JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT/TRANSFORMERS "REVENGE OF THE FALLEN" IMPALA SS
met with media and discussed his Jeff Gordon Foundation activities,
racing against Hendrick teammates, double-file restarts at Martinsville,
Hall of Fame, Halloween weekend at Talladega, and more.
ON THE JEFF GORDON FOUNDATION:
"This is always a special time of year for us. We had an event last night
to celebrate our 10-year anniversary, a decade of caring, and I'm really
happy to announce that it's been a great 2009 for us and we've had
tremendous support from our fans and the community within our sport as
well as outside. We announced to key supporters that the foundation is
committing $2.5 million to support pediatric cancer research and
treatment and programs at the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital for it was
a great night for us and it's been a great year.
"Among those programs that we're funding are the building of a pediatric
pulmonary lab and community outreach program at the Jeff Gordon
Children's Hospital, the establishment of the Jeff Gordon Foundation
Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at Riley Hospital for Children in
Indianapolis, funds to conduct a Phase I long term follow-up study of
pediatric cancer patients through CureSearch and the Children's Oncology
Group, funds to tissue-type 30,000 marrow donors through the Be The Match
Registry of the National Marrow Donors Program.
"The foundation was established in 1999 and since that time I'm really
proud to say that we have helped tens of thousands of children and
granted nearly $10 million to some of the country's most recognized
children's health organizations. I just want to say thank you to the
media and to NASCAR and certainly to all of our fans. It's been a
tremendous ten years. We're very proud that we've accomplished that and I
can't wait for the next ten years. Thank you for the time to be able to
make those announcements."
TALK ABOUT YOUR PLANS THIS WEEKEND AT LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY
"This was a great track for us in May. Any of the tracks that we go back
to for the second time, we're excited when we know that even though we
didn't have a great result because of the rain, I felt like we had a very
strong race car and the team was fantastic. So we're excited about coming
back here this time around in October. We're optimistic about the weekend
and building on the momentum of the last two second-place finishes. To
compete for this championship, we've got to keep that up and then some.
We understand what we're up against, not only our teammates, but Juan
Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart and also the 15th place finish that we had at
New Hampshire. So all we can do is to continue to just push forward, work
hard and put the best finishes out there that we can and let the rest of
the things take care of themselves."
ON THE PGA TOUR, SOME PEOPLE SAY TIGER WOODS HAS CAUSED OTHER GOLFERS TO
RAISE THEIR GAME. IS THAT WHAT JIMMIE JOHNSON IS DOING? CAUSING OTHER
DRIVERS TO RAISE THEIR GAME?
"No doubt about it. That whole group of Jimmie, Chad (Knaus) and all the
way through the shop have set the benchmark for how you go about
preparing your cars and how you go about execution during the race,
communication throughout the weekend, and as well as Jimmie's commitment
from a driver's standpoint; he's physically fit and how he analyzes the
race tracks and the races. I think everybody has a little bit different
and unique driving style and way to go about it. But what Jimmie is
doing, and that whole group, it takes a team and the total team effort is
obviously proving to be the strongest thing out there right now."
ON HAVING TO COMPETE AGAINST JIMMIE JOHNSON AND MARK MARTIN IN HENDRICK
EQUIPMENT ON TONY STEWART IN HENDRICK ENGINES, HOW MUCH DOES THAT GNAW AT
YOU?
"It does a little. We pride ourselves on being the best out there and
winning and continuing that tradition, not only for our No. 24 team but
also Hendrick Motorsports. It's a great problem to have that you're at
the best organization out there providing the best equipment and
resources and people and that's exactly what you're up against each and
every weekend. It's been the philosophy of Rick's since I first came to
Hendrick that you hope that you're battling against your teammate. It's a
great problem to have for Rick and the organization and it's something
that the organization takes a lot of pride in and what that does is that
opens up more opportunities for yourself and every other person and each
team every year to only get better. And so we kind of know that going
into it and while at times it's tough, it's very competitive, and it can
be frustrating as well, when you get beat it's just because of the way
that competition is driving one another. NASCAR hasn't always been
similar to, say other forms of racing like Formula I and Indy Car where
you're up against your teammate and your performance is sort of driven by
your teammate and there is this internal rivalry, but as competitive as
its gotten over the years, it certainly has the making of that and gets
stronger every year."
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THAT JEFF GORDON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL PLAYGROUND AT
CONCORD MILLS MALL?
"Oh, yeah. I'm very proud of it and of our name being associated with it.
You know we have 500 employees at Hendrick Motorsports plus numerous
employees in this whole area from the Speedway to the other teams and
shops that are out there and there's not a weekend that goes by that I
don't have a member, whether it be in the media or in the garage area,
that says thank you for the hospital and maybe treatment that was done on
one of their kids or somebody knew, or, that they had a lot of fun over
at Concord Mills Mall in the playground."
SPEAKING OF TREATMENTS, HOW IS YOUR BACK DOING?
"I'm happy to report nothing. Everything is good. I haven't had any
issues. The last little scare was Watkins Glen and I didn't know how long
it was going to take to recover from that and I feel like I'm fully
recovered from that and I haven't had any back issues. I mean it's still
there, but I haven't had pain or anything that's been too uncomfortable
or any distraction in the car, so I'm happy about that.
"We've basically been doing the same things. During the week I would go
to a chiropractor and get different types of treatments that they call
manipulation, where they just stretch you out as much as they can,
literally stretching each spinal cord in the lumbar area to try to just
give it some relief; as well as the stem treatment. I mentioned that last
week. It is electric-static stuff making the muscles do things which is
the best way I can describe it (laughs). It's supposed to loosen the
muscles up. So I do that during the week. I've been able to incorporate
some of that on the weekends because I like what that does and some
adjustments as well."
WE'VE GOT THREE GUYS WITH FINISHING AVERAGES OF 3.5 OR BETTER IN THE TOP
THREE IN POINTS. DO YOU THINK ANYBODY CAN KEEP DOING THAT THROUGH 10
RACES?
"So, what you really want to know is whether or not I'm hoping that
doesn't happen (laughs). The only chance we have in the championship is
for that average obviously to change. Those three guys have been on a
tear, they've been consistent and very competitive and leading laps and
you've got to give them a lot of credit for that. We've been making a
strong comeback, but it's certainly not going to be enough unless we win
the next six races or something (laughs) to be able to overcome not only
the deficit we had going in because of the wins that they had versus
ours, as well as that 15th and 6th place finish that started off the
Chase. Realistically, in '07 I didn't think that a 5.0 average would last
and I lost with a 5.1. So anything is possible. Do I think that's going
to continue? No, I don't. I think the averages are going to come into
play. Does that mean it's going to be a 5.0 average or a 7.0 average?
It's going to be low, the way these guys are performing."
ON GOING TO MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEKEND AND HOW THE DOUBLE-FILE SHOOTOUT
STARTS WILL OUT AT MARTINSVILLE?
"I'm excited about Martinsville. It's going to be a great weekend,
especially because of the double-file restarts. In the past, we've always
had double-file restarts but you've got the lapped cars on the inside and
just the challenge that creates in itself is exciting enough. Now you put
in lead-lap cars double-file and it's really going to make things
interesting because there certainly is a preferred line there. Anytime
you go to a short track where there is a lot of rubbing and banging,
what's going to happen is if the outside lane is not the preferred lane,
then those guys in the outside lane are going to be working really hard
to get in the inside lane, and vice-versa.
"So it's going to create a lot of excitement and possibly some real
drama. We'll just wait to see how it plays out. Our job is the same as
always: go there, make the car go through the corners as fast as we can,
make sure we're not burning up the brakes, and get the car up off the
corner and down the straight-aways the best we possibly can against the
competition."
WHAT DO YOU THINK BRAD KESELOWSKI IS DEVELOPING AS A CUP DRIVER EVEN
THOUGH HE MAY HAVE RUFFLED A FEW FEATHERS WITH SOME VETERAN DRIVERS?
"That is a good question. I am a little surprised with that from Brad
because I have known Brad for a little while and he is such a good guy.
It does seem like his aggressiveness on the track even in the Nationwide
Series has elevated up a couple of notches. Obviously, there is a reason
for that and he wants to make his mark and show what he is capable of
doing. When you step up your aggressiveness, you ruffle some feathers.
That could work for him or against him; however he chooses it to play
out.
"I think every rookie that comes in goes through a learning curve of the
longer races; of knowing when to be aggressive, when to be patient. Some
take longer than others to get adjusted. As long as he continues to
perform well, then I think it is a faster learning curve because when you
are racing in the top-five and the top-10, guys race different than they
do from 10th to 15th; 15th to 20th on back. It is a totally different
type of racing. It is almost harder to be honest with you because the
track position, the cars are handling as good. Track position is more
important than ever. It is like guys are racing like it is the last lap.
That is why a lot of times you see the crashes in that area.
"To me, one of the best things that happened to me as a rookie was that I
was up front learning from the best and the guys that were up there
competing for wins. It showed me a better way of how to go about racing.
I think that is what Brad is very capable of and we will just have to see
how it plays out for him."
CAN YOU DESCRIBE JIMMIE JOHNSON'S DRIVING STYLE? "I think that everybody
has their strengths and weaknesses. I think that Jimmie strength is he
drives a little more off the right rear tire than say I do. I drive a
little bit more off the right front tire. And all that is, is a feel in
the steering wheel. It could be as easy as how you position your hands on
the steering wheel. How you position your body in the car as to how you
like that car to react. It is visually as well as seat of your pants feel
of the car. I think that especially with this car, it is a lot harder to
get this car through the center of the corners. Some of the things that
we have to do to get the car to turn the center makes the cars a little
more uncomfortable in and off the corner from a loose condition. That
definitely plays out to Jimmie's style. The best drivers in our sport
have always been the ones that know how to balance aggressiveness and
patience very well. I think Jimmie fits that. He does that very well."
HOW IMPORTANT IS HOW QUICKLY A DRIVER AND CREW CHIEF BUILD THAT
COMMUNICATION RELATIONSHIP AND WHEN A DRIVER GETS UPSET, HOW DIFFICULT IS
IT FOR THE CREW CHIEF TO PULL HIM BACK IN? "I think it is extremely
important in any good relationship and especially when it deals with a
crew chief and a driver. When one is excited, the other has to be calm.
If you have two people get over-excited, you are going to have a bad day.
There is no doubt at Kansas I was extremely frustrated. I am still a
little spun-out by that day because the way we started that race, I
thought we were going to be two laps down before the first caution. And
yet, I don't think we ever fell worse than 12th or 14th or something like
that. To me, the car had a lot more speed in it than it felt. I felt like
we were pretty far off so I was angry and frustrated that we started that
far off. I was so proud of Steve (Letarte) that day. I made the comment
about him being my hero if he fixed it. We were very close to fixing it.
Still, definitely close to being one of my biggest heroes because of that
day.
"I told him and the team after that was thank you for putting up with me
because I was a pain in the butt that day. I have my moments. How he
handled that situation and that we fought back and came back and finished
second to me was spoke volumes about our relationship as well as our race
team. I think that really has helped propel us to another level in this
Chase and helped us have a very great, calm day in California. I don't
think I said more than three or four words last week. Partly out of guilt
for the things I was saying the week before and the other because we
started the race out right and we had a good solid day.
"I think sometimes those relationships can happen immediately. Sometimes
they take years. You have to understand that Steve has been on our team a
long time. The reason why I believe he is my crew chief right now is
because he and I clicked when he was car chief. Even when he was doing
tires for us years and years ago. I liked his attitude. I liked his
energy level. I liked his personality. I felt like he and I meshed very
well. When he became the car chief, I realized how smart he was and how
capable he was far beyond what a car chief but even more so. He has only
impressed me even more as a crew chief."
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE HALL OF FAME SELECTIONS? "Ah, man. I think
it is very cool. It is so hard to narrow it down to five. Those are
certainly at the top of my list and I don't think there were any big
surprises. Maybe (David) Pearson but it is hard to narrow it down to
five. I mean, incredible group. I think those five really, to me, stand
out as making their mark in our sport getting it where it is today.
Certainly belong in that first class."
TALLADEGA COMING UP ON HALLOWEEN WEEKEND, IF YOU WERE TO DRESS UP, WHAT
WOULD IT BE AND WHY? "I would just like to have a disguise that nobody
could recognize me so I could go out in the infield to check out all the
fun that is going to be happening out there on Halloween. Whatever
costume that is, I don't know. But I don't want to give it away here. I
am really more disappointed that Ingrid and Ella are going to be at home
and not able to come with me and I am going to miss Halloween for her.
So, I will be getting images and videos and downloaded to me, that is
going to be my Halloween fun in Talladega."
WHAT IS ELLA GOING TO BE? "Well, right now she is planning on being a
puppy dog. But, the other day Ingrid came home and had found a lion
outfit, she put that on and wore it all night long and to a restaurant
that we went to dinner at. I have a feeling this costume is going to
change several times before that weekend."
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT JUAN PABLO MONTOYA'S PROGRESSION AND ARE YOU SURPRISED
HE HASN'T WON MORE RACES? "I just always looked at Juan as one the most
incredible drivers out there. I knew he was going to have an uphill
battle. When you have been driving the open wheel type cars that he had
for that long, it is such a tough transition to get a feel for these
cars, learn the tracks, transition in to different people, a team. It is
like starting your career over but he has the talent so I knew it would
be a matter of time. I didn't know how much time and some of that had to
do with the team providing him the resources and equipment. Just seeing
some of the things early on, he certainly had a lot to get used to with
these bigger, heavier cars. Just how deep you drive in the corner. How
aggressive he was on restarts and learning the aerodynamics of the car
around other cars. All the typical things that you see so many go through
but I think maybe even a little bit more under a microscope for him
because of who he is and what he has accomplished in other forms of
racing.
"But again, I just felt like it was a matter of time before the team
stepped up and he got the experience to be competitive. Now, he has
stepped up in a whole new way and surprised a lot of us throughout the
Chase. Obviously that team has built him some great race cars and Brian
(Pattie, crew chief) has done a great job and Juan has stepped up right
along with him driving hard and aggressive. That is a neat thing while he
had a lot to learn about the cars and the racing and the aerodynamics and
those things, he still brings his own style to it. You see him running
high qualifying sometimes, where everybody is on the bottom. He will
drive in as deep or deeper than anybody out there. He'll run unique lines
and search around. So he brings his own unique style to it which I think
is what is going to make him successful."
TALK ABOUT YOUR WIN AT TEXAS IN APRIL AND GOING BACK IN A FEW WEEKS: "We
are anxious to get back there. It was obviously a huge win for us as a
team going there so many times and from being so close and not getting
the win to having just horrendous, terrible days. We ran bad or hit the
wall or had a failure, whatever may have happened. It was just one of
those tracks that I typically left there wanting to forget as quick as I
could.
"Now I can't wait to get back there because we had such a strong car. We
had worked so hard over the off season because of what we learned there
in November last year to come back to be strong in Texas, knowing that it
is a Chase race and it is a race that has haunted us for the last several
years. To turn that around was fantastic. I can't wait to get back there.
"Plus we are going to be giving our Corvette away for the Jeff Gordon
Foundation. So it is always a real special weekend for us."
DO OTHER DRIVERS EXPERIENCE DEFLATION AFTER JIMMIE WON LAST WEEK AND
KNOWING WHAT HE HAS DONE IN THE PAST IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS? "It
definitely sends the "uh, oh" message. You don't want these guys to get
on a roll. We've seen what they have done in the past. I think that it
shows that they are as strong as they have ever been and it is going to
take a lot to beat them. It is motivation for a lot of people.
"But I don't really think deflation at this point because there is too
much racing left to go. I think if anything, it is inspiration to go out
there and do everything you possibly can to rise to that occasion and
that challenge and go out there and outperform them and get the wins.
That is to me the motivation that came from that. The thing that you will
hear Jimmie say a lot about is that the 10-races in the Chase are all
really good tracks for them. So, they have been able to take advantage of
that where in the past three years, other teams haven't been able to do
as well. That is why we are so focused this year on Texas.
"I am a little disappointed how we performed at Phoenix earlier in the
year because I feel like that is another track where we have to perform
well to be able to compete with both the No. 5 (Mark Martin) and the No.
48 (Jimmie Johnson). Of course Juan has thrown himself in the mix there
that maybe some didn't expect. You never know where he is going to be the
guy to beat or where is going to be weak. And then you have Tony Stewart
as well that is just good everywhere so you never know where he is going
to strike. I think that they definitely, as we mentioned earlier, the
force everyone to elevate up their game. Especially when Chase time comes
around."
"If I can just end by saying the Transformer 2 "Revenge of the Fallen",
the DVD is coming out October 20th."
-credit: gm racing
