NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY MEDIA DAY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 12, 2020
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Daytona 500 Media Day Highlights:
REGARDING THE 2021 SCHEUDLE, HAS NASCAR COME TO YOU GUYS, THE DRIVERS, FOR YOUR OPINION?
“Yeah, they have come to the drivers for sure and said some things and have given us updates. But I feel like it’s still their choice, it’s their sport, you know? If you go to too many drivers, you get too many opinions. Everybody wants something different that benefits them added to the schedule. I just said I wanted another short track, Iowa Speedway, that is a place I run good at so that is why I want to go there. It’s also a good market. I think they are doing a good job with just moving on and putting different markets in there. And with just changing it up. I think what Pocono is doing is good and they do a good job of selling that track out. They have taken their two dates and added it to one race weekend, and I think other tracks should do that and allow us to go to some other places. I think the two-day show is interesting for our sport.”
REGARDING IF ELDORA IS FEASIBLE FOR A CUP SERIES RACE
“I think it’s definitely feasible, but some of the guys surprise me that say they don’t want to run there. Which is odd to me, and even some of the dirt guys have said they don’t want to do it. I don’t know why, because it’s a dirt race and it’s a race. I am all about it and I was able to win that first Truck Series race at Eldora, so you know I would be pumped for it. I think as far as capabilities of hosting a Cup race, you might have to go vertical with the stands and pull them all the way around the backstretch. I don’t know if there is room because I think it drops off pretty fast on the backstretch. You have to go vertical and I think Smoke (Tony Stewart) is the guy to do it. Smoke would make it happen if we could get a Cup race there.”
AFTER WINNING THIS RACE ONCE, DOES IT MAKE IT EASIER COMING BACK HERE OR DOES IT PUT MORE PRESSURE ON YOU?
“I think as far as knowing you won one, definitely helps. Especially for me. I enjoy this Sunday more than any other Sunday of the year. Waking up and just breathing the air on Sunday morning is my favorite race because of the hype that goes into it and the build-up. It feels like that Super Bowl moment, it feels like Masters, because everybody’s eyes are on you and its our sport’s day. I can’t wait every year for this and I cherish that and try to have a good race.”
REGARDING IF THERE ARE RULES TO DRAFTING
“Well, there are no specific written rules in this sport when you are out there driving. I can tell you that, they don’t hand you a book when you go out there. No one is really in the wrong when they screw up and wreck the field, but it is frowned upon in this establishment. I just go get it and try and make my car live to
the end. Some people put their stuff in bad positions. At the end of the race this past July, I think I blocked really hard and aggressive because the rain was coming. I see red. I admit it and I have done it….in the (Daytona) 500 when we won it. You shut off your brain and know you are going to put yourself in awkward positions. But you have got to do it. You are racing for your team and trying to win the race. It does suck when you get wrecked out early and that is not what we are here to do, but it’s part of the race. People are trying hard early and that is not what really pays. The last lap pays.”
ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE HOW THE CAMARO PERFORMS ONCE YOU GET TO LAS VEGAS?
“I am very excited. I think the ZL1 1LE looks better than our Camaro last year. The first time on the track with it, the view from the back of the car, watching someone in front of you just looks a lot different. So, I think the additions that they made to it should help us moving forward.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK TYLER REDDICK BRINGS TO RCR?
“Just a positive attitude. He is not rattled by anything and is an exciting driver. I think he will bring more fans to RCR because of that and that is good for us. I enjoy working with him and he is already a bright spot for me because he doesn’t get rattled by anything and doesn’t let things bother him. I think Tyler is going to be good for our team.”
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF ONE DAY RUNNING RCR?
“Yeah, I would like to. I feel like when that time comes, and I am no longer helping as a driver, that I want to help in some way because its my family’s company. I have put a lot of love and effort into that already and would love to continue on the tradition of RCR.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE CHEVY IS AT A DISADVANTAGE AS FAR AS HOW YOU MARRY UP WITH OTHER MANUFACTURERS IN TANDEM DRAFTING?
“We have made some changes in the offseason to address that with our nose. Still a little worried about the tail in how it catches and stuff. We have some practice to do it before the 500 and we get one practice after the Duel, but you are going to see it in the Duels and some people are going to mess with it. We will just have to wait and see and see what happens.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE JIMMIE JOHNSON MEMORY?
“When I was in Xfinity and running for a championship in the first year, I reached out to him. I was running like second or third while running for that championship and just wanted his advice as a Chevy driver and
reached out. And he came back with everything he could give me as far as wisdom in racing for a championship. How he would race for a championship. He started texting me after each race and was coming back to me with something even through Homestead and practices. It was cool. Then in the second year in Xfinity when we won the championship, we were doing similar things. But this time he was actually asking me similar questions on what the track would do. Hearing that from a guy that won five championships at that time, I was just kind of mind blown that he was able to talk to someone that is in a lesser series and be able to learn from them. He was going to take anything he could take and apply it to his game. That is something that I will always remember from Jimmie, is the relentless effort and not afraid to get better in any way.”
