NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
LENOX INDUSTRIAL TOOLS 301
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JULY 15, 2011
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 US ARMY CHEVROLET, met with members of media at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and discussed how the first half of the season has gone, the extra pressure of getting a win this year, racing in the Whelen Modified Series and more. Full transcript.
TALK ABOUT THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON AND YOUR THOUGHTS MOVING INTO THE SECOND HALF. “We’ve had a good run at the first half. Just like any other team I would say we didn’t capitalize on some of the things that we’re fully capable of. Those are the things we need to fix for the second half obviously. I’m just really proud to be where we are. We had a good start to the season and a good opening three or four races which was the first time we had that at Stewart-Haas and just to come into Loudon here, one of my better race tracks stats wise and a place we’ve always run well at is something we are all looking forward to. We need to get the U.S. Army its first win at Stewart-Haas racing, no better place. A lot of first have happened for me here at Loudon and this would be good timing.”
I KNOW YOU ARE ALWAYS GOING OUT FOR A WIN BUT DO YOU FEEL ANY EXTRA PRESSURE TO GET ONE WIN JUST IN CASE THE WILDCARD SITUATION BECOMES NECESSARY FOR YOU? “I’ve said the last few weeks because we’ve been ninth, 10th in points we are in the best, worst place we could be because we’re in right now but we’re very vulnerable. Because of the single-race winners this year that will change the dynamic of the points. Last year we were that one-race win team that would have made it with this year’s type of points system. So yeah, there’s a lot of emphasis we’re putting on it. Not necessarily because of the points but yeah we want to win. That’s just an added bonus the way the points system works this year.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE WHELEN MODIFIED SERIES RACE THAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK AND WHY ARE YOU SO SUCCESSFUL? “I enjoy the race. I enjoy the 100-lapper part of it. I really enjoy the race cars and the way those guys race here. I got to experience the Whelen Modified at New Smyrna and Bristol, a couple of race tracks but they’re a lot of fun here the way they draft and they way you have to work in the corners. The groove actually is quite a bit different for the modified than it is the Cup cars. Working with Bono and those guys, Gary Putnam they do a really good job putting a great car together. We’ve got aggressive hydraulics on the car, Menards and ECR built a great engine for it. It’s just an opportunity for us to come up and do one of the things we love, is race without the stress. We’ve won and we’ve not won here so we’ll just go out and try it again.
DO YOU SEE ANY FRUSTRATION FROM YOUR BOSS AS A DRIVER WHEN YOU GO BACK AND HAVE TEAM MEETINGS, HE’S SUPPOSED TO COME ON IN THE SUMMERTIME AND THAT HASN’T QUITE HAPPENED YET, DO YOU SEE A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION IN TONY OR IS HE OKAY TO DEAL WITH WHEN HE’S NOT RACING? “He’s always been okay to deal with. I think yes he is frustrated for that matter I’m ahead of him in points and I’m frustrated. I understand it and I understand our competitive nature not amongst each other but amongst our situation in the points. That’s what drives us, that’s what makes us better. That’s what makes us better teammates and a better organization, to not be okay with where we are at now. Ultimately we want to be first and second in either order so yeah, I’m sure he’s frustrated. This is crunch time and this has usually been his time but it hasn’t been this year as you stated. That’s going to happen from time to time. Everything does cycle but you don’t want to see that part of the cycle when it’s your teammate.”
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