MBNA America 400 - Kyle Petty Notes

Kyle Petty Notes, Quotes: Dover 400
‘The same as a lot of tracks . . . but very different’

One of the more successful drivers on one of NASCAR’s most unique tracks, Kyle Petty and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team head to the one-mile Dover (Del.) International Speedway this week for Sunday’s 400-mile race.

Petty, 43, will be making his 672nd career start this weekend. He is 10th on the all-time list in NASCAR Winston Cup career starts, and fourth among active drivers. His eight career victories place him 45th on NASCAR’s all-time list in Winston Cup wins. One of the most recognizable names in international motorsports, as is his sponsor, Georgia-Pacific, Petty’s driving career began with a five-race season in 1979. The native of Level Cross, N.C., has won over $17 million.

The thoughts of Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge driver Kyle Petty heading into Dover:

“Dover is the same as a lot of tracks and it’s different than a lot of tracks. It is its only animal for the most part. You approach it differently than any other race track, even though you will use some of the knowledge you have from other race tracks to get around the place.

“At first glance, you think, ‘Bristol.’ It has the high banks and it has the concrete surface. You run some pretty quick laps around the place. But Dover barely has any straightaway at all. It seems like you are turning left the entire time. Because of that, it’s a little bit Bristol but it’s a lot different too.

“Rockingham and New Hampshire are close to a mile (in length) but Dover obviously doesn’t come close to those places. The banking is a lot steeper and the speeds a lot higher.

“You have to handle but you have to have some serious horsepower at Dover too. A good handling car isn’t going to overcome an engine that is down on horsepower, but a great engine isn’t going to overcome an ill-handling car. You have to have both, and you have to have both all day long, to be successful there.

“The way you get around the turns has changed some over the years. Obviously, it changed a lot when they went from asphalt to concrete on the track surface. There was a time where you might want to run in the middle of the turns to give you a little more push coming off the turns. Your engine would be wound a little tighter and you could kick off the turns pretty well by running the middle.

“The lowest groove is the place to go in the turns now. You want to be able to run as hard as you can with those leftside tires as close to the apron as you can get. Besides the fact that it is the fastest way around the race track, it guards the inside and makes it incredibly difficult to pass.

“Passing on the outside is really tough. You have to have a heck of a car, or you have to be passing somebody who isn’t running particularly well, to be able to take them on the outside. It takes awhile once the race gets going but eventually a second groove starts to build in the corners and, when it does, it makes passing outside a little easier because you can get good grip without tearing up your tires. But it’s still tough, on the first lap or the last lap.

“You run the straightaways – or the banked curves that pass as straightaways – as high as you can. The preferred line is to shoot off the fourth corner, slide up high towards the wall, hold that until you dive into the first turn. Basically, you run you car uphill coming out of the fourth turn and go downhill into the first turn. And you do the same thing out of Two and into Three.

“Pit position is pretty critical so that makes qualifying pretty important. You want to be able to pit as close to the first turn as you can. The pole winner almost always picks the very first pit. These pits are pretty tight with walls on both sides, so you stand a good chance of getting into traffic on pit road – both coming in and going out. It’s a place where you almost always see cars getting together at least once on pit road. So you have to be extra careful there.

“The pits themselves are a little shorter than some others, so you have to be really careful getting into the pits from two aspects. One, you don’t have to run over the line and have the crew have to push you back into the box. Besides the fact that is embarrassing as heck, it costs you a ton of time. Also, you have to be sure to get in your pit box far enough to give your guys room to work at the back of the car but not so far forward that you get blocked in by the car in front of you.

“Traffic is traditionally tough at Dover. That, along with the importance of a good pit, makes qualifying pretty key. If you start near the back, you have to work awfully hard to get through traffic and get your way up towards the front. Even worse, if you can do that you still stand a really good chance of giving it all away on your next pit stop because of where you are pitting. There is a reason pole winners and the guys starting first through fifth or sixth win most of the Dover races. Early track position and pit position is most of that.

“We’re looking forward to it. It’s a good feeling to win at Dover. The place is so tough it just gives you a tremendous feeling when you make it to Victory Lane. And that’s where we’re hoping to put the Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge this weekend.”

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