JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S MONTE CARLO SS, WEEKLY TOP-10 BEHIND THE HAULER CHAT

Q. On sharing a pit box and affect on potential affect on Sunday:

"I have never been in this situation, so I am not sure what to expect. I have got to understand it a little bit more, but if somebody falls out, I guess we pick out box up and go to where they were. I would assume that who ever is in highest place on the race track has priority in the pit box. It is tough for me to believe in today's world of racing they can't modify pit road and adjust to all 43 cars having their own pit stall. I believe there are other tracks that we have this is I am aware, but I have never been in this position before, I just hope it gives everybody a fair shot."

Q. Did Chad (Knaus, crew chief) go and speak with someone about this and express his concerns?

"I guess all along there have been a lot of people who have voiced their concerns. Hopefully it will be addressed. I don't really know to be honest with you. We just have to make the most of it and stay ahead of the No. 4 car so we have priority on pit road and then when someone calls out, we can split up and take it from there."

Q. Have you guys discussed if you will be the team that moves or stays when somebody falls out?

"I think it is an option that when somebody falls out, you can decide but I am not sure who moves and who stays - whether I do or the No. 4 car. I have no clue. We are all learning together. Everything subject to change. I assume that the first opportunity we have to separate; we will do whatever we can whether it requires us to move or the No. 4 car. I guess we do have the option but we will split up as soon as we can."

Q. How good is your car?

"All I can get, we are working on that. Brian (Vickers) and his team have obviously been very fast in this practice today. We have been very loose. The 24 car is fair; the 5 car is about the same as I am. We are going to tighten it up a little bit."

Q. What was going through your mind during the spin during qualifying yesterday?

"There was a lot of luck. I know from spinning here before and hitting the inside wall, you can lessen the impact by trying to keep it up the hill longer and maybe even get in to the outside wall. I lost the car I didn't stay in the gas as long and I let it kind of slide on the race track and I missed the outside wall. Then from there, the car was spinning; I could feel the momentum of the spin. I was trying to re-direct the car up the track. So I got off the brake and hit the gas and let it try to shoot up the track when I got the front wheels pointed that way. And it all worked out. There is no way I could do it again and not hit something. I had a lot of luck on my side. "

Q. Was there any damage to the car?

"Zero. Absolutely nothing which is pretty amazing. I heard I filled the 11 (Denny Hamlin) car full of dirt. When I spun around, the left rear tire dug into the grass and it shot dirt and mud inside the 11 car sitting on pit road."

Q. Did your team get a kick out of that save?

"They loved it. We were pretty excited afterwards. You'd think we would be disappointed. Shortly there after we found out that we have to share a pit stall and the smile went away. At the time we were pretty stoked."

Q. On going to Pocono:

"Last year we struggled there. I lost a car in practice and made a mistake. We're looking forward to going back. It's a good track for us. It's important for us to run well there so we can go to Indy. Indy has kind of been the hard part of the season for us the last few years so if we can get through Pocono and get the cars right, it will give us a lot of hope going into Indy where we've had some troubles in the past."

Q. What are your general thoughts on the race track at Pocono?

"It was a lot more fun when we could shift. Now it's such an odd shaped track. Now that we don't shift it's kind of boring to drive the track. I think it's tough to really put on a good show there. The corners are tight. There really isn't an outside lane except for turn one. You've got to wait to 50-something seconds before you have another shot at getting position on someone making the pass. I felt like the passing and racing was better when we could downshift. Maybe an option would be that you could run some different gear ratios and we'd have a little separation in the cars where you could play with some things. The track is old. It's fun in the respect that it's very sensitive to the sun. I think it puts a lot back in the team and drivers' hands as the sun comes out and the track heats up. It's a tough track to get a hold of and I like that challenge."

Q. When did the shifting aspect of the track at Pocono change?

"Last year, I think, we went to the new gear rule and that eliminated the downshift."

Q. Who looks really good out there for tomorrow?

"I'm not real sure. I wasn't really around many people. The first practice the 6 (Mark Martin) looked pretty strong and after his truck win yesterday, I'm sure he's nice and hungry. This has always been a good track for him."

Q. Do you have anything in your contract that limits how many races you can run outside of the Cup Series?

"Nothing that limits (me) but I'm required to get written permission from Hendrick Motorsports and the sponsor."

Q. How often do you have to do that?

"The three Busch races I run haven't been an issue with the Lowe's car. That's been fine. Then the 24 Hours of Daytona. I didn't race that this year so I haven't needed to cross that road."

Q. Do you think we'll see more of that with future contracts?

"I don't know. The thing that makes us drivers who we are and perfect our skills is the fact that we're in cars and then on top of that being in different cars. I think my diverse background in race cars taught me a lot and put a lot into my style and the way I drive a car. I think Tony (Stewart) and Jeff (Gordon) would confess to that. I think it's good to have other disciplines. It's just that little balance of what the car owner and sponsor are willing to risk, if they're willing to allow you to go out and risk injury to let you be yourself and do your thing. I think it's really in the sponsor and owner's hands. The drivers just want to drive anything that has wheels and an engine."

Q. Do you have a trainer at Hendrick Motorsports that works with drivers that get injured?

"Definitely. We have a full staff that does all the physical training and also rehabilitation."

Q. Is that how far this sport has come now that you need trainers these days?

"On the crew level and over-the-wall, those guys twist ankles and hurt knees. They see a lot more injuries. Granted the driver is a high priority for them but I think it was more the crew members going over the wall that really drove that at our organization."

Q. Can you assess where you are at this point in the season in relation to the last couple of years?

"I feel we're in a very similar situation. The one difference would be that we've had a lot of success and I don't feel that our cars have been as refined as they were in previous years so that gives me a lot of excitement. Looking forward and getting closer to the Chase, I still think we have a lot of room to go with our race cars."

Q. Can you talk about your relationship with Kyle Busch and the team dynamic in regards to some comments that he made yesterday that he doesn't hang out with his teammates? Is it because of age that you guys aren't as close?

"I think so. To a certain degree, definitely, especially when he (Kyle) came in being 19. I think a lot of it has to do with personal tastes. Jeff (Gordon) spent a lot of time in New York. I started going up there and met my wife up there. Right when Kyle started, I was spending all my free time up in New York chasing my wife around trying to convince her that she needed to move to Charlotte and marry me. I think that's where it started. It's really more on what our interests are. Over the years Kyle has made a big effort to work his way through the team professionally, personally and to get to know everyone. I see that there's been a lot of growing amongst his relationship with myself and Jeff since the season started. It's not that it's anything more than our personal interests and where we spend our free time. I think Jeff and I have similar interests. Brian (Vickers) came along and saw that and was like 'Oh wow, New York City. I grew up in Thomasville. I want to go see something different.' That's kind of what got Brian going and him being of age was a crucial part of the whole thing too."

Q. So Kyle's not an outcast or anything?

"No, not at all."

Q. Starting 42nd, does that change your strategy? Will you do two tire stops where you otherwise would have done a four tire stop?

"It depends on the feel of the race. If it seems like there will be a lot of cautions we'll take that risk. But being back there in traffic, if you're off and take two tires and then you have a nice run come after that, the leaders will be on your bumper putting you a lap down. We just really have to see how the feel of the race starts off and take our risks according to that."

Q. What are your three favorite tracks?

"Darlington, Lowe's and Atlanta."

Q. Would Lowe's be number one?

"It was until they started putting down new surfaces. I still have a good time at the track but the old Lowe's Motor Speedway with all the bumps and jumps and different things were a lot of fun. That's why I like Darlington so much. I hope they never repave it. There was some rumor floating around that they were going to repave Darlington and I almost had a heart attack for a couple of reasons. One, it's great. Leave it alone. Two, if they repave it with today's technology in paving, that track is 50 feet too narrow and we'll have a heck of a mess if you repave it and let us run around there at the speeds our cars are capable of."

Q. On his spin. Was there any element of you saving it or were you in the car thinking there's nothing I can do?

"In the back of my mind I didn't think there was a lot I could do but I was on the gas, on the brake, off the gas and brake, steering, just really trying to keep the car uphill. I could feel when the momentum was swinging around I was trying to redirect in and shoot it up the banking with it didn't really do. I think it just delayed the slide and slowed down the slide to the inside wall. I was doing everything I could but I've hit the inside wall here a few times and I was doing everything I could then as well and this deal just worked out."

Q. If Michael Waltrip can buy his way into Charlotte, can you buy your way into your own pit box?

"My first question was what car are we sharing with. The 4 (Scott Wimmer) is a regular on the series and it's very important to them to keep their points up so they have a guaranteed start. I'm not really sure where they are in the points. It's not a bad thing but I don't see them being willing to negotiate or do anything at all. It's very important for them to collect points. If it was somebody doing a one-off race and just came in and made the show, we'd be in a different position but with a regular like that, they've got to go racing too."

Q. Does that concern your team more than you or is it more about you coming into the pit box?

"From my impression how this works, there's a lot in my hands as well because whoever is the furthest up on the race track is going to have priority in the pit box. We've got to stay ahead of them on the race track. At the same time the guys have got to really work through the pitting situation. I'm not sure who's toolbox they sit on or what air wrenches they use. I'm not sure how any of that works. It's going to be really complicated."

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 8 BUDWEISER MONTE CARLO SS, WEEKLY TOP-10 BEHIND THE HAULER CHAT

Q. Your former teammate Michael Waltrip failed to qualify in Charlotte. What is going wrong there?

"I don't know. I don't know much about the team."

Q. Do you ever talk with Michael about what is going on with them?

"No."

Q. Last year at this point you were 15th in points. What's different this year?

"Tony (Eury) Jr. He's a big difference. All the guys at our shop have a real positive attitude compared to last year. He has a lot to do with that too. We've got a lot of good people making things happen for me but Tony Jr. sort of straightened the whole deal out and that's a big deal."

Q. What are your three favorite tracks?

"I don't know. There's so many out there I like."

Q. Were you surprised at Kyle Busch's penalty?

"Yeah. I don't know. I thought mine was severe for cussing in victory lane. That was nowhere near as bad as what he did. He did what he did. I didn't really see any reason to penalize him for it. He threw his HANS device, big deal. I didn't see any reason to penalize him. Just tell him not to do it anymore and that should have taken care of it."

Q. Why do you think there is more tension on the track today?

"I don't know. I don't think there is for me."

Q. Does more tension have to do with the higher competition level?

"I don't really feel more tension. I just think some personalities clash and some don't. I don't really have a whole lot of problems on the race track with anybody. I just try to get out there and do my thing. It's pretty easy to do that."

Q. This will be the third year of the Chase for the Championship. In comparison with this year and last year, are you feeling a little better about how to race for points and getting into the top 10?

" No not really. We're human and we're going to make mistakes. I don't think you can be perfect. My car drives better this year than it did last year so I'm not on that edge as much. I've won championships before and I've run good in the title chase before so it ain't like I learned how to run in the point system any better than I did last year. I'm really not on that edge like I was last year. I'm really not on that edge a lot like last year with the car and (we) got bit a bunch."

Q. Are you getting the consistency you want week in and week out or are you still looking for it?

"I think I am (more consistent). I'm really happy. I had a way better car than we were able to finish week in Charlotte. We were fourth at Darlington and a win at Richmond. We had a bunch great finishes and a bunch of great cars this year. I really feel like we have gotten more consistent. We're doing a better job right now than we've done before. I think we're doing it better now than we've ever done it."

Q. What would be a comfortable position for you to be in five or six races from now?

"Fifth I guess. I don't know. Just being in the top 10 is what is important. I don't really know what is comfortable. I guess first (place) 500 points ahead of second is really comfortable."

Q. At the Richmond test you mentioned June being an important month for you. Can you expand on that?

"We're going to Sonoma, Pocono, Michigan, a bunch of race tracks where we have been hit or miss or miss all together. We need to be able to get through that stretch with some satisfaction and confidence in how we ran. I'd like to get some good runs in Michigan. I like that track and I've run good there before but I haven't got the good finishes I think we should be getting. Pocono, I think we can go there and do OK. We've been top five there before. Sonoma, I've had some great race cars but I just seem to find a way to ruin them. Hopefully we'll do a better job when we go back there."

Q. What's your biggest challenge at Pocono?

"I don't really have one, just to save it one piece. I don't know. If the car drives good you'll do OK."

Q. How is Martin Truex Jr.?

"I think he's doing fine. He's really good today (Friday). He seems like he's really doing well today (Friday). I think he's done good. He's got to continue to take everybody's advice because it never fails; nobody knows more than a rookie right? He's got to continue to take people's advice and listen to people that are around him and not get so frustrated I guess because he wants to run better. He gets frustrated real easy. We just got to keep him from getting frustrated and shutting down any lines of communication he has with his crew chief, me, Tony Jr. or people in the organization that make his lap times faster because that's really all he wants in the first place."

Q. Is that something he needs to work on?

"No I think he is doing fine. He's just very competitive and competition will kill you. So you just got to continue even in the face of bad practice, you need to have a good all positive attitude."

Q. On Tony Stewart Injury:

"We do have a responsibility to show up and drive Cup cars every week. As a businessman, you have a responsibility to make sure you show up on time for your job. At the same time, who is anybody to tell Tony Stewart what to do with his time? If he wants to drive race cars, he should drive race cars, if he wants to fly kites, he should fly kites. What ever he wants to do, he ought to be able to make that choice himself. I can't be upset or fault a guy for doing what he wants to do and that is his decision. He knows the repercussions probably better than any body else, better than you and maybe even me. He knows the risks and repercussions when he climbs in a car and I don't think you can get down on him too hard for getting injured in the non-Cup stuff. He loves racing. It is what he loves to do, it makes him happy."

Q. On NASCAR allowing one race a season to be thrown out at driver/team discretion for instances such as Tony:

"No that isn't any good. I don't think they should do that. That is too much fine-tuning of the system. "

Q. Should decision whether a driver can or can't race be taken out of driver's hands?

"Sure, a Dr. should be making that decision. NASCAR can bring somebody in to make their own conclusion but Tony is working with Dr. Petty and he is everybody's buddy. He is everyone's friend. But, I have been hurt and he never cut me any slack and I don't see him cutting Tony any slack.

"I had the same injury and raced the next day and finished third. Tony can race, but this is a tough race track, it isn't like the one I ran on. With the load he will feel out there, it isn't any injury like, if you it the wall, it is going to make it worse. It is already broken, I don't think he can break it again, that is done. He already broke it off, it is the tip of his shoulder blade and one he already broke it off, but what hurts the most is when you are leaning in the corner. The weight when you are going around the corner, slings you in the seat puts pressure on it. But he can handle it, he'll be all right, I don't think he will get out."

Q. Did Budweiser tell you that you can't run any other races"

"They done it. I got a deal where I can only run "X" amount of Busch races and blah, blah, blah. That's the sponsor's decision more for continuity with me driving the red car every week. They want consistency for the fans seeing me in a red car. They really don't want to see me in a Taco Bell or KFC car. Bud would rather have me in a red Bud car. That's why I don't really get the opportunity to run more."

Q. Did they do that after your accident?

"No. We've had that contract."

Q. What about your interests and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated?

"Well everybody has an interest. But that's Bud side of it, which is understandable. DEI don't want me going and driving for somebody else and helping them out. I'd like to drive Harvick's Busch car if he asked me but I doubt I could. I'd like to drive my own Busch cars but I don't know if that's a possibility through my commitments and contracts with DEI. You get yourself in a couple of spider webs and it's hard to get out of."

Q. What was it like this time last year for you when you were going through the crew chief change?

"That side of it was miserable swapping the crew chiefs, sitting in an office with Pete Rondeau. Telling him that we didn't need him to be our crew chief anymore was one of the hardest things I ever did because he deserved to be there. I was being a little bit selfish because I wanted Steve (Hmiel) to come in there with his experience to tell me what was wrong instead of being just a spotter. I needed him to get down in there and say 'Hey man you're not driving it right' or that we didn't have a good enough car. I needed his help to really find out where my team was."

Q. Did you know then that you wanted Tony Jr. for the next year?

"I wanted to work with Tony Jr. again but we were both just being hard headed about it. Heck, if I would have went out and won 10 races with Steve in a row who would have blamed me for staying with him. I thought that was a possibility and could happen. We talked to other crew chiefs about hiring other crew chiefs. We talked to other guys. One of them is really successful right now. A lot of what ifs. I'm glad to be with (Tony) Junior, man. He's going to get his credit down the line one day in the books for being one of the best and I'll stick with him."

Q. Is Tony Eury Jr. an old school crew chief with no engineering degree?

"He doesn't have the engineering degree but he's got something a lot of them don't and that's common sense. Sometimes engineering really comes down to is having common sense, figuring something out. He does a great job with staying on top of what's happening in the garage and the latest technology. He rarely ever gets behind. If anything he's right on par with a lot of guys like (Chip) Ganassi and these guys that do have a lot of engineering background and a lot of engineering help. My engineering department is pretty good. We don't put enough money into it."

Q. Is it hard to split time and focus between being a team owner and a driver?

"No, it is not hard to focus just hard to not let the ownership side of it affect the driver side of it or vice versa. It is real easy to drag anger to the other side. If the Cup car isn't running good and I am angry about that, it is hard to drop that when I go be the owner for the Busch team. Or when the Busch car has a bad Saturday, it is hard not to be angry about that and bring it to my race on Sunday. That is probably the hardest part, keeping the temper down."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT MONTE CARLO SS, WEEKLY TOP-10 BEHIND THE HAULER CHAT

Q. On problems with his car:

"We have had some things happen to us and they're all things that we at Hendrick Motorsports outsource, nothing that we're building. We're putting a list together through convenience or saving a buck here and there where we outsourced it to maybe focus on some other things. We're putting that list together so we don't continue to have these problems. Right now we need to be focused on dialing the car in, working on setups, making the car go faster, not needing to worry and focus on one little thing here and there that can cost us positions like what happened to us in Richmond and Charlotte. What happened in Charlotte, the 48 was about six to 10 laps away from having the same problem. It's an issue really throughout the garage because it's a company that builds things for all of us. It's not the company's fault. It's what we're doing now with the cars that are putting more stress on that part so now we got to go back and research a little bit more."

Q. How frustrating is it that little things like that keep you from getting over this hump?

"We're much more concerned with the competition, with going faster and trying new setups and making gains there with downforce. Those little things are going to happen. We're definitely putting a team of people on that to make sure those things are happening but our primary focus is still just speed. We're really getting there. I'm glad we're under the radar because when we hit it, we're going to hit it big and everybody is going to say 'Wow, where did they come from?' We're not going to talk about it. We're here to go out there and do it. We're working our butts off, this whole team is, to put that out there on the race track. For us what might seem like only three or four positions on the track to everybody else are additional steps in the right direction."

Q. Do you think you are ready to win a championship this year? Do you think you are you equipped to do so?

"Team-wise I think we're definitely ready. We've got a great team - the morale of the team, the way everybody is on the same page, the pit crew. Everything focus-wise, communication-wise is there. We just got to get that competition and performance up a couple of notches and we'll absolutely be ready to win a championship. It's a lot different now with the Chase. Right now is like experimental time. There might be guys out there wining races and running faster. Our job is to catch up to them and pass them when it comes time for the Chase."

Q. What is your timeline for that? Is it this week?

"Trust me, if we could have figured it out yesterday we would have. We're not putting a timeline on it. We're just working as hard as we can to get there. There's no doubt there are some guys that have gotten ahead of us. It's our job to get out there and catch 'em and find those things that we need to beat them. It doesn't matter to me when it happens as long as it happens before the Chase or right as the Chase starts."

Q. What are you looking forward to in going to Pocono?

"That's the exciting thing right now is going to the tracks and being more competitive and trying new things that should make us better. For the longest time I've loved going everywhere. The last couple years I've dreaded going places like that because we've been so far off. It's no fun to go places that you know you can run good at and be doing all you can to try and get in the top 10. When we start getting ourselves up in the top five and battling for wins, you're going to see us excited about going to every track. Pocono has always been one of my favorites. I love the shifting that we typically do there and the three different corners. I enjoy that. I'm looking forward to that. Right now we've got some exciting things happening with the team and I'm really looking forward to going everywhere."

Q. When you are running 24th during a race, what is going through your mind? What is the mindset of your team during those situations?

"The thing you've got to understand is track position is so important. Like last week, we stayed out and we took off and ran away from the field and we led the whole time. Obviously you know that clean air is extremely important. Downforce is important and we proved that our car is much better than a 24th-place car. It's all about fine-tuning on the car to try to make it better. You've got to tune the car for passing in traffic then you've got to make the car (better) for getting out front and being in the top five. These cars change so much. When you're in the top it's just unbelievable. Last week we were dealing with a tire, a new surface and some different things that we've had to deal with in the past and track position was even more important. That's what the most frustrating thing about last week is that we finally got ourselves in a solid position, the car was feeling good and we were looking forward to those last two runs. I think that we had a shot at getting up at fifth or sixth but we were definitely an eighth place car at the time."

Q. What do you think Kyle Busch's issues are? Is he immature or has he not learned what racing is all about yet?

"I think Kyle (Busch) is a tremendous talent and he just sometimes gets a little impatient. He knows that they have a good team and good cars and that frustration kicks in a little bit when you're not able to go out there and show it. He's young and maybe a little immature but it's just that he's wanting all of it right now. He's got to have more patience and kind of understand that nobody is out there trying to get him. Everybody is out there trying to get all they can and he just needs to respect that and understand that. I think he's going to be a tremendous talent and super star of this sport and things like what happened last week are only things that are going to give him more experience and hopefully learn from that situation and move on and be better."

Q. Have you talked to him at all?

"We tested together this week but we didn't talk anything about that situation."

Q. How much has Mr. Hendrick talked to him about the situation?

"That's why I haven't had to say anything is (because) Rick has talked to him. Nobody carries more respect than somebody like Rick Hendrick. When he sits down and talks to you, it gets your attention. I know that he's been talking to Kyle."

Q. Do you think this will be the last time Kyle does something like this?

"It's hard when you 're in the heat of the moment. You're young and your emotions get the best of you. Some people do a better job at containing that than others. I hope that every one of these experiences is a learning experience for him. We all have our moments. I've had mine and he's had his. I think that being a brother to Kurt who has taken a lot of heat over the years doesn't help him out a whole lot either. There's a lot of criticism that comes down on him and he's got to understand and recognize that and his actions need to match up to that."

Q. On being consistent and having it take the edge off and feeling comfortable with your team and your car and how it helps your performance:

"Those are extremely important. It's a lot easier to have a good year when your car is doing all the things you want it to do. This sport is so competitive and setups change constantly. You just got to be able to be aggressive with the car and drive it hard and make sure it's underneath you. When it's not, it's a handful and it's a long race and a long season. I think he (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and I both dealt with a little bit of that last year. That forces you to push too hard, make mistakes and the whole team starts to crumble underneath you. I think that's the thing we really started working on the last 10 races last year. We made some big changes and I think they are paying off for us. I knew it wouldn't happen overnight and it hasn't. I'm looking forward to each and every race right now because we are getting that comfort for me in the race car and the speed is coming as well."

Q. On Tony Stewart and his injury. A lot of his injuries have occurred in non-Cup races. Do you have an opinion on Cup drivers driving in other circuits when you know you make your pay in the Cup Series?

"I don't run in the Busch Series for many different reasons. I don't run there because I want to be more focused on the Cup Series. I don't run there because I feel like the cars are different enough that it's not really helping me for Sunday. I also don't run it because I don't try to take any extra risks. Guys like Tony (Stewart), (Greg) Biffle and other drivers out there, they don't feel that way. It's up to them. It's their decision. Tony got in a bad wreck on Saturday but the wreck he had on Sunday didn't help things either. Those injuries and things like that can happen to you anywhere at anytime. You got to live your life but I think you also have to really understand what your priorities are. For me, my priority is the Cup Series."

Q. Are you anxious to get back in victory lane?

"Yeah, definitely. I think our team is better than we've been in a number of years. I'm excited about the kind of package that we have but our cars still need a little bit of work, our setups (need work) a little bit and getting me more comfortable and getting that speed back. I know we can be in victory lane. I don't think we're as far off as it looks at times because this sport is so competitive. We're getting a little anxious. We'd love for it to come here in Dover. The fact that DuPont is right up the road in Wilmington would be phenomenal for us to get our first win of the season here."

Q. Does the sport's competitiveness lead to greater tension on the track? Is there more tension on the track now?

"Definitely. As the competition gets tougher the pressure intensifies and the frustration can be even greater. You know how crucial it is every lap, every point, every position. When it doesn't go your way man its tough."

Q. Is it tough to control your emotions? Is that something you've learned through the years?

"I've done a pretty good job I feel like over the years. It is tough at times. Sometimes tougher than others. I've shown that at times this year as a matter of fact. It happens to everybody especially when you're young though. The younger you are the more you feel like everything is on your shoulders and you feel the pressure even more."

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 5 KELLOGGS'S MONTE CARLO SS, WEEKLY TOP-10 BEHIND THE HAULER CHAT

Q. Is there something that you want to start with, that you want to say about your probation?

"Not really, no."

Q. Kyle, do you think the penalty was fair?

"From their record book, and they way things have been going here lately, it seems that it was fair and it seems that it was consistent with what NASCAR has been doing in the past, so that is what they came up with and that is what we had to take on in order to come back to race."

Q. Do you know what exactly probation means?

"The probation has to do with the off-track stuff, it doesn't have anything to do with on-track contact, and it's mainly on-track activities."

Q. Are you more concerned with missing the Chase by just 25 points?

"I am more concerned with missing the Chase by 25 points, because that put us back to 10th in points, so we have some ground to make up. We have lost over 200 points or so within the past 4 weeks, so there is definitely some ground where we need to improve on and try bring ourselves back up a little bit, and try to run consistent again and try to bring home our top-5's and top-10's in order to keep ourselves on the Chase."

Q. Do you regret what you did last week?

"Of course. It is a tough situation to go through, for anyone to go through, there have been those instances in the past and you try and learn from other's experiences. You never know the severity of it until you do it yourself. I hate that it happened and I am just going to go on with what did happen because that is the only way to do it."

Q. Have you had a conversation with your crew and crew chief?

"Oh yeah, our crew chief (Alan Gustafson), Mr. Hendrick and I sat down and we talked a bit. There are no hard feelings from Alan, and the guys, every time I walk through the shop, they are smiling, happy to be where they are at, and working the way that they are working, and stuff like that. They have always been very receptive to myself and have always been able to come up to me and talk to me if they have an issue, or anything like that, and they just keep telling me to keep going out there and drive the way that I drive and drive the wheels off the thing."

Q. Have you talked to Casey (Mears) at all?

"No sir, I have not."

Q. Casey (Mears) said that you need to learn how to react to things better and grow up a little bit, how do you react to that comment?

"You know, it's his comment. But for myself, you know, I am who I am, and he is who he is, so there is different ways people go about doing different things and maybe I can do something a little bit differently. I definitely need to work on that myself and try to figure out what that might be."

Q. Do you have a hot temper, or when things happen, that moment, the blood just rushes? What is it?

"Yeah, pretty much. Especially after taking a hard lick the way that was and we had a car that was capable of winning. We were coming through the field, some people may not recognize that, we came from 28th on that one pit stop and drove all the way up to 8th on that one run, and it was a tough position. The track was so hard to pass on, and we made up some good ground anyways, and we were coming through, that it's tough not to hold that emotion back and keep that frustration under control, and there is a point of no return, and we stepped over that."

Q. Jeff Burton talked earlier today, and he said that there are so many vehicles for you guys to express yourselves, and he said with five minutes later, you would have had a camera and a microphone in your face and millions of people there, do you think about that now, are there better ways to express your frustration?

"Yeah, I mean there is probably a better way about doing that. The easiest way would have been if my car would have still been drivable, I would have driven it back to the garage area, gotten out and walked in the hauler, and probably would have torn the lounge up. But not having that opportunity, and being stuck out on the race track the way I was; it just wouldn't go anywhere, the first thing that comes to mind was that. That was obviously the worst thing that could have came to mind."

Q. It wasn't that you were angry from the past with Casey (Mears) because he really couldn't control what he did to bother you, was there something from the past, some had speculated that?

"Yeah there was. It wasn't that on-track stuff that happened right there that flared me up."

Q. What was it?

"It has to do with what we've had happen in the past. There was Daytona, there was Las Vegas, there was Phoenix, I believe it was. There has been some areas there where he has had some words, but he hasn't had words with me."

Q. Do feel like you are getting a fair shake from the other drivers, they are pointing their fingers at you, maybe it was your fault, maybe it wasn't.

"It is hard to say, mainly this has to do with opinions, there is not a lot of facts; factual things stuff that everyone can point at me, it has a lot to do with opinions, and everyone has an opinion of how I drive on the race track, and how that kind of stuff happens. They also have opinions on how I am off the race track. The thing is, I show everyone the wrong side of me, and there is a different side outside the race track, and that is what my guys love about me, is that I am not who I am to who I show everybody who I am."

Q. On things that frustrate him and how he handles it:

"It's tough to try to change the way you want to be out at the race track. You're out here doing as much as you can to make your car as fast as you possibly can and try to win the race and everything every week. Competition is so stiff sometimes you get frustrated that way. Today we were up at about 10th on the board in race trim the whole time and we went out in qualifying trim and ended up 30th. That's frustrating. It's like 'What happened? Why are we 30th?' You try to make sure you still keep the guys pumped up cause you're kind of the quarterback or the team leader. You come back to the truck and talk it over and see what kind of changes you can make."

Q. On people seeing a different side of you that isn't you. Does that create a sense of anxiety inside of you?

"It does. I put it on myself so it's my problem. It's what I have to deal with. It's who I show everybody with what I am that gives them the wrong impression."

Q. Why has Dover been so good to you?

"I don't know why it's been good to me. Maybe because I run the three series. I love doing the triple here because it's a great opportunity for me to be able to keep up the with race track and what that entails. Running the Truck Series race, the Busch Series race and the Cup Series race, you're able to run pretty much every lap out there on the race track. It gives you a sense of where it's going and how it's going to change."

Q. Does the track normally change a lot?

"Oh yeah. It changes a lot. When you come here with no rubber on the race track especially this morning after it rained. From last night from truck practice, it started out pretty loose in the Busch car. We stayed loose. It might be a little bit tighter now with the way the rubber has been put down and what not especially in a race when you see guys moving around and stuff because they can't run the bottom because they're so tight they have to move up and try to find fresh concrete."

Q. What are the challenges of going to Pocono?

"For me I was able to go there a few years ago and run in the ARCA race when we were still able to shift. That was the funnest thing being able to run around there and shift and everything. Now it's kind of boring. You don't get to shift or anything. You just run around there and do what you can do. Pocono is a difficult track because there are three distinct corners to it. There's a couple distinct grooves that you can run through turn one but turn two is pretty much on the bottom and turn three is pretty much on the bottom. It's all about getting down along the long front straightway and having some horsepower."

Q. What are your three favorite tracks?

"Lowe's Motor Speedway, Kentucky and Las Vegas."

Q. Kyle Krisiloff has been criticized for being a young, aggressive guy. He said you two have talked this weekend. Do you have a chance to mentor him a bit?

"I tried to a little bit. I helped him somewhat in practice. He did a fairly good job in practice. He learned from what I was telling him and went out there and executed some of my ideas. He did a pretty good job of that. Qualifying, I don't know exactly what happened yet. I haven't been able to talk to him about that yet. He's been doing a fairly good job. He's torn up some stuff, just cosmetic things but he hasn't wrecked or hasn't had to put clips on. Maybe those are things where there's a little bit of calming down to but it is the Truck Series. You go out there and wear fenders out anyway in the Truck Series."

Q. On racing all three series this weekend:

"It's going to be fun. I enjoy it. I love racing with Billy (Ballew, team owner of the No. 51 Silverado). We always have some pretty good stuff normally. I'm looking forward to hopefully coming out of today with a good, strong finish again. If we can't get a win, hopefully it's somewhere within the top five just to have a good time and learn something about the track and what it will do tomorrow."

Q. On having a mentor:

"My biggest mentor that I go to and I'm able to talk with directly about anything is Rick (Hendrick). He's an awfully busy man sometimes and it's tough to be able to catch up with him. We're trying to plan a fishing trip. I want to go fishing with him. We ought to go down the Keys or something. That would be fun."

Q. Have you had a chance to think about what Rusty said? Does having a former champion talk about you like that put more weight into it?

"Rusty is a great ambassador to the sport and has been a champion in the past. A lot of people over the years have criticized him as well too if you go back and recall any of that. I wouldn't say he doesn't have the room to talk but he is an ambassador to the sport and has done a great job."

Q. People say Rick Hendrick really feels like you are a son to him. Is it hard to talk to him?

"He does. It's not hard to go in and have a meeting with Rick anytime. Sometimes it's about good stuff. We'll go in there and we'll talk and sit down about how my house is coming along or what he or I did last week or if he went fishing lately or if he did something that was neat or how little baby Ricky is doing and stuff. Meetings like what we had this week, he be may be here a little bit later in the week where you can ask him but he said he learned an awful lot about myself. He's always been receptive to being able to listen to me and I appreciate that."

Q. People think of you as rowdy Busch. How does that feel inside?

"With what happened, I was still worked up about the incident and what I had done driving on my way home. The day after then you start worrying about what is going happen, what is the penalty going to be, what are we going to have to deal with next. At the time I'm thinking this isn't a very good idea but I'll react later. I need to try to switch my mind back a little bit and say the reaction is not going to be very good so let's go back and do something different."

Q. Does Rick Hendrick tell you to calm down a little bit or does he tell you to be more of yourself?

"He tells me to be more of myself really. That's where I came from a little bit earlier. I show the wrong side of myself at the race track. I like to have a good time and joke around but it's so hard with 42 other guys who have their own agenda in what they do. They've got different plans off the race track. You can't always get their phone numbers and hang out with them because they may have different aspirations than what you do. My teammates, I never hang out with Jeff (Gordon), Jimmie (Johnson) or Brian (Vickers). They're always going off doing their own deal. They go to New York or out on their yacht. Maybe it's because I'm not invited but I never go with them."

Q. If you have another incident you are facing suspension. Is that going to change how you react?

"Of course. If that happens again, which it won't because I know what the consequence is going to be, you basically have to go the Carl Edwards route. 'Oh shucks. Darn. We wrecked. We'll just have to come back and get them next week.' You're going to lose a fiery side but that's basically this what this sport has to endure now."

Q. Who are you friends here?

"You'd have to ask everybody else. I have a great relationship with my team guys, my teammates, my brother of course. Martin Truex, he's a pretty good friend of mine. Dale Jr., I've messed with him a little bit. We're not too terribly close or anything. Carl Edwards, I'm able to talk with him quite bit. David Green is a good friend of mine and Mark Green. If I ran down the list I could probably tell you I have a relationship with everybody but that's who I can think of right now."

Q. How are you looking for this race weekend?

"I'm looking forward to it. I think we have a great race car. I don't know if we're going to qualify very well today (Friday). It's kind of a shame. I'm looking forward to being able to race the way that I've been able to race here. Our Busch car isn't too bad here. Hopefully I can make that thing a little bit better where I'm more confident in being able to run up front with that. I'm looking forward to the truck race. It's going to be cool."