KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET – WINNER: THAT FINAL RESTART YOU HAD A SLICK RACE TRACK LOTS OF OIL DRY YOU ARE ALMOST OUT OF GAS AND A FIRED UP KYLE BUSCH BESIDE YOU.  WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?
“Well, I thought as crazy as this year has been for our Budweiser Chevy, I’m just thinking about not over driving the first corner, whether we were going to run out of gas or not, how far the No. 18 was going to drive it in.  Then they were really quick to throw the caution and then just let us race through oil.  I don’t know I guess it’s hard for them to be right.  I’ve got to thank all the fans and Sprint, Budweiser, Rheem, Jimmy Johns, Chevrolet, Okuma, Realtree, Bad Boy Buggies, Hunt Brothers, everybody who helps us and thank you to all who have served this country we wouldn’t be able to do what we do today without that.”
 
THE WEEKEND BEGAN WITH EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN 2014, BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS TO END THE RCR DROUGHT AND A DROUGHT FOR YOU IN VICTORY LANE THAT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR: “Well, it has been a struggle for the year.  It has been an interesting weekend to say the least, but I know that these guys all want to win.  I know Richard (Childress) wants to win and regardless of what happens in 2014 we have the end of this year and we’ve got all of next year.  We want to win races and we want to be competitive and that is what we are here to do.”
 
ON HIS RACE: “What a great day.  The car was really tight to start with and these guys did a great job on pit road.  Gil (Martin, crew chief) did a great job with strategy and just gave us a chance.  From there we raced and were able to put ourselves in position to race for the win.  On the restarts we were able to get going pretty good and that last one was a little tense regardless and then we had to dirt track it through the oil there off of turn four.  Regardless, it’s a great day for our Budweiser Chevy and just glad to be in Victory Lane.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET – FINISHED 5TH:  HE BRINGS HOME A BEATEN UP RACE CAR WITH A TOP-FIVE TODAY WHAT ABOUT THOSE LAST LAPS? “Well my race car is junk.  That was a good run for our Quicken Loans Chevrolet, Veterans Day a special paint scheme really proud of everything there, but really disappointed in the way NASCAR handled that last lap there.  That was not fair to the drivers at all.”
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/FARM AMERICAN CHEVROLET – FINISHED 8TH: ON HIS RACE: “That was a wild ending, not sure at the time what was happening. I just stayed on the gas to get to the finish line. Everything was going smoothly and it was looking like a sixth-place finish for the Furniture Row car. But then all of a sudden all heck broke loose. I saw the door of the No. 16 car (Greg Biffle) come across my left front, and from there I went on to smack the wall. I kept on going and was able to nudge (Paul) Menard for eighth.  We had a great run going today until a loose lug nut put us a lap down. We definitely had a car that was capable of winning, but you can’t afford those kinds of mistakes. However, we did battle back to notch our second straight top-10 finish. We keep on making progress. I like everything I see about this Furniture Row team.”
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET – FINISHED 12TH: ON HIS RACE: “The Target Chevy was good all weekend. We struggled a little bit on the long runs. The car would start to get really tight but otherwise it wasn’t a bad day for us. We managed to stay out of trouble and stay on the lead lap all day. We’re making gains every weekend.”
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET – FINISHED 17th: WHAT HAPPENED IN TURNS THREE AND FOUR? “We had a green-white-checkered it was a nice exciting finish for the fans.  Got around (turns) one and two and came off had decent distance on the No. 31 and he went down and took the apron got down into (turn) three and I did not think he was near close enough to be on me going into (turn) three.  I left a little bit of room, not a ton of room for sure, but I think, Tony Gibson (crew chief) said he went down and talked to him and he said he just went in too deep.  Clipped my left-rear, spun me around and I just tried to limp back to the line.  I didn’t know exactly how much damage I had or what it was, but just trying to limp to the line and get the finish on the lead lap, whatever that was.  Still our best finish, but you always want more. I was 13th I think or something right around there and that would have been a really good finish.  Shoot, some days I would take that in a Nationwide car.”
 
HARD HIT ON THE FRONT STRETCH ARE YOU OKAY? “Yes, everything is fine.  Obviously, there was the glance in (turn) three and four, but I definitely got airborne down the front straight.  What is unfortunate is I’m pretty sure that the No. 39 was one of them.  I hope I didn’t cause a problem, but I think we have different cars for Homestead hopefully.  We don’t run our short-track cars on the big track right?  And we get new ones next year.  This will make for good charity crash damage body work.”
 
ON INCIDENT: “Green-white-checkered at the end. It was an exciting race at the end. Man, we save it all at the end in these Cup races. Came out of two on the back-straight, and with the No. 31 (Jeff Burton), and he took the apron. I already had a good distance coming out of two. The apron was not quicker all day long to make a pass, unless you had a big run going. So, got into three, and I think Tony Gibson (Crew Chief) went down and talked to him, and he (Burton) said ‘I’m sorry, I just bonzaied. I just went in too deep.” The No. 31 clipped me, I spun around, got it going again. Was on fire I think, and I was trying to get across the line. I was literally trying to drive into the wall then drive along it because I couldn’t see. I don’t know exactly what happened. I heard there might have been oil from me, or something. If so, I definitely wasn’t intending to make a mess. But 17th…we were 13th, that’s pretty good. Short tracks are not my strong suit.”
 
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CAUTION NOT BEING CALLED? “Hmmmm. I’d have to see it. I think NASCAR does a good job of doing what’s safe and what’s right. We are all human though, and you also can’t control the intangibles; anything can happen how there. That’s why we watch right.”
 
TONY GIBSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 10 GODADDY RACING CHEVROLET: ON DANICA’S RACE: “Another great day. Everybody did a really good job today. She raced hard. She had some great runs today. She raced herself to the Lucky Dog there, and got a lap back. Then she was solid, man. She had a top-10, 12 car all day long. She deserved to finish 12th at least. But, she got wrecked by (Jeff) Burton. But, it’s our best finish. 17th. We’ll take that. But we know we were better than that. She’s getting better, and better, and better. It just makes up pumped for next year.  She said herself, I wish we were going to Homestead. It is just pumping everybody up. It’s exciting. I’m glad we got these two races in, because it just shows her she can drive and run with these guys. It puts confidence in our guys, that yes, she can do it. Around the whole table it is awesome.”
 
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS/ALLSTATE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 23RD
ON HIS RACE: “We fought with the balance of the Bass Pro Shops/Allstate Chevy all day. The guys did a great job in pits, but the long, green flag runs didn’t play into our strategy. We’ll continue working hard as we head to final race of the season in Miami next weekend.”
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, FINISHED 30TH – INVOLVED IN ON-TRACK INCIDENT WITH CLINT BOWYER: ON THE INCIDENT: “Things have gotten escalated over the year and I have just had it.  Clint (Bowyer) has run into me numerous times, wrecked me and h
e got into me on the back straightaway, pretty much ruined our day.  I have had it, was fed up with it and got him back.”
 
IN THE MELEE IN THE GARAGE DID YOU GET HIT? “No.”
 
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ANY PENALTIES? “They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do.  Just like I had to do what I had to do.”
 
ON INCIDENT: “Clint (Bowyer) has run into me numerous times, wrecked me. He got into me on the back straightaway, and pretty much ruined our day. I had it. That was it, and got him back.”
 
WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM IN THE NASCAR HAULER? “I told them what I just told you.”
 
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT? “They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do, and I guess I had to do what I had to do.”
 
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, FINISHED 30TH:– COMMENTS FOLLOWING THE ON-TRACK INCIDENT INVOLVING JEFF GORDON AND CLINT BOWYER:
WHY DID JEFF GORDON GET SO UPSET BY THAT MOVE (MADE BY CLINT BOWYER) THEY WERE NOT RACING FOR THE LEAD: “Well I mean it’s about the fifth time that he (Clint Bowyer) has run us over.  After a while you get really frustrated.  We all work really hard on these cars and Jeff (Gordon) races everybody with a lot of respect.  Evidently he had enough.  If you are going to play that way, if you are going to race that way then you shouldn’t be upset when you get it back.”
 
YOU ARE THE ONE THAT HAS TO FIX THIS RACE CAR NOW.  WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS ON JEFF (GORDON) WRECKING THIS CAR?
“I love Jeff Gordon.  I stand by him 100 percent and that is what we had to do.  We will fix them all day long.  He is a great race car driver and he knows, everybody out here will tell you he is as good a race car driver and a competitor as there is.  If he is tired of it, it means it’s time.”
 
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN HIM THAT FIRED UP? “That was pretty fired up.”
 
ON THE CRASH BETWEEN JEFF GORDON AND CLINT BOWYER “We had a pretty good car. It was a good race. And we were having a good top five run and just got used up by the No. 15 (Clint Bowyer) and obviously we take offense to that and it’s not the first time it’s happened. After a while, that adds up and adds up and it’s time to put a stop to it.”
 
CREWS GOT INVOLVED; JEFF GORDON GOT INVOLVED, EVERYBODY GOT INVOLVED “The crew thing is it’s between Jeff and Clint and not those team members. My instructions to the guys was just don’t let anybody get to Jeff. And that’s what that’s about.  We’re going to protect him and stand behind him at all costs. Those guys obviously have tempers running high as are ours, and that’s what happens.”
 
WHY WOULD JEFF GORDON GET SO UPSET BY THAT MOVE? THEY WEREN’T RACING FOR THE WIN?
“Well, it’s about the fifth time that he’s run us over and after a while you get really frustrated with that. We all work really hard on these cars and Jeff races everybody with a lot of respect and evidentially he had enough. If you’re going to play that way, if you’re going to race that way, then you shouldn’t be upset when you get it back.”
 
YOU’RE THE ONE THAT HAS TO FIX THIS RACE CAR NOW. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS ON JEFF WRECKING THIS CAR? “I love Jeff Gordon and I stand by him 100 percent, and that’s what we have to do. We’ll fix them all day long and he’s a great race car driver and everybody out here will tell you he’s as good a race car driver and a competitor as there is and if he’s tired of it, that means he’s tired of it. He was pretty fired up.”
 
MICHAEL WALTRIP SAID THIS WAS CHICKEN-BLANK. HE’S VERY UPSET. “I don’t care.”
 
WHERE DID YOU FEEL LIKE CLINT BOWYER HAS DONE THINGS AGAINST YOU THIS YEAR?
“I can’t sit here and name them all. There are a couple of instances where we got into some difficult situations and both Martinsvilles come to mind right away.  He cost us a win there.”
 
YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY SHAKING MAD NOW. WE CAN TELL BECAUSE YOU ARE USUALLY COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL THIS?
“It’s racing man; that’s what happens.”
 
RICK HENDRICK, TEAM OWNER, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
COMMENTS ON THE INCIDENT INVOLVING JEFF GORDON AND CLINT BOWYER:
“I think the best thing for me to do is not say anything right now because you know everybody’s emotions are pretty raw.  I like Clint (Bowyer) a lot he is a good guy.  I like all those guys.”
 
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU SAW JIMMIE’S (JOHNSON) CAR HIT THE WALL? HOW DEVASTATING IS THAT?
“It’s a tough deal.  You hate that because you hate to have a problem like that.  But that is just… you cut a tire and that happens and you just part of it.  I hate it, but we will go on to Homestead.”
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET – FINISHED 32nd DUE TO ACCIDENT DUE TO A BLOWN RIGHT FRONT TIRE WITH 77 LAPS TO GO; MADE REPAIRS IN GARAGE, AND RETURNED TO RACE 33 LAPS DOWN
“We still have to go to Homestead and race and anything can happen down there. But this is not the position we want to be in late in Phoenix. I feel terrible for my team and how hard these guys work; everybody at Hendrick Motorsports and Lowe’s and Kobalt Tools and Chevrolet. Across the board there has been a huge effort put in to try to get us a championship and I just hate for our day to turn out as it did today. But, that’s racing and we’ll go to Homestead and do all we can down there and see how things pan out.”
 
WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE RACE CAR AND WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO WITH IT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED?
“We were cruising along and I think we would have had a top five day or a top 10 day if things worked out at the end. And I had a slight vibration starting in the right front. I didn’t really know where it was coming from but clearly now it was the right front. And as I was coming off of Turn 4, it went down and I went straight in the wall. If I were another 30 or 40 feet around the corner, I probably would just have had a flat and not hit the wall. But, where it let go, I had a direct line to the wall and knocked it down.”
 
FATE USUALLY SMILES ON YOU, BUT IT DIDN’T SEEM TO THAT TIME
“No, that’s the way it goes. Anything can happen in racing. I’m very proud of the year. I’m very proud of the effort my entire Lowe’s team has put in. I hate to see it potentially end this way, but again, that’s racing. I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve won a few championships and I’ve lost a lot. Losing isn’t any fun; but we’ll be back next weekend and next year and do the best job we can.”
 
WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE ON THE RACE TRACK?
“We blew a tire coming off Turn 4 and I hit the wall real hard and damaged the race car. I think we would have been in the top five maybe at best; maybe 7th or 8th the way the race was unfolding. It’s unfortunate to have the day end like this and potentially end our season and hopes for a championship this way.”
 
DESCRIBE NOW THE EMOTIONS AND WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO DO TO REGROUP TO RALLY BACK WHEN YOU GET TO MIAMI? “Well, that’s what this team is made of. We’ll always rally and regroup and do all we can. Unfortunately we lost a lot of control or all control in the championship. We can go down there and win the race and do everything on our behalf and it still won’t net us a championship. So, we’ll go down and do our part and just see how things unfold. Today was proof that anything can happen in this sport and we’ll see how things shake out in Miami.”
 
YOU DISCUSSED LOSING CONTROL. HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE WAY YOU APPROACH IT NEXT WEEKEND? “Well, it takes a lot of pressure off. I would much rather have the pressure of trying to win the championship and hang on to the points lead, but the position we’re in now, it really is a go for broke mentality from driving the car and al
l those types of things to try and catch the No. 2 car in this situation. If they have some bad luck it changes our game plan. But right now they have a ton of control going to Homestead.”
 
WITH HOW GOOD BRAD KESELOWSKI WAS, DO YOU THINK HE WAS PUSHING YOU A LITTLE BIT HARDER THAN YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED AT THAT POINT IN TIME? “It wasn’t necessarily on Brad’s behalf. It was just the No. 2.  He was one of six or seven cars in front that had his feet on speed. The run prior to our tire going down, we were really, really fast. And I didn’t see this coming. I knew my car was tight that run the tire exploded, but I didn’t think we were going to have an issue with the tire going down. So, just running hard. It wasn’t driven by the No. 2. We’ve always raced out own race to see where the chips may fall and that was really all we were doing today.”
 
ON HIS CAR “We were just decent all weekend long. Qualifying didn’t go all that well but from there on, we made some improvements on the car and we were a top 10 maybe a top five car in a lot of different situations, but I think Brad started off as like a top 10 car and worked himself into a top five and was racing for the win; and I was content coming out of here within a few points up or down. I thought that was how our day was going to turn out and we would go to Homestead and race like crazy. But that tire going down changed that a lot.”
 
ON CHAMPIONSHIP: “It’s way, way out of our control obviously with the problem we had today.  We still have to go to Homestead and race.  Anything can happen down there, but not the position we want to be in leaving Phoenix.  I feel terrible for my team and how hard these guys work.  Everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Lowe’s, KOBALT Tools, Chevrolet, across the board this has been a huge effort put into this to try to get us a championship.  I just hate for our day to turn out as it did today, but that’s racing.  We will go to Homestead and do all we can down there and see how things pan out.”
 
WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE RACE CAR?  WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO WITH IT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED? “We were cruising along and I think going to have a top-10 day maybe a top-five day if things worked out at the end.  I had a slight vibration starting in the right-front, I didn’t know where it was really coming from, but clearly now it was the right front.  Then as I was coming off of turn four it went down and straight in the wall I went.  Another 30, 40 feet around the corner I probably would have just had a flat and not hit the wall.  Where it let go I had a direct line into the wall and knocked it down.”
 
FATE USUALLY SMILES ON YOU IT DIDN’T SEEM TO THAT TIME: “No, it’s the way it goes.  Anything can happen in racing.  I’m very proud of the year and very proud of the effort my entire Lowe’s team has put in.  I hate to see it potentially end this way, but again that’s racing.  I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve won a few championships and I’ve lost a lot.  Loosing isn’t any fun, but we will be back next weekend and next year hungrier than ever and do the best job we can.”
 
DESCRIBE NOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO GOING TO HOMESTEAD:
“Well that is what this team is made of we will always rally, regroup and do all we can.  Unfortunately, we lost a lot of control or all control in the championship.  We go down there and win the race and do everything on our behalf and it still won’t net us a championship. We will go down and do our part and just see how things unfold. Today was proof that anything can happen in this sport and we will see how things shake out in Miami.”
 

Harvick wins Phoenix, Johnson Takes Hit in Championship Battle
 
AVONDALE, ARIZ. (NOV. 11, 2012) – When the dust settled from the wild race at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, emerged as the winner of the AdvoCare 500.  It is Harvick’s first win of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season, and the 19th of his career.
 
Harvick, who won at PIR on two previous occasions, led once for 15 laps in the 319-lap race, seven laps longer than the originally advertised distance.
 
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, came into the 35th race of the season leading the points by seven when the green flag dropped.  Working his way through the field from his 24th place starting position, the five-time NSCS champion had skillfully maneuvered to the top-10.  But, with 77 laps to go Johnson’s right front tire blew, sending him into the wall, and then to the garage for repairs. He returned to the race 38 laps down to the leaders.  He was scored in the 32nd finishing position, and heads to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a 20-point deficit to leader Brad Keselowski (Dodge).
 
The race ended in a green-white-checkered finish when the race was extended following an on-track altercation involving Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, and Clint Bowyer (Toyota) in the closing laps.  Gordon was unable to finish the final laps, and was scored with a disappointing 30th place finish.
 
The melee continued with a multi-car accident as the field thundered toward the checkered flag. Harvick held off Denny Hamlin (Toyota) and Kyle Busch (Toyota), who finished second and third respectively, as well as Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet in fourth.  Despite being one of the severely damaged cars in the final wreck, Ryan Newman brought his No. 39 Quicken Loans/U.S. Army Chevrolet home in fifth place.
 
Other Team Chevy drivers in the top-10 were: Kurt Busch, No. 78 Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet – 8th and Paul Menard, No. 27 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet – 9th. Both Busch and Menard sustained damage to their race cars in the front straightaway wreck.
 
Danica Patrick, No. 10 GoDaddy Racing Chevrolet, was running 13th when the final wreck ensued, and limped to the checkered flag in 17th place in front of her hometown crowd.
 
The remainder of the Team Chevy contenders in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finished as follows: Tony Stewart, No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet – 19th, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet -21st.
 
The season will conclude on Sunday, November 18th at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET, GIL MARTIN, CREW CHIEF, AND RICHARD CHILDRESS, OWNER OF RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING – RACE WINNERS
POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
 
THE MODERATOR:  We are now joined by our race winner, Kevin Harvick driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet.  Obviously a big win for you guys, one that you’ve been searching for this season for a long time, so talk a little bit about finally getting to victory lane.
            KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, you know, it was an interesting day to say the least, but Gil did a great job of keeping us in the track position game and made our car better all day, and the further we got towards the front, the better the car handled.  They made good adjustments, and there at the end we had a couple restarts and Kyle chose the bottom and we were able to drive around the topside of him and then get control of the race really.
            Obviously we didn’t want to see the red flag.  We were about ‑‑ best I’ve heard is about five feet.  Someone can tell me where the caution came out.  But when I came by, I saw the caution light come on, and I saw the flag before we had gotten to the start‑finish line.  At that point you think about, man, it’s 2012, what’s going to go wrong, where are we going to run out of gas.
       &nbs
p;    Once I got those thoughts out of my head, I just wanted to get a good restart and be able to get into Turn 1 and not have any mistakes and knew if we could get through there without any mistakes that we could at least have a fighting chance of taking control of the bottom of the racetrack in Turn 3 and 4.
 
            Q.  Brad came in here and said he was basically ashamed of the sport, said it was effing bullshit what happened out there at the end on a lot of front between the wrecks and the retaliation.  What are your thoughts on that?
            KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, you can’t throw the caution flag as fast as you can throw it one time and then just let everybody run through a whole straightaway full of oil.  Those are the guys that are going to have to look themselves in the mirror, the guy who’s calling the races, and decide if they’re doing a good job.
 
            Q.  What about the fights?
            KEVIN HARVICK:  The sport was made on fights.  We should have more fights.  I like fights.  (Laughter.)  They’re not always fun to be in.  Sometimes you’re on the wrong end.  But fights are what made NASCAR what it is.
            I can tell you guys because I know the question is going to come, you guys are all going to ask the question, so we’re going to say it in front of each other.
            We can all talk about what’s going to happen in 2014.  We have 2012, we have 2013, and regardless of what happens on a business side of things, Richard Childress and myself will always be friends, good or bad, and may disagree to disagree, but we still have a lot of racing left to do and we owe it to our sponsors and our company to go out and do exactly what we did today and be men and do the best we can for everybody.
            RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Well said.
            THE MODERATOR:  We are now joined by race‑winning crew chief Gil Martin and team owner Richard Childress, so we’ll continue with questioning for any of the three of these gentlemen.
 
            Q.  Can we have Richard also speak to that?
            RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Yeah, Kevin said it all, we’re going to go to Homestead, try to win.  We look to everybody in ’13 to go win a championship, and whatever happens, happens.  It’s a business decision.  This is a business sport.
 
            Q.  Can you guys just all three of you talk about today and kind of ‑‑ I guess a lot of people thought that might have been a distraction and today you just went about your business and did it.
            KEVIN HARVICK:  Well, I think it’s ‑‑ there can be distractions, there can be whatever happening around the race track, off the race track, but when you get in that garage and everybody is doing their jobs, I get in the car, he’s up on the trailers, I mean, we’re all just racers in the end.  We want to race cars and it comes with a lot of media, it comes with a lot of things outside of the racetrack.
            But when we actually get to get into our element we all do our jobs regardless, and we all don’t want to go out and embarrass ourselves and not run good.  We want to be exactly where we are, right here, talking to you guys after the race and in Victory Lane and doing the things that make us all happy.  It’s been a frustrating year, but two races to go, here we are.
            GIL MARTIN:  Only thing I can tell you is I’m really glad to be sitting here looking at you guys.
            RICHARD CHILDRESS:  Gil Martin, made a great call today, Kevin did a great job conserve fuel when we had to.  Gil told him to go and he could pick up a couple of tenths, and it was really a good race strategy call.  We lost the race we felt here the first one.  We finished second but we ran out of gas catching Denny there.
 
            Q.  I know that you were highly upset about the fact that the race was put into overtime because you felt the caution should have come out before the green‑white checkered was allowed.  Now, are you pleased that what was done was just, or are you only pleased because you won the race anyway?
            RICHARD CHILDRESS:  No, I’m really disappointed in the way the race was called, and I asked them ‑‑ Kevin almost wrecked coming off of 4.  We take the white flag, she’s coming across down here, everybody seen what was happening.  I just knew the caution was going to come out, and he races back around and almost wrecks and we lose a car and could have hurt a driver, so I’m just still a little upset about that last not being a caution.
            KEVIN HARVICK:  There was more oil than there was asphalt, I can guarantee you that, and it was very visible.
 
            Q.  Richard, after the weekend that you had here, is this some kind of redemption?  How do you kind of wrap your arms and put a bow on this weekend?
            KEVIN HARVICK:  I feel like it’s a Kentucky weekend.  Remember we went to Kentucky and used to test all the time and we won the first Kentucky race and wrecked 11 cars?  This one, what was it, eight?
            RICHARD CHILDRESS:  We wrecked eight cars.  My week got off in a bad start Tuesday night, and from that point on it hasn’t been really great.  But that’s life.
            KEVIN HARVICK:  This week has started off better.
 
            Q.  Just wondering, after the 44‑race drought, Richard, what do you think is the turnaround from where you have been because you guys really struggled and you can’t expect Eric Warren to come in and change things overnight, but what would you point to having three cars that possibly could have finished in the top 10 today before the 31 got taken out?
            RICHARD CHILDRESS:  You know, everybody has worked hard all year long and did a whole lot, and there’s no question about it, we got a little behind on some of this skew and all this stuff that people were doing.  It put us behind, and you know, we didn’t get the year we wanted, but to come out with a win, it was big, and I couldn’t be prouder of this whole team, Budweiser and Kevin and all of these guys.  It was really a good week.
 
            Q.  You’ve been around a while.  This is in reference to Brad came in here and he was very hurt and he said some people in the garage criticized him after a clean race, he raced Jimmie cleanly.  Did you hear anybody, you don’t have to mention names, but did you hear anybody in the garage criticizing Keselowski’s driving?< br>            KEVIN HARVICK:  No, no.  I mean, he races hard.  Why would you criticize a guy that races hard and is in contention to win a championship?  I think there’s maybe a lot of agendas to try to get in his head, but at this point he’s got a 20‑point lead and he’s the only one that controls his head at this point.  If the wheels don’t fall off, he’s going to win the championship.
 
            THE MODERATOR:  Let’s end on a positive note.  Keelan’s first trip to Victory Lane; how did he do?
            KEVIN HARVICK:  He was fine until everybody started screaming.  It made him cry.
            It was great to have everybody here.  We’ve had a great week or had a lot of great foundation events, and changed the lives of a lot of kids in Bakersfield hopefully to better their education and their direction of their lives.  It’s been a great week, and to cap it off like this is a great way.
 
            THE MODERATOR:  We thank you guys.  Congratulations.
 
            GIL MARTIN:  I just want to say one thing to touch on what Richard was saying where we’ve come a long way, but this victory is a big team deal from Paul Menard and Slugger.  We have started working together so hard here in the last month, and I want to put out a big thanks to those guys because they’ve done a great job as far as working teammates.  And try to win Homestead.
            KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, halfway through practice we decided to stop and put in everything out of the 27 car, and that’s really the way it’s supposed to work.  We put it in and adjusted it to my driving style, and that’s great to see.
 
            THE MODERATOR:  Congratulations.  We’ll see you guys at Homestead.

DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY RACING CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed her relationship with COPD, finishing out her scheduled races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for 2012, racing at Phoenix International Raceway and much more. Full Transcript:
 
WE KNOW THAT NOVEMBER IS COPD (CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE) AWARENESS MONTH AND YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.  TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY IT’S SO SIGNIFICANT TO YOU:
“November is the month and orange is the color.  I have been working with COPD on raising awareness for that disease which is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for a few years now.  My grandma had it and she passed away and it was an opportunity for me to do something really good and try and help other people.”
 
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT COPD AND ITS AFFECTS?          
“It’s one of those diseases that is slow going, but once it takes hold the damage is done.  Early detection is really the most important thing with that disease.  Trying to bring people to be honest with themselves about how they are feeling and if they might have it is the most important thing so that they can have as normal of lives as possible because the disease is just progressive.”
 
ARE YOU HAPPY THE SEASON IS ENDING?  WOULD YOU LIKE IT TO GO PAST HOMESTEAD?  DO YOU NEED A BREAK?
“I definitely showed concern years ago about the length of the season.  That was kind of one of the things that really in my mind held me back from wanting to commit to NASCAR.  Now that I’m in it and I feel like I’ve had a nice transition into it, I don’t mind at all.  I like racing every weekend.  The season could keep going or not.  I never turn down off time and there is definitely a lot of stress for sure and it’s a lot of work, but it’s fun at the same time.  The season could keep going, which is surprising to me.  I thought I would be very tired by this point in time, but I feel like I’m just kind of figuring it out.”
 
WHEN YOU LOOK AT JR MOTORSPORTS AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT TEAM GIVES DRIVERS WHO ARE MAKING THEIR START IN NASCAR, WHEN THE SPORTS MOST POPULAR DRIVER, DALE EARNHARDT JR., GIVES YOU HIS ENDORSEMENT HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YOU?
“Very positive, between Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. wanting me, giving me the chance to run for his team.  Then of course more recently Tony Stewart with Stewart-Haas, those endorsements are really big for me in the garage area.  I think it helps with drivers too, although I feel like you still need to go out there and you still have to earn their respect when you race against them.  But perhaps there is a little bit more established from the beginning.  It’s very important and I think it’s played a big role in being accepted in the sport like I have.”
 
AFTER A FULL SEASON OF NATIONWIDE AND NEXT YEAR A FULL SEASON IN SPRINT CUP, WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION FOR 2013?  IS THERE ANY EXPECTATION FROM YOURSELF OR MAYBE YOUR SPONSORS?
“I think it’s difficult to establish what my expectation will be right now for Sprint Cup next year.  I think that it is going to be a build from where we are right now.  I think Tony Gibson (crew chief) and I still… we should probably have a very specific conversation, I think it will happen over the winter about exactly what our expectation level should be at the beginning of the season.  It probably varies track to track a little bit, but overall where do we hope to qualify then where do we hope to race and what do we hope that happens with lap time in the race and competitiveness with that.  I think that will be something that we will sort of establish over the winter when we have time to reflect and think about it and look forward to next year.  Right now I feel like it is just about getting familiar with each other and getting these two races under our belt.”
 
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON RACING THE CUP CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME AT PHOENIX:
“I think it’s really good that I am doing this short-track race.  I think short-tracks are something that I need to get more comfortable with.  Although I think it’s really come a long this year, I think some of my better Nationwide races have actually come at places like Iowa and Loudon.  It will be a good experience for me.  It will be a good learning experience to end on for this year.  I feel like we have made a lot of progress on the 1.5-mile tracks and we obviously got a lot of really difficult ones out of the way like Bristol and Dover and Darlington.  I’ll look forward to next year and I think we’ve created a really good base of various different tracks to think about for next season.”
 
WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY ON THE SUPERBOWL ADS WERE YOU EVER REALLY CONCERNED YOU WOULDN’T BE IN THEM?  IS THAT A BIG DEAL TO YOU?
“First and foremost it is a big deal.  I’m always really honored to be in those commercials.  I think it’s great for, and this is what I said yesterday, about feeling like I’m the lucky one in the partnership.  Even though Bob (Parson) said he feels like he benefits more.  I feel like I do and it’s because that is some amazing exposure for me as a brand.  Then to link that up with GoDaddy and really only continue to solidify our partnership and our value in each other is very important to me.  Was I surprised?  I heard from Bob a couple of weeks ago after some news came out about maybe not being in them.  He called and said ‘look I just want you to know that it’s my intention, it’s my plan that you will be in a Superbowl ad.’  So yesterday when we had our press conference to announce the Semper Fi Fund promotion to raise a million dollars that Bob will match and that I’m going to run the Semper Fi Fund logo on the front of both my No. 7 and No. 10 GoDaddy cars he announced that I was going to be in both of them.  That was definitely news to me yesterday.  Great news.”
 
THERE ARE TWO GENTLEMEN VYING FOR THE CUP CHAMPIONSHIP WITH DISTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT RESUME’S AS IT PERTAINS TO CHAMPIONSHIPS, WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK EACH OF THEM WOULD HAVE IF THEY DO GO ON TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THIS SPORT?
“Well you obviously have Jimmie (Johnson) who has done it a handful of times. It’s an incredible feat and he’s on his way to continue to break more records there probably. I think it’s definitely an interesting story with Brad (Keselowski) and how he’s only been in the series for a short amount of time and accomplishing great things early. We saw the success in Nationwide as well with him. Yeah, probably a little bit different approaches maybe. I mean Jimmie has the experience and Brad is young and it’s new and it’s not been obtained yet so I don’t know what that kind of brings up inside of him verses someone who’s done it so many times. Experience does tend to pay off, so I’m sure it’s going to be exciting. I look forward to watching it. I’m not going to be racing Cup next weekend so I’ll be sitting on pit lane watching it all go down, and watching the excitement like everyone else will. I think they are both good stories, I think everybody loves to see a legacy and a dynasty like Jimmie has. That’s just something really special in sports. Brad’s story is just new and exciting.”
 
WHO WOULD YOU RATHER SEE WIN AND WHY?
“I don’t really know. I don’t think I could answer that. I like Jimmie and I like Chad (Knaus, crew chief). I know them pretty well. I know Chad pretty well. So, I tend to cheer for the people that I know best, but I also love a new champion and I love a little bit of an underdog, and that’s probably impossible to describe Brad as that but with a guy like Jimmie that’s done it five times I guess you would almost have to put him as the underdog.
I don’t know. I cheer for both stories.”
 
LOOKING AHEAD TO DAYTONA NEXT YEAR, HOW DOES BEING IN THE CAR FOR 3 ½ HOURS AND 500 MILES AFFECT YOU? WHAT DO YOU LIKE, DON’T LIKE?
“Most of my races have been 500 miles this year and the 600. Gosh when those 400’s come up I’m like this is a walk in the park. I remember getting back into a Cup car for the first time for a couple of months at Darlington and I think the Nationwide race was 130 or 160 laps and it was way more than double that in the Cup car. That was an intimidating number. I think this year, I remember talking about it just this last week or two, that the Cup races are really just so long and they do kind of feel like that at times. It feels like the first 100 takes a while and then you think wow, we’ve got 200 left and all of the sudden it’s the last stint and it go time. Things definitely go by a lot quicker once you get in the groove. It’s just something to adjust to and something to get used to. No different than a schedule and getting use to traveling every week or something like that. I’m already kind of getting used to it a little bit.”
 
YOU’RE GOING FROM A NATIONWIDE POINTS SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN PRETTY EXCITING THIS YEAR TO THE CHASE FORMAT NEXT YEAR, DO YOU HAVE ANY PREFERENCE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THESE THINGS PLAY OUT?
“It’s supposed to be realistic, the Chase is a pretty long shot for me coming next year so I don’t know if I’ve really put a lot of thought to it. You never know though. Anything can happen. I think that for me that will be something that will come up in the years to come as that becomes more realistic and something to shoot for. I am all for anything that makes this sport more entertaining, makes more news, and brings more sponsors in. I’m sure that being someone that leads the championship going into the Chase and then being basically even with 12th is definitely disappointing on some level. At the same time, if that’s what keeps the sponsors and the fans engaged, then that’s what we need to do.”
 
HANNAH NEWHOUSE IS A 15-YEAR-OLD DRIVER THAT IS ENTERING THE K&N SERIES, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HER?
“They can race at 15 now? Well how old am I? (laughter).”
 
SHE SAID YOU PAINTED THE IDEAL PICTURE FOR WOMEN DRIVERS. ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AND WHERE SHE IS GOING?
“I painted the ideal picture. Wow, that’s very flattering. I always encourage young drivers coming up to not want to be like me, but be better than me. That’s what I thought when I was growing up. I just wanted to be better than everyone. I never really had an idol or somebody like that I wanted to be like. I didn’t know why then, but I think internally I always knew that I was maybe different. I didn’t let other people guide me on what I should be looking to achieve necessarily or a path to take. That’s very flattering and thank you but I think you just have to have the big goal in mind and then let it take its course. There’s not one certain way to get to the top of racing, that’s for sure. It’s a matter of taking the opportunities and being confident and knowing they will all teach you something.”
 
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK BEING IN THE SUPERBOWL ADS INCREASES YOUR ABILITY TO GET THEM TO SPONSOR YOU TO RACE? GODADDY AND POSSIBLY OTHER COMPANIES IN THE FUTURE IF GODADDY EVER NOT WANTED TO SPONSOR YOU?
“I think what it does it establishes not necessarily just my brand and GoDaddy’s brand, but our brand together. That we each on some level need each other. That’s a great scenario for someone like me. I can only hope that works for the other person, this being GoDaddy. We’ve had tons of success together. They’ve become an incredibly big company and had a lot of success. I want to keep that going and be a part of it. I just think it solidifies our branding together as the important part.”
 
WHEN THE SEASON IS OVER AND YOU CAN SUMMARIZE IT, IS THERE ANY TRACK THAT YOU REALLY LIKED AND ONE TRACK YOU DIDN’T?
“This question kind of gets asked in various forms. To be honest, all that really matters is how you do at the track. So if it’s a track that you do well at, you’re going to like it. Sometimes that changes. Gosh, I remember being in Indy Car and going to Sonoma for the first time and just hating it. I remember I drove by one time and gave it the finger. I was not in favor of Sonoma. Then I go back in 2007 and I qualify on the front row and I’m like I love Sonoma. I think that it just depends on how you do and that changes from time to time, and year to year.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway along with special guest Paul Knowles, a Vietnam Veteran and discussed his special Veterans Day paint scheme, the Chase format, getting on the same page with crew chief Matt Borland and much more.  Full Transcript:   
 
YOU HAVE A UNIQUE VETERANS DAY PROMOTION WITH YOUR SPONSOR TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT:
RYAN NEWMAN: “We’ve got an awesome paint scheme with our Quicken Loans Chevrolet.  The digital camo (camouflage), it’s not just digital camo it’s kind of desert camo and on the bottom part of the race car there are over 250 black and white photographs of service men and women who have closed a mortgage at Quicken Loans.  A great tribute to the Veterans on Veterans Day weekend, very much appreciative of what Quicken Loans does for the Veterans with their mortgages and obviously just tributes like this on special occasions.  The TV panel on the bumper cover of the car says it best.  Home of the free because of the brave, that is why we are proud to represent Quicken Loans this weekend.”
 
IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR SERVICE AND THEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON RYAN’S CAR THIS WEEKEND:
PAUL KNOWLES: “Well first off the opportunity to be on Ryan’s car is really nice to have.  The car with Quicken Loans and backing up all the Veterans that is really a plus. Making a loan with Quicken Loans for that new house I just bought was just painless it was wonderful.  They have done a really great job on working with the Veterans.  I spent a year in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969.  I was lucky when I made it back.  So now I am just a Vietnam Veteran got out of the service and enjoyed the tour.”
 
YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PAINT SCHEME THIS WEEK ARE YOU INVOLVED IN PUTTING SOME IDEAS INTO THE PAINT SCHEME OF THE CAR?
RYAN NEWMAN: “No, that is one of the things at Stewart-Haas I’ve always been extremely proud of is they put together great paint schemes for great reasons.  Quicken Loans has been a big part of this like I said.  With the people at Stewart-Haas obviously have to do the final layout of the car and make sure everybody is happy sponsor wise and everybody is happy as far as their logo placement.  Just really happy with the way the car looks it’s an amazing looking car.  Hopefully, it adds maybe a half second a lap to it something like that so we can have it in Victory Lane and we can show everybody really what Veterans Day is all about.”
 
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO IN THESE LAST TWO RACES TO HELP PREPARE FOR NEXT YEAR SINCE YOU ARE NOT IN THE CHASE?
RYAN NEWMAN: “Win.  Just win.  Just win everything, win the poles and win the races.  That is one of our goals these last two races is to get a pole just like every other race before that, but we are not in the Shootout as of right now.  It’s an important part of my career to keep that streak alive. Obviously, it’s a goal no matter what to be the fastest and be the best.  That starts today.  We will see how we can do.  We had a good car in the spring; I got crashed out about the middle of the race.  Look forward to this race track; it’s always been a good track for me both on Friday’s and on Sunday’s.”
 
LAST WEEK TONY (STEWART) MADE THE REFERENCE TO (BRAD) KESELOWSKI HAVING A D
EATH WISH I WONDER IF YOU COULD EXPAND ON WHAT YOU THINK THAT MEANS AND ALSO IT COMES UP EVERY YEAR WHAT IF THERE WASN’T A CHASE HOW WOULD THINGS BE.  WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS DO YOU LIKE THE CHASE OR NOT?
RYAN NEWMAN: “I’m not sure about the death wish.  I really can’t comment about that.  I don’t know what he was talking about.  If it was something he said or did or whatever.  That is not my place to say.  The Chase part of it I think a percentage of it adds hype.  As I said from the very beginning in the beginning it was 10 drivers that got the extra hype and the rest of them didn’t.  Now it’s 12 that get the extra hype and having missed it two of the last four, made it two of the last four, I can kind of speak on both sides of it.  It does change your outlook and your outcome for the next 10 races after Richmond as far as what you have to look forward to.  If you have an opportunity, if you don’t have an opportunity at a championship, but ultimately we are there to win each and every race so that part of it doesn’t change.  Sometimes it’s bitter sweet because of the situation you are in, but it is what it is.  There is still an opportunity for a champion each and every year.  In the end if you look at it from a point’s stand point it really doesn’t change who has that opportunity whether we have a Chase or not.  It’s still a group of four or five drivers at the end of 26 that are still in that group of four or five going into the last few.”
 
WERE YOU A LONG TIME NASCAR FAN ALL THESE YEARS OR WAS THIS A SURPRISE WEEKEND COMING TO YOU?
PAUL KNOWLES: “Truthfully hate to say it I haven’t been a NASCAR fan, but this adds some credibility for me to see what it’s all about first hand.  It’s a very good thing for me.”
 
YOU GET A LOT OF GUESTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT YOU MEET AND GREET AND SPEND THE WEEKEND WITH.  WHAT IS IT LIKE WHEN YOU GET A GENTLEMAN LIKE MR. KNOWLES WHO WASN’T REALLY A NASCAR FAN?  IS THAT EQUALLY AS CHALLENGING, BUT YET AS FULFILLING AS ANY OTHER TYPE OF FAN?
RYAN NEWMAN: “Well just as I always said having the U.S. Army as a sponsor it’s a different kind of sponsorship when you meet people like that who represent your brand I guess you could say.  Meeting Paul (Knowles) it’s extra special this weekend because it’s Veterans Day and everybody needs to recognize that.  That is the point of it is to give thanks to all those who have served and given us the opportunity to do the things that we do and not have to worry about what kind of plane if flying over our head.  Just really proud like I said of Quicken Loans, this is their program, this is their race and obviously it ties in with the U.S. Army which is another sponsor.  I’m thankful and it’s an honor for me to drive a race car that pays so much tribute to so many special people.”
 
IS THIS ONE OF THOSE SEASONS THAT YOU WISH WOULD END OR ARE GLAD IT’S CLOSE TO AN END? RYAN NEWMAN: “People have asked me, friends, family, whoever if I’m looking forward to the off season and I answer yes and no.  Yes I am because my ultimate goal of winning the championship is not within grasp by any means.  I still have the opportunity to win two races so there are things to look forward to, but my ultimate goal I cannot achieve this year.  At that point, you want it to end and get started on next year.  I really enjoy the off season; I enjoy the 90-plus days or whatever it is of being able to spend time with family and the outdoors and hunting and a little bit of fishing.  Just getting a chance to vacation at home.  That’s what it’s all about.  It’s a ‘catch 22.”
 
DO YOU THINK JIMMIE JOHNSON WILL PULL AWAY FROM BRAD KESELOWSKI OR DO YOU THINK THIS WILL GO DOWN TO THE LAST LAP AT HOMESTEAD?
RYAN NEWMAN: “There’s a good chance of anything.  There was as good of a chance of Brad (Keselowski) winning that race last week as there was Jimmie (Johnson) in my opinion.  I believe, if I remember right, Brad was on two tires and Jimmie was on four.  There was strength there to that 2 car that was pretty dominant all race long.  Anything can happen here.  I especially say with the dog-leg in the backstretch that things can get exciting here that we don’t anticipate.  I think that’s kind of escalated over the last two races here so we’ll see how that goes.  This is a fun race track for me.  It’s fun for a lot of guys.  It’s challenging because it’s different on both ends.  Homestead itself is relatively simple when it comes to the racing part of it because it’s so wide and you can use the top to the bottom of the race track, both ends and we saw how well Tony Stewart was last year with being able to pass cars.  To me, this is more of a challenge from a racing standpoint in these next two races than Homestead is.”
 
WILL IT TAKE A LONG TIME FOR YOU TO GET BACK ON THE SAME PAGE WITH MATT BORLAND SINCE IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU BOTH WORKED TOGETHER?
RYAN NEWMAN: “I don’t think we ever had to worry about getting back on the same page, it was more a matter about catching the right paragraph.  We think so much alike, we understand the principles of the race car, but for him I think it’s more about just adapting the physics of the race car to my feels and the comments that I make, having not had my experience with that over the past five or seven years or whatever it’s been.  We’ve always been on the same page when it comes to understanding the race cars.  It’s just a matter of us creating that fine tuning of what we need to do to make them perfect.”
 
HOW DOES THE RESPECT FOR THE TITLE CONTENDERS CHANGE WITH TWO RACES REMAINING?  IS THERE MORE RESPECT THAT HAS TO BE GIVEN OR IS IT A MISCONCEPTION?
RYAN NEWMAN: “I guess the best way to describe it is to race them equally.  Like you said, there are two guys that are in the contention right now for the championships so if you’re in a position where you race the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) a certain way, race the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) the same way.  They know me and they know my passion for not letting them go by.  That’s just the way I am.  Sometimes it helps me and sometimes it hurts me.  For the most part, race each other the way you would want to be raced.  If it was you racing for a championship, give and take the way you would want to be given and taken to.  That’s maybe the best way to describe it.  To me, there’s not more of an allowance.  There’s a level of respect in a situation.  If I’m racing for a lucky dog then it’s different than if I’m racing for the win.  That really doesn’t change much, maybe a little bit.  To answer your question, maybe a little bit, but not really.  I’m still here to win the race and my sponsors and my fans and everybody around me and my team especially expects me to not lay over and give them extra respect because of their situation.  My situation is that I’m still here to win a race.”
 
DID YOU SEE THE RESTARTS AT THE END OF THE TEXAS RACE AND IF YOU DID, WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS?
RYAN NEWMAN: “I quickly saw I think it was the last restart when Jimmie (Johnson) kind of pulled the air off the 2 (Brad Keselowksi) a little bit, which is fine, that’s racing.  If I remember right, Brad had the opportunity to pick the lane and he chose the inside.  He very easily could have picked the outside.  I don’t think there was anything wrong with any of it from what I saw.  I didn’t see all of it.”   

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed racing at Phoenix International Raceway, what it would mean to tie Dale Earnhardt Sr. on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win list and other
topics.  Full Transcript:
 
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COMING TO PHOENIX:
“I’m excited to get on the track.  It looks like it is still pretty slick.  I watched the Trucks practice last night and there have been a couple of quick cautions this morning.  I’m hopeful the Nationwide cars really rubber the race track in and we can get the track to evolve short order and have a great practice session here in an hour or so.”
 
YOU HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE MANY TIMES IN THIS SITUATION HOW DOES RIGHT NOW COMPARE TO YEARS PAST AND HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR CHANCES?
“At this point regardless of our points situation I still came here ready to race and we’ve won some races here and have been able to run in the top-five which is very important to lead into a comfortable Homestead.  I’ve been on the ropes here racing Denny (Hamlin) and things worked out from a fuel mileage stand point that closed the gap, went to Homestead and had to race for it.  I’ve been here before with (Jeff) Gordon dueling it out.  We won and he might have been second or third in the race and that is the year that reminds me the most of what I’m dealing with right now.  I expect for Brad (Keselowski) to be strong here.  He and I raced real hard for third or four positions in the closing laps of the spring race.  I would assume that we would be right there running nose to tail once again when the checkered flag falls on Sunday.”
 
WHAT DO OTHER DRIVERS SAY TO YOU IN PASSING OR WHAT NOT WHEN YOU SEE THEM IN THE MOTORHOME LOT OR WHAT NOT ABOUT BEATING BRAD?  WHAT ARE THEIR COMMENTS TO YOU ABOUT YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE YOU ARE RACING HIM?
“I haven’t had anybody specifically point out the competition with Brad.  I’ve had guys talk about here you are in position again, give me some encouragement.  I just saw Clint Bowyer in the motorhome lot and he said a lot of things that I can’t say on TV (laughs).  Something about the rear end of anybody and I’m that part for winning last weekend.  Not the cheeks the other part in his words (laughs), highly entertaining whenever it comes to (Clint) Bowyer as we all know.  I feel like I have a lot of friends in the garage area and people are maybe they are not happy to see me in position to win a championship, but I think a lot of people respect the position we are in and what the team has done, what I have done.  I think that respect shows on the race track too.  There has been a lot of respectful driving around Brad and I on the race track and guys will let us race for this thing.  It’s been good.”
 
WITH 60 WINS YOU ARE EIGHTH IN ALL-TIME WINS (DALE) EARNHARDT (SR.) SEVENTH WITH 76 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU TO GET TO THAT LEVEL THROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS ASIDE BUT WINS?  ALSO, I SAW YOU RUNNING YESTERDAY ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT AND GET THE STRESS OUT WITHOUT GETTING RECOGNIZED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE?
“Kind of, I left the track and ran out through the motorhome lot and on my way out no one saw me.  On the way back people knew I was coming and signed a few autographs, took a few pictures.  Training, I have my event coming up in December, so I have to keep the miles in and keep going. It’s been a great way to make sure that I’m tired every night and go to sleep with a clear mind.  Just continuing to follow my routine and what I do.  As far as chasing (Dale) Earnhardt (Sr.) I didn’t know that he was the next one in line.  There is a good gap between 60 and 76 so I hope to get there.  It would be a huge honor for me to be able to tie ‘The Man’.  I hope to do that certainly.”  
 
IS THIS A WHOLE NEW LEARNING PROCESS OR IS THIS STILL THE PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE WON FOUR TIMES?
“I really think it’s a new place.  The old track was really abrasive and tire wear was important.  We did see a few things come down to fuel mileage at the end, but the mindset really was working on your race car, tire fall off and you would come in and pit and put four on.  That game has changed here now.  I would assume the track has evolved a little, but what we have seen with these new repaves whatever the mix is that they put down it takes a long time for it to evolve.  I look at the Charlotte track as the best example.  It maybe a little easier to drive on now, but it’s still the same tire wear as when they repaved it four or five years ago.  It hasn’t changed back to the old Charlotte yet.  This track is going to be very similar to the way it was in the spring.  I feel like we are on a new sheet of paper with the track as it is.  I feel like our fourth is representative of where we are now with the new track.  We had a great performance, a little room to improve, but not the track that it was before.”
 
YOU HAVE HAD TIMES IN YOUR CAREER WHERE YOU HAVE PULLED OFF CONSECUTIVE WINS, WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE IN THAT ZONE?
“Man, it’s crazy to experience it.  In years past when we have been on those runs there is plenty of challenging moments through the course of a race weekend.  To have things work out and to watch a team come together and work so hard to work through adversity and to not let adversity affect the execution, the temperament of the team, the moral of the team it’s something special to be a part of. We had some amazing years where we could string those together and I hope that, we have two going, we can keep that string going right now and rattle off two more.”
 
WHY DIDN’T BRAD (KESELOWSKI) GET MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH YOU LAST WEEK?  BACK IN THE DAY WHEN HE WAS REALLY AGGRESSIVE THAT IS SOMETHING HE MIGHT HAVE DONE.  WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON THAT AND THE PROGRESSION HE HAS MADE DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?  WHAT HAS CHANGED ABOUT HIM AND WHY DO YOU THINK MAYBE HE DIDN’T GET REAL AGGRESSIVE THERE AND MAKE A MOVE LIKE THAT AND JUST GO FOR BROKE THERE?
“I really feel like he was extremely aggressive and had that mindset of going for broke.  But we all evolve as drivers and I think he was more in control of his vehicle Sunday night than he was when he was new to the sport.  Then the other thing is certain drivers and I’ve been a part of it too, you have a magnet for a certain car.  It was Carl (Edwards) and Brad that had that issue that was going and where a lot of that came from I don’t really recall him having big issue with other drivers. “
 
WITH DENNY HAMLIN…
“With Denny (Hamlin) he did?  I don’t even remember that one. I know our history between Brad and myself we haven’t had that.  I’ve always raced him with a clear mind and not worry.  Sure racing stuff happens and you make mistakes, everybody does.  I make plenty myself, but it never crossed my mind that he would make an intentional move to dump me.  There are only a few people out there wired like that.  I think in today’s world there is probably less like it or not it is just the way it is.  People race really, really hard and I think Brad did, but to just go in the corner and dump someone man that is tough to do.  Then you play into the Karma thing and then there is always next week.  There is a variety of things that come with that.  I just don’t think there are many guys out there that would haul off into the turn and just dump their competition for the championship.”   
 
CHAD (KNAUS) SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR PEOPLE WHO ARE CHASING YOU HAVE TO RAISE THEIR GAME, BUT THE NO. 48 TEAM DOESN’T HAVE TO.  YOU SORT OF REMAIN ON AN EVEN PLANE.  IS THAT THE WAY YOU OPERATE AS A DRIVER?
“I think it’s really led by Chad’s direction.  He treats every race as if we are in the Chase and leans on us all.  There are parts of the year where myself, my team members look at him and are like ‘man its June why are you cracking the whip so hard?’ But that is the
way Chad operates.  I’m thankful that he does because he never sits back and relaxes on past performance and it’s all about the present and working as hard as you can each and every week.  He made the comment and a lot of that is due to his personality and the way he runs a race team.  Myself I’m usually a little more laid back.  It’s not that I’m trying any harder now, but I can let stuff fall off my shoulders a little easier middle of the year than he can.  Right now if you are going to be the champion you can’t shrug something off.  You have to focus on every single point and make sure you can get every point you can on the track.  I guess maybe I’m more like his mindset when the Chase starts and prior to that I’m a bit more relaxed.”
 
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE THAT THE NO. 2 IS NOT GOING TO CHOKE NOT GOING TO DISAPPEAR AND YOU ARE GOING TO NEED TWO TERRIFIC RACES TO WIN THIS THING?
“Yeah, that is the way I have to enter each race.  I have to expect the best out of them and I’ve said that through the whole Chase.  When there were 12 of us that had a shot I was focused on all 12 and then it’s worked its way down to really just one car.  We are here to race.  We need to get every point that we can and expect the most out of the No. 2.”
 
WHAT DO YOU THINK TONY STEWART MEANT BY BRAD KESELOWSKI HAVING A ‘DEATH WISH’?  DO YOU THINK WITH THE NATIONWIDE POINTS BEING SO CLOSE THAT IS AN ARGUMENT TO NOT HAVE A CHASE FORMAT ANYMORE?
“I didn’t see the comments after last weekend with what Tony (Stewart) said so I really don’t know what he’s referencing.  The Nationwide stuff, we saw it time and time again in the Cup Series that you would get a couple close years here and there, but really there was a runaway year.  I feel like from an odds standpoint, your chances of having a close championship battle are best with the Chase.  The Cup Series is proof of that.  We wouldn’t have changed if it wasn’t the situation.  I’m happy to see the Nationwide Series tied right now.  It’s great TV and it’s great to watch.  It’s very hungry guys out there trying to make their mark.”
 
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS AND WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOUR CAREER COMES TO A CONCLUSION?
“It’s hard to say and I still live my life and live each day just looking at what’s right in front of me.  I’ve been asked the question a lot about long term and where I want to be, the mark I want to leave on the sport and it’s something that I haven’t put a lot of thought into, but I feel like I’ve had lame answers for everybody over the years and I need to think about it for once and have a good answer.  I made this reference a few times, but a friend of mine said to me that limits begin where the vision ends.  I want to be considered the best driver to ever sit in a stock car.  The undisputed way to pull that off is to win eight championships.  That’s what I said a few months back and I know that I put that mark way, way out there in front of me and it’s a lofty goal.  I’ve accomplished every goal that I’ve set in front of myself, I’ve knocked down and I’m going to put one way out there and hope I get there.  If I don’t, I know that I’ve tried and given 100 percent and very proud of whatever the stats are at that point when I retire.  Putting one way out there and we’ll see if I get to it.”
 
DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE ‘SUPERSTORM SANDY’ FUND?
“I’m not sure how it’s going.  I know we made our contribution and I’m hopeful that others have donated as well.  I had some news that where our apartments held, it could be three more months before we have power or be back on our own power system.  They have some auxiliary power that they are hopeful to get in within two weeks, but before the building is functioning like it was, it’s at least another three months.  Believe me, the apartment wasn’t cheap.  This is a nice place.  I can only imagine the devastation and destruction on many levels throughout Manhattan, Staten Island.  Our motor home is on the New York satellite and we were watching the local news from Staten Island, I can’t believe the devastation there.  Hopefully, others are inspired to donate as well and we can try to help out.”
 
ARE THERE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT YOU AND DOES THAT BOTHER YOU?
“I learned a long time ago that it’s hard to make everybody happy.  I have seen in the last three or four years and there are plenty of markers to show it in the fan base that has shifted heavily that there are a lot of very avid 48 fans that are out there.  With that said, I’m sure there are some that just don’t like us.  That’s fine, that’s cool.  It’s this sport.  It’s how it is.  Nothing has bothered me, I’ve heard it all and I guess also in my lesson a while back I learned that if I know someone and they have a problem with me then I should take heart.  From a fan’s perspective, in the way things happen within sports, if somebody says something ugly, they don’t know me so why am I going to take it to heart.  It’s just fandom.  People supporting their teams and who they want to support.”
 
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL WHEN FANS ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING POISED TO WIN ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP?
“It makes me smile.  I really don’t care.  I’m doing my job.  I’ve worked my entire life to get to this point in my career.  I wasn’t around to see the (Richard) Petty era, but I know or I can only assume that a lot of people were tired of seeing the King win.  I know that a lot of people were tired of seeing (Dale) Earnhardt win.  I lived it firsthand in watching Jeff Gordon go through that very same thing after his fourth championship.  It’s not that I’m in this unique situation.  We go back through and pull the clips from previous champions and guys that have been on runs before and it’s the same stuff.  It’s absolutely the same stuff.  I’m not doing anything different than Gordon, Petty, Earnhardt — in fact I’m awfully damn proud to be in that lump of guys that had to go from cheers to boos and when they get back to cheering you again is when you stop winning.  I don’t want the cheers, I’ll keep the boo’s.  That’s fine.”
 
WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOURSELF AND BRAD KESELOWSKI AT ROAD ATLANTA AND DID THAT CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION OF HIM?
“When I saw his reply, it took me a second or two to take it in.  I thought, ‘Wait a second, Road Atlanta?  He crashed.’  Then the few minutes following his crash ran through my mind and I think Chad (Knaus, crew chief) and I were in a Tahoe and ran down there.  We were some of the first people on the scene to help him get out of the car.  Helping him find his bearings.  Checked up with him when he was in the hospital.  It was a heck of a crash.  I don’t think, I was just concerned for him.  Maybe that was something different than what he had experienced with other racers.  That’s me.  I’m concerned for people and especially seeing a big impact like that firsthand.  It got my attention.  The next day and a half of testing, every time I went into turn one I could see his marks where he went off the road and hit down there.  I was like, ‘Man that was ugly.’  I’m glad that meant something to him.  It wasn’t my intentions.  He knows where I am with my morals and that I do care about others.  I don’t think the situations are identical by any means, but the fact that he is the only driver that came to victory lane to shake my hand after the race in Texas, I just thought that took a lot of class.  It’s tough in this moment, we’re both racing and trying to achieve our dreams of being a champion in this sport and for him to put
a smile on his face and come to victory lane to shake my hand I thought was a big move on his behalf.”

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 DIET MOUNTAIN DEW/AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET met with media and discussed who he thinks will win this year’s Chase, the tight Nationwide Series battle, the outlook for JR Motorsports in 2013 and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU AND BRAD (KESELOWSKI) CAME TOGETHER AT THE PERFECT TIME YOU AS AN OWNER AND HIM AS A DRIVER.  IN YOUR OPINION WHO DO YOU THINK BENEFITED MORE IN THAT RELATIONSHIP BRAD AS THE DRIVER OR YOUR COMPANY JR MOTORSPORTS?
“Probably definitely Brad, which is fine, it seemed to give him the platform he needed to really showcase his potential and get people, owners like Roger Penske to consider him for Cup level.  That is what our company is all about.  That is what we enjoy to see happen so it was a success for us, but definitely think it was best for Brad.”
 
HOW DID IT HELP YOUR COMPANY?
“We pleased a lot of sponsors with the way Brad ran and the success we had with Brad.  It gave our company credibility amongst the competitors and just really raised the moral and got everybody in the shop really fired up with Brad’s ability.  When they went to the race track they were excited about their opportunities and changed the culture in the shop quite a bit.”
 
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE HIM?
“I liked his family’s history, good hard working racing people.  He had worked on all his stuff growing up so he knew how valuable the equipment was, knew how to take care of the equipment and he was quick.  He could do things; he was in some of the start and park race cars and qualifying well and racing well.  He was great at looking around on the race track for different grooves, different speed and finding speed in the car.  Just did a lot of good things.”
 
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ABOUT THE 2013 CAR? JEFF BURTON SAID HE THINKS IT’S GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN PASSING AND MAKE THE 1.5-MILE RACES MORE LIKE SHORT TRACKS
“Yeah, I haven’t tested the car. So I’m not sure what Burton has in mind or what he thinks will help. But hopefully that reveals itself when we start working on the car and I start getting to drive the car.”
 
WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE CHASE FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP?
“Well, it’s between Brad (Keselowski) and Jimmie (Johnson) and I think Jimmie is going to win it. Jimmie is going to be hard to beat. Jimmie is in great equipment. Jimmie has a great race team around him; smart people, and one of the best crew chiefs in the business, and Jimmie is one of the best drivers in the business. It’s going to be hard to beat those guys.”
 
ON JIMMIE JOHNSON GOING FOR A SIXTH TITLE AND BEING ONE OF THE BEST IN THE SPORT:
“I think he’s been in the conversations. Winning five in a row puts him in the conversation as being one of the guys that’s the best the sport has ever seen. And any success he has beyond that just further strengthens this argument and I think it’s fair to put him in that group and compare him to Richard (Petty) and Cale Yarborough and guys like that; my father, even.”
 
WHAT IS THE SENSE OF PRIDE WITH BRAD (KESELOWSKI), YOU’VE TALKED MANY TIMES ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS BEING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG DRIVERS?
“I’m competing against him so I’ve got to look at him really as a competitor, but we have a good friendship and a good amount of respect for each other. That really carries over on to the race track. I enjoy racing with him. He’s a real tough competitor; he races really, really hard. He’s so far removed from his years in the Nationwide Series already in this just short period of time. He’s already carved such a ditch in the Cup Series. Those seem just like memories racing as an owner and him as my driver. It just seems like so long ago already.”
 
YOU’RE A TWO-TIME NATIONWIDE CHAMPION, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A CHAMPION?
“In the Nationwide Series?”
 
IN ANY SERIES.
“I can only say what it takes to be a champion in the Nationwide Series because I haven’t won a championship in the Cup Series yet. You’ve got to have a great team around you. You’ve got to have fast race cars and you’ve got to be smart with them. That’s really the basics of it.”
 
WITH THAT SERIES BEING TIED RIGHT NOW, LAST YEAR COMING HERE THERE WAS ONLY EIGHT POINTS DIFFERENCE, IS THAT A GOOD ARGUMENT THAT YOU REALLY DON’T NEED A CHASE IN CUP?
“I’m not sure. I think the Chase for the championship really wasn’t to change how the points looked or change how the points are tallied up. I think it was just to drive attention to the fan base and get the fans excited that there was some sort of playoff system in effect. I think the fans get excited about everybody reverting back to the no points and leveling the playing field with 10 (races) to go. I think that it excites them to have a group of guys competing throughout the last 10 races and having it simplified in that aspect. With the old system we’ve seen good championships and with the new system we’ve seen good championships. I don’t believe it really matters how you stack it up. It just comes down to the performance of the drivers. It’s a coincidental situation with the Nationwide Series that those two guys are tied. I wouldn’t read much into it.”
 
LAST WEEK TONY STEWART SAID THAT BRAD (KESELOWSKI) HAD A DEATH WISH AT THE END OF THE RACE WITH THE WAY HE WAS PUSHING IT TO THE LIMIT. IS THAT JUST BRAD’S NATURE?
“I was really impressed from what I saw from both drivers at the end of that race. I think you saw both of them dig down and produce results that you don’t see on an everyday basis. Some of the most incredible racing that I’ve seen in a long time between two guys in a situation like that. I was fortunate enough to be close enough to see it and it was quite something to see.”
 
WHAT MAKES JIMMIE (JOHNSON) SO GOOD?
“You could come up with a bunch of different reasons and not really be correct. You think about his history on dirt and in the truck, how that must have helped him understand incredible car control. He spent years and years on dirt and that’s the best way to go to school on car control. He has incredible car control. He understands exactly where the grip level is, where the slip angles are, and how to get right up against them and carry it through the whole corner. He’ll tell you also that he has a great team around him. He’s been with this team from the start. They’ve built a great group and been able to maintain that. They complement Jimmie just as well as he complements them.”
 
WHERE DO YOU THINK BRAD (KESELOWSKI) WOULD BE TODAY IF TED MUSGRAVE HADN’T GOTTEN SUSPENDED FOR THAT ONE RACE WHERE BRAD GOT IN THE TRUCK AND SHOWED WHAT HE COULD DO?
“I think he would probably have made it still but it might have just taken a little bit longer. It might have taken a while to get that opportunity. That was definitely the key moment. He was driving that No. 23 car in the Nationwide Series, and he qualified 10th at Bristol. Then I saw him race at Atlanta and move around on the race track to find speed in the car, was racing against guys that had better equipment than him. You just see people have glimpses of potential and then he got that opportunity there and made the most of it.  He would have won that race had he not been spun out. I felt like when I was calling him that I was probably not the only one at that moment. Whether I was or not I don’t know, but I felt like he brought a lot of awareness to himself and his opportunities and potential to a lot of people, not just myself.”
 
WHERE ARE YOU AT WITH NEXT YEAR AT JR MOTORSPORTS? WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR BEYOND REGAN SMITH RUNNING A FULL SEASON?
“I’d like to have two full-time cars with Regan and Cole (Whitt) driving. We’re working really hard to fill sponsorship on the second car. We’ve got a lo
t of great potential partners that we’ve been speaking to. Cole has done a great job especially since we’ve made the changes we’ve made over there. Cole has really been able to improve. The speed in the car has improved each week. He’s been able to realize what kind of opportunities and things we can do together if we can get everything right. I think we’re really close. Regan is going to come in and give us a veteran in leadership from a driver standpoint. I’d really love to have both those guys. We’ve got Regan ready to go in a full deal. We’re just trying to piece together enough partnerships and people that are excited about our opportunities in the future with Cole for next year and we’ll move forward. I’m going to run a handful of races.”
 
HOW MUCH DOES IT HELP TO HAVE REGAN AROUND THE TRACK HANGING OUT WITH THE TEAM NOW AND GOING OVER TO JR MOTORSPORTS?
“He brings a better presence. He understands what the job is, what he needs to do. He’s really confident. So, I think that’s good for the team to see. It gets the team excited.”
 
IS THIS THE KIND OF SEASON WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO BE KIND OF HAPPY THAT IT’S OVER?
“No. I wish we were going to race on. I’d just race on through to February and start back over again if it were up to me. I really enjoy being at the track and driving cars. It’s been a good year, but this should be par for the course. It’s been a good year, but we want to be a lot better than this. I’m not ready to stop trying to be better.”
 
CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE IN THE ZONE? YOU AND STEVE (LETARTE, CREW CHIEF) STARTED OUT SO STRONG AND WON MICHIGAN.
“There’s confidence between me and him that we’re going to show up and do well, and confidence is real important. We work really well together. When he’s on top of his game and I’m on top of my game we’re a really competitive team.”
 
HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AT PHOENIX HERE THIS WEEKEND?
“I really don’t know. I haven’t run well since they repaved it. We’ve got a completely different setup than we ran here earlier this year. So right now I’m just anxious to get in the car and see what we can do.”
 
DO YOU THINK JIMMIE (JOHNSON) IS GOING TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP? IS THERE MAYBE ONE STRENGTH THAT THE NO. 2 TEAM HAS THAT MAYBE THE NO. 48 DOESN’T?
“Not knowing any better. Maybe that’s one. Not really knowing any better and being open-minded to anything. They’re pretty risky too. He’ll stay out on two tires, no tires; try to run himself out of gas, and all kinds of crazy stuff. They are willing to really gamble. That makes them kind of dangerous in that aspect.”
 
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE HERE UNDER THIS CONFIGURATION?
“I really haven’t been able to find good grip in the front of the car that creates speed. The front of the car is real harsh in the corners and just takes the grip out of the front tires. You blow through the front tires real easy.”
 
BRAD (KESELOWSKI) SAID THE OTHER DAY THAT YOU HAD HIM SIGN A CLAUSE IN HIS CONTRACT WHEN HE WORKED FOR YOU THAT SAID HE COULDN’T WRITE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES I GUESS, ANY EXPERIENCES YOU DON’T WANT HIM WRITING ABOUT?
“I don’t have anything that I would rather him not write about. I think he was telling a lie to be honest with you. We’ve had some fun times together, and he grew up a lot when he was around us. I’ll tell you that.”
 
HOW SO?
“I don’t know. He hadn’t been exposed to a whole lot when we got a hold of him. All he had ever done was race cars and we took him to town and got him some clothes, dressed him up and showed him what was going on. I don’t know. It wasn’t too much. It wasn’t too crazy. He’s pretty outgoing now. I don’t know if you guys really remember just how shy and introverted he was when he first started racing for us, and he’s quite the comedian these days. He’s really outspoken, so he’s changed quite a bit.”
 
SO YOU’RE TAKING CREDIT FOR HIS DRESS STYLE AT THE MYERS BROTHER’S LUNCHEON LAST YEAR?
“No. He wasn’t working for me then.”
 
YOU TALK ABOUT YOU WANT TO KEEP RACING, HOW MANY YEARS DID YOU END THE YEAR THAT WAY? WHERE YOU WANTED TO KEEP GOING?
“Only a few. Not many. Probably about 30 percent of the years I’ve ran. I’m excited about next year. I’m excited about opportunities with the new car and working on the new car. I’m ready to go testing. I’m just not ready to sit down.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1/OFFICE DEPOT CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed future plans for SHR, racing at Phoenix, Chase contenders and other topics.  Full transcript:
 
DO YOU HAVE A RESPONSE TO THE STORY THAT KEVIN HARVICK WILL JOIN STEWART-HAAS RACING IN 2014? “Well, it’s actually Dale, Jr. (SMILES BROADLY). And Marty Smith (ESPN Television personality and website reporter) is actually going to be in the fourth car. Yes, that’s where we are at. (SMILES BROADLY) I will tell you this, when we have something to tell you guys, we’ll tell you. I’ve always said that. You guys can throw darts, but when we have something to tell you that’s different than what we’ve got going on, we’ll obviously tell you.”
 
HOW IS YOUR CAR? “Getting there. Working on it. It’s getting closer, but we still have a little ways to go in race trim. I think in qualifying trim, we are making gains on it. We probably need to make a couple more runs to get it really nice.”
 
WHAT IS IT LIKE AS A DRIVER WHEN YOU HAVE A STRETCH OF TIME WHERE YOU ALMOST CAN DO NO WRONG; WHEN YOU ARE IN THE ZONE? HOW DOES THAT FEEL? “It’s awesome. It is what every driver wants no matter what form of racing you’re in. When you’re on top of your game, and you have got things going right, it’s just the confidence you’ve got when you come in the pit gate at the beginning of the weekend. It’s nice because it literally is a really balance. That’s normally when you are probably in-tune with your car the best of any time throughout the year is when you are in those modes. You would trade unborn children for that feeling a lot of times.”
 
WHO WOULD YOU PICK OF THE TOP-TWO GUYS (JIMMIE JOHNSON AND BRAD KESELOWSKI) FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP? “I’m still worried about getting myself as far up in the championship as I can. I’m not worried about those two guys. They’ve got their own deal going on, just like we had our deal going on last year. I think we proved last year, it is hard to pick. It’s way too close to try to pick anybody. I mean, you still have a 300 lap race here; a 500-mile race next weekend (at Homestead-Miami Speedway), and there are 41 other guys on the race track that can make or break their weekend. And they can do it to themselves; or their pit crews. There are so many things that can happen. It’s not like trying to pick a winning team in a football, basketball or baseball game. It’s not that easy.”
 
DO YOU LOOK BACK AT LAST SEASON AND COMPARE IT TO THIS SEASON AND MARVEL AT WHAT THESE TWO ARE DOING? “I haven’t even looked back at it.  I don’t know how much I can talk about last year. I think I talked about it…I’m not sitting here watching those two guys. I’m trying to drive my race car, and worry about what our race weekend is doing. I’m not focused on what they are doing, and I’m not watching what they are doing. I know where they are at in the point standings. We haven’t quit. We are still trying to get every point we can, and still trying to figure out where we can finish. We can finish fifth through 10th right now, so that’s what our focus is. It’s not focusing on what those two guys are doing.”
 
DO YOU THINK THIS TRACK IS GOING TO BE MORE RACEY THAN IT HAS BEEN? “I think so. I think it is getting a little bit wider. Again, the track and facility here did a good job of dragging the tires around like they did last year and I think that helped a bunch.
We did the (Goodyear) tire test a couple of weeks, and it was an ice skating rink for that. It definitely helps get the weekend started off and right. Having more cars on it helps too. Definitely dragging that tire machine around it helped it a bunch.”
 
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE ON THE TRACK HERE? “The biggest thing, at least from what I’ve seen, guys are fighting loose on entry, then they fight being tight in the center of the corner. You want to tighten your car up to get it into the corner, but then you are too tight in the center. It seems like everybody’s exit is ok after it’s got some rubber down. It’s just a matter of trying to balance the entry and the center of the corner.”
 
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A NASCAR CHAMPION? “Getting more points than everybody else.”
 
WHAT DID YOU MEAN LAST WEEK THAT KESELOWSKI HAD A DEATH WISH? “I talked about it last week. I’m not going to talk about it again this week. I’ve got other stuff to worry about, I’m not going to talk about something I said about somebody last week. That’s done and over with.”
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed the groove at Phoenix International Raceway, the possibility of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing on dirt, what it takes to be a champion and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
HOW HAS THE TRACK AGED IN THE ONE YEAR?  IS IT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO?
“It’s a little bit different.  It’s nice to see a nice wide groove.  There is a lot of rubber laid down which compared to the first race we had here that was pretty rare we didn’t see that until maybe half way through the race. So to show up and practice and see a nice wide groove they have had a lot of cars on the track to really get it cleaned off.  I think it is a big improvement.  Really anxious to see how qualifying goes today.  Sometimes we get some false sense of security in practice, tires are heated up through the brakes and everything else and you go out there and the car has got good grip.  When everything is cool and you take off to go make that qualifying run and it sticks then I will be happy.  I have a feeling we are probably going to be sliding around a little bit for the first half, three-quarters of the lap.  So getting ahold of the track qualifying is going to be tough, but I’m optimistic about multiple grooves in the race right now.”
 
THE RACE TRACK IN FORT ERIE, CANADA HAS RECEIVED FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE MUNICIPAL BOARD IT LOOKS LIKE IT’S A GO AHEAD IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SAY ABOUT THAT DEAL?
“Well there is still a lot of things, it’s a long process.  I’ve been saying this for a while it’s been a great experience for me to be a part of it from the beginning design stages with Paxton Waters who worked with Rusty (Wallace) on Iowa.  I think we have a great track design and it takes a long time to get all the approvals.  That is a great step for us.  Now the next step is to put all the funding in place, which has been in the works for a long time and start to make it a reality and see race cars out there one day.  Of course you hope that you can get the NASCAR series there, but you can’t guarantee that nobody can and so I think it’s a great market.  I think there is tremendous support of fans and companies there.  I think it can be a win for everybody if we can get it done.”
 
WHAT IS ONE PERSONALITY TRAIT OF MR. HENDRICK THAT CREATES THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS FOR HIS ORGANIZATION?
“He is just such a quality person.  You spend enough time with him and you realize everything he does he does it right, he does it first class, he treats people with tremendous respect.  He is very competitive so he doesn’t like to lose which is great in business as well as in racing.  He is just so well balanced, his family, friends, working.  He works hard, yet he enjoys life as well.  Just that balance of everything he puts together is impressive to see and makes people look up to him and want to make him proud and want to be like him.”
 
WHY WILL JIMMIE JOHNSON WIN THE CHASE? ALSO, CAN YOU GIVE US ONE REASON WHY BRAD KESELOWSKI WILL WIN THE CHASE?
“Oh my goodness, well when somebody has won five straight championships like the No. 48 has that is no fluke. Even though they didn’t win it last year, they are just a really strong team.  They have been through so much and they just know how to grind and battle and win at the right time and put the pressure on you at the right time with two straight poles and two straight wins.  So certainly the pressure is on the No. 2.  I think the No. 2 has done an excellent job, Brad has been a great driver and that team has really stepped up and hung in there and kept it interesting.  But, you’ve got to think they are a little bit beat down from what that No. 48 team has been able to do to them throughout the Chase, especially the last couple of weeks.  But, hey every race changes things up so you really can’t predict, you don’t know what is going to happen.  I love that the other day I was watching all the elections and things.  I was tweeting about this and I just got such a kick out of it and the fans response to the things I was saying made me really think about things.  I was saying ‘hey wait a minute CNN just came on with breaking news about 30 percent of the votes are in, but yet (Mitt) Romney wins this state or (Barack) Obama wins this state.’  It’s a projection poll.  I don’t get this how can they say they won it and then everybody kept saying to me now you know what it’s like when you are watching a race and they are saying ‘oh’ this guys is leading the points right now and we are only 50 laps into the race.  So, these races have got to be run, they have got to be run out to the checkered flag and then we will be talking about it all again after this weekend and see what happens when the checkered flag flies in Homestead.  It’s great to see those two guys battling for the championship and for a race win like they were last weekend.”
 
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A CHAMPION?
“It’s been so long I’ve forgotten (laughs).  It’s a lot different than what it takes today versus what it used to take because of the Chase format.  I’m probably not the best guy to talk to, but usually the same thing holds true.  You have to work hard, you have to be a great team and you’ve got to be willing to risk just about anything to put yourself out there to make the difference up whether it be a win, one position or just to keep yourself in the game.”
 
YOU’VE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU STRUNG TOGETHER A BUNCH OF WINS AND NOTHING IS GOING WRONG ON THE TEAM YOU ARE IN THE ZONE.  WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE IN THAT ZONE?
“It’s awesome.  You feel like you just can’t do any wrong.  It makes you just have so much confidence in yourself, in your team, them and you.  You just go to the race track thinking ‘okay what little things do we have to do to win this race.’ You’re not thinking about wow we are a half a second off we are missing something.  You do not doubt anything.  You are just on this incredible boost of confidence and going into it thinking ‘yeah we can win this race’.  Why can’t we?  That is a great thing to have.”
 
DO YOU FIND THAT TO BE MORE STRESSFUL OR MORE RELAXING?  
“No, it’s never less stressful.  It doesn’t matter how good things are going for you.  There is still the competition is still fierce.  Anything can go wrong at any time.  You don’t want to be the one to make the mistake to cost you what ultimately could and should be your year.  To me the stress level is equally as high even when things are going great for you.”
 
WHAT WAS YOUR CON
VERSATION LIKE WITH KASEY (KAHNE) AFTER LAST WEEK’S RACE?
“I went to him immediately.  I got out of my car and his car pulled up right next to me.  I went over to him and I just apologized to him for getting into him.  I think he recognized the situation we were racing hard.  At the time I wasn’t sure if the No. 16 got into me or not so he asked me if he did.  I said ‘I think he did, but I’m not really sure.’ After looking at the video he did.  I did everything I could to make the pass as well as not get into Kasey (Kahne).  When you are racing hard in the closing laps sometimes it happens.  I hate it for him; I hate it for us as well.  We were having a great run and a great day.  It’s just one of those things that sometimes you have to go through as teammates and I felt like we had a good conversation about it.”
 
WHAT HAS KASEY (KAHNE) BROUGHT TO HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS?
“Well I feel like it’s kind of a team package with he and Kenny (Francis, crew chief).  When you take two guys that have confidence in one another and work well together they can come in and just build the team, build the cars around them that they need to go out and be competitive.  That is the whole thing is when cars are out there, when we have four cars out there that are all competitive that are fine tuning on their cars for qualifying, for the race we are giving much better information to our group.  You are able to take more valuable information which turns into results from that group.  So I feel like we have four teams obviously by making all four into the Chase, we have four teams that really have a lot to add and are very competitive week in and week out.”
 
DO YOU THINK WITH THE UNKNOWNS OF THIS TRACK AND THE DIFFICULTIES IT PROVIDES DO YOU THINK THIS TRACK COULD DECIDE THE TITLE?
“I mean I feel like every track we go to can decide the title.  If something big happens, one big swing happens this is a tricky track.  I mean it’s hard to get ahold of because of the new surface.  There are multiple grooves so we are going to see some side-by-side racing, I think we are going to see some cautions and it’s going to be intense.  Track position is very important here.  That increases the intensity and anytime you increase the intensity and the aggressiveness you increase the chances of some game changer for the championship and for the race.”
 
YOU WERE AT THE TEST IN AT CHARLOTTE THIS WEEK?
“I was.”
 
DID YOU TAKE PART IN ANY OF THE STUFF THEY DID WHERE THEY REDUCED HORSEPOWER?
“I did not.”
 
DO YOU HAVE ANY IMPRESSIONS ON HOW THAT WENT?  IS THAT A GOOD DIRECTION DO YOU THINK?
“I think that they have a long check list of things that they want to go through and test and try.  That was one of them.  We were doing tire testing primarily with our car.  I haven’t talked to any of the guys that drove the cars.  I will be surprised if it was good.  I personally don’t think that is the direction that we need to be going in to make our racing better.  It never slows the cars down through the corners.  I would like to see us get the cars slowed down through the corner that is going to make better racing.  I applaud them they are trying a lot of unique things and different things some inside the box, some way outside the box.  I think that the testing that they are doing is very valuable.”
 
HAVE YOU TRIED LIKE THE HIGH DOWNFORCE STUFF THAT THEY ARE STARTING TO GO TO?
“Well when they pulled power away I know one of the times they added downforce at the same time probably a little bit more like a Nationwide package.  But our stuff I would say that the stuff that we had was probably similar to the downforce we currently have with the cars.”
 
ARE YOU ENCOURAGED OVERALL?
“I thought the car drove really good.  I thought the test went well.  The cars are really… you look around the garage area I’m excited about we are going to be driving some very cool cars next year.  I think that my car drove really well.  I think there are still a lot of things left to do before February of next year, but I was very encouraged.”
 
EARLIER THIS MORNING ROBIN PEMBERTON WAS SAYING THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE FANS WANT AND IT’S KIND OF A MOVING TARGET.  WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY NEEDS TO DO WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FANS WANT TO SEE IS IT JUST PASSING ON 1.5-MILE TRACKS?
“Yeah, I think that we need to have four quarters and half-time and mandatory cautions for TV timeouts.  I mean Texas to me; everybody is like ‘wow that Texas race was awesome.’  Well it was awesome because we had cautions and some weeks we have cautions and other weeks we don’t have cautions.  The weeks we don’t have cautions everybody is like ‘wow that was a boring race’.  We don’t necessarily need to go back to the mid ‘90’s to make great racing because even back then we had races I remember a race where there was not one caution in the race.  I guarantee you that type of racing we had back then the fans really wouldn’t like today.  It’s just far more demanding of what makes an entertaining race, but we all know cautions fix all of that.  To me let’s get the cars driving well.  There is a different package for every track because you have some repaves and you have some hard tires that Goodyear has to build for the repaves like this one.  It’s going to take time to build that multi groove race track.  So cautions are what is going to make it exciting, but yet you go to Texas, Atlanta and Chicago and you have this track that is worn out, you have multiple grooves, the cars are sliding all over the place is what I think is great racing.  Even Bristol, I like the racing at Bristol, but unless we have cautions to stack us all up and bump and bang a little bit more I don’t think that anybody is really going to be satisfied with the racing.”
 
YOU ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF BRUTON SMITH’S LET’S HAVE SIX MANDATORY CAUTIONS EVERY RACE?
“I’m leaning more towards it I will be honest with you.  If that’s what, just don’t do it when I’m on pit road with a tire issue (laughs).  Let me get un-lapped, trust me one thing is going to lead to another.  Right now we have lucky dogs and wave around’s and all that stuff.  If we start throwing more mandatory cautions we might have to change some of those rules.”
 
THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE TRUCKS RACING ON DIRT AT ELDORA.  WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT NASCAR ON DIRT?
“Wow!  Really?  Well you know I have always found it amazing to see the ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) cars at DuQuoin.  I think that is very cool that series does that.  I don’t think it’s an easy task for them to do.  You have to change the cars around a lot the set-up’s and heating and cooling systems and all that, brakes.  So, but I’m all for it.  I think it would be cool to see.  I would love to see that.”
 
HOW MUCH OF AN ADJUSTMENT WOULD IT BE FOR EVERYBODY?
“Oh my gosh, huge adjustment.  There are a lot of guys out there that aren’t used to driving on dirt.  The trucks aren’t really built to run on dirt, so I don’t know how much they would have to change the trucks.  It would be entertaining that is for sure.  I would like to see it.  I think there will be some guys that will really excel at

KAHNE IS TOP TEAM CHEVY QUALIFIER
FIVE CHEVROLETS IN TOP 10 STARTING SPOTS
 
AVONDALE, AZ – (November 9, 2012) – Kasey Kahne led the way for Team Chevy in qualifying his No. 5 Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet in the fourth place starting spot for Sunday’s Advocare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, Round 35 of 36 on the 2012 season tour.
 
Five Chevy drivers
will start the 312-mile race in the top 10:  Kurt Busch will start sixth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, Paul Menard, No. 27 Rheem/Menard’s Chevy will roll-off seventh, Regan Smith, No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevy will start eighth, while Tony Stewart, No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet starts ninth.
 
Other Chevrolets in Sunday’s 43-car line-up include Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet who qualified 11th, Ryan Newman, No. 39 Quicken Loans/U.S. Army Chevy will start 12th, Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevy qualified 19th, Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet qualified 23rd, Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevy qualified 24th, and Danica Patrick earned a 37th place starting position in her No. 10 GoDaddy Racing Chevrolet.
 
Kyle Busch (Toyota) won the pole position, Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota) qualified second, and Denny Hamlin (Toyota) qualified third to round out the top five starting spots.
 
Sunday’s Advocare 500 takes the green flag on Sunday, Nov. 11th at 1:00 p.m. MST (3:00 p.m. EST) and will be aired live on ESPN.
 
DRIVER QUOTES:
 
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMER’S INSURANCE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 4TH: ON HIS LAP: “The car felt good; I just missed my braking points a little bit and had an issue with my brakes. But other than that, the car felt really good. So, I thought we should have been better; first right now, for sure. I don’t know about beating the No. 18 (Kyle Busch).
 
HOW IS THE CAR FOR SUNDAY? “Well, we’ll practice tomorrow, but the car seemed pretty good during practice today. I liked what I had in the car. But yeah, I like this track and tomorrow we’ll figure it out.”
 
WILL THE COOLER TEMPERATURES HAVE ANY BEARING ON ANYTHING FOR RACE DAY? “I don’t think so. I think it will be pretty similar.”
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/FARM AMERICAN CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 6TH: ON HIS QUALIFYING: “It was an interesting couple of laps. I missed it really big on the first lap. Loose; on that edgy side of things. The second lap didn’t feel much better, so that means to me there is still a lot of speed in the track. But overall the five laps we’ve done this year in qualifying with the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy, they’ve all been on that ragged edge of loose, so we are developing some common denominators, and that is what this year has been all about.”
 
HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE TEAM IS PROGRESSING AS A UNIT? “There is A-Z here, we’ve just got to put one letter behind the next one and make sure we get out vowels in there. We have had the right tools, it’s just in this game of Sprint Cup, you have to be on it every moment.”
 
IS THE TRACK RACIER THAN A YEAR AGO? “It is a little bit more forgiving. It’s not as razor blade edge-ish. It was real tough. If you slipped a little bit, you slipped a lot. Now you can kind of maneuver it a little.”
 
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 RHEEM/MENARD’S CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 7th: ON HIS QUALIFYING
“The track is totally different obviously now, with the repave; but it’s come in a lot. Obviously it’s been a hot summer here and the track’s got different characteristics than when we were here in the spring. I feel good about our Rheem/Menard’s Chevy. We unloaded very slippery and the track kind of came to us a little bit. If we can start in the top 10, that will go a long ways on Sunday. But not a whole lot translates from last spring’s race until now. Like I said, it’s been a hot summer and the track has changed quite a bit.”
 
REGAN SMITH, NO. 51 PHOENIX CONSTRUCTION CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 8TH:ON HIS LAP: “I thought it was a good lap. Obviously there’s always things you want to do different after the fact, but I feel like we made good changes from practice with the Phoenix Construction Chevrolet. These guys have been working their tails off, not only this week, but all year. We’ll go race from there. It was a good run for the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet.  These guys have been working hard.  I think they finally got their first day in like six months off this week.  I wanted to come out and try to have a good qualifying lap and a good race on Sunday.  This team is looking for some sponsorship for next year and we would love to have a good run and help them get that.”
 
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1/OFFICE DEPOT CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 9TH: ON HIS QUALIFYING: “It was alright. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it is holding on. I don’t know if the track is going the other way, or something, but we were a little free. Freer than we were in practice, but we picked up two tenths, so I’m proud of the pickup. But, I thought our second lap would actually be better, but it kind of gave up some grip that lap.”
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 11TH: ON HIS QUALIFYING: “We’ve had some issues here the last couple of times getting real loose going to qualify, and we didn’t want that to happen, so we probably over-tightened it.  The track had good grip, and we were just a little bit too tight. But a decent lap. When we first ran here last year, the track was treacherous on cold tires. Right now, some guys struggled early in qualifying, but when I went out, it had good grip. It’s definitely improving. The groove is wider, the grip level is better. Hopefully this time next year, we’ll have a tire that is maybe not so hard, and we’ll be able to have something that drives a little bit better on cold tires. Even maybe wears out a little bit more on the long runs.”
 
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS/U.S. ARMY CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 12TH: ON HIS QUALIFYING: “That was the first time I’ve ever done that actually. (stop and turn around to re-run his lap). I felt like I needed to. It was a decent rebound lap. Our car was really loose there, as much heat as I could get in the tires, I was going to be better at that point. Did a little extracurricular activity and got a decent lap for the Quicken Loans Chevrolet, but obviously not as quick as we were in practice. The track got a little bit quicker, but I think a part of the tire likes the heat to get the rubber on the race track. So, it was a matter of getting the race track cleaned off more than anything.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 24TH: ON HIS QUALIFYING: “Wasn’t so good, but we’ve been fighting a little bit in qualifying trim. But, we’ve got a great baseline race setup to go off of. For me it was really turn one (the sun glare).  The glare was pretty bad getting into the turn then getting the power down was tough for me up off of (turn) two.  (Turns) three and four were pretty good I felt like on both of my laps, but I struggled oddly enough down there this time.”

JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 33RD: ON HIS QUALIFYING: “Going out early here is a huge disadvantage with a new race track. Having a driver wreck in the first practice is a huge disadvantage too. We didn’t get any practice.  The car was exceptionally tight, but again, I think going out this early is a huge disadvantage. You aren’t going to have the grip the guys are going to have later on. I screwed up in practice and dug us in a hole, and we will have to dig out of it on Sunday.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 1O GODADDY RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 37TH: ON HER QUALIFYING: “It was pretty edgy especially coming to the green it stuck way out and I couldn’t turn the wheel so I ended up pretty wide and I wasn’t sure if I was going to have enough grip to stay out of the wall or not coming to the green.  We definitely had a really tight car in practice and our qualifying runs were actually tighter than our race runs.  I know Tony (Gibson, crew chief) was trying to free it up so we could have a good lap.  We are just feeling each other out and how far we need to go with these changes.  I think the temperature change I feel
like has affected me.  It’s much cooler out a lot of the track is more shaded.  Maybe it was a little bit freer than at least I even anticipated it was going to be.  I think that we are working really well together and hopefully we can make good changes tomorrow so we get the GoDaddy car further up.”  

Chevrolet Wins Manufacturers’ Championships in Three NASCAR National Touring Series
 
DETROIT (November 6, 2012) – For the fourth time in history, Chevrolet has captured the Manufacturers’ Championship Award in all three NASCAR National Touring Series.  Chevrolet has accomplished the feat of winning the three titles in 1996, 1998, 2005 and now in 2012.
 
“Chevrolet is proud to win all three NASCAR national series Manufacturers’ Championships,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “These three titles are a tribute to the passion and commitment of all of our team owners, crew chiefs, crews, drivers and technical partners.”
 
Jimmie Johnson’s victory in the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway clinched the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers’ Championship for Chevrolet. It is the 10th consecutive year, and the 36th time overall that the Bowtie Brand has captured the prestigious title in NASCAR’s top series.  To date, Team Chevy drivers have won 13 races in the 34 races completed on the 36-race schedule, including Johnson’s win in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway to claim Chevrolet’s 700th victory in Sprint Cup Series competition.
 
With Austin Dillon’s second place finish in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, Chevrolet clinched the Manufacturers’ Championship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The 2012 achievement marks the 15th time the Bowtie Brand has captured the prestigious Bill France Performance Cup. With two races remaining in 33-race season, Chevrolet drivers have gone to Victory Lane 12 times.
 
Chevrolet clinched the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers’ Championship with Nelson Piquet, Jr.’s third place finish in the WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway. Chevrolet captured the prestigious title for the eighth time since the 1995 inception of the Series. Chevrolet Silverado drivers have won 11 of the 20 races run to-date in the 22-race schedule,.
 
“Congratulations and thank you to all of our teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series who worked tirelessly to capture these prestigious championships for Chevrolet,” said Mark Kent, Director Chevrolet Racing. “These championships were made possible by an extraordinary level of cooperation among all of our teams, technical partners and Chevrolet engineers.  We are now focused on a strong finish to the 2012 NASCAR season in NASCAR.”
 
In addition to the three NASCAR titles, Chevrolet’s on-track success in 2012 extended to winning the American Le Mans Series GT Manufacturers’ Championship; Corvette Racing winning the Team Championship, and Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner won the GT drivers’ championship in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R.
 
In the IZOD IndyCar Series, Chevrolet captured the Manufacturers’ Championship.  Team Chevy driver Ryan Hunter-Reay won the Overall Championship and the Oval Championship, and Will Power won the Road Course Championship in his Chevrolet V6 powered IndyCar.
 
Chevrolet also captured the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype Engine Manufacturers’ Championship.
 
With two races remaining on the NASCAR schedules, Chevrolet drivers are in strong contention for each of the three driver’s championships as the 2012 season builds to an exciting, and dramatic finish.

 
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET, RACE WINNER: YOU GUYS WENT BARE KNUCKLES THOSE FINAL TWO RESTARTS.  YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO LET YOUR DRIVING DO THE TALKING WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT WERE YOU MAKING WITH THAT FINAL RESTART?
“It was an awesome race. Great way to put it and the gloves are off and it’s bare knuckle fighting.  I have a lot of respect for that No. 2 team.  Those guys are doing a great job.  Today I think our cars were pretty equal throughout the course of the race and at the end of the race we were on four (tires) had to take advantage of it.  That second to last restart was pretty sketchy a couple of times how close we were and how hard we were racing.  Luckily we brought the cars back, another caution came out and got a great restart and got by him.  We knew that we had the speed if I could just get by him and got this Lowe’s Chevy to Victory Lane.”
 
BRAD SAID ON THE RADIO ON THE FINAL RESTART ‘I’M NOT GOING TO LOSE THIS CHAMPIONSHIP THIS WAY.’ WHAT DOES THAT MEAN COMING UP AT PHOENIX AND HOMESTEAD? “Well I expect a lot of hard racing.  That is what we’ve seen all year long.  All Chase long, you can’t count those guys out.  There were times today late in the race where they were pretty far back and still worked their way up to the front.  They are keeping us honest and pressuring us hard.  I’m very proud of this Lowe’s team and everything they have done. Before we go off the air I just want to let everybody know that the Racing for Relief fund that Hendrick Motorsports and myself are matching what Lowe’s is doing.  Thinking of everybody up in the Northeast and all the troubles they have had with Sandy.  And 700 wins for Chevrolet so good day all in all.”
 
THIS IS THE WAY YOU WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP YOU LEAD THE MOST LAPS AND WIN THE RACE:
“Did we do that did we lead the most laps?”
 
YOU DID YOU GOT MAXIMUM POINTS FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK CONGRAULATIONS:
“Awesome, it’s a great number too it’s 48.  48 points today, just real proud of the effort.  We didn’t have it right off the truck.  Got it right and won the pole.  Today we had a really strong car all night long.  There at the end being on four tires was a little bit of help. Some crazy racing at the end and we were able to rally around the top finally and get the win.”
 
TALK ABOUT THE LAST COUPLE OF RESTARTS: “Yeah there was a lot of hard racing and just a lot of stuff going on.  Glad that we made it through with straight race cars and nothing was torn up.  It’s just a solid day all in all.  I just have to thank my guys on pit road all day long for getting that stuff done, just a great effort all in all.”
 
YOU HAVE A SEVEN POINT LEAD TWO RACES TO GO I’M ASSUMING STILL NOT ENOUGH TO BREATHE EASY? “No, there is not going to be any breathing easy until the end.  Breathing a little bit better.  I was two points and now we’ve got seven, but there is a lot of racing left.  We are running up front, running one-two all the time it doesn’t mean it will be that way for the final two races.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET, FINISHED 5TH: TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT ACTION ON THE RACE TRACK QUITE EXCITING: “Yeah, I think (Brad) Keselowski has a death wish (laughs), but man I’m proud of our guys.  What an awesome, awesome come back.  The set-up that we ended up running in the race we had six laps on at the end of happy hour yesterday. God I’m just so proud of everybody on the pit crew on the pit stops.  The last two stops got us a lot of track position and really proud of Steve Addington (crew chief) he just kept digging away at it and kept tweaking on it making it better and better all day.  Just really happy with the effort today.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR. NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET, FINISHED 7TH: ON WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE RACE? SEVENTH-PLACE FINISH YOU COULD HAVE HAD A TOP-FIVE THERE WHAT HAPPENED DOWN THE STRETCH?
“Well we just restarted on the outside and it’s a little tough out there to make any ground. We had been on the inside all day making up time.  We had a pretty good car at the start of the race.  We dialed it way out and got real slow and made some great changes near the end.  The pit crew really did a good job, they gained us about eight spots on pit road there those last two stops.  Just real happy with the way we were able to rebound.  I would have liked to have run in the top-five maybe been a little closer to the front, but we definitely run a little bit better like we should.”
 
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WATCHING THE NO. 2 AND THE NO. 48?
“That was pretty crazy.  I was thinking I might have a shot to win if they kept on going like that.  Somebody else might win the race, but I was glad to see Jimmie (Johnson) take it at the end.  What a battle this championship is.  Brad (Keselowski) is putting up an awesome fight.  He hadn’t really run good here.  His stats were terrible for this place and they came in and they did their work.  They have been real impressive.  But I’m a company man so I’m glad HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) is on top tonight.”
 
ON CHEVROLET’S 700TH WIN: “I’m proud of my Chevy heritage, and happy for the success that Chevy has had in the sport. I’m glad that Hendrick Motorsports was able to bring the 700th win. That is a big deal for Rick (Hendrick). He’s got a great relationship with Chevrolet, and he is proud to do that for them. We want Chevrolet to be on top. Milestones like that certainly put it there.”
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/FARM AMERICAN CHEVROLET, FINISHED 8TH: ON HIS RACE: “All-in-all a good day for Furniture Row Racing. We battled back to get a top-10. Considering that we had a top-five or top-10 car at the last two races but got nailed in accidents, it was important to come away with a solid finish today.  We’ve made a lot of progress as a team in a short period of time which gives us plenty of optimism for 2013. However, we still have some handling issues to work out, but we’re getting there. This was only our fourth race together and I am really proud of how we came back after struggling for a good
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 RHEEM/BUDWEISER CHEVROLET, FINISHED 9TH: ON HIS RACE “The team did a great job keeping us in the game today. We had a tough time making the right adjustments to get the Rheem Chevrolet handling the way I needed it to be, but the pit crew was solid today and I have to thank them for all their hard work this weekend.”
 
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET – FINISHED 18TH: ON HIS RACE: “We really worked hard for that 18th place finish today.  The guys on our McDonald’s Chevy made a lot of adjustment during our pit stops today.  We were lucky to get a few cautions to help us out with maintaining position on the lead lap, and keep us in a position for a top-20.  Our car was back and forth on the handling all day both tight and loose at times, but the guys did a great job of adjusting along the way.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET, FINISHED 24TH: ON HER RACE: “We had a really nice first weekend.  It was really steady from the beginning.  The car unloaded and it had speed right off the get go.  We just kept on improving with it.  I felt like it was a nice progression of the weekend where I actually felt like I knew I why I went faster and I knew why I went slower.  In the race we were creeping along.  We spent most of the race tight, but there late in the race we finally got it freed up enough to start really running some good speed. Those yellows at the end I just didn’t do a good enough job on those restarts and lost a whole
bunch of spots.  I always feel so defeated at the end of the race when that happens.  It was a really nice first weekend with the new GoDaddy crew.  Tony Gibson (crew chief) did such a good job.  I’m really looking forward to next year.”

TONY GIBSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 10 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET: ON HIS FIRST RACE AS DANICA’S CREW CHIEF: “It was a great day and a great weekend for the first weekend working together. Qualifying went really well and practice went really well. She had an awesome race and she did a great job. We did the wave around twice and got back on the lead lap early and she stayed on the lead lap. She ran with guys that she’s never run with before, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin. To come here and run on the lead lap and a shot at a top-20 was pretty impressive.” 

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 HUGGIES CHEVROLET, SIDELINED ON LAP 119 DUE TO AN ON-TRACK INCIDENT. CREW MADE REPAIRS AND HE RETURNED TO THE RACE, FINISHED 34TH: WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR WINDSHIELD? “It’s kind of a tough break.  We had a decent car and I don’t know. They all checked up on the restart and I saw that I was either going to pile into them or… you see the leader going you go and we normally go and they all checked up and you got on the brakes.  These things don’t slowdown that well so I went left to go through the grass to avoid the wreck.  I don’t know there is like a manhole cover there or something.  The car took off like two or three feet in the air; same thing as the No. 51.  The crazy thing is we are not even up to speed yet.  I mean I went from second, shifted into third, got on the brakes, went left and the car just flew up in the air.  I hit something; you look at the No. 51 and the same thing.  There is something there like a big step there in the middle of the grass and it kind of breaks race cars in half.
ON HIS RACE: Not a good day for the HUGGIES team. I was trying to avoid the No. 47 in front of me so I turned left and ended up in the grass. We must of hit something in the grass the car jumped up and the front end received a ton of damage. The guys worked really hard to get us back together and we were able to return to the track. We just haven’t had any luck this season.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON SCORES 700th Win for Chevrolet in
NASCAR Sprint Cup Competition
 
FORT WORTH – November 4th, 2012 – Jimmie Johnson’s win of the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet scored the 700th all-time victory for Chevrolet in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. This unprecedented win secured an important milestone for Chevrolet as the most successful manufacturer in NASCAR history. In addition to reaching this 700th win for the brand, Johnson brought the Chevy Impala to Victory Lane for the 151st time in the nameplate’s history.
 
“We are so very proud of Jimmie and his win today at Texas Motor Speedway, said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “On behalf of everyone at Chevrolet, we congratulate the entire No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team in this momentous victory. The unparalleled dedication and tireless effort of all our Team Chevy members have made this important achievement possible.  We salute all the drivers, team owners, and crews for their performance and contribution in securing each and every one of the 700 wins for Chevrolet from 1955 – 2012 in NASCAR’s elite division.”
 
Chevrolet’s rich heritage in NASCAR competition began when Fonty Flock took the checkered on March 26, 1955 at Columbia Raceway in Columbia, South Carolina in his ‘55 Chevy.  Fifty-seven years later the ‘Bowtie Brand’ has continued to set the mark.
 
“Chevrolet has a storied history in NASCAR competition,” said Mark Kent, Director of Chevrolet Racing. “Behind every single one of the 700 victories has been dedicated and talented Team Chevy drivers, car owners and crews who have worked together to create a tradition of excellence. They are supported by our formidable group of Chevy engineers and specialists that enhance the depth and legacy of the Chevrolet brand in NASCAR. We are truly proud of this accomplishment.”
 
This win was Johnson’s 60th NASCAR Sprint Cup career victory and fifth of 2012.
 
“This is a great performance by the entire No. 48 Lowe’s Team all weekend long”, said Johnson.  To win the pole, lead the most laps, and then win the race is a big deal. The significance of 700 wins for Chevrolet is really huge for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s also big for me. The only thing I’ve ever raced throughout my career has been a Chevy. They gave me my first opportunity back when I was 15 years old and put me in an off-road stadium truck to help develop a new truck that was coming along. And I’ve been with them ever since. So, it’s very cool to hit this landmark number for Chevy and I’m very proud of the efforts.”
 
“I think this is a pretty big deal”, added winning crew chief, Chad Knaus.  “We have a long relationship with Chevrolet and we’ve won a lot of races with them. We were able to clinch the Manufacturer’s Cup Championship for Chevy last week in Martinsville, VA; and to be able to come back this weekend and get win the 700th victory I think is really cool. Hendrick Motorsports is extremely dedicated to the product of Chevrolet and to be able to do that is an honor.”
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON WINS SECOND STRAIGHT RACE AND EXTENDS POINT LEAD WITH TWO RACES TO GO
 JOHNSON’S TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY WIN IS 700TH FOR CHEVROLET
FORT WORTH  – (Nov. 4, 2012) – Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, displayed a remarkable will to win on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) as he scored his second NASCAR Sprint Cup series (NSCS) win in a row, and his fifth win of 2012.  Johnson led seven times for a race-high 168 laps; and was able to pass and hold off his closest championship rival, Brad Keselowski, for the win in a furious battle in the final laps after a green/white/checkered finish.
The win marked Johnson’s 60th career win; and 700th for Chevrolet in the NSCS, and allowed him to extend his point lead to seven points with just two races remaining in his hunt for a sixth career title.  Johnson also extends his “Chase” win record to 22 with his second career win at TMS.
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, rallied from a 21st place start to finish in fifth place.  Stewart won this race last year en route to his third NSCS championship.
Team Chevy driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., had a solid day in his No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet and finished today’s race in seventh position.  Kurt Busch had his best finish to date behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet and come home eighth while Kevin Harvick overcame a freakish start that saw his team make repairs to his No. 29 Rheem/Budweiser Chevrolet after being hit by a sky diver’s weight bag in the pre-race ceremonies to finish ninth.   
Rounding out the top five were: Brad Keselowski (Dodge) in second place, Kyle Busch (Toyota) in third, and Matt Kenseth (Ford) in fourth.
The tour now moves to Phoenix International Raceway on November 11th, 2012 for Round 37 of 38 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

POST RACE WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET
CHAD KNAUS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET
JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, the way things have been going, you have to win the race to get points.  Reminds me of last year’s Chase in some respects.  Just a great performance by the entire 48 team all weekend long.  To win the pole and lead the most laps, win the race is a big deal.  Just excited and really wish we were in Phoenix right now getting ready to start the next race.
            Things are rolling.  We’re
enjoying it.  The significance of 700 wins for Chevrolet is huge for Hendrick Motorsports.  It’s also big for myself.  The only thing I’ve ever raced throughout my career has been a Chevy.  They gave me my first opportunity back when I was 15 years old and put me in an off‑road stadium truck to help develop the new truck that’s coming along, and I’ve been there ever since.  Very cool to hit those landmark numbers for Chevy and just very proud of the effort tonight.
            THE MODERATOR:  Also joined by winning crew chief Chad Knaus.  If you could talk about that 700 victory for Chevy and what it means to you and the organization?
            CHAD KNAUS:  I think it’s a pretty big deal.  Obviously, we have a long affiliation with Chevrolet, and we’ve won a lot of races with those guys.  Being able to clinch the manufacturer’s championship last week in Martinsville, and then to be able to come back this weekend and get their 700th victory I think is cool.  Hendrick Motorsports is extremely dedicated to the product of Chevrolet and to be able to do that is an honor.
            Q.  Those last few restarts were very physical.  Brad and you both leaned on each other a lot.  How would you describe what was going on there over the last two or three restarts?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, definitely was.  You’re going to have that to a certain degree.  On these big tracks I was a little shocked by the commitment into turn one.  I’ve joked before about driving in far enough to where I see Elvis, and we went past Elvis.  I don’t know who was coming next, but that 2 car was coming up the track and took us both to the fourth and fifth lanes.
            So, fortunately, we both stayed one‑two and didn’t crash, didn’t lose a spot on the racetrack.  But I knew he was serious about the race lead prior to that and that took it to a new level.  That last restart I was able to rally around on the outside and finish so fast.  I came so close to finishing the pass the restart prior, but I didn’t get it done.  I made sure I got everything right on that last one and got by them.
            Q.  You’re a guy that’s known for being calm, cool, collected, that kind of thing.  What was your emotional state after that next to last restart?  You pulled up beside him at the end of the backstretch there.  Just where were you at that point?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I just pointed at them.  Just wanted him to use his head.  There is no sense in taking us both out in the process.  If I was ‑‑ if he was taking me out, you can count on the fact that I would have been on the gas and trying to take him with me.  You know, it just doesn’t need to come down to that.  Brad, also, after the race, came into victory lane and shook my hand.
            The cool thing about it is we walked right up to that line, got right to the edge, and then it stopped.  He showed a very classy move coming to victory lane and shaking my hand afterwards too.
            Q.  Jimmie, Brad feels like he still controls his destiny.  He says, even though he’s 7 points back.  But you’ve been adamant that the points leader is in control.  How in control do you feel right now with two races to go and going into Phoenix a track where you’ve done so well?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  It’s a small amount of control, but we’re definitely in control.  We don’t have to catch any or make up any points.  7 points is nothing to feel comfortable about and to relax on.  We’re still going to go into Phoenix and act as if we’re behind and go in there to try to sit on the pole and win the race again.
            Q.  What were you angry about on the next to last restart with Brad?  Did you think he went too early or is that just the way restarts are these days?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, seemed really early to me.  Caught the 18 off guard and myself.  I need to look at the video before I put my foot in my mouth or something here.  But it seemed early.  We have this gray area exiting on to the racetrack off turn two when you leave the pits.  Last week, two weeks ago we had a hard reference point.  This week we don’t.  It’s just in the area of.  We all know at Chicago the situation that was there.
            On the front stretch for the restart, there were two lines there for a reason.  I felt like he went really early and caught us both off guard.
            Q.  Right after the race, you said the gloves are off.  It’s a bare‑knuckle fight.  I know those are figures of speech, but is this the hardest you’ve been pressed coming down the stretch in a title run in your career.  The most competition you faced maybe the better way to put it?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I’m trying to remember with Jeff in ’06, no it was ’07, ’08, I think we finished with a 4.8 average to win the Chase.  Had to win four races to win the Chase, and Jeff was at a 5.0 and finished second to us.  So it’s in line with that year.  I can’t remember vividly what went on that year, but it reminds me a lot of that year.
            Q.  On the last restart, did you think Brad spun his tires?  It looked like you beat him to the line right there on the last restart.  Did he spin his tires or what happened there?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, he spun them pretty bad.  I was pedaling trying to let him catch up as we got to the start/finish, and he kind of surged past right at it or just past it.  NASCAR has been aware of that in the past and allows you, if you give that nose back, you’re in good shape.
            Q.  Are you a little surprised that the two‑tire strategy of Paul Wolfe seemed to work twice?
            CHAD KNAUS:  Nothing surprises me anymore, to be quite honest with you.  I felt as though it was a gutsy call for sure.  It worked midway through the race because everybody was kind of just fighting their way and getting to the end.  I don’t feel like if the caution hadn’t come out, it wouldn’t have really panned out for them as well as what they had hoped.  I felt like we were catching them pretty quickly before that second to last caution came out.  We just scooted by him pretty quickly.
            But I do think they would have ended up solidly second or third even with that call.  So that was a solid call on their part.  But we’ve been racing pretty conservatively the last couple of weeks.  Been able to get the laps led and fortunately enough been able to get the victory.  So we’ll they’ll have to continue to be aggressive to swing by us, I think.
            Q.  At the end of the race you had the
tire advantage.  Is there any way Keselowski could have stuck with you being any less stubborn and ornery than he was?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Well, I think as Chad pointed out, I kind of forgot about it.  The restart where we put tires on, they took their two and we took our four, and I was coming fast.  Got by the 18, and made up a couple of seconds on them and we were there.  So I feel like our car, and certainly the advantage of being on four was the thing.  We improved our car because previously I couldn’t get by the 18, and I rolled right on by them and was heading after that 2 car.
            So I think we were in the offensive situation there at the end.  They had to protect because of the two tires those last three restarts.
            Q.  Is the process of getting through each week and preparing the cars now as it has been throughout the other title runs or are things in some way different or improved upon so to speak?
            CHAD KNAUS:  I think that’s the goal ‑‑ I shouldn’t say that’s the goal.  I think it’s the good thing for the 48.  Everybody thinks once you get to the Chase, you’ve got to ramp everything up.  Being part of the 48 car, you’re expected to win every single week, so we really can’t prepare any differently.  I think going to the racetrack each week, whether it be Martinsville or Richmond or Atlanta, wherever it may be, we put as much effort into the race cars as we can week‑in and week‑out.  Once we get into the Chase, we really can’t do anymore.
            We’re really operating in our comfort zone.  Where I think what happens to a lot of the other teams, it takes them out of the comfort zone.  They try to do more.  They try to push that further.  They do things that are outside the norm.  I think that’s where usually people get in trouble.
            Q.  Are you impressed with how Paul Wolfe and Brad for their first run at the championship have stayed this competitive at every level physically and emotionally and in the actual preparation of the cars?
            CHAD KNAUS:  Oh, yeah they’ve done a good job.  You have to realize that’s Penske Racing.  It’s not like it’s a slouch team.  Those guys have been building good cars for a long time.  You look at Kurt Busch has gone very fast in that race car.  There have been a lot of great drivers in that race car, and they’ve always run competitively.
            I think that team is more than prepared to do it.  I think Paul’s a great crew chief, and Brad is a really good driver.  So I think they’ll be there through the end.  They’ll be here for years to come and that’s good.  That’s a good thing.  We need that.
            Q.  It’s not the first time that Brad has kind of irked you a little bit during the Chase.  Chicagoland and going back to Michigan, it seems like the 2 kind of likes to play games with you guys.  Do you expect that gamesmanship to continue over the next couple races and how do you deal with it?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I’m not familiar with Michigan.  Chicago was just a thing of pulling up on the track early.  I said then and there that it didn’t change the outcome of the race.  So it’s not those ‑‑ those are more ‑‑ I don’t know what the word is ‑‑ just the flow of the race and different things that go on.  But the way we race this afternoon or this evening was that’s a different thing.  That’s the first time that we’ve really engaged at that level and raced each other that hard.
            To his credit, he did a nice job of getting right to the edge, and we brought home race cars.  We weren’t wadded up to look like a bunch of fools over there and handing the 5 and 15 a big gift.  So that’s a good thing.
            Q.  Do you expect that you have the car to do it?  (Indiscernible)?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, I don’t expect it to be easy to pass any chaser.  It’s been that way all Chase long.  Drop the flag at Chicago and then even in Loudon, the guys that aren’t in the championship battle seem to be a little bit more respectable.  They’ll race to a certain point.  But when you’re around a guy that you’re trying to beat in the points, it’s gloves off in a whole different deal.
            Q.  You were in here the other day talking about not being superstitious even after you had been sitting in the car after qualifying.  I heard a story about a lucky charm that was from shooting the gun.  Could you expand on that a little bit, and are you going to take that to Phoenix with you?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  Yeah, when I shot the gun in qualifying, after qualifying and put the shells in my little glove box thing that I have.  I’m not superstitious, but I’m just covering that base in case it does weigh into things (laughing).  I’m not, but I cover every base.
            I’ve set my alarm to 6:48.  I get up every morning at 6:48, if not earlier.  Microwave I put at 48 seconds instead of a minute, but, no, I’m not superstitious at all.
            Q.  (Indiscernible)?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  I don’t know.  Again, Phoenix is Phoenix, I don’t think they’ll stay in the car.  We’re probably not taking the same car, so they won’t go to Phoenix.  Now you have me thinking about it, I might have to cover that base and take them to Phoenix.
            Q.  But you’re not superstitious?
            JIMMIE JOHNSON:  No, what would make you think that?  I have no clue.

Chevrolet Clinches 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers’ Championship
 
 
DETROIT (November 2, 2012) – Chevrolet has clinched the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers’ Championship.  With Nelson Piquet, Jr.’s third place finish in the WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway, Chevrolet captured the prestigious title for the eighth time since the 1995 inception of the Series.
 
“It is exciting to clinch the Manufacturers’ Championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series here at Texas Motor Speedway,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Each Chevrolet Silverado team contributed valuable points all season long to help us secure the championship. We appreciate the hard work of each Chevy team and driver who helped deliver this prestigious title for Chevrolet.”
 
With 20 of 22 races in the 2012 record books, Chevy Silverado drivers have gone to Victory Lane 11 times with James Buescher scoring a series-high four wins to this point in the season.
 
“The Chevrolet teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series have worked diligently this season with the Chevrolet engineers as well as our technical partners,” said Pat Suhy, Chevrolet Racing NASCAR Group Manager. “It is their dedication, passion and focus that resulted in winning the Manufacturers’ Championship for Chevy.  Thank you to everyone whose efforts played such a significant role in our on-track success.”
 
Nelson Piquet, Jr. (two wins), Ty Dillon (one win), Joey Coulter (one win), James Lofton (one win), Kevin Harvick (one win), Kasey Kahne (one win) and Ron Hornaday, in addition to Buescher, contributed valuable Manufacturers’ points to Chevrolet’s title-winning effort.
“I am very proud of the efforts put forth each and every race weekend by our teams,” said Dayne Pierantoni, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. “Though always focused on winning each race, they are also united in their dedication to delivering the best performance possible for Chevrolet. Congratulations to all of the Silverado teams as well as our technical partners on winning the 2012 Manufacturers’ Championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  We are looking forward to a strong finish to the season.”
With just two races remaining in the season, Team Chevy has three drivers in the top-five in point standings.  Buescher leads Dillon by 15 points in the battle for the championship following the Texas race.
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
NOVEMBER 2, 2012
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET, POLE WINNER:
WERE YOU MEDITATING, USING THE FORCE OR SOMETHING STAYING IN YOUR CAR? “I was just watching everybody go by and catch a glimpse of the Jumbotron over there and see where they pop up on the board. I’ve watched more interviews where a guy climbs out of a race car to a microphone, and just at that point in time, they fall to second. I didn’t want it to happen. I knew I put down a good lap. Very proud of the effort my Lowe’s team put into this race car today. We didn’t unload like we wanted to. We made a lot of progress through the practice session, and then got it right there for qualifying.”
 
THAT WAS AN 8/10TH OF A SECOND PICKUP. WHAT SORT OF A SITUATION DOES THAT PUT YOU IN FOR SUNDAY’S RACE? “We have race practice tomorrow, and we’ll just work on our car and try to get it right from there. Today we focused just on qualifying, so it was a bit frustrating the first run or two in practice when we didn’t have the speed that we wanted to. But, we kept our heads down, focused on the right things, and got the car where it needed to be.”
 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 16TH:
ON HIS QUALIFYING:
“I thought it was a decent lap; good pickup from practice. Obviously with what Jimmie (Johnson) ran it shows you just how much speed is out there, and I’m real concerned with the gap from him to me. He either laid down the lap of a lifetime, or we’re going to have a lot of cars in between him and me. Jimmie puts it out there on the edge. It is good to know he’s not superstitious at all. (LAUGHS) Sitting in his car last week until qualifying was over. He’s got a lot longer wait this week, so it might get a little warm in there, but he’s not superstitious. (LAUGHS). They are just good. You don’t win five championships, and be in the running for a sixth this year without being a great driver, and a great team. They have all the same resources that we do. The same opportunity. It us always motivates us to work harder and get better.”
 
ON SUNDAY’S RACE:
“Last time we were here, we qualified like 34th, and we drove all the way up to the top-five. This track was really good for us the last time we were here. I’m excited about our chances this weekend.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 19TH:
ON HIS QUALIFYING: “It was not too bad. I think the car had a little more speed than that. I just didn’t drive the line right, or something. We’ll start mid-pack and have to work from there.”
 
IS WHERE YOU START REALLY IMPORTANT HERE?
“The track is pretty wide, so I’m not concerned about where we start. We just don’t have much racing left, so I would really like to do some good things before the season’s over with. I would just like to do better than that. I think we should have been able to do better than we ran just now.”
 
DANICA PATRICK, GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 32ND
ON HER QUALIFYING EFFORT:
“I feel like we had a really good first practice and as I just joked with the guys, I feel like our first 12 or 14 laps or whatever we’ve done so far has been a really solid start for us for the first ones. And our first qualifying run in practice was really good. Tony (Gibson, crew chief) did a good job of making an assessment of where we needed to start. So we weren’t far off for that qualifying run and it’s nice to know logically, why it’s going to be better or why you can believe in it. We talked a lot about that. We looked at the throttle traces. It gave me that confidence and that knowledge of how to drive just a little bit better in qualifying. We want to make more progress, but I think Tony’s done a good job of being realistic of what we need to be shooting for”
 
DOES LOOKING AT THE DATA HELP?
“It does. I think there is overload at some point in time with analyzing and thinking about it. But it’s about being smart about what you’re looking at and that’s what we’ve done. And I love when he tells me and says in the Media Center that I want to give her a car that she likes to drive. And that’s nice to hear. He listened to me the whole way through practice and it shows.”
 
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 24TH
ON HIS RUN
“We’ve had a very long day. We unloaded with something, set-up wise, that was kinda of out there. But we have nothing really to lose, so we’re just trying all kinds of out of the box ideas; and it didn’t work very well today so we kind of put something normal back in. I don’t think It’s a very good lap, but it’s a lot better than what we were.”
 
THIS IS SUCH A REALLY LONG RACE. IS YOUR STARTING POSITION AS IMPORTANT OR IS THERE ENOUGH ABILITY TO MOVE AROUND DURING THE RACE TO GAIN THE TRACK POSITION YOU NEED?
“I think it’s one of the hardest tracks to pass on that we come to. We talked about that in the spring, and it just doesn’t seem like there’s many cautions here and four or five laps after the restart it’s like you just can’t even get to the guy in front of you. The race track falls off really bad, the banking on the exit of the corner, it’s just one of the most aero-sensitive tracks we have even though you can run two-wide around it, it’s really hard to pass. It’s really hard to pass anywhere, but this seems like a bit more of a challenge.”
 
IS THIS RACE GOING TO BE ANOTHER FUEL MILEAGE, TRICKY SITUATION?
“I think this is normally a fuel-mileage race. The one cool thing that will happen here is that the tires fall off but they don’t fall off that much and it’s hard to pass. I think you’ll see guys in the back stay out and maybe that’ll cause some really good racing.”

Jimmie Johnson Wins the Pole at Texas
Five-Time Champion Earns His First Career Pole at 1.5-Mile Track
 
FT. Worth, TX (November 2, 2012) – For the 29th time in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, and the first time at Texas Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson will lead the 43 car field to the green flag in Sunday’s AAA Texas 500.
 
The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet won his fourth pole of the season with a lap of 28.261 seconds/191.076 m.p.h. around the 1.5-mile track.  The effort gleaned the 37-year-old driver his 23rd top-10 start of the season.   With this lap, Johnson joins Ricky Rudd for 23rd on the all-time series pole list.
 
A total of five Team Chevy drivers posted top-20 qualifying efforts for Sunday’s running of the AAA Texas 500.  Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Hendrickcars.com/Great Clips Chevrolet – 13th; Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet- 16th; Kurt Busch, No. 78 Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet- 18th and Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet – 19th.
 
The seventh race in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. ET. The 334-lap, 501-mile race will be broadcast live on ESPN TV, PRN Radio and Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
 
POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET – P0LE WINNER:
 
MOST GUYS WHO MAKE QUALIFYING RUN MOSTLY BACKUP WHAT THEY DID IN PRACTICE, YOU PICKED UP 3/4 OF A SECOND, WAS THAT MOSTLY DUE TO HOW WELL YOU UNLOADED OR IMPROVEMENT IN THE CAR?
“For that big of a chunk, it had to be both. We ran a flat in our first lap on the track. A lot of guys ran, I think like a .20 or .30 was the fastest. So at the end of the practice session and we put stickers (tires) back on, we ran a flat again. And guys went from running their .20s and gave up four, five, sixth tenths, and we maintained. So, we knew we closed the gap. We did make some smart changes to the car that picked up the rest. We ended the session balance wise in the ballpark. Just didn’t have that first lap under cooler conditions to show wh
ere we were.”
 
DID YOU THINK YOU HAD A TOP-10 CAR, OR DID YOU THINK YOU HAD A SHOT AT THE POLE? DOES WINNING THE POLE HERE MEAN ANY MORE THAN WINNING THE POLE LAST WEEK OR WINNING THE POLE AT CHICAGO? “I really felt like top-10 was the goal. When I heard the lap time, I was way impressed. I think the pole here in the spring was a .30 and it was probably cooler, and to be down in the .20s, I was really pleased with that. We exceeded expectations in qualifying. A top-10 was really the goal going into it, especially with our seeding process, we felt like going out as early as we did, the guys later would have a bigger advantage, and pick up some speed on us. We definitely exceeded expectations. As you get closer to the end of the year, they feel like they mean a little bit more. But, it’s just another pole. Not saying that in a negative way, but the benefits that come with it are the same that you would have at any other track. We have 500 long, grueling miles on Sunday, so we won a battle today. But the larger battle is definitely on Sunday here at the track. Hopefully all of these battles that we are winning right now will total up to winning the war at the end of the year.”
 
CAN YOU CONFIRM IF YOU ARE SUPERSTITIOUS?
“No, not at all man. What would make you think that? (LAUGHS).”
 
WHEN YOU TURNED THAT LAP, DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE SITTING IN YOUR CAR FOR 35-40 MINUTES, AND HOW WAS IT? “I was ready to get out, and my engine tuner stuck his head in the car and said ‘Hey man, you are going to be sitting here a long time this week’. And I went ‘Oh yea, that is right. I’m not superstitious, but I’ll sit here’. And, I sat there. It doesn’t mean anything, but may as well. At this point in the season, you have to pull out the stops. It gives us a nice talking point I guess through it all. (LAUGHS).
 
IF YOU WERE CHASING A GUY FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP AND THAT GUY THREW UP A LAP LIKE YOU DID TODAY, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK? “It’s funny, because when you run really well, you build confidence in your own head, and around your team about how things went. And we’ll certainly do that in the No. 48 (team) if we qualified 10th, we would have went ‘Hey, that met expectations of what we thought we’d get. Good job’. 25th would be ‘Hey, it’s just qualifying’. So, long story short, every team will put a spin on it to help themselves, and to help get over it. I mean, I don’t think the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) qualified all that bad. I think he’s in the top-10. Truthfully, if you’re in the top-10 each week, you eliminate so many more issues on the race track. You have a good pit stall pick, decent air, and that’s really the goal we are all shooting for. Getting poles are pretty special, and we got a good one today, and in a timely point in the season. Us racers will find a way to put the spin on it we need for any given situation.”
 
YOU SAID LAST WEEK AFTER MARTINSVILLE TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO DENNY HAMLIN THAT KIND OF STUFF CAN BEFALL EVERY TEAM.  YET THEY NEVER SEEM TO BEFALL YOU OR REALLY HENDRICK (MOTORSPORTS) VERY MUCH EITHER.  I KNOW YOU HAVE NEVER DRIVEN FOR ANOTHER TEAM, BUT DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHY YOU GUYS CAN AVOID THE QUALITY CONTROL STUFF THAT SEEMS TO AFFLICT OTHER POWERHOUSES IN NASCAR?
“You know electrical stuff is really sketchy.  That is what I was saying last week too.  I mean it really can happen to anyone.  We look at the issues the No. 14 car had earlier in the year some electrical stuff with the mapping and the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) with the car.  It happened to him which is Hendrick (Motorsports) stuff, but it didn’t happen to the other teams and I don’t know why the perfect storm happened for his car it was a Hendrick (Motorsports) component and all that stuff that had the issue.  So, mechanical we feel much more in control all the race teams do of the mechanical parts and pieces.  Ron (Malec, car chief) is so meticulous, our shop is, and all the way through that is one thing that starting with Chad (Knaus, crew chief) on through the guys that nut and bolt the car. They are raised in a culture where we can’t have mechanical failures.  Parts break and that is a risk we all run, electrical stuff is always scary to me and I think the highest risk because a lot of those components we don’t assemble ourselves.  We take them out of a box and put them in a car.  You lose a lot of control doing that.  The mechanical pieces we have worked hard over the years to try to build everything that NASCAR will allow us to because then we can perform our own quality control procedures on things.  Make sure and understand why stuff works and doesn’t work.  So I think there is a lot of detail and knock on wood we get through the end of the year clean.”  
 
FOLLOWING UP ON THAT I CAN RECALL BLOWN ENGINES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT IN THE CHASE YOU DON’T SEEM TO HAVE THESE MECHANICAL ISSUES.  CAN YOU RECALL A MECHANICAL ISSUE IN YOUR CHASES WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN THE CHAMPION?
“In 2006 we had a spark plug fail at Loudon.  We were running around on seven cylinders, maybe it wasn’t the plug; it was the boot or the plug, something with it I was on seven cylinders.  Then tangled up with Sterling Marlin and crashed in turns one and two and have that DNF (did not finish) or poor finish.  I don’t remember if we finished or not.  That’s the first one that comes to mind, but again knock on wood we and I’m not superstitious.  We have very focused group of guys that from a mechanical stand point do a great job of making sure stuff isn’t falling off the race cars.  It’s what we pride ourselves on.”
 
 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 2, 2012

DANICA PATRICK AND CREW CHIEF TONY GIBSON, NO. 10 GODADDY RACING CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Texas Motor Speedway and discussed racing at Texas Motor Speedway,  working with each other this weekend and beyond, the importance of getting a head start for next season now and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
TELL US ABOUT RACING HERE AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY YOU HAVE BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES NOW:

DANICA PATRICK: “Yeah I was trying to think of how many times.  Somebody while I was giving ride and drives for Chevy yesterday in the middle of the day, convertibles with my hair are just a really bad thing at around 120 mph around here so, they were saying it seems like you have been around here a few times.  I was thinking about how many and I think this will be maybe my 11th race here between IndyCar and NASCAR stuff I have done.  Always love coming to Texas, I would sort of describe it as my favorite style track.  It has a lot of grip, banking, and speed and had pretty good success here over the years with whatever I have driven.  I think this is a great place to start with Tony (Gibson, crew chief).  I think this is a nice way to kind of get towards the end of my Cup races this year and hopefully we can have a good weekend.”
 
TALK ABOUT COMING OVER TO THE NO. 10 TEAM AND GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF A HEAD START ON NEXT YEAR:

TONY GIBSON: “Yeah it’s good.  The communication side of it, her hearing my voice on the radio and working with her and finding out this is one of her good tracks.  I’ve done some research on that, she really gets around here pretty good.  Hopefully, we won’t screw it up and we can give her something good to drive today.  To get any kind of time in is crucial.  Not only on a communications side, but as far as the balance of the race car we have to learn.  We don’t want her to adapt to our set-ups we want to adapt to her driving style.  These two races will be crucial in gaining a head start on that.  So over the winter time we can make plans and do some testing and get further on down the road for us.  She has the capability of winning races; she’s a winner so we don’t have to teach her how to win.  We just have to make sure that our race team is solid and can comfort her and give her the things she needs to win in the Cup Series.”
 
HOW OFTEN HAVE THE TEAMS YOU’VE BEEN WITH WANTED TO ADAPT TO YOU VERSUS YOU ADAPTING TO THEM?  HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT TO YOU?

DANICA PATRICK: “It is a nice thing to hear.  I think that is something you hear from someone who is open, ready and smart and knows that every driver has a different style.  It is just a matter of how to maximize that.  It’s kind of music to my ears as a driver.  I know that there is a lot for me to learn about these cars and Tony (Gibson, crew chief) is extremely smart.  I already know that as well as everybody who works with him.  I have a lot to learn, but that is nice to hear.  I hopefully can convey exactly what it is that I need and be able to point them in the right direction.  What is really nice about working with each other these last couple of races of the year is that every driver has a unique way of describing the car and how it feels.  When I say the car is two out of five tight that is not the same for anyone else.  So learning what that really means and how big a change you need to make to fix that is the kind of stuff that we are going to get a really good head start on now.”
 
WHY IS THIS A GOOD PAIRING FOR YOU TWO TO WORK TOGETHER?
 
TONY GIBSON: “I just think the biggest thing is Tony (Eury Jr.) and Danica got a long really well and I’ve worked with Tony Jr. we are great friends and we worked together for several years at DEI (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) so I think putting us together is a better fit.  It’s a really good fit.  It’s a good fit for my race team we are old school racers.  We are the Tony Jr., Tony (Eury) Sr. style of racers and I think that fits Danica pretty good.  I think they have done a great job as a company at Stewart-Haas putting the right people with Danica and her with us because we are going to grow together.  We are going to grow fast.  There are going to be some bumps in the road, we know that.  But, my team is ready for that and we are ready to grow and we are excited about this new venture for us.”
 
DANICA PATRICK: “He hit is right on the head to be honest.  I agree.  It’s funny I think of that too.  I think about how well I got along with Tony (Eury) Jr. and how he is definitely a little more old school.  Just the personalities are just cool, laid back, get down to business, but still have fun.  I think that is a great attitude to bring to the track every weekend.  I feel like it gets a really good team to rally around them.  It speaks volumes that the guys stayed all together to come onto the No. 10 car.  I think that just shows what a great leader he is.”
 
TONY GIBSON: “It was one of the things that I talked to Danica about earlier was everybody on the No. 39 had an option of what they wanted to do as a team.  It took them like 30 seconds to answer back that they were on board and everybody was excited for it.  Hopefully, that is comforting to Danica and just sends a message to her that we are behind her 110 percent and ready to move forward.”
 
WHAT HAPPENS THE FIRST TIME YOU CALL HER ‘OLD MAN’?
 
TONY GIBSON: “(Laughs) I don’t know.  I’m not really sure.  If I do say that I’m sorry.  It just comes out for some odd reason.  I don’t know.  I have no idea hopefully she will forgive me.”
 
DANICA PATRICK: “In what context do you use ‘Old Man’?”
 
TONY GIBSON: “Pretty much, I don’t know it slips out.  I don’t really know why I say that.  For years it’s just been what I say.  I’m not sure where that came from to be honest with you.”
 
DANICA PATRICK: “I don’t mind.”
 
TONY GIBSON: “If I do say that I am sorry and I don’t mean it.  I was Mark Martin’s crew chief and everybody is like ‘man that is really insulting to him’.   I’m like I have no idea; I don’t realize I’m saying it to him.  It was a big joke.  Aric Almirola, I was the crew chief for Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and it was the same way.  I don’t know.  It just comes out so I’m probably going to say it a few times, but if I do I’m sorry forgive me.  As long as we are successful we can call each other what we want to.”
 
DANICA PATRICK: “I don’t really care what people call me.  Tony (Eury) Jr. would call me ‘babe’ and things like that on the radio and he would apologize.  I’m like I really don’t care what you call me.  I don’t care if you pronounce my name wrong as long as it starts with a ‘D’.”
 
TONY GIBSON: “I think I have called her ‘D’ every time I have called her and talked to her on the phone.  I will try to just stick with just calling her ‘D’.”
 
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE LESSONS  IN THE THREE YEARS YOU HAVE BEEN HERE WHAT ARE THE GREATEST LESSONS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED WHAT DO YOU STILL HAVE TO LEARN TO REALLY GET ABSOLUTELY COMFORTABLE HERE?
“For me I have just transitioned through quite a bit over these years.  It was just coming every month or so into the car and doing a race and trying to get comfortable quickly after driving and IndyCar for a while.  There was that transition for two years then this being the first full time year then sort of sprinkling in some Cup races then next year going full time Cup.  That is a lot o
f transitions and a lot of changes and a lot of things to get used to whether it is new cars, new schedules or new crew chief.  It’s just been a lot to get used to, but I think that it all helps me adapt quicker.  It helps me focus on what being more specific with my words and being more poignant with what I want.  There has been a lot that I have learned for sure and I have a lot left to learn.  Just understanding the cars and how they change from practice to the race and how they change throughout the race.  Those are things that are just so much more unique to NASCAR than they are to IndyCar I feel.  In IndyCar you could set the car up in practice and it would feel the same in qualifying and the race for the most part of adapting some weather changes to the downforce levels to that they were equal.  You could calculate that.  There is a lot more transitions within the weekend itself in NASCAR.  So getting used to that has been something I am still learning.”
 
HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF THINGS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION NEXT YEAR AND WHAT WILL BE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR DANICA TO KNOW IF SHE IS IMPROVING?
 
TONY GIBSON: “Well, there’s no pressure on us. I think the communication will get better and smoother. Understanding when she is tight like she said earlier, a two out of five, we go through that every weekend. Every driver I’ve ever had is different. Even (Tony) Stewart and (Ryan) Newman are totally different. The offsets that we had to do for Newman versus Stewart are just on the other side of the spectrum. Just learning those things for what she needs going into qualifying trim, as the races go on how do we adjust, and me learning the tone of her voice. I can tell by a driver, because the tone of his voice is getting higher and higher and higher that it’s pretty serious. Those things we are going to learn. She puts more pressure on herself to do good because the media puts pressure on her to do good. For us it’s all about learning and growing together. Like I told her, we are going to set small goals and achievable goals for us. Whether if it’s by the end of qualifying practice to be on the left side of the board and qualify 25th, 23rd, 20th, 18th; let’s set goals that we can achieve together as a race team and grow together. I’m not putting any pressure on her or any set we’ve got to win a race or we’ve got to run a top-five, so I’ll judge everything off how we are getting along, how our team is building more than I am results.”
 
YOU’VE BEEN WITH DALE (EARNHARDT) JR, SO YOU’VE BEEN WITH HIGH PROFILE, DANICA IS OBVIOUSLY VERY HIGH PROFILE, THERE’S NO DOING ANYTHING UNDER THE RADAR, WILL THAT HELP YOU THAT YOU WERE WITH JUNIOR AND YOU UNDERSTAND BEING WITH SOMEBODY THAT EVERYTHING YOU DO IS GOING TO BE SCRUTINIZED?
 
TONY GIBSON: “Absolutely, anything in this business. I was with Bill Elliott for a while too and he was probably one of the biggest ones in the sport then. It’s difficult, it’s different, but at the end of the day you still have to do your job. No matter who is driving the race car you have a job to get done. My job is to fit a race car and a set up for Danica’s driving style and that’s what we are going to work hard on. She is in the lime light all the time. It’s like last weekend the deal with Landon Cassill and all, I don’t want her to lose that fire. That’s the fire you need. There has been guys that have spun people out and done things like that when they are rookies and nobody talks about it but being a female it gets blown out of proportion. I hope she keeps that fire and desire and we’ll work on the rest of the stuff.”
 
GOING BACK TO WHAT TONY SAID EARLIER, WHY ARE YOU SO COMFORTABLE WITH OLD-SCHOOL RACERS?
 
DANICA PATRICK: “I don’t know. Doesn’t that seem funny? I’m kind of fancy. I buy fancy things, I eat at fancy restaurants, drink fancy wines, I don’t know. Honestly I think it’s opposites attract. It’s more fun to be honest. It’s just more fun. I think back to being a kid growing up and go-kart racing. That sort of style is also why I love NASCAR in general, everything from the language to describe the car, to the style of people and the camaraderie. It just reminds me of growing up and racing all over the east coast and the south. It’s more normal to me probably than what I did for over 10 years with seven years of Indy Car and from 16 to 19 being in England. I guess I realized how European style Indy Car was when I came to NASCAR and was I remember the word tight, I used to use that. It’s just how everybody gets along and how much fun we have here, and kind of almost how much racing we do. In go-karts we would do 40 or 50 races a year. In NASCAR we obviously do a tremendous amount and I think it’s just more normal to me than what I was doing. From the first time that I got into a car at Orlando Speedway a couple of years ago, I pulled out of the pit area to go on to the track and I really felt .. I was like oh my God, what have I been doing. I feel like I’m at home. I felt comfortable and it just felt like I was where I was supposed to be.”
 
TONY WILL BE YOUR FOURTH CREW CHIEF SINCE ENTERING NASCAR, DO YOU HAVE A BETTER SENSE OR APPRECIATION OF WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, WHAT YOU NEED, AND IS IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SERIES?
 
DANICA PATRICK: “You know I think that it’s not necessarily a specific person as much as it is their demeanor and their openness to listen and going down the paths that I go down sometimes in practice, and being ready to just kind of adapt what I say to the car and trust me, and want to be there. I think that may be one of the biggest things, when someone wants to be there it just gives me confidence and give me comfort. It makes me feel better. No matter what I’ve been doing that’s one thing I’ve learned, the person has to want to be there. There’s so much racing and so much time together that if they don’t, you just don’t feel it. I really get that feeling from Tony, that he wanted to be here and from his guys. I just think that’s like a perfect remedy for success moving forward.”

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET, met with members of the media today at Texas Motor Speedway and discussed how he is feeling going into this weekend’s race at Texas, his frustrations with the ending of last weekend’s race in Martinsville  and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
STILL FEELING GOOD ABOUT GETTING BACK IN YOUR ROUTINE AND GETTING BACK TO NORMAL?
“Yeah especially after last week not getting the finish we wanted to get. We were really anxious to get back to the race track and get back to work.  Anytime you don’t finish things like you want you kind of want to get another shot or start over.  You hate to have to sit around for a couple of days waiting on the next opportunity to do it the right way.  That is what we have been thinking about all week.  Just been kind of preparing going over last week and writing down all the comments about the race and then looking over the last race here at Texas all the notes of that just trying to get ready.”
 
HOW DID YOU FEEL SUNDAY NIGHT, MONDAY?  DID YOU FEEL NORMAL?  THAT WASN’T A HARD HIT BUT YOU STILL KIND OF TAPPED THE WALL:
“Yeah, it wasn’t that bad.  I felt pretty good.  I’ve been in contact with the doctor’s everyday throughout the whole process just keeping them aware of how things have been going.  I thought the weekend really went well in terms of how I felt especially Saturday and Sunday.  I was really nervous I think Friday, just anxious and real nervous.  Obviously, talking to you guys in the media center I was really nervous.  Saturday and Sunday really felt great.  That was kind of a little breakthrough for me.  To get back to the track and see things work like I wanted them to work, really kind of connect to the race car like I wanted to
felt really good.”
 
WHAT WAS THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING ABOUT LAST WEEK? WAS IT PURELY THE RESULT THAT UPSET YOU OR WAS IT THAT PEOPLE WERE BEING STUPID THERE AT THE END?
“No, I wasn’t really worried about how people were at the end.  We were coming back from missing a few weeks and just trying to really get in a solid week of work.  Obviously, even finishing seventh or whatever wasn’t exactly where we wanted to finish, but I needed a little closure on the whole process.  I really didn’t get it last weekend.”
 
INAUDIBLE:
“We talked about it just a little bit.  When we made the decision to stay out I was positive coming to that restart I was positive about what we were doing.  When he made the decision for us to not pit I didn’t immediately throw my hands up in the air at that moment.  I was still like ‘alright you know I’m going to go as hard as I can go here.’ I was starting up front and I really didn’t think we were going to be as bad as we were on that little run after that restart.  So I really wasn’t that upset about it at all.  Then we had the restart and the car was real tight, real slow and just in the way. People were all over me trying to get by me.  I know I was a pain in the ass and I was just getting more and more frustrated.  I think I lost control of my emotions a little bit in how I expressed my opinion after the race to him, to you, to everybody.  Because looking back now I really wasn’t that mad about it.  I didn’t even think it was a bad call when we made it.  I was being a bit of a back seat driver or arm chair quarterback after the fact.  He had done a great job been real supportive of me and I need to realize he is trying to help me.  He’s not trying to throw me to the wolves.  He is trying to help me win races.”
 
IT WASN’T THE FINISH YOU WANTED, BUT HOW ENCOURAGING WAS IT BEING OUT OF THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS COMING BACK AND RUNNING AS GOOD AS YOU GUYS DID?
“Yeah that was real good.  Real encouraging the laps in practice, how we were working on the car, all the communication was good.  Had a lot of good energy, felt good, the race went pretty well throughout the whole race, felt good.  I felt like we were running a smart race.  Really didn’t have the car like we wanted, we were trying a little bit different stuff with the track bar in the back.  I think we were a little bit better there in the spring, so we will just have to go back. It’s a good track for me and I’ve run pretty well there every time we go there and I would just really like to win there.  Just have to go back and try again.”
 
HOW DO YOU HANDICAP THE CHAMPIONSHIP?  OBVIOUSLY, IT’S YOUR CLOSEST TEAMMATE ON ONE SITE AND IT’S ONE OF YOUR REALLY CLOSE FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE.  DO YOU HAVE TO GO WITH YOUR TEAMMATE IN THAT SITUATION?
“Yeah I’m a company man first I think.  I want what’s good for the guys.  Inevitably, indirectly no matter what driver it is when there is success at Hendrick (Motorsports) it affects all of us in a good positive way.  Obviously, I want to see Jimmie (Johnson) win the championship between the two.  But, I’m real happy for Brad (Keselowski) to be experiencing the season he has had.  He has earned it. He’s a really good competitor and he is a great asset to the sport for years to come.  He’s going to have a lot more opportunities aside from this one; he is going to have a lot of opportunities to win championships.  He’s got to be excited about that.”
 
GIVEN THAT SITUATION WOULD YOU RATHER BE THE POINTS LEADER OR THE ONE CHASING?
“I would rather be the leader.  You want to be out front and put the pressure on the guy behind you.”
 
IS IT KIND OF WEIRD THAT YOU SAW BRAD (KESELOWSKI) WHEN HE WAS A TOTAL NOBODY AND NOW HE COULD POSSIBLY WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?  IS THAT KIND OF WEIRD TO YOU?
“Well yeah, I mean it’s pretty impressive.  I knew he was a pretty raw talent and had a lot of good qualities.  He definitely made all of our stuff at JR Motorsports look really good there for a couple of years.  When he got in the Penske stuff he has not done anything but move forward.  I think we kind of forget just how far along that program has come.  To be competitive in a Dodge no less; in a manufacturer that has signed its papers leaving the sport.  It’s impressive and I think like I said he is going to be able to race for a very long time and for all intents and purposes he should be able to compete like this for years and really enjoy a great career.”
 
REGARDING PHOENIX WHAT KIND OF RACE ARE YOU EXPECTING?
“I don’t think it’s going to change a whole lot.  I don’t know these repaves have been pretty indestructible.  They are not aging quite as fast as the drivers would hope.  They did a good job on that track and I haven’t run good there since they repaved it.  Just kind of anxious to go back and hoping we can find some speed and be competitive because I do like the race track.  I’ve ran well on all the repaves this year so maybe we’ve got something for them going back.”
 
THAT CORNER TWO (AT PHOENIX) WAS KIND OF WHERE BRAD (KESELOWSKI) WAS GOING DOWN ON THE APRON THERE WHY DOES THAT WORK?
“It’s shorter.  It’s a shorter distance.”
 
IS JIMMIE (JOHNSON) PERHAPS A BIGGER FAVORITE THAN TWO POINTS MIGHT SUGGEST JUST BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE?
“Yeah, I think he has definitely got to have the odds in his favor winning five championships in a row isn’t done by accident or by luck.  I think he has got the entire package as far as not only is he one of the best drivers in the series, but he has got possibly one of the smartest minds on his pit box in Chad (Knaus) controlling the entire team.  Everybody around that team, all the road guys all the pit crew everybody is just really maxed out in talent and ability.  They are a tough opponent.  They are a real tough opponent especially when they’ve got some confidence and it’s late in the Chase and they are leading like this.  You are really going to have to work hard and do some miraculous stuff to be able to beat them.”
 
THIS YEAR THERE HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF THE MIND GAMES GOING ON.  HOW MUCH DOES YOUR HEAD PLAY INTO RUNNING FOR THIS CHAMPIONSHIP?
“I don’t know.  I think it just depends on the person.  Some people aren’t affected by that stuff and some people might be affected by that.  I think it just depends on how insecure you are and how much you respect the guy you are racing.  It comes down to different individuals and different people react different ways to it.”
 
IS IT A USEFUL TOOL?
“Yeah sure.”
 JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET met with media and discussed participation in the Disaster Relief Fund, his focus on the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the pressure, the competition, and more. Full Transcript:
 
YOUR FOUNDATION HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN SUPPORTING THE RELIEF EFFORTS FOR HURRICANE SANDY. CAN YOU TOUCH ON THAT?
“Yes, definitely. Myself, Hendrick Motorsports, and Lowe’s are proud and happy and more than willing to donate money to the Disaster Relief Fund. It’s something that Lowe’s is very passionate about; and Hendrick Motorsport and I certainly want to join in support and help spread the word and hopefully influence others to donate. In the Manhattan area in the building that Chani and I have an apartment in has been flooded and it’s still evacuated. Nobody can go in the building and the bottom two floors are underground and have been flooded and the main lobby had some major damage too. So it’s impacted us in a small way; to many others, in a much greater capacity.  But it’s just a wild, wild deal up there. And to talk to our friends about the experiences they’
ve had; and to know how many people in Manhattan and all the surrounding area that are dealing with all the water issues, It’s a sad thing. Hopefully what we’re doing will help influence others to donate and try to help our friends up there.”
 
TALK ABOUT COMING TO TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY WITH THREE RACES TO GO; YOU’VE GOT THE POINTS LEAD. WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET FOR THIS WEEKEND?
‘Honestly it’s really been the same thing throughout the Chase, and that’s to go out and get as many points as possible. I’m in the mindset of sitting on the pole and winning the race. I think that’s what you have to do with as tight as the points have been and with how strong the competitors have been on the race track.  Denny’s (Hamlin) troubles have put a gap for Brad (Keselowski) and I over third spot. And I guess in some respects, you can look at two guys and a two-guy breakaway right now, but I’m not putting too much stock in that. A mid-pack finish for myself and Brad will bring everybody back into it and that’s not too big of a margin in my eyes. So, I’m still very focused in getting as many points as possible and trying to win the races.”
 
THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF JABBING BETWEEN YOU AND BRAD KESELOWSKI. HOW MUCH DOES THE MIND GAME ISSUE PLAY INTO YOUR STRATEGY ON AND OFF THE TRACK?
“I wasn’t aware of any verbal jabs yet, but it’s racing. There are different aspects to it I think. Personalities of drivers; some are eager for those opportunities and like to play it out in the media and stir the pot. It’s really not been my outlet. I like to go out and perform like I did last week; and send a message on Friday with a strong qualifying effort. If that doesn’t work out, make sure that I rebound and come back on Sunday with a strong performance. So I look over the last couple of weeks and what our team was able to accomplish at Kansas with a damaged race car and then what we did last week, is quite a statement in that we’re serious about this championship and we’re doing the right things to go out there and try to win this thing.”
 
ON THE BUSCH-WHACKED MUD RUN AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY DIRT TRACK, DID YOUR TEAM END UP WINNING AFTER ALL?
‘Yeah, we won the overall team competition last night, which was cool. It was fun. It was my first opportunity to run a Mud Run. I’ve done some triathlons. I’ve done a few 5K’s. And to do a Mud Run was quite a different discipline. I think the distance of the race was like just over a mile; 1.2 miles, with 10, 12, or 15 obstacles; something like that. So, in the running areas, you’re trying to keep a good pace going; and then you’re challenged with some obstacle that for whatever reason would elevate your heart rate higher than you wanted it to be. And then you’d get over or through or under the obstacle and take off running again trying to catch your breath.  It was an intense 13 minutes during my lap. I ended up second overall, which was cool. My throat is still kind of raspy just from breathing so hard yesterday in that event. It was an aerobic workout to say the least. It was a fun event. I think the awareness from this event will, if Kurt (Busch) decides to continue to it, I think it has potential to be pretty big; and incorporate the fans and the competitors in the garage area. A lot of team planes didn’t send their crews early, but I have a feeling in the future there would be enough crew members lobbying for an early plane to get out here and be a part of it. There are so many guys who go over the wall and work in this garage area that they’d get involved in a heartbeat. And it’s for a great cause; I need to also mention; with the charity component. So I hope it was a successful fund-raiser for them. I know I had a lot of fun in the event.”
 
THE APRIL RACE HERE FEATURED A LOT OF LONG, GREEN-FLAG RUNS; AND FROM THE FAN PERSPECTIVE, NOT THE MOST EXCITING RACE OF THE YEAR. DO YOU EXPECT THE SAME THING SUNDAY? OR WITH DIFFERENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DAY INSTEAD OF NIGHT, DO YOU THING THIS RACE COULD BE DIFFERENT OR DO YOU EXPECT IT TO BE THE SAME?
“I think it will be like that, to be honest with you. I’m trying to think back to Kansas and what created all the cautions. I think a lot of it was the narrow racing groove and the uncomfortable or unbalanced aero situation that the pack was in and it did create some slipping and sliding and a lot of cautions. But here, we’ll be from the line to the wall all the way around the track ad we’ll have options, which the drivers love. It creates fewer cautions because we have an opportunity to race and move around. The flip side of that is there’s a lot of green flag racing. So I’m preparing for that, in my mind.”
 
WHILE THE VOTING IS JUST A THEMED SORT OF PRESIDENTIAL THEME BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION IT REALLY IS FACING YOU AND BRAD (KESELOWSKI) OFF AGAINST EACH OTHER EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK.  DO YOU TRY NOT TO LOOK AT THAT?
“I walked through the garage and I didn’t see it I guess.  I was too busy catching up with (Kristine) Curley on, I don’t even know what it was.  It’s great I think the hype is great for our sport.  It is certainly great for Brad and I both.  It’s a tough thing to dodge that excitement and notoriety all that comes with it.  I’m glad I’ve missed it so far because it’s just a distraction at the end of the day.  I will just keep my blinders on and keep going in circles and hopefully fast circles.”
 
OBVIOUSLY THERE IS AN AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND BRAD (KESELOWSKI) BUT DO THE TWO OF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP AT ALL?  DO YOU KNOW EACH OTHER TO ANY EXTENT?
“Well he was at Hendrick for a while, but that was four or five years ago something like that.  He was pretty new in the sport, eager, and talented.  He showed a lot of speed and a lot of potential.  I watched him in (Dale Earnhardt) Junior’s car for those couple of years.  I was excited for his success there and happy to see that he went to Penske as well.  I know Roger (Penske) well and certainly respect his organization and everything he has done in motorsports.  I think it’s been a good fit along the way, but my relationship with Brad has really been at track or racing related.  We haven’t had a chance to hang out too much off the track.  For the longest time he hasn’t been old enough to have a beer so it has been hard to hang out too much.  We’ve got a good relationship and I feel a great deal of respect for another and I think that is why we have handled things how we have so far and raced like we are.”
 
CLINT BOWYER WAS IN A LITTLE BIT AGO AND WAS RATHER LOOSE; HE REALLY HAS NOTHING TO LOSE. DO YOU THINK THAT DEMEANOR HELPS HIM?   THE WAY HE HAS RUN THE CHASE DO WE SORT OF DO OURSELVES A DISSERVICE TO OVERLOOK HIM BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN STRONG ON THE 1.5-MILE TRACKS?  HOW ARE YOU SIZING UP HIM IN THIS BEING A TWO MAN RACE, BUT WITH A DARK HORSE LOOMING?
“I feel like if Brad (Keselowski) both have a mid-pack finish it really opens this thing up at this point.  A finish in the 20’s something like that man this thing is real tight.  There is some pressure taken off you when you are back. I think there is more pressure on the point’s leader, but there is more control as the point’s leader.  Just a week ago was sitting there seven back thinking okay if I got two a weekend or if I got three a weekend or how you play that game.  Right now I don’t have to think about that.  There is the pressure to maintain, but I would much rather be leading the points than be anywhere else.  Pressure shows up in a lot of different ways.  Clint (Bowyer) is a serious threat so is Kasey (Kahne).  Those guys have been very strong.  I think both have shown their best in the Chase and have really delivered and stepped up.  I’m glad that we have a gap over those guys because I like when it’s down to one person and not three or four to
deal with.  If we slip up they are going to be right there in the middle of it and strong, good tracks for both of them.  I’ve said this about Kasey (Kahne) too if you look at his performance every year he always finishes so strong.  I’m happy from my own selfish perspective to have a little gap on him right now because he could finish this thing our really strong.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Texas Motor Speedway and discussed morning practice, Donny Schatz World of Outlaws championship and other topics.  Full transcript:
 
HOW WAS PRACTICE?  “It was okay. Nothing spectacular. We’ve got a ways to go.”
 
TALK ABOUT DONNY SCHATZ CAPTURING HIS WORLD OF OUTLAWS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TONY STEWART RACING: “I’m proud of those guys, especially Donny. It was a really trying first half of the season for the whole team. They were just struggling to try and find a balance in combination with the engine and chassis package that he was looking for.  The second half of the year, those guys really dug in, and got going there, and really dug themselves out of a hole. They definitely earned it the last half of the year.”
 
ARE YOU GOING BACK FOR THE WOO FINALE IN CHARLOTTE? “No, it is too far. We’ll watch on the internet tonight and tomorrow. Actually, we’ll see it on the Internet tonight, and watch it live on SPEED tomorrow night.”
 
DANICA SAID SHE WAS A WINE AND FANCY RESTAURANT KIND OF GIRL, AND TONY GIBSON IS AN OLD-SCHOOL RACER. WHY DO THEY GET ALONG? “Why wouldn’t they get along? They aren’t going out to eat dinner together, they are racing together. That’s where they have to be on the same page.”
 
HOW DO YOU THINK SHE IS GOING TO REACT WHEN SHE GETS CALLED “OLD MAN”? “Probably the same way we all did. Look at him funny, and realize that it doesn’t matter who you are, or how old you are, he (Tony Gibson) calls you “Old Man”. That’s just Gibson.”
 
HOW DIFFERENT FOR YOU IS IT IN YOUR SITUATION THIS SEASON AT THIS POINT THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR, A SITUATION SIMILAR TO WHAT BRAD KESELOWSKI AND JIMMIE JOHNSON ARE IN? “You don’t always have that situation like we had last year. If you look at the history, we’ve had more years like we are having this year, than we had last year. You’d rather be in the situation they’re in, but it is what it is.”
 
LAST YEAR, YOU ARE CARL APPEARED TO HAVE VERBAL JABS GOING BACK AND FORTH, ALL IN FUN. HOW USEFUL OF A TOOL IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP? “It worked for us. (CHUCKLES) That’s all I can say is it worked for us.”
 
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY TALKS ABOUT ELDORA HAVING A NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK RACE? “No.”
 
JUST A FUN QUESTION, THERE IS A MOCK DEBATE GOING ON FOR NASCAR PRESIDENT BETWEEN MATT CLARK AND JIMMY SPENCER. WHO WOULD YOU SUPPORT? “Out of the sake of the entire nation, I would have to pick Matt Clark. I’m sorry. I love Jimmy Spencer like a brother, but that’s not a brother I would put in the Presidency.” (LAUGHS)
 
IS JIMMIE (JOHNSON) A BIGGER FAVORITE THAN TWO POINTS WOULD INDICATE? “I don’t know. It’s one week at a time still. It is what it is each week. It doesn’t who’s a favorite. It matters what those points say at the end of the day each week.”

 
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET met with media and discussed the current point battle between Johnson and Keselowski, head games, the upcoming Phoenix race, and more. Full Transcript:
 
HOW WAS PRACTICE?
‘We’ve been trying some things out to learn so we come up with a good plan for tomorrow and for Sunday. We were a little disappointed when we switched over to qualifying trim. We of course, knew the track was a little bit slower from the guys that went out early, but still we were two our three tenths off of what I felt like we needed to be there at the end. So, we’ve got some speed to gain and to pick-up for our qualifying run.”
 
IF YOU COULD TAKE YOUR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAT OFF AND LOOK AT THINGS OBJECTIVELY, AND YOU HAD TO PUT MONEY ON BRAD KESELOWSKI OR JIMMIE JOHNSON GOING DOWN THE STRETCH WITH THREE RACES REMAINING, IS IT EVEN A QUESTION GIVEN JIMMIE’S HISTORY?
“Oh, it’s definitely a question. And Brad has put a good fight. If you’re putting money down on it, it’s hard to go against that No. 48 teams. They’re just so rock-solid at so many different tracks. They’ve won five championships so it’s not like they’re nervous. They’re pretty relaxed and in a comfort zone and it’s really nothing to lose. They’ve won five championships and they’re in great position.
 
“But, where Brad going for it, basically for the first time, but you know what, they’ve done a great job. So, it’s not just a hands-down; one’s got it in the bag.”
 
JIMMIE’S LEAD FEELS ALMOST BIGGER THAN IT IS BECAUSE OF HIS HISTORY AND THE TIME OF THE YEAR AND ALL THAT STUFF.
“Well, it’s just like what happened to the No. 11 car (Denny Hamlin) last week.  Anything can happen at any time. There’s just no way to predict it. If you just look at flat-out speed and performance, then I would give it to the No. 48. But that’s not always the case.”
 
DO YOU SEE JIMMIE JOHNSON PLAYING THOSE HEAD GAMES WITH BRAD KESELOWSKI AT THIS POINT? OR, IS IT JUST THE REPUTATION AND THE SUCCESS RATE THAT GETS INTO PEOPLE’S HEADS?
“The No. 48 has one things on their side and that’s five championships and the fact that they go out there and perform. I think the only thing that Brad has done this year that’s really combatted that was what they did at Chicago. That was a great way to get it started as well as they’ve hung in there. Like last week. To come out of there I think with a sixth place finish for Brad at Martinsville they way his day was going, that was actually a very positive result for them that I think they actually, even though the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) won, they carried a little bit of momentum themselves out of there. So, I’d kind of call it even, really.”
 
WOULD YOU RATHER BE THE CHASER OR THE CHASEE?
“No, you always want to be leading. I think you’d rather be leading if you’re the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) because they’ve won it five times. So, by being up front, they don’t sit there and protect and worry about what we have to do to win this championship. They just go out there and perform, focus, and do their jobs. But when you’re new to it and you’ve never won a championship, being out front sometimes can get you off your game. So I think it’s better for Brad to be chasing and I think the NO. 48, as long as they’re in reach, they’re comfortable and have a great shot at it.”
 
YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE; WHAT ARE THE LAST THREE WEEKS LIKE AS FAR AS PRESSURE? “You know, it’s intense. Every practice lap; every lap in the race; every position; every moment is intense. You know that there is a lot riding on everything that you do. As a team you have to come together, and step up. It’s tough. It’s intense, and exciting as well. All at the same time. I’m just anxious to see how these next couple of weeks go because I think we all want to see a great battle come down to the final race at Homestead.
 
“I think you have to think, with the results the last time we were here, that the No. 48 has an edge here. I don’t know about Phoenix with the new surface, but at Homestead, the No. 48 has struggled there. Not run as good. This thing could be very interesting.”
 
WITH THE NEW LAYOUT AT PHOENIX, HOW DIFFERENT IS THAT TRACK NOW? “It’s changing fairly rapidly as it goes through the weathering that you go through, especially during the hot summer in Arizona. The tires haven’t changed as far I know, so that is kind of keeping things fairly even. We saw the grooved widen out the last time we were there; I would like to see that again. Track position is still going to be
very, very important.”
 
HAVE YOU CHANGED THE WAY YOU DRIVE THAT TRACK NOW? “I’m going to have to change the way I drove it the last couple of times just because we haven’t done very well there.”
 
BRAD WAS A PART OF THE HENDRICK FAMILY FOR A SHORT WHILE; DID YOU GUYS GET A CHANCE TO KNOW HIM AT ALL? “He was more of a JR Motorsports guy, so they probably got a chance to know him better than we did. But, he definitely was a great addition; we just didn’t have a place for him, or sponsorship to keep him there longer.  It certainly is nothing but positive things to say.”
 
AT THIS POINT OF THE SEASON, DO THE WEEKS KIND OF SLOW DOWN AND SEEM TO COME FURTHER APART, OR DOES IT PICKUP AS YOU HEAD TO THE END OF THE SEASON? “It is amazing how fast a season goes by, and you are at this point. You go ‘Wow, I can’t believe we only have three races left, then this season is over’.  For us, we’re sixth in points, and we are just focused on how we get to fifth, and, how we perform in each race, and make the most out of these last three races and come out with something positive from what has been a pretty up and down season. That makes the time go by pretty fast.”
 
NASCAR RACE HUB IS DOING A MOCK ELECTION FOR THE OFFICE OF THE NASCAR PRESIDENT BETWEEN MATT CLARK AND JIMMY SPENCER AS YOUR CANDIDATES. WHO WOULD YOU SUPPORT FOR NASCAR PRESIDENT?
“Why would either one of those guys be NASCAR President? (LAUGHS) I like Mike Helton! (LAUGHS)  I love Jimmy, but sometimes he’s a little bit too far out there, so I’m going to go with the one that I think that would use the best common sense most of the time, so I would go with Matt.”