Mr. Goodcents 300 - Rookie Qualifying Quotes

JASON WHITE, NO. 0 EAGLE JET INTERNATIONAL CHEVROLET:

"We have an alternator problem and didn't get a chance to change it. The motor is just down on power. Hopefully we'll get to change in and get back out there for happy hour."

CHAD BLOUNT IN THE NO. 26 MILLER HIGH LIFE DODGE WAS THE TOP RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE QUALIFIER AT KANSAS. BLOUNT TOOK THE HONOR FOR THE SIXTH TIME THIS SEASON, MORE THAN ANY OTHER RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE IN THE BUSCH SERIES.

"We're happy with that. The Miller High Life Dodge was pretty decent. We picked up a couple of tenths from what we were in practice. These guys really did a good job. We have a new crew chief on board this week. Tim White is coming back to work with me. He is a guy that we won four races together in the ARCA Series so I'm glad to have him back. I just can't say enough about this team. From basically starting with nothing to building it to where we are at right now. Even if we qualify 15th, I'm really proud of these guys. We'll just see what we've got for Saturday but we're really looking forward to the race and supporting Miller High Life with their 100th anniversary." ARE YOU SURPRISED AT THE STRENGTH OF THE TEAM? "Yes and no. With the team that we have right now, a lot of these guys have been around the sport for quite a while. It's just a matter of getting that chemistry. Just this past week when we brought Tim on board they accepted him really well and I think we made a step in the right direction." HOW FRUSTRATING HAS THIS SEASON BEEN FOR YOU? "It's real frustrating. Like they say in Grand National racing, it's a roller coaster. You have your ups and downs and I think we are on the rebound side of the whole deal or soap opera, or whatever you call it in Grand National Racing. I'm really looking forward to finishing out this season strong. We have three more races after here. We'll try to put something for next year and go about it the right way." WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE THREE RACES LEFT ON YOUR SCHEDULE? "Of course, everybody would like to win the next three races but we need to get some consistency going on our side right now: top-10s, top-15s, that what we need to do. We'll slowly work our way to it. We know that it's tough in this series. If we don't get a win this year, maybe next year." WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THIS SEASON? "I learned a whole lot about NASCAR racing. This sport is an extremely tough sport and there is nothing like it. The biggest thing is that you've got to have a lot of good people behind you. I'm lucky right now to have a lot of great people behind me, a lot of support with Miller High Life and Dodge. I can't ask for anything more." IS THE BUSCH SERIES A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THE ARCA SERIES? "It's a big step. It's like 30, 35 guys here that are real tough and the ARCA Series has about 10, 15 guys. Not taking anything away from anyone there, but it's a big step. You've got to come here with both your guns loaded. If not, then you're going to get walked on." WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2004? "We'd like to run the Grand National Series full time next year. Right now, we're taking it one race at a time and just see what leads in for next year."

DAMON LUSK, NO. 6 STA-RITE PUMPS DODGE:

"I told them that I had two-tenths left as a driver and that's what we picked up. We've just been a little tight down in three and four. We haven't been able to work the bugs out of it right there in the middle. It's not bad. It will probably put us in the top-20 somewhere. I'm working on it. The car is driving good, just missing a little bit. I drove it down into turn one about as hard as I could. It is what it is." HAS QUALIFYING BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE IMPROVED ON THIS SEASON? "I could say that it is but we've ran 10 r aces and six of them (qualifying) has been rained out so we've started by points. Every time you are in a racecar you get better and better. Any time you are in something you run better and you can apply it toward qualifying. A few months ago I would have said 'I don't know what to expect' but now we are itching to get into the top-five and the top-10 and we are getting closer and closer every week. We're gaining on it." ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE LAP? "It's all right. There's a lot of cars, 50 some cars, so hopefully that will keep us in the top-20, top-25 or so. We're in the race and have a car to work on so we'll go from there." DOES THE NUMBER OF CARS HERE CHANGE YOUR APPROACH TO QUALIFYING? "Absolutely because the spots that become available become less and less because there are more and more good cars. We've got a good car, just missed it a little bit, just a little tight. You've got to put it on to qualify here. These guys don't mess around and when you have 50 cars, that means 20 more drivers are here to get in the race as bad as you want to. We're in the race and we'll go from there." WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED MORE THIS YEAR THAN ANYTHING ELSE? "That the drivers here are all good. Every one of them is good. You win championships elsewhere and everybody here has won championships and when you come here you think you are ready and you are up against 35 other champions from other series all across the country. When you come here and you think you are ready, it takes a little bit to know that you are and you have to build your confidence more than anything. We'll keep building on it." IS IT EASY TO LOSE YOUR CONFIDENCE? "Confidence is everything. Every time I get in a car I go better and that's just experience and with experience comes confidence. The more confident I get the more feedback that I can give. It's just a rollover effect. Every time you get a little bit more here and a little more there and before you know it you are running in the top-10. Hopefully we can get our car ready to race in the top-10 and have us a good run."

CHASE MONTGOMERY, NO. 27 TRIMSPA PONTIAC:

"We slowed down from practice. We thought we could have gone faster. There are certain places that we picked up and other places we slowed down. Tomorrow is what counts. We're going to figure it out in happy hour and get a good racecar and we'll just work our way to the front tomorrow. I struggle in (turns) one and two personally. I can't put my finger on what it is but that's where I'm struggling right now so we're going to work hard here in happy hour and see if we can't get around that. We're actually pretty good in three and four, so we'll see what happens."

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