MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
PENNZOIL 400 PRESENTED BY JIFFY LUBE
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 1, 2019
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and discussed the new rules package, his expectations for qualifying, thoughts on the team thus far this season and many other topics. Partial Transcript:
ON EVERYTHING SO FAR TODAY:
“Everything today a little unique. I think with the new package I think Friday’s are going to be a little bit different than what we have had in the past as far as qualifying days. I think we are all still kind of figuring it out. I think as the day goes on, qualifying is going to be quite exciting to see how people, whether they want to be in a group or whether they want to do a single car run. I think our car is kind of in-between. We had top 15 single car run speed, but we don’t really know what we need for being in a group to be really fast. Our Camaros had a lot more speed than even at Atlanta than what we had last year. So, we’ve got a lot of hope going into this year. I know this race on Sunday is going to be quite exciting and different, but we are really looking forward to this year and this new challenge.”
SO FAR IT SEEMS TO BE A GENERAL CONSENSUS THE RCR AND ALLIANCE TEAMS HAVE FOUND MORE SPEED IN THE OFF SEASON IN COMPARISON TO THE REST OF THE FIELD. HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT IS THE CASE?
“Yeah, the No. 8 (Daniel Hemric) and the No. 3 (Austin Dillon) are really fast. We were faster than what we had been last year. We want to be as fast as them. We have an identical car to them, but we are just a little bit off. So, we have some things to kind of figure out on our end at Germain to make sure we are 1-2-3 next time. I am confident we will find that. When you are wide-open in qualifying trim and you have two cars that are 1-2 and we are inside the top 15 that is always a good start, but we want to be up there 1-2-3 with those guys. I think Sunday it will all change a little bit, but it’s great to see the hard work that has gone into all the teams, all of our Camaros to be so fast. Proud of our team, proud of Germain Racing to bring a fast race car, but we always want more and we want to win.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR TEAM IN GENERAL?
“I think we are in the best position going into this year than we have ever been. I think that as a team at Germain Racing, we are all clicking together a lot better. I think this package suits our team and our style of racing and the way that I approach racing with the aggressive mentality on restarts and the ability to go get it and make positions when it really matters early in a run or at the end of a race. So, like I said, we are super excited for this year and this package and all the challenges that come with it.”
YOU SAID FROM THE BEGINNING THIS FITS YOU. HOW DOES THIS NEW PACKAGE FIT YOU?
“I think the best moments of my career have come from aggressiveness on restarts and I’m pretty comfortable at putting myself in those spots and really going for it. I think you are going to see a lot of going for it this year on restarts. I think it will all start here. I think Atlanta was a little bit different version without the drag ducts, but what we saw here at the test those mock races that we did to go four-wide twice on restarts pretty comfortably in a way, but aggressive in a way, that is going to create great racing. That is my style. That is who I am and you listen to my radio, you will hear three-wide probably more on my radio than most just because I like to try to take that chance and better ourselves.”
SO, YOU ARE REALLY LIKING THIS NEW PACKAGE?
“Yeah, I really do. I think you watch the Atlanta race the restarts and everything the racing was great. I think you are going to double that here at Vegas with the drag ducts. I think it’s going to be an even better race and what is good for the fans is good for me, but when it really does benefit me inside the race car too, it’s a win/win in all directions.”
THOUGHTS ON PHOENIX?
“It’s crazy you just move some paint on the same surface and move some grandstands and it feels like you are in a whole different state at a whole different track. And you have a whole different reaction. Even approach to the corner feels different because the visuals are so messed up and we are so visual as race car drivers it just kind of spins us out. I think the crazier thing is what this package is going to be like at Phoenix with a bunch of horsepower on it. We are going to be really getting around that race track at speeds that we probably haven’t ever seen. So, it’s going to add challenges to the tire, to the teams, and to everything. I think when we get to Phoenix and these tracks under a mile. It’s going to be exciting and with so much downforce those restarts are just going to get crazier at Phoenix too.”
IS IT HARD TO PREDICT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON SUNDAY?
“I think the restarts are going to be chaos all the way through the field. For about 10-15 laps and then I think you are going to see a similar style to what we had in Atlanta, a little bit closer after everything settles out, but I think the one thing here is the whole field will be closer leader to last car. Just with the drag ducts and more grip, the track surface doesn’t wear out as bad. So, that kind of creates when the whole field is closer one bobble from a second-place car even a 10th place car can send them from 10th or second to 20th or 18th. Because the momentum with the less horsepower means so much more that by the time you get wound back up and get that RPM back up its really hard, people are going to be able to make aggressive moves, so one bobble when you go for it you’ve got to complete it most of the time. And if both cars get checked up it’s just going to create a traffic jam again. I think that is going to be exciting being perfect inside the race car is going to weigh huge. Anybody who can keep their momentum up without checking the most or checking off the throttle is going to have a good day.”
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