JAMIE McMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET SS, WAS THE GUEST ON THIS WEEK’S NASCAR WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE.
 
BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPT:
 
 
JENNIE LONG:  Good morning.  Joining us today is Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Jamie heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend where he made his first career start and has two wins and seven top‑10 finishes.  Jamie, your win at Talladega last October was the first time your son and daughter were with you in victory lane.  Can you talk about what that moment was like, having them there for the celebration?
 
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Yeah, I’m going to start with apologizing for any background noise because I am home alone right now with both of them, so this could be really interesting in the next 15 minutes if they get too wild on me.
 
It was obviously really special for me to have both of them there.  I think I said in the media center, I’ve seen pictures for years of Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth and all the guys that I’ve been friends with, had pictures with their families in victory lane, and it was just a really special day.  That was a great picture, one that I’ll always cherish.
Q.  First of all, what are the ages of your children?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  One and three.
Q.  Speaking of family, what’s Mother’s Day weekend going to be like for you in Kansas next week?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Well, it’s different because normally we’ve had mother’s day at Darlington, and all of my family lives here now.  I think that my mom is going to try to go back with me this year.  It’s been easier in the past because you would just ‑‑ we kind of planned it out where she and I would just drive down together, so that was always really nice.  And then after having kids, it’s special because you’re spending that with your mom and then also your wife who is a mother.  That day becomes much more important.
 
But this year I think my mom is going to actually fly back with me and I think she’s going to hang out with her friends a little bit in Joplin and then come back up to the race in Kansas.
 
Yeah, it’ll be really special.  It’s become more and more important to me the older that I get, and after having kids you just realize everything that your mom has given up and how much work they put into raising you.  It becomes more special every year.
Q.  What impact did your mom have on your career coming up as a driver?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Well, I think when I look at my parents, my parents were quite a bit different.  My dad was fairly loud and outspoken, and my mom was very reserved.  But I learned a lot from both of them, and when I look back to my mom, I think some of the values she taught me was, first off, how important getting an education was.  She was a schoolteacher.  And then also my mom was just always really conservative and really good at saving money and not wasting things, and that has rubbed off on me, and I’ve kind of been that way my whole life.  That’s from her and listening to her and just kind of doing what she did when she was raising us. I learned really good stuff from her.
Q.  What do you credit your success at Talladega over the other tracks on the circuit?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  That’s a really tough question.  I don’t really view Talladega or Daytona any different than any other track.  I think to be successful at a plate track, you have to be ‑‑ I don’t know that you go there with the mindset of winning.  I always go to plate tracks with the mindset of running second and pushing somebody to the win, and if the circumstances work out that you find yourself in the lead, it’s great.  But I don’t think you can be ‑‑ I think you just have to be very open‑minded and willing to help more than trying to get help.  I think a lot of guys go to those tracks and want everyone to help them, but they don’t really want to return the favor, and I think it’s important to kind of have a different mentality with that, and you always want to try to help whoever is in front of you and work with them.
 
I don’t know.  It’s definitely a different style of racing than what we normally have.  I have to tell you that I’m so thankful that we’ve gotten rid of the tandem.  I hated that.  I know some fans liked it and some didn’t, but for me I dreaded going to the plate tracks when we had the tandem.  I like the package that we have now.
Q.  What’s your favorite track?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  My favorite track is the one that we go to next every week.  I honestly, like if you have a good car at any of the tracks, they’re fun, and if your car is not good, none of them are fun.  I really enjoy getting to go do some road course racing, I like Martinsville, I like Charlotte.  I enjoy going to Daytona and Talladega.  That’s fun to do four times a year, but it’s nice to go somewhere different each week.
Q.  We’re close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  What do you think of that track?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Well, Indy is fun because of the history.  I wouldn’t say that Indy is in the top 5 of the funnest tracks to race on because it’s so hard to pass there.  But it’s a really special place just because of the history of it, and after winning that race and getting to kiss the bricks, it makes it even more special to me.
Q.  Jamie, the new elimination system stresses winning probably by plan and seems to be working pretty well, too.  But it may benefit drivers like you who are no strangers to victory lane from time to time.  How does that change the mindset of you and your team and other drivers, too, looking into how you approach this year?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Yeah, I don’t think anyone is doing anything any differently.  I mean, if it comes down at Richmond last week or Talladega this week and you take a gamble on fuel mileage, everyone is going to do the same thing.  I think the mentality has changed that everyone races to win every week, and I don’t think that what they’ve done this year has made anyone try harder or do anything different because you only can race based on the circumstances that are given for that event, and it’s really ‑‑ you’d have to ask a crew chief, but in my opinion it’s not any different than it’s ever been.
Q.  I’m curious, can you talk a little bit about what your first impression was of Talladega when you first went to the track and when that was?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Well, Talladega was the first Superspeedway race that I even ‑‑ well, I guess I ran Daytona, but I think I tested at Talladega first, and I just remember going there and knowing that you could run wide open around the track, and I had never been to a track that you could do that at.  It’s so hard to get used to, whether it was in the late models or doing the trucks, that you can run around the track and not ever let off.  It’s hard to conceive that.
 
The first laps were ‑‑ it’s so much fun to be able to run around a place like that flat out and not have to let off.  It’s different now because it’s got so much more grip than what it had before the repave.  When we did the plate races before, you could run like 15 laps and handling started becoming an issue, and now there’s so much grip that it’s a little bit different.  That’s a thrilling place to go to for the first time, and to run around there by yourself is exciting initially, but then when you run around and you’re in the middle of a 30‑ or a 40‑car pack and you’re right in the middle lane, middle of the pack, that gets your attention, and it certainly requires a lot of focus.  It’s a really cool place, really fun venue.
Q.  What went through your mind the first time you took a lap around there, and do you remember when that was?
JAMIE McMURRAY:
  Well, no and no.  I don’t remember that.  And I don’t remember exactly when it was.  I could be wrong, it might have been in the truck at Daytona the first time I ran a plate track or somewhere that you could run wide open.  But it’s just hard to conceive that you could do that and that it would stick good enough.  It takes a while to realize that, that it’s real.
Q.  I’m just going to ask you about what happened with Ambrose and Mears after Richmond.  Are you surprised that they got fined and the punishment was what it was or do you think NASCAR should have just let it go?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Well, I hoped that NASCAR would just let that go.  They have preached to all of us that they want us to be who we are, and I think it’s good that you have some characters in the sport that ‑‑ I’m not calling Casey or Marcus out, but not everyone is willing to ‑‑ or is the type of guy that would punch someone, right?  Everyone has a moment that they’re extremely upset, but I don’t think that ‑‑ I think you can count on one hand the guys that would actually throw a punch.  Everyone is talking about it.  I’m building a house, and when I got up to the home site, that’s all the guys wanted to talk about was oh, my gosh, did you see that, and they wanted to know if I have any inside scoop.  I think it’s great.  I don’t want to see anyone get punched, but it’s been ‑‑ how many years ago has it been since someone actually punched someone?  It’s got everyone talking about the sport and I think it’s good you see those guys’ passion.  Casey was so mad when you look in that video there and kind of pushing Marcos.  I don’t know, I was really hoping that NASCAR was going to let it go or that the fines would be less because that’s a huge ‑‑ $25,000 is massive.  My opinion of that is that you won’t see it happen again because I think people will think about that and be like, it’s not worth it.  It’s not worth $25,000 for me to express exactly how I feel at this time.
Q.  There must have been situations where you’ve been in that same situation and have held back.  Have you been in those type of situations, as well?  Have there been any times you’ve thrown a punch or have wanted to but have held back?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Well, there’s probably been times, yeah, when I wanted to do that.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had that kind of anger inside of me.  But you know, I don’t know.  My take on that is I kind of ‑‑ if it was happening every week, I think it would be different, but if they hadn’t fined those guys, I don’t think it would have happened again for a long time.  Like I say, I think there’s only a few guys ‑‑ I think there’s maybe five guys that are willing to do that, and it takes both those guys getting together on the same night and being extremely upset before it would happen.  I don’t think it was ‑‑ I think if they would have let it go, I don’t think it would have happened again for a while.  I think it’s very circumstantial with the two right guys, you know.
 
And look, I think if you watch the video of that, my take on it, I don’t think Casey had any intentions of throwing a punch.  Casey went over there and was wanting to get his point across.  I don’t think he had any ‑‑ when he got hit, you could tell he was like, I can’t believe I just got punched, right?  I don’t think anyone had that mindset going into it.
Q.  Racing is a tough sport that is built up with a lot of emotion.  Now that you have children, has your thought process changed?  In other words, how do you keep the children out of your mind when you get into that race car compared to when you were not a daddy?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Yeah, honestly that never crosses my mind.  I don’t know that ‑‑ I think if you polled most guys, they would say that that doesn’t ‑‑ once you get out, whether it’s in practice or qualifying or when the National Anthem is going on for the race, once you get in the car, it’s all about racing, and you just do what feels natural.  I mean, I don’t know that anybody necessarily when they’re racing thinks about, well, I have kids now or I’m married.  You do what happens naturally, and you make decisions really fast, and it’s just based on what you feel at that time. For me it’s not any different.  I think if you were to ask most guys, they would say that.
Q.  Coming up on the midway point of the season, so to speak, what’s your assessment for the first half, and then what’s the outlook for the remainder of the season?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Well, I mean, our cars have been tremendously better.  It’s been somewhat unfortunate that some of the races that we had really got cars ‑‑ when I looked at Bristol with 50 laps to go and the 4 car losing an oil line in front of us, Martinsville with the 88 cutting a tire down and crashing in front of us.  We’ve had really good cars at every race.  Keith Rodden has done a great job coming over and being the crew chief this year, his first year of crew chiefing.  Team and organization‑wise has been really good, and I think both Kyle and I are looking forward really to about everywhere we’re going.  I love road course racing.  We’re getting ready to go do some testing for that on Monday, and we’ve just been good at each type of racetrack, whether it’s flat track, high banked, short track, mile‑and‑a‑half.  Our cars have been good about everywhere, so that’s a great feeling to have in this sport because sometimes you have cars that are good at short tracks but not good at mile‑and‑a‑halfs, so you dread those mile‑and‑a‑half tracks because you know you’ve struggled with those.  We’ve been good about everywhere, so yeah, really optimistic about everything for the rest of the year.
Q.  It’s coming down pretty well up here in upstate New York.  What’s the weather been like down there this week and how has it effected you at all?
JAMIE McMURRAY:  Yeah, the weather ‑‑ I’m actually going to Talladega a little early for a fishing trip, so I’ve been watching the weather closer this weekend than I have in the past.  But it looks like all the weather is going to be out of there today, and we’re going to have a great weekend.
 
JENNIE LONG:  Jamie, thanks so much for joining us today, and good luck this weekend at Talladega.
 

CORVETTE DPs AT LAGUNA SECA: Seeking More Monterey Momentum
Chevrolet comes to famed venue looking for fourth straight Laguna Seca victory
 
·         Corvette Daytona Prototypes go for third straight Laguna Seca win

·         Victory, pole and fastest race lap each of last three years for Chevy-powered entries

·         Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R seeks second straight victory

 
DETROIT (April 29, 2014) – Chevrolet has tasted its share of success at North America’s top sports car venues. That being said, it would be difficult to match the record the Bowtie has amassed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in recent years. Corvette Daytona Prototypes return to the picturesque circuit in Monterey, Calif., for the fourth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
 
Four Corvette DPs are set to race in Sunday’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix race for the TUDOR Championship’s Prototype and GT Le Mans classes. The two categories raced together earlier this month at Long Beach in a 100-minute, caution-free event where two Corvette DPs finished on the podium; Wayne Taylor Racing was the runner-up and championship leader Action Express Racing was third. Chevrolet left southern California second in the TUDOR Championship’s Prototype Engine Manufacturer standings.
 
The playing field in Monterey will be slightly different as the Corvette DPs will compete with a smaller air restrictor than used in previous races. The move will reduce the power output of the Corvette DP’s 5.5-liter V8 motor. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) – sanctioning body for the TUDOR Championship – adjusted the performance of the Corvette DPs to bring competition in the Prototype category closer together.
 
Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi lead the Prototype drivers’ championship on the strength of three consecutive podium finishes to start the season – including a victory at Daytona. It was a race where Corvette DPs took the top four positions.
 
Laguna Seca is the perfect place for the Corvette DP contingent to pick up a second win of the season. Wayne Taylor Racing’s Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli won last year’s race for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series – which combined with the American Le Mans Series to form the TUDOR Championship – in Monterey.
 
It was one of many success story for Chevrolet and the Corvette DP at Monterey since 2011. Richard Westbrook, driving for Spirit of Daytona Racing, has won last two DP pole positions at Laguna Seca; he and Antonio Garcia won the race in 2012. The previous year, Garcia set the fastest lap, Ricky Taylor was the fastest qualifier, and Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won the race in a Chevrolet-powered prototype for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing.
 
“Laguna Seca is the first traditional road course we will race on this year,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “The challenge of racing there is an extremely difficult one. Temperatures and weather conditions are often in flux this time of year, as is the racing surface. Due to the layout of the track, sand and dust routinely gather on the circuit. Chassis setup, mechanical grip and tire management will be of utmost importance for this race. The Corvette DP has proven repeatedly that it is a great car around Laguna Seca. This latest adjustment of performance puts our teams in a bind but we are confident they and our partners can adapt to the new restrictor size and the performance loss that comes with it.”
 
Camaro Z/28.R Back on Track Following First Victory
Just like the Corvette DPs, the Chevrolet Camaro has tasted considerable success at Laguna Seca in the Continental Tire SportsCar Championship. The new-for-2014 Camaro Z/28.R looks to continue that success with entries for Stevenson Motorsports and CKS Autosport. Stevenson’s Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis won the most recent round at Sebring in March in just the second race for the Camaro Z/28.R.
 
If past history is any indication, things should bode well at Laguna Seca. The Camaro GS.R won in the Continental Tire series at the track in 2011 and 2012 and was second in 2013. Compared to the previous car, the Z/28.R is an improvement in many key areas. The Chevrolet engine, suspension components and aerodynamic elements all have seen major upgrades for the Camaro Z/28.R. It also is the closest link between production Camaro and racing version Chevrolet has produced.
 
“The victory at Sebring was a fantastic achievement for everyone in the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R program,” said Lisa Talarico, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. “As great a success as that was, work is far from complete to fully optimize the car. Laguna Seca is a challenging track considering ever-changing conditions throughout the day, but it also is one that has been good for the Camaro brand. We are confident that our partner teams at Stevenson Motorsports and CKS Autosport can continue that record of success.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Gearing Up For Monterey Repeat
Riding high after first victory for Corvette C7.R at Long Beach
 
·         Magnussen, Garcia aiming for repeat of 2013 victory

·         Gavin, Milner were winners in 2012 GT race

·         Final TUDOR Championship race before 24 Hours of Le Mans

 
DETROIT (April 29, 2014) – Fresh of its first victory of 2014 with the new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, Corvette Racing heads back to California where it looks to win for the third straight season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The two-hour Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix is the fourth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, and Corvette Racing looks to keep rolling as well as moving up in the GT Le Mans standings.
 
A victory near the picturesque Monterey, Calif., coastline would continue that nicely. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette led the charge at Long Beach with a wire-to-wire victory while Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner were third in the No. 4 C7.R. The driver pairings remain the same for Monterey, which plays host to the TUDOR Championship for a two-hour race starting at 2:45 p.m. PT on Sunday. And like Long Beach, the GTLM class will race together with the lead Prototype category.
 
Like many other places on the TUDOR Championship schedule, Laguna Seca has witnessed its share of Corvette Racing highlights. The team has six victories at the track since 2004, five pole positions – including three straight by Magnussen from 2007-09 – and seven fastest race laps.
 
Laguna Seca also is where the Corvette C7.R broke cover in public during last year’s Monterey Historic Festival weekend. Milner drove the new racecar – in camouflaged livery at the time – for a couple of laps. This time around, it’s a safe bet the C7.R will be traveling quicker and more aggressive around the circuit.
 
Success is difficult to come by there, however. The climate in the Monterey area is notorious for changing often throughout a weekend. Track temperatures can rise and fall suddenly, and sand frequently blows onto the circuit – both can create slick and slippery surface conditions. As a result, handling and stability will be at a premium. That should play into the hands of Corvette Racing given the construction of the Corvette C7.R.
 
Based on the 2015 Corvette Z06 production car, the C7.R’s rigid frame gives the car improved cornering ability and stability. Those factors plus the Corvette’s impressive braking performance and tire management will be key to the team’s success this weekend.
 
Live television coverage of the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix starts at 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
 
The TUDOR Championship is the result of a merger between the ALMS and GRAND-AM’s Rolex Sports Car Series. Corvette Racing will compete in 11 races around North America plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
 
Corvette Racing Display: For the Fans in Monterey
As if the on-track action at Laguna Seca isn’t enough for fans, the Corvette Racing display will have a number of activities and vehicles for spectators to take in, including:
Production vehicles such as the North American Truck of the Year, the Chevrolet Silverado, as well as the Camaro, Sonic and Impala.
Showcars on location include a Corvette C7.R, and both a Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible, the North American Car of the Year.
Fans can see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet at their local Chevrolet dealer.
Other activities at the Corvette Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids.
Fans who sign up with Corvette Racing will receive a special commemorative t-shirt.
The Corvette Racing display opens 9 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
 
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
(Race outlook) “We are going back to Laguna with a different format; the last three years I ran there in long-distance races. Last year was especially close – mostly because of the yellows – but at the end it was a big win for us. It was the first win of the year for the No. 3 car and where things started to turn in our favor for the championship. Between Jan, myself and the whole No. 3 Corvette team, we’ve always felt pretty confident at Laguna Seca. No one is exactly sure how the new Corvette C7.R will work there, but there is no reason to think it won’t work better than the C6.R. The other manufacturers will be strong so we need to keep performing the way we have this season – especially the way we did at Long Beach.”
(Keys to success) “Laguna is always very difficult to approach because you never know the temperature and how the tires are going to work. It can be a really cold race or a race with very nice temperatures. It will be very important to anticipate that in order to make the car work. The track is a little narrow so you really need to make the tires work otherwise there is a point where you can struggle quite a bit.
“It will be a shorter race but also a two-category race. So that means things may be very clean. As a result, it is very important to keep in touch with the lead car… if it’s not us. It could be another race like Long Beach with no yellows. Personally, I’d very happy to run another race like that where we led from Lap 1 with no yellows!”
 
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
(Track impressions) “Laguna Seca is one of my absolute favorite tracks. I’ve always enjoyed driving there and it’s in a fantastic area. The track is very interesting. The layout suits the Corvette and suits my driving style. It’s always a great feeling driving there. We have had some success there in the past. Last year, we won the race and it was what really kicked off our championship run. I’m looking forward to another good result. It would be nice to back up the Long Beach win with another one at Laguna Seca.”
(Last year’s race) “The thing that stands out is that while Antonio was in the lead for all of his stint, the rest of us on the No. 3 car were sitting there thinking what was going to go wrong. We had been so close to winning races in 2012 and the smallest mistakes cost us wins. It wasn’t really until the car crossed the line that we accepted we had won the race! We were so used to losing it in different ways. So that was fantastic and really started our championship run. It proved to everyone that our car could win. It was the first win for Antonio and me. Hopefully we can have another great race with a bunch of points and maybe another win.”
 
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
(Track thoughts) “Laguna Seca is a great race track. It’s one of the premier tracks in the U.S., and one that everyone enjoys going to. It’s a great part of the world, and the layout is a unique one. It’s a challenge to get a good lap together there. Generally it’s a low-grip surface and you can be punished for mistakes. But it is a circuit that has a great flow to it and one that you get a lot of satisfaction driving around.
(The past and present) In the last few years – particularly with the GT car – Corvette Racing has been very competitive there. The No. 3 car won there last year, and Tommy (Milner) and I won there the year before. It seems that whatever setup we land upon seems to one that work well there. Our car is solid on the brakes and seems to rotate in and to the apex of the corners, and we can bear down on the apexes pretty well in most of the medium- and slow-speed corners. It just seems that our car can work efficiently there and I can see that the C7.R is strong in all those departments. We’ve improved the traction with the new car, and all of those things should help us going back to Laguna. I’m buoyed by our performances in all three events we’ve done so far in the TUDOR Cha
mpionship. We have a fantastic car in the C7.R, and I feel that right now we can fight with everyone for the victory. That’s a great position to be in. We are in a nice spot where we can attack and hope to come away with great results.”
 
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
(Progress so far) “I’m not surprised that we had good results at Long Beach. We saw in all the testing and racing during the first few events that the Corvette C7.R was quick and competitive. Each time we go to a track this season, it’s the first time there with the C7.R, but there is still lots of carryover from years past and a wealth of knowledge that we can pull from. Judging from how the car has performed, we should be extremely competitive at Laguna.”
(Rolling out the C7.R last summer in Monterey) “That was obviously something that was pretty cool. It was my first experience sitting in the car. It’s great to now go back there with the race car. The two laps I did at the Historics were not really in anger… I was very conscious of the fact that I needed to be sure that nothing went wrong! It’s exciting to go back to Laguna where the public first saw the car. It would be great to win there, and it would be even better if it were Oliver and I to get a victory this time!”
(Laguna preparations) “Laguna is definitely tough in regards to tire wear and balance of the car. There’s not as much sand as there used to be that comes on the track but there is still quite a bit. The track has definitely improved that by putting curbing in certain areas which makes it difficult to bring sand on the circuit. But it’s definitely a prominent feature of the track. Laguna is a place that if you don’t have the balance of the car spot on, you’ll suffer throughout a stint. Getting the setup spot-on is pretty important. So far this year, we’ve rolled off the truck with cars that have been pretty well-balanced. I’m optimistic that it won’t be a problem for us. Depending on how our pace is compared to our competitors, you work that much harder to find any advantage. The schedule is pretty compressed so it’s important for the guys back at the Corvette Racing shop to make sure they get the balance as good as it can possibly be so we can fine-tune things in practice instead of swinging wildly at it.”
 
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“It’s always great to return to the Monterey Peninsula, especially coming off our well-deserved victory at Long Beach. Laguna Seca is one of the sport’s iconic venues and a place where Corvette Racing has a long history of success. To win there requires a car with great braking and handling along with proper tire selection, pit stop execution and good track management by the drivers. I think the C7.R, the crew and our drivers have clearly demonstrated all those capabilities in the first three events this season. Combine all that and it should make for another exciting weekend of racing for all our Corvette fans!”

Chevrolet IndyCar V6
Verizon IndyCar Series
Post Race
Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Barber Motorsports Park
 
 
Scott Dixon Puts Chevrolet IndyCar V6 on the Podium at Barber
 
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 27, 2014) – Scott Dixon, defending Verizon IndyCar Series champion, led the way for the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 contingent with a third-place podium finish today in the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.  It is the fifth consecutive podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park for the driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
 
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, continues to lead the championship standings with a fifth-place finish in today’s rain shortened race. The scheduled distance was 90 laps, but the start was delayed approximately two and a half hours due to severe weather.  The race was cut to 100 minutes and competitors completed 69 laps.
 
Also scoring a top-10 finish in the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 powered cars were: Tony Kanaan, No. 10 GE Reveal Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet – ninth, and Charlie Kimball, No. 83 Novolog Flex Pen Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet – 10th.
 
Next on the schedule is the Inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 10, 2014.  The live ABC television broadcast is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m ET.
 
DRIVER QUOTES:
SCOTT DIXON, NO. 9 TARGET CHIP GANASSI CHEVROLET,  FINISHED  3RD:
ON THE DAY: “Overall it was a good day for the Target team.  We wanted to take one more step up on the podium to first after finishing second here so many times, but we ended up going in reverse this time unfortunately.  We’ll take third but the tough conditions were the same for everyone with the wet start and a timed race.  We seemed to burn up the front tires quick, but we had some great pit stops and overall a solid day.”
 
TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY:  “It was definitely an interesting race with the weather mixed in there. Hopefully we put on a good show for everybody. We were trying. We seemed to burn up the front tires quickly. The same thing happened on the wets after Helio (Castroneves) jumped the start and passed a couple of cars which is typical, I guess. We had to fight back and had a good pit stop exchange. (Will) Power pitted early and we were able to put down some good lap and gain some spots. We just didn’t have enough for Marco. He did a hell of a job, so congrats to Andretti for a 1-2 finish.”

YOU HAD A GREAT PIT STOP AND WERE RIGHT ON MARCO BUT STARTED TO BACK UP. WHAT HAPPENED? “The race was really fun. In the wet conditions, there was a little puddling and standing water which made it pretty tough… especially in the fast sections around the back. It was one of those races where at the start you kept it clean and stay out of trouble. I think Helio (Castroneves) got a bit greedy on the restart and jumped us which was frustrating because he backed us up some. It was fun to race with Montoya; he was making some pretty good turns onto the frontstraight. We tried to pull as much as could out of it and kinda burnt the front tires off the thing trying to push so hard. Congratulations to (race-winner Ryan) Hunter-Reay and good job by Marco (Andretti). More importantly, a big thanks to the fans who stuck it out through all this weather.”
 
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 5TH : “The Verizon Chevrolet was really fast on the wet tires and I just got in trouble in turn 5. I keep moving my braking point further and further into the corners and I got caught going too far. It’s tough to not push past the limits with wet patches everywhere. We really didn’t have the pace in the dry anyway, but that sure didn’t help our cause when I went off course. We may have just been a bit heavy on downforce. Still a fifth-place finish today and we have the points lead going into the month of May.”
 
TONY KANAAN, NO.10 GE REVEAL CHIP GANASSI CHEVROLET, FINISHED 9TH: It was a good day for us. I mean we passed half of the field on a track that people say you can’t pass on.  We’ll take a top-ten finish, especially after the weekend we had and qualifying in the back.  It was a great day for the GE Reveal team.  We had some great pit stops and we’ll just continue to go forward from here.”
CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 83 NOVOLOG FLEXPEN CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 10TH : “I have to say that I’m just so proud of the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing crew and the whole Chip Ganassi Racing team.  After crashing this morning, everyone from all three teams came together and just really put their heads down with no complaints and started working.  It was a really upside-down race with it starting wet and ending dry, but we had really good pace and clean air.  We just did what we could do and made the most of where we were at.  I’m pleased to be able to bring the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet home with a top-ten finish and now we’re just ready to move onto the month of May.”
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 8 NTT DATA CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 11TH:  “It was a fun race starting in the rain and then going to slick tires, but it was a bit challenging with the fuel conditions.  We were able to stay out of trouble and really keep our nose clean allowing us to move up a ton of positions.  The whole NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing team definitely wants to be higher than eleventh, but considering where we started today I was really happy with the result.”
MIKE CONWAY, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA CHEVROLET, FINISHED 14TH: “It was a pretty long day for us today. I guess we’ll have to take 14th from starting 21st.  We struggled in the wet with overall grip. I tried to make a few moves in the early portion of the race and they just didn’t work out.  We felt quicker on the slicks, especially on the earlier segments of the runs.  But once everyone had their tires up to temperature, we couldn’t get up to make a move. It’s a frustrating.  I hope we can improve on the road circuits.  I’m excited to go to Indy for the test this week on the road circuit and race in the upcoming Grand Prix of Indianapolis. But we need to work on the setup some more to fight for a win there.”
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: NO. 11 TEAM HYDROXYCUT – KVSH RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 15TH: “I had another fast car and another disappointing result.  Once again, I feel bad for the KVSH Racing guys.  They did a great job.  I want to thank my sponsors, especially Hyrdoxycut for their support this weekend. We just have to move on and try and win the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.”
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA: NO. 17 KV AFS RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 18TH: “It was disappointing to finish 18th as we had been consistent in the top-10. We had an amazing car in the dry conditions, but in the wet we really struggled. At the beginning I had to let cars through because I couldn’t see anything from the spray and once we got back into the race pace I didn’t have anything. We had a great initial strategy by staying out longer than the rest, but by the end we couldn’t make it work. We were the only ones that could have done a two-stop race because of all the fuel saving we had done, but by the race being shortened by that couple last yellows everyone was then on a two stop and we stuck at the back. We had an amazing car, so I am very proud of all the KV AFS guys. We go on to Indy and will get back to business. We are so close to getting something special, we just need to get all the bits working together.”
HELIO CASTRONEVES, NO. AAA TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 19TH: “Man, what a race. The AAA guys did a helluva job once again. Unfortunately I confused our pit stall with the 19 car of Justin Wilson. We were pitted right beside each other and our colors were very similar. I stopped in their pit stall, which was bad, but I also had to serve a stop and go penalty. With
the cautions the way they fell, I could never get a full green flag lap to serve my penalty. I feel so bad for the guys because that was completely on me. Thank you to AAA. The Chevrolet was great today. This is a race we shouldn’t forgot because we don’t want that to happen again.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 PPGTEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 21ST: “We had a good car in the wet…I thought it did a pretty good job in the wet. We had trouble with the radio, so I tried to plug myself back in while driving. So that was fun. I had a good restart on cold tires. We were going through the esses, and I was right behind the No. 9 car (Scott Dixon) . He had a big moment, and I lifted then ended up having a bigger moment myself. I went in and I kind of referenced and measured with the wet, and I did the same thing I was doing in wet.  He lifted more than I expected and I had to lift a lot more and it started tail slapping. After that, something broke in the car..I don’t know what happened.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
APRIL 26, 2014
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 2ND
UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE WIN, BUT ANOTHER GREAT RUN:
Well, you know, the restarts are something that we’ve been really adamant about this year because it was definitely hurting us last year. Tonight we really didn’t have a good short run car; we had a really good long run car. For about 40 or 50 laps it was about the best car out there. I had a blast tonight. It was great short track racing here at Richmond. And to have a race car like that to drive from 25th up to the front like that was so much fun. Joey (Logano) was in the right place there. He had a good short run car and we were battling it out. And Matt (Kenseth) was making his car really super-wide, which you’ve got to do to try to win, and we were just battling hard. And it just didn’t come down the way that we needed it to. We needed a little bit longer run. But thanks to Drive to End Hunger and Chevrolet and everybody, (all our sponsors), we’re having so much fun right now. I just can’t thank this team enough for their incredible effort. Pit stops, I mean everything. We’re just showing up at the race track with cars capable of winning. It’s just a matter of time before we do win.”
 
YOU HAD A GREAT RUN TONIGHT TELL US ABOUT IT:
“It was hot.  Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SS man they have been giving me amazing race cars this year.  That was certainly one of the best ones we have had.  We were having a lot of fun out there.  We did not need the shorter runs which is kind of typical for us.  Still really battled it out there on that last restart.  That was one of the wildest races with 10 to go that I have ever seen here at Richmond.  Then I got very excited and Joey (Logano) was in the right position.  He had a really fast car on the short runs and we got racing three-wide.  Matt (Kenseth) was running every lane and trying to win the race.  Brad (Keselowski) was trying to get by him on the outside, I was trying to get by him on the inside and we just really burned up our tires a little bit there and here came Joey (Logano) right by us on the inside.”
 
IS IT ACT OR REACT IS THAT WHAT YOU GUYS DO OUT THERE WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE MIXING IT UP WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER GUYS LIKE THAT?
“Yeah, you are trying to get a good restart and get to Turn 1 good.  You are just hoping that it sticks when you get there.  I got to second right away there on that last restart and actually felt like I was a little bit better than Matt (Kenseth), just trying to find a way by him.  Then the No. 2 car (Brad Keselowski) came on the outside which was a great move.  His car was just super-fast also on the short runs.  Then he moved Matt up which I was happy about so I got underneath Matt, but I about lost it getting into (Turns) 1 and 2, got a little bit loose underneath him.  At that point I had to fall back to third and then the No. 22 (Joey Logano) came in there.  It was a great battle.  Overall I’m very happy with the results of this race team and the effort.  I’m having so much fun.  The pit stops were amazing tonight, we are leading the points and it’s just a matter of time before this team wins.”
 
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 BUSH’S GRILLIN’ BEANS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 6TH
ON HIS TOP-10 FINISH:
“It was a good race.  Just a tough race track.  I was really happy with the car in general.  It’s just such a fine line between being too tight and burning the rear tires off or just being a little too loose the whole time.  I thought there were two or three long runs I thought the car was awesome.  Then another couple of runs it wasn’t as good.  Overall proud of the guys.  We definitely had a top-15 car all day, top-10 car probably.  Probably stole one there for finish wise there at the end, but we are getting there.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 7TH
IT WAS WILD AND CRAZY, WHAT WAS IT LIKE GOING ON WITH YOUR 88 CAR TONIGHT?
 “Had a lot of brake problems with the car and the fluid boiled over under that last caution and I couldn’t keep the pedal up and had all rear brakes that last run.  Just real loose getting in the corner and trying to run seventh was all I could do and just trying not to fall back worse than that.  The run before when we were racing with Matt (Kenseth) and I thought we had a little bit better car in the end in the middle of the corner, but at that next caution we boiled over.  We had brake problems the last 150-200 laps and it would leave the fluids black and Steve (Letarte) said it had boiled over a couple times.  So we got a lot of rubber build up on the brake duct and the grill so it just got real hot.”
 
LOT OF EMOTION AT THE END OF THE RACE TOO:
“The No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) was mad at the No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) and he slammed on brakes after the checkered and the No. 47 (AJ Allmendinger) ran into the No. 20 and I ran into the No. 20 and I don’t know what that was all about. You know, get over it.”
 
MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 10TH
ON HIS FIRST TOP-10 RUN OF THE SEASON:
“Nothing fell out of the sky and hit us. We kept the air in the tires all night. We worked hard on it. We didn’t have a great car in the beginning, we fell back once, got off, got really tight in the middle part of the race, and Todd [Berrier] did a really good job getting it back.

“I thought we had a shot at a top five there, but the short runs were killing us. We just couldn’t take off for the first 15 or 20 laps of a run. All those guys up there were really fast and we weren’t. Here, it seems to go that way more often than not. We had a really good car on those last couple of long runs, but we had short runs at the end. We have to figure out how to get that short run going. Those long runs toward the end, we had something for them. It was a good day for us.”
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 11TH
ON HIS NIGHT:
“Just never could get the car to turn through the center of the corner and lacked rear grip and got behind on one run with a funky set of tires there.  Kind of got caught back in the swarm and were never able to quite make it up.  It all just didn’t line up right on the restarts there at the end.  Just a little bit off.”
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 32ND
WALK US THROUGH A HARD NIGHT HERE AT RICHMOND:
“Really thought we had a decent car and was going to run in the top-five, top 10 at the worst.  Then we had one run where we cut a right-front and the next run another right-front.  Not exactly sure why we had that issue, but we did have back-to-back tire issues there.  That really just kind of put an end to our night.  We didn’t have anything for the win, but I thought we could run top-five.”
 
WHERE IS YOUR HEAD DURING A RACE LIKE THAT?
“This track has been tough on us so when it happened I was like ‘alright things like that happen to us here.’ But I know we have some really good race tracks coming up.  Looking forward to those tracks.  This Chase and the way you can work your way into the Chase is more forgiving than it has ever been.  Might have to count on that this year and make sure we get in the Chase a little later than we want.”
 
REED SORENSON, NO. 36 TOMMY BALDWIN RACING CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 42ND
WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?
 “Seems like the rubber got to the oil lines and the brake lines and that was what was burning was the oil and the fuel.  So I got out of there as quick as I could and to try
and not inhale all that smoke.  Definitely not what you want to be inside of.”
 
ARE YOU GUYS DONE FOR THE NIGHT?
 “Yeah, we don’t think they can get all the lines complete and everything inside, so we are done for the night.  Want to just thank all the TBR guys and we will be back next night for Golden Corral.”