WHAT WAS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WET TIRES LAST NIGHT?
“I thought it’s exactly what we’ve been looking for. The concrete was dry when we started the race, on the straightaways the asphalt was wet. Our tires on the No. 41 truck got really hot really quick and I blew them apart, basically. But they held air and they were fine to drive around on to race on. We just got passed by a lot of people. I thought it was great, and I was ready to bolt the second set on when the rain came that ultimately ended the race.”
DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS SAY IN INDYCAR RACING WHERE EACH TEAM MAKES THE DECISION TO GO WITH WET OR DRY?
“My thoughts are constantly evolving as we’re learning. I’m really happy that I was in the race last night to experience everything, and I think as we continue to evolve as an industry, we’ll learn and learn from last night. Yes, I think that we could open up the strategy. I think that sometimes we have to protect ourselves from ourselves and, you know, the adults in the room up in the tower need to keep their thumb on us a bit. But places like here where the rain was very light, let us do it. We do on the road courses some. Once you change one time, you’re allowed to change back whenever you want. Let us do that. They put us on wets to start, that’s great, but after that let us go. That’s kind of the safe bet if there’s any moisture, put us on wets and let us change back when we want to.”
I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN BACK HERE SINCE LAST FALL, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN A COMPETITION SETTING SO WHAT’S IT LIKE COMING BACK HERE?
“Look, that Kobota I drove that day to lift the wall out handles a little different. That thing turned really good, it was articulating. Worked really well. It’s different. Look, that was a life-changing moment for myself and my team, everybody around me. We’ll continue to feel the benefits of that for years to come. That doesn’t take anything away from the competition, though, that we want to walk in here. This place has humbled me for over a decade through the Truck Series and Xfinity and Cup. It continued to do that yesterday in the Truck race, practice, and qualifying. As much as it’s cool and awesome, and I know that we’ve got a piece of the wall any other driver has ever been able to take a piece of the wall, for good reason, home. We’ve got that, but still it doesn’t help lap time and the feeling walk out of here last night, we definitely left a lot on the table with the No. 41 Truck. That’s what’s so great about this sport, that every week you get to do it again, go to bat. This place has been humbling to me, so it’s high on the priority list to make a better lap time here.”
NEXT WEEK WILL BE A YEAR SINCE YOUR LAST CUP SERIES VICTORY. YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS SINCE THEN, BUT DOES IT FEEL LIKE YOU HAVEN’T WON A RACE IN A YEAR, OR DO YOU GET LOST IN IT SINCE YOU’RE RUNNING WELL, CONSISTENTLY WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT?
“Most of these guys I’m racing against have forgotten about more races than I’ve ever races. So, I don’t have any issues with those kind of timelines and stuff. I’m so far ahead from where I thought I would be in the sport and definitely competitively driving at this level and compete with some of my heroes. Some of them, I still regard as my heroes even though they might not like me too much. I still look up to them and view them as guys that I watched and still watch. I study them now. Nope, I don’t get too caught up in that, and I wake up every day and try to be the best race car driver I can be. What’s great is Trackhouse and Chevrolet lets me do that and lets me kind of do it my way.”
DID YOU SEE CARSON’S (HOCEVAR) MOVE IN LAST NIGHT’S TRUCK RACE THAT LED TO HIM GETTING PENALIZED, AND IF SO, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT?
“No, I was too far back. I saw a replay of it later and, yeah, I don’t have really much to say on it. He served his penalty and NASCAR called the penalty, so I just chalk it up to that.”
ALONG THOSE LINES OF CARSON HOCEVAR, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU KIND OF BEEN A MENTOR TO HIM. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR A GUY SO THEY DON’T LOSE THEIR COOL OR GET PARKED FOR TWO LAPS?
“Yeah, I’ve done this a few years now, and a lot of that has been with Niece Motorsports. I’m super loyal and you feel like family there. No matter who is driving there, we’re going to be close and get close because I’m going to be racing there. I’ve got to know Carson (Hocevar) and try to give him advice for things I’ve done and mistakes I’ve made, and good things I’ve done and decisions. Look, we’re race car drivers driving to the limits and we’re going to make mistakes. There are going to be so many decisions to make on and off the track that if I can just help guys younger than me make one less mistake. He’s going to make mistakes; I’m going to make mistakes. Just try to minimize that, that’s the ultimate goal in how I can help guys like that and try to help everybody move forward.”
GM PR
- Truex repeats at the Monster Mile in the BetRivers 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race - April 27, 2024
- Hodgdon & Silk Win NAPA Auto Parts Duels; Keane, Clement, & Hydar Score NAPA Auto Parts Duel Feature Wins at Stafford Speedway - April 27, 2024
- BetRivers 200 results from Dover Motor Speedway - April 27, 2024