Target House 200 - Rookie Post-Race Quotes

DAVID STREMME, NO. 30 I JUST WANT TO RACE DODGE:

Notes: David Stremme was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race at Rockingham. He finished fifth his third top-five and seventh top-10 this season (update). He is the first Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish since Joey Clanton finished fifth July 26 at Pikes Peak (race number 21).

Stremme led the Target House 200 at Rockingham twice for 48 laps (update), the most laps he has led in a single race in his 17-race Busch Series career. He has led a lap in each of the last three Busch Series races, dating back to the October 25 Aaron's 312 at Atlanta (race number 31). He is the only Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap in three consecutive races this season. Four Raybestos® Rookies have led at least one lap in the Busch Series in 2003: Chad Blount, Joey Clanton, Coy Gibbs, and Stremme.

"We ran strong all day. It was basically Casey (Mears), Jamie (McMurray) and myself and that shows what type of teamwork that we have between all three of us. We all communicated all weekend. Jamie took me around there Thursday. I just ended up screwing up there. I came into the pits. That's why we run this race, to get experience. The tires were so slimy when I came in I just slid through my stall there and I cost us a second place, possibly a win. I've got to congratulate my crew for winning, even though I wasn't in the car (smiles). It's been a great effort from Braun Racing and also with James Finch and the whole Yellow race team there and with Chip Ganassi Racing. Even though Sterling (Marlin) wasn't in the race he gave me some pointers. We've got some experience. We're going to go to Homestead and run a Braun car there, too. It's going to be important to try and get everybody information and try to get the best finishes that we can." YOU ARE STARTING TO PULL AWAY IN THE CHASE FOR RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. "I'd still like to win a race and I think we can. Today is showed that we can run good. I just had to pace myself. I had Lorin Ranier on the spotter stand helping me out a great deal. This is a place that you have to really move around a lot. Patrick Donohue and I discussed what setup to put in the car but also Todd Losi, Casey's crew chief, and Jon Wolfe, Jamie's crew chief, we were all together trading notes and it showed there the mid part of the race. It's unfortunate that problem happened to Casey but again, it's not a bad run, but it could have been better." THIS IS A DIFFICULT TRACK. "No, it isn't. Teamwork helped out quite a bit. I actually liked it (racing at Rockingham). The sliding around on the track wasn't too bad. When I slid through my pit stall and cost me some track position it really hurt us. I felt we had a car better than Jamie at the end. I was kind of riding in the mid part of the race. I've got to thank my teammates, both Jamie and Casey. They helped me out a lot here. We traded a lot of information. We just came up short. It's too bad of a run. We could have been better. I'm a little disappointed in myself; I just let the team down. We screwed up coming into the stall. It's something that we gained some experience for nest year. I really like coming here. I wish we could have a couple of races here. It's fun and a driver's racetrack." HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO LEARN HOW TO PIT AT THIS LEVEL? "Getting in the stall is important. I cost myself a little track position when I pitted under green. I wanted to get in the stall pretty good. We just got in too hot. The tires were slimy and it really killed it getting in the stall. I about run over the guys; luckily they're all okay. It's something that we learned. That's what I'm here for this year so we can try to go for a championship next year." IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE HAVING A LOT OF FUN. "I just didn't want to take out any of my teammates. It was fun racing with them. We were tying to get some bragging rights there on who was going to beat who. At the end it was something that didn't work out for Casey. The teamwork between all three of us and that's what it's supposed to be. Me being a rookie, they've been through everything that I'm going through (Mears and McMurray). I lean on them pretty hard but I'd still like to beat them." YOU LED A LOT OF LAPS TODAY. "Yeah, but I wanted to lead the last one. We're really just pacing ourself and I had Lorin Ranier up spotting and he's keeping me under control. I think some of the problem that I've had learning this year is that I just run the car too hard and end up eating the tires up." IS THIS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? "Not necessarily this team but the whole organization. It's something that when we come here we want to get experience. We want to stay in the car because we're going to run full time next year in the Yellow Dodge. We're going to go to Homestead in a Braun car. I look forward to staying in the car because it hurts when you get out and get back in."

©Copyright 2003 Race 2 Win