NASCAR Nextel Cup

What would you tell a fan about the emotions of when you're in the car running well as opposed to not running well?
"You know the funny thing is when you're running well the intensity level is just as high because you want to maintain that level of competition. I've been more intense this year with second and third place runs than I've been the last couple of years when I was in 15th place in Texas or some place like that. I'm a competitive person. We've got a seriously competitive team here. It's a great feeling when you're running good and doing it consistently. And there's nothing better than seeing that checker flag and knowing that you're the first guy across the line."

Is it as difficult to retrieve momentum as it is to achieve it?
"We learn to take things week to week and try to block out the good or bad that happened the week before and approach each race as it's own event. We have different challenges at each track and I think it's helpful to not get too emotionally high from the success or too low from the disappointment in disappointing races. So we just try to take it as it comes."

What would you tell a fan about emotions when you're running well as opposed to not running well?
"It's pretty simple. You're just confident and you're looking forward to things when you're running well. Your confidence is shattered a little bit when you're not running well. I've always been lucky to be optimistic and go to each track and feel like we're accomplishing something and that we're at least making the cars better -- even if we're not performing like we want. It's work in progress all the time in racing."

What are the common causes of winning streaks for teams and drivers on the Cup level?
"I'm not sure. We're happy to be in the middle of a streak, as the Hendrick organization is, but we're not sure why it starts or where it comes from or how to keep it for that matter. We certainly hope we can and we work real hard every week to put in a solid effort and not make mistakes. But we've been under a lot of pressure from the Gibbs cars and the Childress cars and a lot of different teams have really been strong. And we've been able to get it done at the end of the day and we're not really sure what creates all of that, but we'll go to the next one and put in the same effort and hopefully get the same results."

What do you think fans most misunderstand about driving at the Cup Level?
"The basic fans I hear quite often think it gets boring being out there in a race for five hours. But I tell them that those hours go by pretty quick when you're on the edge and going as fast as we are going."

You're probably used to being cheered and booed at the same time during NEXTEL Cup introductions. When it happens, do you know what emotions your wife and mother feel?
I think we're all getting used to it. I know from my own experience, talking to both my wife and mom, it's tough to hear the boos because they know me, know what I'm about. People that are booing haven't had a chance to get to know me and know what I'm about. Once we all got some experience and time in dealing with it, you realize they're just sportsfans, they're going to root for their guy, boo the opponents, everything's good. Just part of being in sports.

Did it take you long to get accustomed to that?
Not really. Driving for Jeff Gordon, there's certain parts of the country where they boo you just because you know the guy. Out of the gate I had to learn how to accept this at a fast rate.

Do you feel that your success has had any impact on Lowe's success?
"I don't think the racing program has, I could be wrong in trying to be humble in the same regard, but I don't think the racing program has had a hug impact. I don't really know for a fact. Lowe's is such a strong company on their own. The way they do business, the way they address the customers, I really believe we are an extension of the good work of Lowe's but not the reason Lowe's has the success they do in the stores."

Has the steady sponsorship that you've enjoyed with Lowe's helped Team 48?
"Oh, without a doubt. They support our race team unlike any other sponsor in the sport with incentives and the personal TLC that they show every single crew member at Hendrick Motorsports and on the 48 team and the 24/48 shop. They go to great lengths to make us a part of their family. We have visits from the top man, Robert Niblock, throughout the year. He comes here personally and passes out incentive bonuses and visits with the guys and has lunch with them. They really are an amazing sponsor."

Consistency isn't easy obviously at the Cup level. Did you expect to carry over the success that you had last year to this year?
"A lot of writers didn't think so, and I knew - that's our motivation. You know, we looked at all of the predictions for this year. We ripped them out of the newspapers and we posted them in our trailer and we circled every single one of them. You know, 90 percent of them said we're not going to make the Chase; we're not going to run well. And it may still happen, but that's our motivation right now is carrying what we had at the end of last year on to this year.

"You know, so far we're really doing a good job of, you know, not beating ourselves too bad. When we do mess up in the pits, we try to find a way to recover and we're doing a good job of that. Just if we can ever have a race that goes smooth, we'd win a bunch."

Is there any secret to maintaining that consistency?
"You know, I don't think so. It's just you know, I'm getting good stuff luckily from Job Gibbs Racing. They are putting great stuff under me every week. I've got everything that the 20 car has got and it's showing every week. I am confident as a driver knowing that there's 400 employees at Job Gibbs Racing that's giving their absolute best to me."

What would you tell a fan about when you're running well as opposed to not running well?
"When you're running well, they never really feel good. For the most part you just go, even if they feel good or bad. We're slowly but surely starting to figure out the Car of Tomorrow to where they are feeling a lot more comfortable. They're a little bit harder on your body than the older car It's not too bad."

What do you think fans basically don't understand about your job?
"Well, the biggest thing is just the demand. You're not going to be able to stop and sign everybody's autograph. It's impossible. You'll never get on the racetrack if that's the case. We're trying to be the good guy and I know I am especially. It's just really hard to please everyone."

How do you balance that and maintain your focus when you have so many things to do?
"Well, you have good people around you to help you plan all this stuff. That's the biggest thing for us is you got to make sure you've got good people to make sure you have time for yourself. That's the only way to enjoy it."

Can you talk about overcoming routine distractions in your job as compared to an interference like the media frenzy over Dale Jr.'s decision to leave DEI?
You know, there's not really a whole lot of distractions for me. I'm a low-key guy. I don't pay attention to a lot of things out there like a lot of people do. Some people go through life worried about what everybody thinks. I'm kind of the opposite. I mind my own business, work hard on my cars, come to the shop. I'm actually here right now going through some stuff, trying to get ready for Dover this weekend. All that stuff that goes on with the media, with the other drivers, the other crew chiefs, the teams, I don't really pay much attention to it. I do my thing, come in here and work hard on my race car.

What do you think fans most misunderstand about driving at the Cup level?
"Probably just how tough it really is, how competitive it is, how it takes one or two little tiny things to make you run bad or have a bad day."

Do you think drivers ever stop learning?
"Absolutely not. The minute you think you know everything is the minute you should quit."

What's the best way to handle success?
"Just be who you are. Just be who you were before it happened. Be the same person."

Do race car drivers have a special ability to handle stress and pressure than the rest of us?
"Well, we've got a lot of it on us at all times. I think that's probably the reason why we can. I think a lot of it is just blocking out, find things to do to take your mind off it. I like to fish and hunt, things like that and I like to get out by myself where it's quiet and relax and have a good time. It's pretty easy to do. I think because we have so much of it all the time, we're always around it; that we're probably better dealing with it than most people."

Can you explain the calm part of your personality?
"I'm low keyed. I'm kind of quiet. I keep to myself most of the time. That kind of person I guess. But when I put my helmet on, it's like you flip a switch. I'm ready to go. As long as I can do that and be me, I'm happy. I'm just kind of quiet."

What advice would you give a rookie coming into the NASCAR?
"Hmmm- a lot. You know, just focus on racing. You need to treat your fans well obviously. They are the only reason why you are doing this. Be yourself. Don't try to be somebody you're not and be respectful, especially to other drivers on the track, whether you're having a good day or a bad day."

Getting back to your calm demeanor. Can you describe what goes on inside you during a race that fans can't know?
"I get soo emotional. I mean it's just one of those things will set me off and I'll start screaming and yelling. There are times when I make sure my hand is not near the radio button because I'm yelling so loud inside my helmet. I get really worked up sometimes about little things about the way other people drive around me. It makes me mad. I get pretty mad most of the time. The madder I get, the faster I go."

Can you describe the feeling of driving into high-speed turns that fans can't possibly know?
"No not any more, because I forget what it's like to not know. I can remember the first time I drove a real race car. I was about two or three tenths lower than I needed to be and it was my first time in a modified so it was at a pretty fast track. The first ten laps I could not believe how much grip the car had and how hard you go through the turns. It's really amazing what these things can do."

What are the most consistent challenges you face at this level of motorsports?
"Just trying to stay on top of the game. Things change so fast. It seems like things you were doing two or three weeks ago aren't good enough anymore. You can win a race at a track and go back there three weeks from now and three weeks after you win and you'd be lucky to run third. Things have changed. Everybody is constantly coming up with a better way, a newer way to do things. You need to keep up with the changes."

What do you think is the best way to handle success?
"You just can't change. No matter how successful you are, you need to just keep doing what you're doing. If you change what has made you successful you're not going to continue to be successful. I guess the thing to say there is you just got to be yourself and not be somebody different once you are successful and just striving for more. You can never do good enough in my eyes. You just got to keep after it and want more and more."

Speaking of achievement hunger, can you describe the drive that racers have inside? Do you acquire it or bring it here?
"Oh yeah, I think you bring it with you. The sport is something you love and you just have to a strong passion for it. You're going to go harder. You can never settle for second. You've always got to do the best you can and always want more when you win. You want to win the next week. You win that week, you want to win the following. You can never be good enough in my eyes. I'd rather be the best you can be. In the short time I've been in the big cars and trucks we've always been with the under-funded stuff. We've got a lot of attention for it lately because we've been competing with these guys with the big bucks. I think the reason we're doing that is everybody involved wants it. We put in long hours at the shop and we put in a lot of effort and it shows. Here in Daytona I didn't qualify all that well, but I think we'll race half way decent just because we all want it. If the guys get that thing driving good and if I have determination to drive up through there, that's what it takes. If you put together a bunch of solid finishes then you win championships."

Is there any way to carry momentum season to season, race to race?
"It's important to try to keep one group of guys together. In this sport the turnover rate a lot of times with teams, especially in the ARCA Series and even in the truck series. Most crew members want to move up also. If you can keep a group of guys together that everybody knows what everybody does. It keeps momentum going. A lot of times it helps to keep momentum going at the end of the season. All guys are pumped up for the next year. Everybody is better. Every body is learning more. It really helps the whole program."

What common hurdles do you have during a routine week of racing?
"When you unload these things you've got to be right. It used to be if you were off a little bit take a mediocre car and still salvage a top five or a top ten. I'm not saying you can't still do that but it would make it a lot tougher this year. I just see it getting worse. Not worse, I guess it's better for the fans but it get a little frustrating in the seat sometimes, but it just makes you better. It kind of goes back to running with the veterans when you surround yourself with better drivers and better equipment, it only makes you better. And in time that makes everybody better so. I think in the next couple years, especially in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with the way the Cup guys stepping up to the new car, I think there's going to be a lot of competition in this series. This series will probably get a lot more attention than it's had in years past."