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[/media-credit]Friday, June 1, 2012
RAM PR
Dover International Speedway
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Luca Oil 200
Post-Race Quotes
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Parker Kligerman (No. 29 Cooper Standard RAM) Finished 2nd TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE TONIGHT: “We had a really fast Cooper Standard RAM. We were fast. We were just biding our time. We figured that the race would probably get to halfway with the rain moving in. The 27 (Jeb Burton) and 33 (Cale Gale) got together and moved up the track and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We got a little damage and poked hole in the front end. The guys on this Cooper Standard RAM did a great job repairing it. From there I was angry and drove with my hair on fire. I raced through the field and got all the way up to sixth and decided to get fuel because we knew that the race was going to get to this point of the race. We knew that the rain wouldn’t get all the way through the race so we went with (the race) ending about now. From there we were in the right place at the right time. Congrats to Todd Bodine. He’s been a great mentor to me and really proud of him.”
WAS THE KEY FOR YOU GUYS WHEN YOU TOOK FOUR TIRES DURING THE FIFTH CAUTION AND USED PIT STRATEGY? “The biggest thing for us in the race is after we got the damage to the front end, we just played pit strategy that was outlandish at the time. We did opposite of everyone else hoping that the weather would work in our favor. Doug Randolph (crew chief) did a great job figuring out strategy and watching the weather. We had a fast Cooper Standard RAM. Once we got the track position we were able to keep it despite the damage we had to the front end.”
THE NO. 2 TRUCK LOOKED REALLY STRONG TONIGHT. IF THE RACE HAD STAYED GREEN DO YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD HAVE OUTRUN HIM? “I don’t think so, not with the damage that we had because we were really bottoming the truck out and the splitter was taking a beating. He was fast. That’s why we couldn’t get by Todd (Bodine). I’d get a good restart (and) I just couldn’t hold it up on the high side of the track without feeling like I was going to stuff it into the wall.”
ANOTHER SOLID POINTS NIGHT FOR YOU: “For sure. It’s still early in the season but we’re making progress and top-fives never hurt. I’m proud of everyone on this Cooper Standard RAM team. We’re really making progress and putting together solid races. We’ve got a long ways to get to Homestead.”
WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED A FEW MORE SHOTS AT TODD BODINE? “You know, I had enough shots, I didn’t get it done. We got drove up to seventh, eighth, sixth, I don’t know what it was, and there was two guys got into each other and wrecked. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got a bunch of damage on the front end.
“After that I was just kind of angry, for lack of a better word, and just drove with my hair on fire to get us back up front and through some strategy from Doug Randolph and the guys, they did an excellent job patching up the front of this Cooper Standard RAM and getting us back up front there and in contention. We made an adjustment there on the last pit (stop) that we had and it put the splitter in the ground and after that I was just really tight. So any time I got a good restart on Todd (Bodine) I’d bottom out. I was lucky to lead that one lap. That was good for points and it was a good points day, I think. Second is a good building day and congrats to Todd. He’s taught me a lot about this series and it’s good for him.”
TALK ABOUT THE RESTARTS LATE IN THE RACE. “Well, you know we got in that (wreck) there with the 27 and the 33. I just made a stupid choice going high there and got the front end damaged up. We had a fast Cooper Standard RAM, man. We were biding out time back there. In terms of when the rain was going to come we knew we could make it to halfway. Just taking out time, knew we could pass those guys and got that damage. Doug Randolph and the guys did a great job patching it up. From there we were in angry mode. I just kind of drove with my hair on fire and got it all the way up there into sixth or whatever and then we pitted again, just crazy strategy that this would work out and thankfully it did. Good for Todd Bodine. He’s a good mentor of mine.”
Doug Randolph (Crew Chief, No. 29 Cooper Standard RAM) “We’ll take it with a grain of salt either way. Parker did a great job and the Cooper Standard RAM guys on pit road have been doing a great job. We got involved in a little spin early in the race and we battled back from that. I appreciate everybody’s hard work. We’d have been close on fuel if we had to go all the way to the end but that last caution would have got us there.”
