NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
KOBALT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 6, 2015
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and discussed his outlook for this weekend, the challenges of Phoenix International Raceway and more. Full Transcript:
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTATIONS THIS WEEKEND AT LAS VEGAS?
“Just look forward to the weather (laughs) and a three day weekend. It’s a fast race track; it’s got a lot of character. I’m kind of curious to see…just looking at the asphalt it has definitely lightened up so hopefully that lends itself to better racing. I understand that the Goodyear tire that we are going to have here is the Talladega rights that lay some more rubber. I don’t think we have ever really got a chance to fully use this race track to its full capability and I hope that another year on it will give us that opportunity.”
DO YOU GET TO BRING ANYTHING FROM THE OTHER 1.5-MILE AT ATLANTA THAT YOU CAN USE HERE?
“If you look at them from an aerial map they look like they are sister tracks. They kind of are, but they are so much different. The aggregate is so much different, the tire is different and there are just so many parts of it that are different. That makes the cars drive different and therefore the racing is a little different.”
WHAT IS THE KEY TO GETTING AROUND PHOENIX?
“Phoenix it has always been two race tracks in one. Turns 1 and 2 are totally different from (Turns) 3 and 4. But you can get a balance on both of them that make your car pretty good. The guy that gets that and nails it is usually the standout. It’s a fun race track. I still like the old Phoenix better than the new Phoenix. That is just because of the way we can slide around and work our tires and things like that. It’s fun. It’s actually widened out some too, which is good. It’s our first short track so it’s kind of a litmus test for that part of the season.”
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT THAT TRACK TO FIGURE OUT?
“Just getting that balance at Phoenix between one end and the other the dogleg is kind of its own little non-event turn, but other than that it’s keeping good corner speed. I would say getting off of Turn 2 is really important for the dogleg and the back straightaway. Getting off of Turn 4 is a lot easier than getting off of (Turn) 2 with speed.”
IS THERE SOMETHING NEW THAT YOU LEARNED LAST TIME THERE OR FIGURED SOMETHING OUT THAT HAS IMPROVED YOUR RACING?
“No, I mean we use the apron a little bit in (Turns) 3 and 4 at times. But you can only do it when your car is a certain balance. It’s a challenge. It’s a track position race track it always has been. There is just only so much room. The flatter a race track is the more aero makes an important aspect of the grip. You have to go where the guy in front of you is not.”
WE GO TO THREE DIFFERENT TRACKS OUT HERE ON THIS WEST COAST SWING. ARE YOU A FAN OF BEING OUT HERE BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK?
“I think it makes sense logistically. It’s a little bit tougher on our guys I guess probably to get cars back and forth. I will go back for one of the weeks and I will stay back out here for a week and enjoy a little bit of time out here. A little mini vacation I guess.”
Connect with Team Chevy on social media. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TeamChevy, follow us on Twitter @TeamChevy, and add +TeamChevy into your Google+ circles.
Team Chevy racing photos are available at:
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 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive & active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
