Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011
Dodge David Bailey Q&A Transcript
Dodge Motorsports PR
DAVID BAILEY, SENIOR MANAGER – MOTORSPORTS ENGINEERING, SRT
HOW PROUD ARE YOU OF DODGE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE SPRINT CUP SERIES THIS SEASON? “I think there is a tremendous amount of pride to get two cars in the Chase, two effectively out of two. We’re also supporting Robby Gordon, but just looking at the Penske support that we provide, to get both of the cars in the Chase with our collaborative efforts, we’re on a high. We’re feeling really good right now and we’re continuing to support all of the initiatives that we set forth this year and we’re looking at supporting new ones into the future.”
COMMENT ON THE SUCCESS YOU’VE HAD WITH PENSKE THIS SEASON. YOU’RE SMALL IN NUMBERS, BUT BIG ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS. “At the time that it was decided that it would only be with Penske this year, we didn’t really think back at the time if we should have done anything differently. We jumped into this thing 150 percent behind the strategy and we never looked back. I can’t say we didn’t have time to quibble about concerns. We were committed and I think working closely with Penske and their level of commitment has just worked out quite well with the synergies that we’ve been able to find with one another and the way we’ve gone forward with all the technical initiatives.”
THE ONE TEAM AND TWO-CAR CONCEPT HAS BEEN AN ADVANTAGE FOR DODGE THIS SEASON. “In the past, we’ve had upwards of four teams and 12 different cars. To get everybody on the same page at the same time is very difficult. All the cars are wanting to be setup differently. For example, when you’re supporting three different engine shops, the engine builders have different requirements from Dodge. It’s very difficult to satisfy, to the highest level, all of the engine shops. What happened is you ended up, and I wouldn’t call it a lowest common denominator, but there would be a compromise. You could not support all three teams to the highest level of their request, so at some point when you’re supporting three different shops and teams, you’re compromising. You’ve got to say working with one top-shelf team, who we really enjoy working with, it’s not a compromise. We’re turning compromise into now synergy because doors are open now at both ends and we’re on to new and different refinements.”
CAN YOU TELL AT THE CORPORATE LEVEL THAT THE SUCCESS ON THE TRACK IS A POSITIVE WITHIN THE COMPANY? “I can absolutely tell first-hand there’s a lot of buzz in the air. By virtue of me being in the organization and a lot of people know that I oversee the racing, I get a lot of compliments and they are from people that are close and maybe knowledgeable of racing. They know what a major feat and accomplishment it is to get two of two cars into the Chase. The people that follow this at any level are just amazed and feeling good about it. There’s a lot of positive energy in the race group right now as well as the fans that are within the building.”
DOES THE SAYING ‘WIN ON SUNDAY, SELL ON MONDAY’ STILL APPLY TODAY? “You know, that’s a tough one. That would be the world of marketing, but I can tell you when you have cars that are up towards the front of the pack and the type of coverage that we get on TV, to have the brand running up front, it’s invaluable in terms of the people that are watching it and the viewership side of it. People are driving to races in vehicles that they own and they are perhaps looking to replace them. And there are a lot of positive things that our drivers are saying about our cars when they get out of the cars after their wins. But I think it’s all positive. I can’t tell you that we have perfect correlation there, but we think it’s all directionally correct and it’s adding very good value to the brand.”
