NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 24, 2015
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Richmond International Raceway and discussed his outlook for this weekend at Richmond, the tire test he participated in a few weeks ago, getting his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win and many other topics. Full Transcript:
TALK ABOUT COMING TO RICHMOND THIS WEEKEND AND THE TEAMS MINDSET HEADING INTO TOMORROW NIGHTS RACE:
“Yeah it was nice to have a good run last week, we needed that. I felt like last week was about the first time all season where we had a race where we didn’t have any issues. It helps confidence for sure. Now coming to Richmond, it’s not a track where I typically run very well at, at least in the race. We will work on it quite a bit. We came here and tested a couple of weeks ago and got better. But still we are struggling a little bit. We will have to battle pretty hard here in practice and try and get the Target Chevy running good. Looking forward to it, hopefully we get the race in tomorrow night and can relax at home on Sunday.”
DID YOU TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF THAT TESTING THAT COULD HELP YOU OUT TOMORROW IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS?
“Yeah, I think it was pretty cloudy all day long. Yeah, the more consistent it stays to how the test was the better off it will probably be for us. Yeah, I don’t know. It’s nice racing with cool weather because it doesn’t get hot in the car. I think all of us drivers like that.”
WHAT WAS THE TIRE FALL OFF LIKE WHEN YOU WERE HERE FOR THE TEST?
“Yeah, it’s always pretty significant here at Richmond. It was probably 2-2 ½ seconds; I think over the course of … not even a full run, what I was doing at the test. Yeah, off of (Turn) 4 gets extremely slick – off of both ends gets extremely slick. Especially in the Cup car you won’t even be wide open by the time you get to the flag stand. You are peddling it quite a ways. Then off of (Turn) 2 how the banking falls off really quick it is easy to lose your car there. This track is fun because the tire fall off is so much.”
AT RACES WHERE THE TIRE FALL OFF IS GREAT DOES THAT FAVOR VETERAN DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE?
“I mean I definitely think it probably helps. Veterans I think it helps them for even in practice they kind of understand what they need to do to the racecar to make it good throughout the course of a run; as well as, taking care of it during the race throughout a run. Where I feel like for whatever reason I’m good here on short run and not good on long runs where 1.5-miles and stuff I’m really good on long runs and not very good on short runs. That is something I need to work on for Richmond and get better at. I felt like we did an okay job the last race here, we just have to get better.”
WHAT ABOUT THIS TRACK IS THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE FOR YOU? IS THERE ANY EXPERIENCE AT ANY OTHER TRACK THAT YOU THINK WOULD HELP YOU HERE?
“I mean there is a lot of stuff I struggle at. Probably committing to one line or figure out a line that works for me. Yeah, I don’t know. It seems like late in the run, like I said, I struggle quite a bit and fall back. I don’t know, I guess a Phoenix or something would be the closest more similar track to Richmond that we go to. Breaking into Turn 1 here is really tough because you are turning and braking. It is easy to get loose into Turn 1 and Turn 3. This track is pretty simply looking from your guy’s seat, but behind the wheel it is really tough, at least for me.”
THIS IS A PLACE WHERE DRIVERS HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF FIRST TIME WINS, TONY (STEWART) AND KASEY (KAHNE) BOTH GOT THEIR FIRST WINS. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK YOU THINK PERHAPS LENDS ITSELF TO THAT? DOES THAT GIVE YOU ANYMORE CONFIDENCE?
“I don’t know what it is about this place that produces first time winner, especially first time Sprint Cup winners. I haven’t felt like this will be a track where I get my first win at. I don’t know. I probably should talk to them and figure out what I need to do to get better. This is our next race track so it would be nice to get a first win here. I don’t know if I’m capable of getting that done yet. Things will have to fall our way perfectly to get that done. I mean seeing that those two both got their first wins here does give me a little bit more optimism I guess of maybe getting it done. We will see.”
HOW DOES THE WEATHER CHANGE YOUR STRATEGY OR MOOD WHEN IT DOES RAIN DURING THE COURSE OF A RACE LIKE BRISTOL LAST WEEK?
“Yeah, it will definitely rain at some point I think. When this place gets the rubber washed off of it, it is really, really fast for a little bit. But then it wears out tires quicker. You have to think about that kind of stuff. I’m sure we will have a competition caution at some point so you have to be patient at the beginning of the race. And the track will change a whole bunch throughout the whole race. I hope we can get the full race in without having to take any breaks like we did last week. As long as we can get it in sometime Saturday night we will be happy.”
HOW FAR DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE COME SINCE LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME?
“I think I have gotten a little bit better. I guess more mature behind the wheel. Maybe understand what I need in the racecar a little bit better. I think all around just a little bit better. I don’t know, this year we have kind of struggled so far starting off. But I think we are getting even better now. Just have to keep working hard and trying to get even better come this time next year even more.”
HOW DO YOU LEARN AND TALK ABOUT RACING OTHER DRIVERS AT THIS TRACK AND HOW A YOUNG DRIVER LEARNS TO NAVIGATE JUST THE RACING AROUND OTHER DRIVERS AT A SHORT TRACK LIKE THIS?
“I don’t know it’s not too different than racing around other drivers at other tracks. You just have to time your runs since it is slower corner speeds than say 1.5-miles. I don’t know. It’s no different really.”
TALKING ABOUT BUMPING PEOPLE OR SOMEBODY BUMPING YOU OR NOT REALLY MOVING PEOPLE OUT OF THE WAY, BUT KIND OF GETTING THAT ALL DOWN:
“I don’t know. I haven’t bumped or gotten bumped around here much yet. I don’t feel like you see many people do it a whole lot. Maybe towards the end of the race it happens, but it’s not like a Martinsville or anything like that.”
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST OR CRAZIEST THING YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE INFIELD AT TALLADEGA?
“Lots of stuff (laughs). Man, it’s pretty crazy in the infield there. We did the ‘Party on the Boulevard’ or whatever it is called last year. At the end of it they had the costume contest and then the Jell-O relay race or whatever it was. I think this year it is like barbeque sauce wrestling or something like that. There is some crazy stuff. Then you go down the boulevard and you see some interesting things from adults. It’s pretty fun to just go cruise up and down the boulevard. Take an hour out of your night, and cruise up and down there and see some things that you don’t get to see all year long, except for at that race track.”
THE STRETCH THAT YOU HAD AT THE START OF THE CHASE LAST YEAR WHAT DID THAT DO FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE AND FOR YOU AS A DRIVER? HOW MUCH PRESSURE DID THAT PUT ON YOU AND HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK ABOUT TRYING TO GET THAT FIRST WIN?
“It was nice how we ran in the Chase last year and definitely gave our team a lot of confidence going into this season. So that is why I think we have been a little bit disappointed in the way we have started off the year, because of how well we ended. But we know our team is capable of running at that level. We just have to get back to that. The more we run up front the more opportunities we have to get a win and those wins will start happening if we just continue to run up front. Got to get a little bit more speed in our car and do a better job throughout the race, as a team. We should hopefully get that first win soon.”
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