Ford Performance NXS Notes and Quotes
Ford EcoBoost 300 Advance – Homestead-Miami Speedway
Friday, November 20, 2015
2015 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNERS CHAMPIONSHIP PRESS CONFERENCE – TEAM PENSKE
ROGER PENSKE, owner, No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – CONGRATULATIONS ON ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP AND WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION. “I think as anyone would know, having three in a row is an amazing feat and to think we did it with four different drivers in the same car just shows the continuity and Greg Erwin and the team and what they were able to put together week after week. We fought hard to win this championship and it is interesting when you have the Cup guys drive it a few weeks and then Blaney and Alex Tagliani had a great run for us on the road courses. It is pretty special to take something home this year and that is what we were able to do here at the end of the season.”
CAN YOU COMMENT ON RYAN BLANEY GOING FULL TIME RACING WITH THE WOOD BROTHERS NEXT YEAR? “I think it is the perfect time for Ryan to step up and he has shown what he can do in the XFINITY Series and he has shown what he can do with us. Our relationship with the Woods is a technical one but also one where we support them with equipment and I think the opportunity for him to race next year and to have a good sponsor on that car is good for the series and the history with the Wood Brothers – we raced against them for many years and to see them be able to come and have a full time car is special to the sport and we are glad to be a part of that operation and support it next year.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS 22 TEAM YOU HAVE SEEN TO GIVE YOU THREE STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS? “I think it is long and deep. Brad (Keselowski) came on board here four years ago and he said we were going to build a team and we started with Paul Wolfe and when you think about the success Paul had first in the XFINITY Series winning a championship and then coming on and then Todd Gordon, another great crew chief in the series. Jeremy Bullins is over on the 21 today and then Greg Erwin. I think it has been a melting pot for our crew chiefs but at the same time they have been able to get close to the drivers and the information passed between the drivers – as you notice our cars are pretty consistent week after week between the guys. I think we have a great bench. I think the big weakness we had in the past was maybe on pit road but I have to give those guys a really high five for what they have done the last several weeks. You have to be good on the race track and after and we have developed a very strong bench which will take us a long way next year.”
YOU TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS AS A FEEDER SERIES BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST FOR WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT THOSE TEAMS OUT THERE, HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT? “Well, I think it is an investment. It is an investment on pit road for building guys over the wall, point number one. Point number two it is to take a young driver like Blaney to get him in the car which is key as we try to build. The top driver just isn’t available as you need them so you have to build them. You have seen Gordon and Johnson and all the great drivers. From the standpoint of support and sponsorship, Discount Tire has been with us almost from the beginning. They like the XFINITY Series. They think it gives them exactly what they want. To me, we have a good sponsor. We only run one car. Occasionally we run two at Watkins Glen. I think it is an important part of our organization. We run two Cup cars and having the ability to work with the 21 helps us build that team and we can move people back and forth. With the XFINITY it is the early stages of young guys coming into the sport and people that can make a difference. There is just no question that the people have moved up. Everybody that is at the top level today in our Cup cars have won and worked in the XFINITY Series. I think that is amazing when you think about it.”
THERE WAS A TIME NOT LONG AGO YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT ONE OR BOTH OF YOUR CUP DRIVERS WOULD BE COMPETING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOMORROW. DO YOU FEEL WHAT TRANSPIRED WITH MATT AND JOEY IS OVER AND DONE WITH? “I haven’t had any meetings with NASCAR to be honest with you. I know Joey had a meeting this weekend but I look at it this way – what happened, happened, and you can’t go back and repay it. If you did, maybe other things would take place. It was very unfortunate when you think of the wins and poles and number of laps led we had. The two races, Texas and Martinsville we led 79-percent of the laps and in three races we end up with three wrecks and a second place. It is disappointing for the team but we are going to keep going. We have a great organization,. The fans are getting a great show and what we have to do is keep our team together. I think that is what we have done. We have kept our heads high. I fully support Brad and Joey. For me to get into a word-smithing contest with what I think or don’t think doesn’t mean anything. I think we are better off taking the high road on this stuff and continue to compete at a high level and show the speed we had. You saw what we had at Phoenix and hopefully we have a good run tomorrow and we finish this season with a lot of wins and some successes and I guess on the bottom line there will be some disappointments.”
DID YOU THINK THE KENSETH SUSPENSION WAS JUST CONSIDERING THE STAKES ON THE LINE FOR JOEY? “I don’t make that decision and I didn’t know exactly what would be the outcome after the accident. I could have thought a lot of things that could have happened. NASCAR called it. There was no opportunity for us to challenge it in any way, shape or form and as I said to Joey, we had to move on. You just can’t replay these things. I think the drivers talked this weekend and they have to race each other for a number of years. We have to race Gibbs and I have talked to Joey about it and I think that at the end of the day, I am going to put it behind me and go forward.”
