Elliott Dover Post-Race Quotes

BILL ELLIOTT (No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge Intrepid R/T)

"The second set of tires we put on got loose and then we chased tight the rest of the day. It was just one of them days when you couldn't get it all at one time. I was doing everything I could there at the end to get to the 48. I just ran out of time. The track was good, better than I expected. It wasn't all that slick. It was a good race. Several cars took off and went on and the rest of them looked like they kind of struggled a little bit. We didn't have a good finish here last year. This race last year I think I made a lap and a quarter. The second race I made about 20 laps and I crashed in both races.

"I think we've found everything we need in the race team. I feel real comfortable with all the guys that put this race car together week in and week out. They do a heck of a job. All the guys are doing a good job back at the motor shop. They're putting a good effort behind it. "I think it's team performance. We've come a long way in the last couple of weeks. We've learned a lot. We're getting along great as a race team. Everybody has seemed to gel. I think we're coming into our own right now. Rudd ran good today, and several other guys, but at the end of the day to come out of here and run in the top five and top 10 most of the day, compared to what we did here a year ago, it's quite an accomplishment for us. We had a good run the second race of the year last year at Pocono. We just need to keep expanding on what we've done and do better each and every week.

"I felt like you had no choice (except to pit under last caution). You couldn't win the race the way you were. You had a chance. We just about pulled it off. The 48 could gamble either way, and he gambled and won. We gambled and came up a little bit short. We were going to finish third or fourth or wherever because you had to race the guys behind you that got tires. We had no choice but to come and put four tires on.

"We had a decent day. Track position and lapped cars are everything. I caught him but just ran out of time. The guys did a heck of a job. I wish I could have caught him. I did everything I could there at the end and got close. I just couldn't get there. We stayed tight. We were a little loose the second set of tires, and we tightened it up and chased it the rest of the afternoon."

RAY EVERNHAM (Car Owner Evernham Motorsports Dodge Intrepid R/Ts)

"Bill's on a roll. I just love the guy. If it wasn't for him, some days I'd have to slit my wrist. I love him. I wish I had hooked up with him years ago. Chad and Jimmie Johnson didn't take any tires, and they had the best car all day. I felt like we had the second best car today, and we finished second. I'm really proud of Mike Ford. They've got a good plan, and they're trying to get Bill back up on the stage. That's one of their goals, and they're doing a good job of it. I'm really proud of them.

"Casey (Atwood) and Tony (Furr) are clicking. You'd better watch out. I'm telling you, that 7 car, we've got a little more work to do there, but when they get going they're going to be good. They're clicking. It's all about people, and we've got 'em clicking. We've got to get Jeremy clicking a little bit and we'll be really happy."

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