid and went to high school around Indiana and always wanted to race at Indy.” 
 
IF YOU WIN HERE AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY YOU HAVE A WIN AT EVERY ACTIVE TRACK CURRENTLY IN THE SPRINT CUP SERIES.  WOULD THAT BE MEANINGFUL TO YOU? 

“Oh my God that would be huge.  Number one because this is a very challenging race track, not an easy race track to win on.  Number two is I don’t know what the plan is for adding race tracks in the future, but in the past every time we knock one off and get close to accomplishing that goal.  Which I think that would be a pretty awesome thing to accomplish, they add another race track.  So, getting a win at Homestead and Phoenix and getting closer to accomplishing that and knowing that there is one left and we are running good this weekend.  That would be huge.  That would be something that I would be very proud of.”
 
IT’S A LONG YEAR.  OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREER HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HARD TIME KEEPING FOCUSED THROUGH THIS SUMMER STRETCH?  HOW MUCH OF A CHALLENGE IS THAT? 

“It’s tough.  I don’t know I feel like I’m kind of like a fine wine, I get better with age.  I feel like that is the same way my season goes.  I feel like we get better as the season goes on.  Sometimes, especially with a new car things change over the off season and I feel like as I get older, a little more set in my ways, it takes me a little bit longer to adapt to changes.  So throughout the season I feel like I get more and more comfortable and understand what I need and the team can help me accomplish that.  That is why I think the old point system worked so well for me because I think that we were able to look at 36 weeks as a total instead of 26 and 10.  I don’t know.
 
“I feel like one thing I’m very good at is pace of being able to adjust my schedule. To look out throughout the whole year on whether it be sponsor commitments, fan commitments, team commitments, family commitments and balancing out that very well to maintain a focus to be strong the second half of the season and not wear myself out.  This year I think a little bit more of a challenge with the testing schedule for the teams.  Like this week for instance teams got back Monday morning basically and they are coming here Wednesday afternoon.  That to me is tougher on the teams.  I feel like it’s always been tougher on the teams.  As a driver I feel like I’m able to maintain pretty well.”
 
WHAT IS IT THAT MARK MARTIN HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO WHERE HE CAN ADAPT TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT ERAS? 
“Mark (Martin) is a very unique race car driver.  One is I think he has always been one of the most talented race car drivers that there is. He has driven every kind of race car on different types of race tracks and been successful.  Started at a young age, so I think he is just tremendously talented, but I think if you look at the way he has treated his body it tells you that this guy likes a challenge.  He likes to push himself and that he is disciplined.  I think that is what gives you longevity in a sport when you have the talent.  He is able to align himself with good quality teams and equipment and people.  Then he is able to give results.  I think that is just a reflection on who he is and what kind of race car driver he is.”  

Chevy Racing–Kentucky–Post Qualifying

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 28, 2013
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH FOUNDATION CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
ON HIS LAP:
“We like the bumps; at least in the corners anyways. It was a great lap. This National Guard Chevrolet had good grip and good speed and we had a cool race track. We had a lot of shade there for a couple of guys in front of us. Now the sun is back out so hopefully it’ll slow them other guys down. Steve Letarte (crew chief) and all the guys on the team did a good job putting a good car out there on the line for me.”
 
YOU KNOCKED YOUR TEAMMATE OFF THE POLE.  HOW DID THAT LAP FEEL?
“It felt real good.  I didn’t know that it would be quick enough to beat Jimmie (Johnson) but we had a lot of shade in front of us. About five cars in front of us we got a lot of shade and cooled the track down.  It gave us a good opportunity to put down a lap like that.  Steve Letarte (crew chief), Kevin Meander (engineer) and all the guys on the team did a good job putting a good car out on the grid; give me a good shot at it.  They deserve a lot of credit.  We just tried not to mess it up.  Just tried not to over drive it.”
 
DO YOU HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP THE CLOUDS AWAY FROM THE SUN NOW SINCE THE SUN IS BACK OUT?
“Looks like from where I’m standing there is going to be a good amount of sun for these next several guys at least.  We will see what it does.”  
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S DOVER WHITE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD
DID YOU SEE FLAMES COMING OUT?  YOU WERE FLYING IN THIS CAR.  GREAT LAP:
“That was a good lap.  I’m looking under the car because as I crossed the start/finish line I dipped below the racing surface onto the apron.  There is a huge hole down there and it had me airborne.  I’m making sure that my car is alright.”
 
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT LAP?
“I feel good.  I felt (turns) one and two went really well.  (Turns) Three and four I thought maybe I could have been a little faster through there.  We will just see how things play out.  These clouds are coming in and the track is just going to get faster now.  I’m not sure we will still stay on the pole, but hopefully it will get us a nice top-five.  I would like to be top four.  There are really four good pit stalls on pit road.  If we can be in the top four that would be job well done.”
 
DID YOU KNOCK A FILLING OUT WITH THAT RUN?
“I dipped down below the racing line on the apron across the start/finish line to make the track a little shorter. There is a big jump down there! So, my younger brother, Jarit, is racing in Crandon (Wisconsin) in an off-road truck this weekend, so I wanted to get airborne myself and go down there and catch a little air. It doesn’t look as exciting as it felt in the car. But the car’s not designed for that.”
 
THAT’S BECAUSE YOU’VE ONLY GOT A COUPLE OF INCHES OF TRAVEL. THIS ISN’T YOUR BAJA CAR
“Yeah, a couple inches of travel that droop, let alone the 16th or an 8th when you’re down on the bump stops and all. But wow, that was exciting. The lap was good; a very, very good lap. I think in (Turns) 1 and 2 was spot-on; (Turns) 3 and 4, somebody could probably get through there quicker. And all these clouds are coming. So that’s going to hurt me a little bit with the guys that go later.”
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED SEVENTH
PRETTY FAST LAP TODAY EVEN THOUGH JIMMIE JOHNSON MIGHT BE TAKING YOUR TITLE HERE TODAY:
“Jimmie (Johnson) had a heck of a lap there is no doubt about that.  I told my guys that catching a cloud wasn’t going to be good enough.  We were going to need to catch a layer of two or three clouds to run a 48.  I was impressed with the effort that the guys did with the Quicken Loans Chevrolet.  We picked up on it.  Definitely feel that a little bit of cloud cover didn’t hurt us.  We made some improvements and we beat a lot of cars that beat us in practice.  We will keep working on it.”
 
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE STEWART-HAAS ORGANIZATION IS KIND OF GETTING BACK ON TRACK AND CAUGHT UP WITH THE GEN-6 CAR?
“I don’t know about that.  I’m more focused on the No. 39 side and what we are doing.  Collectively we have to have the right tools to work with.  I never thought we didn’t have the right tools to work with we just have to make the car fast.  That is not easy to do.  There is so much complex things that are going on underneath what you guys see as the car shell which is really cool in the (Chevy) SS that it’s not easy.”
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 10TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP:
“It was okay we really struggled in qualifying trim in practice.  Everybody on the Target team did a really good job, good changes.  I could have gotten out of the car a little bit more I think.  But it’s hard because it’s so much quicker than before it’s hard to know what you are going to get.”
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 12TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP:
“I mean you definitely want to get a cloud if you can, but it’s cooled down in my opinion since practice, so the times should be better than they are.  We just missed the balance through (turns) one and two.  The car was perfect through (turns) three and four, but (turns) one and two really tight.  It hurt our lap, but we have a good race car so I’m excited about the race.”
 
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 14TH
TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING LAP AND HOW YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR CAR IS FOR THE RACE:
“I mean it’s pretty disappointing there.  A couple of things we are going to be on the wrong side of the clouds.  We probably made too many adjustments trying to tighten up.  We just got way too tight.  Just let a lot of speed off of it because I couldn’t be in the gas.  Pretty disappointing that is not going to be anywhere near like we were in practice.  It is what it is and we will make it work.  I do feel like we are really good in race trim.  I feel like we have an understanding of what we need going into the race so we will see what we can get.  I thought we would qualify a lot better than that.”
 
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 QUAKER STATE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 21ST
ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP:
“It felt good.  It felt a lot better than we did in practice, just a little bit on the free side.  That was much better than being tight like we had been all day.  It was good.  The guys made some good adjustments and hopefully that holds off for somewhere in the top-15.  I don’t really know.  It’s hard to say I feel like it’s hotter out and then people going late you know does that help or not?  I don’t know.  We will see kind of where that ends up.”
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 22ND
TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING LAP.  IT APPEARS YOU JUST CAUGHT THE END OF A CLOUD:
“I wish we would have been about five minutes later on that one.  We knew with the early draw that it was kind of going to be hit or miss.  If that one (cloud) brings some rain that would be the only good thing that could come out of that cloud for us going so early.  All in all they did a good job and made the car…that is four tenths faster than we ran in our mock qualifying run at the end.  We knew it wasn’t going to be very good with our draw.  We have a good race car.”
 
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 51 ALSCO CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 26TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP:
“The Cup car is pretty good.  The Phoenix Racing Chevrolet was really good in r
ace trim.  I was too loose right there in qualifying trim, but second car out it’s a little difficult to really know what you’ve got.  It’s a good run in our Nationwide car to get the pole; going after our third straight win here so it’s been a good day.”
 

Chevy Racing–Kentucky Post Qualifying–Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 28, 2013
 
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR. CAPTURES POLE FOR SATURDAY’S QUAKER STATE 400
FOUR TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS WILL START IN TOP-10
 
SPARTA, KY – June 28, 2013 – Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 National Guard Youth Foundation Chevrolet SS, captured his first pole of the 2013 season and first of his career at Kentucky Speedway with a lap of 29.406 seconds and average speed of 183.686 mph which smashed the previous track record.  This is the 39-year-old driver’s 12th pole in 486 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate and winner of the event’s pole in 2012, Jimmie Johnson, qualified third in his No. 48 Lowe’s Dover White Chevrolet.
 
Starting behind Earnhardt, Jr. and Johnson inside the top-10 will be Ryan Newman, No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS, who will take the green flag from the seventh position.  Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS, will make his fourth top-10 start of the season beginning the 267-lap contest from the 10th positon.
 
Other Team Chevy drivers qualifying in the top-20 were:  Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SS – 12th and Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet – 14th.
 
Rounding out the top-five starters, Carl Edwards (Ford) qualified second, Kyle Busch (Toyota) will start fourth and Marcos Ambrose (Ford) qualified fifth.
 
The third-annual Quaker State 400 will take the green flag on Saturday, June 29th at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be aired live on TNT.
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH FOUNDATION CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
 
TALK ABOUT THIS RACE TRACK YOU HAVE BEEN HERE A FEW YEARS NOW THE CARS WERE FLYING AROUND OUT THERE JUST TALK ABOUT HOW THIS RACE TRACK IS HANDLING AND HOW YOU THINK THAT NO. 88 CAR IS GOING TO DO TOMORROW NIGHT:
“Well, I think we got great speed and we are real competitive.  Worked on some things in practice and found what we think the car likes and what the car is going to want as far as our wedge trace and the balance of the car.  I like the track; it’s got a lot of age on the asphalt, which we like.  We widen out the groove in the corners which as a driver you like you can run the bottom, the top you have a lot of different options.  You are not really limited and restricted as to where you can run in the corners.  We don’t really mind the bumps in the corners it just kind of adds character when they are not very severe.  There are some pretty bad bumps on the front straightaway that aren’t a ton of fun, but they don’t really affect how the car drives.  You just kind of go through them.  I enjoy the track I think it’s a great area and we have a lot of fans here.  It’s a fun track to run on, race on.  We thought we had a top-five car in practice and we got some good cloud cover about six or seven cars in front of us before we went to qualify and that brought the track temp down to give us a good advantage.  Give us an opportunity to run a bit quicker lap than maybe what the car had in it.  Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and Kevin Meander (engineer) and the team put a good car out there that rolled the center and turned really well and actually went through (turns) three and four very good.  Looking at the trace on NASCAR.com it seemed like we got through (turns) three and four better than most.
 
“In between the last practice and qualifying I got my hair cut at Great Clips.  I think that might have had something to do with it too.  I don’t mind letting that sneak right out of the bag because they are one of my sponsors.  I really did.  It happened.  I was a little lazy this week.  It’s been a few weeks since I had my hair cut.  Luckily somebody from Great Clips was here that could get the job done.”
 
CARL EDWARDS SAID THAT IN HIS ESTIMATION YOU RAN A PERFECT LAP.  I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU FELT THAT WAY TOO AND DID YOU FEEL LIKE THE CLOUD WAS A REAL DIFFERENCE MAKER?
“I think that the cloud cover at least gave us a bit of speed.  It’s hard to say of course the cooler track temps gives the car more grip.  I would admit that I think we definitely had the better situation of anyone in practice with that scenario.  There were some clouds that came in later in the qualifying session, but not quite the extent of what we had.  I did think the lap was really good.  I got into turn one a little bit over zealous.  The car actually was working a little bit better as far as turning through the middle than it had in practice.  That was able to keep the lap relatively competitive in (turns) one and two even though I over drove the car getting into turn one a little bit.  (Turns) Three and four was just a real good corner.  I think we did everything we could do down there.  If anything we could have backed up turn one and maybe run a little bit better down the back straightaway.”

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TOMORROW?  IT LOOKED LIKE AS FAR AS THE 10 LAP AVERAGES THAT THEY WERE MUCH SLOWER.  I ASSUME YOU HAVE PRETTY QUICK TIRE WEAR OFF HERE:
“The tire wear, the fall off is not very big. It seems like there is not a lot of fall off in lap time throughout the runs.  There haven’t been, there wasn’t last year and there wasn’t in the Truck race.  The track gets a lot freer as it gets cooler.  We will anticipate that. We will look over our notes tonight and look at everything we did in practice.  We did a bunch of different scenarios as far as how we thought the car might want to work.  We found some things that we liked and we can go over those notes and look at that.  We really have to guess on how tight we think the car needs to be.  The car definitely is going to free up as it gets cooler and cooler.  I really basically didn’t change much in my car from practice to qualifying and it turned quite a bit better.  I know by the time the race starts and half way into the race it’s going to keep freeing up just like it did in the Truck race last night.  We had that in our notes from last year that this place really gets freer as you get on deeper into the event.  We just hope we make the right calls.  Everybody in the garage area has got to try to guesstimate and make the right assumption on what they think the track is going to do and how much to push that button.  I think we have a good idea.  I feel pretty confident, pretty good.  We have good speed and I think we are making the right choice on what we are going to do.  What we have talked about doing for our balance and the set-up we are going to put in it.”
 
CLINT BOWYER SAID YOU GOT A CLOUD AND HE GOT THE DESERT ON HIS QUALIFYING RUN.   CAN YOU RELATE TO THE DRIVERS THAT WERE JEALOUS OF THE CLOUDS THAT YOU GOT?
“Yeah, he got some shade on his lap.  I was watching because I heard him say that.  He had some shade, but he wasn’t able to produce.  I’m just saying.  He had a tough lap.    I was watching him in practice and just looking from the lap times, I would guess that he wasn’t very pleased with his car in the first place.
 
I was sitting on pit road right before we were about to go out and there had been about six or seven cars that had gone before me that had cloud cover.   I was thinking in my mind that the track temps were coming down more and more, and if we don’t get any sun, it’s going to continue to come down and the track is going to get more speed and I can drive it down in the corner.  I knew I would be able to depend on the right rear tire to hook up off the corner and I was going to have a real good opportunity there.    And for some reason this year, they delay the cars and th
ere is a bigger delay between cars and I don’t know why.  I suppose it has something to do with the television broadcast but there is a huge delay it feels when you are sitting in the car.  I was like, ‘come on, let’s go’, and then you wait for what seems like two minutes waiting for them to go, waiting for them to tap the hood.    I was just hoping the sun would not come out while all of this was going on.  Luckily enough, the cloud cover was heavy enough when we got out there, but I think it makes a big difference.”
 
HOW IS YOUR CAR RIGHT NOW?
“I feel pretty good about it.  I thought we had…..like I said, we tried several different scenarios with completely different set-ups, went through a lot of different stuff in practice, and we feel like we understand what the car is asking for and what is going to make the car competitive.   We went in that direction for qualifying and we did rather well in qualifying.  We are making the right decisions for what we want to put in our car and it’s a little bit different than our teammates, but we think that is what our car is asking for and that is what we have had success with in the past.   So we are leaning on some notes from last year and believe we made the right choice.  We have a long race to sort it out if we start off with the balance a little bit off and I feel like Steve (Letarte) is a good enough crew chief to make the right adjustments to get us going and get the speed in the car that we need to run well.”
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S DOVER WHITE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD:
POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING LAP. THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE A LOT OF FAST RACE CARS OUT THERE TOMORROW NIGHT:
“Yeah, I was really happy with my lap; (Turns) 1 and 2 went really well for me. In (Turns) 3 and 4, I felt like I left a little bit on the table. But still, the gap that we had on people and the fact that we had a track record, I got a little optimistic. And not long after that (Dale Earnhardt) Junior took us down. So, it was a very good and comfortable lap. The most exciting part of the lap for me was going under the yellow line on the frontstretch and hitting that ‘jump’ down there (laughs). It doesn’t look all that spectacular on television, but when you’re off the ground in a car that’s not designed to be leave the ground, it’s very exciting.”
 
WHEN YOU TRYING TO LOOK AT THE SKY AND SEE IF THERE IS A CLOUD THERE, IS THERE A SCIENCE IN TRYING TO TIME IT? CAN YOU TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO ROLL OFF AND HOPE THERE IS MORE CLOUD COVER OR ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP YOU? OR, DO YOU JUST GO AND HOPE FOR THE BEST?
“Yeah, you can. It’s tough from inside the seat to know how long a cloud is going to last or how far one is away. So, you can take a little advice from your crew chief and maybe stall things 30 seconds and not get going right away, but that’s about as big a window as you can really mess with because you’ve got someone hammering on the front of the car to take off. But, yeah, that’s really about all you can do. Nobody would ever do that, either (laughter); none of us. What I was going to say is it’s interesting to me because the way the procedure has been for the last however long, the guys you had to worry about, you were all grouped together and the cloud wouldn’t affect things as much. And I kind of forgot about clouds and the importance of them. And then this year, and especially this weekend, it’s made a big difference and it really does. There’s some luck to that. Not every crew chief and driver is looking to the sky and trying to figure out where a cloud is.”
 

Chevy Racing–Kentucky–Jimmie Johnson

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 28, 2013
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/DOVER WHITE CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kentucky Speedway and discussed his mindset with 10 races left before the start of the Chase, what changed his feelings about racing at Kentucky, his thoughts on why it can be so difficult transitioning from IndyCar to NASCAR and much more. Full transcript.
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR MINDSET WITH 10 RACES LEFT BEFORE THE CHASE AND THIS WEEKEND HERE AT KENTUCKY.
“It definitely is an important time of the year for everybody. I looked around 10th (place) and how tight that is. If you’re on that eighth to 14th bubble right there, it’s getting really tense right now and it will over these next 10 weeks. Life is pretty comfortable up where we are. We can still squander away the position we are in and have trouble. But fortunately, now that I think it through a little more, with those three wins we should be in great shape. With all that in mind, we just need to focus on being strong, finishing up these next 10 races, entering the Chase, as competitive as we can. Certainly race tracks that we run on such as Loudon (New Hampshire) here next weekend or in a couple of weeks, whatever it is, we want to leave there knowing we’ve had a good race because obviously we come back and race there in the Chase. It’s an important 10 weeks for everybody. There is more pressure on some than others, but the real pressure will come in Chicago and hopefully we’ll be in contention at that point.”
 
YOU ARE GOING TO HIT SOME OF THE TRACKS THAT YOU’VE ALREADY RACED AT THIS YEAR, NORMALLY THERE IS NOT A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU GO FROM ONE TIME TO ANOTHER AS FAR AS CHANGE IN THE COMPETITION, BUT WITH THE NEW CAR WILL THERE BE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GUYS TO BE BETTER THE SECOND TIME AROUND?
“Daytona I don’t think so because the rules are so strict and there is very little area to grow and learn. Pocono for sure. I’m trying to think of another track we repeat too. We certainly do later in the year. Loudon is a good example, and Dover. Tracks like that. Absolutely, every time we go to the track the whole field is smarter. Like for us going to Pocono, we just hope whatever they gain on us we’re able to extend for unselfish reasons. Yeah, this garage area is smart. In two to three weeks’ time technology changes and what you had a month ago doesn’t work.”
 
EVEN THOUGH THIS IS ONLY THE THIRD RACE HERE FOR THE SPRINT CUP, WHEN YOU GO TO A TRACK THAT YOU HAVEN’T WON AT DOES THAT GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO REALLY SHOOT AT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT TO WIN EVERY WEEK?
“It gets me excited. There’s five tracks left that I haven’t won at. I think (Tony) Stewart is down to two or three. We don’t talk about it amongst Stewart, (Jeff) Gordon or myself, but I think we all secretly would love to be the first to win at every track that we compete at. I think Stewart is the closest right now. I want to get closer. I’ve been very close here. I’ve been very close at Michigan. I’ve been very close at Chicago. So, I hope we can get one or two of them this year. I would love to start here.”
 
IT’S SUCH A LONG SEASON, HOW DO YOU STAY MENTALLY FOCUSED DURING THIS STRETCH IN THE SUMMER THAT SEEMS LIKE ITS NEVER GOING TO END?
“It still feels like it’s not going to end. There’s no doubt about it. There’s still a lot of racing left. Our last off weekend is in a few weeks then we have to grind it out after that. It goes in phases and the situation we are in with the strong start to the season, we are in a comfortable position because of the win and the points, but at the same time as we get closer to the start of the Chase we need to make sure we are peaking at the right time and that we didn’t peak too early. So we have that pressure and motivation on our side. When the final 10 (races) starts it’s just brutal. You live week to week, and honestly in some situations you live day to day at the track and what kind of speed your car has. That takes it to a whole new level. Then we have our short off season to recover, load up and do it again.”
 
THIS YEAR YOU ARE DRIVING A CAR THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE THE MANUFACTURER CAR, THE ONE THAT RUNS ON THE STREET, HOW’S THAT RESONATING WITH FANS, SPONSORS WHO WANT A CAR THAT LOOKS LIKE THEIR CAR?
“Yeah, it’s been very well accepted by the race teams, drivers, fans, manufacturers. When you look at the first quarter of the year, especially starting at Daytona with the buzz around the new car and everybody seeing it in competition for the first time, it’s been a great launch of the Gen-6 car. I know that all the manufacturers are pleased the style of the car, the connection between the showroom and the race track. Hopefully it’s a good sign of things to come in the future. The manufacturers are very important to our sport. They always have been. Due to officiating things changed to the Gen-5 car, but now the focus has gone back to the manufacturers and their own brand identity.”
 
LAST YEAR YOU TALKED ABOUT BEFORE THE RACE THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE THIS PLACE VERY MUCH AND THEN YOU WENT OUT AND WON THE POLE, ONE YEAR LATER HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT NOW?
“Since I’ve been here to compete in the Cup car, I’ve really liked the track. I think I qualified in the top five for the first one and ran well. Last year we qualified on the pole and were very competitive in the race. Where the dislike came from was through my Nationwide days. I tore up a few cars here. Then prior to my Cup start at Hendrick, we were able to test here. There were teams here every week working away. I piled a bunch of them over there in between (turns) three and four. So coming back I was a little concerned about that, but things have been very good since I’ve been in competition in the Cup car.”
 
JUSTIN ALLGAIER SAID ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO THAT HE BELIEVES THAT TURN THREE HERE IS ONE OF THE MORE CRITICAL TURNS TO GET DOWN; YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT WHEN YOU WERE TESTING YOU PILED SOME CARS IN THAT CORNER, WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT TURN? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS A KEY PART OF THIS RACE TRACK?
“Yeah, I do for me. When we were testing here the entry is so flat and you really don’t pick up the banking until almost the physical center of the corner that I would lose the back of my car on the corner entry and spin out and smack the fence. Now it’s changed quite a bit. The track is so rough starting with the very end of the straightaway before you turn off the corner, it’s almost like you hit a curve. Inside the car it’s big. It’s a forceful impact. It just limits your speed into the corner then shortly after that you get into a series of bumps. I think that is where my fondness for the track has come around. When it was smooth and easy to get through there I would just bust my butt over there and make a mistake. Now you’ve got to slow down, deal with the bumps. Your car set up is very important. Your line selection is very important. You can move around two to three feet through the entry to the center of the corner over there and find like little valleys and miss the bumps to improve your lap time dramatically. That aspect of it makes it really fun for the drivers because you have some option and you just don’t chase the white line around the track.”
 
YOU ARE IN A DOMINANT POSITION AND DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS. BUT, AT WHAT POINT IN THE RACE TO THE CHASE DO DRIVERS BEGIN TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO LOCK THEMSELVES IN COME SEPTEMBER?
“Honestly, we are all worrying. Even in the dominant position we’re in, we look back at the last three or four races and see missed opportunity; and we know that we left some bonus points on the table, plus points in general, if we were in the Chase. You can’t win a championship that way with Dover and Michigan. Sonoma turned out okay, but you can’t make those mistakes. So, although it looks like we’re just
cruising along and smiling, we have a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform at the level we need to. But, the other teams in that ‘bubble’ area, you’ll see a lot of testing or hear about a lot of testing. Teams have been very smart about reserving test sessions and as we get closer to the Chase, I think you’ll see a lot of teams in that 8th to 14th or 8th to 12th range using those test sessions to make sure they have good finishes and collect a lot of points.”
 
DO YOU HAVE A TESTING SCHEDULE AT THIS POINT?
“No, fortunately, the last I heard was that we’re still sitting on them and hopefully will use them on all Chase tracks. We’ll see how that goes. Jeff (Gordon) is obviously in a tough position and we need to make sure we get him in the Chase. But right now, we haven’t really picked any tracks yet.”
 
IT’S BEEN A TOUGH TRANSITION FOR DANICA PATRICK, AND YOU LOOK AT SAM HORNISH AND DARIO FRANCHITTI.  WHY IS THAT TRANSITION SO DIFFICULT? IF YOU TRIED IT IN REVERSE AND TRIED TO GO TO INDYCAR AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT?
“When I look at the vehicles, the way you make them handle, the downforce numbers, the mechanical grip, if you look and compare downforce versus vehicle, mechanical grip, the Cup car has a lot of mechanical grip and very little downforce. It’s just the opposite for an IndyCar race car. I know when I raced a GRAND-AM car, the way you use the brakes in a braking zone it totally different than if you do the same thing in a Cup car on the same track at Watkins Glen. Granted they all have four wheels, but they are very, very different.
 
“One other element that’s involved in all of this, and I think it’s something that’s always worked in my favor, because I’m used to running side-by-side with people in racing. And I’m a far better racer than I am somebody who qualifies or posts practice speeds. And IndyCar guys and girls don’t have a lot of side-by-side racing. They do, kind of now on the 1.5-mile ovals they run on, but it’s like a plate track running wide-open. It’s not the competitive passing and racing and fighting for position like you see in NASCAR. And it takes a while to figure it out.
 
“Even with my background, I can remember my first three races in ASA that I ran, I would catch a car and be stuck behind it and couldn’t pass it. I remember being on the radio and being upset that I didn’t know how to pass the car. It took time to figure out how to do that. So, when I summarize it all, it’s really that they are different cars. And then the racing that takes place on the track, the door-to-door racing and where you position your car to keep the air on it so you don’t make a mistake and how you can affect others around you to get the position, that’s just something that takes laps. I have a lot of friends that race in other series that want to come NASCAR racing and I tell them all they need a five-year plan before you have high expectations. You need to go out there and hit walls. You need to make mistakes. You need to make people mad. That’s what you do. You have to go out there and learn and learn through experience.
 
“In time, you see Sam is really off to a great year in Nationwide winning races and leading the championship at times. I think he’s proof that you just need time. He’s a great driver. He just needs to figure it all out in this style of car. Just to finish up my long story, I’d be very interested to watch a closed-bodied driver go to an open-wheel vehicle. Guys that I’ve talked to that have come our direction like Dario, and maybe even Juan (Montoya), when you take the downforce off the car your eyes are calibrated for a certain speed and it’s tough for them to come our direction. I’m very curious too, to what it’s like to go from a car that doesn’t stick in the corner all that well to something that has a lot of grip.
 
 
“Would the transition be easier going from our car to theirs? I have the same question. I don’t know the answer. But I do know, you’re going to race for a win. You’re not just going to show up in your first year and race for a win, but theoretically there’s an argument that going from low downforce to high downforce is an easier transition than the other way.”
 

Chevy Racing-Kentucky- Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 28, 2013
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH FOUNDATION CHEVROLET SS, met with the media following a press conference announcing his involvement with the National Guard Youth Foundation, specifically to draw attention to the nation’s alarming high school dropout rate by promoting the National Guard Youth Challenge program. During his time with the media he discussed his season thus far, racing at Kentucky Speedway and other topics.  FULL TRANSCRIPT:
 
YOU ARE ONE DRIVER THAT IS STILL LOOKING FOR A WIN THIS YEAR AND WON LAST YEAR.  HOW MUCH DOES NOT WINNING WEIGH ON YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW?  HOW URGENT DO YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO GET A WIN BEFORE THE CHASE?
“I think we keep working hard the wins will come.  We have had some really fast cars, just had some bad luck.  Thought we had an opportunity to win at Michigan and just with the engine failure we weren’t able to get that done.  If we just keep working and running well we will get our opportunities to get to Victory Lane.”
 
KYLE PETTY GOES ON TV YESTERDAY AND SAY’S THAT DANICA PATRICK IS NOT A RACE CAR DRIVER.  YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH HER IS EXTENSIVE DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH KYLE’S STATEMENT?
“I have to disagree with Kyle (Petty).  I think she is a tough competitor and she works really hard at what she does.  She has run some really good races.  On every occasion she is out running several guys out on the circuit.  If she was not able to compete and not able to run minimum speed or finish in last place every week I think you might be able to say Kyle has an argument.  But she’s out there running competitively and running strong on several accounts.  I think that she has got a good opportunity and a rightful position in the sport to keep competing and she just might surprise even Kyle Petty.”
 
TOP-FIVE HERE LAST YEAR DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE COMING INTO THIS TRACK AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE TURN THREE IS ONE OF THOSE CRITICAL PARTS OF THE TRACK THAT YOU HAVE TO GET DOWN?
“Well, it looked critical last night in the Truck race, some guys having some difficulty in turn three. The track is just unique and very bumpy and got a lot of character.  I enjoy racing here.  I think that the track gets better every year.  Just look forward to having a good car.  I’m excited to get out there and get in practice see what kind of speed we have and how competitive the car is.  Hope that we can put together a couple of good days and have a good weekend.  I enjoy coming here and we’ve got a lot of fans in this area that enjoy seeing us race here.”   
 

Richard Childress Racing–Kentucky–Camping World Truck Series Post Race

UNOH 225
Kentucky Speedway
 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 
Kentucky Speedway    
June 27, 2013 
 
Race Highlights:
 
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Ty Dillon) and 27th (Brendan Gaughan).
Dillon is third in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, 40 markers behind the leader; while Gaughan ranks seventh in the standings, 52 points out of the top spot.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team is fourth in the Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 62 team eighth in the standings.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Dillon earned the second-highest Driver Rating (127.3), while Gaughan ranked 18th with a rating of 68.5.
Combined, Dillon and Gaughan posted the Fastest Laps Run 26 times during the event, ranking them third and seventh.
Dillon was the Fastest Driver Late in a Run..
Dillon scored the third-highest Average Running Position of 5.393.
Dillon earned his second-career Camping World Truck Series victory and was followed to the line by Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, James Buescher and Ryan Blaney.
The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is the American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 13. The ninth race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network.

 
 
Ty Dillon Claws his Way to Victory Lane in Kentucky
 
After battling a loose-handling Chevrolet in qualifying, Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops earned their second-career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory; doing so at Kentucky Speedway. Starting from the 22nd spot, Dillon began his quest to the front right from the initial green flag. Crew chief Marcus Richmond called for a two-tire pit stop on lap 25, which propelled the Richard Childress Racing driver into the top 10. He battled a temperamental black and orange machine in the late stages of the race, but one last trip to pit road proved to be the ticket on lap 111. The Bass Pro Shops team serviced Dillon with right-side tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He restarted sixth and drove through the field taking the top spot on lap 124. Not looking back, Dillon held off all competitors and drove his No. 3 Chevrolet to victory lane for his second career NASCAR win.
 
Start – 22             Finish – 1                     Laps Led – 26               Points – 3rd
 
TY DILLON QUOTE:
“Man, what a night. I can’t thank my guys enough for everything they do for this team. Marcus (Richmond, crew chief) made some awesome calls that put us right where we needed to be to win this race. We started off with a not-so-great qualifying effort, but the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet became a rocket there at the end. The last five laps were the longest ones of my life. I’m so happy to be here in Victory Lane, have this opportunity to race for my grandfather and put on a great show for all the fans. I’m truly blessed.”
 
MARCUS RICHMOND QUOTE:
“This win is for everyone at RCR. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support from all the departments back at the shop. ECR engines are great. We had a really fast truck there at the end. Ty started off too loose and I knew if I could get the truck to the tight side, he could wheel it. And, he did. I’m so proud of this Bass Pro Shops team, they work hard and deserved this win.”
 
 
 
 

Brendan Gaughan Beaten by Mechanical Problem at Kentucky
 
Brendan Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet started the UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway on a high note Thursday night. They qualified their Silverado fourth on the grid with high hopes for an even better finish. Once the initial green flag waved, Gaughan settled into the sixth position and ran there for the early going through lap 25. However, on that circuit around the 1.5-mile speedway, he radioed to crew chief Shane Wilson he had smoke in the cockpit and the oil pressure had dropped. The engine was still running, so Gaughan took his truck to the garage area. The crew quickly assessed the problem and discovered a faulty oil pump was the reason they were on jack stands while everyone else was racing. It was an all-hands effort to make repairs and get back out. They accomplished that on lap 59 returning to action in 32nd place, 34 laps down to the leaders. Through attrition and commitment, Gaughan and the South Point Hotel & Casino team were able to pick up five positions to finish in 27th place, while running top-10 and top-five lap times.
 
Start – 4th                    Finish – 27th                    Laps Led – 0                  Points – 7th
 
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“That was not the finish this South Point Chevrolet team was looking for or deserved. We had a great qualifying effort and Shane (Wilson, crew chief) made some big changes before we went out there. We were good in the race and just finding our rhythm and stride when we ended up in the garage. But, like I knew we could, we were able to fix it to get back out and earn some points.”
 
 

Casey Currie Challenges at the Front of the Field at LOORS Rounds 7 & 8 from Miller Motorsports Park

Casey Currie and the Monster Energy/General Tire team showed they are a force to be reckoned with in the Pro Lite division by challenging for wins during the 2013 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORS) visit to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, last weekend. Currie debuted his brand new Monster Energy/General Tire Jeep JK at the picturesque facility, and was in the mix at the front of the field throughout each day of racing before some late misfortune hindered an otherwise impressive weekend. Nevertheless, Currie and his team left Utah with their heads held high and full of confidence heading into the second half of the season.

The weekend prior to the Round 7 & 8, Currie took advantage of the opportunity to get some early track time at Miller Motorsports Park in a LOORS regional event. The information the team gathered was applied to race weekend and it helped position the brand new truck design with the seventh and fifth-fastest lap time in the two Friday practice sessions.
 
Currie and his crew made some additional adjustments heading into the first race of the weekend on Saturday and qualified third that morning. As the green flag waved for the afternoon’s 14-lap Pro Lite Main, Currie positioned the Monster Energy/General Tire Jeep JK into sixth place. After a quick move into the top five, Currie suffered a little trouble and fell 10th early. However, he instantly began an impressive charge through the field over the next nine laps, moving back into the top five and into an intense battle for the podium. Currie attempted to make a pass to put himself in podium position with three laps remaining, and hit one of the K-rails lining the inside and outside of the track resulting in a broken front suspension. Currie was unable to complete the final laps and settled for 20th.
 
“I hate that I made a mistake there right at the end,” said Currie following the race. “The truck was flying and I knew we had enough to get onto the podium, so I tried to take advantage at the first opportunity I saw and just misjudged the inside of the K-rail by one inch. That’s not the way I wanted to end the first day, especially with how hard all of my guys are working, but we know we have a good truck and we’ll look to bounce back on Sunday.”
On Sunday morning, Currie kicked off the eighth round of the season with the third-fastest time in qualifying and showed there were no lasting effects from Saturday’s hard luck. As the race got underway that afternoon, Currie asserted himself in the lead pack and maintained a spot inside the top four for the majority of the 14-lap Pro Lite Main. As the final five laps approached, Currie stepped up his aggression and began to make moves towards the front in his Monster Energy/General Tire Jeep JK. As he attempted to make a pass for the lead on Lap 11, Currie was spun out after contact from another competitor. He got back on the throttle quickly and re-entered the race, salvaging a ninth-place finish.
 
“We’re right there, but we just aren’t having the luck we need at the moment,” said Currie. “I couldn’t be happier with my team and with the momentum we have right now, and we will be a force at the next round in Glen Helen.”
 

Follow A Dream Heads to Chicago


Following its most dominant win in years last week at the Lebanon Valley Regional, Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream team heads to Chicago for two races on the same weekend – the prestigious Jegs Allstars race and the Route 66 Nationals.  
“We almost won it two years ago,” said Blake, whose team will be on the road for the next two weeks. “Making the Allstars race is the result of a lot of hard work over an entire year by every guy on this team.” From Chicago, the team heads straight to the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, where in 2011 it reached the final round.
“It’s the second time we’ve made the Allstars race, and it’s an honor to represent the Eastern Region,” said driver Todd Veney. “We’ll be up against the best cars from around the country, and it could be wide-open because nobody in this year’s field has ever won it before.” The Follow A Dream team, which reached the final in its only previous appearance, in 2011, is the only team in this year’s field that’s ever been to an Allstars final.

Richard Childress Racing to Participate in England’s Goodwood Festival of Speed

Richard Childress Racing to Participate in England’s
Goodwood Festival of Speed
 
 WELCOME, N.C. (June 26, 2013) Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will have a presence in England’s Goodwood Festival of Speed for the fourth year by providing a pair of stock cars to be driven in this year’s annual Hillclimb. Kerry Earnhardt will pilot the 2000 No. 3 GM Goodwrench Monte Carlo and Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III will drive the 2013 No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro in July’s historic event.
 
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 11-14, is one of the world’s premier historic auto racing events. The festival has been held annually since 1993 on the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England. Race cars from the past and present participate in both demonstration and competition runs up the nine-turn, 1.16-mile Hillclimb circuit.
 
The No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo the legendary Dale Earnhardt drove to victory in March 2000 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and tallied 10 top-five finishes that year, will be driven by his eldest son, Kerry Earnhardt.
 
“I had the honor of attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2010 for RCR and drove the car that my dad won the 1995 Brickyard 400 with,” Earnhardt said. “The fans ‘over the pond’ are so enthusiastic about NASCAR and to have the opportunity to attend such a prestigious event not once, but twice, is awesome.
 
“This time I will be driving RCR’s 2000 No. 3 GM Goodwrench Monte Carlo that my dad won the spring Atlanta race in. Words can’t express what I feel when I sit in dad’s car, and I can’t thank Richard (Childress) enough for asking me to participate again.”
 
Joie Chitwood III will be behind the wheel of the 2013 No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro in this year’s Festival of Speed. This Chevrolet is driven in regular NASCAR Nationwide Series competition by Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon, the 2012 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion.
 
“My dad, Joie Chitwood Jr., had the distinction of racing against Richard Childress back in the 1960s, so it’s great to come full circle and drive one of his cars at Goodwood,” Chitwood said. “It’s a privilege to be behind the wheel of the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro and part of this diverse celebration of motorsports.”
 
Both cars participating in Goodwood festivities were prepared by and will be cared for at the Festival of Speed by Danny Lawrence, former No. 3 team crew member. Lawrence is an award-winning engine builder and longtime member of the RCR management team.
 

Tim Allison- Travis Memorial Race

This past weekend was the annual Travis Memorial Race and was the 13th year for it.  Travis was a great racer and friend and a hometown favorite who lost his life 2 miles from his house in a freak motorcycle accident with a small deer.  We dedicated our car for this special night which has never been done before. We duplicated what his car was painted like when he raced his last race and we changed our number to his number and dedicated the whole car in his memory,
 
At the end of the night we had a silent auction and auctioned off all the body parts of the car including the top and front wing, the right and left arm guard and the complete hood.  We raised almost $6000 and this was put in the Travis Memorial Scholarship fund that was set up after his death.  Every year they give out a scholarship to someone at the local school, what an awesome deal!

The night night started off good as the car looked awesome and was a crowd favorite since this was a surprise to everyone in the stands.  Travis’s dad drew our number for the starting position in the heat race.  We had installed a brand new fresh engine and the car was going to be fast, and fast it was as we really wanted to win this one for a our fallen friend.  We started in the 3rd row of a very tough heat race and finished in the 3 position.   The car was fast and that got us qualified for the feature and with the inversion we would start in the 9th position of the 25 lap race.  As the race started we got going really good and were passing and lapping cars.  With 7 laps to go we were up to 3rd and gaining only to have a right rear tire losing air.  With 5 to go the right rear tire blew and our night was done.  We were a little disappointed for not finishing the race as we had a shot at the win for our buddy, but we ended up with a 17th place finish.   Everything happens for a reason and number 17 was travis ‘s number, so maybe it was all meant to be. 

Race Winners Week Ending 6.23.13

Le Mans
Allan McNish/Tom Kristensen/Loic Duval

NASCAR
Nationwide Series- Road America- AJ Allmendinger
Sprint Cup- Sonoma- Martin Truex Jr

IndyCar
Iowa Corn 250- James Hinchcliffe

NHRA
Top Fuel — Spencer Massey
Funny Car — Courtney Force
Pro Stock — Allen Johnson
Pro Stock Motorcycle — John Hall
Super Stock — Anthony Bertozzi
Stock Eliminator — Anthony Bertozzi
Super Comp — Kent Hanley
Super Gas — Mike Sawyer
Super Street — Eddie Brooks
Top Dragster — Ken LeBlanc

Richard Childress Racing–Sonoma Post Race

Save Mart 350     
Sonoma Raceway  
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Sonoma Raceway      
June 23, 2013  
 
Race Highlights:  
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 10th (Kevin Harvick), 14th (Paul Menard) and 31st (Jeff Burton) in the Save Mart 350.
Following the event at Sonoma Raceway, Harvick remains fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Jimmie Johnson by 63 markers, while Menard ranks 12th, 128 points back, and Burton sits 20th, 170 points out of the top position.
The No. 29 Chevrolet SS team ranks fourth in the Sprint Cup Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 27 team 12th and the No. 31 team 22nd.
According to NASCAR’s Post-Race Loop-Data Statistics, Harvick completed 21 passes while running in the top 15, ranking him sixth in Quality Passes.
Harvick was the ninth-Fastest Driver Late In a Run and posted the 10th-Fastest Speed in Traffic.
Menard made 45 Green-Flag passes during the 110-lap road course race.
Menard’s 14th-place finish marks his eighth top-15 effort of the season.
Burton made 38 green-flag passes during the annual road-course event at Sonoma.
Burton passed four competitors through the final 11 laps, ranking him third in the Closers category.
Martin Truex Jr. earned his first victory of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season and was followed to the finish line by Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, June 29. The 17th race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on TNT beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio.
 
 
Menard Earns 14th-Place Finish at Sonoma Raceway
 
Paul Menard started the No. 27 Moen/Menards Chevrolet from the 16th position and battled handling issues throughout the 110-lap event at Sonoma Raceway, earning a 14th – place finish on Sunday. In the early laps of the event, Menard slipped back to the 20th position and relayed to the crew that the No. 27 machine was lacking rear grip. The “Slugger” Labbe-led pit crew made air pressure and track bar adjustments during the initial stop of the race on lap 25 in an attempt to increase rear grip. Just seven laps later, Menard pitted again under caution, this time for gas only setting the team up for a possible fuel strategy advantage later in the race. Restarting in 25th on lap 33, The Eau Claire, Wis., native methodically made his way toward the front of the field and was scored in 17th at lap 61. Unfortunately, the caution flags did not fall in favor of the team and Menard was off pit sequence from the majority of the front runners. The Richard Childress Racing driver ran as high as seventh before having to pit one final time for fuel on lap 83. With the leaders able to stay out, Menard restarted 22nd on lap 85. With the handling problems improving on the No. 27 Chevrolet, Menard was able to gain eight positions in the remaining 25 laps to cross the line 14th, his best finishing effort to date at the Sonoma, Calif., track. Menard now sits in the 12th spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings heading into Kentucky Speedway next weekend.
 
Start – 16          Finish – 14          Laps Led – 0          Points – 12th
 
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“We struggled with handling issues early in the race with our Moen/Menards Chevrolet. The team worked hard and we were able to make some gains throughout the race with adjustments. The cautions didn’t fall in our favor and we got caught off pit sequence from the leader. All in all, we’ll take a top-15 finish at Sonoma Raceway and call it a decent day.”
 
 
     
Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem Team Utilize Pit Strategy to Finish 10th  
at Sonoma Raceway
 
Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem team picked up their sixth-consecutive top-10 finish Sunday afternoon after utilizing pit strategy to collect a 10th-place result at Sonoma Raceway. The California native started the 110-lap event from the 12th position and worked his way into the top 10 by lap 31 when he brought the red and black machine down pit road for fuel, four tires and a chassis adjustment. Varying pit strategy by other teams forced Harvick to restart from the 34th position on the ensuing restart. As the race progressed, the Richard Childress Racing veteran worked his way back into the top 10 on lap 61, but once again fell victim to varying pit strategies on lap 63 when the team visited pit road for fresh tires and fuel, placing Harvick 19th when the field resumed green-flag racing. During the restart, the Rheem Chevrolet was shuffled back to the 22nd spot, but moved up to 11th on lap 83 when the team opted not to pit when several teams hit pit road. During the final laps, Harvick worked his way up to as high as sixth, before ultimately crossing the finish line 10th. Following his eighth top-10 finish of the season, Harvick remains fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
 
Start – 12          Finish – 10          Laps Led – 0           Points – 4th
                         
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“This wasn’t the finish we were looking for today, but the Rheem team did a great job getting us into the position we needed to be at the end to collect a solid finish.”
 
 
   
 
       
Late-Race Incident Thwarts Burton’s Top-10 Effort at Sonoma Raceway
 
Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Utility Trailers Chevrolet team finished 31st at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday afternoon following a late-race incident with another competitor that spoiled a top-10 effort from the Richard Childress Racing team. Starting the 110-lap affair from the 27th position, the South Boston, Va., native wrestled with a loose-handling condition early before joining the top 15 after the first pit stop of the afternoon. As the race progressed and track conditions changed, the 45-year-old driver reported to crew chief Luke Lambert that the red, white and blue machine tightened up, especially on the sharper corners of the 11-turn road course. The No. 31 team maintained a top-15 running position for a majority of the event and, after playing a pre-determined pit strategy to success, Burton restarted in the seventh-position with 25 laps to go setting the stage for the RCR driver to bring home another top-10 finish. However, disaster struck with less than 20 laps to go when contact from another competitor in the treacherous turn 11 sent the No. 31 Chevrolet SS spinning. Burton’s car suffered minimal damage in the incident, but many drivers passed Burton while he was stalled out in the middle of turn and the 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner fell back to the 36th position. After coming down pit road for fresh Goodyear tires with 14 laps to go, Burton managed to pass five competitors before the checkered flag waved and finished the race in 31st-place. Burton now sits 20th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
 
Start – 27          Finish – 31          Laps Led – 0          Points – 20th
 
JEFF BURTON QUOTE:
“I’m just really bummed out about what happened this afternoon. We had a top-10 finish going and it was taken away from us. What made it worse was
that we fought back from mechanical issues in practice on Friday and a poor qualifying effort on Saturday. I’m proud of this team’s effort and the progress we are making.”
 

Mopar Racing– Win for Mopar Express Lane Driver Johnson at Inaugural NHRA New England Nationals

 Win for Mopar Express Lane Driver Johnson at Inaugural NHRA New England Nationals
 
·         Mopar competed at Inaugural Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire this weekend, the 11th of 24 national events
·         Johnson wins final elimination on a holeshot to earn his third national title of the season
·         Johnson takes sole possession of second place in Pro Stock standings.
·         No.1 qualifier Coughlin celebrates birthday but falls in semis despite 0.001 reaction time
·         Hagan remains atop the Funny Car standings even after a first round loss

 

Epping, N.H. (Sunday June 23, 2013) – Allen Johnson drove the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger to the winner’s circle and a third national title this season after two key holeshot wins in the eliminations rounds of the Inaugural Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals giving him sole possession of second place in the Pro Stock championship points standings.  

 

In order to advance to his fifth final round eliminations appearance of the year, Johnson defeated points leader Mike Edwards in the semifinals on a holeshot with a 0.0270-second reaction time. The defending Pro Stock World Champion posted another outstanding 0.025 second reaction time against Shane Gray to earn another exciting hotshot win and his 19th career “Wally” with an elapsed time of 6.642 seconds (205.38 mph) to his opponent’s 6.633 second (210.34 mph) pass.

“Both those guys were tough but this Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger team is bad to the bone,” Johnson said. “We had a great day and we just kept adapting to the track. Our team really worked hard and that was a fantastic run we put together in the finals. We made a radical change after the semifinals to get ready for the finals, and it really worked. We found something that will help the rest of the year.”

 

“We’ve done a lot of testing and now the testing is over,” Johnson added. “We’re in race form for the rest of the regular season and heading into the Countdown. Working with Jeggy (Coughlin Jr.) and Vincent (Nobile) has made us all stronger. We’re all clicking and working together and we’re going to start our championship march here.”

 

“All of us at Mopar are excited to see Allen (Johnson) earn a third national title this season and to see him do it in that manner at the new venue at the New England Nationals is fantastic,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Allen and the Mopar Express Lane team are working hard and getting good results amongst some tough Pro Stock competition and we’re looking forward to seeing them contend for more wins in their quest to defend the Championship.”

 

Jeg Coughlin Jr. earned the No. 1 qualifier honors at New England Dragway and had a first round bye before defeating fellow HEMI®-powered teammate Vincent Nobile. The driver of the Jegs.com Mopar was hoping to make his 43rd birthday celebrations a little bigger with a trip to the final round in elimination. However, even with a near perfect 0.001-second reaction time in his semifinal match-up against eventual runner-up Gray, Coughlin shut down early with an e.t. of 6.927 seconds (198.38 mph) to his competitors clean 6.638-second run (210.24 mph).

 

“It’s not the way I dreamed of celebrating my birthday,” said Coughlin who now sits third in the standings. “But, we went some rounds and earned some points, so it wasn’t all bad. I’m just hungry for another win.”

 

In Funny Car action, Matt Hagan was upset in the first round after losing traction while in the lead and getting nipped at the finish by Blake Alexander. Despite the loss, the driver of the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Charger R/T retains the championship points lead. Teammate Johnny Gray also lost in the first round to Tim Wilkerson but also remains third in the standings.

 

Defending world title holder Jack Beckman and his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps both drove their Mopars to the semifinal round to face the father and daughter duo from the Force Racing camp. Beckman had the lead on Courtney Force with the finish line in his sights before he saw his race and a shot a final round appearance go up in flames. Capps’ match up with John Force was their 68th and, for only the second time in the last ten meetings, he suffered a loss to the 15 time NHRA World Champ after hazing the tires off the start. Beckman and Capps both slide a little in the standings to the sixth and seventh place respectively in the tight Funny Car points chase.

 

Summit Racing–Line Continues to Make Progress, Moves up in Series Standings after Epping

Line Continues to Make Progress, Moves up in Series Standings after Epping
 
EPPING, N.H. (June 23, 2013) – The Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro driven by Jason Line at the Inaugural NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway is picking up steam in the middle of a strenuous four in a row stretch. Line made a move up one position, from fifth to fourth, in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings following a respectable qualifying performance and a round win earned on raceday.
 
During qualifying, Line made a series of good passes to earn a start from the No. 5 position and a first-round meeting with veteran driver Larry Morgan. Coming off of a very fast final qualifying pass (Line’s 211.86 mph was the quickest of the factory hot rods in the last act before the field was set for Sunday’s race), the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver was optimistic about his chances on raceday – however, he knew he would have his work cut out for him.
 
What he didn’t anticipate was that he and Morgan would light the pre-stage bulbs simultaneously.
 
“It caught both of us off guard,” admitted Line, who was uncharacteristically late with a .143-second reaction time as he left the starting line next to his also late opponent. “Neither one of us were exactly stellar, but the Summit Racing Camaro got us to the other end of the racetrack first and we were able to survive and move on to the next round.”
 
Line cleared the finish line with a 6.610 at 210.28 mph for the win light over Morgan’s 6.688, and the victory was a ticket to the second round and a meeting with Shane Gray, a driver Line had already gotten the best of in three elimination rounds this season – including the final round in Houston.
 
Line didn’t have lane choice for their meeting but was good and ready for their mid-day meeting. He launched ahead of Gray but soon got into trouble. His blue Summit Racing Chevy Camaro made a hard move to the right and he was forced to give up the run.
 
“We struggled pretty hard with the left lane, we weren’t able to negotiate it, and ultimately that’s what bit us today,” said Line. “We made some progress, but we still have room to go. Our biggest problem is that we’re not as good as we need to be on raceday – but this is a process, and we’ve got to keep after it.
 
“Overall, we certainly enjoyed our trip to New England. The fans are great, and hats off to the folks who run the racetrack. They certainly put a lot of effort into it. The facility is going to be extremely nice.”
 

Chevy Racing–Sonoma Wrapup

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
SAVE MART 350
SONOMA RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 23, 2013
 
JEFF GORDON LEADS THE BOWTIE BRIGADE AT SONOMA
Five Team Chevy Drivers in the Top-10
 
SONOMA, Calif. (June 23, 2013) – Piloting the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet SS, Jeff Gordon led Team Chevy in the Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup race on the tricky 10-turn road course at Sonoma Raceway with a runner-up finish.  Gordon overcame an early and untimely pit road penalty for pitting just as the caution flag waved, which left him mired in traffic for much for of the 110-lap race.  But solid pit strategy and a fast race car propelled him to the front of the field with just a few laps remaining.
 
Gordon, who owns five wins at Sonoma, and who also holds the record for the most all-time road course wins (9) in the Series, captured his fifth top-five finish this season.  He gained three positions in the point standings, and is now ranked 13th overall. 
 
Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/Sealy Chevrolet SS, also overcame pit road misfortune and rebounded to a top-five finish.  Busch received two back-to-back pit road speeding penalties, placing him one lap down to the leaders a third of the way through the race.  The team persevered to earn a fourth-place finish.  This is his sixth top-five finish in 13 starts at Sonoma.
 
Gaining valuable driver points, Kasey Kahne in his No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, earned a sixth-place finish; which moved him up to 11th in the standings.  Series point leader Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, avoided mayhem to finish ninth, and now has a 25-point lead overall.  Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet SS, continued his streak of Top-10 finishes for the six consecutive week by earning a 10th-place finish.
 
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS finished 12th followed by Paul Menard, No. 27 Menards/MOEN Chevrolet SS in 14th and Ryan Newman driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS finished 15th overall. 
 
Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota) was the race winner, Carl Edwards (Ford) was third, and Clint Bowyer (Toyota) was fifth to round out the top-five finishing order.
 

Summit Racing–Anderson to Keep Chipping Away Following Epping Event

Anderson to Keep Chipping Away Following Epping Event
 
EPPING, N.H. (June 23, 2013) – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson came to New England Dragway for the Inaugural NHRA New England Nationals with a hot rod that had only been in competition for one race, and he and the Summit Racing team qualified their still-new ride in the top half of the field and scored a round win on eliminations day. He leaves the event in Epping holding onto eighth in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock points.
 
Anderson qualified in the No. 6 position and scored a set of coveted bonus points along the way. His first round match with Steve Kent marked the first time this season that the four-time Pro Stock champ and Kent were lined up next to one another on raceday. Anderson was off the finish line first and raced to a strong 6.609. His Summit Racing Camaro and that of teammate Jason Line were two of just four cars in the opening act to exceed 210 mph.
 
Anderson’s first pass of the day was also one of the four quickest of the round, and he moved ahead into the quarterfinals for a meeting with No. 3 qualifier Mike Edwards. Edwards had lane choice for their second-round meeting, and Anderson was at a decided disadvantage but launched confidently ahead of his challenger with a .023-second reaction to Edwards’ .032. Unfortunately, lane choice was an important factor this weekend, and Anderson’s Summit Racing Camaro simply could not get a grip on the surface.
 
“We just spun the tire from one end of the track to the other,” said Anderson, who recorded a 6.635 in a losing effort. “That left lane sure gave us trouble. It’s a bummer, but the bottom line is that you have to qualify well and you’ve got to have a fast car so that you can keep lane choice. The deck was stacked against us today, but it only serves to make us dig deeper.
 
“I like this place, and I wanted to win – bad. The whole event was fantastic, and the fans were great. If their enthusiasm doesn’t get you fired up, nothing will. I loved almost everything about this place, and to come away with the first New England Dragway trophy would really have been something. Unfortunately, we got whooped today. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say, and we just have to be smart about our decisions. We’ll keep chipping away at it.”

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