NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JULY 10, 2015
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW STYROFOAM CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the new rules package, how he feels physically after the accident last week in Daytona, the support he’s received from his family, safety innovations, the upcoming race at Loudon, and more. Full Transcript:
ARE YOU GLAD TO BE HERE AFTER THE ACCIDENT LAST WEEK? ARE YOU FIT AS A FIDDLE AND READY TO GO?
“Yeah, I’m happy to be here in Kentucky. We’ve got a pretty good Dow Styrofoam car. We were 11th in practice right there. It’s probably not the ideal place to come after a wreck like that, as far as the track being pretty rough. But, we’ll tough it out. I’m a little sore.”
ARE YOU NERVOUS ABOUT STEPPING BACK IN?
“No. I feel pretty comfortable. I think when you take a crash like that and you’re as healthy as I feel, you feel pretty confident in the safety equipment that you have around you that you’re ready to go, and run fast.”
HOW SORE HAVE YOU BEEN THIS WEEK?
“I’ve been pretty sore. Have done a few different things to try and recover, and just taking it easy. The last day was nice, actually, to kind of get the rain to come through and give me another day off of my tailbone. Other than that, I feel good.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE TRACK IN PRACTICE?
“The track is really slick with the new package. We were a little loose and we fixed some of that. It should be an interesting race. I think the first time we all get around each other will be really interesting. There is definitely a lack of downforce in the rear of the car. This next practice will be helpful.”
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GOING IN WITH RELATIVELY LIGHT PRACTICE TIME WITH THE NEW PACKAGE?
“The advantages, well, starting up front is nice. We’ll start 11th for the race now after that practice. The disadvantage is just not knowing what the cars are really going to do around each other; if they will handle good side-by-side, or what they’re going to do, really, and what it’s all going to boil down to. And hopefully you have the right set-up for the race.”
INAUDIBLE:
“I’ve been pushing through it pretty quick, just getting to the next track. We’ve had a couple of good weeks here, as far as points go. And, my main goal still is to win a race this year, and we’re fighting hard for that. We’ve got a new crew chief with ‘Slugger’ (Labbe) and things have been going well. I’m looking forward to the first 1.5-mile with him this weekend.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR FAMILY HANDLED ALL THIS?
“Everybody obviously had their moments where they wanted to talk to me and take care of me all week and make sure I’m all right, which is nice. I love my family and having them here. I think my grandpa (Richard Childress) wants me to tell him I’m hurting more than I am, but I’m fine. I feel just fine. And it’s good to have everybody here this weekend. My whole family is here and standing by.”
WHAT IS THE MAKEUP OF A RACE CAR DRIVER WHERE YOU CAN GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEN BOUNCE BACK AND NOT MISS ANY SEAT TIME WHATSOEVER?
“I think it’s just what you grow-up in as far as you’ve got to be tough and this sport is about a lot of ups and downs. You’ve got to be able to ride them; and you have a good support system like I do with my family, to support you and be there for you. They were the first people to the Infield Care Center last week (Daytona) to check on me. And then this week they’ve been calling me every day and texting me and making sure I’m taking care of myself and taking care of my body. It’s nice having that, but you’ve just got to be tough. A lot of tough people have been built around this sport and that’s why NASCAR is still here today.”
HAVE YOU SEEN THE VIDEO?
“Oh, yeah. I’ve seen it from every view. It was pretty wild. I think the most violent view is probably from one of the stands, from YouTube there, it really shows how fast we’re going there in live speed. But I’ve looked at all the different videos and I’m just thankful to be here.”
AT THAT MOMENT WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
“Get through it. Hurry up and get done. I was just talking to myself the whole time. You are almost done, you are almost through it, it’s almost over and then the last one I was like ‘really?’ I had already talked myself through it and I got hit again. I was like ‘dang’ that was kind of an unwanted hit that last one, but we made it through it.”
DID BRAD KESELOWSKI SAY ANYTHING TO YOU ABOUT THAT?
“I talked to him in the infield care center and he thought he had hit oil. But I don’t know what happened really. He couldn’t get slowed down. It’s a part of the racing. You are going really fast and you try and slow down and it just didn’t work out for him. I don’t know what happened.”
YOU GO BACK TO INDY IN A FEW WEEKS. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT RACING THERE AND THE NEW RULES PACKAGE PLANNED FOR THAT TRACK?
“I’m looking forward to going to Indy and running the Brickyard. We have had a couple of good runs there actually. I finished 11th there last year. For me the new package is always going to be fun. For a guy that doesn’t have a ton of experience, it is nice to kind of throw these Cup guys who have a lot of experience in a similar situation that I feel I am at some places with lack of experience. It kind of evens the playing field. It’s nice to do that, but the fast guys still step up when it matters.”
HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR MIND OCCUPIED WITH ALL THESE RAIN DELAYS?
“I’ve watched a lot of TV. I’ve watched movies; I was watching 8 Seconds a little bit ago. Just hanging out, but it’s a part of your job. Luckily we have nice motorhomes to go chill out in.”
WHAT IS THE KEY TO GETTING AROUND LOUDON?
“I think a well-balanced car. It’s a flat track, really a paperclip, you have to have a car that turns and holds drive long into a run. It’s definitely a place that you have to have a good car.”
DID THE WRECK LAST WEEK HAPPEN AT WARP SPEED OR DID THINGS SLOW DOWN TO JUST ABOUT NOTHING?
“I think things slowed down when I was flying through the air there for quite a while. When you hit the first time it speeds up real quick, the first contact. Then after that you just kind of wait for it to be over.”
DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE IN THE AIR?
“Yeah, I knew I was in the air and when it went inverted there it was kind of like, ‘alright it’s getting ready to get real big. Hold on.”
WHAT DID YOU SAY LAST NIGHT WHEN YOU WENT DOWN TO TALK TO BEN KENNEDY?
“I just asked him if he was alright. He looked a little shook up after the wreck. I wanted to check on him see if anything happened to him. I know he is a lot taller than me, as far as height goes if it hurt his back or whatever. He texted me again later that night, he is fine.”
DO YOU FEEL REALLY LUCKY TO COME OUT OF THAT WRECK THE WAY YOU DID?
“I do. I feel really blessed to be walking and racing here this weekend. I think it’s just very special and things could have gone a hundred different ways right there, but they went the right way. The safety innovations that NASCAR created and the good Lord looking out for us all came together to have me here this weekend.”
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.
