CHEVY NSCS AT BRISTOL ONE: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Press Conference Transcript
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
JEFF BYRD 500 PRESENTED BY FOOD CITY
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
March 18, 2011
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY CHEVROLET met with media and discussed the change in crew chiefs, Danica Patrick, upcoming races, racing this weekend at Bristol, and more. Full Transcript:
Q. (Question about upcoming races.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: A couple tracks I need to run better at. It just gives us a chance to sort of get some better footing and try to improve on what we’re doing.
Q. (Question regarding Lance.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Lance had some times where we did have good chemistry and we did run some good races. I’m real excited about what’s happening right now, real positive about it.
I think it’s realistic to be patient about your expectations. I mean, my expectations are really the same. It’s just early in the season and we got a long, long way to go, a lot of tracks to go race at, a lot of different setups to be working on, ideas that will come and go.
It’s just a long season.
Q. You said during the off-season you liked when you were under the radar. Now there’s a buzz around you. Are you comfortable with that buzz?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think we just got to temper our excitement over what we’ve seen so far. You know, there have been some positive results. We should have run good, and did at Daytona. Phoenix, I don’t know how well we would have finished had a lot of guys hadn’t had trouble like they did. We weren’t strong. It’s hard to pass.
The car was getting better and faster. Would we have been able to make up track position the way the car was? I don’t know. Some places it’s really hard to pass.
I don’t know. You got to temper your mood a little bit and just keep working hard, keep staying focused, realizing how much further in the season we got to go.
I’m comfortable with whatever buzz that creates.
Q. (Question regarding the off week.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: They’re all good. I love off weeks (laughter).
Q. Do you get the feeling that Stevie wants to be there?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think Lance had times where he didn’t want to be there. It’s a real tough job where Lance was put in a very challenging and tough position. He did a really good job being put in that position, how he handled it. We got along good.
I think me and him did as good as we could under the circumstances. I wish we’d have done better. I know he wishes we would have done better.
But, you know, it’s the clean slate, the different personalities. It’s just such a great slate starting for this season. It’s allowed me to sort of reboot a little bit. Me and Steve are getting along really good, and the environment around the garage and trailer and stuff is good. Hopefully we can maintain that.
That’s going to be the challenge really, is me and him maintaining, you know, the positive attitude, maintaining the communication and the consistency of how it’s working right now.
That’s going to be the part that is the hardest and that will determine whether we will succeed or not, is whether we can keep that going over the entire season.
The season is long. You get pissed off. Things don’t go right. You get pissed off. You just got to get through those points when they happen, whether it be in a practice or whatever. The littlest thing, you got to be able to manage it and not let it ruin things. I have a hard time not letting things ruin my day, get pissed off at everything around me. I’ve always had that problem.
But, you know, that’s going to be the tough part, I think the hardest part, just trying to keep the relationship as it seems and it is right now, keeping that throughout the season.
Q. (Question regarding Stevie helping that situation.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think that’s what he’s great at and that’s what he’s doing right now. I mean, he gives you the impression that when you get yourself in a hole or the car isn’t quite going like you want it to go or the car isn’t responding like you think it should, you get the impression that you’ll get it fixed and (indiscernible). As long as he doesn’t fool me too many times, yeah.
He does a great job at, you know, just keeping you in the game. You’re part of the puzzle, and everybody needs to be pulling in the same direction. He’s good at what he does. Ain’t no doubt about it.
Q. (Question regarding Danica.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I think she’ll do fine. She was up to speed rather well in the first run. She’ll do fine. You know, it’s not a real challenging place to look at and say, Well, there’s a line, I need to go out there and run there. With the new banking and stuff, you can be off a couple feet in the cars and relatively still be in the line.
Once she hones it in, we got 24 hours of practice, so by the end of all that, she should have it nailed.
Q. (Question regarding Danica’s progress.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: She’s done a pretty good job. I expected her to do well. Watched the races last year pretty well. Saw some flashes. Watched all the laps she ran. Were physically out there watching it on the racetrack. We saw there was some great potential.
She started to realize some of that potential like she did in Vegas. I thought that was a great race she ran. She was real competitive, raced guys hard, getting comfortable being around the cars, being around the other guys, making moves.
Q. I’m doing a piece on Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton. I was with Kevin Harvick the other day. He said he got a laugh out of it. If somebody else gets in it, everybody is picking at them. What did you think of that?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I don’t think Burton had much of a choice. We’ve seen Jeff, he’s upset with you, he’ll let you know. We saw him do that with Burton and Matt. I wasn’t at all surprised at what I was watching.
But it was exciting I think, a race story for the week. You know, sometimes, man, you just get so mad, you got to go handle it. You got to go handle your business.
Q. (Question about the four races coming up.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Basically here at Bristol, I just want to try to maintain my consistency, get a good car under me, take care of it, manage a good race. We’ve been able to do that a lot at this place.
At California, I’m excited to get there and work with Stevie and see what his package drives like. Hopefully we’ll sort of, you know, have the same success we had at Vegas.
Martinsville, same thing about Bristol. Take a good car there, qualify rather well, use good pit strategy, manage a good race, put yourself in position for a competitive finish. That’s how you short-track race. If the car hauls ass, get to the front. If you need to work on your car, manage your track position, manage yourself so you don’t lose track position. If you lose track position in them races, it’s really hard to get back.
Talladega just is what it is.
Q. Texas.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Texas is the other one?
I feel pretty good about Texas. We run good there the last couple times. We could improve, but I feel pretty confident going there.
Q. Is the next big thing for you is to have a good car the entire weekend?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Yeah, I guess. I mean, you know, I don’t know that you can expect to show up exactly tuned in. It’s nice when you do show up and you’re in the top five in times. But, I mean, these damn cars are so finicky, and you dial it in and out throughout the series of a practice, you know, it might look like you’re good all weekend, but the driver’s never satisfied. There’s always a run or two that doesn’t feel just right, something the crew chief changed that you just didn’t like. The weekend goes up and down even though it looks steady on the chart.
But, you know, it would be nice once we get to that point. We’ll get that opportunity I’m sure throughout the season to get to that point.
Q. The new Bristol or the old Bristol, which do you like better?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I really like ’em both. I don’t prefer one over the other. This one has so many different characteristics versus the old one. The old one, you ran the bottom. There wasn’t a second groove. You moved guys out of the way. You know, it was a fun racetrack. A little tougher on cars, a little rougher.
But this place is really smooth. There’s more grooves. It makes it harder to pass because the guy on the outside can hold you off if he wants to be hard-headed about it.
I think, you know, there’s good things about both of them.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Not really. The plate is really one of a kind.
Q. What are your expectations for this weekend?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Just get a good car under us in practice and start the race, manage a good race, work ourselves into the top 10, try to work ourselves into the top 5, try to work ourselves into the top 3. One step after another, see how competitive we can be.
Q. (Question regarding the NCAA basketball tournament.) What would a win by you do? Would you make a dent in the headlines?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: There’s some pretty passionate basketball fans out there. Yeah, I mean, I think they deserve some of the headlines. Pretty good stuff.
Q. Do you think you’re inching closer to a win?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Yeah. I feel we’ve made some steps that have helped us. We got a long ways to go, though. We have to temper our expectations and just try to maintain our focus on what that job is that day, that moment, just do what we need to do, do it as good as we can, try to get competitive, stay competitive, try to do a good job in the races. We’ll see.
Q. Fontana is down to a 400-mile race.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: That’s awesome. Hell, yeah. That’s great. They should look at Pocono. The only race that lasts 4 hours. All the others are ones are in the 3 hour to 3:15 mark. We go to Pocono, it’s 3:58. They should cut about a hundred miles out of that one, too.
Q. (Question regarding the NFL lockout situation.)
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I’m upset as a fan. I hope we get to see some football. I don’t know what I’ll do, how I’ll replace my Fantasy Football league. Really, I mean, I look forward to it. I don’t know what I’ll do with my time. It will be disappointing not to have football, especially when our season’s over. We got a couple more weeks still in the regular season.
As a racecar driver, that’s one thing I look forward to about the end of the season, watching football, watch my team on Sunday. It will be disappointing that we might not have a season.
That happens to be an opportunity for us. I just hope we get some football.
Q. You blame one side or the other?
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Yeah, I don’t know enough about it. I don’t know enough about their problems.
About Chevrolet: Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com ce5&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.chevrolet.com%2f>
Kenny Wallace Is A Changed Man
It may be early in the 2011 season, but one Nationwide driver, NASCAR personality and broadcaster, Kenny Wallace, is already a changed man.
[media-credit name=”theautochannel.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″]
[/media-credit]Now that Wallace has found a home at RAB Racing, he has changed his racing performance from running in the back in previous years to having two consecutive top ten finishes, as well as sitting eighth in the point standings.
“I’m a changed person,” Wallace said. “I came across a quote this winter and it really inspired me. The quote is ‘Your life won’t change until you change your life.’
“The point is this,” Wallace continued. “I found myself in some tough circumstances over the last three years and I kept blaming it on not getting a sponsor. And so I just took a leap of faith and quit the team I was with and after I ran so good in my brother Rusty’s Toyota last year, it inspired me.”
“So, we worked really hard and at the same time, Robby Benton and RAB Racing called me up and we put a deal together,” Wallace said. “It feels really good to work hard and have some results.”
Wallace is also looking forward to a change in attitude, as well as results, as he heads into the Scotts EZ Speed 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. He will be behind the wheel of the RAB Racing No. 09 UNOH Toyota Camry.
“I know what I’ve got to do there,” Wallace said. “I know the feeling I need in the car. So, I’m still focused on laying down some good finishes.”
“And at the end of the race, if I’m in position to win, then we’re going to try to win,” Wallace continued. “But right now, I’m going to Bristol to race the race track.”
Wallace has had success at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile”. Out of his 33 Nationwide Series starts at Bristol, Wallace has a win, a pole, eight top-5 finishes and 18 top-10 finishes to his credit.
While Wallace is looking forward to changing it up at Bristol, he recently announced another big change. The infamous ‘fan car’ is returning to the Wallace stable and will be raced at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 14th.
“The fan car came out of the blue there in 2009,” Wallace said. “When we announced that we didn’t have a sponsor in Montreal, it was the fans’ idea that they sponsor the car.”
“The fans loved it,” Wallace continued. “It was their car.”
“Things went really well and they’ve been wanting me to do another one,” Wallace said. “I on purpose didn’t do it last year because I didn’t want to wear it out. So, we’re going to do it again this year.”
Fans can go to www.kennywallace.com and for $20, get their name on the car, a post card sent to them at home, and an invitation to Wallace’s shop on Wednesday, October 12th for a meet-and-greet prior to the race weekend. Wallace’s sponsor will supply the refreshments and the event will afford all fans the opportunity to see their car in advance of it being on the race track.
The whole fan car development has also changed the way that Wallace interacts and relates to his fans. He is now one of the strongest believers in the power of the social media, from Facebook to Twitter.
“I have my own unique conversations with the fans, especially on Twitter,” Wallace said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
“What’s funny about social networking is that it’s been around for awhile but it has really gotten big,” Wallace continued. “It’s no longer child’s play.”
“People conduct conversation and everybody is realizing that Twitter is here to stay,” Wallace said. “It’s a form of communication that is fun for people to know more and get the truth out.”
While much has changed in the world of the ‘Herminator’ as he is known to many of his fans, there are several constants that Wallace never wants to change. One of those is his love of his family and the other is his passion for dirt track racing.
Wallace literally lights up when he talks about his wife Kim and their three grown daughters, Brooke, Brandy and Brittany. Daughter Brooke is a dental hygienist, Brandy is a cosmetologist, and Brittany is a student at Johnson and Wales for fashion merchandising.
“I had a good childhood growing up and I was a ‘mama’s boy’ so I always said that if I ever had any kids, I’m going to give them a lot of love just like my mom gave me,” Wallace said. “My mom say’s I’m an ‘old soul’ so I want to make sure my kids are tough, that they know they’ve got support and love, but they also know Mom and Dad’s got their back.”
Wallace’s other constant is his passion for dirt track racing. When he’s not behind the wheel of his Nationwide car or behind the microphone for SPEED, he is most likely happily racing on a dirt track somewhere throughout the country.
“I love driving race cars,” Wallace said. “The reason I drive the dirt cars is because I got one employee, my dirt car sponsor and there’s no stress there.”
“I simply just want to win,” Wallace said. “If I don’t do good in the car, it’s on me. It’s my chance to do what I want to do the way I want to do it just with me involved.”
No matter what changes in Wallace’s life, he wants fans to know one thing about him.
“I thinks fans are suprised because I’m so real,” Wallace said. “I’m just like them. There’s no prima donna for me.”
“My wife irons my clothes, I vacuum, I pay my own bills,” Wallace said. “I don’t like to act big time. I want to sit down with everybody and have a good time.”
And in spite of the other changes recently in his career, that is one thing that will never change in the life of Kenny Wallace.
On to Bristol – Will Progressive Banking Continue to Sideline NASCAR’s Best Race?
On Friday, I head to Bristol for the umpteenth time to watch short track racing at its best. I have attended every race at Bristol since 1996, and it is one of the greatest shows on the NASCAR circuit, second only to Martinsville, but it has changed over the years. The biggest change was when the changed the track in 2007 to progressive banking. This made the track, in many fans’ view, less exciting.
[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”264″]
[/media-credit]The fact was that the “old” track has just one lane around it and that resulted in what many longtime fans called “banging and beating” throughout the race. With passing being much easier, there are less racing accidents and less excitement for the fans. Those of us who are racing purists (or think we are, anyway), the extra passing was welcomed, but many fans were very upset. In fact one fan told me that prior to the reconfiguration of the track, he had no trouble getting rid of his two extra tickets. It seems that he had subscribed for four tickets in the 1980’s. Over time, his two children grew up and left home, but the two extra tickets could be sold easily because everyone wanted to go to Bristol. Not anymore. For the last eight races, he has not been able to sell his two extra tickets and has notified the track he only needs two from now on. Many blame the poor economy for this, but the evidence show maybe this is not the case.
No doubt, the economy is a factor, but the racing is part of the problem. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Bristol and all it is to the NASCAR nation, but it is obviously not the same. The question that needs to be asked is why to the powers that be feel a need to change something that is working so well? We’ve seen it at other places, and sometimes it’s successful. It’s not been successful at Bristol. As I write, tickets are still available at BMS. Stubhub.com is still filled with tickets for sale just 4 days before the race. Is it the economy or the racing? You fans have to answer that question.
I see the campgrounds with the empty spaces. I see the empty seats and I wonder. Maybe it’s the drivers. Where once Dale Earnhardt “rattled the cage” of Terry Labonte, we’ve seen races that are more like the other races at other venues. No longer does anyone dominate like a Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip or Caleb Yarborough, but is the racing worse? That’s up to you, the fan, to decide. So what is you’re your reason for not attending?
No matter what happens, progressive banking or not, I would not miss a race at Bristol. The sleepy little town is one of the friendliest places to watch a NASCAR race. Regardless of what happens, this place is one of the jewels of the circuit. It would be a shame for maybe the greatest place to watch a race to be less than capacity on Sunday, I have faith that folks will fill that stadium. And, if not, the conversation will continue. My hope is fans will fill that bowl for Sunday’s race because regardless of the changes, it still is one of the two places to watch a race. I’ll be there, will you?
SpeedwayMedia News and Bits
This weeks Jeff Byrd 500 from the historic half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway should prove to be another interesting race in the 2011 schedule. Nestled in the Northeast Tennessee hills this half-mile track is the fourth largest sports venue in America and the eighth largest in the world housing up to 165,000 people. Darrell Waltrip holds the track record with 12-wins while Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough hold the track record for poles with nine.
[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”300″]
[/media-credit]This weeks TV schedule for the Jeff Byrd 500.
Practice
– 12 p.m. ET Fri. on Speed
Qualifying
– 3:30 p.m. ET Fri. on Speed
Practice
– 10:45 a.m. ET Sat. on Speed
Practice
Noon ET Sat. on Speed
Jeff Byrd 500
1 p.m. ET Sun. on FOX
*Wood Brothers Bristol return sparks fond memories.
The return to Victory Lane for the legendary Wood Brothers at the Daytona 500 coincides with the 10-year anniversary of it last win before 2011: at Bristol in 2001, with Elliott Sadler.
A couple of Wood Brothers story lines mesh together this weekend. There’s the anniversary on the heels of the Daytona 500 win. But there’s also its driver returning to his hometown track. Trevor Bayne, a Knoxville, Tenn. native returns home to race for the first time since his win in The Great American Race.
*‘Golden’ Rule: History Continues At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, one the more storied tracks on the NASCAR schedule, celebrates its 50th anniversary this season – and the history it has built is staggering.
The wins list alone features some of the most iconic names in the sport’s history. Eight of the top nine are series champions, and five of those are either NASCAR Hall of Famers, inductees or nominees. The top nine: Darrell Waltrip (12), Dale Earnhardt (9), Rusty Wallace (9), Cale Yarborough (9), Kurt Busch (5), Jeff Gordon (5), David Pearson (5), Bobby Allison (4) and Kyle Busch (4).
Here’s a quick ‘By the Numbers’ look at Bristol since its first Cup race in 1961, won by Jack Smith.
.064 – In seconds, the closest margin of victory at Bristol since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993. On March 25, 2007, in the first race with the new car, Kyle Busch edged Jeff Burton to the finish line by that miniscule figure. Each of the last four races at Bristol has had a margin of victory under one second.
9 – Bristol poles by Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough, most all-time there. Martin would reach career milestone 50 poles if he wins the pole this weekend.
16 – Different leaders at Bristol on April 9, 1989. Won by Rusty Wallace, 16 of the 32-car field – half the competitors – led at least one lap.
40 – Lead changes at Bristol on April 14, 1991, the most ever at Bristol. Starting from the pole, Rusty Wallace won that event. Eight different drivers exchanged the top spot, with Ricky Rudd leading the most laps (145).
50 – Career win number of Jimmie Johnson when he won his first Bristol race, March 21, 2010. It was also the site of Rusty Wallace’s 50th win, on March 26, 2000.
500 – Laps led by Cale Yarborough on March 25, 1973. It was the only time a driver led every single lap at Bristol. Yarborough won the race by two laps over runner-up Richard Petty.
*Notes for Bristol
There have been 100 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the first race there in 1961, two races each season.
All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.
Fred Lorenzen won the first pole.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Jack Smith
(with relief from Johnny Allen).
*From the Bristol Notebook.
There have been 44 different pole winners, led by Cale Yarborough and Mark Martin (nine). Martin swept both poles at Bristol in 1995, 1996 and 2009.
38 different drivers have won, led by Darrell Waltrip (12).
Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon each have five wins, most among active drivers.
The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards in the night race of 2008.
80 of 100 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 52 from the first four spots.
The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001. Prior to this year’s Daytona 500, that race was the last win by legendary owners, the Wood Brothers.
How the top Ten in points have fared at Bristol:
Driver Races Poles Wins Average Finish Driver Rating
1 Tony Stewart 24 1 1 16.9 93.8
2 Kurt Busch 20 1 5 13.0 95.9
3 Carl Edwards 13 1 2 13.3 89.4
4 Juan Pablo Montoya 8 0 0 18.8 80.2
5 Ryan Newman 18 2 0 17.6 87.9
6 Paul Menard 7 0 0 22.9 61.8
7 Martin Truex Jr 10 0 0 22.9 73.6
8 Denny Hamilin 10 0 0 14.6 91.8
9 AJ Allmendinger 7 0 0 30.0 58.8
10 Dale Earnhardt Jr 22 0 1 11.5 88.7
Point Standings after race 3 of 36
Rank Driver Points Behind
1 Tony Stewart 113 Leader
2 Kurt Busch 113 Leader
3 Carl Edwards 106 -7
4 Juan Montoya 106 -7
5 Ryan Newman 103 -10
6 Paul Menard 96 -17
7 Martin Truex Jr. 95 -18
8 Denny Hamlin 95 -18
9 AJ Allmendinger 94 -19
10 Dale Earnhardt Jr 91 -22
11 Mark Martin 91 -22
12 Jimmie Johnson 87 -26
13 Kasey Kahne 87 -26
14 Kyle Busch 86 -27
15 Bobby Labonte 84 -29
