TEAM CHEVY WINS 2009 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES MANUFACTURERS'
CHAMPIONSHIP:
BRENT DEWAR, VICE PRESIDENT, CHEVROLET GLOBAL: "Chevrolet is extremely
proud of our teams and drivers for bringing home the 2009 Manufacturers'
Championship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. This is the 33rd
Manufacturers' title for Chevrolet and our seventh consecutive year as
the leading nameplate in the sport.
"This award is exceptionally gratifying for everyone at Chevrolet and
GM, especially in this challenging economic environment. We salute our
Chevy teams, owners, and drivers for all their hard work and dedication
in achieving this exceptional recognition".
"The level of the NASCAR Sprint Cup on-track competition is second to
none. We are very proud of the 15 victories so far this year and the
overall on-track success by our Impala SS drivers that put Team Chevy on
top. Chevrolet is here to stay, and we look forward to using our award
winning engines and vehicles to win races and championships for many
years to come."
MARK KENT, MANAGER, GM RACING: "Winning the 2009 Manufacturers'
Championship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is a remarkable achievement
for GM Racing and our outstanding Chevrolet teams and drivers.
"The competition this season has been as intense as any time in the
history of the sport. Many men and women have spent countless hours
maximizing the performance of every aspect of the Impala SS race car.
Their efforts have paid off with this special honor, and will continue
to net excellent results as we move toward the end of the season. With
seven races yet to go in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, we are
working hard to capture the Driver and Owner championships.
"It is no secret these are stressful and turbulent times at General
Motors. To be able to celebrate the success of a goal met - winning our
33rd overall and seventh consecutive Manufacturers' title - is a reward
well deserved and ranks as one of the most special in the racing history
of GM and Chevrolet.
"Congratulations to all of our Team Chevy organizations, drivers, crews,
GM Racing and to everyone at General Motors who contributed to this
championship effort for this much deserved accomplishment."
TEAM CHEVY IMPALA SS -- FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT:
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS: "Right now, there is
no pressure. Everyone is talking about the Chase, and how each winner,
each weekend is suddenly the top contender. I'll say it again, ask me
with four races to go. Last week this team could have succumbed to
the pressure of not having a perfect race car, but we didn't do it. I
watched my guys dig and scratch and claw to the best finish we could
possibly get. And it was enough. It wasn't a great day, and I know there
is not a guy on this team that was happy with a seventh-place finish.
But for where we could have finished, it was great."
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S/JIMMIE JOHNSON FOUNDATION IMPALA SS: "Last
week and really the last couple of weeks we've been talking about our
strategy and the tracks, directions with set-up, and things that we're
going to try, things for certain tracks and not other tracks. I feel
very confident with the approach we have and the set-ups we're going
to be taking, the cars we're going to be taking. We're pretty well
organized, so hopefully it pays off. I am hopeful that its helpful for
us to have a track in the Chase that we are able to win at.........being
California. I think the season comes to us in a way. I know that we
perform well in the Chase but I think the schedule is helpful for the
No. 48 car. We have great results and it gives us a lot of hope going
into these tracks but we still have to show up and get the job done. So
we have a positive mindset looking forward to those tracks. It will make
the week easier leading into those tracks but we still have to go in
there and get to work. I'm excited for it."
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET IMPALA SS: "I would rather have
Atlanta to be honest. I always run really well at Atlanta. At the same
time we ran pretty good there last time we were there. It was very early
in the season and even then I think we had decent cars. Right now we've
got much more competitive cars. Going to California it's going to be
exciting. You've got to be very open-minded. We're bringing our best
stuff every week and you've got to hope what you bring is good enough.
Some weeks you're good enough for a top-five and some weeks maybe good
enough to win and some weeks you kind of look at yourself and you know
finish 12th or 15th. Everybody is going to go through it right now."
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/OLD SPICE IMPALA SS: "We (Stewart and
Darian Grubb, crew chief) were still just learning each other going into
California in the spring. So going around this time, we obviously know
each other better. We've had time to make mistakes and make decisions
that worked for me, and we've learned the feel that I like together, and
that's something that will help us definitely for next week. So it's a
much more -- I'm anticipating California a lot more this time than in
the spring."
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT/PEPSI IMPALA SS: "We've improved a lot
on these types of tracks since last year. And we had a great run
here earlier this year, but we feel like we let that one slip away.
Hopefully, we can get that one back this weekend. It's going to take
strong runs like that and like the finish we had at Kansas each and
every weekend in the final seven races. There are six guys ahead of
us right now, so it's highly unlikely that we'll make up a 100-point
deficit and pass all those guys in one race. But there's still a lot of
laps and races left to chip away. We can't control what the other guys
do and where they finish. We've got to focus on our team, our program
and our finishes. "The competition is as even as I've ever seen it,
so we must make the most of our bad days. And we definitely need to
take advantage of tracks where we should be good. Like this weekend at
Fontana."
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 HAAS AUTOMATION/US ARMY IMPALA SS: "Kansas was a
rough day for us, but we are by no means out of the Chase. Kansas was
not one of our best efforts in my opinion. We really battled all day
because we didn't have the track position that we needed and then we had
some problems on pit road, so it was just a rough day all around, but
that doesn't mean that we're counting ourselves out. We just regroup get
our focus back and head to California and get back on track. Prior to
Kansas, I think we had a string of top-10 finishes. And that's what we
need. Not only do we need top-10 finishes, but we need top-five finishes
because to be where we want to be, which is leading the points, we've
got to improve our game. I guess that the best way to say it. All year,
this team has proved that they don't give up, that they have a lot of
fight, and I think we're going to have to keep proving that each week
of the Chase. There's seven races to go. Yes, we have some ground to
make up, but we can do it. I have faith in Tony Gibson, my team and in
Stewart-Haas Racing. We just need to be better."
-credit: gm racing
