Citgo Supergard Team Gearing Up for 2002

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (December 12, 2001) - We spoke to the No. 99 CITGO SUPERGARD driver Jeff Burton and crew chief Frank Stoddard to get their thoughts on the 2001 season and find out what's in store for the Roush Racing team in 2002.

Q: What are your thoughts on the 2001 season?

JB: It was disappointing but in more ways it was uplifting. It was a tough year not only for the race team but also for the whole country. We got off to a slow start, but we had a great second half of the year and showed we can be a contender. I left 2001 with optimism and more appreciation for the good things and respect for the bad.

FS: It was disappointing at times and rewarding at times. The team overcame a lot of adversity and the guys fought week in and week out to get themselves back in the top 10. We got off to a slow start but we all worked really hard to accomplish our goals in the end.

Q: What's in store for next year, any major changes?

JB: We made some small crew changes to improve pit stops. We are undergoing an aggressive testing program both on and off Winston Cup tracks, booking day after day of testing to perform at the level we need to. Normally we do our testing the second half of the season but this year we are testing the first half.

FS: To tighten every loose screw. We changed a few positions to make our pit stops and car better and stronger. We need to be more focused at the beginning of the race season so we are in a better spot than 2001.

Q: Are there any safety changes for 2002?

JB: We utilize a combination of the things we've learned along with what other teams have learned over the last 12 months. It's a month-to-month issue since things are always changing. NASCAR's commitment to being progressive and learning things is helping make the sport safer for everyone involved.

FS: It's a work in progress. We make changes on a daily or hourly basis if we need to.

Q: Are there any races in particular you are focusing on?

JB: We try hard not to focus on one race. There are four or five races that have more status than the others. It's fun to win those, as long as you're winning the others.

FS: Every race that gives 185 points to win. But seriously, we want to go to each race and be competitive in the top five. If we do this, the wins will come.

Q: What are your goals for 2002?

JB: We didn't capitalize early in the year in 2001. We need to be faster, lead more laps and win more races, everything revolves around that. We need to apply the lessons we learned in 2001.

FS: To be more competitive out of the box. We want to put ourselves in a position like we were in 2000 so we can compete for the Championship.