MIGUEL PALUDO QUICK FACTS
Daytona International Speedway
NextEra Energy Resources 250
February 18, 2011
Paludo at Daytona …The NextEra Energy Resources 250 will mark Paludo’s first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Daytona International Speedway. Paludo raced in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event at Daytona last Saturday, starting 11th and finishing 13th.
Who is Miguel Paludo? … Making his NASCAR debut just last season, Paludo ran four races and earned one top-10 start and two top-10 finishes. Showing talent from the start, Paludo earned a ninth-place finish in his first Camping World Truck Series event at one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks, Bristol Motor Speedway. Paludo followed up that impressive start with another ninth-place finish at the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Paludo got his first taste of racing behind the wheel of a go-kart at age 14. After running one full season and winning the regional championship in his home country of Brazil, Paludo and his brother, Daniel, entered a regional touring car series in 2004. Experiencing success right away, Paludo won the fourth race he competed in. In 2006 Paludo took his talents to the national level, racing Renault Clios, where he earned two podium finishes. In 2008, Paludo tried his hand at the Porsche GT3 Championship Series, where he competed in the full season. In those 16 events, he earned three wins, two poles and 11 top-three finishes. He also took championship honors that year and repeated his performance in 2009 by winning back-to-back Porsche GT3 championships. Paludo simultaneously participated in the GT3 Series, running 12 of the 16 events and finished third in the championship standings.
Baby Watch … Sprint Cup drivers aren’t the only ones who are expecting children this year. Miguel Paludo’s wife Patricia is due to deliver the couple’s first child this year – and on teammate Timothy Peters’ birthday, Aug. 29. Plus, crew chief Rick Gay and wife Sarah will be parents in two months, as Sarah Gay is due on April 16.
STEMCO-Duroline backs Paludo … STEMCO, standing for Specialized Truck Equipment Manufacturing Company, manufactures dual wheel adapters, hub hose carriers, drum check gauges, exhaust accessories, and the development of the STEMCO Hub Oil Seal and Hub Cap, and pinion seals. Duroline, based in Brazil, produces and distributes equipment which makes up the brake system of heavy-duty vehicles such as adjusters, wheels, brake pads and other items under the SuperBrake and Duroline trademarks.
Miguel Paludo Quotes
You are one of the few who will have a race under your belt on Daytona’s new asphalt. Is that an advantage?
“I don’t think so, because the truck series drivers have so many races under their belts that it’s not a big deal. I felt the new surface, but it’s not something that will be a big advantage.”
That was your first time at Daytona. What did you learn about the draft you didn’t know before?
“The time it takes for the car in front of you to suck you up. I know the truck will be different, and they told me it will be faster. Sometimes you brake, sometimes you lift the throttle. That’s tough. As much as someone tells you what it feels like, it’s hard to say. You have to feel it, and I felt all that stuff.”
What does it mean to you to race at Daytona?
“It’s awesome. The first lap in practice last week was incredible. I was thinking about that, to be able to be here in Daytona. I’ve watched so many races here on television. Since the first lap, I felt something different. I know about the history of this track, and it’s fantastic. To be here for the ARCA race and for the truck race, it’d be a big deal. I feel really blessed to be here in an American sport and to be a part of a Daytona race in the truck series.”
Your teammate, Timothy Peters, won the race in Daytona last year, and he’s looking to win again. What are your expectations for the race?
“It’s hard to say. I was talking to Patricia about that recently. The truck series in Daytona, you never know what can happen. But for real, my goal is a top-five – my real goal. But I’ll be happy with a top-10. I know how hard it is. But it’s hard to say. I have to feel it during practice and the race. We won’t know until we practice what we can do, but a big goal for me, first time here in Daytona, would be a top-five. That would be perfect.”
You have some high expectations this year, wanting to be the first Brazilian to win a NASCAR race and Rookie of the Year. Are you afraid the expectations you set for yourself are too high?
“I know that the goals are high. But I have to have my goals. Last year, my goals were top-10s and finish the races. We did that. My goals have to be higher. I know that it’s really hard to win a race here, and it’s really hard to win Rookie of the Year because there’s seven or eight guys running for it. I know that it will be really difficult, but I have to put those marks out there. It will put some pressure, but it will move me forward.”
Crew chief Rick Gay Quotes
You and Miguel have a race under your belt on Daytona’s new pavement, and hardly anyone else does. Is that any kind of advantage?
“We learned a lot. Miguel learned a lot, and I learned a lot about what to expect from a race. To me, it was a little bit of a relief after seeing him draft in practice the other day. Not that I didn’t believe in his ability, because I knew from Homestead and Texas last year that he’s very determined and very focused on what he needs to do inside the race truck. But I was more relieved at the fact that, ‘Well, this is just like Talladega.’ I’m really excited about going there with the truck because it’s going to be a good situation for Miguel.”
Do you have to temper his expectations for this season?
“Miguel and I have had conversations about that. I really think that even though he has lofty goals, he also knows it’s going to take him a little bit of time. It’s going to take him some time to get used to things, it’s going to take him some time to get used to the way we talk about things. He’s very capable of driving the race vehicle, and he’s very capable of knowing what he wants to feel and knowing how things should feel. And he knows when he’s not getting that feel out of the race truck, he knows what to say to help me make the changes needed to go faster. We did that in Orlando in our test there.”
The communication and chemistry between driver and crew chief just takes time.
“I don’t think it’s any more prevalent with Miguel and me versus someone else. It’s no different than Butch and Timothy or any new driver/crew chief combination. A lot of people are going to have that same learning curve. The new crew chief/driver combinations in the truck series are going to have that same challenge. With the way Daytona has been repaved, it evens the playing field a little bit. It comes down to, ‘How good is your truck?'”
Equipment Information … Primary truck: Chassis No. 006. Nelson Piquet Jr. finished sixth at Daytona last year, but the truck has undergone a substantial rebuilding to get it adapted to the new Daytona pavement. Backup: Chassis No. 140. Teammate Timothy Peters won with this truck at Daytona last year.
