NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOODY’S HEADACHE RELIEF SHOT 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
OCTOBER 25, 2013
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD
THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAP 1 AND LAP 2. WHAT WAS THAT DIFFERENCE?
“I guess just getting the right rhythm and matching the grip level that’s out there. There’s some grip but it’s just a fine line (laughs). And it always is here, for sure. But these cooler temperatures kind of make it a little more difficult to get tire temps. It was a good rebound and a nice qualifying effort. Hopefully we can stay in the top 5 and have a good race on Sunday.”
YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME EARLIER TODAY TALKING ABOUT HOW ADVANTAGEOUS THAT FIRST PIT STALL IS. WHAT IS THE NEXT BEST ONE YOU ARE SECOND ON THE BOARD RIGHT NOW?
“There are so other good ones, but for sure that first pit stall is the place to be. We won’t get that opportunity, but hopefully we can stay in the top-five here as this winds down and have a nice opportunity on pit road and good track position to start the race.”
THE GUY YOU ARE NECK AND NECK WITH IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE TRACK RIGHT NOW I UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS HAD A LITTLE FUN THIS WEEK TEXTING WITH EACH OTHER?
“Yeah we have had a lot of fun over the last couple of weeks. Kind of harassing one another but he is doing a good job and he’s on a decent lap here right now, right behind me. So it will be interesting come Sunday.
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED SEVENTH
ON HIS LAP:
‘I felt like I had a good first lap, but I was a little bit greedy with the McDonald’s Chevy in Turn 3. I slid up the track, not a lot, but a little bit. I was shocked that it seems like the track has actually lost grip from practice. We’re so used to it when it comes time to qualify, it actually picking up. I was really thankful that I was just able to run a little bit quicker because from inside the car, it felt like a slower lap than I ran in practice. So, hopefully it will be a top 10 or top 12 starting position. I don’t think it has any chance for the pole, but it would be a good spot for the McDonald’s Chevy.”
A QUICK LAP OUT THERE YOU WERE 17TH IN PRACTICE THOUGH YOU FOUND SOME EXTRA SPEED IN YOUR QUALIFYING LAP HUH?
“Yeah, it was an okay lap. It was a little quicker than I ran in practice. I actually thought the track had a little bit less grip than what it did in practice which this track doesn’t change a lot, but I expected to go quicker. I thought the track had a little less grip. Overall it was a good day for our McDonald’s Chevy. We have had a really good week with winning at Talladega. It’s been a pretty good weekend for us so far.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 MENARDS/TURTLE WAX CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 23RD
YOU GUYS SPENT SOME TIME UP HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO TESTING. IT LOOKED LIKE IT HELPED YOU ARE THIRD ON THE BOARD RIGHT NOW WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT?
“Well we didn’t do any qualifying runs so we weren’t really sure what to expect there. The car had good speed in practice. We didn’t do a whole lot to qualify here. The tires never really came in we didn’t change a whole lot. The tires never felt like they gripped. In practice you do runs and everything gets heat soaked. It felt a lot better in practice I guess.”
WHAT ABOUT FOR THE RACE TOMORROW WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?
“We will switch over the race trim and do a lot of long runs and see how the tires hold up. I felt like the test was really good as far as the drivability and the cooler temperatures now we will see how that applies to tomorrow.”
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 SLEEP INNOVATIONS/DOW CHEVROLET SS, QUALIFIED 22ND:
HOW WAS YOUR LAP OUT THERE? “We kind of struggled all day and just never quite had a grip on it. We came here and tested and the track is a ton different than the way it tested. That wasn’t great by any means but I don’t think it was horrible. Looks like we slowed down a little less than the other guys did and right now, that is a good thing.”
EARLIER THIS WEEK NASCAR ANNOUNCED THERE WOULD BE MANDATORY BASELINE TESTING. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT MOVING FORWARD? “I am a fan of that. I think the reason I am a fan of it is that they didn’t rush into this and they are taking their time at it and understanding exactly what it means rather than just jumping at it. The big concern for everybody is that someone else is going to be making the decision whether you can race and that concerns everybody. On the other hand, they are experts. Its not like a bunch of people doing it as a hobby and there is nothing wrong with somebody looking out for your best interest.”
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