DOES SHE CRITIQUE AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON THE RACETRACK OR DOES SHE STAY OUT OF THAT?
“She stays out of it. She is not a huge race fan…….if she is a race fan at all. So that is not her expertise. We do really, really, really well together. She has been there with me through some of the toughest of times and been there for the great successes. I think she has really enjoyed the success as well as all my family and friends. We have all really enjoyed all the successes that we have had this year every bit as much as I have.”
ON BEING REALLY CALM AND COOL ON THE RADIO AND ITS ABILITY TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS DURING THE RACE
“Well it does. But hopefully I won’t get in a position of where I let myself let the emotions get out of control or in control of me and we can continue to race based on our experience and expertise.”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO SEE DALE EARNHARDT, JR. GROW UP AND THE MAN HE HAS BECOME?
“I am really proud of him and proud for him. I’ve said before and I’ll say again, he is the, in my eyes, the strongest man in NASCAR. He really inspires me the way he’s managed to handle the amount of fame and scrutiny and just the crush of all of that with broad shoulders and gracefully. He is a heck of a race car driver and I look forward to when he gets back on a roll and shows everybody just how good he really is. Just reminds everybody how good he is.”
CAN YOU RELATE HOW HARD IT IS NOT TO HAVE HIS FATHER AROUND, TO SOME DEGREE, HOW YOU HAVE TO COME BACK AND FIND THAT STRENGTH?
“It’s a tragedy. It is a tough part of life that everyone has to deal with. For me, it was really tough because he (Martin’s Father) was my hero and there never will be anyone in my life that was in his league in that respect. I just miss being able to share the good times as well as maybe when I am not having a good day, maybe having someone to lean on. His loss in many ways was 10 times over mine because of the fame, the scrutiny, the media, the crush of all of that. So there again, it just reiterates what I said to start with.”
HE SEEMS TO EMULATE YOU ON THE TRACK, RACES PEOPLE CLEAN, RACES PEOPLE THE WAY HE WANTS TO BE RACED, CAN YOU THINK OF A BETTER COMPLIMENT TO YOU FROM ONE RACER TO ANOTHER?
“I can’t either. He didn’t say that, but you did and I agree. Those words didn’t come out of his mouth, but that is a reasonable observation. It is cool to see. It is cool to see. That is what you have seen. People see what they want to see but I see some of that as well. But, no matter what, I admire and appreciate the way he conducts himself on and off the race track.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HOW MONTOYA IS DOING IN THE CHASE?
“I am not surprised. I predicted that he could be a player in this thing. I am more sure now than ever that those guys can be a player. It is going to be fun to watch. We are only three races in, there is a lot of racing to go. They are showing a lot of strength.”
DO YOU FEEL MONTOYA IS RACING DIFFERENTLY THAN HE DID BEFORE? “I feel he is racing hard and smart. That is what it took to get him in the Chase and I feel like he is racing the same way. As hard as he can as smart as he can.”
THIS WEEK IT WAS REVEALED THAT SOME OTHER F-1 DRIVERS ARE GOING TO TRY NASCAR, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
“It wouldn’t be the place of mine to say. I don’t know that much. My guess is more for fun and to see what kind of interest could be stirred up. It is quite a commitment to do what Juan Pablo has done. Not just everybody is going to be able to put that whole program together and battle through what it take to get where Juan is now. Two and three-quarter years to get Juan where he is and I think he is probably one of the best drivers that this sport has ever seen. There is just a lot of difference in the kind of racing he did and the racing he is doing now. It takes a while.”
DO YOU HAVE FUN TALKING TO MONTOYA?
“It is humbling to me that he asks me a lot of questions. That is pretty incredible to see somebody of his talent. We talk, he asks a few questions and we talk back and forth a lot. I admire and appreciate him.”
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