MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 16, 2019
BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 UNITED STATES AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:
WITH DARLINGTON COMING UP, IS IT STILL A BIG EVENT ON THE SCHEDULE FOR YOU?
“I think the older guys kind of see it as a highlight. Before I was even a part of the sport, I didn’t even watch it. I’m not knocking it at all, it’s a special place and it’s the Southern 500. For me to sit here and say this a huge event for me personally, not really. Any race is good for me to go out and win.”
TALK ABOUT THE BACKGROUND ON YOUR THROWBACK THEME.
“I’m excited about the theme we’re running, having Adam Petty’s throwback paint scheme. Seeing what Victory Junction meant to him and his vision of it coming to life is really special. I’m excited about that. It looks good on our Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It’s such a fun weekend for not just the drivers, but for the crew members and the fans. They get into it with the outfits. So, it’s a lot of fun and I’m excited to see the other themes other drivers have, what teams are going to take it to the next level. The 3 team usually does a pretty good job of that.”
YOU WERE HAVING SOME FUN HERE DURING THE TRUCK RACE. PHOTOGRAPHY HAS BEEN SOMETHING YOU ENJOY. WHEN DID THAT START AND HOW HAS THAT GROWN NOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT AT THE TRACK?
“It’s still here and there. Obviously, I’d like to go out and shoot whatever, but part of me feels a little hesitant, a little reserved on that stuff. One, I don’t know all the rules and regulations of where to shoot what not to shoot. Then you get side-eye from other photographers. I don’t really know what I’m doing out there. There is a part of me that wants to go down in the pits and get some candid shots, but them you get bombarded. It’s fun, it’s always a challenge and one I’m still trying to figure out. I’ve been shooting for 5 or 6 years now, but I’m still learning every time.”
WERE YOU SURPRISED WHEN YOU SHOWED UP THAT THE TOP GROOVE WAS DIFFERENT?
“It’s not different, apparently. I went up there and it was pretty slick. I walked up there before first practice and it was slick. It is what it is. The preferred groove is at the bottom with the PJ-1 stuff right now. Obviously, half the field was moving up towards that way at the end of second practice, so we’ll see what happens.”
HOW IS YOUR CAR FOR TOMORROW NIGHT?
“I think it’s alright. We showed up, busted out the first laps of practice and I felt like it wasn’t bad. We are trimming the right way for us and continuing to bring speed. It feels the exact same as it did when we were here in the spring, just a little faster. I asked Derek (Stamets) what was different and he said honestly not much. It’s good that it’s gaining a little bit of speed. The field is pretty tight, so a tenth could move you up like ten spots. It’s just a matter of getting that perfect lap. We’ll see what we got for qualifying. It looks like we are going to go out early and I think the early guys are struggling. We’ll see, it’s an exciting place. This is a big event for all of us just because it’s Saturday night, under the lights, and it’s Bristol. We’ve been racing here in late models and K&N stuff, so it brings a lot of memories.
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
About Chevrolet
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