DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET Met with media and discussed Memorial Day, running in the longest race of the year, how the Coca-Cola 600 compares to the All-Star race, and more.
Full Transcript:

 

Q.        Danica, what does Memorial Day mean to you?

 

DANICA PATRICK:
 I thought you were going to ask me about labor.  What does Memorial Day mean to me?

 

Q.        Yes.

 

DANICA PATRICK:  Well, for me, for so long obviously it meant Indy.  It’s not Labor Day, it’s Memorial Day.  I’m like, wait, no.

Memorial Day was the month of May for me.  It was Indianapolis.  It was a lot about the military, the people that serve our country on race day, everything down to them being the ones that
sang national anthems sometimes before the race. 

It’s the start of summer.  

 

Q.        How different was your experience last weekend compared to running the 600 last year, new car and all that?

 

DANICA PATRICK:  How different was the All-Star Race versus the Coke 600?

 

Q.        Compared to being a rookie last year and coming back.?

 

DANICA PATRICK:  I mean, the All-Star Race is a totally different thing.  So I guess you get more track time really, which for me
is good. 

 

Q.        Do you feel you’re a better driver than years past?

DANICA PATRICK:  I don’t know.  It doesn’t look like it out there.  There’s definitely no chance that I’m getting worse.  Continuing
to learn and get more comfortable.  We’re learning with the car.  We know we have a lot further to go with getting to a place of speed that we want.  But every day that we’re on track, every lap that we make is going to bring us a little closer and learn a
little bit more. Sometimes it’s about what not to do. 

 

Q.        This is one of the signature races of the season, not just a holiday weekend.  The longest race the year.  How important would it be for you to run well here, change the conversation
a little bit?  How close do you think your team is to competing week in, week out in the top 10?

DANICA PATRICK:  Sorry, that was like three questions.  What one do you want me to answer?

 

Q.        Performing well in a signature race.

 

DANICA PATRICK:  It’s always really nice to do well when everyone is watching or when more people are watching.  I’ve been very
fortunate in my career that that happens a lot, whether it be Indy or Daytona or big races like that.  It’s been a nice coincidence for me.

We didn’t have a special race here last year in the Coke 600, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t this weekend.  Hopefully we keep that trend going of having good weekends on big weekends.?

 

Q.        How close do you think you are to running in the top 10 consistently?

 

DANICA PATRICK:  I think that as an organization I feel like half of the battle is kind of figuring out what it is, and I think
we have a grasp, an idea, of what that is, what those things are.  Executing is the next challenge.

I think it’s going to take some time.  I don’t know how long it will take to have those issues fixed ultimately, but I feel like we have an idea of where we need to go.

 

Q.        (No microphone.)

DANICA PATRICK:  Yeah, I mean, I think everybody rolls into a year, you think you’ve done everything you can to prepare best as
possible.  You don’t know till you get going, which is why at the beginning of the year when people ask about what I should be expecting out there, what to expect, I said, Let’s see how the first five races go, see where we shake out.  I think that’s the same
every year.  You just need to see where you end up on all the different tracks, what you need to work out.

I do, I think that we were surprised.  But all of us understand that we have to work hard to fix it.

 

Q.        On race day, what do you do to get yourself mentally prepared to race?  Any kind of rituals?

DANICA PATRICK:  I listen to Eye of the Tiger six times and I do 40 push-ups in a row (laughter).

I don’t do anything unique or different.  I just have a normal morning.  I don’t think that changing it up means anything.  Superstitions are only real if you believe in them.

They change based on what race time is, what there is to do before the race.  Night races are far different days than noon races.  No, I don’t do anything in particular.

 

Q.        As you gain more experience in the car, your thought process, the things you’re thinking about as the race progresses, how has that changed from a year or so ago?  I guess you’re
learning more things. 

 

DANICA PATRICK:  I would say the biggest difference between when I’m out running the car at the beginning last year and now, I just
feel like I understand a little bit better, definitely not great, but I understand better what’s happening with the car, whether it’s the splitter hitting, whether or not it’s falling over on the right rear, something like that.  I can identify the issues
a little bit better than I could in the beginning, of course. 

 

Q.        How much does that help you?

DANICA PATRICK:
 It just helps to be able to identify the problem so I can relay the right information to Gibson so he can fix it.  He’s only as good as the information I give him.

Over time I’m getting better at that, help hone in on what change is the best one, not by telling him, but giving him more detailed information.

 

Q.        (No microphone.)

DANICA PATRICK:  I’m not going to lie.  I didn’t feel very good after we ended the All-Star Race last weekend.  I’m not necessarily
optimistic right now about the race. 

But by no means do I let that take me out of the game, take my effort out.  We were all fired up today.  I think we had a relatively decent practice.  We had lots of issues.  Around that, I
think we had better race speed.  I think we’re learning more about what I need in a qualifying car.

You know, let’s hope that helps us qualify better and let’s hope that helps us race better.  That’s just what we do every single day and weekend, is work towards those things.

I have a little bit of a better feeling after practicing than I did this morning arriving.  So a step in the right direction.

 

Q.        This being Indy 500 week, do you think more about possibly doing the double at some point seeing all that going on?

DANICA PATRICK:  I would say that I don’t think more about it when Indy comes up as far as on the schedule.  But I would say that
I think about it each year at the end of the year what I want to do. 

I really tried hard to do it this year.  We all did on my team.  Ultimately it came down to the fact that it wasn’t going to help me here, and this is what I’ve chosen to do now, it’s not fair
to take away from it.  I have a long way to go to figure this out.  I need to focus here.

As the years go by, more and more distance goes between my full-time IndyCar career and now, it gets less and less likely.

 

Q.        Homesick feeling watching it?

DANICA PATRICK:  No.  I have really fond memories.  I, of course, would have loved to have won the race.  I feel very fortunate
as a driver to have been in a position to win a few times.  Definitely two times having a really, really good chance.  I feel good about that.

 

It’s just one race.  It is the Indy 500, but I feel like I also did good things.  While Indy can kind of make a driver, I feel like it is part of what made me who I am today.  So it did those
things for me.  I didn’t win, but it did make me who I am today.

 

Q.        600 miles tougher physically or mentally?

DANICA PATRICK:  Physically it’s just about hydration.  Mentally it’s about hydration actually, I would say.  Honestly, that’s where
you lose it. 

I’ve already started working on that.  To be honest, that’s kind of the norm for NASCAR.  These long races on Sundays, you really need to focus on just staying hydrated.  The car is not hard
to turn.  It’s not physically difficult to drive.  But you do sweat your butt off in there, so I’m working on that.

 

Q.        After the 40 push-ups.

DANICA PATRICK:  Yeah, my triceps are spazzing.

No, it’s fine.  Just got to stay hydrated.

 

Q.        How about a Dover preview?  What are you thinking about as you head to the Monster Mile next week?

DANICA PATRICK:  I’m thinking I’m glad we tested there.  I hope it helps.  It didn’t help Newman last year.  I think we went there
and there was a lot more cars on the track.  There was like 11 of us.  Actually laid down a little bit of rubber.  Obviously the things we worked on will translate on race weekend.  I think that’s always a struggle from testing to race time.

 

     FastScripts by ASAP Sports

 

 

 

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BOBBY LABONTE & NO. 47 HOUSE-AUTRY TOYOTA CAMRY
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SPRINT SHOWDOWN PREVIEW
FOR ALL-STAR WEEKEND AT CHARLOTTE

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Event: Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race

Bobby Labonte went on to finish 19th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson won the event.

This year, three All-Star spots remain up for grabs and Bobby Labonte wants one. The top-two finishers of the Sprint Showdown will transfer into the All-Star event. The winner of the Sprint Fan Vote gets the final starting slot. Labonte won the Sprint Fan Vote last year.

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race field of 19 drivers is comprised of 2012-13 NASCAR Sprint Cup winners; the past 10 NASCAR Sprint All-Star winners; the past 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup champions; the top-two finishers from the Sprint Showdown and the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote. Sprint Fan Voting continues through 5 p.m. EDT, May 18 via NASCAR.com/SprintFanVote. Votes cast on NASCAR Mobile ’13 count twice.

When twenty-two drivers are turned loose in the All-Star race, more than $1 million is up for grabs.

JTG Daugherty Racing Quotes:

Sprint Fan Vote last year:   “It was a great surprise to win the Sprint Fan Vote and very personally uplifting for the fact that we weren’t even going to the race other than to try practicing a few laps,” Labonte said. “For us to go and get voted in was awesome. For the fans to take the time do all that voting reminds me of how loyal NASCAR fans are.”

All-Star Race Sponsor:   “We are very fortunate to have House-Autry sponsoring us for the All-Star weekend,” said Labonte. “Their support will allow us to focus on racing hard in the showdown so we can earn one of the transfer spots into the All-Star race.”

Showdown format and All-Star race:  “It’s a great night of racing, different from anything else we do,” Labonte said. “To get in the All-Star race, it feels like you have to really drive harder than any other race throughout the year. But if you get in, the intensity level is even higher.”

Being home for Charlotte race weeks: “Yes, it is a really great track to race at and it feels good to sleep in my bed every night for a few weeks,” Labonte said.

Crew chief looks forward to All-Star weekend too:  “Charlotte should be a really good weekend for the 47 team,” crew chief Brian Burns said. “We are using the practice session this weekend to do some testing on a few items that we’ve been developing back at the shop.  Bobby had a very good car last year in the fall race, and our testing during the Charlotte offseason test sessions were very positive.  We are using this weekend to learn what we can and apply to the car for the Showdown Race as well as the Coca-Cola 600.”

Bobby Labonte Stats

Career Starts: 701
Wins:  21
Top-five:  115
Top-10:  201
First Start:  06/03/1991 Dover
First Pole:  09/11/1993 Richmond
First Win:  05/28/1995 Charlotte
Last Pole:  04/04/2004 Texas
Last Win:  11/16/2003 Homestead (329 races since)
Driver DOB:  05/08/1964
Hometown:  Corpus Christi, TX
Crew Chief:  Brian Burns

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Wins List
Year    Driver                        Year     Driver
1985    Darrell Waltrip            1999     Terry Labonte
1986    Bill Elliott                    2000     Dale Earnhardt Jr.
1987    Dale Earnhardt           2001     Jeff Gordon
1988    Terry Labonte             2002     Ryan Newman
1989    Rusty Wallace             2003     Jimmie Johnson
1990    Dale Earnhardt           2004     Matt Kenseth
1991    Davey Allison              2005     Mark Martin
1992    Davey Allison              2006     Jimmie Johnson
1993    Dale Earnhardt           2007     Kevin Harvick
1994    Geoff Bodine               2008     Kasey Kahne
1995    Jeff Gordon                 2009     Tony Stewart
1996    Michael Waltrip           2010     Kurt Busch
1997    Jeff Gordon                 2011     Carl Edwards
1998    Mark Martin                2012     Jimmie Johnson

·         There have been 28 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was in 1985.
·         27 have been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1986, the event was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and won by Bill Elliott. That season was also the first year for what is now known as the Sprint Showdown.
·         89 drivers have run in at least one NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, with 75 competing in more than one.
·         There have been 19 different winners of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in 1985 at 161.184 mph.

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Delicious recipes at “House-Autry.com”

Tailgater of the Week:

Last weekend, Darlington Raceway had some of the best tailgaters and the winner’s awarded on Saturday were Todd and Dawn Arnwine from North Charleston, SC.

The pair had a prime spot on the main strip in the infield and actually bought two spots so they could have enough room for all of their friends to have a great tailgating experience.

The Arnwine’s favorite things to grill include tenderloin, brisket and steak. They are big fans of JTG Daugherty Racing’s sponsor’s products.

Todd was easily the most enthusiastic tailgater at the track, waving and talking to everyone that went past his site.

This is his fourth year tailgating in the infield. His spot was directly across from the giant Sprint Vision screen so they were able to continue the tailgate throughout the race and not go into the stands.

Congratulations to the Arnwine’s! We’ll be looking for this weeks Tailgater at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Are you the ultimate “Grillmaster” at the race track? Do you want to win an all expense paid trip and be the VIP guest of JTG Daugherty Racing at the big race in Las Vegas in 2014?

If you answered yes, then get out to the track and let us know where you are tailgating! Each race weekend during the Sprint Cup season JTG Daugherty Racing will be scouting the infields and campgrounds, looking for the best tailgaters at the track. The best, most enthusiastic tailgaters each race weekend will win a custom prize pack and become eligible for our “TAILGATER OF THE YEAR” competition.

You can let us know where you are tailgating by tweeting us your location.

Throughout the weekend, leading up to the green flag, our team members, owners and maybe even Bobby Labonte himself will be patrolling the infield and campsites looking for the best tailgaters. So, fire up your grills with Kingsford® Charcoal, heat up a can of Bush’s® Grillin’ Beans and clean up your messes with Clorox® and Scott® Brand Products!

Simply follow us on Twitter @NASCAR47 , send us a tweet with your tailgate location and include the hash tag #TweetYourTailgate.

Visit www.RaceSavers.com for more details!

Track: Darlington Raceway
Event: Bojangles’ Southern 500
Time:  6:45 PM ET
TV/Radio: FOX / MRN Radio

Darlington Raceway:

There have been 47 pole winners and 45 race winners at Darlington Raceway. Bobby Labonte is a part of that elite group owning one win (9/3/00) and one pole (8/30/97) along with five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 32 starts. He has led 131 laps and his average start is 16.094 and his average finish is 16.344.

This weekend Labonte looks to top his season best finish of 15th that occurred at Daytona International Speedway in February.

He is currently 28th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, 103 points out of 10th place.

Bobby Labonte Stats

Career Starts: 700
Wins:  21
Top-five:  115
Top-10:  201
First Start:  06/03/1991 Dover
First Pole:  09/11/1993 Richmond
First Win:  05/28/1995 Charlotte
Last Pole:  04/04/2004 Texas
Last Win:  11/16/2003 Homestead (329 races since)
Driver DOB:  05/08/1964
Hometown:  Corpus Christi, TX
Crew Chief:  Brian Burns

JTG Daugherty Racing Notes and Quotes:

Labonte, who celebrated his 49th birthday on Wednesday, is a fan of Darlington Raceway:

“Darlington is a track like no other with rich history,” Labonte continued. “I just love going there. It’s a special race and one I’ve had the privilege of winning. We’ve got Kingsford Charcoal on board this weekend and look forward to carrying the brand on our No. 47 Toyota Camry.”

Crew chief Brian Burns is confident about competing on the team’s chances in the Bojangles’ Southern 500:

“We’ve had two top-20s in a row and you can see the progress we are making,” Burns said. “If we hadn’t been collected in the big one at Talladega Superspeedway, we would have finished better. We had a good car and Bobby was able to lead some laps. We feel like we’ve turned the corner and we are going to another track that caters to a veteran driver like Bobby Labonte. It’s one of our stronger tracks in the lineup. We’ve also been spending a lot of time at TRD’s facility the last couple of weeks. We’ve done some R&D work that we are going to apply that will put us a step ahead of where we’ve been.”

Labonte reflects his win on September 3, 2000 in a backup car after taking a provisional and starting 37th:

“The weather was threatening the race finish and we beat the everyone off pit road the time when it counted the most,” Labonte said. “Not long after, the track was drenched with rain. It was all about timing. We didn’t have the fastest car that day, but we were able to beat everyone out of the pits and capitalize when the track was drenched the final time.”

The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion finished 29th the last time out at Darlington Raceway:

“We tried to overcome handling and motor challenges the last time we were there,” Labonte said.

Happy Mother’s Day Get Out & Grill:

“It’s a special weekend and I’d like to say Happy Mother’s Day,” Labonte said. “It’s another great reason to grab a bag of Kingsford Charcoal and ‘Get Out & Grill’ with your family and celebrate your mom.”

________________________________
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT KINGSFORD
FIRE UP THE GRILL FOR MOM!

This Mother’s Day, why not celebrate with a home grilled meal for the special lady in your life?

Here are just some of the reasons why we grill at home on Mom’s Day…

To view the number #1 reason to grill for Mother’s Day CLICK HERE or visit www.kingsford.com

Tailgater of the Week:

Last week at Talladega Superspeedway, Eddie Whitney’s unique campsite on Talladega Boulevard in the infield was hard to pass up for Tailgater of the Week. They took top honors with their mechanical bull as the centerpiece of their layout.
“Basically we were trying to figure out something that hadn’t been at a track before and we said let’s bring a mechanical bull,” said Whitney, who is from Charleston, S.C. “It’s an original idea and no one that we know has ever seem a mechanical bull at a track.”
Whitney is a proud supporter of all of JTG Daugherty Racing’s brands and is a big fan of Kingsford Charcoal. His most favorite thing to throw on the grill are steaks.

Do you have what it takes to be the “TAILGATER OF THE WEEK”? Are you the ultimate “Grillmaster” at the race track? Do you want to win an all expense paid trip and be the VIP guest of JTG Daugherty Racing at the big race in Las Vegas in 2014?

Are you the ultimate “Grillmaster” at the race track? Do you want to win an all expense paid trip and be the VIP guest of JTG Daugherty Racing at the big race in Las Vegas in 2014?

If you answered yes, then get out to the track and let us know where you are tailgating! Each race weekend during the Sprint Cup season JTG Daugherty Racing will be scouting the infields and campgrounds, looking for the best tailgaters at the track. The best, most enthusiastic tailgaters each race weekend will win a custom prize pack and become eligible for our “TAILGATER OF THE YEAR” competition.
You can let us know where you are tailgating by tweeting us your location.

Throughout the weekend, leading up to the green flag, our team members, owners and maybe even Bobby Labonte himself will be patrolling the infield and campsites looking for the best tailgaters. So, fire up your grills with Kingsford® Charcoal, heat up a can of Bush’s® Grillin’ Beans and clean up your messes with Clorox® and Scott® Brand Products!
Simply follow us on Twitter @NASCAR47 , send us a tweet with your tailgate location and include the hash tag #TweetYourTailgate

Visit www.RaceSavers.com for more

Bobby Labonte Scheduled Appearances:

Saturday, May 11th

2:50 to 3:10   MRO Pace Car Rides

3:20 to 3:35   Coca-Cola Appearance 15 minute Q&A in hospitality village