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mrsmopar12 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-17-2007, 12:13 AM

Gordon trying to make history at Daytona

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

February 16, 2007

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Jeff Gordon came to Daytona with a solid shot at tying Dale Earnhardt's mark of 76 career victories.

Then his Chevrolet failed inspection.

To tie the mark Gordon must do what no driver ever has done before -- win the Daytona 500 from the 42nd starting position. Bobby Allison holds the record, coming back from 33rd to win NASCAR's biggest race in 1978.

Gordon knows it won't be easy.

"You've got to avoid the obstacles that lie in the way. You've got to make sure you don't create a wreck. You've got to make sure you don't get caught up in one. You need good pit strategy and everything,'' Gordon said Friday.
"Trust me, there's a reason why nobody has ever won this race from that far back.

"We want to be the first one to do it, and I think we're capable of it.''

It certainly looked that way Thursday after Gordon won a qualifying race in dramatic fashion, going from fourth to first on the final lap and taking the lead with an impressive weave through traffic. The finish earned him the fourth-place starting spot for Sunday's season opening race.

But as he sat on the podium during his winner's news conference, Gordon was told his car was too low in postrace inspection. The news clearly rattled the four-time series champion, who wasn't sure if he was the victim of a practical joke.

He wasn't.

In a week filled with cheating scandals, Gordon quickly was linked with the offenders. Unlike the other five drivers who were heavily penalized by NASCAR, Gordon received the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. Series officials ruled his infraction was an inadvertent part failure and did not give him a competitive advantage.

Instead of a stiff penalty, Gordon was stripped of his 500 starting spot and sent to the back of the field -- something he knew would lead to calls of favoritism for one of NASCAR's most popular drivers.

"Jeff Gordon's deal? I don't know. It seems like a pretty big deal to me, but that's the way it goes,'' said Kasey Kahne, who lost his crew chief for four races and was docked 50 points earlier this week.

Elliott Sadler, who had his crew chief suspended two weeks and was docked 25 points, also was puzzled by NASCAR's reaction.

"I was kind of surprised they let him keep the win,'' Sadler said. "If you don't pass postrace inspection, you don't get whatever position you finished in. I think that's why you have postrace inspection.

"It's just weird the way that all worked out.''

Gordon knew some would feel that way.

"That's what's bothered me the most and kept me up all night is that people would think we did something to circumvent the rules,'' Gordon said. "I will challenge any person in this garage area who is knowledgeable about how these cars travel on the race track to come and tell me that it was an unfair advantage.''

But as skeptical drivers took the time to examine the part, on display in NASCAR's hauler, and to discuss the situation with series officials, that stance began to soften.

"It was seen by me as an honest mistake,'' Jeff Burton said. "For me, I think the penalty fit the crime. If you look at the part ... it is not like they set out to intentionally cheat, which should be dealt with differently if they did.''

Still, Gordon couldn't shake a sense of disappointment when he arrived at the track Friday for the only practice session.

"Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but there is no favoritism going on here. I feel like the penalty fit the crime and had nothing to do with that win,'' Gordon said. "But I'm disappointed in ourselves. We had a failure, which is our responsibility, and those are the types of things that are going to prevent us from winning races and championships.''

Updated on Friday, Feb 16, 2007 10:13 pm EST

mrsmopar12 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-19-2007, 02:39 PM

GM Racing Communications, Press Release

JEFF GORDON, DRIVER OF THE NO. 24 DUPONT MONTE CARLO SS TALKED WITH MEDIA ABOUT HIS POST-INSPECTION GATORADE DUEL PENALTY AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN THE DAYTONA 500 FROM A 42ND PLACE START

ON THE CHALLENGES OF STARTING THE DAYTONA 500 AT THE REAR OF THE FIELD AND HOW HE WILL PRACTICE TO PREPARE:

"Obviously if you're starting up front, you can ride a little bit more and handling is not as much of an issue as it is if you're starting further in the back. We're going to have to have a really good handling race car and also a fast race car. I think we learned a lot yesterday in the 150's. We're just going to try not to take too much speed out of that car and really get that car to handle."

DESCRIBE YOUR EMOTIONS WHEN YOU FOUND OUT WHAT HAPPENED:

"I was very disappointed. It was a great win for us and we pride ourselves on making sure we're within the rules. It's a job that NASCAR has to do and we're taking full responsibility. But it was a part failure. It was something out of our control - to an extent. We feel like a bolt backed off and therein lies the failure. We've got to make sure that doesn't happen as a race team. That's the only way we're going to be able to win races and to win this championship this year is to make sure those types of things aren't happening. Because the car was low in inspection, I'm totally in agreement and understand what NASCAR did and I feel like the crime fits the punishment because there was no unfair advantage on the race track. We convinced NASCAR of that and they are convinced of it and we feel confident of it."

ON THE HIGH OF STARTING ON THE SECOND ROW TO THE LOW OF STARTING SECOND TO LAST

"The disappointing part is that we won the race. We had a great car and run and it was exciting. And all that gets taken out of your sail. We're going to try to maintain that momentum and the excitement that we had there and hold on to as much of it as we can. Obviously this is a dark cloud over that. But we did win the race. I feel like we won it fair and square. So we're going to try to do the best to get that DuPont Chevrolet from 42nd back to the front and hopefully do just like we did yesterday when with six or seven laps to go we're sitting there in the top 15 and can make some exciting passes and have some help from some other guys to be able to do it."

EVEN THOUGH YOURS WAS NOT INTENTIONAL, ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE MIGHT GROUP YOU INTO OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN PENALIZED THIS WEEK?

"Of course. You're always concerned with that and that's what's bothered me the most and kept me up all night is that people would think we did something to circumvent the rules. I will challenge any person in this garage area who is knowledgeable about how these cars travel on the race track to come and tell me that it was an unfair advantage - when they know all the parts and pieces of what exactly happened. It's easy if you say the car was low. But it wasn't low on the race track. The car was low in the height restriction that NASCAR goes through. That's why the penalty is what it is. If NASCAR felt this was more than that, we'd be in the same position as the other guys. I wouldn't have a crew chief right now. We'd have a points fine and a monetary fine. And so I think we've been able to live with the fact that we know that. I can say that is because if you know how these parts travel on the race track, by the time you get up to about 80 to 100 mph, the rear of the car is already traveling an inch or more. In the corners, you're traveling up to six inches. My car was not traveling any more on the race track, it was only not coming back up all the way when the car slowed down because the shock mounts wouldn't allow it because it came loose and got lodged at a lower travel. The bottom line is we were low. We take full responsibility for that. I'm just mad that it happened."

IS IT EASIER TO GO TO THE FRONT FROM 42ND AT DAYTONA VERSUS SOMEPLACE LIKE BRISTOL OR MARTINSVILLE?

"No. You've still got to avoid the obstacles that lie in the way. You've got to make sure you don't create a wreck. You've got to make sure you don't get caught up in one. You need good pit strategy and everything. Believe me, it's going to take a lot. Trust me, there's a reason why nobody has ever won this race from that far back.
We want to be the first one to do it and I think we're capable of it. There are a lot of good cars at the back of the field and we can all work together and get to the front. 500 miles is a long way around this place too."

ON BEING TOLD THAT THE CAR DIDN'T PASS INSPECTION DURING HIS POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER WINNING THE SECOND DUEL

"Oh, I was in shock. And I wish I'd said less because my comments made it worse because anybody thinks the car is lower and that's an advantage. But when I found out just what was keeping the car lower was the fact that something failed and the shock was just holding the car down, but not making it travel any more. The springs are what create travel. As soon as they released that shock, the car came right back up. And yeah, we were real low. There's no doubt about it. But I do feel comfortable knowing we didn't have an unfair advantage on the race track."

ON NASCAR'S METHOD OF ISSUING PENALITIES

"In my opinion and in my history in this sport, NASCAR creates penalties based on the intent of these rule infractions. I think NASCAR was very confident and Robin Pemberton said so himself that yes the car was low and so a penalty has to be put on the No. 24 car, but there was no intent to try to create the car to be lower. I wish I had a diagram to show you guys so you could fully understand it. But there is not a person in this garage area that if they have the facts, that wouldn't understand what happened and how it could happen and our job is to make sure it doesn't happen again because you don't want to go out there and win the race knowing that car is going to come in (and not pass inspection). It would be silly to do that. So we would never do that. That's why we are going to make sure this doesn't happen again based on the mounting of how we mount that shock."

BASED ON ALL THE CHEATING THIS WEEK, HOW FINE A LINE IS THAT FOR THE TYPE OF EXPOSURE THIS SPORT HAS HAD THIS WEEK?

"That's the upside and downside of this sport. It's great to have the attention. And controversy sometimes draws more attention than positive things. I'm just hoping we can get everybody -- all the teams that have come in here and had issues - that we can get all of this behind us and go into this Daytona 500 and put on an exciting, awesome race and have a lot of people at home watching that enjoy the races."

DO YOU THINK YOU GOT OF LIGHT WITH THE PENALTY NASCAR ISSUED?

"The only people who are going to think we got off light are the people that aren't knowledgeable about what the intent of what happened and how it happened. That's why I challenge anybody. There has already been a TV analyst for ESPN that's made a silly comment based on a lack of knowledge. You'd think it would come from somebody who has a lot of knowledge. If that person understands what really was going on, they would probably change their opinion of what was said.
"Hey, we've all been in these situations before. I've had situations like this before. In this garage area, it's hard to say that anybody hasn't had some issue along the way as they go through NASCAR inspection. But to me, it is extremely important because the integrity of our team and our sponsors in this sport is built on the intent to go out there and compete on an even playing field with the rest of the competition. That's why I'm a little bit upset with ourselves right now than anything else that we had something so silly that happened that makes it appear that we're trying to get around the rules and yet I feel good that NASCAR made the decision they made because it really does prove that they understand there was no intent.

"The first thing that happens is as soon as somebody says or hears that the car was an inch low, your first immediate reaction is oh, my gosh. If I heard that, I would go ballistic. That's why I'm saying that if you know the facts and know exactly what happened, and Robin Pemberton said so in the Media Center last night, and we can diagram it and try to show...heck, I want to go over to that TV set with that car and show a shock mount so we can explain it to the people. We can't do that. We can't explain it to every single person. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. But there is no favoritism going on here. I feel like the penalty really fit the crime and had nothing to do with that win. That's the other thing I feel good about."

YOU'VE GOT TO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN GET UP TO THE FRONT IN THE FIRST 100 MILES OF THE RACE

"Well, if I get there in the last 100 miles - that's where this race is going to be won. For me, it's not about how quick you can get to the front, it's about just getting there in the right time. If you get the right guys pushing you and get the right pit strategy, you can make up a lot of spots in a short period of time."

YOU'VE GOT TO FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MINOR SPEEDBUMP

"No doubt about it. I'm way more concerned about how we get the car handling better and how we get to 42nd up to first and how we avoid the wrecks and all the things that come along with this great race that are going to help you or prevent you from winning this race."

EVERY DAY THERE SEEMS TO BE ANOTHER ISSUE GOING ON DURING SPEEDWEEKS

"The penalties have fit the crime. When the intent is there, they're going to come down on you hard. Daytona is so important and so big and there is so much riding on it - especially for a lot of teams who are outside the top 35 in points - it's risk versus reward. And because this is such a big event -- and this starts your whole season off - guys are pushing the limits too far. NASCAR continues to crack down on it and make harsher penalties that it only makes everybody question those things that much more."

DOES EVERYBODY TRY TO GET AROUND THE RULES OR BEND THEM A LITTLE?

"Hey, as long as this sport has been around and as long as it continues to be around, people are going to push the gray areas. Sometimes they're going to push it too far, and they're going to get penalized. There is a big difference between knowing that you're trying to get around a rule, and a (parts) failure that happens that prevents you from getting through the inspection."

HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW TO BE AMONG THOSE PENALIZED FOR CHEATING?

"Yeah, I've just been happy through qualifying that we haven't been a part of it. And then last night, it just crushed me when I found out that we were going to be right in the middle of it all. If this were to happen to us, I would have rather that it happen to us during qualifying instead of the 150's because I think we could have rebounded with a good started position right now. We're in the hole starting way in the back.
NASCAR gets tougher and stronger and they learn more. As they create smaller boxes for the teams to work in, they you've got to get more creative. Their job is to have a rule book that states things very clearly. Our job is to push the limits of those all the way up until you exceed it and be in those boundaries. That's the only way you're going to be competitive out here is to push it to those limits. But you can't push it over the limits. That's clear. NASCAR's made it clear. We make it clear within our own garage and we know that. We've been in that position before and it's not fun. We don't want to be in that group now and that's why it's so upsetting that this has happened by a failure, not by our intent."

WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES?

"I think our chances are still good. We had a car that I felt could be a little bit better yesterday and we won with it. Today we're going to work hard on getting it to handle better. I think we've obviously won this race before - not from this far back. But anything is possible. To me, we've got to work on the car in practice, get this race started, and then see if we can slowly but surely work our way forward."

HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN HERE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

"Conditions change. Tires change. Aerodynamics change. Restrictor plates change. The weather changes. All those things are factors in what it takes to win here. Sometimes it takes pure speed. Sometimes it takes a good handling race car. Sometimes it takes both. This year, with the Goodyear tire we've got, I think it's going to take a good handling race car to win this race."

DID YOU LOSE SLEEP OVER THIS PENALTY?

"Oh, yeah, I lost sleep over it. The win got taken out of our sails. You saw it live in the media center. When they brought that up, it was shocking to me. I knew that we had already scheduled a media session today and that we were going to have to deal with that."

HOW STRONG IS TONY STEWART?

"He's strong. He's real strong. I think he's shown it every time he's been on the race track. Those guys are really good at having not just a fast car, but a really good handling car. And then you take a driver like Tony Stewart --- they've got a great package. They've got horsepower and a good handling race car and a good crew chief and I think those guys are the team to beat out there right now."

HOW WOULD IT FEEL TO TIE DALE EARNHARDT FOR THE NUMBER OF WINS?

"When you know that your next win can tie a great like Dale Earnhardt, it just makes that win that much more special. Dale was such a special person. He's somebody that I couldn't even fathom that I would ever be even one (win) behind a mark that he had set. So it will be a very proud moment and I hope it happens soon. I hope it happens Sunday."

EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD A FAILURE, THE ATMOSPHERE IN THIS GARAGE PUTS YOU IN THE GROUP OF BREAKING THE RULES INTENTIONALLY

"NASCAR has a tough job to do. They've got to govern the rules. When people break them, they've got to make penalties. The penalty has to fit the crime. Really, when I've looked at everything this week, I feel like every penalty fits the crime. If you look at intent and you look at the things they focus on that are big no-no's, I feel like we're going to be grouped into that just like anybody else. My biggest thing is that anybody who has knowledge of how these cars work and those parts and pieces and how the cars travel on the race track and off the race track, they're going to go look at the part just like Jeff Burton said he did. And they're going to say yep, that part failed. Somebody either didn't tighten it down, or it came loose in some way or fashion. Shame on us. And because it didn't meet the height stick, they've got to make a decision. And they did. They put us to the back of the Daytona 500. But I don't think that when you know all that, in any way, shape, or form, that you would change what infraction came."

DO YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN THE INTENT TO CHEAT?

"I think the first thing is intent. If they can prove that you intentionally did something to try to get around your rules to make the car go faster, that's your first strike. Now, if what you did was going to be such a huge advantage.. That's why when you're messing with that restrictor plate, airflow, or fuel - even anything around the spoiler - those things are all very severe. When you mix in intent and what it was and how much speed it can actually gain you, that's how you've got to pick and choose and how strong you're going to act."

WHEN YOU HAVE CLEAR INTENT, THAT'S ONE THING. WHEN YOU HAVE INTENT PLUS ADVANTAGE, THAT'S ANOTHER THING

"Absolutely. How else can you do it? Unfortunately it's can't be as easy as black and white.
"Hey, we've got an issue out here right now where guys are getting hit from behind from bump-drafting and it's changing the aerodynamics of the car from the rear from the damage that's being done? What do you do about that? What about the guy who punctures a tire on the last lap and comes through that inspection line and the car is low because there is no air in the tire. What are you going to say about that? So of course you have to take every scenario and weigh it out and you've got to make penalties.

NASCAR has to make those decisions. It's no fun for them. They're not having a fun week. I'm hoping we can get this behind us and we can go into Sunday's race and we have an exciting race, and the cars go through inspection with no issues.

"We're up against the fact that unless we can take every media member and fan and every driver and crew chief in this garage area and show them exactly what happened and allow them to understand it, they're going to make their own opinion. We understand that and we take full responsibility for is. I feel like it didn't have anything to do with our win. But now we've just got to put it behind us and go out there and get that DuPont Chevrolet fired up and ready to go for this race. And the only way to turn it into a positive it go out there and drive to the front on Sunday. And then, we have to go through that inspection again after the race and get through that clearly. We have every intention of making sure that happens."

This Press Release and any images that are used,
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mrsmopar12 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-21-2007, 01:40 PM

Performance PR Plus For Dupont Racing, Press Release

FONTANA, Calif. (February 20, 2007) – Jeff Gordon has caught the “Wave,” now he wants to ride it to victory in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on Sunday.

Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet will carry the familiar “fire and flames” design in this weekend’s 500-mile race but will feature a new waterborne paint from DuPont Refinish. DuPont™ Cromax® Pro, which is being introduced in preparation for strict California emissions regulations, and their “Catch the Wave” product slogan will be featured on the fourtime NASCAR Cup Series champion’s Monte Carlo SS and firesuit.

“This is our 15th year together, and it’s always exciting to showcase DuPont’s great line of paint products on our Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet,” said Gordon. “Hopefully, we can provide the perfect backdrop for photographs of the car – Victory Lane.”

Last Sunday, Gordon began the 2007 campaign with a 10th-place finish in the Daytona 500. While he had hoped for a better finish, Gordon had to be satisfied with the result considering his race ended with a trip to the infield care center.

“The end to last Sunday’s race was definitely crazy,” said Gordon. “We lost the handle on the car about halfway through the race, but we were able to get it back and make a run at the end.

“After being involved in that last-lap crash, I guess I can’t be too upset with a top-10 finish in a badly damaged race car.”

Gordon will look to keep the fenders in place this weekend at the two-mile track located in Fontana. There have been 11 different winners in the 13 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races held here, and Gordon is the only multiple-race winner with victories in 1997, 1999 and 2004.

“This track has widened out since the inaugural race in 1997,” said Gordon. “Initially, it was a one-groove track, but recently we’ve been able to run three and four-wide through the corners. That’s what you like to see as a driver. It gives us the ability to search for lines that work for our car.

“And I’m sure the fans love to see that, as well.”

If Gordon sees the checkered flag first on Sunday, he will tie Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the all-time career win list with 76. But that distinction is not what drives him. “When I saw my first checkered flag, all I knew is that I wanted to experience that thrill again,” said Gordon. “And when I won my first NASCAR championship, I knew I wanted to win another and another.

“With NASCAR’s new points structure introduced this season, winning races and winning the championship are somewhat linked. If we make the Chase, our race wins will determine our position in the standings heading into the final 10 races.

“And I want to be first.”

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mrsmopar12 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-24-2007, 10:28 PM

Behind The Hauler Chat With Jeff Gordon
GM Racing Communications, Press Release

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT MONTE CARLO SS TALKS WITH MEDIA ABOUT LAST WEEK'S DAYTONA 500 AND CALIFORNIA RACERS JOINING NASCAR
WHY IS CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY SO TOUGH ON ENGINES AND WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT THAT?

"The guys in the engine department really look at how long you're maintaining that high rpm; and you've just got all kinds of issues with oil pressure and fuel pressure. It's just a lot of wear and tear when turn them that hard. It's a long race as well. We've seen similar issues at Michigan. It's something we try to work on, on the dyno. They guys in the engine department are probably the ones to ask that question. But I'm going to push it as hard as I can and hope that it lives."

THE FANS SAY THE RACING HERE IS BORING. IS THERE A WAY THEY COULD BE MADE MORE EXCITING? MAYBE SHORTENED OR WHATEVER?

"Michigan is one of my favorite race tracks. This track was patterned after Michigan and it's not exactly the same, but it's similar. From a driver's standpoint I love it. There are a lot of different grooves to run on. But we haven't seen as exciting racing as we have on some other tracks. And I'm not sure why because I like this track almost as much as I like Michigan. We've had some good runs here and I've seen some exciting races. But on a consistent basis - I think because there is so much room here to race on, we don't see many cautions and the cars get real spread out and sometimes that's not going to be as exciting for the fans."

ON DAYTONA 500 WINNERS AND OTHER DRIVING TALENT THAT COMES OUT OF CALIFORNIA

"I think NASCAR is the type of series that looks for talent everywhere. I think it's just more of a coincidence that the Daytona 500 winners have come from California. When you try to become a driver in this series, you realize that the owners aren't asking you to bring money - they'd like that if they don't have a sponsor - but they're looking for the best talent they can get. And then they build a team around that. I think we're just starting to see stock car racing just taking off everywhere - even on the west coast - and you're finding great race car drivers from all over and you're starting to see more from California now when you used to not have many at all."

HAS CALIFORNIA INCREASED THE LEVEL OF COMPETITION? HAVE THE TRACKS HERE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN DEVELOPING TALENT?

"I didn't move to Indiana for more competition, there was just more opportunity to race. There were a lot more tracks we could go to, which also meant more competition. I didn't get to do enough racing around California and I did zero stock car racing in California.
But from around Bakersfield south, there are a lot of tracks popping up that are Late Models and NASCAR West and they are really honing in on stock car drivers and see those guys showcase their talents and be recognized by car owners outside of California."

HOW MUCH PRIDE IS THERE WHEN YOU COME TO A PLACE LIKE THIS AND YOU HAVE FAMILY & FRIENDS HERE?

"I have a lot more family and friends that come to Sonoma than this one. You do feel like you have a lot of people pulling from you from home. I get a little bit of that here, but not as much as Jimmie Johnson or Robby Gordon or even Kevin Harvick. I think you get a lot of fans out here that pull for the guys who are from California. So there is a lot of pride on the line and you want to make them pride."

DO YOU THINK NASCAR IS GLAD TO GET OUT OF DAYTONA AFTER ALL THE CONTROVERSIAL STORYLINES?

"It feels good to me just to get out from restrictor plate racing and have a car that has downforce and be able to drive it through the corners and work with the teams on the handling. That's a lot of fun. And there was a lot of controversy going on at Daytona and NASCAR was probably pretty happy to get away from that and get that behind us."

AS A CHAMPION OF THE SPORT, WHAT DO YOU TELL NEW FANS WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN TURNED OFF BY WHAT THEY SAW IN DAYTONA?

"No matter what, we're going to continue to put great racing out there. NASCAR's job is to keep on a level playing field and govern the rules. People are constantly going to try to push those limits every weekend and when they push it too far, NASCAR is going to put a penalty down on that.
That's the history of racing and will always be the history of racing. The reason why you want to watch is because we put exciting racing out there on the race track - just like that finish at Daytona. There were some lulls in the race, but at the end it came down to a great, exciting finish."

PART OF THE GREAT HISTORY OF THIS SPORT IS THE CHEATING AND PUSHING THE RULES. IS IT HARD FOR NASCAR TO REALLY HAD TO HAMMER DOWN ON PEOPLE THAT BREAK THE RULES?

"There is a difference between pushing the limits and exceeding them. I don't really like the word cheating because I think that really, there are rules in these guy's jobs who build race cars to push it as far as they can. And yes, there are times when they push it too far and there is a difference between it happening before the car goes out on the race track to doing something during the race or when the race is over - especially if they've won. When that happens, you've got to slap a penalty on them when they've broken the rules of even if like me, they've had a part failure. If they don't make it through inspection, you've got to do something. That is always a challenge that NASCAR is always going to have."

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO RECOVER FROM COMING OUT OF DAYTONA THE WAY YOU DID?

"I'm pretty happy that we came out of Daytona in 10th. Realistically, if you look at it, we're basically eighth in points. With the day that we had, I'm very happy with the results. Points-wise, I was very happy. I wasn't happy with the performance we had in the race and that all started because when we got put to the back because of the failure we had. That's something we've been working heavily on to make sure those mistakes don't happen in the future. We showed up here and the first lap on the track, the DuPont Chevrolet just felt awesome. It's been going well today. This is really where the championship is going to be made, on the downforce tracks. If we can put a good race car on the track this weekend, I'm going to be pretty excited about the type of year we're going to have."

IF THIS IS A GOOD INDICATOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE?

"All we know is how we tested. We had a fairly good test in Las Vegas. Other than that, it's hard to tell. You can base it off of that, but all I can tell you is that so far since we've been here, the results have been good and I've been happy."

DID ANY PART OF YOU WANT MARK MARTIN TO TAKE THE WIN AT DAYTONA?

"Oh, I would have been extremely happy for Mark. I've always been a huge fan of Mark's. He's a fantastic driver and I think it would have been very cool to see. But I don't pull for any other driver unless I'm out of it (laughs)."

ON THE LAST LAP AT DAYTONA, SHOULD NASCAR HAVE THROWN THE CAUTION EARLIER THAN IT DID?

"Yes."

WHAT WOULD THAT HAVE DONE TO YOU AS A DRIVER SITTING IN THE SEAT? WOULD YOU HAVE SLOWED DOWN?

"What usually happens when a crash like that happens, you're expecting a caution and you check up. But I hit the wall pretty hard there when that wreck started and all I remember them saying is no caution..still green, still green.
"The spotter's job is to keep you updated. So I just put it back to the floor. The race car was torn up and there were cars going everywhere. But it was really and truly a race back to the finish line."

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mrsmopar12 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-10-2007, 07:18 AM

GM Racing Communications, Press Release

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 NICORETTE/DUPONT MONTE CARLO SS TALKED WITH MEDIA ABOUT THE NEW LAS VEGAS TRACK SURFACE, TIRES, THE IMPALA SS CAR OF TOMORROW AND MORE

ON NEW SURFACE OF LVMS:

"The new surface is pretty nice, yes it has a few bumps in it going in to one which are going to be a challenge, but all-in-all, I am really happy with the surface. Obviously none of us are going to be happy with the grip level out there right now because Goodyear had to change a tire up to keep from blowing tires. It has been a real challenge to slow us down over a second from where we were here at testing. It has been one of those things where everybody is pretty frustrated with trying to get some grip and get some comfort back in the car."

ON NEW TIRE COMPOUND:

"Obviously you don't want to see failures in the tires and problems, so in that sense we are better with this tire. But at the same time, you don't want to see Goodyear have to build a harder tire like this. You don't want to see NASCAR make us go to smaller fuel cells. I think we always lean toward the conservative side and again, we have gone way to far. The tire is a little too hard on the left side, I think the fuel cell being smaller isn't necessary, but I guess, better to be safe than sorry. Once you get a few laps on the tire, its not so bad when you get some heat in them. We should see a pretty decent race. It is really about holding on until you get some heat in the tires."

ON ADVANTAGE HIS TEAM MIGHT HAVE WITH MORE PIT STOPS:

"I think our team is really solid right now. I am really happy with the performance and the pit crew, the calls that Steve Latarte is making in the pits. This will certainly come down to a lot of strategy, because you might not need to take tires because as hard as these tires are, I don't think we are going to wear them out."

ON MORE PIT STOPS PRESENTING MORE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A MISTAKE IN THE PITS:

"That is true, but it is the same for all of us. I know we try to pride ourselves on not making mistakes and I do hope that falls more in to our hands with the caliber of team that we have."

ON RACE BEING SIMILAR TO CHARLOTTE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO:

"Yes, I think so. The only thing is that this track has variable banking so I think we will definitely have a couple of grooves but it is going to be tough to pass because the tire is so, so hard. This isn't something that any of us want. Some way we have to figure out as a collective group because we are all trying to build our cars to go faster. You have a track that wanted to change up its banking and its surface and that is great but, they have created so much grip that now the tire can't handle it. So Goodyear it has to go in and change the tire, then NASCAR has to make a move on the fuel cell and all that. It is not what any of us want, we all want a track that wears out and is old and doesn't have a lot of grip so Goodyear can build the right tire and we can go out there and race. It is something you wish you could get around but it is nobody's fault, we are all in this together. You kind of a wish there was another way around it, but it just doesn't seem like there is right now.

ON VARIABLE BANKING BEING ALOT LIKE HOMESTEAD:

"Yes very much so and I love it, I think it is great. I look at Homestead now that has had its surface for a few years, it is worn out and the way it has aged, it is great. We have a lot of different grooves there to race on, kind of the way this track was. But any time you put a new surface on, it is going to take time. It is going to be a pain for all of us and you hope it doesn't affect the racing too much and there in no guarantee it is going to affect the racing in any way. It iust affecting the drivers and the teams and how they get the grip into the car to make the drivers happy."

ON HOW HARD IT WILL BE FOR JUNIOR TO REBOUND FROM START TO SEASON:

"It all depends on the kind of team that you have and the driver. Those guys are capable of rebounding and getting back in to it. If it continues much longer, confidence starts deteriorating. Those guys were running were good at California so I think that is what is holding their heads up high and getting them through the weekend. If they can come out of here solid, then I don't think it is an issue. If they have problems here, then it is only going to make it that much tougher next weekend. "

ON MONTOYA'S BUSCH RACE IN MEXICO:

"I didn't see it. We were on vacation! I heard about it and that is about it. I can't comment on it because I didn't see it. Did he take out a teammate or did a teammate not give him enough room? I can't comment because I didn't see it. Obviously you don't want to make contact with your teammate no matter which side of it you are on. If anything, I just think it shows that Juan knew he was on a road course, knew he had to be aggressive and knew how bad he wanted that win. There is no doubt about it that he will be someone we have to worry about at Sonoma and Watkins Glen. I think there are going to be some ovals that he is going to be tough on as well. I don't think there is any doubt that if Ganassi gives him a good race car, on a road course he is going to be a threat to win. I think it will be fun and exciting but I don't want anymore challenges, I have enough of them out there now as it is (Laughs). I don't feel like we have it all wrapped up by any means trust me. Stewart has been so strong there. I didn't think we had the fasted car last year when we won but we made some good moves and had a fast car at the right time to get track position.
"I think he is an aggressive driver and that is what makes him fast. The thing about the ovals if you have to know when to be aggressive and when not to be. It is just something that is going to take time, but as he gets more confidence and more laps you'll see that same driving style he has on the road course on the ovals."

ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS IF THAT SITUATION OCCURED:

"We would definitely have a sit down talk and I am sure Rick (Hendrick) would get involved and we would do whatever it takes to make sure things like that didn't happen again. I am sure we would try to find out who was at fault as well. There are times when you have to give way and there are other times when you should not be so aggressive and poke your nose in there! You have got to be able to work together as teammates, that is the only way you can grow as a team. I think it is probably hard for Juan to look at Scott (Pruett) as a teammate when they are just running together in the Busch Series in a few road races."

ON BEING PREPARED FOR BRISTOL RACE WITH CAR OF TOMORROW:

"I can't say we were too great at Bristol. The only thing we had coming out of there was Jimmie felt good about it so we can look at their notes and see what they are doing and maybe make some gains. You know I love Bristol, it is one of my favorite race tracks. We are going to get it but that car has definitely presented some new challenges that we have to work around."

ON DIFFICULTING GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN CURRENT CAR AND NEW IMPALA SS:

"It is more challenging for the team in preparation and building cars. For the driver, in one lap you know what you have and then you just work around it. It is just another race car. What makes a race car go fast is getting it balanced correctly, getting it comfortable and find turning on all those things. It is just different tools we have with the COT that we have with this current car, which is what makes it so challenging. We just don't have as much to work with to get the car to do what you want it to do."

ON ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY:

"I love Atlanta. It is one of my very favorite tracks we go to right now. I love the surface there, everything about it. It has multiple grooves and we have run really good there the last couple of races. I am looking forward to going back there. That is one of the things about coming here with the new surface and all the challenges, the new tire, the smaller fuel cell. Then you get to go back to Atlanta where we get to go back to the way you wish we could be every weekend where you have a worn out surface. You have a tire that wears out bur doesn't seem to blow out, You have long runs, the regular fuel cell in the current car, everything I love about this sport is what is going to happen next weekend at Atlanta."

ON NEW FAN AREA AT LVMS:

"Anything you can do to get the fans more interaction get them more involved, let them see more of the action is good. It is always that fine line between entertaining and racing and we always seem to push the limits but over time, you get used to it. I will admit that it is challenging for the team to have that many hands and faces glued to the glass watching every moment, At the same time, this is a sport of accessibility and based on their commitment and their involvement is something we all have to understand and really balance out. You want to entertain the fans but you always want to concentrate and focus on your job."

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mrsmopar12 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-13-2007, 07:30 PM

Performance PR Plus For Dupont Racing, Press Release

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 13, 2007) – After a weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where discussion centered around tires, track surface and fuel cells, Jeff Gordon expects those same subjects to accentuate the positives of NASCAR racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

A new track configuration and surface – along with harder tires and a smaller fuel cell – dominated the headlines last weekend at LVMS. But Gordon led the most laps in the race (111) en route to a second-place finish behind teammate Jimmie Johnson. Johnson’s victory marked the 150th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory for Hendrick Motorsports.

Gordon, who has 75 of those victories, will start his 30th race at Atlanta this weekend in the Kobalt Tools 500. In 29 previous starts, he has four wins, one pole, 12 top-fives and 18 top-10's. In his last 17 starts, he has finished outside the top 10 only four times.

"I love Atlanta,” Gordon said. “I love the worn out surface and everything about the track – it’s one of my favorite tracks we go to.

“Racing here is how I’d like it to be every weekend. We’ll be using the regular fuel cell in the regular car and we’ll have long green flag runs. The tire wears out but doesn't seem to blowout, and there are multiple grooves we can run.

“Everything I love about this sport is what is going to happen in Atlanta."

Gordon, who is currently second in the standings and six points out of the lead, has finished in the top 10 in each of the first three races this year. Although he has four NASCAR Cup championships on his resume, the driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet has never posted four consecutive top-10's to begin a season.

Gordon gives much of the early season credit to second-year crew chief Steve Letarte.

“This DuPont team is preparing great cars and we’re having a lot of fun – no matter where we start in the field,” Gordon said. “Steve has really stepped up as a leader.

“Having great cars, great communication and great runs make it fun for a driver.” And Gordon even joked about distractions following his second-place finish last weekend.

“I think I would have won the race if I didn’t have a baby on the way,” Gordon said. “I just lost concentration thinking about the baby and what I’m going to name her.”

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Whoo~Hoo! Gosh Curves, next weekend I will be at Atlanta with Jeff Gordon, and that means that you will be there in spirit with us!

mrsmopar12 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-28-2007, 12:21 AM

Performance PR Plus For Dupont Motorsports, Press Release

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 27, 2007) – Soon-to-be first-time father Jeff Gordon wants eight.

Grandfather clocks, that is. But seven-time Martinsville winner Gordon knows that good brakes may ultimately determine who collects the grandfather clock as champion of the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.

Gordon, who finished third last Sunday, used more brakes than normal in the debut of the “Car of Tomorrow” at Bristol Motor Speedway. With the tight, flat Virginia short track next on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup schedule, Team DuPont plans to be conservative with the brakes on the brightly painted No. 24 Chevrolet.

“I used more brakes at Bristol trying to get the car into the corner,” said Gordon. “This new car seems to carry so much momentum, and it was pretty loose getting into the corner at Bristol. We played it conservative and upgraded our brakes for that race.

“I expect we’ll be using a lot of brake this weekend, maybe even more so than past Martinsville races. We'll go ultra-conservative on our brake package – maxed-out for brakes and cooling for this weekend’s race."

Along with his seven wins, Gordon has collected five poles, 16 top-fives and 22 top- 10's in 28 events at 0.526-mile track. In his last eight races here, Gordon has visited Victory Lane four times, has led an average of 130 laps per event with a 3.25 average finishing position.

But past success will not automatically translate into a strong run this weekend. Gordon knows there will be another learning curve this weekend as the teams prepare to race the new car at Martinsville.

“Compared to Bristol, I think Martinsville should be a little bit easier to adapt to,” said Gordon. “We don't have the loads, the banking and the drop-off transitions here like we had at Bristol. But the drivers and teams face a lot of unknowns again this weeeknd.”

The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion enters this event with the points lead, the first time he has held the top spot since February of 2005. Gordon has posted three topfives and four top-10's in the first five races this season with an average finish of 5.8. Only one other time has Gordon started the season with a single-digit average finish in the first five races, and that occurred in 1999 (9.4).

“We’ve battled the handling in a few of the races this year, but my crew chief, Steve Letarte, and the entire DuPont team have not let that get them down,” said Gordon. “We went backwards fast at Bristol, but fought back. We struggled early at California but came back to finish second.

“We’ve been able to fight back from adversity to post good finishes. But we want more than that.”

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mrsmopar12 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-14-2007, 01:41 AM

Behind The Hauler Chat With Jeff Gordon
GM Racing Communications, Press Release

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT MONTE CARLO SS, TALKS WITH MEDIA ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, RACING WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON AT MARTINSVILLE, TRADING SET-UPS, AND MORE

HOW WAS PRACTICE?

"Well, the time sheet might not look too good, but we were in race trim. I think a lot of guys were in qualifying trim. But the car felt really good -- even though the speeds might not show it on the sheet. We're obviously a little concerned because we were in race trim and didn't get any laps in qualifying trim. If it dries up and we get qualifying in, it's going to be very interesting so we'll see what happens. But I know Jimmie (Johnson) made some qualifying runs, so hopefully we can learn something from them."

IS THIS AN INTERESTING WEEKEND BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND WORK ON THE NEW CAR EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE BACK IN THE OLD CAR NOW?

"Now that we've gone ahead and we're racing the car of tomorrow -- we've tested at Darlington -- if that's the direction we're headed in and NASCAR is happy with it, I'd like to see us do more of it. The uniqueness about this car is that it's a little bit different from a drivers standpoint, but mainly different for the team in the set-up and preparation and the whole inspection process and everything. It's not that much for the driver. It makes for an interesting weekend because you bounce back and forth. The only good thing that's saving us right now is the downforce -- an intermediate track where we really haven't had the car of tomorrow, the Impala, on anything but the short tracks."

WITH HENDRICK ON A ROLL AND JIMMIE JOHNSON WINNING THREE OUT OF FOUR, HOW DO YOU VIEW BEING THE SECOND-PLACE GUY?

"It doesn't really matter to me that it's Hendrick that we're finishing second or third to, it's anybody. I feel like we've been capable of winning already in a short period of time this season, and that's what I have to remind myself of. We're having a great year so far and it's early. We've had some great race cars capable of winning, but it's early. So I try to constantly remind myself of that. But what's frustrating at Martinsville was that it was the third time this year that I felt like we had the car to beat and we didn't pull it off and so that's definitely frustrating. But it has nothing to do with my teammates -- Jimmie, in particular -- winning those three races. I'm excited for Hendrick motorsports and how we're running and how things are going. And we're running equally as well and having those opportunities. But it's good to be frustrated over finishing second. And it's been a while since we've been in that position. So I'm for the most part pretty happy with that. But I'm a competitor. It's pretty hard when you're in that moment. And the microphone is in your face right there, man, and you're like, I wanted that win!"

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 12 DIFFERENT GUYS TO WIN AT THIS RACE TRACK AND NONE HAVE BEEN HENDRICK DRIVERS?

"Obviously, nobody seems to have a script for it or we would have seen multiple winners here. But there have been changes in this track over the years and that's contributed to it. But to me, it's just a very, very tricky place to get the right combination of aerodynamics, horsepower, mechanical grip, and set-up and get comfortable as a driver with the speeds we carry here. Twice we've had cars that were capable of winning here. Once, I think it was the first year, when we got taken out when leading or running second. And then the other was when Elliott Sadler won and we had electrical problems. So we've been in position to win here -- just not recently.
"Recently we haven't been very competitive and that's been frustrating. It comforts me a little bit and I try not to put too much blame on myself (knowing) that all of Hendrick Motorsports just hasn't been that good here. So, it's something internally that we're working on. Anytime we don't have the combination we feel like is a winning combination like here or Richmond or Phoenix or Homestead, it motivates us to figure it out. We look at all the telemetry and everything we possibly can to get closer. I can't tell you all of what we've hit on this year, but the guys building the cars have just done a fantastic job finding a little bit in all these different areas. And the cars are just so much more comfortable to drive and that's where the speed comes is when that comfort is there. I feel like (if) any time we've had a chance of a Hendrick car winning here or ourselves winning here, it's this year.

WHY IS HENDRICK SO DOMINANT RIGHT NOW? CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE LEVEL OF COMPETITION BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATES?

"When you go to work over the off-season and you look at your results from the previous year and what you worked on and so forth, it's just really doing your homework. When you're starting to hit on something, it takes a year sometimes for it all to materialize. We all said last year was a building year and it was. I really think it took a good eight, to 10 months to a year for us to really get into our own stride and be able to make the most of our own resources. When you tour Hendrick Motorsports and you see the ins and outs of that place, anybody would tell you in this garage area, 'How can you not be successful?' All the tools are there. We have great people. We had very little turnover from last year to this year. We had a championship with Jimmie (Johnson) winning. We had three of the four cars in the Chase. That's momentum to build on.
"Over the off-season, the crew chiefs and engineers and everybody really did their homework and that's paying off. And I'm not saying that other teams have not done their homework, it's just that whatever direction we were moving into that we focused on that we thought was going to make us better, has. And that's a good thing.

"I think this who car of tomorrow shows you which teams are strong, which teams are united, and which teams have the best overall combination. Obviously Hendrick, right now, is on top of their game. I think Gibbs is, as well, and Childress. It's not so much Chevy as it is just the teams. Chevy provides us great tools as well. But I look at those teams.

"As far as teammates, over all the years, I can remember when Terry (Labonte) and I were going for that championship. Jimmie and I are a lot closer in age and also in the friendship we've had for years. Terry is a more reserved guy and I never really got to know him on the level that I have Jimmie. There's no doubt on the race track that we're very, very competitive. And yet off the race track, we can laugh about it. Early on, we talked about as teammates keeping things (that happen) on the race track, on the race track and letting things go off the race track. And it gets tough at times because we were bumping and banging pretty good there at Richmond. But we laughed about it at the test at Richmond and on the phone afterwards. Having other teammates that run good, and that are solid like we have right now, only makes all of us stronger. I believe in that. The whole organization believes in that. And yes, there are challenges with that because sometimes you have to beat yourself almost, or your teammates to win these races. But all of us recognize the information we share in the meetings we have and the unity we have among the crew chiefs that that's a very good thing for us as a whole. Let's let it come done to one of us winning this race or one of us winning this championship. We just hope that one of us gets it."

THE CREW CHIEFS SEEM TO BE FRUSTRATED WITH THE TIRE LIMITS AND TESTING LIMITS. DO YOU THINK NASCAR SHOULD OPEN UP THE NUMBER OF TESTS AGAIN ON THE TRACKS YOU ACTUALLY RACE ON?