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The Winston Qualifying Quotes
THE CAR WAS OBVIOUSLY GOOD ALL DAY. "Good, excellent. We were quick when we unloaded earlier this morning. We ran some awful good times in the heat even on older tires. They said they didn't want me to make another qualifying run, so I didn't even go out and re-run this afternoon other than just going out and kind of warmed it up. We mainly worked on getting in and out of the pits down here." DID TESTING LAST WEEK HELP AS FAR AS SETUP GOES? "Well, we really didn't know what they were gonna do pit-wise until we came in here today, so it was a little bit new and I had a little bit of time to work into that deal -- getting turned in the pits and get going. We had a good, smooth stop. I thought I lost a little bit of time leaving pit road down there, I got pretty sideways there once, but it still came out with a heck of a time." THAT WAS KIND OF TRICKY ON PIT ROAD. "Well, we practiced a little bit there on pit road earlier today and it was really awkward the way you started pretty close and had to turn into your pits. I'm glad we practiced several times to try to get where I could get it just right in the pits. I don't think it was as much added as it was the fact the guys pulled off a heck of a good stop. Then, the car really ran a couple of good laps on the race track and putting it all together, that's what it's all about. I've been good here in the past and that's the key to this place is just putting it all together and that's when these guys shine."
The Winston Pole-Winner Press Conference
WHAT ABOUT THE HANDLING OF THE CAR ON THE TRACK? "It was perfect. I don't know what I could have done any better or any different. We ran two really good fast consistent laps and that helped the total time. We had one really good pit stop and that really helped everything and everything fell together. It's one of those deals that if you have a little mistake as I did last year coming down pit road we ended up losing it, but the two years prior to that we put it all together and made it all work and that's what these guys are all about." HOW MUCH DOES THE POLE HELP TOWARD WINNING ANY OF THE SEGMENTS? "I don't know that it really does. I think prior to whenever you had to run down pit road it was a little bit different and you could gain or lose a lot of time when you turned down pit road. The two years I won the pole here by doing that, I had really good times when I turned down pit road and that was really a big help. I didn't run that well in the races, but I do really feel this is probably the best I've been at this race track in a long time as far as car handling, driving, running the whole bit. Tony and Ernie say they've got a really good motor for tomorrow night and Mike Ford and all the guys that work on the car are really pumped up right now. I think one thing feeds off the other and this is what it's all about. If you can get that momentum and get that big ball rolling, then it all comes together and it really looks easy from that standpoint, but I'm really impressed. As quick as these guys have come together and as good a communication line as we've had to this point this year, I didn't expect it to be this good this quick." BEING ON THE POLE WILL THAT HELP KNOWING YOU MIGHT BE IN FRONT OF THE FIRST WRECK? "I hope I'm in front of it and not in it. You never know about these deals. You know, it's really competitive right now. There are a lot of good race cars here and everybody seems to be running very close times on the race track and that's a part of it. It's a good strategy to be up front. We've gotten through one part of this deal and the next mission will be how well we run in the first 30-lap segment and then the next one and then the last one, the one that really pays off. So, we'll just take it a step at a time." HOW MUCH DO YOU GET FROM RAY EVERNHAM? "Ray has helped a lot in a just a lot of little ways. He doesn't really come to the race track and sit over and coach you. He's helped us a little bit saying, 'Well you need to be a little better here or a little better there,' and he kind of gives you a direction to go in. But I think the biggest key is, I think, between myself, Mike Ford and Kevin (Cram) -- the guys that we've got working on the race car -- have really communicated well. They've brought some really good ideas to the organization. They've made me re-think the way I drive the race car and that, I think, has helped as much as anything. Knowing that at the end of the year knowing I won't be an owner-driver anymore, I think all that burden has been lifted off of me knowing I've got a good place in this. I'm going to work for a great guy in Ray Evernham next year. I'm looking forward to that already, but I still want to give the best effort I possibly can this season."
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