NASCAR CUP SERIES
COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY PLAYOFFS MEDIA DAY
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – ROTATION TRANSCRIPT:
YOU COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN UNDERDOG IN THE PLAYOFFS, WHO ELSE WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE LABELED AN DARK HORSE?:
“That’s a good question. You have the usual suspects that have been solid all year. Kurt Busch is one of those guys that can get streaky also. As far as starting with no bonus points and making a run. I also believe that all of the Stewart Haas cave had speed at certain tracks, (Clint) Bower is good at short tracks so I think that is another one who could. The first round is obviously the first one you want to get through.
There’s some good competition out there. So any of those guys in the Stewart-Haas that or possibly Kurt? I feel like another good one. It’s an experience. Cool. Thank you.
I AM JUST CURIOUS IF I WAS A DRIVER THAT TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, AND NOT BEING ALLOWED ANY POINTS IN PLAYOFFS IS GOING TO CONTINUE INTO PLAYLISTS AND I’M WONDERING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT’S A FAIR PRACTICES AS SOMEONE WHO HAS ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE?:
““Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I’m kind of glad it happened in the regular season and we had to win some of these guys. I feel like our It’s definitely gonna have to be very careful on the moves. They make over the next couple weeks. You don’t want to get it and be taken out of the points because of that.”
SO OBVIOUSLY YOU GETTING THE WINNER CIRCLE IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL AND I’LL HELP YOU STAY ALIVE IN A PLAYOFF HUNT. BUT HOW MUCH WOULD IT MEAN TO GET IT DONE JUNIOR JOHNSON THROWBACKS TEAM?
“Oh man literally just made me smile because this Junior Johnson car means so much to me. It’s it’s a beautiful car. I grew up going to school with Junior’s kids and Junior actually came to our school and spoke to us when I was like in middle school and he was just a hero to me and when he came and spoke to us he kind of talked to me and because he knew my grandfather obviously and it was really nice and always just great people to be around. My mom and Lisa Johnson are very close friends. They talk all the time and to do this throwback for junior is very special. My grandfather’s pumped about. It’s a beautiful car Darlington could be a great place, you know, that would be third Crown Jewel too so that would be special.”
AUSTIN, OBVIOUSLY WHEN PEOPLE TURNED A SIGNIFICANT AGE 30 IN THIS CASE FOR YOU. THERE CAN BE THE POINT OF REFLECTION LOOKING BACK AT WHAT THEY’VE DONE. OBVIOUSLY. YOU’RE STILL A YOUNG GUY BUT YOU’RE NOT A KID IN THE SPORT COMPARED TO A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE AND CERTAINLY WHAT YOU HAD AS YOU NOTED. YOU HAD YOUR TO CROWN JEWEL WINS. BUT AS YOU REACH THIS AGE AND LOOK AT YOUR POINT IN THE CAREER, DOES THERE GET TO BE I DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S MORE”
“Oh, yeah. I think it’s more about season every opportunity you get you know, you don’t know what could be your last everybody is fighting for their job every day. It doesn’t matter how many wins you got something becausecome up and change sponsorship wise or ownership wise. You just never know these days. So you just want to seize these opportunities and were in the playoffs again, and there’s another opportunity to become the first to win all three championships that we’ve got in our 16 guys that have this opportunity and we’re one of them so you want to take advantage of those opportunities and go out there and perform, you know, you can and you want to do it consistently. So yeah just doing everything you can to take advantage of the moment is big. Live in the moment and have fun doing it. And I do feel like I think the prime age and my dirt crew chie is always said this the prime age for a sin is like 35 Plus and you see it from Harvick and Denny Hamlin. So I feel like you start you gain so much knowledge during that time frame and I feel like I’m still gaining knowledge and your family situation changes, you know, I’ve got my first kid now and momentum has been good. And I just feel like I’m in a good spot and I think it can just keep going that way with the direction. I’m headed.”
HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE FOLKS THAT YOU’VE GOT HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PLAYOFFS? THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE KIND OF DISMISSING YOUR TEAM. WHAT DO YOU TELL THOSE PEOPLE?:
“I love being dismissed. I think it’s a great. It’s all I’ve just kind of always been that way. I feel like maybe not that way in the trucks are Xfinity at the end of those runs, but in the Cup series, it’s been a little bit of that. So and I feel like that’s what kind of propels us, and then we sneak up on people. I was very close to making it to the third round a couple years back in the playoffs and missed it by one point to Denny Hamlin not want to transfer this on and we missed at Talladega by one so I know from that experience at every Point matters, and we just need to go out there and do our job these first three races is good good races for us, but the stage is the way they play out. You got to get points. So we’re going to be very aggressive in getting those points and hopefully messed up a lot of brackets. Thank you.
GERMAIN RACING PUT OUT A STATEMENT ON MONDAYI BELIEVE IT WAS THAT BOB GERMAIN IS EXPLORING CONVERSATIONS FOR POTENTIAL SALE. HAVE YOU TALKED TO TY YET ABOUT THAT. AND IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT RCR COULD EXPAND AND INCLUDE YOUR BROTHER IN THE FOLD?
“I actually haven’t talked to my brother about it. Did to my grandfather little bit about it, you know, I think all kinds of opportunities are out there right now. There’s a lot going on in the sport as you can tell it’s silly season. So but I’ve tried to keep up with what’s going on out there, but right now I’m really focused on the playoffs and and because that’s my job is to go out there. So we’ve been on the simulator Monday. I’m going back this afternoon. But as far as everything else going on, I’m just happy we have the #3 team and all of our sponsors, you know in a good place right now. So we’re we’re pumped about next season but focused on this season with the playoffs that that are up front.”
HOW DOES DARLINGTON FIT YOUR DRIVING STYLE?
“Well, I think long races in the past have fit my race in the style plenty of time to make the car better being a long race and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So it’s a good one for us. We like the long-distance races and and it’s a place that falls off. RCR has always been known for a long run speed.
“Short run speed as something that we struggled with but we’re trying to change but it’s nice that we’re going to place that long run speed matters a bit.”
ARE YOU FEELING OKAY? WE HAD ANY EFFECT SINCE TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID AND IN A CRAZY WAY. DO YOU ALMOST FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE YOU’VE ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE DISEASE AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT AGAIN.
“Yeah, you know, I mean who knows truthfully I still got to be safe and practice all everything that we’ve been practicing all year safe social distancing and wearing a mask. You know, I stayed it does feel good to had it and know what it’s like and hopefully never experienced again. It’s feels like its done and antibodies, obviously in me.Yes it feels a little better than some of those guys in the payoffs that you know have to worry about it more I think than I do. But yeah, no, I’m not experiencing any kind of I feel great and I’ve been riding a road bike working out. I had a massive pickleball game with my dad and I beat him. That was pretty nice. If you get went went pretty deep there. I sweated a lot right for the Daytona race. Oh and it was hot down there. So yeah, you know if I’m a I’m an active person love to get out and play sports. So I feel good and prepared for what’s ahead.”
IS IT AN ADVANTAGE ONLY TO HAVE ONE IN THE PLAYOFFS AND ALL THE RESOURCES BEHIND YOU?
” Yeah, you know, you definitely want both cars in. It is just good for the company when you have both cars and ready and very fast. But yeah, you know, I feel like in past. I’ve been on both sides of this this deal where you’re in or you’re out and the focus flips to whoever’s in and it feels good to have all the focus here at RCR. We’ve got some great teammates and great employees here that can do all they can to put effort into each car we take in the playoffs and I’m sure Tyler and Randall. I’ve already asked Tyler for his notes after Darlington, you know, we work together all year pretty great. So I think it’s it’s a good thing for us, but we’d love to have both in the playoffs”
AUSTIN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. YOU’VE BEEN TO THE PLAYOFFS TWICE. IS AS FAR AS FEAR THIRD TRIP, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER a THIS TIME AROUND AND WHAT’S GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN FINALLY BREAKING THAT ROUND OF 16 THRESHOLD?
“Third, I believe I feel like it’s my fourth because I won Daytona nd I made it. I pointed of my way in and then won the 600. This should be my fourth. Okay? You’re right. The biggest thing is making it a couple rounds further. So yeah, you know want to survive in advance take the experiences from the ones past that they the biggest thing I’ve learned is, you know the points matter.When your are witting at the end of these stages are at the end of the race when you have a point right in front of you you got to do what it takes to get that point. You can’t ride you got to use the front bumper to get it. I mean, however, you got to get it strategy is also another key and you know, you try and lean on the strategy. We’ve been very good on strategy this year to be able to score points. So we’ll use some of that and also I think you got to be defensive at times when you’re struggling because there’s going to be times when the car is not handling right? You got to hold up the guys out back and be good in the mirror. I mean, there’s guys that are professionals at it Joey and Brad are very good at holding track position when their car is struggling and that puts them in a better spot when the caution comes out if they’ve held a couple more spots and then their pit crew comes and picks them up a position with one adjustment their car is able to win, you know what I mean or a little cleaner air and so knowing that there’s going to be times when you’re struggling how you handle those and taking every position you can take when a point is on the line.”
AUSTIN WHEN YOU DID WIN YOUR CROWN JEWELS AND MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IN 2017 AND 18. JUSTIN ALEXANDER WAS YOUR CREW CHIEF. OBVIOUSLY LAST SEASON, YOU’LL RCR TOOK A CHANCE AND DANNY STOCKMAN THE MAN WHO LED YOU TO YOUR XFINITY AND TRUCK SERIES TITLES AS YOUR CREW CHIEF ON UNFORTUNATELY DIDN’T YIELD THE SAME RESULTS NOW JUSTIN ALEXANDER RESPECT WE DO THIS TIME AROUND SO I JUST WONDERED HOW MUCH DOES HIS RETURN TO THE PIT BOX HAVE ON YOUR EFFECT AND MAKING THE PLAYOFFS AGAIN THIS SEASON.
“Well, it’s just been good for the entire organization the team Justin, you know to go through what he had to go through last year being switched off our team and the way he handled it was just so professional and I think also when you came back, you know, I just committed to him, you know, my full attention each and every week and he is he is delivered that back and more and and I think I’ve done the same reach other and we have a different respect for each each other this time around and he’s always been able to talk to me in a different way that challenges me to be better over the radio. It doesn’t get me frustrated or fired up and I don’t lose my focus. He’s all about the focus and maximizing our day and I also feel like the spotter that we’ve got this year. Brandon Benesh has been a big help also at those three my mom and she’s following us all the time and she listens to the radio and she said to me you are very fortunate because these guys are on a different level right now. The way they communicate on channel 2 said she never heard anything like it to my Cup career, and that’s good. You know, they’re on a good wave lengths together and really focused on what we’re doing and how how to make our cars better and how to make me better and to get the best out of the No.3 car.”
ALSO YOU TOUCHED ON YOUR MINDSET HOW YOU KIND OF LIKE PEOPLE COUNT YOU OUT BEING THE UNDERDOG WITH THAT BEING SAID THOUGH. WHAT ARE YOU YOUR GUYS IS REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR THESE PLAYOFFS IN PARTICULAR KNOWING HOW DOMINANT THE FOUR, THE 11 AND SOME OF THE OTHER BIG GUYS HAVE BEEN THE SEASON.
“Well, you know the 4 and 11 are the two guys that everyone has circled and I feel like they’re pretty much in the final four at Homestead at this point with their points position and now granted anything can happen.
Some of these lineups that NASCAR’s created in the schedule for the playoffs. There are some places that a lot of Destruction chaos goes on but I would say those two spots of the four locked up when it comes to Denny and Harvick. Now there are two others to other spots out there that we have circled that we need to go take one. That’s that’s what I’m focused on is knowing that there’s two spots available. I feel like for the championship and we have to chip away at it each and every week. Treat it one race at a time kind of the Bill Belichick attitude of maximize each week and then survive and advance survive and advance and and try and win a race, you know, win a race when it counts when you get down to the end and there’s guys that more bonus points. The only thing to do is when we were able to win this year. I made a good call at the right time and we had the speed to be able to maintain it in years past. I would say we probably wouldn’t have had the speed to be able to maintain at a mile and a half but this year we do and that’s what’s exciting is anything can happen with the eight moves, mate.”
MEDIA MEMBER: Thanks, and just so you know, I don’t want you to end up in Miami for the championship. It’s a phoenix this year. I mess up to that’s right.
DILLON: Hey, I had a good run at Miami. So I kind of wish it was there, but we’ll go to Phoenix anyways time for thank you. Our next question will come from Peter strata. Go ahead with the question Peter.
WE SAW THAT OUR SEE OUR COMMAND CENTER IN DETAIL AFTER YOUR BIG WIN IN TEXAS. THEY GAVE YOU THE WINNING CALL. WHAT’S THE BALANCE AND MAKING THOSE PIVOTAL CALLS BETWEEN JUSTIN ON THE PIT BOX VERSUS THE TEAM BACK AT WELCOME.
“Yeah, you know, I think Justin truthfully makes the call and I would give him credit for the win at Texas. I think the what the the War Room has done has just give us another option and more of an eye in the sky to
relay more information that Justin might not be able to process fast enough the ability to process information faster is key to success and those guys in the War Room can be focused on other information that Justin can’t see so they can relay that to him and him trusting him is another part of that, but I do feel like a Texas myself and am kind of made the call and then with with help from our data showing that this was available and it’s the smartest route to go as far as keeping track position. It was it was the right decision to make so we’ll definitely use our wardrobe will definitely use our strategy tools to help us gain as many points as possible and hopefully put us in a situation where we can win again.
SPEAKING FROM THE TEAM ASPECT YOU GUYS HAVE EIGHT OF THE TEN PLAYOFF TRACKS THIS YEAR. YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN TO COMING INTO THE PLAYOFFS AND WITHOUT PRACTICE, HOW MUCH DO YOU RELY ON YOUR NOTES FROM THOSE OTHER RACES AND YOU THINK THAT’S AN ADVANTAGE FOR A TEAM LIKE RCR THAT SOME OF THESE BIGGER TEAMS DON’T HAVE THE PRACTICE ADVANTAGE.
“I’ve I think it’s been good for us not having to practice I think it’s good for me. I don’t overthink things and talk about it all night. But myself I just go. You know, I we make a decision after we run our simulation and we go from there where it’s a little less stressful when you got practice and all kinds of adjustments to worry about it kind of simplifies things and makes you go with what you know works and then you adjust it throughout the race. So I don’t know if it’s an advantage. I mean, I feel like are this year’s been good for us, but I feel like it’s also been good because we’ve had faster race cars than in years past so. Maybe maybe it’s been good. I don’t know. Sometimes you want practice. Sometimes you don’t but I feel confident with the way we’re doing it right now.
AUSTIN CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON AN EARLIER QUESTION. YOU KNOW, I KNOW TYLER REDICK, HE’S A ROOKIE AND HE’S HAD A GREAT BUT HE’S HAD A GREAT YEAR. IT’S A KIND OF
SURPRISING THEY DIDN’T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR VIA POINTS,
“I’m not surprising I think you know for him he’s always wants as much as he can’t he’s a champion. He’s done a great job this year found a lot of speed at different tracks. But as a rookie man, this is tough. I mean if you don’t get a win like Cole or myself that it’s tough to point your way in and just a couple places that he probably can go back and look at that would change something he would have done nor things that happen here at Pocono. He had something go wrong with power steering. That’s a lot of points right there could have put him in a different situation. But you know, I think he did and does has done an amazing job all year as a rookie and I think it’ll be in the playoffs for years to come. So it’s it’s one of those things that he’s probably disappointed that but I think everybody knows that he’s got the speed and the pace to win races and ba in the playoffs in a real Contender for years to come.”
IS IT MORE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO WIN A RACE IN THESE LAST TEN RACES OR ADVANCE THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
“I would say I mean, I would love to win and advance to the championship. So I mean come on getting a win at the right time to advance in the championship would be I think the goal, you know, you get to the surviving advance and then you come down to rehab the wind and you make it happen. I think that’s what some of the great guys have done. You know, Kevin Harvick has shown an uncanny ability to be able to win when he needs one. That’s where you want to get to is where you’re confident enough where you can go and take a victory but atrophy is always good. I’d love to win another trophy in the last 10. So let’s just go with trophy.”
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TRACK THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE CHASE? I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DARLINGTON’S CARS AND ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES WITH THE HISTORY, BUT YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TRACK THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO. “Yes. The Richmond is circled right now. Richmond is a place I had to six Place finishes a year ago, I believe or something like that. We’ve had some good runs there and we’ve had a something that just hits her. That’s good. I feel like we had speed to finish better than six things just in play on our way. What strategy so Richmond is circled right now my list and that’s as far as I really would go Vegas is another one. So those are the in the first Six Vegas. Well heck I’ll just say all the ones that I feel like we could win at Richmond Vegas, Martinsville, Texas, obviously and then yeah, those are my favorite tracks Circle right now that I feel like I’m being honest about speed and where our setups have been in the past that those are good places for us.
AUSTIN COMING OFF ENTERING YOUR ROOKIE SEASON BY THE 2014 GED. I BELIEVE YOU WERE COMING OFF THAT CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE XFINITY SERIES AND YOU’RE A DOMINANT THAT SEASON DESPITE NOT WINNING A RACE AND YOU’RE A ROOKIE SEASON. YOU KIND OF FELL FLAT THEN LIKEWISE. TYLER REDDICK WAS COMING OFF BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE XFINITY SERIES AND WASN’T THE ONE WHO MADE THE PLAYOFFS WHILE COLE CUSTER WAS A ROOKIE.THIS CLASS YOU DID AND THAT WAS JUST A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE PIECES FELL INTO PLACE FOR HIM. SO WHAT KIND OF CORNY CURVE IS THEIR DRIVERS GOING FROM EITHER XFINITY OR TRUCK SERIES TO THE CUP SERIES?
“Well, it’s it’s number one Automotive racing series in the world in my opinion is the hardest one to win in you got multiple winners that are great at what they do, you know, everybody has gotten this point has one and done something that has gotten them to here. I think every level in the sport you go to from trucks to
Xfinity to Cup there is a another level you have to reach as a driver to step up your game and I felt like for me the formula was rookie of the year and the Truck Series and won a championship in the Truck Series and it was Rookie of the Year and XFinity Series and won a championship and Xfinity series, I get to the Cup series and I was hoping it would be the same way, you know, when a rookie of the year and go win a championship the next but it’s a different level and I’ve learned that over the last couple years. We made the playoffs in the playoffs are a huge feet when you’re in the Cup series. I mean you look at the Xfinity Series in my opinion. If you don’t finish the top ten you’re struggling every week and I would even go up to eight past that it’s not what the Cup series is where you’re fighting all the way back to what 22nd 23rd with guys that have won in the Xfinity series 24th, maybe but they’re just a different level of competition and that’s what it is and it takes a lot. I mean you could have a good crew good team good car good pit crew and still not win. You have a fastest car still not win. Every week is just a challenge so learning I think the learning process from a rookie to the next year is it’s big. That’s why we get so excited about rookies that come in and finish well early on in their career because you hope that the only way forward is up because they’re not getting some great finishes out their first year. They’re probably going to be fine.”
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