Dale Jr. Quotes for Sonoma
“Forget the numbers – forget what they say we did here before. We’ve improved each time, and we were actually pretty good in the race last year. I gained ten spots in the first 40 laps, and then had some contact on a restart and slid off the track. Even after that, we hung in there and did alright. But, if this team has shown anything this year, it’s that we’re improving at almost every track - especially the tracks where we used to struggle.
“We tested at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) a couple weeks back, and it went really well. We’ve focused a lot on improving our road course program overall, and I think we will be competitive. We’re going into the weekend with a positive attitude. We’re going to fight for every inch and every position but we’ll also be patient and keep it on the asphalt.”
About being second in the Winston Cup standings to Matt Kenseth: “We focus on our own car each week, and we can’t be worrying about what those (number) 17 (Kenseth) guys are doing all the time. Yeah, I do pay attention to how he’s doing, but it’s not just about Matt and me. If we only paid attention to Matt, then we’d get our butt kicked by the 24 (Jeff Gordon) or the 18 (Bobby Labonte) and the other guys in the top-10 in points. We’re racing 42 other cars – not just one other car.”
Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Bud Team at Sonoma
Previous Winston Cup Starts: 3
Best Start: 23rd (2002)
Best Finish: 19th (2001)
This Race, Last Year: ST:23rd FIN: 30th
-- Dale Jr. and the core of the current Budweiser team have tasted success on a road course. While in the Busch Series, Dale Jr. and the team – led by Tony Eury (crew chief) and Tony Eury Jr. (car chief), won at Watkins Glen in 1999.
What:
Save-Mart 350
110 laps / 219 miles / Race #16 of 36-race Winston Cup Series
Where:
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA
1.9-mile road course
When:
Sunday, June 22 / 4:00 p.m.
Watch:
Fox-TV (pre-race: 3:30 pm)
Bud Pole Qualifying:
Bud Pole qualifying can be seen Friday at 6:00 p.m. on Speed Channel. You can also hear qualifying and race action on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) on a radio station or computer near you. The radio programming is also heard on the 24-hour NASCAR channel on XM Radio. (All Times: Eastern)
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In honor of a rare NASCAR road course event this week (and to see if anyone is playing along at home), we offer a trio of quotes from the mouth of the beloved British Formula One commentator, Murray Walker:
"This is an interesting circuit because it has inclines, and not just up, but down as well."
"Mansell is slowing it down, taking it easy. Oh no he isn't! It's a lap record."
"It's not quite a curve, it's a straight actually."
Thanks to Jade Gurss for this Budweiser Race Preview!
www.Budweiser.com |
