Allstate 400 at the Brickyard - Mike Garvey Notes

PEAK PERFORMANCE MOTORSPORTS
MIKE GARVEY, No. 66 EAS FORD

MIKE GARVEY ADVANCE

Mike Garvey, driver of the No. 66 EAS Ford Taurus for Peak Performance Motorsports, will attempt to make his eighth start of the season and fifth with PPM this weekend. Garvey, a Raybestos ® Rookie of the Year contender, brings experience from the defunct ASA and USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series. One of the most victorious drivers in the ASA, he is tied for fifth all time with Mark Martin with 22 wins. This week, Garvey discusses the excitement of the Brickyard, his test session, and new sponsor EAS.

Do you have any memories of watching a race at the Brickyard that stands out? Did you ever think you’d be driving at Indy? “I think I’ve watched every NASCAR race at the Brickyard. I remember Jeff Gordon’s first win, and then Dale [Earnhardt] Sr.’s. It seems like everyone made a big to do about NASCAR’s first race here; Indy purists were in fits. But now, I think the Cup race at the Brickyard is just as big of a deal as the Indy race. Fans love it, the drivers love it – it’s just a big event. It’s such a storied venue. When we went to Indy for our test, I got goose bumps when I got out of the car and looked around, which, same goes for Daytona. Those two places are just so awesome. There is so much racing history there. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like on race day. Those first few caution laps, coming down the front stretch with fans on both sides of the track; it’s going to be amazing. I’m still adjusting to the idea of being a full-time Nextel Cup driver, so it’s hard for me to say that I thought I’d be driving here one day. I guess it’s all a part of a big dream come true for me.”

How did your test go? Did you learn anything specific that you think will benefit you this weekend? “I am hopeful of doing well. We are coming back with more horsepower. When we tested, we focused on aero and how the car reacted to different setups, so we just used an older test motor. This week though, we’re going to have solid Roush-Yates power under the hood of the EAS Ford and think we’re going to have a pretty good showing. It’s going to be an exciting weekend. We learned a lot when we tested, and we got a chance to talk about it in a less stressful environment. There is a lot of pressure on the weekends when we’re trying to get every tenth of a second we can out of our car. During the test, it was more relaxed and we had time to experiment, so that was really beneficial. Each weekend and each test session is a learning experience for Greg [Connor, crew chief] and me. We really benefited from it, and I am hopeful that’s going to show this weekend.”

How has the anticipation built for you during the off week? Are you excited? “I’m excited, definitely, but I don’t think there is any more anticipation than usual. We’ve had a lot more time to think about the weekend, and luckily, I got a little time to rest. I really needed it. I know these other guys who have been on the road every weekend since April were really glad to see the off week.

“For the most part, we left the car like we tested it, so we’re ready to go. Only change we made was the paint scheme. We’ve got a great sponsor heading into the weekend with EAS, a national supplement developer. It produces great product like the EAS brands Body-for-LIFE®, Myoplex®, Ensure®, ZonePerfect®, Glucerna®, and AdvantEdge®. Peak Performance Motorsports is grateful that they are on board as a primary this week and the rest of the season as an associate. I’m looking forward to meeting some of the EAS executives and employees at the Brickyard this weekend. I’d like to give them a little something to cheer about.”