Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012
NASCAR Nationwide Series
NAPA 200 presented by Dodge
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Final Race Quotes
Dodge PR
http://twitter.com/teamdodge, www.media.chrysler.com, www.drivesrt.com
Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger) Finished 2nd “Prior to that caution where we got spun out, you know, we were catching the 22 (Jacques Villeneuve) and felt like we had something for it. I felt like we had a winning car today, we just didn’t get the win. All in all, the guys did a great job. Another lap and I think I would have had the 31 (Justin Allgaier). To be able to come back from where we were at and have those kinds of problems I feel pretty good about it. The Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger was really good today. To come up here and run with a Formula One champion, I feel pretty good about what I’m doing and just happy to be here. Thankful for Nationwide Insurance and thankful for all our partners too, the Würth Group, and I get to go drive the Shell/Pennzoil No. 22 Dodge tomorrow so I’m excited about that.
“I’m happy that we finished second and that we came back but I felt like there was some more in it. We’re going to get some wins. We just keep finishing second and third like we have been and I feel like we’re going to get there. It’s just a matter of time.”
YOU STARTED SECOND AND FINISHED SECOND. HOW DID YOU SURVIVE IT SO WELL? “I don’t know. Our car is pretty beat up right now. The Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger was really good over a long run. I wish we would have got a little bit more today but you know there’s always tomorrow.”
Chad Walter (Crew Chief, No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger) HOW DID YOUR DODGES GET SUCH GREAT FUEL MILEAGE TODAY? “Just a lot of hard work back at Penske Racing. It all starts in some back corner at the engine shop. Those guys do unbelievable work. These are talks that we have way before we ever get to the road courses. Just an unbelievable job by everyone. It’s one of those things that you have an ace up your sleeve when you come to a road course. Sam (Hornish) did a great job all day. You have to do something different when you come to road courses like this to put yourself in position when it matters. All the late cautions didn’t hurt. When the 18 got into us with about 10 to go we had to come in and pit to repair some damage and were able to put some fuel in the car. The fuel mileage the 22 got was incredible. Sam hung in there all day and never gave up and that’s what’s going to get us in victory lane and hopefully a championship.”
Jacques Villeneuve (No. 22 Dodge Dodge Challenger) Finished 3rd. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE TODAY? “Dodge and Penske gave me an amazing car today. We had the car of the field today. We were untouchable. It makes the end result a little frustrating. We were a little bit low on fuel so I was being careful and as often happens (here) it goes a little bit crazy on the last lap.”
DID THE CAR SPUTTER ON THE LAST RESTART? DID YOU RUN OUT OF FUEL? “No, I got run in to. It (fuel) was no problem. Into Turn 6 I think it was (Justin) Allgaier (who) just hit me really hard and that was it, which is very frustrating because our car was untouchable. My Dodge was amazing.”
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU MADE CONTACT WITH TAGLIANI? “Well, we got together. He was really slow, just blocking on the inside, and the guys behind me were catching me so coming out of Turn 2 I was a little bit on the inside and we tangled a little bit. I thought it would be alright so I didn’t get off the gas, I didn’t want the cars behind me to get to me. I ended up turning him around. That’s a shame. That wasn’t my intention. At that point I couldn’t stay behind him.”
