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Regan Smith top Raybestos Rookie Qualifier in Dodge Challenger 500

Saturday May 10, 2008

 

Where the Raybestos Rookies will start at Darlington:
Smith 16th
McDowell 18th
Hornish Jr. 23rd
Carpentier 43rd

RAYBESTOS ROOKIE CONTENDER QUALIFYING QUOTES FOR THE DODGE CHALLENGER 500 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY, MAY 9, 2008, PAGE 4.

SAM HORNISH JR., No. 77 MOBIL 1 DODGE: “We were actually pretty far step behind the morning. I ended up crashing in the first practice and the guys really took a long time to get the car back together because if they would have know some of the things that were wrong with it right at the beginning they probably would have went to a backup car. It’s really my fault. They did a great job recovering from it. I’m really happy with all the guys on the Mobil 1 Dodge. Just got a little bit loose there coming off. It’s one of those things I had to get out of it and they said the lap time and I was like ‘I’m glad that’s over with.’ It’s been a tough weekend for us so far but we’ll keep our heads up and keep working away at it.” WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THAT LAP? “I think we had a .60 in the car pretty easily but I had to get out of it coming out of four. I took the first lap to make sure that we got a lap time and then the second lap I pushed it a little bit harder and just got real loose coming off and had to get out of the throttle. Just unfortunate for sure but I was happy for sure that the guys worked so hard on the Mobil 1 Dodge to get that around and ready for us. We know that going out third is not going to help us out very good but we’ll just keep working away at it and see where we get.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 00 BRAIN CANCER ACTION WEEK TOYOTA: “We went out early and I just think it’s going to get faster and faster. I just hope that puts us somewhere in the top-20. Everybody here at Michael Waltrip Racing has really worked hard. We struggled last week at Lowe’s and then we came home and we regrouped and came back better and that’s what you’ve got to do. I’m real excited for everybody on the 00 team. This week we’ve got Max Helton on the car and Brain Cancer Action Week so I think that’s really special for Michael Waltrip and Darrell Waltrip and everybody on the whole entire crew.” YOU JUST MADE ONE LAP. “I just got a little greedy and got loose into one and I knew I was going to wreck if I kept my foot in it so I pulled out of it. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.”

REGAN SMITH, No. 01 THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP CHEVROLET: “I wanted to really turn like a .65 and just didn’t quite have the grip I was expecting in the racetrack right there. I think if we’d have gone a little bit later, probably reasonable but we’ll take that. Hopefully it’ll end up somewhere around 20th. I dealt these guys some pretty hard hands this week between the Charlotte test, wrecking the car there on ‘em and got the wall in practice here with this car, which isn’t abnormal. Everybody did but you hate doing that, making your guys have to work extra hard. They did a good job of getting The Principal Financial Group Chevy back together so I could go out there and make laps.” IT APPEARED THAT YOU RAN BETTER IN THE FINAL PRACTICE TODAY. “I haven’t been unhappy with my car since we’ve been here. We just haven’t put up a huge number like some of these guys are. I think some of that was up until the point that I was being ultra-conservative. I mean, I feel like I can go out there and run a consistent pace tomorrow night that’s going to be decent. In practice we could do it. It just doesn’t lay up that amazing number. It’s going to be a different race tomorrow night. You’re just going to have to be smart and race the track more so than ever before. I think this place is tougher than it’s ever been because of the speed. It’s going to be an interesting race.” IS THIS THE SAME OL’ DARLINGTON? “I think it’s worse. We’re running the same line; we’re going 10 miles an hour quicker. Yeah, there’s a little bit more grip and yeah we’re on a little bit better tire because of the grip in the track but mistakes are magnified by 10 also.”

PATRICK CARPENTIER, No. 10 LIFELOCK DODGE: “I’m struggling. I got a bit loose in two and had to lift quite a bit in the second lap. The first lap I drove in too easy in Turn 3 and didn’t push the car there enough to the limit. But I was kind of stuck in between hitting the wall and making a lap to get in the field. We struggled all weekend a little bit with the qualifying. We’re not the fastest and the car was edgy a little bit. I’m pretty happy. I could have done a bit better and the car could have been a bit better. I’m in the race and just need laps. I need to run around here and figure it out because right now I don’t have it figure out.” DID YOU FOCUS ON RACE RUNS IN PRACTICE THIS WEEKEND? “This weekend was one of the first weekends with all new race setups and actually we kind of ran out of time on our qualifying setup. We just did race, race, race all three practice and just the last one we got into qualifying so I’m pretty happy. We ran well with the race setup. We had a good line and everything so hopefully we have that tomorrow. I need to log laps. I need to run around. This place is different from anything I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s like they put a wall in the middle of that corner where it shouldn’t be [laughs].”

NOTES:

· Regan Smith was the top Raybestos Rookie qualifier at Darlington, claiming the 16th-place starting position. This is Smith’s best qualifying effort of the 2008 season.

· Michael McDowell will start 18th in Saturday night’s race at Darlington, his best qualifying effort in six career Sprint Cup Series races.

· Patrick Carpentier (43rd) qualified for his sixth consecutive Sprint Cup Series race on speed.

®Raybestos® brand brakes are produced by the Affinia Under Vehicle Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems and components for the automotive industry. The line includes everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts. Affinia Under Vehicle Group is at the forefront of research and development in brake technology and operates manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout North America.

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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Kim DeHaven.

 

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