Jimmie Johnson NEXTEL Leader Chat at Phoenix

Jimmie Johnson NEXTEL Leader Chat at Phoenix Audio File

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Impala SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed the upcoming Phoenix race, racing against his friend and teammate, Jeff Gordon, his relationship with Chad Knaus and how it has grown, having three wins in a row, asking Jeff Gordon for advise early in his career, and more.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION FOR SUNDAY? “We feel really good about qualifying this afternoon and also for the race on Sunday. I’ve been able to run up front and lead some laps and be close to the victory and I think that I’ve learned a few things here in the last three or four races. Not only this track but also Martinsville, there’s some things that I think I’ve learned to help me in the race for this race track here at Phoenix. So I’m excited about it, looking forward to it. Today we were fifth on the board in practice but I still feel we were much better than that. I blocked on my qualifying lap so I’m actually really excited today. I think that we’ve got a shot at a red hat.”

HOW CAN YOU RACE AGAINST YOUR FRIEND JEFF GORDON? “I can say that going through it week after week and really session after session… today, Jeff and I were fighting over the top spot through most of practice. To see that we’re able to bring the best out of each other has really been a fun experience. I know that in spending time with Jeff and being around him, I know how bad he wants a championship. He knows that I do as well. We’ve been on a run here the last few weeks and to see Jeff still support myself and the No. 48 team as he has, he came to victory lane again last weekend. He continues to show how this can work and I’ve been able to follow suit because he’s been so respectful in so many ways and has kind of raised me in the system at Hendrick Motorsports to operate this way. But I have to give him a lot of credit for it and he still continues to surprise me. Like after the Texas race, coming by. We’re doing it. We’re out there competing against one another and still doing it with respect and I think that’s a key.”

WOULD YOU PREFER BEING THE HUNTER OR HUNTED IN THIS SITUATION AND DID YOU RUN INTO JEFF GORDON IN MEXICO? “That is a true statement, of all things, which was kind of funny. But the first question, as far as hunted or being hunted, at this stage of the game you want to be leading. With the few races that we have left I think it’s better to be on top and trying to control it if at all possible. I think we all know that our stats show the No. 48 team is better at chasing than defending. Last year we were able to do a good job and make it through Homestead without any big issues so I think it’s in our cards, but we’re usually better chasing. Right now I’m glad to be leading. There’s not a lot of time left."

ON WHERE HE WENT ON VACATION: “Mexico… just trying to get away and relax and have some fun and we knew Jeff and Ingrid were going to be down in Mexico somewhere. They got married down there and it was their one-year anniversary. And we’re sitting at a beach bar, relaxing and having a fun lunch and in the door walks Ingrid and Jeff. We’re like ‘we’re all the way down here and what are the chances of running into each other in this little tiny beach bar’. So it was quite funny.”

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ATTITUDE AND CONFIDENCE BETWEEN YOU AND CHAD KNAUS TODAY AND TWO YEARS AGO? “I think that it’s easy for us both to admit where we’re at as far as what I’m doing and the car, if I really feel like I’m doing my job, if I really know what I’m feeling, I can be honest with him. At times, I can tell him ‘look, man, I don’t think I’m doing my part’ or ‘I don’t think I can tell you exactly what the car is doing’. And same on his side, he’ll say ‘hey, I’m kind of out of ideas or don’t know what to really think of this adjustment or this change that I want to make or that we thing we need to make’. So I think that honesty has been a huge, huge help for us. And that honesty has come through confidence and from being in the fire and dealing with this pressure on years past. Through it all, the thing that I feel helps us the most is how honest we can be with one another. As we’re being honest, we sort through problems at a faster pace or at a good pace or whatever we can attach it to. We do a good job at sorting through, making the car drive right and finding that stuff because we’re honest.”

IN 2004 WHEN YOU AND GORDON WERE SECOND AND THIRD IN POINTS GOING INTO HOMESTEAD, WAS THERE THE SAME LEVEL OF SHARING AND COMMUNICATION? “I don’t think we were doing as good of a job back in ’04 as we are now sharing with information, but the intent was the same. We were doing everything that we could then; we were giving 100%. But just in the few short years we’ve learned how to do a much better job and we understand each others’ driving styles, and also our crew chiefs’ style is much more in-depth. We’re better today that we were then but it’s still the same system in place and our goal then was to get Hendrick a championship, just like today. But now we have a little bit of room between where Jeff and I are down to the No. 07. So if we do go to Homestead with the spread, it’s really just going to be a head-to-head battle where in ’04, we each independently wanted to win the championship but we wanted the company to get one more than anything. Also, if you think about what went on with the airplane crash, ’04 was just a really emotional year for us and that race was a tough one. Especially to lose it by nine points. I think it was a good race for everyone on television with Kurt (Busch)’s tire falling off and all the racing we had to do for the last few laps for the points.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON COMPARED YOU TO DAVID PEARSON. IS THAT ACCURATE? “I do know a little bit about his history as a driver. I find that tracks that I enjoy racing at are tracks he dominated at. The highlight clips I have seen, there are some similarities there. It’s nothing that I set out to do; it’s just kind of the way things work out. I would prefer to qualify on the pole, lead every lap and stink up the show, but for whatever reason is as the races go on, we just get stronger and stronger and seem to be there at the end when it counts. With not being around to see David Pearson’s style, I’m not sure how it worked out for him but there have been a lot of similarities as the years have gone by.”

IS IT A CASE OF THE CAR GETTING BETTER AS THE RACE GOES ON? “I want to ride in the top five and then when you get down to the last few pit stops, especially the last pit stop, then it’s really time to turn up the wick and get going. But until then, I don’t intentionally try to ride it and just mount a charge at the end but I want to stay in the top five and as we get closer to the end, I’ll start taking more risks at that point. But it’s not really intentional because I really would love to lead every lap and get the most points for doing that and not have to worry about anything but it just doesn’t work out like that.”

YOU’VE HAD THREE WINS IN A ROW – ANY DOUBTS THAT YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK? “Those nagging thoughts motivate me. I can tell you, today before practice started, I climbed into the car wondering if I was going to remember how to drive Phoenix again and if the No. 24 was just going to dominate practice and qualifying and I was going to be lost and not know my way around. And I look at that doubt and fear and I use it as motivation. It happens week after week, it happens in the course of a race. That is a motivating mechanism inside of my head. So certainly there are days on end and throughout the events, days leading into it, qualifying, race day, where fear does come into my mind and doubt does too. But I try to use it in a positive manner.”

IF KYLE BUSCH PASSES CLINT BOWYER FOR THIRD, THEN HENDRICK COULD GO 1-2-3 IN THE STANDINGS. WHAT IS IT ABOUT HENDRICK THAT PUTS YOU GUYS IN THIS POSITION? “We’ve all had such different years and I think the personalities from the drivers and crew chiefs, they’re across the board when you look at those three teams. I have to put a lot back into… we have the foundation in the company but then what each driver and crew chief relationship has made of that opportunity and of that year and I didn’t realize that Kyle was closing in on that. That’s great. That would be such an accomplishment for the team and for Kyle as well. I think it shows how hard Kyle has been working to be a better race car driver, to be more involved with his team, to be a leader of his team, to mount a charge like that and come back in the year that he’s leaving Hendrick Motorsports. I didn’t realize… I’m impressed, that would be great.”

WHEN YOU APPROACHED JEFF GORDON FOR ADVICE AND IT ULTIMATELY LED TO YOUR HIRING, WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT? “I really needed someone to talk to that could wave a magic wand and fix my problems and make it seem so clear and easy for me to make some decisions because the decisions that I was being faced with involved me leaving Herzog, possibly leaving the manufacturer that had brought me to where I was in my career. And there were some similarities in my mind that I thought I was living that Jeff had been through with a team that had given him a start and a manufacturer and then switching all over. So I thought I could get some great advice from him to carry over to maybe move to a different team than the Herzogs and if needed, to a different manufacturer based on the opportunities that were there. When I left the transporter after talking to him and the opportunity was with Hendrick Motorsports, I couldn’t believe it. It was the last thing on my mind. I was hopeful to find some advice to help me stay in the Busch Series or even over to the Craftsman Truck Series so I could continue to get experience and grow as a driver. I just remember being floored that I left that transporter with the opportunity of maybe being a driver there.”

A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL CHAD KNAUS ‘LITTLE RAY’. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? “I know it drives him crazy to hear that but I believe with Chad working for and admiring Ray like he did and having similar personalities and just being so self driven, he is not accepting because he doesn’t like that phrasing but he knows that he has a certain type of personality and it does have some parallels to what Ray has done and how Ray has led. I just hope we have that same kind of success. I know it’s not the thing that he likes to be called but there are some very favorable thoughts and comparisons from Ray to Chad. Those guys both have made a lot out of nothing, of sorts. Chad came from a small town, Ray from where he did racing Modifieds so there are a lot of similarities there.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DALE EARNHARDT, JR. JOINING SUCH A DOMINANT TEAM? “There’s no telling what ’08 is going to hold for all of us. We feel that we’re doing the right things to develop as a company and continue to be successful and race for championships and wins. We feel that through the off season and starting back in Atlanta, with Junior getting some seat time in one of our cars, that there’s just going to be a process of bringing both Juniors – Tony Eury and Dale Jr. – into our system, giving them a place, getting them up and running and giving them all that they need. So we’re going to learn a lot through the off season and the preseason testing is going to be very important for that team and how it’s going to get started in ’08. We’re excited for all of it.”

AFTER GORDON’S 2001 CHAMPIONSHIP, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF CHAD KNAUS HAD BECOME HIS CREW CHIEF? “I don’t think Chad and Jeff could work together (laughs). Jeff likes them much more relaxed – Robbie Loomis, Steve Letarte. I guess he had all those years with Ray and said ‘all right, if I can do this over I want a much more relaxed environment’. I like the way Chad crew chiefs and believe me, there are times where he drives me crazy and I want to kill him and I’m sure it goes back the other way but we have a lot of history and a lot of respect for one another and we find a way to make it work. But I’m not sure Jeff could work with him.”

THE TIME BETWEEN YOUR CONTACT WITH GORDON WHEN YOU LEARNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE HENDRICK OPPORTUNITY AND ACTUAL HIRING – WHAT TRANSPIRED? “It was really less than a month. It was the August Michigan race where I went and spoke to Jeff and within a couple weeks or three weeks, I think we had a contract signed. It was a time where I needed to make some decisions and figure out what was going on with the Herzog program and the other opportunities I had and Rick saw how important it was for me to make that decision, to know where I was going to be, what was going to go on, that they literally signed me before we had a sponsor and committed to me as a driver for that fourth team in 2000. It was August of 2000 when I talked to Jeff and we got the contract put together in a very short period of time and they had all of 2001 to find a sponsor. Fortunately we found Lowe’s pretty early in 2001. I was able to run my three races and start full-time in 2002. Again looking back, I was two-thirds of my way through my first Busch Series schedule and I’m signed up with Hendrick – I couldn’t believe it. I just had no clue that was going to take place, no clue that they were looking for a fourth driver and they thought I was that prospect. It was wild times.”

WHO ULTIMATELY GAVE YOU THE THUMBS UP? “When I talked to Jeff, he made it clear that he was going to be a part of the team but Rick’s really the one that pulls all the strings and does everything so after that initial conversation with Jeff, started talking with Rick directly.”

CAN YOU ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF THE IMPALA SS DURING THE SEASON? “I regret saying this but I think it deserves an ‘A’. I don’t think it’s the best car to drive from time to time; I know we all have a lot of complaints about it but we thought the cars were going to have wings falling off of them, splitters falling off, weren’t going to put on good races, were going to be boring to watch and so far this year I think the races have all been… Dover is still Dover, Martinsville is still Martinsville. We’ve had great side-by-side racing and finishes. I wasn’t at the test in Atlanta and I know some guys had some big issues in Atlanta so I guess my opinion of it might not be true to form but I think the car has far met my expectations. I think we all had major concerns and worries getting started and in the end, once we had some time to work with it it’s put on a good show.”

HOW BIG A RISK IS SAM HORNISH TAKING IF HE’S NOT ABLE TO DO MUCH IN NASCAR? “I don’t know. I would think that in the public’s eye, possibly. I think he’s taking a risk to come over to the NASCAR side. He’s such an awesome, open-wheel driver, I think that if things don’t work out he can go back there and still end up in a top ride and continue to win championships and win races. I also think that it shows how different the types of vehicles are that they race versus what we race and how tough it is to figure that out. He’s one of the best in the open-wheel cars, if not the best. He’s won a bunch of championships and to see him struggle has been, I’m sure tough for him and it’s been interesting to watch. It makes me think that if you were a driver and you were going from stock cars over to Indy Cars, I think the transition would be easier going in that direction than coming back this direction into a car that has less downforce and weighs more and all those types of things. He is taking a risk and I think he knows that. I think he’s looking for a new challenge in his career and I’ve only talked to him in passing but I think that he’s up for the challenge and he wants to race here on the home soil and wants to show everyone in the U.S. that he’s a top-notch driver. So he’s willing to make the change.”

Jeff Gordon Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix

Clint Bowyer Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix Audio File

Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Impala SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and discussed heading into the final two races, battling a friend and teammate for the championship, the evolution of NASCAR's new generation race car and other topics.

IF HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE HE STANDS WITH TWO RACES TO GO: "It's definitely been a heck of a battle. Jimmie and those guys have done a fantastic job the last three weeks, there's no doubt about that. The wins speak for themselves. We've got to step it up. There's no hiding that and I hope we can pull that off right here in Phoenix."

ON WHAT HE MEANS BY STEP IT UP: "We have to do what works for us. We can't get outside the limits of that or we're going to find ourselves further behind, not making ground up or getting ahead. But what we got to do is really make sure that we hit the setups. We missed a setup last week. We weren't very good on Saturday. We certainly weren't that good on Sunday. Late in the race we started getting it better and it was too late. We kind of missed it in Atlanta too. I felt like we had an awesome opportunity in the Atlanta race to make up some ground. There was a time when Jimmie was struggling and we found ourselves struggling at the same time and had we gotten that better I think we could have been in that position to pull off that win instead of getting behind and trying to fight our way back to seventh. It's things like that.

"We're doing a great job on Friday qualifying and we need to do that again here today and next week in Homestead. But Saturday getting prepared for the race, we got to do a little bit better job. You got to give Jimmie and Chad and those guys credit. They've won some races they probably shouldn't have but then they've won races where they really did a great job like Martinsville and last week. They did a great job performing and then they were in the right position to make the right call at Atlanta. So you got to give them credit for those things and those are the things we've got to make happen for ourselves as well."

ON WHERE HE AND JIMMIE JOHNSON WERE THIS WEEK: "He told you he went to Acapulco? That's funny. I know where he went and it wasn't Acapulco. The funny thing is that we were both actually in a very similar place. We actually ran into one another this week in Mexico. My wife and I got married in Mexico a year ago so we were celebrating our anniversary plus it was Ingrid's birthday as well so we were also in Mexico in a very close location to them. We knew they were going to be down there. We didn't know if we were going to run into one another and we actually did end up running into him and saying hello, you know kind of business as usual."

ON IF IT'S HARD BEING FRIENDS AND FIGHTING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST ONE ANOTHER: "I think in the long run it's going to strengthen our friendship and our relationship as teammates but to me I don't think anybody could handle this situation better than we have but there's no doubt that the intensity is there. When we get to the race track we're talking...we really are focused on our teams and our performance. You see it in practice. We go put a number up, they put a number up, we put a number up and we're just constantly being competitive and I think it's a pretty awesome thing to go through and experience and I think it's pushing both of us to go harder, to be better drivers and the teams to be better teams as well and when we're not at the race we're not talking about racing. We're talking about other things."

ON IF THIS IS A MORE DIFFICULT BATTLE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND ADD MORE PRESSURE: "It makes it more difficult because I know how good his team is and his cars and the equipment is and how good he is. I think Jimmie's one of the best guys out here and when you're battling a guy that is that solid and strong and that good and you know what kind of equipment he has and resources behind that he has and the fact that they won the championship last year. Then yeah, that definitely adds a lot of pressure but it doesn't have anything to do with.to me it doesn't make it any tougher or any easier because we're friends and because we're teammates. It's just knowing those things."

ON WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO HIM TO PULL OFF CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER THE GREAT BATTLE THEY HAVE HAD: "I think it'd mean the world to me. There's a lot of me that wishes the Chase never had come along because I think that the way I drive and the way our team is so consistent, that we're capable of getting more championships under the old system but the point system is what it is and that makes it more challenging for us, that much more competitive for everybody and I think it makes it harder to win. That only makes it more rewarding. We've got four (championships). To be able to get to five would absolutely be amazing. We want it bad. We want it really bad. We're really close. We've got the car, the team to do it and you don't want to let those opportunities get away from you especially when we've been able to be competitive and consistent in the Chase. We've won two races, got a lead and when you get that you want it even that much more and now we're a little bit behind. Now we're the chaser and we're going to see what kind of fight that we have in us to go get it."

ON IF THIS WOULD BE A MORE REWARDING BATTLE BEING AGAINST A FRIEND: "I think it's just competitive out there no matter who you are up against. I think that when you're up against your teammate and you know how good the team is, how good the organization is, it's not about friends. To me we put that part aside when we're at the race track and on the race track battling. We really just focus on one another as competitors and what he's capable of, what his team's capable of and what our team is capable of. That definitely drives you, no doubt, but I think it's tougher because you know when your stuff is good when you're out there and you know you've got one of the best cars and the best teams and you know that the guy you're battling with had the same stuff - that's what's challenging. That to me is what makes it so tough when you're battling another driver and another team you kind of think to yourself this week they might have an edge, next week we might have an edge but overall you get momentum and think I think we got something better than t hem. But here there's nothing that we have better than them. We know that it's equal."

ON HAVING MORE CONFIDENCE HERE AT PHOENIX AFTER WIN IN APRIL: "It definitely helps with the situation that we're in now being 30 points back, the fact that we came here and ran well and won this race. Now it was a night race so it changes it a little bit but it definitely gives us the confidence that we need at this point being 30 points behind or where ever we'd be. Just being in the battle for this championship to know that we can come here and run well and win this race and hopefully make up some of the points we lost."

ON THE EVOLUTION OF NASCAR'S NEW GENERATION RACE CAR: "There's been every little evolution. There's not much we really do with this car. Since maybe about the fourth or fifth time we ran it this year we haven't been able to change much because there's just not much to change. I don't know. I haven't done any testing at Daytona. The race went pretty well at Talladega but I think that the biggest key after hearing what happened at Atlanta was that we got to get Goodyear to be able to build a tire that works well for this car to give the grip back, to get the drivability back in this car where we can go out there, push it and race hard with one another. From what I've heard all they did was just burn the tires right off the car which has always been a concern with Goodyear with this car. So that's probably the first thing that we need to face."

ON IF HE THINKS THE CHASE POINTS SYSTEM IS UNFAIR: "I don't think anything is unfair when you know going into it what it is. It's not unfair if you know that they pay bonus points to win races in the regular season and that those guys earn those points. We know what we got to do. We've been ahead of them by enough points to be able to get it done and I think we're still capable of getting it done. I don't really think of it that way at all. The points are whatever NASCAR decides to make it and we're going to race the championship however they do it.

"The one issue that I've got is that there's no way you can write history and compare history if it constantly changes and there's no way that you can compare a champion back before the Chase to once the Chase started and there's no way you can compare a driver in the Chase if they're changing constantly. I think it's very hard to really create new history for the sport when they change it like that."

ON IF HE AND JIMMIE COMMUNICATE BETTER NOW THAT THEY DID IN 2004 WHEN BATTLE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP WAS SO TIGHT: "We've definitely pushed how we communicate. It's just something's that evolved over time so no I think we communicate more today than we did back then. I think we treat one another about the same on the race track as we did back then. We were very competitive but we race one another hard but we race one another clean and the way we always have."

DID YOU EVER THINK THE TEAM SHARING CONCEPT WOULDN'T WORK? "No, I always believed in it. The only time I ever think it's not going to work is if you question the information that's coming your way. If one engineer or one shock builder or one crew chief gets something and wants to hold onto it before they let it out, and we've had that at times, not so much with the No. 24 / No. 48, but going the other direction because maybe there was a crew chief that was moving on or there was a shock builder that you knew was leaving the team and so we wanted to hold on to some new technology or things that we found. Those are the biggest challenges with it is how far you let the information go; how far down the chain. But as far as No. 24 and No. 48 and even now with the No. 5 and the No. 25, or No. 88 next year, I think it's been an open book policy and it's been a good one. This is a perfect example of it. This year, we've shared more information this year than we ever have and here we are with first, second, and fourth in the Chase right now. We've gotten all four teams a win this year and I think that proves that the more you share, the better you get."

WHAT MAKES HMS SO CAPABLE OF PUTTING TOGETHER SUCH A GOOD SEASON? "It always comes back to the people. We've got incredible people that are always working hard. I'm not saying we're working harder than anybody else, but sometimes you go in a direction that just pays off for you whether it's how you're working the bump stops or the shocks or how you're getting the aerodynamics into the car. If you find something that works like this COT car. This year, we went in a direction with the geometry in the car that we felt worked very well right from the beginning. So we continued down that path and it's worked pretty good for us; maybe not so much on the high-banked tracks as it has the flatter tracks like here and New Hampshire. I think those situations, when they happen, we benefit from it. I just think it always comes down to the people and the information you gather. Obviously we have good drivers and good crew chiefs and the good thing is that we have four of them that really understand the benefits of sharing that information and talking ope nly. I'm in a position where I don't have a big ego and stuff so, I've accomplished more than I ever wanted to. I want to give everything that I can and set the example and hopefully there is some information that works for somebody else and vice versa. I want the same coming back the other way. And that part has worked good with the drivers and I think the same thing has happened with the crew chiefs."

ON JIMMIE JOHNSON ASKING HIM FOR ADVICE EARLY IN HIS CAREER "He made that decision. He came to me for advice. That meant a lot to me that he came to me and asked for my opinion and asked for some advice. Anybody that did that in this garage, I'd be willing to help. But the fact that he did that, and then I realized that he was a nice guy and I raced with him on the track in the Busch Series and I recognized he was a great driver as well and it was great timing. We happened to be starting up a new team, or going through the process of possibly starting up a new team. And it just made sense."

A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL CHAD KNAUS 'LITTLE RAY" (EVERNHAM). WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? "You've got to look at it from the positive side of it. Ray is very competitive. He's a great leader and doesn't like to finish second. Those are definitely qualities that he has. I'm not sure exactly what people mean always when they say that, but I think he walks with a lot of confidence through the garage in what he does. A lot of that comes out in how he and Jimmie talk on the radio. And so, you could say that. If you're going to be compared to a great crew chief and you're compared to Ray Evernham, I don't think that's a bad thing."

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN JIMMIE JOHNSON FIRST ASKED FOR YOUR ADVICE? "We were in Michigan during a Busch race during a drivers meeting. He tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Hey, if you've got a minute sometime I'd like to ask you for some advice.' I said, 'Yeah, sure, I'll be available right after this drivers meeting.' And so after the drivers meeting, I don't remember if I went to his truck or he came to my truck, whatever it was, I said what's up and he said he had a couple of offers to go Cup racing with a couple of different teams and he asked me what I thought. He's always been a Chevy guy and they weren't Chevy teams. And I said well, and I gave him my honest opinion about the teams that he was talking about. But I said before you make a decision, can you wait a little bit and give me a little bit of time because we're working on some things at Hendrick and there might be an opportunity there. And that's where it all started.

"I raced with him that day. He kicked by butt on the race track for the first of many times now. I think first, I was talking to Robbie Loomis and Brian Whitesell on where we were with the team because we were building a new shop and we were trying to decide whether we were going to built it just for the No. 24 team or for two teams and add a fourth team for Hendrick. They were both in agreement that they really felt like the smart move was to bring in another team and put two teams under one roof the way Gibbs was doing it at the time. It felt like that was the right thing to do for the future. So then I put a call into Rick (Hendrick) and said Rick, we've got to make some decisions on this. And we just got to talking about it and I said, 'Hey, I was racing with Jimmie Johnson this week and he was asking me for some advice and I think that if we're going to do it, this could be the guy to drive the car.' We through that around and then I don't know, it was a few days later a nd we talked again and I said hey, I didn't mean to pressure him but these guys needed an answer because the shop is going to be breaking ground pretty soon. He said, 'Well, if you want to put your money where your mouth is then we'll do it.' And I said, 'I am.'

DID RICK CALL JIMMIE TO TELL HIM HE HAD THE RIDE? "I think I probably turned it over to Rick at that point because Rick knew Jimmie. He'd flown on Rick's plane a couple of times being friends with Ricky Hendrick. Ricky was the first one to put the bug into Rick's ear about Jimmie before I did. It wasn't like I was coming to him with a guy he'd never heard of before. He had heard of Jimmie and Ricky had spoken highly of him before I did."

ON IF HE IS SURPRISED THAT SAM HORNISH HASN'T MADE A RACE BEFORE PHOENIX: "Yes and no. I question some of the race tracks that they have taken him to. I wouldn't take anybody to New Hampshire for one of their first races. Talladega and New Hampshire, I would write them off my list of tracks I would put a guys at for the first time. I thin Atlanta is not a bad place, there are plenty of other race tracks that are good, maybe Richmond or something like that. I am a little surprised with the success that Penske is having right now. I think their cars are running pretty good. I am a little surprised that he hasn't run a little bit better, at lease made the races. I have always been a big fan of Sam's. I have always felt he is a very talented driver. I think the biggest thing that is hurting him right now is that he has been in those cars a little bit too long. The longer you are in a car like that, the longer it is going to take you to transfer over to this kind of ca r."

ON IF IT WOULD BE SAME IF HE WENT TO TRY AND RUN THE INDY 5O0: "Absolutely. I think so, that is what I would guess. The longer you are in any series, the harder it is to make the move to another type of car if you have never driven it before."

ON WHAT HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO IN OFF SEASON: (LAUGHS) "I hope I get to enjoy being a champion. The off-season always comes at a time when it is mixed emotions. You are happy that the season is over and you get to rest a little bit, but you don't get to rest much because it seems like it flies by. I have two weeks already booked out of things I have to do work wise to get ready for our sponsors for next year.

"I am looking forward to Christmas and New Years the most. Thanksgiving I am going to spend time with my family in North Carolina. Then Christmas and New Years I look forward to spending time with friends and Ingrid and the baby just hanging out. Those are the three things I am looking forward to the most."

ON HAVING ANY ADVANTAGE AT PHOENIX OVER JIMMIE: "I think maybe just that we have won. I don't' see an advantage going in. Advantages happen while the race is going on. Maybe after qualifying, depending on who is farther up in the field because track position is so important here. That is where advantages are really more noticeable. I don't go in to any track thinking I have an advantage to anyone."

Clint Bowyer Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix

Clint Bowyer Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix Audio File

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniel's Impala SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and discussed his goal for the next two races, racing at Homestead, evaluating this season with the Impala SS, what he plans to do after Homestead, if he's concerned about holding off Kyle Busch, where things turned for him this season, his emotions throughout the Chase, what else there is to learn about the new car, the next steps needed for his team's progress, his luck during the Chase, whether he considers himself a top-three or top-10 team and if he sometimes has difficulty believing where he is at the moment.

ARE YOU AT THE POINT NOW WHERE YOU RACE ALL OUT? "We got to try to win these last two races and hope for a mistake on their (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon) part. That's all we can do championship wise. It's been a really successful year. It's been a fun year. I want to win again. It was my goal to win at least two races this year and I'm a little bit shy of that. We got two chances to do that and that's what I'm focused on."

HOMESTEAD IS A UNIQUE TRACK. HOW DO YOU GET AROUND THAT TRACK? "Homestead probably isn't one of my best race tracks but we ran well there in last year's race and (I'm) hoping we can improve on that. If we've done what we've done throughout the whole Chase we'll be able to improve on that and have a good day."

HOW HAS NASCAR'S NEW GENERATION RACE CAR EVOLVED THIS SEASON? "I definitely that it has. I think that our crew chiefs and engineers and everybody involved have definitely made these cars handle a lot better and put on a lot better race for the fans for sure."

HOW WOULD YOU GRADE THE NEW GENERATION RACE CAR? "I'd say starting off we were probably a C and I really feel like Gil (Martin) and the engineers and everybody on the Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, I think they've got an A especially since the Chase. This car's been a big part of the Chase and they've done their homework and picked it up and caught up to the Hendrick cars."

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING AFTER HOMESTEAD WHEN YOU HAVE TIME OFF? "Whatever I want to do (laughs) and that's what's weird (to) just have a weekend off. I'm looking forward to the holidays, going back and seeing family and friends and everybody back home in Kansas. Just do things you haven't had a chance to do."

IS THERE ANY CONCERN ABOUT HOLDING OFF KYLE BUSCH? "Obviously yeah. You never want to get caught from behind but right now unless something drastically major happens that won't happen. Better not happen."

WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THINGS TURNED FOR YOU THIS SEASON? "I think our season was solid week in and week out but I think it really did change and turn for the better when we got our first win. That was the confidence booster that we needed and that propelled us to the next level."

HOW MUCH DID YOUR EMOTIONS CHANGE FROM JUST GETTING INTO THE CHASE TO BEING A CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER AND THEN LAST WEEK HAVING IT ALL COME APART? HAVE YOU LOOKED BACK ON THAT? "Oh yeah. It's an emotional sport. Auto racing is (emotional). It doesn't matter what level it is. It can show you the highest of highs and drag you down to lowest of lows right off the bat. That's racin'. When it's your day it's your day and when it's not there isn't a darn thing you can do about it."

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOUR RUN FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP? "We've definitely had things go our way here in the Chase, there's no denying that. But I'm a firm believer in making your own luck. A lot of people said that deal in Atlanta where the No. 48 ended up winning. we've seen them, time and time again, put themselves in a situation that if they aren't the fastest car, somebody makes a mistake and they're there to pounce on it. That's what it takes."

HOW MUCH MORE IS THERE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS CAR OF TOMORROW? "I think there's always that next thing; there's always that next trick of the week. I'm just fascinated by how these guys keep coming up with different things; the latest and greatest trick of the week. It's amazing, it really is."

WHAT DO YOU GUYS NEED TO DO TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP? "You know, just a little bit of everything. It's not one thing. It's really not. It's not one thing in particular that we can improve on and say 'we're going to go to win in the last five races'. We've got to nitpick a few little things and get better. Everybody's got to pick up their game."

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOUR RUN FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP? "We've definitely had things go our way here in the Chase, there's no denying that. But I'm a firm believer in making your own luck. A lot of people said that deal in Atlanta where the No. 48 ended up winning. we've seen them, time and time again, put themselves in a situation that if they aren't the fastest car, somebody makes a mistake and they're there to pounce on it. That's what it takes."

IS YOUR TEAM A TOP-12 TEAM THAT WAS LUCKY WITH THE TIMING OF THE CHASE OR ARE YOU A TOP-THREE TEAM THAT NEEDED TO CATCH BREAKS? "I don't believe we're a top-10 or top-12 team at all. You look inside the Chase. I was looking at some website the other day with the points the way they used to be. We've run down and gained a lot of ground on teams. I think we'd be fourth in points with the old system. We've really gained a lot of ground on the cars that were ahead of us so by no means do I think we were. I think we're where we deserve to be and obviously from where the hauler's parked, it proves it."

DO YOU HAVE MOMENTS OF DISBELIEF WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU STAND? "Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, I was on the way home from Charlotte just pissed that I didn't pass the No. 24 car and I was like 'who would have thought the day would have came in my life when I was mad that I didn't pass Jeff Gordon on the last lap'. It's just a very gratifying place to be in, position to be in and I'm really enjoying and having a lot of fun with it."

Kyle Busch Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix

Kyle Busch Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix Audio File

Kyle Busch, No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Impala SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and discussed how the track races, how the points race between teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson affects him, his thoughts on the track at Homestead, last weekend's race, how long it takes him to bounce back from losses, his determination to get a win in the Chase, Jimmie Johnson's win record and how it compares to his, his plans after Homestead, testing during the off-season, how a raised splitter would be beneficial for the new car, the positive comments on his improved demeanor and his feelings on having a rivalry with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Select quotes from driver interview:

WHAT IS HOMESTEAD LIKE? "Homestead is unique in its own right because it's got that variable banking and it really pays dividends later in the run or pretty much all the way through the race around the top side. You're going to see guys running up against the wall the whole time but you can go down to the bottom and try to make a pass and it's wide enough and it's groovy enough to where you can race all around that place. It's a fast mile-and-a-half but it's more so than traditional ovals, like the old Atlanta was instead of these quad- and tri-ovals.

HAVE YOU PUT LAST WEEKEND BEHIND YOU OR ARE YOU STILL FRUSTRATED? "It's frustrating but what are you going to do about it? You had two frustrating weekends in a row that you've had the capabilities of winning a race but we could have won the Cup race in Atlanta, we could have won the Truck race at Texas, the Busch race at Texas, the Cup race at Texas. It's the way it is when the race is over. You're not going to change anything; you're not going to put yourself in victory lane because you. you can say that you had a bad race and everything like that, you've just got to go out next week and try to do it right."

DO THE POSITIVE COMMENTS IN THE MEDIA LATELY MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD? "It does. It's nice to hear all that and just last night I had a conversation with Chad Knaus and we were just talking back and forth and he kind of said the same thing as other people have. It's good to have that and it's - I wouldn't say comforting but at least encouraging to hear it - that people do notice a difference and they see a change or whatever, which I haven't. I don't notice it or see it. I see it through other people, I guess, but not through myself. I'm just trying to become more relaxed, I guess. More easygoing, trying to figure everything out and not let racing take so much over in my life, I guess."

Jeff Burton Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix

Jeff Burton Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix Audio File

Jeff Burton, No. 31 AT&T Mobility Impala SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and discussed his outlook for Sunday's race, what he learned in this year's Chase for the Nextel Cup, comparing the successful level between Richard Childress and Hendrick Motorsports, if Clint Bowyer's year has been a surprise, if he sees similarities between the No. 48 Chevy team resembling the No. 24 Chevy team in 1998, his assessment of NASCAR Illustrated ranking him 12th for next year, if his mindset is any different this season heading into the final event of the year and if teammates competing for the championship is good for the sport.

Select quotes from driver interview:

ON HIS OUTLOOK FOR SUNDAY'S RACE: "Well this Car of Tomorrow thing has not been our strong point. We worked real hard trying to get better at it. Going into next year, being ready for next year I think it's real important to kind of gauge where we are with the Car of Tomorrow development for this type of race track. So I think this is a pretty important race track for us because it will help us gauge some things we've changed trying to get ready for next year and hopefully we can leave here feeling good about that."

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE CHASE THIS YEAR? HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING BESIDES THAT RICK HENDRICK'S BUNCH IS HARD TO BEAT? "Obviously they're really good. They're playing at the top of their game right now, no question. I think every Chase is different. If you look at last year's Chase, it took someone completely different to win than this year's Chase would have taken so I think every year is kind of independent of the other years. If you look at what Jimmie and Jeff have been able to do, I'm not sure they've had a bad race. Neither of one of them have had a bad race. Clint really for that matter hadn't had a bad race and last year everybody had bad races. I'm really good at stating the obvious - the better you can run the better chance you have at winning and the better you finish the better chance you have at winning it. Those three teams have done a good job doing that this year but if they would have had this kind of year last year they'd be leading this thing by a huge amount. So every year is different and what it takes to win is different. I have learned that for sure. So basically I've learned nothing."

CAN YOU COMPARE THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS THAT RICHARD CHILDRESS HAS HAD IN WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS TO THE MORE RECENT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS LEVELS? "Certainly I think they are comparable. Obviously Hendrick is able to do it now and we haven't been able to do it now and our focus is on the present. There was a time and I believe there will be a time again where Richard (Childress) pretty much was the dominant factor in the sport, he and Dale (Earnhardt). I think we can do that again but we're not doing it now. I think they are comparable. The difference being (in) today's world Hendrick is doing it with two teams and ultimately may be able to do it with three or four teams where when Richard was having their success it was more one team. So it's a different world now. The success level is similar. I think it's similar. It looks similar to me but it is in a different time and the way that you do it today is different than the way you did it then. Dale Earnhardt could go off and he and Richard and 20, 30 guys could go off and make that happen where today you have to have four drivers (or) five drivers (and) 400 or 500 employees. It's just a different ball game."

Martin Truex Jr. Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix

Martin Truex Jr. Weekly Top 12 Hauler Chat at Phoenix Audio File

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Impala SS met with media to discuss the changes he thinks could be made to the Car of Tomorrow, on running at Homestead, his plans for the off-season, three things he needs to do to win this weekend, send-off plans for Dale Earnhardt Jr.,

Select quotes from driver interview

COMPARED TO WHEN THE COT DEBUTED IN MARCH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOOD CHANGES THEY'VE MADE TO THE NEW GENERATION RACE CAR? "Well, they really haven't made any changes. This biggest changes for all of us has been just getting a chance to work on the cars back at the shop and learn what they need and what we can do to make them run better. So just getting experience with them has been the big difference for us. I look forward to this winter when we can really work on them a lot. Atlanta was a good test for us to learn a bunch about the car for the bigger tracks, some stuff that we're really going to need to use a lot next year. So I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about it."

IS THERE SOMETHING NASCAR NEEDS TO DO TO IMPROVE IT BEFORE YOU HEAD TO DAYTONA? "I don't know. I think they can make it easier on us by making them drive a little better and let us travel a little bit more on the front end or something like that. But as far as the racing goes, it seems it's all been going pretty well. But I think it would definitely make them drive a little better for us."

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT RUNNING NEXT WEEK AT HOMESTEAD? "I'm looking forward to it. It's one of my favorite tracks. We finished second there last year. We've been pretty good at the 1.5-mile and 2-mile tracks. We've always been good there so I'm looking forward to it. I love that place and hopefully we can come away with a win there this year."

DO YOU HAVE ANY OFF-SEASON PLANS? "Not so far. I know I'm going to New York for the banquet and all that, so that's cool. I'll look forward to that. Hopefully I'll get enough time to go on vacation somewhere with my girlfriend. And my sister is getting married in January so I get to go to a wedding back home and that'll be fun. I don't know. I'll just relax and hopefully get in a few hunting trips in and stuff like that."