Scott Wimmer Quotes:
Scott, you tested at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in September. How did that go? How well prepared are you and the CAT Racing team for this upcoming race weekend? “The test was OK. We did blow two right-front tires and had a left-rear [tire] go down. We learned a lot and definitely have some concern going into this weekend, but we were one of the first cars on the track during that test session in September. The more rubber that was put down definitely helped deter the progressive tire wear, so it should be OK. I am sure there will be some caution in the first practice and throughout the weekend. It is not a real good situation when you change a track and the tires react the way they have been since the changes. The cars run so fast at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. If you blow a right front, chances are your run is probably over, and that could really change a season around on someone, especially the teams that are in The Chase.

“We’re taking the same car we raced at Kansas back to the track this weekend. It is a good car that we raced at Lowe’s earlier this year. I don’t know what happened to the car on Sunday. It never seemed like it wanted to get through turns three and four all day, and then the hotter the tires got, the tighter the front end got. The long green-flag runs definitely didn’t favor us.

“Yeah, Sunday was a little confusing for me, Derrick [Finely, crew chief] and the entire team. The car was strong on Friday and Saturday. Then come race time, it got so tight. We worked to shake a tight-handling condition throughout the weekend, but we thought we got a handle on it by the close of final practice. It just seemed to resurface and just get worse during the race. We made multiple adjustments, but the car acted like it was immune to almost everything we tried.

“Earlier this year in the Coca-Cola 600, we had a great run going the majority of the race with the same car. We started outside the top 30 but were able to move up inside the top 10 less than 65 laps into the race. We even got spun around in the middle of the run. It relegated us outside the top 30, but we worked our way back up toward the front. I was sure we would bring home at least a top 10 that night, but as I tried to avoid a wreck ahead of me on the last lap, I checked up and got pushed from behind into the wall. “

You are racing near your home in High Point, N.C., so I know you have to be expecting guests. Who is going to be able to make it to your race this weekend? “Yes, you are right; I have some family coming in. I am really excited because my grandma, who lives in Wisconsin, is going to make it to North Carolina to watch the race this weekend. She is 81 years old, and this will be her first NASCAR Nextel Cup race. She made it to quite a few of my short track races back home, but it is means a lot to me she is making the trip this weekend to watch me race. Hopefully, we can put on a good show for her.”