DENNY HAMLIN
No. 20 Rockwell Automation CHEVROLET
NASHVILLE (Spring) Quotes and Notes
EVENT: PEPSI 300 DATE: APRIL 15, 2006
TRACK: NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY TV: FX 4:05 PM ET
LAPS/MILES: 225 / 300 RADIO: MRN 4:00 PM ET
QUOTES
Driver Denny Hamlin on Nashville Superspeedway…
“I am really looking forward to this weekend. The Nashville Superspeedway has some special meaning to me and I always look forward to racing there. Last year, as we were trying to get things going, I came here and was able to score my first top-five starting position. Later that weekend, I was able to score my first top-ten of the season. Last year when they were deciding if I should get a start in a Cup Car, they sent me to Nashville Superspeedway to test a Cup Car. It was my performance in that test that gave them the confidence to run a Cup race last year, ultimately leading to my full time ride this year.
It is just such a fun track that really caters to my style. It is relatively flat and the concrete is a great surface to race on. As the weekend goes on the track will just get faster and faster. Plus the ‘Gibson Guitar’ is such a unique trophy. Similar to the grandfather clock at Martinsville, it can be the cornerstone of a trophy display.”
Crew Chief Dave Rogers on his first race at ‘White Lightening’….
“Although this is my first race weekend with a Busch Car, I have been to Nashville several times. Last year with our Cup Program, I was Denny’s testing crew chief the week he was here in September. I was amazed how well we worked together and the quality of the feedback he was able to give me about the car. Within four hours of being on the track, we set the fastest lap of a JGR Cup Car at any of the previous Nashville Cup Tests. I am sure there will be some different feel issues he will have with the Busch Car, but I am confident we can work those quickly and have a quality race car for Saturday’s event.”
NOTES
First Race …This will be the first race at Nashville Superspeedway for Crew Chief Dave Rogers. After seven years with JGR in the Nextel Cup Series first as Head Engineer of the #20 car and then Crew Chief of the #11 Car, Rogers will be visiting some tracks that he has not seen before. In addition to Nashville, Rogers has not raced at Kentucky, Milwaukee, Gateway, IRP and Memphis. At the first new track earlier this year, Mexico City, he put together a car that allowed Hamlin to lead 40 laps and then go on to win the race by 1.82 seconds.
Car History … This week the #20 team is bringing car #2065. This is a brand new Chevrolet Monte Carlo that was one of two cars taken to Las Vegas for the test earlier this year. The team elected to race the other car at Vegas, so #2065 has spent the last couple weeks as a backup car. This weekend will be the first race of #2065.
