Ford Racing NSCS Notes & Quotes:
2013 NASCAR MEDIA DAY (Daytona International Speedway)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
CASEY MEARS, No. 13 GEICO Ford Fusion – YOU GREW UP IN RACING. WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU AS A KID? WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF RACING? “I remember going to the off-road races with my dad and they used to give me little jobs like when the truck would come in to scrub the mud off the tires and stuff when I was like four or five-years old they would let me do stuff like that. I have a ton of memories of being at the race track and my dad racing and me being there. A lot of really good old memories from being at the track.”
ANY AREAS OF THE COUNTRY THAT YOU LIKE MORE THAN OTHERS WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING? “I think we really enjoy going out to Sonoma. We like that area a lot. We enjoy going on to Vegas and stuff like that. Vegas is a lot of fun. Sonoma is one of the more pretty areas of the country that we go to that we race at.”
BETWEEN YOU AND A CREW CHIEF, IS THERE A MOMENT SOMETIME WHEN YOU DON’T NEED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BOND GOING? “Yeah, I think you know when you have a really good relationship with your crew chief because you can say little things and he understands what you are saying. Bootie and I have been together going on three years now and there are a lot of those little things. We know each other well enough now that when he says something or he makes a nod or a wink I kind of have a pretty good idea what he is talking about.”
DO YOU STILL GET BUTTERFLIES BEFORE RACES? “I do but it is a different nature than when I first started. It used to be a lot of nerves but now it is excitement. Everything leading up to the Daytona 500 is pretty easy to handle. As soon as you walk out on pit road and see that big crowd it is exciting and you get butterflies, and you should, it is the biggest race in the world.”
JOEY LOGANO SAID EARLIER THAT RAY CHARLES COULD HAVE SEEN THE RICKY AND DANICA THING COMING. DID YOU NOTICE? “I never really paid attention to be honest.”
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A RACING SERIES WHERE THERE WAS A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO COMPETITORS? “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it too much but I don’t think so. If it did happen it would be ugly with the guys I have raced against in the past. Not that I can recall.”
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE AN ITEM BEING RACING AGAINST EACH OTHER ON THE SAME TRACK? “I figure I will let them handle their deal and I will go out and go racing and whatever they want to do is fine. I really don’t care at all even to comment on whatever they are doing.”
THIS HAS BEEN ON THE HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT SHOWS. IS THAT GOOD FOR NASCAR? “Like I said, I really don’t care enough to comment. Whatever they want to do, have fun. If they want to wreck each other, love each other, hate each other, I don’t honestly care. I am here to go race.”
WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VACATION? “My wife and I are partial to Cabo because that is where we got married. It is beautiful down there, so I would say there.”
ANY RACE DAY SUPERSTITIONS? “I used to have a ton of them. When I used to race Indy Car I felt like I had time to worry about that. One that my dad started was to never set your helmet upside down or you would end up upside down. That is one that I hang on to. Plus it scratches your helmet. We used to say to stay away from green. He used to say stay away from 13 but it is on the side of my door so I can’t say that. I guess I just don’t have the superstitions I used to.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FORM OF EXERCISE? “One thing I really enjoy the last couple of years is boxing. My trainer used to be a kick boxer. I like to work out and exercise with him and throw punches.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? “I love food in general, I really do. I have always been a big fan of Italian food but I love a good steak at the same time.”
HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS TO STAY IN SHAPE FOR RACING? “I think it is very important. There are conflicting answers on this when it comes to motor sports but I would say that staying in shape is very important. Some tracks are more physically demanding than others. Sometimes you won’t physically get tired but you could get mentally worn down. I think anytime you are in physically better shape you will hold up better. The other thing is that I also think it is good to be in shape in case of an impact. If you get in a bad crash I think if you are in better shape you will recover faster or maybe not get as injured if you are in good shape. I think it improves your performance, maybe not the first lap, but on the last one absolutely.”
COULD YOU SEE FIREBALL ROBERTS RUNNING A HALF MARATHON LIKE JIMMIE JOHNSON IS DOING? “I think if you compare a lot of things in our sport from that era to our era it is different. Fitness and exercise has become a big part of our sport for sure. Jimmie has taken it on with a passion and he won a ton of races before he really started working out hard. I don’t know how much it correlates but it makes him feel good and enjoy it and gives him goals to go after and challenge himself. I don’t challenge myself as much in that way. I enjoy working out and want to be fit and fell good. I will run a few of those things probably but I don’t think I will be doing the one this weekend. I am still debating. “
DID YOU LIKE THE WAY THE COT CAR LOOKED? “Now that I see the new one, no. I thought the ones before the COT were sexier and sleeker and I think that NASCAR and all the OEM’s have done a great job. It is fun to look at in the shop when we are building it. I think the OEM’s are fired up about it because it is more relevant. When we went to our Ford meeting about a month ago, I have never seen a manufacturer so fired up and excited about the year as far as the car being relevant to what they sell. They are getting a lot more behind it as far as how they will promote and utilize this car. I have heard a lot of positive feedback from fans. It has been a big deal, even to us drivers. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day in terms of me having a choice of what the car looks like. It could look like a weiner mobile and if that is what they told me to race then so be it, but if you are asking my opinion I think it looks great and I am really proud to be driving it and they have done a good job with it.”
WHY DO SHENANIGANS LIKE PAYBACK AND WRECKING GUYS NOT TYPICALLY HAPPEN AT DAYTONA? “I think a lot of guys, when they get upset with somebody try to be a little bit realistic that if they are going to pay back or have that in mind they will save it for a shorter track. We are running really high speed here and the reality is that something really bad could happen if you do that here. I think that is probably why. You see plenty going on here, you don’t need that. There are always some big crashes and big events happen here just because of the nature of the racing. It would be hard to determine if it would be on purpose or on accident because it is happening all the time.”
WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST COMPETITIVE GUY IN NASCAR? “I am competitive in racing. I love racing and I am competitive with it with all my heart but there are some things that I just am not competitive about and don’t care about. One guy that is competitive about every single thing he does is Jeff Gordon. Whether it be poker, bowling, racing, he wants to win it. He is a very competitive guy. I have played poker with him, bowled with him and done other things and he gets very competitive.”
HOW MANY RACES WILL YOU NEED IN THIS CAR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU’VE GOT? “These first three races will be pretty telling. We have Daytona as the first superspeedway and will have a good idea what to expect on those after this one. After Phoenix we will have an idea of the shorter tracks and then going to Vegas is a much higher speed race track. We have testing at Charlotte already so we have a little of what to expect there. After the first few races we will have a good idea of what directions we need to go.”
IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A DECADE SINCE FORD WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP. WITH PENSKE’S ARRIVAL, DO YOU THINK THAT WILL LIFT ALL BOATS AND GIVE FORD A BETTER SHOT AT GETTING TO THE TOP THIS YEAR? “I hope so. The Ford guys were very clear that it is something they want badly. That hasn’t been a secret the last couple of years. With having Roush, Penske, ourselves and Petty and the Front Row guys it is definitely a larger group and I think it gives way more opportunity to be in that position for Ford.”
WHAT ABOUT YOUR SITUATION? IS IT A LIFT FOR YOUR TEAM? “I think so. Everyone goes into the season with high hopes and being optimistic. At Germain racing we are better prepared than we have been. Last year in January we were just finding out that we would be a Ford, much less finding out that we would have five or six of them in our lineup. Bootie and the guys have done a great job. Bob Germain has invested a lot of his personal finance into this program to make sure it is where it is now. There is a lot of emphasis on performance this year and I am excited about it.”
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion – WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING WITH THE NEW CAR HERE AT DAYTONA? “Well I hope our car doesn’t end up looking like it did last time we were here. I think the new car, there are a lot of limitations that we are still unsure of. We don’t know the limits of how hard we can push, if we can push, how long we can. When we had that big crash down here at testing it was the second time on the race track for a lot of us for drafting. I think that is just uncharted territory so to speak and a lot of us just don’t know what to expect. That Sprint Unlimited race will be a great way to find out.”
WILL IT MAKE YOU GUYS TIMID OUT THERE A LITTLE BIT? “I don’t think we will be very timid, we are race car drivers. I think we will go out there and push the envelope and do everything we can, especially on Saturday night in the Sprint Unlimited. There are no point implications if you do crash or wad one up. You don’t want to and that isn’t the goal because our guys work awful hard to put these cars together but if you do you don’t have to worry about leaving here with a 40th points position or something like that. At the end of the race it is over and then you start your Daytona 500 week.”
THE FANS VOTED THE FINAL SEGMENT SATURDAY NIGHT TO BE 20 LAPS. WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? “I thought that was too long. I was pushing for a shorter last segment. I think especially restrictor plate racing. A green-white-checkered is always the most exciting race anyway and it will probably still turn into that. The fact that they voted for 20 laps really surprised me. I thought it would be the 10-lap segment. I think the first half of that I think people will be cautious and then I think the last 10 laps will be very exciting and if I had to guess I would say we are going to have a big wreck and a green-white-checkered finish anyway.”
HOW COMFORTABLE IS IT FOR YOU TO BE BACK IN THE 43 FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW? “Very comfortable. We are way further ahead than last year. Simply showing up to Daytona with a group of guys I know. I know all their names and I am familiar with how our day will go and how our practices will go. I am really comfortable with my crew chief and engineers and all the guys on my race team. This year probably more than any year in years past, I am more excited, not just for the simple fact to start racing but more excited about the opportunity ahead of us to be successful.”
IS MAKING THE CHASE A GOAL OF YOURS? “I feel like we should be able to. If we run how we ran in the last 10 races of last year. I think our average start was around 11th or 12th and our average finish was around 15th or 16th. If we can do that and sneak a win or two in there then I don’t see why not. That is our goal. Our goals for this year are to put ourselves in position to make the Chase and we want to win a race and we want to qualify on the pole again. High on the list is to win a race and if you do that with the format now you give yourself an opportunity to make the Chase.”
HOW DO YOU TURN OFF THE COMPETITIVE JUICES YOU GUYS HAVE AFTER RACES? “Well, usually when the race is over the other race starts and we all race to the airport to get on the airplane as quickly as possible. That is always exciting and then you get to the airplane and you can finally decompress and relax a little bit. You fly home and then when I get home is my time to just chill out, especially now with a new kid it is kind of nice to get back home and check him out and see what he is doing.”
DO YOU STILL GET BUTTERFLIES BEFORE RACES? “Not really to be honest. I don’t know if that is good or bad. What has happened for me is I realize how long the races are and to get all excited and worked up before the start of a race that is going to be three or four hours long is silly. A lot of things can happen throughout the course of a race and if you get all worked up and worried about what is going to happen the first 10 laps you just waste a lot of energy and worry for no good reason because I have seen it with my own career that you can be leading at the beginning of the race and have a really fast car and it goes away from you. Or you can not have a good car and your guys can work their butts off and get you in position to have a good finish. I try not to get too worked up or hyped up about the beginning of the race.”
AFTER WORKING WITH A CREW CHIEF FOR AWHILE, DO YOU SEE YOUR GOAL TO BE NOT HAVING TO TALK TO EACH OTHER A LOT? “Yeah, we are really starting to understand each other, me and Todd. We get each other and have become good friends. That has gone really well.
MARCOS AMBROSE, No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion – WHAT HAVEN’T WE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE NEW CAR YET? “Well, the Gen 6 car is going to be the fastest NASCAR that has probably ever been made. I think we will set record speeds everywhere we go and that is because the car is inherently a faster race car. It has more down force, it is lighter and has more left side weight, rear camber and has a lot of benefits to it. The drivers are able to really, for me anyway and my experience so far, it is a car that allows you to be more aggressive. I think that will help to make passes. If you have a fast car you are going to lap the field because these cars when they aren’t right you can’t run the speeds.”
WILL THAT BE THE CASE HERE IN DAYTONA? “Not here no. You will see the pack here for the 500, no doubt about it. You will see all the cars running close together and bumping each other will be more challenging this year with the shapes of the noses and the lack of rear down force. There is a lot of drag built into the car and you will see that big pack and you will see handling come into play a little bit. If it is a hot day for the 500 you will see handling be a real issue.”
THE MANUFACTURER FEATURES, DOES THAT CHANGE THE HANDLING OF THE CAR? “The OEM’s have had a big input into these new cars and some are going to work better than others. We will have to wait and see how good Ford has been in the wind tunnel and with their preparations.”
IS SATURDAY NIGHT GOING TO LOOK ANYTHING LIKE WHAT WE SAY AT THE JANUARY TEST HERE? “I don’t know. It is a fairly small field of about 20 cars so I think you will see drivers trying to experiment a little bit with where the car needs to run, what works and doesn’t work. We don’t really know what to expect so we will have to wait and see once the race format gets laid down.”
FANS VOTED FOR A 20-LAP FINAL SEGMENT. “That is good. I like the idea of it being a longer segment. It allows the teams to really gear up for that last segment. You don’t know if you will be part of that last segment either because there is still the elimination vote coming. You don’t want to be one of the guys knocked out.”
DO YOU WANT A PIT STOP WITH A LONG SEGMENT? “You might be able to if a caution comes out before the end of the race. Maybe you come down and get tires.”
WHAT IS THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THESE NEW CARS AMONG YOUR FELLOW DRIVERS? “Our sport has been through a period of change and the COT that we had was always controversial. Some loved it and some didn’t. They were trying to make the racing closer and it did that. We had close finishes – closer than ever before. Some of the fans didn’t take to it and some of the drivers didn’t take to it. I think this new car is going to be great for everybody and I think NASCAR has had a lot of intent to make it a faster race car and a more exciting one.”
THERE WASN’T MUCH INNOVATION IN THAT OLD BOX BEFORE WAS THERE? “Yeah, there wasn’t much room for innovation and with this new car the mechanical aspects of the car are more controlled than ever but the platform that we work on, the aero platform, that is more open and teams have been able to change the shape of the car and that has help to split the field up and get the manufacturers involved again.”
DO YOU THINK IT OPENS IT UP FOR LIBERAL RULE INTERPRETATIONS? “No, they have these new laser levelers and measurement devices that go down to a thousandth of an inch so I think you will see all the teams be very mindful of bringing down cars that conform.”
YOU MENTIONED THE SPEED. IS THE FIRST TIME WE SEE THAT ON THE RACE TRACK GOING TO BE VEGAS? “Yeah, I think Vegas and Phoenix. As soon as we get to these unlimited tracks where we have open horsepower you will see handling and down force coming into play.”
WILL WE SEE A NEW TRACK RECORD AT PHOENIX? “Yes, no doubt.”
DO YOU STILL GET BUTTERFLIES BEFORE RACES? “If you don’t you need to be looking for something else to do. You need to be highly motivated and excited. I think amped up is the right term and I am amped and ready to go.”
AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN WITH A CREW CHIEF A LITTLE WHILE SOMETIMES YOU DEVELOP AN ABILITY TO NOT EVEN HAVE TO TALK. IS THAT THE GOAL AND HAS THAT HAPPENED WITH YOU? “That is the goal, to be able to read each others minds. Drew Blickensderfer is my crew chief this year and we have had three races together so it is very early in our career path but I really like what I see with him and hopefully he likes what I see in me.”
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY AS A CHILD ABOUT RACING? “My dad had a race helmet in the closet and he used to race when he was in his late 20’s. I remember seeing my dad in photos with race cars and some of the old gear he had in the closet and that is really my first recollection of what racing was. I guess it was an inspiration for me to get behind the wheel myself.”
THE FIRST WIN YOU HAD AT THE GLEN. WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON THAT NOW, DID IT GIVE YOU A SENSE OF ADDED CONFIDENCE OR THAT YOU BELONG IN NASCAR? “Yeah, I have won twice at the Glen in the Cup Series and both times were good moments but the next week you get humbled. I am still fighting for my place here in this sport and I think every driver does until they retire.”
I KNOW YOU GAVE UP AN AWFUL LOT TO COME DO THIS. “Yeah, it was satisfying to get the win but it doesn’t make me feel like I am owed anything or have earned the right to be here. I have to keep working.”
ANYTHING SPECIAL YOU REMEMBER FROM THAT DAY? “A lot of relief really. The relief of being a Cup Series winner and to get my names in the history books as a Cup winner means a lot. I don’t think about it much until you guys bring it up. I have a job to do in front of me and that is what I am concentrating on.”
WAS THE WIN LAST YEAR MORE SATISFYING IN SOME RESPECTS THAN THE FIRST ONE? “It was an incredible finish and you don’t get opportunities like that very often and I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the thrill and the battle. To win it was just awesome.”
