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#01 - Joe Nemechek
Quoted: "I have been waiting for Watkins Glen for two months. I like the challenges of a road course and I feel the Army team has an excellent handle on how to prepare the car for this type of race. We were on our way to a great finish in Sonoma until the transmission broke."
#02 - Hermie Sadler
Noted: This would be Hermie's first Cup race at Watkins Glen. Hermie has made 6 Busch series starts at Watkins Glen with 3 top 10 finishes.
#0 - Ward Burton
Quoted: "This is a different car than the one we ran in Sonoma (Sears Point Raceway). We didn't have a bad car there, but we thought this one might be even better. Obviously, your biggest challenge with a road course is to qualify well and to stay out of trouble. We had some problems early on in Sonoma and had to play catch up the whole day after that, which was a shame because we put down a pretty good qualifying lap with the NetZero Chevrolet. Most of the time staying out of trouble is a lot easier said than done, but you just have to keep reminding yourself that you need to be around at the end, and that's one thing that we really need to work on. We've had some decent runs the past couple of weeks and that's great, but the bottom line is, if you're loading your car into the hauler before the end of the race, you haven't accomplished what you needed to do."
#1 - Ron Fellows
Quoted: "It's a good challenge to be able to adapt quickly to different types of race cars and I'm really looking forward to this weekend. As a race car driver you never stop learning, and when the opportunity comes up to drive for Chevrolet in NASCAR I jump at the chance."
#2 - Rusty Wallace
Quoted: "It'll be a key race and it'll be critical, no doubt about that. For some drivers and teams, it 'll be just what they needed points-wise. But for some of those other cats fighting for a top-10 points spot, it'll be the beginning of the end. We know that from firsthand experience. The Glen and road courses in general can be downright cruel and a plain killer when it comes to the points. Just look at what happened to us at the Glen last season and out at Sears Point a couple of months back. We had great racecars, but the crazy problems we had really took their toll at the end of the day. Those races were just absolutely devastating as far as the points go."
#4 - Jimmy Spencer
Noted: Jimmy has failed to finish on the lead lap in 12 of his 25 career road course races.
#5 - Terry Labonte
Quoted: "We've had some good runs at Watkins Glen the last few years. We've got a new car built for Michigan and we're testing at Bristol (Tenn.) before the race there at the end of the month. I think we'll find the consistency we've been looking for."
#6 - Mark Martin
Quoted: "I grew up racing on the dirt roads of Arkansas, and I've always enjoyed road course racing because it's a lot like that. It's a challenge for a driver and it's a lot different from what we do the rest of the year, but it can be a lot of fun as well. We've had a lot of success on the road courses, especially Watkins Glen and I always look forward to going back there each year. We tried to test at Watkins Glen but were rained out, but we were able to get a test at Road Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and we are excited about what we have going into this weekend. We had a tough blow to us last week with the tire going down on the last lap, but all we can do is rebound and keep moving forward. We'll have that chance this week at Watkins Glen."
#8 - Dale Earnhardt Jr
Quoted: "Until this race last year, we really hadn't proven to ourselves - or to anyone else for that matter - that we could run road courses real well. We were kind of just floating in the wind in those races, so it was a part of our program we really tried to step up our game, and it paid off with a third-place finish Being out front last year was one of the coolest times I've had in a race car. When you're in a car that's that good and you're out front, man, it's like you own the place. It's a hell of a lot better than feeling like the place owns you."
#9 - Kasey Kahne
Quoted: "We've got to keep it up this week at Watkins Glen. It'll be a tough track, but we had a good test up there and hopefully everything goes smooth up there all day. If we can leave there with a top 15 we'll be happy. Hopefully I can take what I learned in Sonoma with me this weekend. I learned a lot at Infineon and enjoy road racing a lot."
#10 - Scott Riggs
Quoted: "I'm ready to get to The Glen. We didn't have a good showing in Sonoma, so I'm looking forward to trying to get something done this weekend and changing our mindset about road courses. Our goal is to have a decent qualifying effort and finish."
#12 - Ryan Newman
Quoted: "Concentration is the key to winning road course races. The turns at Watkins Glen are very demanding, and as a driver, you have to make sure that you consistently hit your marks on each and every lap. Equipment is important, too, as it is at all race tracks. You have to have faith in your team and your car that it will go the distance. The ALLTEL Dodge rarely lets me down."
#15 - Michael Waltrip
Quoted: "We had a strong run in Sonoma, Calif., with the same car we will have at The Glen. Road racing is always something that I have enjoyed and that I feel I have a knack for and this weekend I think you'll see the NAPA car as a part of the story. We started on the outside pole at The Glen a couple of years ago and have always competed well, which makes me excited about the weekend's activities."
#16 - Greg Biffle
Quoted: "I've been looking forward to returning to Watkins Glen since last year's race. We started on the outside pole and ran in the top five for much of the race. Unfortunately I got forced through the inner loop in the closing laps and was penalized for it and that pretty much killed our chances for a good finish. I really feel like that track owes us one. I'm real excited about how the National Guard team has been running the last few weeks. We've been strong like that all year, but now we're getting the finishes to show it. I like racing on road courses and I'm a big fan of Watkins Glen. We've run very well there over the years in the Busch cars and trucks and I expect the same this weekend. We've got momentum on our side and I'd like to keep it going with a strong performance on Sunday."
#17 - Matt Kenseth
Quoted: "Of the two road courses on the schedule, I kind of prefer Watkins Glen to Sonoma. It's a little less technical and a little more fun to drive. I'm anxious to get the chassis back [37] that we used earlier this year that got wrecked before we could race it. I think it's a good car, put together with some special touches that will make it pretty responsive. I don't know what to expect as far as how it will qualify, but I think it'll be good come race day."
#18 - Bobby Labonbte
Quoted: "You really have zero time to relax in the car at Watkins Glen. You have to have patience as it is a rhythm type of track, but you can't sit back either. The competition is so tough, you can't rest at all at a place like that. You are always trying to think ahead as to where you can make your next pass. It's also very important to hit all of your marks out there like it is any track we go to, but if you get off-track just a little bit, or get shuffled around in traffic, you are going to the rear of the field quickly at the Glen."
#19 - Jeremy Mayfield
Quoted: "I feel like we've got a great road course program now. It's certainly helped me a lot. That's a place I don't dread going to. When we used to go to Sears Point, I didn't want to go. I always liked going to Watkins Glen. I feel like with what we know now and how much better our program is we'll be in good shape. We've focused on that a lot. We feel like it's going to be one of the places we're going to be able to capitalize on. We've always had good runs there. Something would either happen to me during the race, but we've always run good there and we're excited about it. We know that it will be a key place to run well at, just like all of 'em from here on out, but it could definitely be a turning point for us."
#20 - Tony Stewart
Quoted: "Track position is a big deal anywhere these days, but it's definitely a big deal at Watkins Glen. It's hard to pass there from the standpoint that there are a couple of good braking zones where you can pass. But the thing is, everyone is so even that you've got be able to out drag race them down the straightaways after you out brake them going into a corner. Getting the car to turn and handle is a big part of it, but you still have to be able to run well down the straightaway. At Sonoma, you've got to get your car handling or else it doesn't really matter how much horsepower you've got. Handling well at Watkins Glen is an important factor, but it seems like horsepower is a much bigger part of the equation versus Sonoma."
#21 - Ricky Rudd
Quoted: "I've always enjoyed the road courses. We run two a year right now. It wouldn't be bad to have four on the schedule. At least one more additional wouldn't hurt things. They are fun to drive. We've done well on them in years past. I'm open to more. I'd rather see road courses added instead of the cloned race tracks like Chicago and Kansas City and those type tracks."
#22 - Scott Wimmer
Quoted: "I've only been to Watkins Glen to race once and then they took the track off the Busch schedule, so I don't have much more experience there than I had at Infineon but I think the extra seat time will definitely help. We came here and tested and that got rained out, so we came back last week and ran for a half day. When we were here last week, I thought we were a lot better. The main focus is to stay out of trouble and just keep the car on course and we should have a pretty decent finish."
#24 - Jeff Gordon
Quoted: "The reason things are going so well for us right now is a combination of things," Gordon said. "We have good communication, this DuPont team is providing some great cars, and I feel like I'm on top of my game. When we get to the race track, we're all happy to see each other and are looking forward to the race. "I feel like we had the best car here last year. I was taken out in the first corner on the first lap. After that, I ran a second-a-lap faster. Unfortunately, I ran myself out of fuel and then was spun while coasting to the checkered flag. You must take advantage of opportunities. If the car is capable of winning and you don't win with it, you're going to be disappointed. It's all about taking a car that's fast and capable of winning to Victory Lane. Anything else is unacceptable."
#25 - Brian Vickers
Quoted: "I look forward to the challenges road-course racing presents. It's obviously a change from the normal oval-track stuff we deal with every week, but I like that. With the exception of qualifying at Infineon, I think we had solid outing and I learned a lot. Something to build on for Watkins Glen."
#29 - Kevin Harvick
Quoted: "I really like visiting Watkins Glen," says the 2001 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. "Out of the two road-courses, this is probably my favorite. The key to getting around it is don't burn up the brakes going into the corners so that was one of the big things we worked on at our test at VIR last week. It's typical road-course mentality - keep it on the track, keep the fenders on it, the transmission under it, and you should have a good day."
#30 - Dave Blaney
Quoted: " With a Sprint Car racing background, I didn't have any road course experience when I made the move to the Busch Series in 1998. To help me make the adjustment, I went to the Bondurant driving school before running my first race at Watkins Glen. Since then I've raced quite a bit and actually enjoy road course racing. I didn't get the chance to drive at Infineon Raceway earlier this season, but I'm really glad I'm racing at Watkins Glen. The Glen is really fast and a bunch of fun to drive. You don't want to get off track at all there because they have so many sand traps you're bound to land in one, then it takes them forever to get you out."
#31 - Robby Gordon
Quoted: "I don't know what it is about returning to a track as a race winner. Most of the time you get a bigger welcome back than the rest of the guys, and along with that comes some pressure but a lot of it is what you put on yourself. You know you can win because you've won there before, so it is 10 times more frustrating when you are not quite where you want to be as the weekend progresses. It's even more unnerving if the outcome isn't even in the ball park. At the same time, it all depends which track you are talking about. I love The Glen. It's like I'm heading to New York to visit an old friend."
#32 - Ricky Craven
Quoted: "We are going to run the same car that we took to Infineon earlier this year, so that is a bonus. We are bringing Bill Cooper (road course specialist) back to assist. He was a big help to me and gave me a lot of support. I really enjoyed that communication and camaraderie. The first road course race I ever ran was at Watkins Glen back in 1995 and we finished 10th. I left there that day really enjoying it and feeling that it was a type of racing I could really be productive at."
#36 - Boris Said
Quoted: "Watkins Glen is one of my favorite tracks. It's a really fast track, it's good on brakes and there are lots of places to pass there. Unlike Infineon Raceway you can be aggressive at Watkins Glen. That's the way I like it. As I have said many times, I love being on the edge, getting a little scared and having my hair stand up."
#38 - Elliott Sadler
Quoted: "I am looking at the Glen as a 'wild card' race. One slip and you are in the kitty litter (sand traps) and the entire field passes you by so you go a lap down. It's hard to make up laps on a road course. As a driver I will have to stay 100% focused on hitting my marks and making the most of the final road course of the season. I do, however like racing at Watkins Glen - it is a faster pace and it suits my driving style a little better than Infineon. But, we ran well at Infineon so I believe if we work as a team things will fall into place like they have been all season long."
#39 - Scott Pruett
Quoted: "I am excited to be pulling double duty at the Glen this weekend. This will be my first time in a Coors Light car. I always have fun racing the road courses and I am glad Chip gives me the chance to run them twice a year in a Cup car."
#40 - Sterling Marlin
Noted: Sterling has been running at the finish in 34 of his 38 career road course races.
#41 - Casey Mears
Quoted: "The Glen suits my driving style much better than Sonoma. Your speed is quicker at The Glen and that is the type of road-course racing I'm used to. You carry so much more momentum off the corners. It also has a ton of grip so the track is more consistent and the tires don't fall off the way they do at Sonoma. Overall, it just makes it much easier to pass so the racing action is better."
#42 - Jamie McMurray
Quoted: "After our second-place finish in Sonoma, I'm really looking forward to Watkins Glen this weekend. We're taking the same road-course car that we had in Sonoma, so we should be in good shape. You drive Watkins Glen different than you do Sonoma. Sonoma is all about finesse, while Watkins Glen is more about how far you can be out of control and still be fast. It's definitely two different style road courses."
#43 - Jeff Green
Quoted: "We're all professional drivers. We should be able to adapt from a Martinsville to a Talladega to a place like Watkins Glen without too many problems. The road courses, however, are our biggest challenge. There are only two in a year. After this weekend, it will be another 10 months before we go back to one. We're going to ovals every week, so to come to a road course takes a little bit more time to get used to. You just want to stay on the track and keep the car underneath you. We just don't have a lot of seat time on road courses. It's harder to adapt, but we still need to be prepared for them."
#45 - Kyle Petty
Noted: This will be Kyle's 700th career Cup start.
Quoted: "I do enjoy road courses. I hated Sears Point this time because I had the flu while I was out there and all I could really do was ride around. I got food poisoning the Saturday night before the race, so I really was sick as a dog out there. This is really going to be my one and only road course race of the year as far as I'm concerned. I love Watkins Glen. I wish we had more road courses on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series. I love the Grand American Division. I'm trying to put together a team for next year to run some races and continue on down the road with that, but it is cool you hit one milestone at a place you actually enjoy. I could hit this milestone at Darlington, and I think everyone pretty much knows my reaction to Darlington. That's not my favorite place. It is nice to go to a place you enjoy running."
#48 - Jimmie Johnson
Quoted: "I think being comfortable in the braking zone is the biggest key to Watkins Glen. The track is a lot more forgiving than Sears Point. So I think the main areas where we will focus are the braking zones just making sure you have good brakes and that you can stop safely and get the passes made."
#49 - Ken Schrader
Quoted: "Racing is racing; the same things that make you fast on ovals make you fast on road courses. On an oval it's all about how fast you can get through the turns, and it's the same on a road course. Except on a road course you have to get through 10 or 11 distinct turns instead of two very similar ones. Shifting becomes a challenge on road courses because you're doing it a lot more times per lap than on an oval. With a lot more shifting and 10 or 11 turns, there's just a lot more opportunities to tear something up than on an oval; plus there's always the possibility of going off the track in each turn. But, the challenge can be fun, especially if you're running well, not so much if you're not running well."
#50 - Todd Bodine
Noted: Todd scored back-to-back top 10 finishes at Watkins Glen in 2001 and 2002.
#52 - Stanton Barrett
Noted: This would be Stanton's first career Cup road race.
#59 - Klaus Graf
Quoted: "I am really looking forward to racing Watkins Glen. No matter where it is or what form of racing, your first race in any series is difficult. It's more than just what the cars will do or won't do, and it's even more than quickly learning your way around the track. Everything affects what you do. You walk in and, outside of your own team and family and friends, you don't know anybody else in the garage. What might be an uneventful moment for a veteran driver could take five or 10 minutes out of your day. Simple things, like knowing where the bathrooms are. Getting that first race under my belt was good. I felt we were representative, especially on race day at Infineon. We did some pretty good things, moved up through the field and I learned a lot of as driver in regards to what these Cup cars will do."
#72 - Kirk Shelmerdine
Noted: This would be Kirk's first career Cup road race.
#77 - Brendan Gaughan
Noted: This would be Brendan's first career Cup road race.
#80 - Tony Ave
Noted: This would be Tony's Cup debut.
#88 - Dale Jarrett
Quoted: "I really enjoy racing at Watkins Glen. Of all the road courses we visit on the schedule or for testing purposes, Watkins Glen is more conducive to our type of cars. It always allowed us to race hard and pass. The road courses bring out all of a drivers' ability. I've had good days and really bad days at Watkins Glen. One thing has always been the same at the Glen though and that is if you're going to be successful, you pretty much have to drive 90 laps out of control. We know going in that qualifying is going to be important although it didn't always used to be that way. We used to be able to use different strategies, but that's not really the case anymore. You know how far you can make it on fuel and you pretty much want to get in as soon as you get in the window to where you can make it on distance. But it is important to get a good start because the competition is just so close."
#89 - Morgan Shepherd
Noted: Morgan's last Cup road course race was in 1998.
#97 - Kurt Busch
Quoted: "Earlier this year we had a really strong car in Sonoma, but we had an oil line problem early that took us out of contention, so I’d really love to be able to take this IRWIN car up to Watkins Glen and pick up a really solid finish. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about bringing the NEXTEL Cup cars to the road courses, but I think it’s a nice twist a few times a year.”
#98 - Larry Gunselman
Noted: 3 of Larry's 4 career Cup races have been on at the Sonoma road course.
#99 - Jeff Burton
Quoted: “Watkins Glen has been a good track for us the last couple years. We’re taking the same car we took to Sonoma and we’ve been testing a couple times to try and work on some things so I think we will run well there. We had a solid run earlier this year at Infineon so I feel confident that our road course program is heading in the right direction. I look forward to getting out there and seeing what we can make happen this Sunday."
Quoted: "I have been waiting for Watkins Glen for two months. I like the challenges of a road course and I feel the Army team has an excellent handle on how to prepare the car for this type of race. We were on our way to a great finish in Sonoma until the transmission broke."
#02 - Hermie Sadler
Noted: This would be Hermie's first Cup race at Watkins Glen. Hermie has made 6 Busch series starts at Watkins Glen with 3 top 10 finishes.
#0 - Ward Burton
Quoted: "This is a different car than the one we ran in Sonoma (Sears Point Raceway). We didn't have a bad car there, but we thought this one might be even better. Obviously, your biggest challenge with a road course is to qualify well and to stay out of trouble. We had some problems early on in Sonoma and had to play catch up the whole day after that, which was a shame because we put down a pretty good qualifying lap with the NetZero Chevrolet. Most of the time staying out of trouble is a lot easier said than done, but you just have to keep reminding yourself that you need to be around at the end, and that's one thing that we really need to work on. We've had some decent runs the past couple of weeks and that's great, but the bottom line is, if you're loading your car into the hauler before the end of the race, you haven't accomplished what you needed to do."
#1 - Ron Fellows
Quoted: "It's a good challenge to be able to adapt quickly to different types of race cars and I'm really looking forward to this weekend. As a race car driver you never stop learning, and when the opportunity comes up to drive for Chevrolet in NASCAR I jump at the chance."
#2 - Rusty Wallace
Quoted: "It'll be a key race and it'll be critical, no doubt about that. For some drivers and teams, it 'll be just what they needed points-wise. But for some of those other cats fighting for a top-10 points spot, it'll be the beginning of the end. We know that from firsthand experience. The Glen and road courses in general can be downright cruel and a plain killer when it comes to the points. Just look at what happened to us at the Glen last season and out at Sears Point a couple of months back. We had great racecars, but the crazy problems we had really took their toll at the end of the day. Those races were just absolutely devastating as far as the points go."
#4 - Jimmy Spencer
Noted: Jimmy has failed to finish on the lead lap in 12 of his 25 career road course races.
#5 - Terry Labonte
Quoted: "We've had some good runs at Watkins Glen the last few years. We've got a new car built for Michigan and we're testing at Bristol (Tenn.) before the race there at the end of the month. I think we'll find the consistency we've been looking for."
#6 - Mark Martin
Quoted: "I grew up racing on the dirt roads of Arkansas, and I've always enjoyed road course racing because it's a lot like that. It's a challenge for a driver and it's a lot different from what we do the rest of the year, but it can be a lot of fun as well. We've had a lot of success on the road courses, especially Watkins Glen and I always look forward to going back there each year. We tried to test at Watkins Glen but were rained out, but we were able to get a test at Road Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and we are excited about what we have going into this weekend. We had a tough blow to us last week with the tire going down on the last lap, but all we can do is rebound and keep moving forward. We'll have that chance this week at Watkins Glen."
#8 - Dale Earnhardt Jr
Quoted: "Until this race last year, we really hadn't proven to ourselves - or to anyone else for that matter - that we could run road courses real well. We were kind of just floating in the wind in those races, so it was a part of our program we really tried to step up our game, and it paid off with a third-place finish Being out front last year was one of the coolest times I've had in a race car. When you're in a car that's that good and you're out front, man, it's like you own the place. It's a hell of a lot better than feeling like the place owns you."
#9 - Kasey Kahne
Quoted: "We've got to keep it up this week at Watkins Glen. It'll be a tough track, but we had a good test up there and hopefully everything goes smooth up there all day. If we can leave there with a top 15 we'll be happy. Hopefully I can take what I learned in Sonoma with me this weekend. I learned a lot at Infineon and enjoy road racing a lot."
#10 - Scott Riggs
Quoted: "I'm ready to get to The Glen. We didn't have a good showing in Sonoma, so I'm looking forward to trying to get something done this weekend and changing our mindset about road courses. Our goal is to have a decent qualifying effort and finish."
#12 - Ryan Newman
Quoted: "Concentration is the key to winning road course races. The turns at Watkins Glen are very demanding, and as a driver, you have to make sure that you consistently hit your marks on each and every lap. Equipment is important, too, as it is at all race tracks. You have to have faith in your team and your car that it will go the distance. The ALLTEL Dodge rarely lets me down."
#15 - Michael Waltrip
Quoted: "We had a strong run in Sonoma, Calif., with the same car we will have at The Glen. Road racing is always something that I have enjoyed and that I feel I have a knack for and this weekend I think you'll see the NAPA car as a part of the story. We started on the outside pole at The Glen a couple of years ago and have always competed well, which makes me excited about the weekend's activities."
#16 - Greg Biffle
Quoted: "I've been looking forward to returning to Watkins Glen since last year's race. We started on the outside pole and ran in the top five for much of the race. Unfortunately I got forced through the inner loop in the closing laps and was penalized for it and that pretty much killed our chances for a good finish. I really feel like that track owes us one. I'm real excited about how the National Guard team has been running the last few weeks. We've been strong like that all year, but now we're getting the finishes to show it. I like racing on road courses and I'm a big fan of Watkins Glen. We've run very well there over the years in the Busch cars and trucks and I expect the same this weekend. We've got momentum on our side and I'd like to keep it going with a strong performance on Sunday."
#17 - Matt Kenseth
Quoted: "Of the two road courses on the schedule, I kind of prefer Watkins Glen to Sonoma. It's a little less technical and a little more fun to drive. I'm anxious to get the chassis back [37] that we used earlier this year that got wrecked before we could race it. I think it's a good car, put together with some special touches that will make it pretty responsive. I don't know what to expect as far as how it will qualify, but I think it'll be good come race day."
#18 - Bobby Labonbte
Quoted: "You really have zero time to relax in the car at Watkins Glen. You have to have patience as it is a rhythm type of track, but you can't sit back either. The competition is so tough, you can't rest at all at a place like that. You are always trying to think ahead as to where you can make your next pass. It's also very important to hit all of your marks out there like it is any track we go to, but if you get off-track just a little bit, or get shuffled around in traffic, you are going to the rear of the field quickly at the Glen."
#19 - Jeremy Mayfield
Quoted: "I feel like we've got a great road course program now. It's certainly helped me a lot. That's a place I don't dread going to. When we used to go to Sears Point, I didn't want to go. I always liked going to Watkins Glen. I feel like with what we know now and how much better our program is we'll be in good shape. We've focused on that a lot. We feel like it's going to be one of the places we're going to be able to capitalize on. We've always had good runs there. Something would either happen to me during the race, but we've always run good there and we're excited about it. We know that it will be a key place to run well at, just like all of 'em from here on out, but it could definitely be a turning point for us."
#20 - Tony Stewart
Quoted: "Track position is a big deal anywhere these days, but it's definitely a big deal at Watkins Glen. It's hard to pass there from the standpoint that there are a couple of good braking zones where you can pass. But the thing is, everyone is so even that you've got be able to out drag race them down the straightaways after you out brake them going into a corner. Getting the car to turn and handle is a big part of it, but you still have to be able to run well down the straightaway. At Sonoma, you've got to get your car handling or else it doesn't really matter how much horsepower you've got. Handling well at Watkins Glen is an important factor, but it seems like horsepower is a much bigger part of the equation versus Sonoma."
#21 - Ricky Rudd
Quoted: "I've always enjoyed the road courses. We run two a year right now. It wouldn't be bad to have four on the schedule. At least one more additional wouldn't hurt things. They are fun to drive. We've done well on them in years past. I'm open to more. I'd rather see road courses added instead of the cloned race tracks like Chicago and Kansas City and those type tracks."
#22 - Scott Wimmer
Quoted: "I've only been to Watkins Glen to race once and then they took the track off the Busch schedule, so I don't have much more experience there than I had at Infineon but I think the extra seat time will definitely help. We came here and tested and that got rained out, so we came back last week and ran for a half day. When we were here last week, I thought we were a lot better. The main focus is to stay out of trouble and just keep the car on course and we should have a pretty decent finish."
#24 - Jeff Gordon
Quoted: "The reason things are going so well for us right now is a combination of things," Gordon said. "We have good communication, this DuPont team is providing some great cars, and I feel like I'm on top of my game. When we get to the race track, we're all happy to see each other and are looking forward to the race. "I feel like we had the best car here last year. I was taken out in the first corner on the first lap. After that, I ran a second-a-lap faster. Unfortunately, I ran myself out of fuel and then was spun while coasting to the checkered flag. You must take advantage of opportunities. If the car is capable of winning and you don't win with it, you're going to be disappointed. It's all about taking a car that's fast and capable of winning to Victory Lane. Anything else is unacceptable."
#25 - Brian Vickers
Quoted: "I look forward to the challenges road-course racing presents. It's obviously a change from the normal oval-track stuff we deal with every week, but I like that. With the exception of qualifying at Infineon, I think we had solid outing and I learned a lot. Something to build on for Watkins Glen."
#29 - Kevin Harvick
Quoted: "I really like visiting Watkins Glen," says the 2001 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. "Out of the two road-courses, this is probably my favorite. The key to getting around it is don't burn up the brakes going into the corners so that was one of the big things we worked on at our test at VIR last week. It's typical road-course mentality - keep it on the track, keep the fenders on it, the transmission under it, and you should have a good day."
#30 - Dave Blaney
Quoted: " With a Sprint Car racing background, I didn't have any road course experience when I made the move to the Busch Series in 1998. To help me make the adjustment, I went to the Bondurant driving school before running my first race at Watkins Glen. Since then I've raced quite a bit and actually enjoy road course racing. I didn't get the chance to drive at Infineon Raceway earlier this season, but I'm really glad I'm racing at Watkins Glen. The Glen is really fast and a bunch of fun to drive. You don't want to get off track at all there because they have so many sand traps you're bound to land in one, then it takes them forever to get you out."
#31 - Robby Gordon
Quoted: "I don't know what it is about returning to a track as a race winner. Most of the time you get a bigger welcome back than the rest of the guys, and along with that comes some pressure but a lot of it is what you put on yourself. You know you can win because you've won there before, so it is 10 times more frustrating when you are not quite where you want to be as the weekend progresses. It's even more unnerving if the outcome isn't even in the ball park. At the same time, it all depends which track you are talking about. I love The Glen. It's like I'm heading to New York to visit an old friend."
#32 - Ricky Craven
Quoted: "We are going to run the same car that we took to Infineon earlier this year, so that is a bonus. We are bringing Bill Cooper (road course specialist) back to assist. He was a big help to me and gave me a lot of support. I really enjoyed that communication and camaraderie. The first road course race I ever ran was at Watkins Glen back in 1995 and we finished 10th. I left there that day really enjoying it and feeling that it was a type of racing I could really be productive at."
#36 - Boris Said
Quoted: "Watkins Glen is one of my favorite tracks. It's a really fast track, it's good on brakes and there are lots of places to pass there. Unlike Infineon Raceway you can be aggressive at Watkins Glen. That's the way I like it. As I have said many times, I love being on the edge, getting a little scared and having my hair stand up."
#38 - Elliott Sadler
Quoted: "I am looking at the Glen as a 'wild card' race. One slip and you are in the kitty litter (sand traps) and the entire field passes you by so you go a lap down. It's hard to make up laps on a road course. As a driver I will have to stay 100% focused on hitting my marks and making the most of the final road course of the season. I do, however like racing at Watkins Glen - it is a faster pace and it suits my driving style a little better than Infineon. But, we ran well at Infineon so I believe if we work as a team things will fall into place like they have been all season long."
#39 - Scott Pruett
Quoted: "I am excited to be pulling double duty at the Glen this weekend. This will be my first time in a Coors Light car. I always have fun racing the road courses and I am glad Chip gives me the chance to run them twice a year in a Cup car."
#40 - Sterling Marlin
Noted: Sterling has been running at the finish in 34 of his 38 career road course races.
#41 - Casey Mears
Quoted: "The Glen suits my driving style much better than Sonoma. Your speed is quicker at The Glen and that is the type of road-course racing I'm used to. You carry so much more momentum off the corners. It also has a ton of grip so the track is more consistent and the tires don't fall off the way they do at Sonoma. Overall, it just makes it much easier to pass so the racing action is better."
#42 - Jamie McMurray
Quoted: "After our second-place finish in Sonoma, I'm really looking forward to Watkins Glen this weekend. We're taking the same road-course car that we had in Sonoma, so we should be in good shape. You drive Watkins Glen different than you do Sonoma. Sonoma is all about finesse, while Watkins Glen is more about how far you can be out of control and still be fast. It's definitely two different style road courses."
#43 - Jeff Green
Quoted: "We're all professional drivers. We should be able to adapt from a Martinsville to a Talladega to a place like Watkins Glen without too many problems. The road courses, however, are our biggest challenge. There are only two in a year. After this weekend, it will be another 10 months before we go back to one. We're going to ovals every week, so to come to a road course takes a little bit more time to get used to. You just want to stay on the track and keep the car underneath you. We just don't have a lot of seat time on road courses. It's harder to adapt, but we still need to be prepared for them."
#45 - Kyle Petty
Noted: This will be Kyle's 700th career Cup start.
Quoted: "I do enjoy road courses. I hated Sears Point this time because I had the flu while I was out there and all I could really do was ride around. I got food poisoning the Saturday night before the race, so I really was sick as a dog out there. This is really going to be my one and only road course race of the year as far as I'm concerned. I love Watkins Glen. I wish we had more road courses on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series. I love the Grand American Division. I'm trying to put together a team for next year to run some races and continue on down the road with that, but it is cool you hit one milestone at a place you actually enjoy. I could hit this milestone at Darlington, and I think everyone pretty much knows my reaction to Darlington. That's not my favorite place. It is nice to go to a place you enjoy running."
#48 - Jimmie Johnson
Quoted: "I think being comfortable in the braking zone is the biggest key to Watkins Glen. The track is a lot more forgiving than Sears Point. So I think the main areas where we will focus are the braking zones just making sure you have good brakes and that you can stop safely and get the passes made."
#49 - Ken Schrader
Quoted: "Racing is racing; the same things that make you fast on ovals make you fast on road courses. On an oval it's all about how fast you can get through the turns, and it's the same on a road course. Except on a road course you have to get through 10 or 11 distinct turns instead of two very similar ones. Shifting becomes a challenge on road courses because you're doing it a lot more times per lap than on an oval. With a lot more shifting and 10 or 11 turns, there's just a lot more opportunities to tear something up than on an oval; plus there's always the possibility of going off the track in each turn. But, the challenge can be fun, especially if you're running well, not so much if you're not running well."
#50 - Todd Bodine
Noted: Todd scored back-to-back top 10 finishes at Watkins Glen in 2001 and 2002.
#52 - Stanton Barrett
Noted: This would be Stanton's first career Cup road race.
#59 - Klaus Graf
Quoted: "I am really looking forward to racing Watkins Glen. No matter where it is or what form of racing, your first race in any series is difficult. It's more than just what the cars will do or won't do, and it's even more than quickly learning your way around the track. Everything affects what you do. You walk in and, outside of your own team and family and friends, you don't know anybody else in the garage. What might be an uneventful moment for a veteran driver could take five or 10 minutes out of your day. Simple things, like knowing where the bathrooms are. Getting that first race under my belt was good. I felt we were representative, especially on race day at Infineon. We did some pretty good things, moved up through the field and I learned a lot of as driver in regards to what these Cup cars will do."
#72 - Kirk Shelmerdine
Noted: This would be Kirk's first career Cup road race.
#77 - Brendan Gaughan
Noted: This would be Brendan's first career Cup road race.
#80 - Tony Ave
Noted: This would be Tony's Cup debut.
#88 - Dale Jarrett
Quoted: "I really enjoy racing at Watkins Glen. Of all the road courses we visit on the schedule or for testing purposes, Watkins Glen is more conducive to our type of cars. It always allowed us to race hard and pass. The road courses bring out all of a drivers' ability. I've had good days and really bad days at Watkins Glen. One thing has always been the same at the Glen though and that is if you're going to be successful, you pretty much have to drive 90 laps out of control. We know going in that qualifying is going to be important although it didn't always used to be that way. We used to be able to use different strategies, but that's not really the case anymore. You know how far you can make it on fuel and you pretty much want to get in as soon as you get in the window to where you can make it on distance. But it is important to get a good start because the competition is just so close."
#89 - Morgan Shepherd
Noted: Morgan's last Cup road course race was in 1998.
#97 - Kurt Busch
Quoted: "Earlier this year we had a really strong car in Sonoma, but we had an oil line problem early that took us out of contention, so I’d really love to be able to take this IRWIN car up to Watkins Glen and pick up a really solid finish. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about bringing the NEXTEL Cup cars to the road courses, but I think it’s a nice twist a few times a year.”
#98 - Larry Gunselman
Noted: 3 of Larry's 4 career Cup races have been on at the Sonoma road course.
#99 - Jeff Burton
Quoted: “Watkins Glen has been a good track for us the last couple years. We’re taking the same car we took to Sonoma and we’ve been testing a couple times to try and work on some things so I think we will run well there. We had a solid run earlier this year at Infineon so I feel confident that our road course program is heading in the right direction. I look forward to getting out there and seeing what we can make happen this Sunday."