Scott Wimmer Quotes:
Scott, you are preparing to head to the last restrictor-plate race of the season. What are your thoughts as you head back to Talladega, and any more thoughts about the recent developments regarding your new teammate in 2006? “I am excited to go back there. It has been so disappointing the way the last three restrictor-plate races have played out for the No. 22 CAT Racing team and me. We’ve had great cars at all of them and had some really strong runs as well. We led laps but just always seem to never be able to escape or avoid the big wreck that inevitably plays out at some point during those superspeedway races. So our main goal first and foremost is to go and just finish. I know if we can stay out of trouble and just really race those last 10 laps, that is what you have to be ready to do. If we can do that, we’ll have a successful day. We didn’t have the best day this past weekend at Dover, but I think we were kind of in the same situation as Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. We were not that great until after our setback, and then the car felt better than it did before the mishap. I think our lap times even showed that, but we have had some pretty good runs lately. We are solidifying our position in the top 35, and if we keep running well, maybe we could get closer to the top 25 before the end of the year.

“The guys are building really good cars. At the beginning of the year, we got a little behind because of the new aero package and tires. It has just taken us a little while to catch up. Where we are right now is where we all wish we could’ve been at the beginning of the year, but now we have to look beyond that and just overcome it. It is exciting to hear the news we all heard last week about getting a teammate in 2006. I think that is definitely going to help us. We have some great races ahead of us. We have some of our stronger tracks coming up and some good cars built. Hopefully, we can take those assets and utilize them to build some momentum going into the off-season.

“Speaking of the new teammate, having Michael is great. He’s won races in the Nextel Cup series and has run for one of the top organizations in the series the last few years. In addition to his performance, he’s great with sponsors and the media, and that will make Bill Davis Racing that much stronger. We are excited to see what all he will be able to bring to the table. If you aren’t a multi-car team with a lot of support, it is hard to run well and consistently in this sport. I’ve been talking a lot about how nice it would be to get a teammate, and now I am getting one. It is just going to be good to be able to go to the track and have a teammate to lean on and consult. Hopefully we can hit it off really good. I know he has a much more outgoing personality than I probably do, so maybe he will help me with that and give me some tips in that area, as well.”