MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 COTTONELLE MEGA ROLL CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at the annual Daytona 500 media day at Daytona International Speedway. Full Transcript:
INAUDIBLE:
“Just watched a little bit in drafting. You know, we were up there with very competitive cars in the Clash and we were able to learn some stuff. It’s going to take some practice, but it could really help me in the 500.”
WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU PICK UP FROM THE CLASH THAT YOU COULD TAKE TO THE 500?
“I think it’s just watching technique. You know, some drivers are just so good at speedway racing and there have always been certain drivers that really get it and are able to use it to their advantage. I have always felt like I have been able to be okay at speedway racing and come out with a lot of decent finishes. It’s just when you get to this level everyone is a lot more aggressive with all those techniques. So watching certain drivers come up through there, there is a lot to be said about side drafting and stalling other cars out.”
WANT TO GO BACK TO YOUR MANUFACTURER ISSUE. YOU SAID YOU ARE ON LOAN TO JTG. IS THAT TRUE OR IF SOMEONE CAME ALONG AND OFFERED YOU A DEAL, COULD YOU NOT LEAVE THE ROUSH FOLD, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE HERE:
“We are with JTG this year. That is the deal. We are going to put all of our effort into it that we can and go out there and win races and be competitive. It doesn’t change anything. We are coming out to go win, try and make the playoffs, be able to have a good season, and we will just see what happens.”
THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT YOU WENT AND MADE THIS LEAP AND MADE THIS ONE YEAR DEAL, BUT YOU WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING LONG-TERM, DON’T YOU?
“It remains to be seen. We are in the very early stages, so we will see how it plays out.”
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE ROAD THAT YOU ARE ON RIGHT NOW?
“Yeah, absolutely. I went back and was thinking, it was 2012 when I was still running ARCA. So in four short years I have been able to make it through to a part time Xfinity season where we only ran seven races to winning a championship there and to be able to make the Chase in my rookie season in Cup. It’s something that I have been really happy with. Some others have streamlined the process a little bit more, but at the end of the day, I like where we are at.”
HAVE YOU AND AJ (ALLMENDINGER) GOTTEN TO SPEND ANY TIME TOGETHER AND HAVE YOU GOTTEN A FEEL FOR WHAT ITS GOING TO BE LIKE WORKING WITH HIM?
“Yeah, I probably talked to AJ a little bit more than all the other drivers already – before any of this came up. So I did feel like it was going to be a really good fit. AJ is a very outgoing person where as I am kind of more shy and shut in. So that is taking some pointers there. But AJ is fun to be around and we have gotten several opportunities to hang out. We had the Christmas party and had the sponsor summit and just have had some odds and ends where we have been around each other. He and I were hanging out while we were waiting for the Clash to start. He was giving me a hard time for being ready to go to bed at 10 o’clock. That’s way past my bedtime and he was trying to get me jacked up. He is fun to be around and I am really looking forward to the season with him.”
WHAT IS THE FEELING IN THE SHOP AS FAR AS WHAT THIS TEAM CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR BEING A TWO-CAR TEAM?
“You see where AJ and the No. 47 team left off last season and it was very impressive. Where they were able to find speed and keep it till the end was an awesome run and I think everyone at the shop was excited about that. It’s been a little hectic to get a second team up and running and to hire everybody that they needed to. Nobody is down on that by any means and we are excited to have the opportunity to get done with practice and have a teammate that is under the same roof and to compare notes. Things like ‘is yours doing this?’, ‘can this apply to you?’. There are a lot of things that having a teammate helps and I feel like that is going to be the really good part of it. Everybody in the shop has been ecstatic. They are ready to go. And even through the extra hours that they have had to put in to make this come around, everybody has maintained a great attitude about it and they all know it’s all about going out there and being competitive and having the opportunities to win some races this year.”
SO, THAT IS A REALISTIC GOAL FOR JTG THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GO WIN RACES AND CONTEND FOR THIS PLAYOFF?
“Yeah, absolutely. There are a lot of things that remain to be seen with all the segment points and how that is going to affect the run to the Playoffs. I am a visual person and I have to really see how it unfolds before I know exactly how it’s going to work but I think as you see us get closer to the Playoffs, you will see that start to unfold more. Everyone is going to be chasing every point they can, but until then we just need to go out and win a race so that we can get that over with and can start in the Playoffs.”
IS THERE PRESSURE TO WIN THIS SEASON AFTER WHAT YOU DID IN 2016?
“Yeah, but there is pressure to win every year. That is what we are expected to do and as I learn as a driver, as the team builds up as an organization, the goal is to make sure that you are better than the last time and to make sure that you can go out there and win and be a part of the Playoffs. That would be a huge season for us. You know, AJ was very close last season and with us being able to get in the Chase, it meant a lot and it was a great season because of it. But this year we have to come out here and do the same thing but be more efficient with it and make sure we are there.”
YOU GOT ENGAGED BEFORE THE SEASON, HAVE YOU GUYS SET A WEDDING DATE YET?
“We are looking. She and I are on the same page and we don’t want it to be freezing outside. So with that said, there is kind of a problem with our season and the way it is. So we are working on it and will see what we come up with.”
IS THERE ANYTHING FUN YOU DID TO BLOW OFF STEAM BEFORE YOU GOT HERE FOR THE DAYTONA 500?
“I have been here since the Clash and have had two days with absolutely nothing to do and it’s been awesome. I know if I had gone home I have a laundry list of chores to do and things that need to be fixed, organization in the shop, so it’s been nice to have been relaxing. But we did have a little fun leading up to it. We went four wheeling a couple of times and the last time I broke about everything so it was getting expensive and was time to go to the race track and make some money for a change.”
WHAT HAS IMPRESSED YOU MOST IN YOUR FIRST WEEK WITH JTG?
“It rolled off really smoothly. Everybody worked really well together and just seeing that tech was very tough this year, seeing that several people had to go through numerous times, everybody on our team kept their head down and worked hard to get it right to get in the race. Also, not something that you want to have happen, but we did have damage we had to take care of during the race. With the new five-minute clock that we were not using for the Clash, but just practicing like it was, our team did an extremely good job of getting the damage repaired as soon as possible so that we could continue on in the race and not lose any time. It was efficient and I am proud of that and proud of this good group of guys and girls. I think it’s going to be a good season.”
HOW DID THIS DEAL COME ABOUT? YOU HAVE DRIVEN A FORD FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE STILL UNDER CONTRACT?
“It came a little late in the season. It was time to get nervous about having a ride for this season and I met with Tad and Jodi (Geschickter) up at Watkins Glen at a Cheez-It dinner for the race track. So from there it was just a friendly talk and then just through the next several months we would just say hello and then they knew they were ready to start a second team. That’s when they asked me if I would be willing to come over and do it and it was an awesome opportunity to jump at. With the performance that AJ and that 47 team had at the end of last season, with their average finish being in the top-ten during the Chase…that showed they had great speed, consistent speed, and it’s something I am excited about participating in. I just want to go out there and try and run a little bit better and improve on that.”
IS THERE AN OPTION IN THE CONTRACT WHERE YOU CAN GO BACK TO ROUSH?
“Right now, we are just working on this year. We want to focus on this season and make sure we put 110% effort into it to go out there and be competitive. And after that we will see, but we are going to focus on 2017 for now.”
WITH AJ ALLMENDINGER BEING YOUR NEW TEAMMATE, ARE YOU EXPECTING TO BE BETTER AT ROAD RACING NOW?
“Other than him? No. (laughs)
NO, NOT BETTER THAN HIM, JUST BETTER
“I sure hope so. You know, AJ is probably the best road racer in our garage and I think that will be great when we go road racing, which I already enjoy. I absolutely love to go to different places and go both ways. We got our first Xfinity win on a road course so I feel like we can go out there and be competitive and being able to learn from AJ will only help that. But I think you see that he has a lot of race tracks that he runs really well at. Some of those places include Martinsville, where I have not run spectacular at, but he always seems to be really competitive there. So there will be a lot of times I can take some pointers from him and that will be very helpful.”
HOW MUCH ARE YOU STILL TALKING TO THE ROUSH GUYS LIKE BUBBA AND RYAN AND WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THEM IN THE XFINITY SERIES?
“Yeah, we were all at a function together last night. So it’s nonstop. But on the Xfinity side, I think they are going to be able to go out there and be competitive and go win races and make a run for the championship. They have been working hard and I will wish them luck from a little bit of distance this time around, but I think they will have a good season.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE NEW RULES IN NASCAR THIS YEAR AND HOW THEY MIGHT PLAY OUT IN COMPETITION?
“From the rules side on the cars and the aero package that we are bringing, I am really excited about that. Kentucky and Michigan were probably some of my better races last season and Kentucky was probably my best 1.5 mile track that I ran all year. So I feel like that is something that could work out really well. With the format changes and the segments, it’s going to change things up. I need to see it to fully understand it, but I like the idea of it. I think where you are going to see that change things is at the superspeedway races quite a bit. Then you might see someone have a really good day and get some good points through the first two segments and then get crashed out in a green/white/checkered finish or taken out with an engine failure or a parts failure…..now they have something to show for that. You could go for three hours, or two and a half days really well and have nothing to show for it. Now that changes that. I look to see it become even more relevant as we approach the Playoffs and you will see those teams and drivers chasing those bonus points more aggressively.”
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