NASCAR Teleconference: Clint Bowyer & Martin Truex Jr.

November 16, 2005 - All three of NASCAR's national series will be ending their seasons this weekend at Homestead, and today we are going to be joined by the eligible contenders for the NASCAR Busch Series title.

Martin Truex, Jr. is the defending series champion and he hopes to make it two straight this weekend. He leads the series standings and second place Clint Bowyer by 64 points, and needs to finish 12th or better in Saturday's Ford 300 to clinch that NASCAR Busch Series title outright.

Q. Tell me, Clint, what it's going to take, please, for you to catch Martin? You had some starts the last three races that probably were not what you were looking for but you managed to come back through the pack and finish very well to have a 64 point deficit heading into Homestead. What's it going to take to catch him?

Clint Bowyer

CLINT BOWYER: It's going to take a miracle, there's no way of getting around that. We're just going to have to go out and run as hard as we can and try to win the race, try to get all of the bonus points. And if they happen to have some bad luck, you know, we've got to make sure that we're there to take advantage of it, and that's all that's the bottom line. That's all we can do.

Q. Knowing what you have to overcome, it would involve a lot of good luck on your part and a lot of bad luck on Martin's part, you don't want anything bad to happen to a driver, but knowing what you have to do, how do you reconcile that little dilemma?

CLINT BOWYER: Oh, you know, he's going to have to have some bad luck and that's all it's going to take. You know, on the other hand, if he does have bad luck, we're going to have to make sure that we do everything possible to go get the bonus points and win that race to even take advantage of if he does have some bad luck. It's just going to be just going to have to see how it goes. Those are the cards that we're dealt and just going to have to play them the best we can.

Q. When you look at the season as a whole, do you look at it as just, let's say, a building process? Obviously you'd be disappointed if you didn't win the title, but how do you look at it otherwise?

CLINT BOWYER: Well, I mean, you know, you're darned right we're going to be disappointed, but I mean, look how far we came in just a year's time: A 14 race schedule last year, had like four Top 5 finishes, and then this year, started out, right out of the box pretty strong. You know, I don't think I think a lot of the teams didn't have a road (ph) into the contender for the championship at the end of the year. And by midway through there and changing our minds, and then here we are at the end of the year, you know, we're in contention for a championship. You know, that's all you can ask for is at least a chance to win. And just really proud of effort of Gill and all the ACDelco crew has put together for this race car. It's been good each and every week, and, you know it's been a learning process. It's been a short road from dirt race to asphalt races for me and I'm still learning. I think we're still learning each other. As we go through the year, we're still getting better every week, and I think our results are improving.

Q. My question, somewhat of a statement, too: The NEXTEL Cup Series has a Chase which resets the points, and y'all have a certain number of races, and the Truck Series has a different number of races; but all three of your championship scenarios are basically the same where the runner up is 50 to 60 points behind first place. Does that surprise. And you do you have an explanation for how that can happen that way?

CLINT BOWYER: Well, I think it's ideal for NASCAR, and for the sport; I think it's brought a lot of attention to all series. Going into Homestead it's going to be a lot of attention on all three series, so it's really neat that it's come down to the last rate and the last few laps of that race. I think it's just been a lot of hard racing this year, with a lot of good teams. I think that's why. I think as the competition gets closer and closer every year, I think that's why our points battles are getting closer and closer.

Q. Can you talk about last weekend, what an incredible effort for you, and your mentality going into this weekend's race, being the guy who is chasing?

CLINT BOWYER: Yeah, I mean last weekend was a really cool weekend, just starting as far back as we did, I was just really worried about I knew we had a really fast race car but just been really loose lately. Because of the way we've been in the race we've suffered from it qualifying. Memphis, spun out, hit the wall; at Texas, spun out and hit the wall; and Phoenix almost spun out. But the cars you know, we've got to figure out some happy medium there. It's been really, really loose in qualifying and it's to the point where you couldn't hold onto it a couple of times. As soon as the rack falls, the thing takes off like a rocket. It's kind of disappointing finishing second after being that close. We were all it was just a really cool race to be in: Three or four race cars there that all could have won that race and were battling pretty hard for it, sliding around and going for it. It was fun, a fun race to be in. As far as next week goes, I mean, it's going to take a miracle to happen. So we've just got to go out and try to win that race. I'd like to win another race before the end of the year. We can only do what we can do, so if they have some bad luck, we've just got to make sure that we put ourselves in a situation where we have a chance, and that would be leading laps and winning that race.

Q. Clint, could you talk a little bit about the relationship that you have with Kevin Harvick as a teammate? Kevin, of course, is our 2001 NASCAR Busch Series champion, he's been through this before. What kind of advice has he given you, what kind of a mentor has he been for you this season, your first full year in the Busch Series, as well as going into this last race with a mathematical opportunity to win this title?

CLINT BOWYER: Well, he's been a good friend and a good teammate, as well. He just tells me, you know, halfway through the year, we had a conversation. He was telling me: Hey, you've got a real shot at this thing. Just make sure that you do everything you can to get everything out of each and every week, and that's what I've tried to do. Looking back, hindsight is always 20/20 and looking back over the weekends, you know, we didn't have the wrecks and stuff like that through the year. We just got in some situations where we beat ourselves. I've won championships before and those are the things you can't do to win a championship, and unfortunately we just stubbed our toe a few too many times.

Looking back to Michigan, that was a day we were going to finish in the top two that day and possibly win the race, but it was pretty much looking like we were going to run either first or second and couldn't get that feel in the car, and that was a 100 point hit right there. It makes you look back and want them points back pretty bad.

Q. Martin, what's it going to take for to you keep your focus and to keep the championship lead and capture that second consecutive NASCAR Busch Series title this weekend?

Martin Truex, Jr.

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: We just need to go to Homestead and have a good day. We don't need to do anything special. We don't need to go out there and try to we're just going try to win the race, that's what we're there for. We just need to have a decent day, we don't need any trouble. We don't need to beat ourselves, we certainly don't need flat tires or anybody jerking around with us. Just if we just don't have any bad luck and have a decent day like we're used to having, I'm sure we'll be in good shape.

Q. Martin, you are the king of low key, have you been at all stressed, and do you feel like there's more pressure on you this championship than there was last time around?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Certainly we're expected to win it this year. We were expected to win it going into the season by a lot of people, really didn't even hold up to our own expectations for a while in the season. So it's been really it's been a tough year. It's been a long road for us. We've had to battle and overcome a lot of things, and nothing could be better for us now than to win this. It's not over yet. We've got another race. If we don't win it, we'll still be proud of our year and what we've done and what we've been able to overcome, but definitely a lot of pressure on us, within ourselves I think to win.

Q. Is there more pressure on yourself because you want to prove that it wasn't a fluke last year or because you want to head into next year with that under your belt for the momentum for the Cup side?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: We just want to win it again. You know, I don't think we have anything to prove. Everything has been done in the past two years I think, speak for themselves. If we lose this championship about by a handful of points, I don't think that's going to take away from that. We just want to do it. We worked real hard. This has been our goal for the last year is to win a championship. So it's a big confidence boost for next year and something that we should be real proud of.

Q. With that desire to win that second title, is that what helped maintain your focus in a year where it was knowing that there's a Cup ride already awaiting you, that you can just really try and learn as much as you can, that you really have something to shoot forecheck check?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Yeah, obviously, racers don't like to lose, and that's what we all are. We got here because we love to race and we love competition and we want to win every week. Just the fact of beat getting beat doesn't sit well with any of us. We're there every week giving 110%. Just because I have a Cup ride is sitting there waiting on me doesn't mean I'm just going to go there and go through the motions and collect a paycheck. I'm there to win, very passionate about what I do and that's just the way it is.

Q. At any time during the season, have you allowed yourself to kind of think down the road about what the Cup ride and what you'd like to do and just picture yourself in that, even though you feel that you had a few other Cup races this year?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: No, to be honest, I don't really think about it too much. Really been focusing on the championship and just trying to get through these past few weeks and just be prepared the best we could for every weekend. The Cup thing is going to come around quickly enough where I don't need to think about it, I don't think. So we've had some races where we've run well and that's the bottom line, it's been tough for us and it's real important just to focus on the race.

Q. I wonder if you could just briefly describe your relationship with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., whether you guys hit it off right away, or whether you guys have any shared interests outside of racing?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Yeah, I think most people are pretty aware of how our relationship goes. We've become pretty good friends. We hang out, spend a lot of time together. We both enjoy racing together. Kind of have the same personalities I think, been going well from the start and it's been a great relationship so far.

Q. If you had not been able to make a living in racing, would you have gone into your family business?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Yeah, I worked in business for a few years, right out of high school and when I was in high school just to make some money on the side. So that's probably what I'd end up doing. I worked on a fishing boat to long enough to know I'd better get good at something else, and maybe racing is the best place for me.

Q. If you can talk about your feelings and emotions this year at this time compared to last year at this time, Martin, you having already wrapped up the title and then just kind of talk about maybe anticipating around the post season?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Well, I think it's been great. Obviously we'd like to have it wrapped up right now. Last year was a great year for us. I think we went through a lot of the season last year, just kind of in shock and then all that we were able to do, we were doing. Nobody expected us to be in that position. And certainly, we thought we could do well, but we never thought it would happen like it did. This year has been kind of opposite. We find of feel like we've underachieved. Went through a lot of the year struggling and really turned it around big time throughout the summer. Had a lot of fun, won a lot of races, and it all turned back around on us again. We've just been working out guts out all year long it seems like. I think every time we feel like we're doing good or getting ahead, someone else is getting ahead, someone is beating us or we're beating ourselves. Kind of the way this season has winded down, and hopefully we'll come out as champs again.

Q. Clint?

CLINT BOWYER: Yeah, it's been a good year, had a lot of fun and learned a lot. We started right through the middle of the year, like when Martin was talking, they their strongest point was when they made that big run in the middle of the year and won a few races, several races. Anyway, it's been a good year and it's been a lot of fun, just comes down to the end of the year. I wish we had a few more races, though, I can tell you that.

Q. There's talk about if you finish 12th or better, you get the championship; is that something that you as a competitor need to put out of your mind throughout the race?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Well, I think it depends on the kind of day we're having. Obviously if Clint is up there leading the race and looks like he's going to win, that's something we need to think about. And not put ourselves in a position to be able to fall out of the top ten or get ourselves in trouble if we're running decent. It just depends. We're going there to obviously try to run the best we can and win the race if we can, which I think is a legitimate shot for us. Homestead has been a real good track for us, but I'm looking forward to it. We'll just have to see how the weekend is going. You've just got to take it as it comes and hopefully we'll have a good qualifying effort, and that can take the pressure off and keep everybody's spirits up. Just go into the race and do what we can do, that's all we can do. We can't worry about other cars.

Q. Junior was the last to win back to back Busch Series titles, considering your relationship with Junior, how much would that add to your satisfaction if you were able to do that?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Well, I don't know if it would do anything as far as that. I'm not after trying to top what he's done or beat everything he's done. Sure would be nice to match his stats. Just having success and accomplishing goals is a real good feeling to have and something to be proud of.

Q. Tell me about the international process about the arrival of the Mexican drivers and the series?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Obviously it's been great to have it for the series. NASCAR has been reaching out to different markets for a couple of years now, and going to Mexico City was a huge step in that process. And a lot of them came in there and run really good and showed off for their countries, and I think you'll see more of it in the future. So it's been a really good addition to our series.

Q. What advice can you give the Mexican drivers, Michel Jourdain, or Adrian Fernandez?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Nothing, really. Obviously they are competent in series racing and don't have much experience on oval tracks and kind of have a little bit a tough time of it; it's just real competitive. It's one of those deals where you have to get in that situation and keep your head up and not get down on yourself. Just keep working hard at it and eventually you'll get it. Just that it's real, real competitive and it takes a little bit of time to get used to.

Q. Do you plan to run any Busch races next year, and how do you see the Ice Busch program expanding in the future?

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.: Yeah, I'm going to run I think eight races or something like that, somewhere around eight, ten maybe. I'm not really sure exactly which direction the program is headed in. I know me and J are going to split the 8 car next year. I'm not sure who else is going to run Evans, I think he will be a real contender for the championship obviously the way he's been running. So with them running every week, they will keep out Busch program at the top level and I think we can compete with that.