PARTY IN THE POCONOS 400 Drivers Quotes

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TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – POINTS LEADER:
“I like Pocono. I’m interested to see how the new surface acts going back. I think it went really well for all of us after the repave and it should only be better this time. I’m also excited to shift again up there.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 RHEEM CHEVROLET SS – 5th IN STANDINGS:
“It was good. With the new pavement and a lot of speed, I think it will hopefully apply not only to the Pocono (Raceway) races, but to the Michigan (International Speedway) races and Indianapolis (Motor Speedway). That is what we are banking on, so hopefully it was a productive test. I know we ran a lot of miles and the track still has a lot of speed. Even with the new cars, it doesn’t have quite as much speed as years past. The asphalt has turned several shade of gray. It should be a fun race. The track took rubber and we didn’t have any tire issues or anything like that, so it should be a good weekend.”
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Gordon, Gustafson reflect on Pocono win

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Jeff Gordon drove the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet to Victory Lane on Sunday, Aug. 5 at Pocono Raceway. After the win is announced, MRN interviews Gordon and crew chief Alan Gustafson about their first victory of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

MATT KENSETH on incident with Jimmie Johnson at Pocono

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Matt Kenseth NASCARMATT KENSETH, No. 17 Zest Ford Fusion – WALK US THROUGH THE INCIDENT WITH THE 48. “Well, on that last restart one actually widened out pretty good and on that last restart we took off and the 2 didn’t get going and I had a pretty good gap so I crossed the line and was going to pull behind Jimmie (Johnson) and when I pulled down to go behind him I got a little draft and actually pulled up to his door and so I decided to race him through there and we went off into one and I could hear his pipes. I wasn’t sure he has lifted yet. He drove in really, really far and spun out underneath me and I got wrecked.” COULD YOU TELL HE HAD A FLAT? “I don’t think he had a flat, did he? I don’t think so.”

ARE YOU OKAY WITH WHERE YOU ARE SCORED? “I don’t even know where we are scored. I didn’t look. I don’t know where I am scored.”
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Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne Pocono Post Race Press Conference

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Jeff Gordon took advantage of a multi-car accident and timely rainfall at Pocono Raceway to put his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet in victory lane for the first time this season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. It was Gordon’s 86th career Cup win; and he set the record for the most career wins at Pocono with six. He is now in wild-card contention in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, driving the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet inadvertently gave Gordon the break he needed when Johnson had a right-rear tire go down on the restart. The chaos that followed opened a hole in traffic, which enabled Gordon to power to the lead. Rain ensued, and the race was red-flagged by NASCAR. Moments later, the race was called due to inclement weather with 98 of the 160 scheduled laps complete. Johnson rallied to finish in 14th position.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr discusses coming back to Pocono, how it feels to have the points lead for the first time in a long time

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Dale Earnhardt NASCARCOMING BACK TO POCONO YOU HAD A GOOD RUN HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO, I KNOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO TACK ON ANOTHER WIN AS WE GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE CHASE
“Yeah, we’re looking forward to today and getting on the track and practicing and seeing where our speed is at compared last time we were here. We were a pretty good car and I felt like we had a real fast car in the race a couple of months ago. I’m just ready to go try it out and see what we’ve got. It should be a good weekend.”

A FEW YEARS AGO PEOPLE WERE SAYING YOU WOULDN’T WIN ANOTHER RACE, DO YOU FEEL VINDICATED NOW AND DID THAT STUFF BOTHER YOU?
“It didn’t really bother me. I was worried about my own situation more than anything probably. What I needed to do to get it turned around. But, I do feel a little bit vindicated to the people that considered I wouldn’t ever be competitive again. Aside from winning a few more races I don’t know how much more of a statement I could have made then what we made this year. That’s really not even secondary though. That’s not quite as important to me as just trying to make the best of this year with the final result being more wins and a championship. The closer we get to the Chase, the more real the opportunity seems. So, all that stuff comes to the forefront. I know what I need to be focusing on and it’s not whether I got back at somebody or vindicated myself as much as just focusing on what we are trying to do today, this weekend, next weekend and so forth.”
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Matt Kenseth talks about Season and racing at Pocono

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Matt Kenseth NASCARMatt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion, met with media members prior to the opening practice at Pocono Raceway Friday afternoon.

MATT KENSETH, No. 17 RFR Ford Fusion – LAST TIME HERE THERE WERE A BUNCH OF SPEEDING PENALTIES ON PIT ROAD. DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE THAT AGAIN? “Well, as long as it isn’t me getting caught I hope we see a lot of them. It certainly helps with track position. I think it all depends on whether people speed on pit road or not.”

LAST WEEK JIMMIE JOHNSON SAID THAT HIS ULTIMATE GOAL WAS TO WIN EIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT COMMENT? “Well, when you have five in a row you can make comments like that. If it was somebody making a comment like that that hasn’t won one or maybe won one eight or 10 years ago like myself, you would think that was kind of arrogant or something. Coming from Jimmie it really isn’t. It is realistic. They have proved that team and that combination of Chad and Jimmie and the guys at HMS have been the premier team and been the best over the last five to eight years or however you want to look at it. I don’t think that is unrealistic. I hope I can make it unrealistic and we can win some of them but coming from them it is not bad.”
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New Asphalt Among Challenges Of Pocono Raceway

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When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series hits the asphalt at Pocono Raceway in the Pocono Mountains 125 on Saturday, it will be the third time the series has competed at the 2.5-mile track, but the first time on the newly repaved surface.

The new surface has potential to throw a wrench in the competition and shake up the championship hunt. However, statistics show the hunt for the win could come down to the front runners in the points battle.
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Pocono Has Been ‘Black Hole’ For RCR Drivers

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Kevin Harvick and his No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Series Chevrolet are likely to qualify for the Chase for the third consecutive year. Harvick ranks sixth in the standings with a 65-point cushion over 11th-place Kyle Busch.

That’s the good news. The bad? Harvick and RCR are winless in 2012. The team is riding a drought of 30 races dating to the beginning of last year’s Chase. Harvick’s last victory, of four, came at Richmond last September.
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