USG Durock 300 - Rookie Friday Quotes

KIM CROSBY, No. 26 BOUDREAUX’S BUTT PASTE CHEVROLET: THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT SEASON FOR YOU. “It’s actually been pretty difficult. I knew going in it would be a huge learning curve and I talked about that at lot at Daytona in February. Not making that race was devastating for our team when we started out. We just didn’t seem to click the rest of the way. My sponsor and I decided to try another team and see what happens. It’s a learning curve for everyone. It’s business. I wish the 24 and 7 team the best of luck. We’re just moving on. Keith Coleman and I were able to team up once again. He and I teamed up a couple of years ago and it just didn’t work out that time. But we didn’t burn our bridges with each other and came back together and hope to have a good run for the rest of the season. We’re going to count the rest of this season as great seat time for me and then get cranked up at the beginning of next year. I haven’t been to a lot of these tracks and we haven’t been able to afford to go to a lot of tracks to test. Hopefully the rest of this season will be a great test for me and then we can crank up next year at the beginning.”

COMMENT ON DANICA PATRICK. “I think it’s great for Danica. She’s in top-notch equipment, which all female drivers hope to be in. We’re struggling a little bit. We’re probably a top 25 team when the drivers can get their stuff straight. I just hope that we can improve our program next year and see what we can go out there and lay down.” A lot of people call me for interviews and they say ‘We’re looking for the Danica Patrick of NASCAR.’ Give me $16, $18 million equipment and we’ll do it, buddy. Money is horsepower and we’re doing the best we can at Keith Coleman Racing. We’re going to pick up our program at the beginning of next year and see what happens then.”

BRENT SHERMAN, No. 15 CONSORT FOR MEN FORD: HOW DIFFICULT HAS THIS SEASON BEEN FOR YOU? “Pretty difficult. I’m on my third team, my fifth crew chief. It’s not an ideal situation for me or my sponsors. We almost lost the sponsor over this mess. But we’re back and all of our sponsors are here. We have Consort on the car here this weekend. We’re pretty happy with the practice speeds. I haven’t been in a car for a month and a half. I think we’re dead last in points so there’s no way we’re getting in unless I drive it fast. Eighteenth in practice is respectable, I think, especially with the field. Qualifying is going to be a whole different ballgame. Anything can happen. I could make one little mistake and it will keep me from racing tomorrow but I think we have a solid car. If I don’t make any mistakes and drive it fast we should be in the race no problem.”

HOW DID THIS NEW OPPORTUNTIY COME ABOUT? “I was talking to another Cup program, to run a Busch program through another Cup team and they [ppc Racing] called at the last minute and said ‘Why don’t you give us a meeting.” So we went in and met with them and it just felt like they wanted me there and they cared about my future and they wanted me to do well and be successful and I thought they would help me do that. We decided to sign with ppc and so far, so good. When I got in that car I felt that Roush-Yates motor and it felt good, it was strong.”

COULD THIS BE A LONG-TERM HOME FOR BRENT SHERMAN? “I think so. We’re here through the end of next year but there’s an option to maybe do some more after that. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. I’m hoping that it would be and hopefully we can keep all the sponsors happy because obviously that’s what it’s all about. You plug away to the end of the season and look forward to next season because we’re kind of out of the points deal and all that stuff. We’ll keep plugging along and hopefully we’ll have a good season next year. We may actually end up running more than just 10 races at the end of this year. We may do 15 or maybe even the rest of the season. We’re still working on all that and hopefully put some more races together.”

YOU RAN A DODGE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND NOW YOU ARE IN A FORD. CAN YOU TELL A DIFFERENCE? “I don’t think there is a difference in the actual manufacturer but it’s the teams and how the bodies are put on them. This is a Kenny Wallace car. You can tell it’s got a lot more downforce than what I had run in the past. I can just feel it sucking down to the racetrack. Whether that’s just because it’s a Ford or because they do their bodies differently, I don’t know. I got in the car and we were pretty much real close. We just had to tweak it here and there a little bit and that made my job, as far as getting acclimated to the team, the new crew chief, and the car a lot easier just because I didn’t have to worry about resetting the whole thing up. I’m happy with the car and luckily we were able to use one of Kenny’s old cars and it has a really good body on it and ppc has done a lot for me in the last two weeks to get ready for this race. They put this thing together last-minute and to be where we are on the board says a lot. A lot of drivers who’ve been running a long time with teams and have been in a situation a long time would probably be pretty happy with where we’re at, too.”

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE RACES YOU RUN THIS SEASON? “Unfortunately Raybestos Rookie of the Year is a little out of the question. Reed Sorenson and Carl Edwards are doing a great job. They’re obviously doing a great job and they were put into a situation that I wish I could have been put in. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen at the beginning of the season but I think luckily I’ve landed in that type of situation. I think ppc is as close as you can get to running with a full-blown Cup effort behind you. I’m just happy where we’re at. I can’t complain. I don’t know if I’d be anymore lucky if I was in a Cup program or not. Everyone wants to run for a Cup program, but we thought ppc was the best option and so far it’s proven to be. I’m happy where we’re at.”