The Winston - GM Qualifying Quotes

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 SNAP-ON/GOODWRENCH ENGINES CHEVROLET (qualified 3rd): "Looks like they just penalized Rusty, so I guess we're still on the pole. But a good run for the GM Goodwrench and Snap-On Chevy. It's awesome for these guys to have the pit stop they had. They had a great one last year and we didn't perform on the racetrack. This year we performed on the racetrack and had a good, smooth great pit stop and it makes it a lot of fun. We'll see what happens and hope that holds up." (YOU SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF SUCCESS IN THESE NON-POINTS EVENTS.) "We just seem to have a good feel for everything. We get pretty aggressive on the motors and the bodies and everything, and it's just a lot of fun. There's nothing on the line, so it's win or wreck."

TONY STEWART, NO. 20 HOME DEPOT CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO (qualified 2nd): (WHAT DO YOU THINK OF A NON-PONTS RACE LIKE THE WINSTON?) "I like it. The reason we're here is probably those people in the grandstands up there - I mean, that's why we're here. It's a different format. The qualifying deal's neat because it involves the whole team. You have to have a good pit stop and I have to do my job as a driver. Tomorrow night's when it really counts for these people. Tonight with the pit stops, it creates an added bit of excitement that they don't get on a regular qualifying night, and then tomorrow night's the night they really enjoy. I'm not worried about any points tomorrow night. If it leaves bent up because you were trying a little too hard, so be it, and I don't think the team worries about that. They want you to race hard and bring some of the Saturday night short-track style back into it. Guys that did that raced to make a living, not to worry about points this week, so it's nice one week out of the year to be able to race like that."

MICHAEL WALTRIP, NO. 15 NAPA CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO (qualified 9th): "It was a good night until I tried to get in the pits, and then when I tried to leave the pits. I came so close to getting a lot out of my car. I had two key points that I had in my mind that I had to make sure that I did properly. The first one was getting in. I had a technique that I was going to use to get in, and I messed that up. The other one was leaving, and the technique I was going to use to leave, I messed that up. So, oh for two. But still, we obviously made good time everywhere else. Good stop on pit road, and also getting to the speed line, and leaving in first gear you can lose a lot of time spinning your tires, and we didn't do that so bad. We'll end up missing the pole by just a couple of tenths, and I felt like we left a lot more than that out there."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO (qualified 10th): (WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR CHANCES FOR THE WINSTON?) "The race car's been really good, and the pit stops have been good, so this thing's all about the whe team effort and getting yourself in position for that last segment. We've been there before and pulled it off, and I think if we get there again we've got a great shot at it. It's very exciting. It's nice when there's no real points on the line. It's more prestige, and it's all about the money and all that. Winston does so much for our sport, it's awesome to come here and be a part of this."

TERRY LABONTE, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/GOT MILK? CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO (qualified 8th): "We made a couple of little mistakes, but it was a good effort overall. I can't believe we came that lose to the "8" but that's the way it goes. We're happy with it." (WHAT KIND OF RACE ARE YOU EXPECTING TOMORROW NIGHT?) "It's usually pretty crazy. You've got to survive the first two segments to be there in the last one. Of course, now it's 20 laps instead of 10 like it was a few years back, so that's a little bit different. It gives you an opportunity to pass people, but it's still pretty difficult to pass. The key to the whole deal is going to be this 30-minute practice that we get following the truck race. That's not a lot of time for a race setup, but it's going to give you a couple of opportunities to go out there and run. You'd like to go out and run a 20-lap ru if you could, if your car's that good. But I don't think we're going to have time to do that. We're just going to have to be smart in practice." (DO YOU LIKE THE CAR YOU'RE RUNNING?) "This is a great car. I've run this car twice and it's run good both times. I wanted to bring it here for this event. We've got anoter one that we think is a twin to it that's just as good a car as this one tht we might bring next week, but I think this one's a good car."

RICKY CRAVEN, NO. 32 TIDE PONTIAC GRAND PRIX (qualified 7th): (YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WINSTON.) "There's a lot on the line. I don't think any of us needs motivation. We're all wanting to carry that trophy home, but I'd be kidding you if I told you I didn't care about a million bucks. That's quite a lot of incentives well." (DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THIS CAR?) "This car's the car we finished third in the Coca-Cola 600 last year. We're still working through all of that, all the Pontiacs that we built during the off-season. I've got a lot of confidence in each of the cars, but also specifically the people, the people that are working on the Tide team and have been with us for more than two years now. That's very valuable."

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 8 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO (qualified 4th): (WHERE DID YOU MAKE UP YOUR TIME?) "I don't know. We might've got on and off pit road better. It was real exciting and this is a real competitive car. I was just trying not to make too many big mistakes. Maybe give up a little bit being a little conservative, but just try not to make a big mistake that can cost us a lot of time. I didn't expect that to be the pole. It's kind of a crapshoot with the pit crew deal and coming on to pit row. There's too much margin for error there. But it will give us a decent spot, better than we've been starting for The Winston. It's just a little bit disappointing. (YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WINSTON.) "Yea, we're just chillin' out there. This is kind of an off weekend, not racing for points and just racing for a lot of money. Considering what you win for first, second doesn't quite pay that well. We're just trying to race for the win and do the best we can."

STEVE PARK, NO. 30 AMERICA ONLINE CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO - : (FROM PIT ROW - QUALIFIED 1ST ) "Change is good. I hadn't been this excited and this relaxed to come to the racetrack in about a year and half. A lot has happened in the last seven days, and I'm just really happy to end up where I'm at. I'm just real thankful about Richard (Childress) giving me the opportunity to drive the AOL Chevy and I'm just real pleased. I was telling the guys that I can't remember everybody's name on the radio, but I just want to thank everybody. I'm just getting used to the race team and (crew chief) Mike Beam. Mike's been awesome. He's great to work with and he's on the same page as me. It's nice to be able to see that. He's about a half a step ahead of me every time I want to make a change in the car, and it's the same thing. That's what we need to have, the continuity between the driver and the crew chief, plus all the team too. (WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GET OFF TO THIS KIND OF START WITH THIS RACE TEAM?) "It's awesome. Just to work with Mike, I mean I've been watching him win races for years and to get a chance to work with him is great. And all the guys on the team. Richard Childress led Dale Earnhardt to numerous championships, and it's just great to have a mentor in him and to have the opportunity to work with him, and America Online. What a great sponsor. They're here this weekend and we're having a great time. We're having fun, we're racing fast and we're just excited. I can't wait for the rest of the year. (HOPEFULLY TWO MORE RACES FOR YOU TOMORROW NIGHT - HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR CHANCES?) "I like my chances. Somebody told me in the garage that The Winston pays a million bucks, so we're going to go back and work hard on the AOL Chevy and try to make that a car that can win both races."

NOTE: Driver Mike Wallace is substituting for the injured Jerry Nadeau in the No. 1 U.S. Army Pontiac Grand Prix.

MIKE WALLACE, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY PONTIAC GRAND PRIX: (QUALIFIED 4TH ) "I don't think that will stand up, but this is a great U.S. Army team. I just want to say I'm just keeping the seat warm for Jerry Nadeau. We hope Jerry gets well quick - we're thinking about him."

STEVE PARK, NO. 30 AMERICA ONLINE CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO: (POLE WINNER'S PRESS CONFERENCE) "I think everybody knows that the last seven days have just been unbelievable. Losing one job and then landing and then landing at RCR. It's a whole bunch of mixed emotions. I think the main thing is, when I lost my job and then actually signed up with Richard (Childress), it was like a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. Richard sat me down and said, 'You know what? We've got to have fun. This team is a team that's been struggling, and I can see that there not having fun going to the races.' I said, 'You know what? I'm not having fun.' The last few months have just been miserable. I think it showed in my attitude and I think it showed on the racetrack. I apologized to the media before because in California pretty much you could tell the frustration that I had. You've got the supposed confidence of your team behind you, and then two weeks later you get fired. I guess you're just judged by what you do on the racetrack and what you did last week. I'm just real thankful that Richard gave me the opportunity to go to his race team and work with Mike Beam, who's an awesome individual. Great crew chief. I've actually watched him win races with Bill Elliot and Ricky Craven. I wish I knew everybody's name on the team, but I've only been there seven days. I came on the radio and said, 'Hey Mike, great race car. Ron, who tunes the engines, Spinney who builds the engines. I just can't remember everybody.' But they understand. They all 'high-fived' me on pit row. They were like, 'If you run like that, you don't need to know our names.' But we're having fun, that's the main thing. That's the thing I was kind of shooting for. I love to race. I like to be with a team that likes to have you there. I like to be with an organization that also enjoys having you there. We work 38 weeks a year and have no time off, so with the competition we survive with, you got to have fun doing it. You're racing with family, you're racing with friends for quite a long time, so you really got to enjoy what you're doing. We're enjoying today quite a bit. I mean, the most fun I've had in over a year is the last seven days. Not even up to today, but even prior to today. The joy that I'm feeling is just a continuation of the way I felt this week. Again, I just want to thank Richard Childress who just gave me a great opportunity. I think we all know what kind of race team he has, and the race cars he has. Getting an opportunity to work with Mike Beam, who's a great guy. We broke the ice in Kentucky and tested out there so that we could come here and not be headed in two different directions. We think very much the same. What he likes on his race cars, I like. And plus all the guys on the team. And they have a great sponsor with America Online and they're here this weekend. The one guy who kind of heads up things for America Online, Richard, actually was with the Burger King sponsorship back in '97 when I ran that car. So just a lot of really good positive things that are going on, and I'm just proud to be where I am today." (WITH ALL OF THE RUMORS GOING AROUND, WERE YOU STILL SURPRISED TO BE RELEASED?) "Yea, I sure was. It's hard to describe when you're being pat on the back and saying we're having a tough year. We're not the only people having a tough year. You feel like you got this confidence in your team, and they pat you on the back and they're telling you your ride is secure, and let's just keep working and we've got a lot left in the year to try and straighten things out. And then in a short period of time I got fired. It kind of blindsided me. It caught me off guard, but things happen for a reason. If they would've waited a month, this opportunity with Richard Childress wouldn't have been available. I just want to thank God for the opportunity that was available. Timing is everything, I'm a true believer in that. I'm just really glad that I landed on my feet at RCR with America Online. We've got a great race team. We're just one qualifying lap old, so we've got a lot left for the rest of this year." (IF THIS HAD HAPPENED A WEEK AGO, WOULD YOU HAVE HAD THE SAME CONFIDENCE GOING INTO TOMORROW'S RACE?) "I haven't lacked confidence in myself. The old question, 'Is Steve Park healed from his injury?' It sells a lot of newspapers, I can tell you that. But I know myself. I can only judge myself for how I feel, and I've felt great for the last 10 months. It's one of those things where, and it's what's frustrating, you feel capable of running in the front and you're not. So then you have to ask yourself, 'Why not?' If you don't question yourself, then you question your race team. And then they're sitting there and they're questioning you, and everybody's pointing fingers here and there. It's just a situation where we had a huge loyalty to each other, so we might've let that sit in the way, and a change of scenery is actually good. It wasn't a heated argument. They decided that a change was in order for them, we talked about it, and I kind of agreed. I said, 'You know what? We're just not getting it done together as a team, so maybe a change is good.' So both of us (Park and Jeff Green) were sitting there without a job. What's funny about that is, I think I was out of work for about 14 hours. Then the opportunity came at RCR. As much as it looks like a swap, it wasn't a swap. Jeff Green got let go, and a couple of days later I got let go. Then I got called by RCR, and it was just one of those things where it wasn't like a collaboration of DEI and RCR talking, it was just a situation where DEI needed a driver and Jeff Green was available, and RCR needed a driver and I was available. When RCR called me, they said 'I hear you're on the hot seat, what's going on over there?' I said I just got fired yesterday, and they said well come up here and let's talk. It reminded me so much of Dale Earnhardt. Dale never asked you to do something, he told you. And Richard was the same way. He said 'Come up here and have dinner tomorrow night.' It wasn't like, 'Hey, you think you might want to come up here?' It was just, 'Yes sir.' Just like it was with Dale. Dale was just very stern and to the point, and he knew what he wanted, just like Richard does. I'm just real thankful. It didn't take me a half hour to sit down with him and listen to the forward thinking that he had with the AOL team, what he wanted to do and where he wanted to be. I said, 'You know what? Sign me up man, I'm ready to go.' Again, I'm just real thankful. I thank my blessings that timing is everything and that the door was open when I was available. To work with Mike Beam and have AOL as a sponsor is just unbelievable. They have a lot of things going on, sponsor-wise, that's going to help promote Steve Park. There's just a lot of exciting things that are happening." (YOU KIND OF INSINUATED THAT YOU WERE NOT INTEGRATED INTO MAKING DECISIONS AT DEI LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE WANTED - DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE MORE AN INTEGRAL PART WITH RCR AND IS THAT WHY IT'S BETTER?) "I'm not a very smart person, I just know that I got fired from my last job. I'm real happy to be integrated in RCR. It's just so nice to be able to work with Mike Beam and the entire crew. It's like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders. It's great to work with Mike and the whole bunch of guys that we have. All these guys want to do is win races, just like myself. The main thing is we need to run good, but we need to have fun doing it, and we're having a bunch of fun. The most fun I've had has been the last seven days, even before we came here. I give the input, Mike's capable of fixing the car, and we're capable of going fast like we did today. I can't thank Richard enough for choosing me. He had a whole bunch of people to choose from, and I'm thankful he chose me. I definitely don't want to let him down."

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