TOYOTA NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Post-Race Notes & Quotes Gatorade Duel 150s Race #1 — February 17, 2011
KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Gatorade Duel 1 Finish: 5th Are you happy with your finish today? “It’s not a bad day, but I would’ve liked to have finished a little bit better. I thought we had a good chance at winning, but so did the other five that we were battling there. Myself and Juan (Pablo Montoya) worked really well together. The Red Bull Toyota was good. It seemed fast with a couple of cars. I just got together with Juan and we tried to stay together the rest of the day and we ended up getting beat a little bit there at the end.”
Are you confident going into Sunday’s Daytona 500? “It’s not bad. We were real similar in the Bud Shootout on Saturday night and similar today so we definitely have a chance come Sunday. There’s a lot of cars that do and I think we are definitely one of them, too.”
Did you notice any difference today compared to Saturday’s Shootout? “I raced the whole race. I was happy with that. The Red Bull Toyota held up well. It was as good as most of the cars out there I think. We were just kind of right in that mix — that top-six mix. We worked great with Juan (Pablo Montoya). I’ve had better days at Daytona or more exciting days. I don’t know what we’re looking for, but to me i t could be a little better. I don’t know how to do it, but it seems like it could be a little more exciting.”
What are some of the differences from previous years at Daytona with the new surface? “It’s just really different. It just feels kind of like you are at a Texas or Charlotte, but on an even bigger track than that so you’re a little more spread out. Everybody knows the fastest way around so they’re going to get that way quick. It’s going to get spread out and you’re just going to have these little packs racing each other all day.”
Is the key to find one guy that you can work together with the entire race? “The thing is you figure out how hard they can push, how hard you can push, how difficult it is to keep them on your bumper without getting that air gap that a couple cars can get away from you. You figure that out and you just want to keep it. So, everybody kept it there at the end. I probably should’ve mixed it up a little bit and made everybody go different directions. It would’ve definitely created a different finish.”
How important is it to work with your spotter when you are racing in a pack of two? “It’s really key when the pack is a little bit bigger. When there’s two and when you are racing a couple other teams like we were throughout most of that race it’s not that big of a deal at all. It’s very similar to any other race.”
BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Gatorade Duel 1 Finish: 14th What did you think of the first Duel race? “What an interesting race. We started out really strong and got all the way up to second. Then we lost our help. The 39 (Ryan Newman) got behind me and he pushed me into three once and I just got sideways. He checked up and then the whole field went by us. Then it was just playing catch-up the rest of the time. We ended up losing our help and the pit stops messed up. We ended up just stuck back there without much help.”
Will this be the type of racing that we will see in the Daytona 500? “I guess so — probably. I don’t know if I would want to do that for 500 miles to be honest with you. If everyone’s doing it then everyone has to do it. You don’t have a choice if you want to keep up. If guys are driving away from you then you have to get together and go. Maybe everyone will calm down and just kind of choose to ride in the pack. Once two or three guys take off then you have to run them down or they’re going to lap you.”
How did it feel to be back in a race? “It felt good — it felt really good to be back in a race. It was fantastic.”
BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Kroger/USO Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Gatorade Duel 1 Finish: 16th What did you think of the racing in the first Duel race? “I don’t really know what to say. It was just two-by-two. That last restart we were like ninth or 10th and the inside lane didn’t go, for me. A couple cars in front of me jacked up. It was okay.”
Do you feel like this is the type of racing we will see on Sunday? “It’s hard to say. You just have to have somebody to run with. That’s really it and if you don’t then you don’t. I can see it changing a little but before the race, but between now and then I don’t know what you would try. You’re pretty much where you are now.”
KEVIN CONWAY, No. 97 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Gatorade Duel 1 Finish: 18th
JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 AM FM Energy Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Gatorade Duel 1 Finish: 19th
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 66 HP Racing LLC Toyota Camry, Prism Motorsports Gatorade Duel 1 Finish: 23rd
