NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
March 25, 2011
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET met with members of the media at Auto Club Speedway and discussed his start to the season, racing luck and other topics. Full transcript:
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND?: “For us right now is to make sure we score good points every week. Last week we had a pretty good car and ended up with a loose tire on the green and that really hurt us. Put us two laps down and killed our day. We finished 25th or 24th somewhere in there and we still scored decent points. It seems like we have a lot of potential this year and it’s pretty exciting. Pit crew is doing an amazing job week in and week out. They are getting so much faster than they were doing before. Just everybody on the team is really excited and pumped up — it’s nice to see.”
HAVE YOU PLAYED THE NEW NASCAR GAME AND WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DID THEY USE FOR YOU IN THE GAME?: “No and they didn’t ask me. If I assume what people say — it’s probably an aggressive driver. Everybody keeps asking me that all the time.”
HOW CLOSE IS YOUR SETUP TO YOUR TEAMMATES SETUP?: “It’s not. Last week actually it was pretty close. Normally we run completely different setups in the front and the back. Just completely different ways of getting around the car. He looks for different things in the car than I do. I think I’m a little more aggressive on the wheel than he is. That’s why we run different setups.”
WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR GOOD START TO THIS SEASON?: “Luck. Last year we had the pace. You look at my numbers last year and averages with where we were running and we were pretty good. At the mile-and-a-half we struggled last year, this year mile-and-a-half we seem to have the car a lot better. At the short track we are still pretty good. I think everybody is doing a better job as well. It’s like when (Brad) Keselowski wrecked in Daytona, I had blue on the side of the car and didn’t even feel it. We’ve been that close. Last week when they all wrecked, we got hit from behind and everything is spun. It didn’t really do a major thing to the car. We’ve been in the right place at the right time. I think that makes a big difference. I think everybody is really positive about it and everybody seems to be in a really good mood about it.”
HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT TO NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL RACING LUCK?: “Not really, you just do what you have to and when things go your way, they go. When they don’t, they don’t. You just have to make sure you give yourself your best chance possible every time you’re in the car. You have to do the best you can every time you’re in the car and if things go your way then it’s a great thing.”
About Chevrolet: Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com ce5&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.chevrolet.com%2f> .
