NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
KOBALT TOOLS 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
November 12, 2010
CLINT BOWYER, NO. 33 CHEERIO’S/HAMBURGER HELPER CHEVROLET met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed racing at Phoenix, team orders in the Chase and other topics. Full transcript:
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT RACING AT PHOENIX?: “Looking forward to racing here again. Looking forward to the Truck race tonight – that’s my first Truck race in a while. I have a good truck that Kevin (Harvick) built for me. I’m excited about maybe ending up in victory lane. I have a definite shot at it – the truck is fast and I’m excited. I’m excited to be marching back towards the front in the Cup Series. We moved up a couple spots and I thought we were definitely going to end up 12th so hopefully we can continue.
“Looking at the points deal right now, honestly we can get as far as fifth. That’s not far-fetched and if we can do that that would be pretty incredible given the talent level and competition level inside the Chase.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CHEVROLET GOING BACK TO INDY CAR RACING AND WOULD ANYONE BE ABLE TO WIN THE INDY 500 AND COKE 600 IN THE SAME DAY?: “I think Chevrolet going back into the Indy Car Series is definitely a big day for all of them involved. Chevrolet has such a big impact in our sport of NASCAR and they’re going to once again have a big impact over there. As far as the 20 million dollars, I would love to have it, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
WHY DO YOU THINK KEVIN HARVICK IS OVERLOOKED FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP?: “Judging that team versus the other and handicapping so to speak, he doesn’t have the wins that they do so you look at that and you automatically say that he’s not in contention, but they’ve been very solid and very, very consistent all year long. The most top-10s if you look at it, by quite a bit in the series and they’ve just done a great job of getting good finishes at the end of the race. They’re not always there throughout the race and they haven’t won as many races as Denny (Hamlin) and Jimmie (Johnson), but certainly week in and week out consistently they’ve been the car to beat since the beginning I think.”
ARE PHOENIX AND HOMESTEAD SIMILAR AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT HOMESTEAD?: “They both have a blue wall, but this is short track and Homestead is definitely an intermediate track. Just really to be honest with you, two completely different race tracks, but that’s what makes this sport what it is. That’s what makes the Chase difficult – here you are the last two races to decide a championship and you have a good short track race and then you have another good intermediate track. A good mixture of race tracks to have to go through and overcome to win a championship. I think it’s going to be good right down to the end. I don’t think it’s going to be decided here and it’s probably going to be down to the last lap at Homestead as to who is going to be the champion.”
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO SETUP YOUR CAR TO BE FAST HERE ON SUNDAY?: “Again, you have to have a good balance in your race car. Loose and tight grip levels always change, but the balance of the race car has to be good and stay consistent. As it cools down, you’re going to gain grip, but as long as you can keep a good balance under your race car then you’re going to be good. You have to compensate. In turns one and two, they are tight with radiused corner and turns three and four are sweeping and a lot more gradual so you have to have the ability as a driver to compensate and make up the difference and then as a race car you have to be able to adjust on it and feel comfortable with your setup.”
IF KEVIN HARVICK CANNOT WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, DO YOU HAVE TO BE A TEAMMATE TO JIMMIE JOHNSON TO BE SURE A TOYOTA DOES NOT WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?: “I don’t know. That’s looking too much into it. If I can help in practice or if I come across something that’s better and I feel comfortable that it is then I’m going to go over and tell Kevin (Harvick) to get it in his car. As a teammate, that’s all you can do. If Kevin’s out of the thing and Jimmie Johnson is looking for me to wreck somebody or something, that’s not going to happen.”
DO YOU TALK ABOUT TEAM ORDERS IF IT CAME TO THE FINAL LAP AT HOMESTEAD?: “Not really. If it comes down to the last lap and I’m winning the race and Kevin’s (Harvick) second and if he gets around me, he wins the championship, he’s going to win a lot of money and maybe we can renegotiate. The biggest thing there is, if that’s the case, a championship a pretty big thing for everybody involved and that’s first and foremost. I’m sure he’ll make it up to me one way or another. If it comes down to that. I would have to show him how to throw a party.”
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