KEVIN HARVICK’S CHEVROLET SS WILL LEAD THE FIELD TO GREEN AT DARLINGTON
HARVICK EARNS HIS FIRST CAREER POLE AWARD AT ‘THE LADY IN BLACK’
 
DARLINGTON, SC – For the second consecutive week a Chevrolet SS driver will lead the field down to the green flag for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.  Kevin Harvick put his No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS on the pole for Saturday night’s Bojangles Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint at Darlington Raceway.  He circled the 1.33-mile track with a fast lap of 26.802 seconds, 183.479 mph. It marked Harvick’s first pole at the track dubbed ‘Too Tough to Tame’ and seventh career pole in the sport.
 
The afternoon session at Darlington followed the new 2014 knockout qualifying format for intermediate sized tracks, which consisted of one 25-minute session, one 10-minute session, and a final five-minute session for the fastest 12 cars.  Five Chevrolet SS drivers earned spots in the top 12 starting positions for the 367-lap race.
 
“I was on the bottom all day in practice and Rodney (Childers, crew chief) felt like in order to get the pole you were going to need to run the top after we ran our first run, Harvick said following the qualifying session.  “That is the driver in him that is why he is good to have sitting there watching because he knows what is going on and he can relay.  Also having Tim Fedewa up on top as former drivers knowing what is going on to relay what you need to do.  We moved up and picked up in the second one felt like I didn’t roll through there fast enough and in the last one felt like I rolled through there pretty good.  It all worked out.  Knockout qualifying paid off for us today.  We were able to save the best for last.”
 
Jamie McMurray drove his No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet SS into the sixth qualifying position.  Ryan Newman who was fastest in the final practice session will start the Bojangles Southern 500 from the seventh starting position in the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS.  Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet SS, a seven-time winner at ‘The Lady in Black’ qualified in the ninth position rounding out the Chevrolet power in the top-10.
 
Joey Logano (Ford) qualified 2nd, Aric Almirola (Ford) qualified 3rd, Marcos Ambrose (Ford) qualified 4th, and Brad Keselowski (Ford) qualified 5th to round out the top five starting spots.
 
Saturday night’s race will air on FOX beginning at 6:30 pm ET. The Bojangles Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race will be 367 laps making up 501.3 miles.
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
 
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO WIN HERE AT DARLINGTON?
“This is one of those I guess what we would refer to as a crown jewel race.  The one that is not sitting in our trophy case, so not only that but it’s just Darlington and this is what NASCAR racing is all about.  To win here would mean a lot.  Hopefully we can keep it together for 500 miles.  I believe we have a really fast car and everything has gone well all weekend.”
 
DOES THIS QUALIFYING FORMAT WILL THAT LEAD TO MORE POLES FOR YOU THAN THE OLD FORMAT WOULD HAVE?
“I think we just have faster cars to drive in qualifying.  They do a good job of detailing out the race cars. Our cars always have speed and the first four weeks we didn’t do a very good job on Friday and I think over the last four weeks we have done a lot better job.  I think you just have faster race cars on qualifying day.”
 
YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF CRAZY THINGS HAPPEN TO YOUR CAR ON RACE DAYS ARE YOU LAUGHING ABOUT IT?  ARE YOU FRUSTRATED? WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET?
“The cars are running really good.  The guys are doing what they are supposed to do.  We have been fast every week.  You just have to battle through it.  There is nothing that you can change about it.  I think if we were in the previous points format you would probably be in a whole lot worse mood about it.  But since we have already won and obviously we feel like we have given away some wins with the failures, but you just keep going about your business.  I think today is good medicine for everybody and proof that everybody just works week to week on what they need to work on and last week is over.”
 
FOR THAT GOOD LAP DID YOU CHANGE YOUR LINE THROUGH TURNS THREE AND FOUR? HOW MUCH CAN YOU CHANGE YOUR LINE?
“I was on the bottom all day in practice and Rodney (Childers, crew chief) felt like in order to get the pole you were going to need to run the top after we ran our first run.  That is the driver in him that is why he is good to have sitting there watching because he knows what is going on and he can relay.  Also having Tim Fedewa up on top as former drivers knowing what is going on to relay what you need to do.  We moved up and picked up in the second one felt like I didn’t roll through there fast enough and in the last one felt like I rolled through there pretty good.  It all worked out.  Knockout qualifying paid off for us today.  We were able to save the best for last.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
BOJANGLES SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 11, 2014
 
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Darlington Raceway and discussed his progress so far in his rookie season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and many other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
YOU HAVE A NEW SPONSOR ON THE QUARTER PANEL THIS WEEKEND TALK ABOUT THAT AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT DARLINGTON BRINGS PARTICULARLY FOR A YOUNG DRIVER LIKE YOURSELF:
“It’s nice to have one of Target’s partner’s on the quarter panel this week.  P3 by Kraft it’s this little snack with meat, cheese and nuts.  It’s nice to get a little snack in during this long day today that we are having.
 
“As far as Darlington goes definitely the toughest track we go to I think.  Both ends are so different, (turns) 1 and 2 is a lot faster corner and then the exit slows up a lot.  I drilled the wall off Turn 2 earlier today, as well as a couple of people did.  We had to get a back-up car out.  I’m proud of my Target guys for working really quick to get us back out there in first practice and preparing a really good back-up car.  We fired off and were just a little bit slower than our primary, but they worked on it some and felt like we were really good in second practice.  We made a couple of long runs then our mock (qualifying) runs were decent.  I need to get better to just get around the track faster.  I feel like the car handles okay.  I just have to figure out some things.  It’s a little bumpy off (turn) 2 so that is what’s tricky and then loose off (turn) 4.  So I guess it’s just that both ends are way different so just got to figure it out.”
 
HOW MUCH OF THIS TRACK IS ABOUT JUST FEEL THAT THE DRIVER GETS WHEN HE IS IN THE CAR AND IS THIS TRACK PROBABLY AS CLOSE TO WHERE YOU REALLY OPERATE ON THE EDGE COMPARED TO ANY OTHER PLACE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN?
“It’s definitely on edge.  I would say more than the rest of the tracks we run on.  Just because you run lap one on the wall and at some point you are going to get into it.  Each lap, at least in the Cup car, I feel like I’m going to hit it.  It’s just like I said (turns) 1 and 2 is just really fast and 3 and 4 is a little bit more of a normal corner, but you feel like you are going to get into the wall in the center of the corner.  Just a tricky track and each lap you run your tires get a little worse.  The car handles differently and it gets a little frustrating, but it was good in final practice to figure out some things that helped my car turn better off of (turn) 2, because that is where I’ve been struggling mostly.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE NOTION OF HAVING SOMEONE WHO IS EVEN YOUNGER THAN YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN CHASE ELLIOTT?  DO YOU FORESEE A KYLE LARSON AND CHASE ELLIOTT RIVALRY THAT COULD LAST MANY YEARS?
“Yeah, I guess.  I don’t even call me and Kyle (Busch) a rivalry we are just racing each other each week and want to beat each other.  It’s not like a bad rivalry or anything like that.  I mean Chase (Elliott) does an amazing job in a race car.  He has been quick every race so far this season.  He seems like he gets better and better each week.  He is going to win a couple of more times this year and hopefully with us both being young we are going to be racing and battling each other for the rest of our careers.  Hopefully we will be doing it up front in the Cup series.  He is with a great organization over there with Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports.  I’ve got good stuff over at Chip Ganassi Racing too so hopefully we will be duking it out for a long time.”
 
YOU LIKE THE HIGH SIDE IT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF AN INSTINCT FROM YOUR SPRINT CAR DAYS WITH THE CUSHION AND THAT SORT OF THING.  DOES DARLINGTON SPECIFICALLY GIVE YOU A PAUSE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF HAS BEEN YOUR NORMAL STYLE OF RUNNING UP HIGH?
“I definitely think more about it here just because you are carrying so much speed up to the wall.  Most of the other tracks the entry is pretty wide and you can ease your way up to the wall, where here you are hauling butt up to the wall.  The wall here is not very smooth either.  It comes out and does all sorts of different things. It will reach up and grab you quick and really can tear up your car if you get into it. Where other tracks I feel like you can nudge it and it is okay.  I think maybe in the Nationwide car you can do that here, but in the Cup car I feel like it’s going to tear up your right-front if you do that.  It’s a long race and my goal is definitely to try to stay out of the wall as long as possible.  I know I will probably get into it at some point, but hopefully it’s in the later part of the race.”
 
AFTER SEVEN RACES IF YOU COULD JUST ASSESS YOUR SEASON WITH THE TEAM, YOUR CONFIDENCE, WHAT THE TEAM IS DOING GOOD, BAD AND THINGS LIKE THAT?
“We have been good every week.  Every week I feel like we have had great speed.  Our car has been in the top 10 I feel like most races.  Martinsville was probably our worst one and that’s a lot of it to do with me.  I think we have been doing a great job.  The first couple of races we made some mistakes, but now it seems like we have kind of got some momentum and figuring things out and the races have been going smoother for us.  We have been getting solid finishes so just have to keep that little streak going and just be consistent.  So far there have been a lot of winners so you have to put yourself in position for later in the season if the 16 fill up and you don’t have a win.  I feel like we should get a win here shortly.”
 
HOW CLOSELY DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROOKIE STANDINGS?
“My goal was always to win the Rookie-of-the-Year so it hasn’t changed yet.  We have put ourselves in position to win that so far.  I pay attention to the rookie points and right now we are leading it.  I definitely pay attention to where Austin (Dillon) is at as well as Justin Allgaier and the other rookies just because I want to win that bad, so just working hard to do that.  Austin is really good at finishing races and being consistent in getting his car better throughout each run so it makes me work hard to do that also.”
 
WILL COMPETING IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES RACE TONIGHT HELP YOU FOR THE CUP RACE TOMORROW NIGHT?
“I definitely think the Nationwide race will help me more tonight than it has at the other races just because this track is so difficult.  You drive the track pretty similar in both Nationwide and Cup so I think however many laps the race is tonight should help me and help me figure out some different lines and stuff.  The track is going to have a lot of rubber on it by the time we get out for the Nationwide race.  It’s going to get trickier and trickier, so I think it’s going to help me a lot tonight.”
 
TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESS THIS YEAR YOUR TEAM HAS REALLY BEEN DOING WELL. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE THIS YEAR?
“I just think it’s a combination of a lot of things.  I think everybody at Target Chip Ganassi Racing has built great cars for myself and Jamie (McMurray).  Jamie has a new crew chief, I’m new there in the No. 42 car and I just think the chemistry over there is really good right now.  Jamie and I work really well together.  We can talk to each other very easily.  We have been talking a lot this week just because it is a difficult track.  The crew chiefs and engineers work really hard to make our cars better.  I just think everybody is getting along really well and gelling and that pays off.”
 
HOW TOUGH IS THIS TRACK COMPARED TO OTHER TRACKS ON THE CIRCUIT?
“It’s the toughest track we go to I think.  There are other really
tough tracks, but this one is tough in its own way.  The wall reaches out and grabs you really quick here.  We got into the wall pretty hard off (Turn) 2 and decided to get the back-up out.  They said they probably could have fixed that one, but it wouldn’t have been right for the second practice and stuff.  We decided to get the back-up out.  They said it was just as good as our primary so I had the same amount of confidence after I wrecked in first practice to when I got in the back-up car.  Just hats off to my guys for working quick to get me back out there to get me as many laps as I could.”
 

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – HIT THE WALL DURING THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION AND EARNED HIS FIRST NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES DARLINGTON STRIPE:
“Well, Kyle (Larson) came over and asked, ‘where did you hit’? I said off Turn 2. He said, me too.  I said did you try you try to come off the wall and make it turn? He said exact same thing. So we are just learning, I guess. You get really tight. I felt good into (Turn) 1, and then through the middle, I get tight late around the corner, it just carries speed. Just hit the wall, but I learned a lot right there. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again. 

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – HIT THE WALL DURING THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION, WILL GO TO A BACK-UP CAR
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO A BACK-UP:
“Yeah I mean we (Austin Dillon) were talking and it sounded like the exact same thing that we were describing.  Difference is I have to get a back-up out.  Our back-up they said is just as good as our primary so we had a really good run before we I hit the wall.  Just learning, I’m mostly ever in the wall in (Turns) 3 and 4 and never hit off (Turn) 2.  I killed the wall in (Turn) 2.  We will get back out here soon and I’m sure be fine.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
BOJANGLES SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 11, 2014
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the disappointment of having fast cars and yet not winning this season, what he likes about Darlington, qualifying, the toughest days inside the race car in his career, and more. Full Transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT COMING TO DARLINGTON. CERTAINLY YOU’RE ON THE VERGE OF GETTING YOUR FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON. TALK ABOUT YOUR CHANCES HERE TOMORROW NIGHT
“I’m excited to be back at the race track, a track that is a favorite of so many; including myself. The sensation of speed here is higher than any other track we go to. And the line and racing surface is so narrow and unique and challenging, that it really is an accomplishment to run 500 miles here; to be successful and qualify well and have a good race, and then ultimately to win. So, I’m very excited to be back and I’m looking forward to a good race.
 
“We’ve had a lot of speed in our cars. And I feel terrible that honestly, the last three weeks we’ve had a race-winning car and just haven’t been able to take advantage of it. Las week our race was cut awfully short; just three or four laps before we had all the damage fro Junior’s trip through the grass, and didn’t have a chance to let our car shine there in Texas. I think we were really, really in a great position to compete for a win, but that stuff happens. We’re looking forward and are focused on this weekend’s race and can hopefully get a ‘W’.”
 
ABOUT THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WHEN YOU DOMINATE THE RACE, LOSE CAR AT THE END AND THEN LAST WEEK, WHAM, EARLY. IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ‘OUCH’ THAT BITES YOU? DOES THAT THROW A GLITCH IN THINGS AT TIMES?
“There’s definitely an ‘ouch’, but it’s more from a position where we hate to see opportunities slip away. It doesn’t hurt our confidence. For us, and I think most teams, when you’re that close and have a shot to win, and know that you have fast race cars and you don’t pull into Victory Lane, it’s a confidence booster. The end result isn’t what you want or what you like, but you know your cars are fast and your pit stops are good. You have all the pieces there and it’s just about running the distance of the race and getting the job done.
 
“So, I’ve been through various challenges in my Cup career and one marker I always look for is clearly fast cars and ultimately top 5 finishes. And I firmly believe that if you’re running in the top 5, you’re going to have your shots at winning races. And even a step further, top 3’s. But our goal, since I’ve started, has been if we can run in the top 5 all day long, we’ll have a shot to win the race. And it’s led to a lot of victories for us.”
 
PENSKE, IN EFFECT, HAS BOTH OF HIS CARS IN THE CHASE AND CAN EXPERIMENT MORE AND TARGET CHASE TRACKS WITH TESTS. HOW MUCH OF AN ADVANTAGE IS THAT? DOES THAT PUT THE REST OF YOU AT SOMEWHAT OF A DISADVANTAGE?
“My first response is that it doesn’t put us at a disadvantage. The game has changed some and I think most of it falls on the fact that you have to test as an organization where you go. We’re confident we’re going to have a car, if not all four cars, in the Chase. And all of our planning has been focused around Chase tracks for testing. So, if we do get deep into the regular season and need to use a test at Richmond or a test at a non-Chase track, at that point yeah, absolutely. It benefits a Penske where they’re already locked-in. But now, in the way we’ve been planning things, we’ve been focused on all our cars being in the Chase and heading that direction. But you know, in time it could change and we might have to call an audible late in the post-season and show a little help to one or more of our race cars.”
 
WE ARE COMING UP ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF LOSING ARYTON SENNA. YOU ARE A BIG FORMULA 1 FAN. DO YOU REMEMBER IF HE HAD ANY IMPACT ON YOUR EARLY YEARS AS A DRIVER? IS HE SOMEBODY YOU LOOKED UP TO BACK WHEN HE WAS A CHAMPION?
“The media back in that period of time was so different than today. A few magazines I’d pick-up, I could learn about him; an occasional Formula 1 race on TV, but it was pretty far and few between. I knew the name. I knew the legacy. I feel like I’ve been able to learn more about Senna through Max Papis, to be honest with you, and some of the open wheel guys that I’m friends with that looked up to him and he actually mentored along the way. Max is probably the biggest one to that effect.
 
“So, his legacy still lives on and it’s a beautiful thing to see the respect that he has worldwide. It doesn’t matter the discipline of motorsports, people still respect his abilities today and it’s an amazing thing. And truthfully the documentary kind of opened-up everyone’s minds, as to what he was as a man, in and out of the car. And still, I can’t believe the footage they got and the story they were able to tell through that documentary. I wish I’d had a chance to meet him, and certainly wish I had the chance to race against him. I know a lot of drivers who wish they could have had that opportunity.”
 
ON DEALING WITH THE FRUSTRATION OF HAVING FAST CARS AND NOT WINNING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU LEARNED EARLIER LEADING INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS OR ARE YOU HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT NOW?
“It’s something that you learn. I’d say that maybe the first couple of races there was a bit more frustration because our cars didn’t have the speed that they needed to, and those were things that we could control. So, practice sessions at Phoenix and Las Vegas, that’s where we felt like we were off and missing something.
 
“But we’re giving 100 percent and that’s really all you can do. We’ve learned through experience to identify with that. You can only work so many hours in the day and then in the week, and only give 100 percent. Anything more is only going to be detrimental to the team and not help things progress. So, I feel like post-Bristol, moving forward, we’ve had speed in our race cars. We’ve been competitive and have had looks at wins. And things have happened. And that happens in motorsports. So, we hate that it (wining) hasn’t happened. We hate opportunities slipping away, but when you’re giving 100 percent and you have fast race cars, you’re controlling most of your variables and we feel good about that know that once we get things rolling we’ll be in great shape.”
 
LAST WEEK CHAD KNAUS (CREW CHIEF) SAID YOU NEED TO BE BETTER ON FRIDAYS.  WHAT WAS THE CASE OR WAS THAT JUST AN ISOLATED INCIDENCE OF NOT QUALIFYING AS WELL AT TEXAS?  AND ALSO, CONSIDERING YOUR RACE AT TEXAS, WHAT IS YOUR TOUGHEST DAY IN THE CAR AT A RACE?
“Man, I can think of a lot of Nationwide days that are tough.  Cup-wise I think I would go to Las Vegas maybe in ’05, can’t really remember the year, but I think we were like three laps down and had a perfectly straight race car and didn’t hit a thing.  I was loose in the front straightway in that little bend in the road.  That was my toughest day in Cup for sure.  It’s kind of hard to tighten a car up on the straightaway.  It was a very challenging day.”
 
“Fridays are a big focus for us and I don’t think going fast for a lap is the 48’s specialty.  It could just fall in my lap, team, setups, whatever it is; it’s just kind of the team’s history here at the 48.  It’s something that we have worked hard to improve.  If we had started on the front row, we wouldn’t have been in harm’s way and we have seen that a few times.  I think it was Texas in ’09 or something where Sam (Hornish) spun and we got caught up in that.  There are some rare situations where there is a problem early and if we had qualified a few spots better, then we would have been ahead of it.   That is what Chad
was referencing.”
 
WAS YOUR CAR DAMAGED SO MUCH ON MONDAY THAT THE ENTIRE DAY WAS A WASTE AS FAR AS NOT EVEN LEARNING ANYTHING ON THE NEW AERO RULES, OR MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO SEE WHAT THEY DO?
“Yeah, we had some pretty good damage to the car.  I think they did a very nice job of fixing it and I still think I could have run in the top-five based on the lap times that I heard through the course of the day. The damage was one thing, and our guys did a nice job of keeping me on the lead lap but then something fell off my car, or I ran something over on the track that shredded that right rear tire.  But as I went into turn one I ran something over, something big. I knew I was going to have an issue and sure enough, I had a flat.  That flat is what really put us down.  So it was kind of a wash, especially with the aero damage to the race car and knowing how adjustments would work.”
 
ARE YOU SEEING ANYTHING DIFFERENT OUT OF JEFF GORDON TODAY, OTHER THAN SOME OTHER YEARS YOU HAVE RACED AGAINST HIM?
“Jeff is so rock solid.  During the week, out of the car, our team meetings or debriefs, he just knows what he is looking for out of his race car.  There have been times where the collective group on the No. 24 have been able to give him what he needs and he is off and you can’t catch him.  He is off and gone and you are behind him chasing him down. Then there are other weeks where it doesn’t pan out and you are wondering why the 24 isn’t up front just because he has set such a high bar through the years with all the success he has had.  I have always admired his ability outside the car to continue to lead his team, to continue to search for the feeling.  It helps me because we run through stretches where we don’t have speed in the car and I look around at my peers, and Jeff being one of them, and watch how he handles those situations.  He has confidence in his abilities and his feel of a race car and keeps challenging the guys to find that. I am very happy for the success the 24 has had this year and know that they are going to be strong all year long.”
 
NEXT WEEKEND IS AN OFF WEEKEND.  HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT WEEKEND AND WHAT KIND OF PLANS DO YOU HAVE?
“It’s very important to have off.  I am not sure what our plans are with the tragedy we had last week and we are just not in the mood to really go anywhere so we may have a stay-cation at home and enjoy just being at home which is going to be a vacation all on its own.  But it’s great for the teams.  The drivers have one aspect and we would like some down time, but for the crew members, they have been going hard since Christmas break.  Especially since after the New Year and trying to narrow in on our rules package; through testing, through Speedweeks and to here.  So it’s a much needed break for the crew members.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
BOJANGLES SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 11, 2014
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Darlington Raceway and discussed last week’s accident at Texas, JR Motorsports victory at Texas with driver Chase Elliott and many other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RACING HERE AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY:
“It’s been around a long time.  One of the toughest race tracks physically that we race on, tough track mentally. 500 miles here is a really long race because the track is quite a big race track and the pace slows down. You are working so hard in the corner so just one lap around here is a lot of work.  To have to run 500 miles it’s a pretty tough test of man and machine.  This track is starting to grey up pretty good so I’m looking forward to getting out there in practice and seeing what we’ve got.”
 
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO WATCH JEFFERY EARNHARDT RACE AND SEE HOW HE IS DOING?
“I watch him every week during the Nationwide races.  I think he’s done a couple of good things with that team.  Had a great qualifying effort at Bristol and got spun out the first lap of the race.  He has had some other good situations that I’ve seen where he’s had some speed in practice or in qualifying and in particularly in the race he has done well on a few occasions.  We keep an eye on him.  Him and I are close he lives real close to me.  He’s supposed to come over to the house Sunday to hang out a little bit.  I mean we stay pretty tight.”
 
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON CHASE ELLIOTT AS YOU SAID ‘BEING BETTER THAN HE KNOWS HE IS’ AND BILL’S (ELLIOTT) INFLUENCE ON CHASE?
“What I meant about Bill (Elliott) is just Bill’s demeanor his calm demeanor.  He is not excitable and I think that helps Chase a lot.  I think that has molded Chase into the person that he is.  As Chase has grown up I think he has taken a lot of his father’s mental makeup and intuition and certain personality traits that have been a big help to Bill in his racing career.  Just basically how calm Bill is and how much of a student to racing Bill was. I think that Chase really is very similar.  He has just got a lot of talent.  I think every once in a while there are some guys that come in here that they don’t know how good they are.  They haven’t competed against this type of competition before and drove cars this well prepared before.  Or been in a series of this nature, so they don’t really know how much they stack up against the competition.  But as an outsider looking in you can see certain guys have more than others.  Chase is really ahead of the game right now.  He should continue to progress and continue to learn and hopefully be real quick in the next 24 months he is going to turn into something pretty awesome that will be a force in the sport for a while.  I’m excited about it just to have a guy like that come in with that pedigree.  He has got real potential to be a force for a long time so it will be exciting.”
 
WAS JAMES FINCH THE PRIMARY GUY WHO CONNECTED YOU, RICK (HENDRICK) AND CHASE (ELLIOTT)?  HOW DID YOU AND RICK FIND OUT ABOUT CHASE?
“I can’t speak for Rick (Hendrick) on the deal.  If I had to guess I would say that (James) Finch had some great words to say and influenced some of Rick’s opinions.  But I just kept hearing him winning races and beating good competition; winning races against guys that were surprising.  He was doing some good work in the late models, super late models and he was handling himself in a real professional manner.  As important as it is that he is successful on the track, it’s also equally and maybe more so important that he is a level head off the track.  That makes it so much easier to deal with him, to want to work with him, to want to help him and to market him.”
 
HOW DID YOU GET OVER LAST WEEK?  HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU SPEND THIS WEEK BEATING YOURSELF UP OVER IT?  HOW WAS THE REACTION ON TWITTER COMPARED TO WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE?
“I guess Twitter can be a help in a situation like that.  I mean my fans certainly have a back and tell you to brush it off, don’t worry about it.  I’m sure there are some people on there saying the opposite, but I didn’t see many of those or any of those.  There is a positive and a negative to everything.  I didn’t really spend a lot of time on Twitter this week because we were working at Michigan.  We had some things to do Thursday.  Twitter is a bit of a playground and I don’t want to horse around if we are not doing good.  I don’t want to be on there goofing off and making light of the situation because it was a frustrating mistake.  It was something I don’t take very lightly.  Just being able to get back in the car and test at Michigan was a big help for me to get past it and to get focused on the next race. This is a tough event at Darlington.  We’ve got some decent runs here but we haven’t really come here and had a race that we thought we lost.  This is going to be a tough place to come rebound, but we are going to give it our best.  I’m just glad to be back at the track.  Go ahead and get a race or two in the bank and put it behind us.”
 
THE SPEEDS YOU GUYS WERE TURNING AT MICHIGAN THIS WEEK HOW REALISTIC THAT WE MIGHT SEE THOSE DURING THE RACE WEEKEND UP THERE?
“The track should slow down as it rubbers up, tightens up, get slicker.  The seams will get slicker.  So I don’t think we will see those kinds of speeds.  That is basically what we saw in practice there last time.  We may see those speeds in practice, but I doubt we will see those in the race.  The race will slow down quite a bit or enough.  I think we learned some things.  I was really happy to have an opportunity to test with Goodyear and get an opportunity to get on the race track and learn.  We did go through a lot of different tires and a lot of different constructions.  The dual zone tire we tried a couple of different ones.  We went through – they had about eight different sets of tires that they wanted to learn something’s about, some for Michigan, some for Kansas and other places. It was a productive test and even though we were cut short on the first day we were able to get a lot of information for Goodyear that I hope is going to be helpful to them.  So it was good to be a part of that.  I really enjoyed it.  I love turning laps at Michigan.  It’s a superfast race track.  We weren’t able to really work on the set-ups of the cars that much at a tire test, but I like the speed that our car had compared to the guys I saw there.”   
 
JR MOTORSPORTS HAS HAD A GREAT START THIS YEAR AND YOU GUYS PICKED UP A BIG WIN LAST WEEK AT TEXAS WITH CHASE BEHIND THE WHEEL.  TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS:
“We feel real fortunate to have Chase (Elliott) in the program.  He was going to go somewhere and be successful and we were lucky to be able to work with him.  Feel fortunate to have him and be able to work with Bill (Elliott).  Bill has been a lot of fun to work with.  Having him spot for me a couple of times has been a blast.  That is like an added perk to the whole deal.  Chase has been a real pleasure.  He has done a great job.  He did an awesome job in Texas getting the car to Victory Lane.  That team is poised for success and I feel like they have a great opportunity to continue that and continue winning races.  It’s just a very exciting time for us, for NAPA and we have just got to sit here and wait and keep working hard and watch it play out.  It’s going to be a long season and there is going to be some up’s and down’s, a
lot of things to learn.  It’s not all going to be roses, but it’s definitely pointed in the right direction and we just want to give Chase a great opportunity to progress and learn as well as he can in the cars we have.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: First Street Fight for Corvette C7.R
Looking to turn potential of new GT race car into victory
 
DETROIT (April 8, 2014) – After the two longest races on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship schedule, Corvette Racing moves to the shortest event on its calendar. The team’s two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs travel to the West Coast for the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase – part of this weekend’s Grand Prix of Long Beach.
 
Although the race lasts just 100 minutes, the event typically is one of the most challenging of the season. It’s a sprint through the streets of Long Beach – a 11-turn, 1.968-mile circuit that is playing host to a grand prix weekend for the 40th year.
 
Corvette Racing has been part of the last seven Long Beach weekends as part of the American Le Mans Series, and the results have been overwhelmingly solid. The team has four victories at the circuit to its credit including two years ago for the duo of Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin. A Corvette Racing driver also has set the fastest race lap in class each of the last seven years.
 
It’s no secret then that Corvette Racing drivers and crew look forward to returning. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen – twice a pole-winner at Long Beach – share the No. 3 Corvette C7.R with Gavin and Milner in the No. 4 Corvette.
 
Redemption is top of mind for America’s premier production-based sports car team. Both Corvette C7.Rs led significant portions of the TUDOR Championship’s first two rounds at Daytona and Sebring but the results don’t reflect the efforts of the drivers and team.
 
The No. 4 Corvette of Gavin, Milner and Robin Liddell was the dominant car in class at Sebring, having led a majority of the race before a fuel pressure issue took the car out of contention. Likewise, the No. 3 entry of Garcia, Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe (competing in this weekend’s IndyCar race in a Chevy-powered entry) led at Sebring despite an opening-lap collision and a punctured tire.
 
Such strong performances underscore the potential of the first-year Corvette C7.R platform. Based on the 2015 Corvette Z06 production car, the C7.R’s rigid frame – which gives the car improved cornering ability and stability – and throttle response from its direct-injection engine make it a contender against entries from the likes of BMW, Ferrari, Porsche and SRT.
 
Live television coverage of the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase starts at 6 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.
 
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“I’ve always like racing at Long Beach, and I enjoy all street circuits. It is an unusual event because the race is short. I don’t know how it will play out this year with the new fueling and capacity regulations. This always has been a one-stop race for us and I believe it could be again. That is the key thing about this race – how the strategy plays and how you work around that. The number of yellows can play a role as well. You can be up front and use a normal strategy but find yourself in a bad situation depending on when the yellow falls. The number of factors and variables here are very, very high.”
(Long Beach methodology) “At Long Beach, you need to run at 100 percent but you have no room for error. The walls are very close and traffic will be a factor. That’s part of the game but I think that’s why I like street circuits. I enjoy that pressure.”
(Start to 2014) “It’s true that we haven’t had a trouble-free start to our season but everyone at Corvette Racing has been analyzing and working on it. I hope Long Beach is a turnaround for us and our season. The Corvette C7.R has shown at both races that it has speed and can run up front.”
 
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“Long Beach is a fantastic venue. There is always an incredible show going on during the weekend. The grip level on the track is very good. The Corvette has always been very strong; we’ve not always been super successful but we always have had a shot to win. I’m looking forward to a trouble-free weekend and hopefully we can get back on plan in terms of the championship.”
(Navigating Long Beach) “There is not a lot of runoff. There are some places that have a safety or escape road you can use. But most other places it is just concrete so you have to drive with a bit of a safety margin. But because of the length of the race, you also have to get things done. In certain situations you might be a little more aggressive than normal but you must also bear in mind that there is a bigger risk here than anywhere else.”
(Race expectations) “For us, it’s the first time with the C7.R at Long Beach. There may be a little bit of a learning curve but I think we have a really good handle on it. We should be in good shape right away. The car has been good. We’ve had bad luck at the first two races and we’re due for a good result. We have been up front in both races. Hopefully those things are part of the past and we can concentrate on getting some wins and podiums to get back on track for the championship.”
 
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“I do like Long Beach and the circuit. The new Corvette C7.R should be strong there, and I know the guys at Corvette Racing have been working on the setup for this weekend. Because we have so little track time, you have to make sure you come off the truck fast. In previous years, we’ve done that very well.”
(Keys to success) “A street circuit can make a little difference to a driver but at the same time you have to say to that you can only drive around in the car you’re given. Sometimes little tweaks and little things in just the right spots can make the difference in having a car on the front row and winning or losing the race. Pace is very, very important there because it’s a short race. You need to qualify well and on top of everything. That’s one of the things Corvette Racing has been good at for so long. We’re hoping for that again this year.”
(Strategy focus): “It’s most probably the one race where it’s all focused on your one pit stop if everything goes well. You have to get it right. You don’t get any second chances because there is no window for a second stop to make up any time or turn your strategy around. Once you do your stop, you’re done and you’re committed. As a driver, you’re mindful that the in-lap and the out-lap are vitally important. There are so many things you have to weigh. In terms of the work level that the driver actually does driving the car is quite short, but it’s very focus. You know that any slip-up is going to make a huge difference on the outcome of your race.”
 
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“This weekend is equally important as the first two races at Daytona and Sebring but it’s fun for different reasons. It is so short and goes through downtown Long Beach. It’s definitely a whole different mindset. We have such limited practice time. We go there with a new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R unsure of how the car will be on a tight track like Long Beach. I don’t think it will pose any problems for us. Obviously a new car shows us some new things with how it reacts to setup changes and stuff like that. So far, the new Corvette C7.R has been as good if not better in every area of performance compared to the C6.R. I don’t forsee it being an issue for us, but there are always new things to learn.”
(Corvette strengths) “In years past, it seems like what has helped us at Long Beach has been our braking performance. With the Corvette C7.R, one area where we have improved is putting power down. Those are two pretty crucial parts of having a fast car at Long Beach. So if the power-down is improved like it was at Daytona and Sebring
then I think we’ll be pretty good shape for Long Beach.”
(A two-class race) “I’m definitely excited to see what the race will be like with just us and the prototypes. The other classes provide for great racing and the fans like to see that. But after some of the issues the series faced at the first couple of races with some long caution periods, hopefully with two professional categories and drivers racing together that we don’t have too many accidents and put on a good show for the fans.”
 
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“After two long-distance races to open our season, we head to Long Beach for close-quarters racing on the streets of southern California. We have clearly shown that the pace of the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R is promising; unfortunately, the results so far do not do reflect our performance or efforts. There is no better place to break through than Long Beach. The Grand Prix is one of racing’s premier events and provides an incredible atmosphere for sports car racing with huge crowds throughout the weekend. We’re fully prepared to give all the Chevrolet and Corvette fans in southern California our fifth victory at Long Beach!”

CORVETTE DPs AT LONG BEACH: Taking It To Southern California’s Streets
Chevrolet comes to famed street venue with TUDOR Championship engine manufacturer lead
 
DETROIT (April 8, 2014) – Armed with a victory at its longest race of the season, Chevrolet’s Corvette Daytona Prototype teams head to America’s premier street circuit event for the shortest race on the calendar. The streets of Long Beach will play host to the annual Grand Prix of Long Beach – a southern California tradition celebrating its 40th year. The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is part of the festivities with Corvette Daytona Prototypes playing a leading role.
 
To be fair, it’s also a position Chevrolet and the Corvette DPs have held since the TUDOR Championship’s opening race at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Thanks to a victory there and a third-place finish at Sebring – both via Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Corvette DP – Chevrolet leads the TUDOR Championship’s engine manufacturer standings in the Prototype category.
 
Saturday’s Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase – set for 3:10 p.m. PT and airing live on FOX Sports 1 – is a 100-minute race made up of the TUDOR Championship’s Prototypes and the GT Le Mans class. With heavy involvement in both those classes plus being an engine supplier for the Verizon IndyCar Series, Chevrolet will be the prominent marque on the Long Beach weekend.
 
The opening two rounds of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship featured two distinct types of race tracks. That trend continues with the series’ third event on its inaugural calendar. But Long Beach is unfamiliar territory for the Daytona Prototypes. The last time DPs raced around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit was 2006 as part of the GRAND-Am Rolex Sports Car Series; the American Le Mans Series’ prototypes ran there from 2007-13. Entries from both series now populate the TUDOR Championship’s Prototype class.
 
There won’t be much time for teams to acclimate themselves to the circuit with a two-hour, early-morning practice followed by a 30-minute session late in the afternoon before qualifying. That plus the race’s abbreviated length means there is no margin for error. Since they debuted for the 2012 Rolex Series season,  Corvette DPs won two of the three street races on the GRAND-AM schedule: both on Belle Isle in Detroit.
 
Long Beach continues a run of unique circuits that Team Chevy faces in the opening rounds of the TUDOR Championship. The season began on Daytona International Speedway’s infield road course before moving to the rough-and-tumble permanent road course at Sebring International Raceway. Action Express Racing’s No. 5 entry of Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais led a Chevrolet sweep of the top four positions at the Rolex 24. They followed with a third-place finish at Sebring to lead the Corvette DP contingent.
 
Wayne Taylor Racing, runner-up at Daytona, is entered for Long Beach along with Spirit of Daytona and Marsh Racing to make up the group of Corvette DPs set for Round 3.
 
“There are many unique challenges to racing around Long Beach,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “As DPs have not raced there in some time, there are many unknowns – things like suspension and aero setup, and gearing ratios will be best estimates based on our simulations at Chevrolet. The length of the race and minimum drive times bring a new element of strategy into play as well. More than ever, the teams that are best prepared ahead of Friday’s first practice will have distinct advantages. We’re confident our Corvette DP teams will be chief among those.”