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[/media-credit]NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 23, 2012
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Auto Club Speedway and discussed the first practice session at Auto Club Speedway, a hot dog eating contest at Martinsville and other topics. Full Transcript:
14TH ON THE BOARD, HOW WAS THE FIRST PRACTICE FOR YOU? “I think it’s okay. Not spectacular by any means. We have a little bit of time to work on it I think we can make some gains.”
MARTINSVILLE, THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR HOT DOGS. IF SUNDAY WAS AN EATING COMPETITION, HOW MANY WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO EAT AND WOULD IT BE ENOUGH TO WIN?
“I don’t know. Normally, you look at all these big eating championships it’s the little guys that win it because they have room to stretch I guess. I don’t know. I have no idea because I have never tried, but I can promise you, I have my share of them during the weekend. I definitely look forward to that part of it.”
AS A TEAM OWNER, WITH HENDRICK WINNING THEIR APPEAL FOR THE MOST PART LAST WEEK, WOULD THAT ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPEAL ALL THE WAY TO THE CHIEF APPELLATE OFFICER MORE AFTER SEEING THEIR OUTCOME?
“I haven’t thought about that because I have never been in a scenario where we have had to even worry about that. I hope we don’t have to be in that situation.”
DO YOU THINK THAT WILL AFFECT HOW THE GUYS OVERALL IN THE GARAGE WILL LOOK AT HOW FAR THEY PUSH THINGS?
“I honestly don’t know. I really don’t.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE POSSIBILITY THAT BRUTON SMITH (TRACK OWNER, BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY) MIGHT TEAR UP THE CURRENT TRACK AND PUT IT BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO?
“We will go work on it like we always do and figure out what we have to do to set our cars up. It doesn’t matter to me. We race at different tracks all across the country. It really doesn’t matter to me. It is what it is.”
IF HE WERE TO CHANGE THE TRACK DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE WOULD NEED TO BE AN OPEN TEST BEFORE GOING BACK?
“Anytime that they resurface a race track they always do an open test. It would happen anyway. All the tracks that get repaved or built they always have an open test, that’s mandatory.”
THOSE RESTARTS YOU HAD IN VEGAS IS THAT IMPORTANT HERE TOO? “I think so. This is a track that if you can get a good restart you can get going. I think it’s just as crucial here.”
IF THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT YOU; WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN THE MOVIE?
“Oh man, I have no idea. Somebody that would have drawn the short straw obviously if they had to play me (laughs).”
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
