Q: Colin had a strong season last year, but is still looking for that first win. How do you prepare?
“We’ve spent a lot of time working on all of our trucks this year to make them as fast as we can. We’ve also spent a lot of time working with Colin to help him develop and mature as a driver. I think you will see a different driver in him this year.
People have to remember that he still has only run about 30 oval races, so it takes time to figure it all out. I feel strongly that he will win a few races this year. He learned a lot last year and now will have the chance to start with a clean slate in 2009.”
Q: What are you doing to prepare your team to start the season off right at Daytona?
“What happened to Colin in this race last year wasn’t his doing, and sometimes it’s impossible to avoid another competitor’s mistake. I’ve talked to Colin a lot in the off-season and we’ve watched last year’s race several times, so he could see if there was something he could have done differently.
We’re working on having him look farther ahead on the track to see what is developing ahead of him. He’s also got to work well with the spotter to see what trouble is brewing ahead of him that he needs to be prepared to avoid.”
Q: With the rule adjustments for the series, how does that affect your strategy?
“There is going to be a lot more pressure on the crew chiefs to figure out whether to take tires or fuel on each stop and what is going to save the most time in the pits. There will also be added responsibility on the drivers as well. The drivers are going to have to start thinking about tire and fuel management. Since quite often we are going to have to stretch both as far as we can, the drivers are going to have to do their part to conserve both.”
| 
|