CHASE FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP
ROUND 8 OF 10
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 4, 2016
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 KLEENEX CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Texas Motor Speedway and discussed the school reading program and dog park he opened with Target mascot Bullseye, how hungry drivers out of the Chase are to get a victory, who he wants to win this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title and many other topics. Full Transcript:
TALK ABOUT YOUR ACTIVITIES BEFORE THIS RACE WEEKEND:
“It was cool we got to go to like you said a couple of local elementary schools yesterday. In the schools they have been doing this ‘Speeding to Read’ program. The children who have read the most books and stuff we gave them backpacks and Target gift cards and other gifts. They also donated I think 200 books to each school, which is twice as many books as the libraries at those schools already had. That was really fun to be a part of and have Bullseye (Target Mascot) there with us and today, this morning we opened up the dog part. That is off the backstretch over by the little legends track over there. It was fun to get to do that. A lot of us drivers and fans and everybody that comes to the races each weekend bring their pets, but don’t have any place to take the pets to go play. Having a designated dog park is fun for us and the animals definitely love it.”
HOW MUCH DO DRIVERS LIKE YOURSELF THAT ARE NOT IN THE CHASE WANT TO GET TO VICTORY LANE AND ADD A TWIST TO HOW EVERYBODY MAKES THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR?
“Well, I think everybody wants to make it to Victory Lane every week. We don’t try any harder or any less hard that we are not in the Chase. We still try and go out there every week and do what we can to win. Texas in the past has been a pretty good track for me. I’ve had speed here each time I come. Just got to keep working hard to get the win.”
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT MEETING TONY STEWART FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WHAT IS YOUR QUINTESSENTIAL MEMORY OF RACING AGAINST HIM OVER THESE LAST THREE SEASONS?
“I mean I’ve gotten Tony’s autograph and stuff when I was really young at like USAC races and stuff like that. I don’t really remember the first time where he met me and actually knew who I was. Maybe it was Eldora when I won the 4-Crown (Nationals) there was the first time I really got to meet Tony and talk to him. Like I said, I had gotten his autograph a handful of times at other races, but that was a cool day sweeping the 4-Crown at his racetrack. Then the last handful of years of me getting to race with him has been pretty fun. He has taught me a lot during practice sessions of getting mad at me. Yeah, it’s been cool and I’m excited to see what he does with the rest of his racing career. He is retiring from NASCAR, but he is definitely not going to retire racing. He is probably going to race a lot more. I’m looking forward to seeing him do that and making an even bigger impact on open wheel racing.”
HOW DO YOU HANDICAP THE FINAL FOUR AND WHO DO YOU MAYBE HAVE A FEELING THAT IS GOING TO WIN THIS THING?
“I don’t know everybody in the Round of 8 here is extremely good. I think Jimmie (Johnson) has definitely shown that he has got the speed to do it. Hendrick (Motorsports) they have made a … whatever they have found they have found something really big leading up to the Chase. All their cars have been fast now each and every week. The (Joe) Gibbs (Racing) guys they have shown speed for the last two years now, so they are all favorites, but I would like to see a Chevy guy win. Jimmie or (Kevin) Harvick or Kurt Busch if any of those guys could win that would be pretty cool.”
HOW MUCH EFFORT IS ALREADY UNDERWAY AT CHIP GANASSI RACING FOCUSING ON NEXT SEASON?
“Well I think efforts for next season started a while back. We are always trying to look to the future and get better. I think when NASCAR came out with the set in stone rules changes for next year you can really get to work on your stuff for next year. I’m sure they’ve been to the wind tunnel quite a bit. I have been so busy lately that I haven’t really got to go to the shop much and find out what kind of stuff they have been doing. That kind of stuff I don’t pay too much attention to anyways, I just kind of get in and drive and hope the car is fast. Every team works really hard when it comes down to the last couple of months of the season to prepare for next year.”
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