Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200 - Steve Grissom Notes

Steve Grissom Notes, Quotes: Nazareth 200
‘The Busch Series’ Most Unique Track’

A two-time runner-up at the speedway, this weekend Steve Grissom and the #36 DCT Motorsports Chevrolet team head to the one-mile Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway for Sunday’s Nazareth 200. Grissom has four top-10 finishes at the speedway including runner-up finishes in 1991 and 1993.

DCT Motorsports’ owners McGill and Natale – “two guys from Cleveland building a future in motorsports,” as they refer to themselves – have developed the sport’s most cost-efficient, sponsor-friendly marketing setup. It is based on giving full value to sponsors, and utilizing the many business-to-business contacts McGill, a developer, and Natale, a major earthwork contractor, have in place.

DCT Motorsports, seeking sponsorship for next year and the remainder of this season, is in the midst of a 25-race schedule for 2004, hitting all of the major NASCAR Busch Series events and markets. One of the most comprehensive sponsorship packages in any form of motorsports, DCT offers a complete package of top racing equipment, hospitality, public relations, publicity, appearances and show cars.

The thoughts of DCT Chevrolet driver Steve Grissom heading into Nazareth:

“Nazareth is a different track. It’s a little like it’s big brother over in Pocono – a triangular-shaped oval – but it has a lot of differences too. This is unlike any other Busch track that we go to. It has three unique turns - or four, depending on who you’re talking to - a pretty dramatic elevation change, and it’s tough to pass on. It’s a tough mile to get around.

“There are little tricks to getting around the track, and although nobody gives all their secrets away, getting through the second and third turns is pretty critical. Turn Two is pretty tough, and Turn Three is really tight. The rest of the track is pretty fast. It takes a lot of horsepower to be fast down the backstretch, and it takes a combination of engine and handling to get around the frontstretch - if you can call it that. It’s not really a straightaway, but more of a ‘kink’ and ‘short-chute’ connected by about fifty feet of pavement. It’s tough to explain, but it’s fun to drive when you’re handling well and everything is going your way.

“I don’t know why but, for some reason, they like to build challenging NASCAR tracks in Pennsylvania. They aren’t anything close to the traditional ovals that you see, but different is good. It’s usually fun from a driving standpoint to come to a track like Nazareth and face different elements. It makes the crew work a little harder on the cars set-up wise, and the drivers work hard to get the car around the track. I hope we don’t start building triangular-shaped tracks everywhere, but when we come to Nazareth we know we’re racing something different. I think it’s good for the entire series.

“The track is very tough to pass on. There aren’t a bunch of racing grooves and because it’s so flat, you like to be around the bottom of the track. It’s a long day if you have to work your way up to the front from the rear of the pack. It’s why handling is so important. You have to be able to take advantage of the outside lines to move forward.

“The elevation change is really different. You are driving downhill down the backstretch. You go through that tight Turn Three and have to climb back up the hill to the flag stand. You don’t see that anywhere else. The tracks that are all built today are designed with so much detail and attention to its configuration. Nazareth was built with ‘character.’ It’s why it’s so much fun to drive and so challenging to figure out.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have had had success in both Busch cars and in the Craftsman Truck series at the track. I haven’t won there yet, but have been really close on more than one occasion. I am pretty excited to get back to the track. It might owe me one or two and hopefully we can grab one back this weekend.”