Saturday, July 2, 2011
Dodge Motorsports PR
Daytona International Speedway
Coke Zero 400
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Cup Post-Race Quotes
KURT BUSCH (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T) Finished 14th “Incredible. Our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge was fast tonight. It’s a different style racing out there and your approach to how you attack the race is so much different. We could run up front and lead laps. We could settle in the back of the pack and just ride. And when we needed to make a run to the front, we could do that as well. Once you find your ‘dancing partner’, it’s so hard to change. There were so many long green-flag runs that your strategy had to be to stick with your partner and ride.
“It’s a tough deal getting collected in that wreck. Regan (Smith) and I were making our move and then I just saw smoke and cars spinning in front of us. I was just about to miss it on the high groove, but got clipped and that nearly ripped the entire driver-side door off. We had to come in under caution and make some repairs; that cost us all of our track position. To restart 20-something and come home with a 14th-place finish is amazing. Not to mention that I did it flying through the grass sideways! A decent point’s night for us. You just never know how these things are going to end.”
STEVE ADDINGTON (crew chief, No 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger) “This is some strange racing. After we got collected late in that big wreck, I was going to stay out despite having half a door. But then NASCAR called us in under caution and made us fix the driver side door. We dropped back to restart 26th or so on the restart and it’s amazing that we ended up 14th. Kurt drove a great race. We got hooked-up with the 78 (Regan Smith) and just rode around all night. So much of this kind of racing is out of your control. You just try and put yourself in position to have a shot at winning at the end. We just got caught up in the wrecks. Our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge was fast. We had a great car. We’ll take a 14th and head to Kentucky.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Finished 15th “Eventful is a great word for what went on out there those last few laps. I’m happy to bring home a decent finish with the Miller Lite Dodge in one piece. We got a little off there about two-thirds of the way through the race and fell behind. We just didn’t get the opportunity to get that track position back. It was a decent finish for us. We wanted a little more. We’ll just work a little harder to get it.
“I had a pretty good push from (Greg) Biffle and we came to the front, but he dropped a cylinder and that hurt us. It’s just one of those days, but to get out of here with a top 15, we’re proud of that.”
ROBBY GORDON (No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge Charger R/T) Finished 34th “We got busted on a pit stop and that hurt us. And, we didn’t get the drafting help we expected. We should have finished at least 27th, but ended up 34th. We’re still in the top 35, so that’s a plus for our team. With a little drafting help, I think we could have finished a little better.”
