IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT
RACEWAY ON BELLE ISLE – DETROIT
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 1, 2013
 
Ryan Hunter-Reay Finishes Second in Chevrolet Dual in Detroit Race One; With Fifth Place Finish, Helio Castroneves Takes Points Lead
 
DETROIT (JUNE 1, 2013) – Defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport Chevrolet,  claimed his third 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series podium of the season with a second-place finish on Saturday in the first race of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit at the Raceway on Belle Isle.           
 
Starting fourth on the grid for the 70-lap/164.22-mile race on the 13-turn/2.36-mile temporary street course, Hunter-Reay led once for 20 laps on the way to his runner-up finish, which moved him to second in the standing, just three points out of the top spot.
 
Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, took over the lead in the standings with a fifth place finish in the sixth race of the 2013 IndyCar Series season. Castroneves started 12th on the 25-car grid.
 
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, finished eighth to give the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 three of the top-10 finishers.
 
“A tough day for many of our Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams and drivers in Race One at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series.  “But, the race completed with dry conditions despite a forecast for rain.  Team Chevy now holds the top three positions in driver points and maintains the lead in the Manufacturer points battle.  We will regroup overnight for Race two of the first-ever doubleheader weekend, and come back to race for the win.”
 
Race Two of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 2, 2013, with live television coverage on ABC.
 
Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 94 and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 212. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at

Team Chevy Scores Double Win in Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 in Detroit
Angelelli and Taylor Take Team and Driver Point Lead with Victory; Liddell and Edwards Score Third Consecutive Win of the Season
                                      
DETROIT – (JUNE 1, 2013) Jordan Taylor put the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype (DP) on the pole, and Max Angelelli closed the deal to win the Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 at the Raceway on Belle Isle. The duo led 45 of 61 laps on the way to victory lane.
 
It is the drivers’ second win of the 2013 season, and catapulted the pair into the lead in both GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series (Rolex Series) team and driver points. The victory in the shadow of Chevrolet’s Detroit headquarters also extended Chevrolet’s lead in the Series’ DP Engine Manufacturers’ Championship Point Standings.
 
“Congratulations to Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and the No. 10 Velocity Corvette DP team on their win on Detroit’s Belle Isle circuit,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicle and Motorsports. “Their win today propelled Max and Jordan to the drivers’ points lead.”
 
For the third consecutive race, Robin Liddell and John Edwards powered the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R to the victory in the Rolex Series Grand Touring (GT) class.  Starting fifth in-class for the two-hour race on the 13-turn/2.36-mile temporary street course, Liddell methodically worked his way through the field to the second place before the pit stop and driver exchange.
 
“It was great to see Robin Liddell, John Edwards and the Stevenson Camaro team win after an intense battle with Ferrari.” Campbell said.
 
With excellent pit work, Edwards came out in the lead, and held the point to grab the GT class win.  The victory moved the pair to second in the class team points as well as second in the driver points.  Chevrolet gained ground in the GT Manufacturers’ Point Standings.
 
“It was extra special to have these drivers and teams deliver wins in Detroit, the home of Chevrolet’s worldwide headquarters,” said Campbell.
 
Mark Kent, Director of Chevrolet Racing agreed.  “Just to be racing here on this beautiful Detroit circuit is exciting, and for Chevrolet to win both classes is the icing on the cake,” he said.
 
Rounding out the podium in DP were the No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP driven by Christian Fittapaldi and Joao Barbosa, and the No. 2 Starworks Ford.
 
In GT, the No. 63 and 61 Ferrari teams joined Stevenson on the podium.
 
Next on the GRAND-AM schedule will be June 14-15 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio featuring both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.
 
POST RACE DRIVER QUOTES:
MAX ANGELELLI, NO. 10 VELOCITY WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:
“I have to say that we delivered and executed perfectly. The guys did an excellent job in the pits. Once again, this is a team win. They made us win the race. This is for GM, Chevrolet and Corvette!”
 
WERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT BARBOSA IN THE CLOSING LAPS? “I realized that I was good in the corners that were important – Turn 3 and Turn 7. We had good top speed and good braking. (Barbosa) was closer in the first-gear corners and the very tight sessions. He was very fair and it was hard racing.
 
“The beauty of this series is that it’s really impossible to say you are in a good spot. If you miss a race or have a bad weekend, it takes a long time to recover. Anything can happen and the championship is still really wide open. There are seven cars that can contend.”
 
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 VELOCITY WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:
“To win last year in the Camaro in GT for Chevy and now this year in the Corvette for Chevy is perfect. The goal all weekend was to put the Corvette DP on top. It’s great for Team Chevy and I’m glad to be a part of it.
 
“Pretty much every day it’s been a green track. It rained before qualifying and it was green again so we knew what to expect. Today was a little more unique. It was dry the whole morning. Going into the race the track got warmer and there was more rubber from our warm-up and IndyCar qualifying. There was a little more grip but the heat of the day compromised it a little. I don’t think there was any drop-off in the tires and kept everyone close and competitive. It was a good, classic GRAND-AM race.”
 
ROBIN LIDDELL, NO. 57 STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GT.R:
“It was a big deal for all of us. We had a GM party a couple nights ago and it is an important event to showcase their cars and abilities. What GM and the organizers have done here is fantastic.
 
“We decided to switch things around because John didn’t have a Continental race
I knew any chance there was to pass that I had to take it. I had to take it and picked up three spots early. The Stevenson guys again were phenomenal. We were able to jump ahead of the Ferrari on the pit stop. I think this is the only the second race win I’ve had in the Rolex Series where I haven’t finished. When you’re sitting on the stand while leading with 10 minutes to go is nerve-wracking! John did a fantastic job as always. It was fun to switch things up and it worked out well.”
 
JOHN EDWARDS, NO. 57 STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GT.R:
“I don’t know if it’s a magical season but we’re definitely in the championship fight. I’m happy Stevenson gave me the chance to finish the race. Robin drove a really great stint starting out and picked up positions at a place where people say it’s tough for passing. Each race the Stevenson guys raising our expectations. We expect them to be perfect and best in the paddock. The last three races we’ve made passes on pit stops or through strategy calls. At Barber and here, we made the pass by having the better pit stops. Hats off to the Stevenson guys. They really got us in the lead during the pit stop. You could see by the pressure I was under that if I had gotten out in second place then we probably wouldn’t be here talking as winners.”

Jordan Taylor Puts No. 10 Corvette Daytona Prototype on the Pole for Chevrolet  GRAND-AM 200 at the Raceway on Belle Isle; Jon Fogarty Makes it All-Corvette DP Front Row
 
DETROIT (May 31, 2013) – It will be an all-Corvette Daytona Prototype front row for the start of the Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 on the Raceway on Belle Isle.  Jordan Taylor put the No. 10 Velocity World Wide Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype on the pole for Saturday’s two-hour GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race.
 
“It’s good being here for Chevrolet and right in the backdrop of the Renaissance Center,” said Taylor. “We had an event there last night and we had a pretty big talk on how important this weekend is. I’m really proud to lead the whole Chevy brigade for tomorrow.”
Joining Taylor on the front row will be Jon Fogarty who posted the second quickest time in the No. 99 GAINSCO Bob Stallings Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.
 
“It is great to have an all-Corvette Daytona Prototype front row for the Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 here in Detroit,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager for GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. “Congratulations to Jordan Taylor on putting the No.10 Corvette DP on the pole, and Jon Fogarty for his second-place qualifying effort in the No. 99 Corvette DP.
With the highly technical nature of the track on Belle Isle, the drivers have to be very strategic in setting up passes.  Track position is critical, so having as many of our Corvette DP cars starting near the front is going to be important with the race only two hours long.”
 
Team Chevy drivers captured four of the top-five starting positions with Stephane Sarrazin qualifying the No. 3 Corvette DP in fourth, and Ricky Taylor put the No. 90 Corvette DP in the fifth starting position.
The Rolex Sports Car Series Chevrolet GRAND-Am 200 two-hour race will start at 12:25 p.m. on Saturday, June 1st and can be seen tape-delayed on SPEEDTV beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage is available from MRN Radio on GRAND-AM.com live timing and scoring.
POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
JORDAN TAYLOR
ON HIS QUALIFYING “We weren’t too confident going into qualifying and weren’t in the top five in either session. Our engineer Bryan and I got together and made some big changes. Something worked; I don’t know what it was but the car was really quick and consistent. It kept getting better during the session and I luckily got a lap in without a mistake that was good enough for pole.
 
“It’s good being here for Chevrolet and right in the backdrop of the Renaissance Center. We had an event there last night and we had a pretty big talk on how important this weekend is. I’m really proud to lead the whole Chevy brigade for tomorrow.
 
“(The start of qualifying) was interesting but everyone was in the same boat. I went in not knowing what to expect. It was a fully green track with a little GT rubber down but there wasn’t much. It was kind of like how went out this morning (for the opening practice) when the track had been sitting here for a year with no rubber down. Once everyone got going and got into a rhythm and qualifying mode.
 
“Mark Reuss, Jim Campbell and Mark Kent were there…  pretty much all the big guys. Mark Reuss stood up and basically said that we are here this weekend to make a statement and that he wanted all our cars in every class to get a victory. He wants everyone on top and is very much behind the racing program. He is a huge racing fan – he was at Le Mans a few years ago with the Corvettes and was at Indy for the 500. It’s good to have that support.”
 

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT
RACEWAY ON BELLE ISLE – DETROIT
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
MAY 31, 2013
 
E.J. Viso Leads Team Chevy in Qualifying for First Chevrolet Dual in Detroit Race
 
DETROIT (May 31, 2013) – E.J. Viso, No. 5 Team Venezuela PDVSA CITGO Andretti Autosport HVM Chevrolet, qualified second in the Firestone Fast Six for the first Chevrolet Dual in Detroit race to lead 13 Team Chevy drivers in the qualifying session.  Today’s effort is the third top-five qualifying result for Viso thus far in the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series.
 
Defending Series’ champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, posted the fifth fastest time around the 13-turn/2.36-mile temporary street course on Belle Isle.
 
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, posted the 10th quickest time to give the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 three of the top-10 starters.
Race number one of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans is set to start at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, June 1, 2013 with live television coverage on ABC. Race number two is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday with live television coverage on ABC.  Each race will be 70 laps for a total of 164.22 miles.
Live radio coverage will be on XM Radio Channel 94 and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 212. In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
MAY 31, 2013
 
 
“ROCKETMAN” RYAN NEWMAN LEADS TEAM CHEVY IN QUALIFYING AT DOVER
Three Chevy SS Drivers to Start in the Top-10 at the Monster Mile
 
DOVER, DEL. – Despite an early draw in the qualifying order for the FedEx 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway, Ryan Newman posted a strong speed of 157.604 mph in 22.826 seconds behind the wheel of his No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS to earn a fifth place starting position for Sunday’s race.
 
“Dover is just a track that’s a lot of fun. It’s a challenge. If you don’t like a challenge, you don’t like Dover. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s fast, it’s demanding. I like the banked racetracks, and it’s one of those,” said Newman, who has visited Victory Lane at the Monster Mile three times (2003 twice and in ’04).
 
Other Team Chevy members who earned top 10 starting spots were Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, who will start seventh, and Jamie McMurray, who drives the No. 1 Parade Media Group Chevrolet SS, will roll-off in 10th.
 
Denny Hamlin (Toyota) was the pole winner, Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota) – second, Kyle Busch (Toyota) – third and Matt Kenseth (Toyota) – fourth round out the top-five qualifiers.
 
In all, a total of 17 Chevrolet SS race cars will tackle the famed concrete track known as the Monster Mile on Sunday, June 2nd. The action begins at 1:00 p.m. ET, and will be aired live on FOX.
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED FIFTH
HOW WAS THE LAP FROM YOUR SEAT?
“It was pretty good.  I got just a little bit loose off of (turn) four because I was tight climbing the hill.  A good run for our Haas Automation Chevrolet. The guys have done a good job the entire time in qualifying trim.  We definitely want to see it pay off in qualifying.  So far it has.  I think it will get beat, but I think it will be top-10.”
 
DESCRIBE A QUALIFYING LAP HERE IN DOVER.  HOW WHITE KNUCKLE IS IT?
“It’s not white knuckle.  There is no air in your lungs.  It gets stale by the end of the lap because you are not breathing.  It’s pretty intense.”
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED SEVENTH
HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING LAP?
“It wasn’t too bad.  I was probably a little too conservative on the one end of the race track.  Then the other end just kind of slid around like we thought we would.  All in all our Jimmy John’s Chevrolet has been really good in race trim.  Didn’t really know what to expect there qualifying trim, but it was pretty much the same as what we had in practice.  Just needed a couple more chances to make it a little bit better, but all in all it was okay.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 12TH
CONVERSING WITH YOUR CREW CHIEF WHAT WERE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO GET THIS CAR BETTER AFTER THAT SOLID LAP?
“I think the lap was okay. I think we should have been a little bit better.  Expect ourselves to be a little bit better.  We’ve got to work on a few things with the balance. I’ve got to work on some things about how I’m driving the car and stay open minded about moving around trying to everything to make sure it isn’t something like that.  We’ve got a great day tomorrow to be able to work on it and be able to tune on it and try to get to where we want to be as a team.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 31, 2013
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AARP CREDIT CARDS FROM CHASE CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway and discussed his season thus far, the challenges of racing at Pocono and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW PAINT SCHEME THIS WEEKEND AND BEING HERE IN DOVER:
“We have always had great ties to Wilmington through DuPont over the years.  In recent years now we have a great partnership with Chase with AARP and Drive To End Hunger.  They have really contributed a lot of support, awareness and funding towards this program through Chase credit card services with AARP reward card.  It’s pretty cool.  Not very often I get to drive a white car so people are going to have a hard time seeing me out there.  It certainly looks good and it’s a great program. We were up in Wilmington and went to the Food Bank of Delaware and packaged some boxes of food.  This program is so rewarding to be able to go to places like that and get people volunteering and packaging these foods that get delivered to those older Americans especially that are in need.”
 
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR SEASON THUS FAR AND BEING HERE IN DOVER THIS WEEKEND:
“Our season has been terrible.  We have run not very good at the beginning of the season and then we have run good at certain places.  Every time we are running good other than Darlington here recently. I feel like Martinsville and Darlington have been two where we put together solid races other than that I can’t say we have done much.  Just hasn’t been our year.  We are going to fight like we did last year as hard as we can to make up for it.  A lot of racing left to go.  I think our cars certainly continue to improve which always helps put a string of good finishes together to get ourselves further up in the points.”
 
WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES JIMMIE JOHNSON SO GOOD AT THIS TRACK?
“He’s good at a lot of tracks (laughs).  Jimmie is just one of those guys that continues to raise the bar everywhere.  As good as Jimmie is, Chad (Knaus, crew chief) is that good, the team is that good, the organization, the engines and the chassis.  They have got a great combination with a lot of confidence in one another when Jimmie comes here he has a lot of confidence.  It’s a track where you certainly have to push the car hard, but finding that balance and it’s tricky because there is a little bit of a compromise.  It’s not like Darlington where the ends of the track are shaped different it’s just the concrete is… the surface is slightly different it’s more abrasive at one side than the other.  The balance of the car does change from one end to the other.  Jimmie just has a great way of getting the balance right at this track.  It usually means you have got to be a little bit free and he’s good at driving a free race car.”
 
WHEN A TEAMMATE IS REALLY GOOD AT A TRACK CAN YOU PICK UP THINGS FROM THEM THAT WOULD HELP YOU?
“Well, you certainly try.  I think this is the part that is so important as a driver, as a crew chief, engineers, you try to know what your driver needs. What has worked well for you as a team and then look at the information from your teammates and see what they are doing that seems to be working well for them seems to be pretty constant that you think can work with your combination.  Sometimes we are getting the same grip level and balance in the car, but we are doing it in a different way.  That is just because we all have a slightly different feel.  Kasey Kahne is a perfect example right now.  They are very fast.  They are doing it a completely different way than the rest of us are.  You can’t sit there and chase that. You’ve got to find out what in that package they have will work with how you like to drive the car and what will make you go fast.”
 
WHEN A GUY LIKE TRAVIS PASTRANA COMES INTO A SPORT LIKE THIS DO GUYS LOOK AT THAT AND SAY WHAT IS HE DOING HERE OR IS HE WELCOMED AS A COMPETITOR?
“I think in any sport you have to earn your respect whether you are a young talent that has come up through the field that you have watched and said ‘okay that guy is really talented.’ But when he gets here you know he is going to still have to earn those stripes in that respect.  I think in Travis’ case it’s very similar which we look at him and say ‘okay he doesn’t have a lot of oval experience and driving race cars on ovals.  But he certainly has plenty of bravery and guts and not afraid to learn and try new things.  So you watch to see how he is going to do.  He earns his respect through his actions.  I think there have been times where he has impressed me.  He has done better than I thought that he would do.  Other times he has gone through lessons that you kind of expect young guys to go through especially those that don’t have a lot of oval experience.  Luckily he is with a good team and that certainly helps the learning curve go much faster.”
 
IS AGE A FACTOR IN THIS IN TERMS OF GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS AND SORT OF MAKE THE NATURAL PROGRESSION FOR YEARS AS OPPOSED TO JUMPING IN THIS? 
“I think that to me I look more at experience level.  I think that if you are driving one particular type of vehicle for a long period of time and then you try to make the jump over to the Nationwide, Truck or Cup series you are going to have a hard time because you have learned habits. Not necessarily bad habits, but they are going to be hard to change. As you get older that gets tougher we all know that.  In Travis’ case he is not really driven a lot of things that are very… I mean he has driven Rally cars, motorcycles, late models; he has driven a lot of different things.  He hasn’t really had any habits that he has to break himself with.  I don’t think age is working against him too much in that case.”
 
ON POCONO, DENNY HAMLIN SAID ONCE THEY REPAVED POCONO, IT WAS A WHOLE NEW TRACK, A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. HAVE YOU FOUND THAT TO BE THE CASE? HOW HAS YOUR APPROACH TO POCONO CHANGED SINCE THEN?
“Yeah, I’m really anxious to get some information from Stewart Haas that was up there this week. I feel like of all the repaves, Pocono is the one that stands out in my opinion because they didn’t go down this traditional route of what’s happening right now in repaves. It seems like every other track is using the same company, the same type of material, and you pretty much know what you’re going to have. Pocono went a little bit different route and tried to stick with something that’s a little bit more of what we’re looking for, which is a little bit more abrasive, which is going to wear and age a little bit faster. So, I’m anxious to get there this year to see how that process is working. I thought last year in the race, the pace did seem to drop a little bit as the runs when on, which to me was a very positive thing, and what Goodyear is looking for in tire wear and what the competitors are looking for, for better racing.”
 
ON YOUR TWEET COMMENT AFTER THE CHARLOTTE RACE ABOUT HITTING THE WALL, NOT BEING A SAFER BARRIER THERE. HAVE YOU TALKED TO ANYBODY IN RELATION TO THAT?
“I found the one off of (Turn) 2 here (Dover) and they haven’t fixed that one. I saw somebody in the Truck Series found it, too, and they haven’t done that. So, I’m not anticipating any change. I understand their theory is they go through their testing and see where multiple impacts have happened and highest impacts and those things. But, I’ve got to tell you, that was one of the hardest hits I’ve had in a race car. And the type of impact it was, I got hit from the left so it shifted everything to the left, and then I hit the wall on the right so I w
ent from left to right.
 
“I had a rough week. I didn’t quite understand the pain that I was feeling that night until I went back and watched the video and realized the angle that I hit as well as the fact that there was no Safer barrier. I had no idea there was no Safer barrier at that dogleg on the front stretch. That blew my mind that there wasn’t one. I mean, there’s one at the start/finish line and it stops and then there’s one at Turn 1. It goes around to Turn 2. That kind of shocked me. So, I certainly said something and when I get the opportunity, I’ll talk to others as well about it. As I’ve learned in the past, they’re going to look at those circumstances and make their calls based on that. Me sitting down and having a conversation with them isn’t necessarily going to change that, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to stop me from doing it.”
 
HOW DO YOU THINK THE GEN-6 CAR WILL RUN AT POCONO? HOW TOUGH IS IT TO GO FROM A PLACE LIKE DOVER THIS WEEK TO A PLACE LIKE POCONO, TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT TRACKS?
“The first couple of laps on the track are challenging and kind of eye-opening of just how fast it is and how deep in the corners you drive and how fast you’ve got to drive through the tunnel turn. That tunnel turn, to me, has always been one of the most hair-raising experiences, if you want to call it, on the circuit. I mean it just takes full commitment and when you hit it right, it’s a beautiful thing. When you don’t hit it right, it gets your attention. So to me, the first few laps will sort of be that building up, and then once you get through the first two or three laps, it’s business as usual. And that happens almost every weekend at every track we go to. But Pocono is a very unique track and you can go out there thinking you’re pushing hard and be a second off the pace. So it’s a track where a lot of speed can be lost or gained based on how hard you push it, and finding the edge and the limits is a little bit tougher on such a big race track with three very unique corners.
 
“So, I’m looking forward to getting there and seeing what the grip level is with the Gen-6 car. I think it’s going to be very good. Anytime you go faster and you have a car that has more grip and downforce, like we have now with this car, you start to find what things you’re going to be battling with fairly quickly; whether it be balance of the car, brakes, rpms on the engine, and all those types of things that will start to come into play that we can sort of anticipate, but not fully. That’s why I look forward to downloading with Stewart-Haas on their test.”
 
WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE CARS BEING ALLOWED TO BE WORKED ON DURING THE RED FLAG AT CHARLOTTE? HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO YOUR SITUATION IN MARTINSVILLE? DOES THERE NEED TO BE A SET POLICY ON THAT?
“Well, I think they just set the new precedent in my opinion; which I think is the correct thing to do. I think when something like that happens, like what happened last week, and the same thing at Martinsville like that where the track comes apart, I think that they should throw a red flag and fix the problem and then allow the teams to make repairs. Unfortunately that didn’t happen back in the day when we had that issue at Martinsville, but I agree with that. Those are things outside your control as a driver and as a team. It’s not fair to those competitors that could have really ended their race or really taken them out of competition. And I was pretty proud of the way that they handled it. But, nothing is going to take back what happened at Martinsville. I think even if they gave us 15 minutes to fix something, I’m not so sure we could have fixed it back then. That was a big chunk of concrete. There was more damage than just body damage. But we would have liked to have at least tried.”
 
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THERE AREN’T JUST SAFER BARRIERS EVERYWHERE NOW?
“No. Cost. There’s only one reason. Cost. That’s it.”

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT
RACEWAY ON BELLE ISLE – DETROIT
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 31, 2013
 
CHEVROLET INDYCAR V6 DRIVERS SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, MARCO ANDRETTI AND RYAN BRISCOE met with members of the media at the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit.  Partial transcript:
 
SEBASTIEN  BOURDAIS, NO. 7 MCAFEE DRAGON RACING CHEVROLET: ON HIS SEASON TO-DATE:  “I don’t think it is true to say we are struggling to be in top-10.  Last year we were Fast Six material week-in and week-out by the time we got the Chevy on board. Thanks to their help, we were very strong contenders by the end of the season. That’s the only reason why it is frustrating right now is because we finished the season feeling very strong about our potential for this year, and so far it hasn’t been right. It is very clear that the 2013 tire is a new deal, and we just haven’t been able to adapt to it, because as soon as we got the 2012 tire back on it in Brazil, then the car is P3 in first practice, and we missed the Fast Six by three-hundreths or three-thousandths, or something like that. It is just up to us to figure it out. We are going to keep on trying a couple of things this weekend. We have still a few more things in mind. Hopefully we get it right and get a good second part of the season.”
 
HOW ARE PREPARING PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY FOR THE FIRST DOUBLEHEADER OF THE SEASON HERE AT DETROIT? “Well, I am carrying right now a nice cold…that’s great (SMILES). Mentally, all that matters to us right now is to get the car figured out and get the balance. We’ve been fighting the understeer since the beginning of the season on the new tires, the street course tire, and that really has been tough. We’ve tried a lot of things. I’m not focused on the race as much as I am trying to get the car right because I know if we get the car right, we’ll be okay. I have no reservations of any sort. Once we get the balance right, the lap times will come, and then we will be back in the grove.  I’m not a wizard. I need the car under me, and so far we just haven’t been able to do that. I’m optimistic because I think the car hasn’t been far off. It is just the density of the field right now.  Like in Long Beach, we were 15th, four-tenths off in practice three. So, if we can just get the balance right…it doesn’t take a whole lot to just get there. If you miss it by just a little bit these days, you are just nowhere, that’s the biggest difference from year’s past.”
 
MARCO ANDRETTI, NO. 25 RC COLA ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET: ON THE IMPROVEMENTS TO HIS STREET CIRCUIT PROGRAM THIS SEASON: “It has nothing to do with how hard I worked, it was just knowing where to work, really. So far I think it has worked, but it is early in the season. But, I definitely am closer than where I was last year on the streets. I think we can win races with where I am at right now; I just want to qualifying a bit better than seventh just to make my life a bit easier.”
 
WAS THE BACK AND FORTH WITH ED (CARPENTER) AND TONY (KANAAN) AS MUCH FUN IN THE CAR AS IT WAS FOR THE PEOPLE WATCHING THE RACE? “Yes, but from that standpoint, it was a bit frustrating. Because as a driver, you should want to lead the race. None of us wanted to lead the race because we were just dragging everybody else and they could conserve fuel behind us. I think in hindsight, I should have grabbed the point for most laps led. There was point in the race were the guy in fourth could lead the next lap if he wanted to.”
 
RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 4 NATIONAL GUARD PANTHER RACING CHEVROLET: RYAN, IT WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT YOU WOULD PILOT THE NATIONAL GUARD CHEVY HERE AT DETROIT.  LAST WEEK YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN THE INDY 500 WITH GANASSI AND NOW YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO ACTION HERE WITH PANTHER RACING.  TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THIS CAME ABOUT AND THE OPPORTUNITY WITH PANTHER.
 
“Yes, it was a surprise for sure.   Certainly it wasn’t planned but John Barnes gave me a call on Tuesday morning and asked what my availability looked like and he said there was potential for something happening this weekend so we just got talking from there.   And here we are.  So its been a whirlwind for sure but the team has done an amazing job in getting the car turned around and getting me fitted and ready to go today.  I was feeling nervous, but I am feeling good now that I am here.”
 
COMING HERE FOR A RACE YOU WEREN’T EXPECTING TO RUN AND FOLLOWING INDY, HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THIS MENTALLY? “Well, I wasn’t preparing for it at all (laughs).  But I think even though you can’t compare Indianapolis to Detroit, I did just spend the whole last month in an IndyCar.   So I feel like I am comfortable in the cockpit and I have been doing plenty of racing this year so I feel like I am sharp and ready to go.  Baltimore feels like yesterday which is the last time I was in one of these on a road course.  So I am feeling good, feeling fit, and obviously it’s a great opportunity being a double header this weekend.  Its more mileage, two races and two chances to get up front and do a good job so I feel it’s the perfect weekend for me to come back and give it a shot.”
 
WHAT IS YOUR COMMITMENT WITH LEVEL FIVE AND HOW DOES THAT COME INTO PLAY WITH MORE RACES WITH PANTHER?  “My commitment is full time with Level Five, including Le Mans.  So any IndyCar races that I will be doing for the rest of the year will have to work around my commitment with those guys.”
 
WITH YOUR COMMITMENT TO SPORTS CARS AND V8 SUPERCARS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, CAN YOU FINISH OUT THE REST OF THE INDYCAR SERIES? “There will be a few conflicts so it won’t be every single race but I hope to add more races to the rest of the year.  We don’t have anything down at the moment but I do hope that I will be competing in more IndyCar races this year.”
 
PANTHER HAS SHOWN INTEREST IN YOU IN THE PAST WITH YOUR UNCERTAIN CONTRACT STATUS WITH TEAM PENSKE AND EVEN CONSIDERED THE IDEA OF A SECOND CAR WITH YOU.  BUT DO YOU FEEL IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR CHIP (GANASSI) GETTING YOU INTO THE INDY 500 THAT THE OPPORTUNITY MIGHT NOT HAVE OPENED UP FOR YOU TO BE HERE NOW? “On the contrary, I feel that if Chip didn’t come along then I might have been in the 500 with Panther.  So who knows and as I said going into Indy that when you start the year off without a full time ride, you never know what is around the corner.  Its no point in trying to guess what if, this or that.  You can’t go about this business having regrets or whatever.  You just have to try to make the best decisions you can, each and every day and move forward as well as you can.  I think this is a great opportunity for me and it’s a great team and I have a lot of faith in John Barnes and his team and I think this is a great thing for me.”
 
RYAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU DROVE A CHEVY WITH TEAM PENSKE LAST YEAR AND A HONDA FOR THE MONTH OF MAY AND NOW BACK TO A CHEVY.  WHERE DO YOU THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE ANY DIFFERENCES OR WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO BEING IN A CHEVY THIS WEEKEND? “No, it’s good and I have been talking to the Chevy guys and it sounds like they have certainly continued their development over the offseason since I last drove.  So I am looking forward to getting out there and feeling those improvements.  So I think its good and I am looking forward to feeling it out.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 31, 2013
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S MONSTERS UNIVERSITY CHEVROLET SS, met with media and discussed his visit to Oklahoma to assist tornado victims, how it impacted him, and where his foundation can best assist; plus the TV cable/rope incident during the 600 race last week, his expectations for Dover this weekend and more. FULL TRANSCRIPT”
 
TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN OKLAHOMA:
“I was certainly shocked and floored by what I saw. Everyone says that television doesn’t do it justice and we were able to go in person and see the damage and what a tornado can do. Man, it really got my attention. To meet people who were in their homes; I met a child that was in one of those schools and I could still see on his face and in his eyes the fear that he had and he still looked like that today. It really hits you deep to meet the people, see the damage and some ways kind of imagine in your mind what they went through.
 
“I grew up where the ground shook in Southern California (earthquakes) and was always petrified of tornados. And then where we live on the east coast there might be one close by. But marrying Chani and being in the beltway for tornados, I’m scared every time we go home to visit. We had to leave yesterday and get out of there as fast as we could because one was coming, or storms were coming and there ended up being a couple. And it was odd because I got on the plane to fly out and I’m leaving my family behind. They’re staying there with Chani’s parents this weekend. So I’m like oh my gosh, I’m so torn because there’s something bad coming but I’m leaving my girls behind.
 
“So, tornados really frighten me. A storm shelter is a top priority for me next time I go back, wherever I stay or whatever I do. I saw a lady who was doing an interview across the street from the school that collapsed and she had an in-ground storm shelter and was talking about her story of what went on. It was the only in-ground storm shelter I saw in the area. Without a doubt, it saved her life because her house wasn’t even there. The only thing that was left was the doors to go down into the shelter.”
 
HAVE YOU DECIDED HOW YOU WANT TO HELP?
“Yeah, we’ve definitely earmarked funds from the 600 to go to Oklahoma. I have some great friends in the area that have a very good pulse on where the demands are and where the immediate demands are. Bob Stoops from the University of Oklahoma has been great for me (plus) Lowe’s and their representatives in the area; and with our foundation being typically kid-focused, that’s really the opportunity we are looking for and the direction we’d like to direct the money. But I really feel like something will come to us. Really, when we were there, everyone we met was so thankful for the support, and talked about how many supplies have been brought in and how many people have come from other states and just showed-up and put food and drink on the street corners in different areas. Like Lowe’s was a base-camp essentially, for people to come to and charge cell phones and get phones and food and drink. Obviously inside the store there is cleaning supplies and that stuff. So, I think as the next month develops there will be a cause that really stands out to us.”
 
WHAT WERE YOUR EMOTIONS LIKE? IT’S ONE THING TO SEE IT ON TV, AND OTHER THING TO SEE IT IN PERSON
“It’s multiple levels because you see a debris field and you go wow, that’s a car. And then there’s a big beam from a building and there’s a refrigerator. You see the big items. And then you look and there’s a stuffed animal; and you’re like oh, man. That really goes from like wow, look at that, to oh, that’s a stuffed animal. There’s a kid involved. Kids lived here and families and people, and it kind of brings a human element in and you start jockeying back and forth in your mind just the amazement of these big items. You can’t imagine them blowing around like they’re scraps, to the human element of a stuffed animal. I even saw a man’s Chicago Bears jersey just sitting there in a big pile. Just different things kind of hit home with me that these are things just hanging in your closet or in your child’s room that are just thrown about. That’s kind of the odd positioning that I went through, emotionally.”
 
LAST YEAR, YOU AND BRAD KESELOWSKI BATTLED IT OUT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP. YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT STREAK NOW AND HE’S NOT HAVING SUCH A GREAT STREAK. NOBODY EVER COUNTS YOU OUT. DO YOU COUNT HIM OUT?
“No, it’s early in the year. The Chase allows teams to have a tough start. You just need to transfer in and it’s just its own championship battle at that point and those ten races are really what it’s about. So, they are a strong team. I do know from my own experience that after winning a championship, it is so hard to come back the next year and to be at that level year after year. And whatever they are going through right now, it’s only going to make them stronger. So, if they’re down a little bit right now, they’re going to come back and be stronger as the year develops.”
 
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE IT WAS A TV CABLE ROPE THAT FELL DURING THE CHARLOTTE 600?
“It did take me about two laps. I don’t scan NASCAR, so I’m not sure what is going on. On top of that, they have their public channels but they also have private channels. I’m not sure what communication is taking place as to what was going on during the course of those laps. In NASCAR’s defense, I couldn’t see what it was and I went by it twice. It was thin, black, cable or rope or whatever; I think it was cable essentially. But you can’t see it, especially when it is dark out there’s a black surface and it’s hanging in the sky. When I first saw it piled-up in Turn 1, I thought maybe someone’s tire came apart and a small band of it unraveled or something. There certainly was confusion. It was tough to see. And it’s not uncommon for drivers to be lost.”
 
A COUPLE OF DRIVERS HAVE SAID THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE IMAGINING THINGS:
“Yeah, I saw the stuff on the ground and I dodged it, fortunately. When it really hit me, I was going down the front straightaway and I flipped my visor open to clean it and I just happened to see the cable hanging about 10 feet off the ground around the start/finish area or maybe just after it. I thought oh man, that’s from the camera above. And I think I said something on the radio and at that point (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) knew and he said yeah, they were having some trouble with the camera.”
 
CAUTIONS ARE UP SIGNIFICANTLY COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR. THERE HAVE BEEN ALMOST DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?
“I want to believe that it’s the stability in the (new) race car that is giving us comfort to take risk and to try to pass; clearly crossing the line and some point and spinning out and causing accidents. But, I want to believe that’s what it is and I hope that’s what it is. The aero deficit cars have in traffic is always going to be there. I’m not sure we’ve really improved that from being behind another car. But you now have an option and you maybe try the outside. There’s more grip in the car. The car is more stable. I think you see guys searching around in higher lanes sooner than before and maybe that’s where it lies.”
 
KEVIN HARVICK MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT IT’S BEEN A HELP FOR HIM AND RCR TO GO TO KURT BUSCH AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT THE CAR AND SET-UPS. DID YOU EXPERIENCE THAT LAST YEAR WHEN YOU WERE WORKING WITH PHOENIX RACING AND KURT? HOW IMPRESSED ARE YOU WITH WHAT THEY’VE DONE SO FAR?
“Yeah, a little bit. I mean what’s tough is that we knew Kurt wasn’t going to be in the No. 51 for long and he is a very smart driver and a very good driver. I think we’re all pretty careful with what we discussed and talked about. I even s
ensed it from his side as well in being careful and cautious.
 
“But regardless of who it is, when you can really count on someone to tell you the truth, and what they’re feeling in the car, and you get a few months of that interaction, you can build on it. You can do some good things with it. So, I think Kurt is in a more stable environment with the No. 78 team and he and Kevin certainly have a good relationship going and they can count on one another to tell the truth.”
 
ARE THEY GENERALLY THAT GOOD RIGHT NOW? THEY’VE RUN UP-FRONT AT DARLINGTON AND THE ALL-STAR AND THE 600 AND EVEN RICHMOND
“From my standpoint, absolutely. They are crushing it. They’ve been, on raw speed, the fastest car, if not one of the three fastest cars for weeks now. And then in the race they’re still holding on and performing very, very well.”
 
WE HAVEN’T PRACTICED YET TODAY, BUT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT SORT OF RACE WE WILL SEE ON SUNDAY WITH THE NEW CAR? DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE WITH IT?
“I don’t know. When I think of this track I just have happy thoughts and everything it great for me. I love this place. It’s so fun to drive and the sensation of speed is so high; you kind of get to jump in to each corner every lap, so that’s right up my alley. I’m hopeful that we see the top lane come in like we did maybe five years ago or so. I’m not sure why it hasn’t really developed and hasn’t been there. I’m hopeful that the downforce in this car will allow us to move a little higher and make time be efficient running in a higher lane with more downforce in this new car.”
 
WHEN YOU WERE TOURING OKLAHOMA, DID YOU SEE ANY RACE MEMORABILIA?
“When we were touring, no. But at the Lowe’s store, and it was publicized that we were coming, but there was a huge gathering of people with No. 48 shirts on and even guys asking for autographs and things like that, but people that were coming through the line picking up supplies had their No. 48 gear on. We definitely have race fans. I can say with the time I’ve spend in Muskogee and Tulsa and visiting family and friends, I’m honestly more recognized in Oklahoma than any state that I go to. We were in Tulsa a month an a half ago and it didn’t matter if I went to the gym or the Y to swim or on some running trails where some guys were fishing that recognized me. I walked in and there was some hippy dude with dreads and the Whole Foods that I walked into was like hey man, glad to see you here, five-time. So there is a very strong NASCAR family in Oklahoma, for sure.”
 
INAUDIBLE
“I was initially talking with Bob Stoops and trying to understand where we could help. He let me know that Toby Keith was trying to put together a concert. Toby and I spoke and Toby mentioned that Garth and Blake were both working on something. Through all that, Mike Helton got me connected with Blake and I ended up doing a PSA and I noticed that Garth did a PSA and Toby as well. So I think everybody consolidated and followed Blake’s lead there. I watched the show. It was great. I’m excited to hear some figures. I don’t know if anyone has, but hopefully they raised a lot of money.”
 
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SEE THE DESTRUCTION?
“You go through random emotions. First, you’re just shocked and in awe. What it (tornado) throws around like paper.  Cars and buildings and big stuff like that. If you look deeper and deeper, you see personal goods and items. I was looking at a truck that was flipped over and there was a teddy bear sitting next to it. That really threw it home to me and my child. There were kids in these houses and families. So it was really an interesting mental deal that went on because you’re looking at it going wow, look at the power and look at what this did. And then the human element would come in and take you to your knees.”
 
DID YOU MEET ANYBODY THERE THAT HAS STUCK IN YOUR MIND THAT HAD A STORY?
“Oh, yeah. I met a boy that was not in the school that collapsed; I forget the names of the schools now, but he was taken to the best room on the campus and the room was hit and damage was done. And he was trying to explain to me what he went through and what went on and I could just tell from his posture and his face and his eyes that it’s still in his mind, vividly in his mind. And that really hit me.”
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 31, 2013
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway and discussed the incident from Charlotte last week, what they did during the red flag for the cable in Charlotte, how testing helps and much more. Full transcript.
 
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE FILM FROM CHARLOTTE, WHAT HAPPENED THERE?
“I feel like when I watch the replay of the accident in Charlotte, I didn’t really get to see as many angles as I would have liked to have seen to really know what happened, but obviously Brad (Keselowski) said he didn’t know we were three wide and he came down. So, I think ultimately that’s exactly what happened. Obviously Ricky (Stenhouse) was there and we were all tight. At the end of the day he probably could have got out of it because he was a couple of laps down but I get it. We’re always racing hard, and he still made something of his day from a couple of laps down. I get racing hard but we were racing for the Lucky Dog so we were going for it too.”
 
WERE YOU PREPARED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT INCIDENT BECAUSE YOU AND RICKY WERE BOTH INVOLVED?
“Of course I think there is a little bit of a human interest story there with having Ricky and I being a part of that accident or there in the same general vicinity. Yeah, I understand that but at the same time he was part of the three-wide that made the accident too so it’s legitimately something you can ask.”
 
YOU TWO HAVE BEEN GOOD SPORTS ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, AND I UNDERSTAND THE FAN INTEREST THAT IS THERE, IS THAT HARD TO DEAL WITH FROM TIME TO TIME?
“We’re just very honest and keep things simple. We didn’t even talk about what we should say. The only thing to know is that we are just honest about the things that happened and it was a racing incident. We’re going to give our perspectives on what it was. I understand it’s interesting. I’m sure I would want to know how that all went down after the race too. We’re an entertainment sport, so I get it.”
 
JACK ROUSH SAID TONY (STEWART) CAN KIND OF BE HARD ON ROOKIES, YOU’RE A ROOKIE CAN HE BE KIND OF HARD AT EXPECTING THINGS OUT OF YOU TOO?
“Well if Tony is hard on rookies I just thank the good Lord above that I’m on his team. What I would say about Tony is that he wants to help teach the rookies, and the rookies that he respects and feels like should get that time of day. If he doesn’t think they were good then he wouldn’t try and help them because they won’t be around for long in his opinion. If there is anyone out there that he says something about its only because he knows they are going to be around and he wants them to learn how to play the game the way that he’s learned how to play the game. He’s been here a long time and has been very successful. It’s actually a good thing that he wants to help and that he would speak up because at the end of the day we see each other every five days, not every couple of weeks. So, you need to take care of those relationships or else they could bite you in the end.”
 
TONY SAYS THAT RICKY IS LIKE FAMILY TO HIM BUT YET HE WANTED TO CHOKE HIM AT THE END OF THE RACE:
“Don’t you want to choke your kids every now and then? I mean everybody wants to choke their kids, or their dad, or son, or significant other at times. So, I think that is a comment out of love no doubt.”
 
BUT DID YOU SAY GO AHEAD, OR I’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU?
“That’s between them and I know they had a conversation about Sunday night. We talked about it a little bit too. He loves him like a son he said. So, you would never hurt your son. You would only try to help your son. I think that’s the moral of that story.”
 
WERE YOU MAD A RICKY AFTER THE RACE?
“I was definitely upset and angry about the situation. I was a little bit upset with him. Yeah I was and we talked about it. It’s absolutely fine now and we were fine by the end of the ride home. That’s what happens out there. Tensions are high and so are emotions.”
 
DID YOU GET A NICE DINNER OUT OF IT?
“Did I get a nice dinner out of it, let’s see. No, went home and went right to bed. I think I ate something on my bus. I think I had half of a banana, a little chocolate protein shake and two beers. That’s what I had.”
 
WHAT KIND OF INSTRUCTIONS DID NASCAR GIVE YOU GUYS LAST WEEK AS FAR AS WHAT YOU COULD AND COULDN’T DO DURING THE RED FLAG FOR THE CABLE BREAK?
“As far as the teams, to come around and park in your pit stall for the time that NASCAR was working on the cables for the camera. It was pretty much open game. You could do anything you wanted. Fortunately and unfortunately at that time we were pretty happy with the car and just really needed to get track position, so we really didn’t do much.”
 
TONY AND RYAN (NEWMAN) HAD PRETTY GOOD RUNS IN THE 600 AND I THINK ZIPPY (GREG ZIPADELLI) SAID THEY MAY HAVE FOUND SOMETHING WITH THE BALANCE OF THE CARS THAT CAN BENEFIT ALL THE CARS, DID YOU SENSE ANYTHING AT THE SHOP THIS WEEK THAT MAYBE THEY TURNED A CORNER?
“Yeah, I think we all respond to results on the track and the performance of the cars because that’s what we are there for. To have a weekend like Charlotte where by no means were we running up front but we’re better. I think that everybody is a little more happy and excited. But also we kind of expect it too. We expect it to come around because it is a good team. With Tony at the helm, he’s out there racing cars too. So it really was just being anxious about when it was going to happen. I feel like there is some light at the end of the tunnel but we still have to keep working. Everybody else is working too on this new car. We figured out some things that help grip wise and help out overall with the car being able to stay on the track better and that’s going to translate to speed. Maybe we are 30 percent there but we still have a ways to go.”
 
DOES TESTING HELP AT ALL? YOU DIDN’T TEST AT CHARLOTTE BUT THE ALL-STAR RACE WAS LIKE A TEST.
“I do think that helps. And I do think that all the other testing we’ve been doing helps. We’ve been to Nashville and here at Dover. We were just at Pocono. We’ve been testing a lot. We were somewhere else too. I feel like it’s been four weeks in a row. It all helps figuring out balance for me on a platform that I need, as well as just finding little things for grip along the way. You are seeing the fruits of our labor starting to show now but we’re starting behind the eight ball so we have a lot to go.”
 
WITH FATHER’S DAY COMING UP, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR DAD PASSING HIS LOVE OF RACING DOWN TO YOU?
“He’s loved racing and been involved in racing his whole life. I remember going to the dirt tracks on Sunday night, me and my sister sitting up in the grandstands collecting clay and making big balls of clay, getting plenty of snow cones and cotton candy. I’ve been going to races as long as I can remember and watching it on TV Gosh; I think my dad loves racing more than I do probably. He’s always thinking about it. He’s so passionate about it, which is sometimes part of his problem. That’s where I get it from but my mom loves it too. Mom and dad met on a blind date at a race. It clearly runs in the family.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 31, 2013
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW RACING/SEALY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway, and discussed recent success, racing at Dover and other topics. Full transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT THE CONSISTENCY OF THE TEAM AND HOW YOU HAVE BEEN RUNNING SO WELL IN RECENT WEEKS:
“It’s been a nice combination of really working hard and then testing a lot.  We tested every other week in the month of May so the month of June will be nice to not have to go to the other tracks during the week and that way we can get caught up with things and really review and get more intense with the debriefs. It was great though, the month of May at Charlotte with a couple top-fives and then now we jump into the summer stretch. I read that it’s only 14 races until the Chase cutoff, which is hard to believe. It’s like, wait a minute the season was just getting started, but at the same time here we are, it’s June 1 and away we go.  The next few races will be tough for us. Where we struggled was the tracks with fresh asphalt like Kansas and Vegas and that’s what we have with Pocono and Michigan coming up after Dover. We’ll see how that shakes out. That’s where if we can capitalize on the tougher tracks for us. That’s when we’ll fall into that groove where we need to be. Basically, you can walk the garage and see where we’ve been running and we just need to get our points with consistent finishes. We can’t get it with good, good finishes. We just have to be consistent.”
 
WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP TO GET TO VICTORY LANE?
“Just those last 50 laps.  When you’re running at the end of the race, I had a guy that we played together with at a charity golf tournament yesterday and he goes, ‘What’s wrong with this sport? Why has it turned into this last 50 laps thing?’ It’s like football in the fourth quarter or like basketball in the fourth quarter, baseball right after the seventh inning stretch and everybody changes the way they run. I’m a guy that runs intense every lap and so I was just trying to carry that banner of keeping it real, racing hard, racing every lap and giving it my all 100 percent every lap.”
 
HOW IS YOUR ROAD COURSE PROGRAM AFTER TESTING AT VIR THIS WEEK?
“We tested at VIR (Virginia International Raceway), the road course testing is really weird because you can have a guy like (Juan Pablo) Montoya who is fast at the test and click off quick laps, but then his car doesn’t hold the pace as well. For us, our car, it was the same as what I’ve run the last couple years where we didn’t post that fast lap, but we didn’t drop off as fast. Do you do the two pit stop strategy or do you do the three at Sonoma? With the tires, they are dropping off quick and we have to decide what we’re going to do with our strategy.”
 
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET A TOP-FIVE AT POCONO FOR YOU?
“We’re going to lean on the RCR (Richard Childress Racing) guys. They tested there, the whole group went and put in a strong effort to test so we’ll lean on them heavily on what we can get from them.”
 
TALK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH KEVIN HARVICK AND WORKING MORE TOGETHER:  “The (Kevin) Harvick and (Paul) Menard, (Jeff) Burton, just having that teammate situation and it legitimately is that we are the fourth car. It has been good to work with them and have the information go down both sides of the interstate so to speak. It was great to see them win. We’ve had two really good runs at Richmond and Charlotte and we didn’t capitalize and they did. It’s great to see a teammate capitalize at the end of the day and bring home the trophy to Richard Childress Racing.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR DAD PASSING HIS RACING DOWN TO YOU AND KYLE?
“It’s been such a family effort over the years that we owe everything to our dad. Tom has been there all the steps of the way from the first go-kart to Legends cars to modifieds, you name it. It’s been fun with dad and even bringing him to Indianapolis a few weeks ago and sharing that moment of driving the IndyCar, there’s the Andretti name and you see Mario, Michael and Marco. Auto racing is definitely something that it takes the whole family to reach the top levels and me and Kyle have our dad Tom to thank for everything.”
 
WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR BATTERY?
“We had a cable plug issue. It wasn’t necessarily a dead battery, it was a plug and a wiring snafu. Something that shouldn’t have bit any team out here at the Cup level and it wasn’t like it fell through our system, it was just one in a million type chance. Kind of like the regulator at Texas for us where we had it crack and we had a fuel leak.”
 
HOW DOES THE TEAM HANDLE ADVERSITY LIKE THAT?
“We bounce back with not dropping off the lead lap, changing a battery and came back to finish third. That’s how you soldier back from it.”
 
DID NASCAR COMMUNICATE WELL WITH TEAMS DURING THE CABLE INCIDENT AT CHARLOTTE?
“The way the whole cable problem happened and then they said people could work on their cars, I quick jumped into the whole mindset of like an All-Star race when they have a 10 minute break, you can work on any aspect of the car. We got busy with our car. If you’re sitting there and you don’t take advantage of that situation then other teams are just going to pass you while you’re literally sitting still in the garage or on pit road. You could work on your cars so let her rip.”
 
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR BEST CHANCE TO MAKE THE CHASE, TOP-12 OR WILD CARD?
“The wild card thing could get sticky with guys like Kyle (Busch) where they have two wins and they need to fall back on that. If you go for wins then you’re going to run well and finish consistent. If you try to go for a win and gamble and then you get an 18th place finish then you’re going to wish you went more for the consistent side of it. The way I look at the garage right now is consistency is what pays and that’s the way it’s always been.”
 
WILL YOU GAMBLE FOR A WIN?
“Gambling can be one of two things, you can go with the full two stop strategy at Sonoma or you can gamble and try to stay out on fuel at a place like Michigan. Raw speed is going to be the best way to make the Chase and that is what we have right now and we have to lean on that.”
 
WHAT IS THE TOUGHEST PART ABOUT RACING AT DOVER?
“The toughest part about racing Dover is just when the track rubbers in and you’re out there for 350 laps and that last 50 you haven’t simulated that in practice whatsoever and that is when the track gets rubbered in. You’re out there slip-sliding around and you have to be dialed in for that last 50 laps. It’s hard to predict what setup you need exactly for that and I’ve only found it one time. I’ve only got one win here and that was September 2011.”
 
WHY DO THERE SEEM TO BE MORE CAUTIONS THIS SEASON VERSUS LAST SEASON?
“It’s just when it comes down to the end of these races you see guys on four tires and guys that stayed out on none and some have two tires and then the patience level is worn thin.”
 
DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE OF A SHORT RUN STRATEGY THIS SEASON RATHER THAN A LONG RUN STRATEGY?
“When there’s a lot of three-and-outs in football and then TV calls up and says we need a timeout, that might be what we see ourselves having a little more of.”
 
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE FINALLY BEING APPRECIATED FOR YOUR TALENTS BY DRIVERS LIKE BRAD KESELOWSKI?
“It’s cool for (Brad) Keselowski to say that. We were teammates so I didn’t take him under my wing, but I did. Just what I do with what needs to be done next. There is no set protocol to help a young driver, but the way that he came up and had his first year struggles and then settled in his second year it was great to watch th
at unfold and then boom, he won in his third year. I was trying to give him pointers all along the way and so he knows that I’m one that gets elbows up and gets up on the wheel and then the way things get written, he knows that it’s not necessarily the guy that’s there in that suit driving the car.”
 
IS IT TOUGH TO RACE A TRACK LIKE DOVER AND THEN RACE A TRACK LIKE POCONO?
“It’s just the demand of our sport every week is a chance to hit the reset button and do something special and you can be a hero one week and a zero the next. Every race track is demanding in its own setups as well as how you drive the track. I’m just pumped up, it’s Dover and you have to be up on the wheel here.”
 
IS YOUR PERFORMANCE WITH THIS TEAM REMINDING PEOPLE OF YOUR TALENT?  “Perception is reality and it’s whatever people want to believe the perception is. I’m not worried about how things are written, I just go out there and drive. I’m glad that we’re having success right now, but we have to stay on top of finding the setups that are going to help us make the Chase. That’s what we have to do at the end of the day.”
 
ARE YOU DRIVING BETTER AND CAN YOU WIN ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP?
“Don’t put the cart before the horse guys. We just run good a couple weeks and we still have a long way to go.”
 
HOW PHYSICAL IS DOVER ON A DRIVER?
“You’re just on edge here and the speed that you have to carry on corner exit, you’re right there on the edge of smacking the wall every corner exit and you do it 800 times with 400 laps and two corner exits, that makes it tough. This race will wear you out for sure and you have to pace yourself.”
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FEDEX 400 BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MAY 31, 2013
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway and discussed racing this weekend at Dover, if the No. 29 team can win the championship this season and other topics. Full Transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT BEING HERE AT DOVER THIS WEEKEND:
“This has been obviously an okay track for us in the past.  We haven’t got to Victory Lane, but feel like we’ve definitely closed that gap over the past couple of years.  Should be hot this weekend so it should be nice and slick and the groove should move around.  Should be a fun weekend, this is a race track you can be really aggressive with the car getting in the corners and have to be aggressive with the car throughout every lap to make time.  It’s a fun place to drive.”
 
YOU’VE GOT SOME EXCITING NEWS COMING UP WITH THE KEVIN HARVICK FOUNDATION AND OLLIE’S BARGAIN OUTLET TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PROMOTION YOU’VE GOT:
“Yeah, Ollie’s has been a huge supporter of not on the race teams, but the foundation.  In year’s past we have seen the big sea of yellow up in the top of turn three there and this year they will have everybody in red shirts.  They will have some in-store promotions going on to donate some money to the Kevin Harvick Foundation with each purchase that you have.  We are giving away a new Tahoe to the person who is selected to win that Tahoe within the Ollie’s organization.  It’s a great promotion and Mark Butler has always been a big contributor to the foundation and we really appreciate it.”
 
CAN THE NO. 29 TEAM THIS YEAR WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
“Right now we are just racing on a week to week basis and the performance of the cars has been good.  We have been able to get to Victory Lane four times, two points races, so I think we are in a good position to contend for it.  Everybody is focused on the job and task at hand to be able to put ourselves in position to try to do that.  I don’t see why not.”
 
DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU RACED AT DOVER AND WHAT YOU THOUGHT?
“Yeah, my first experience here was the only pole we have ever had here.  We sat on the pole in the Nationwide race and we were able to have a pretty good day if I remember right.  We got a flat tire, but I had a pretty good first experience here.”
 
IT WASN’T HARD AT ALL AND YOU DIDN’T FIND IT LIKE EVERYONE HAD TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT?
“It got harder when you started racing on Sunday (laughs).  That is when it became harder.”
 
HOW WAS THE TEST AT POCONO THIS PAST WEEK?
“It was good.  The test was fine obviously we raced there next week.  With the new pavement and a lot of speed I think hopefully that will apply to not only two Pocono races, but two Michigan races and Indianapolis.  That is what we are banking on so hopefully it was a productive test.  I know we ran a lot of miles and the track still has a lot of speed.  Even with the new cars it doesn’t have quite as much speed as years past.  The asphalt has turned several shade of gray.  It should be a fun race.  The track took rubber and didn’t have any tire issues or anything like that. It should be a good weekend.”