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| Will Jeff Gordon get his final season on track this week at Phoenix? |
“To get my first win at Phoenix was pretty special because of the fact that it was kind of like our Daytona 500 every year for the Southwest Tour cars, Winston West cars and all the things that we raced on the West Cost,” said Harvick. “You had the Copper Classic; for me that was kind of like the biggest race that we would go to growing up. I always went there with my Dad and my Grandpa to watch the open comp races back in the late ‘80s. It was definitely a place that has been really good to us in both configurations and somewhere that you would circle on the calendar every year as a race that you think you should have a chance at winning.”
PIR will be the first test for the new reduced horsepower, lower downforce rules package at a short track. The low-banked, tri-oval features a unique ‘dog leg’ corner and two distinctive ends that challenge drivers and teams to get just the right balance. Team Chevy has gotten the winning combination correct at PIR a record-setting 20 times, giving Chevrolet the title of top manufacturer at the track.
While teams and driver work on their Chevrolet SS race cars to dial them in, fans can soak up the desert sun and check out the great lineup of Chevrolet cars, trucks and SUV’s on display at the Team Chevy exhibit in the midway. The display will be open beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, March 13th. Fans can see a variety of vehicles including: Cruze, Chevrolet SS, Corvette Stingray, Equinox, Colorado, Silverado 1500 Crew, Silverado HD Diesel and Tahoe. They can also check out a number of show cars including the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet SS, the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro. Fans can also ask questions to some of their favorite Team Chevy drivers. Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne will both make appearances at the Team Chevy stage during the race weekend.
The 312-lap/312-mile CAMPINGWORLD.COM 500 at Phoenix International Raceway is scheduled to begin at3:30 pm ET on Sunday, March 15th. Live coverage will be available on FOX, MRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S/BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – POINT LEADER
“I thought the reconfiguration has definitely worked out better for us than I thought. Because when they first did it, I thought we had really figured out what we needed to do on the old surface and then they changed the surface. We kind of picked right up and almost went better than it did on the old surface with the new surface. It’s just kind of one of those things where you figured out a couple of little things that help you and I know the feeling that I want my car. I know what I want it to feel like in practice and in the race. If we can achieve that then usually we are competitive. It’s just interesting how you find those places where you know what you want to feel and it just works.”
MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/VISSER PRECISION CHEVROLET SS – 4TH IN STANDINGS
“We have a lot of momentum right now and want to keep it going this weekend in Phoenix. We had a pretty good run there last fall (12th) and have a baseline on what is needed to successfully attack the one-mile oval. Phoenix is our first flat track race of the season and it has some unique characteristics. You have to be able to adjust with the changing track conditions. A good qualifying spot will also be important. Looking at the numbers we’ve been at our best in the fourth quarter in each of the first three races this season. It’s not only a football team that wants to be at its best in the fourth quarter. When you can overcome handling issues and make the car better for the final charge you’re going to get the kind of results that we’ve achieved. This is a credit to our crew chief (Cole Pearn) and race engineers (Jeff Curtis and Pete Craik) for their understanding of the changing race conditions and then making the proper adjustments to the car.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KINGSFORD CHARCOAL CHEVROLET SS – 5TH IN STANDINGS
“It’s gotten a bit slicker. It’s widened out for sure especially last year from what we saw of the races. You could run on the apron of 3 and 4 or you could start running almost middle to the top – – you started moving the line out. The track has definitely gotten a little bit wider, as we say has gotten more character in it. It’s still a place where you show up the first few laps it feels like you are driving on ice. You have got to get that sand and dirt off the racetrack. It’s a fun place. I have always enjoyed Phoenix. I’ve had good success there.”
KEITH RODDEN, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – 6TH IN STANDINGS
*Driver Kasey Kahne will be making his 400th career and consecutive start at PIR this weekend
“Phoenix is going to be a unique challenge with the new rules package. With less engine braking and downforce, we might see more brake wear than we are used to since the repave. The track is still very fast and has a lot of grip so making sure we can keep the momentum up in the center of the corner is going to be key to a fast lap time.”
CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 9TH IN STANDINGS
“We’re looking forward to getting on-track at Phoenix this weekend. Our No. 13 GEICO Chevy has been really good there in the past and we feel like this is another opportunity for us have a fast weekend and a good finish. We’re sitting ninth in the points and feel good about how the season has started.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN STANDINGS
“Phoenix has always been two race tracks in one. Turns 1 and 2 are totally different from Turns 3 and 4, but you can get a balance on both of them that make your car pretty good. The guy that gets that and nails it is usually the standout. It’s a fun race track. I still like the old Phoenix better than the new Phoenix. That is just because of the way we can slide around and work our tires and things like that. It’s fun. It’s actually widened out some too, which is good. It’s our first short track so it’s kind of a litmus test for that part of the season.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 SERTA/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS
“The last couple races there the track has taken a pretty big swing as far as aging, which is promising. It’s been a few months since we’ve been there so obviously we’re looking for a little more of that. It’s really just a cool, unique one-mile track. It kind of drives like an intermediate track, but you use the brakes really hard like you would on a short track. It’s a really good compromise between an intermediate style downforce track and a good old fashioned short track.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“We had a solid race there in November (2014). It was one of my first weekends working with Daniel (Knost, crew chief) and hopefully we can build on that performance when we return to the track this weekend. I like Phoenix and think it’s a great track, so I hope we can have another smooth run and do well.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 21ST IN STANDINGS
“I’m excited to be back at Phoenix this weekend; it’s a track I enjoy for sure. In our two starts there in the Target Chevy we haven’t done that great, but we definitely were better in our second race. So, hopefully third time is a charm. We’ve had really good cars the past two weeks to start the season, and I think that speed will continue this weekend. I think it also helps that we were at Phoenix not too long ago; it’s always nice to return to the track with a good memory of the last time you were there. Phoenix is also a neat place for me because I visited the track with my family when I was about seven months old. I don’t remember much about that race, but from the pictures, it looks like I had a good time.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“The first race I was still learning then we broke a spindle the second race there. I feel like we were running pretty decent and then we broke the spindle. My teammates ran decent there, but overall we would like to get better at short tracks.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – 25TH IN STANDINGS
“We are coming off a pretty good finish last week at Las Vegas and our cars have been fast everywhere so far. We just need to put together a string of good finishes to rebound from a couple of disappointing finishes at Daytona and Atlanta. I hope that Phoenix is a place that we can do that. We had a pretty good run going there in the Fall before getting spun late in the race. We were able to rebound and still get a top-15 finish. Hopefully a nice sunny desert weekend will be kind to our Cessna team.”
MICHAEL ANNETT, NO. 46 PILOT FLYING J CHEVROLET SS – 26TH IN STANDINGS
“Phoenix is a really unique track that’s fun to drive. I certainly enjoy racing there. Track position can be hard to come by, just because passing is so tricky there, but I feel like, as long as we get the car close to balanced and we hit our marks on pit stops, we can come away with a good finish.”
JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 BRANDT CHEVROLET SS – 28TH IN STANDINGS
“Phoenix [International Raceway] suits my racing style pretty well. For whatever reason I seem favor the smaller tracks. However, I just haven’t had the best luck there in the Sprint Cup car. I seem to get damage to the BRANDT Chevy every time. We will have corn on the car this weekend, which is an addition to the paint scheme. Maybe that will be my good luck charm. Getting a good starting spot will be extremely important because the pace is so fast and the track is shorter, so cars start getting lapped pretty quick.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – 30TH IN STANDINGS
“We had a good run there last November and I’m looking forward to this weekend’s race. While we haven’t had the finishes we were hoping for so far in 2015, the No. 24 team has given me fast race cars each weekend. Hopefully, we’ll have another fast Chevy SS this weekend, and a great result to go with it.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – 34TH IN STANDINGS
“I think just learning the way the car is going to respond every week with the rules in place and finding the combination. We’re starting basically from scratch. There are some things that you take away from what we did last year, but any time you have significant changes like we have this year and the rules changes that we’re having, that’s the No. 1 obstacle – trying to figure out what this car likes and dislikes so it gives you a direction.”
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