Notes And Quotes From Sprint Cup Media Tour

Jack Roush

It hasn’t been easy, but we finally found someone with something negative to say about the new, Gen-6 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car. Team owner Jack Roush said yesterday that SpeedWeeks 2013 at Daytona International Speedway could be a wreck-filled affair, due to a new car that he called, “hard to handle.”

"At Daytona and Talladega, we've got trouble coming,” said Roush. “With the 450 pounds of downforce they've taken off those cars… it will make a lot of cars hard to handle. The cars are so close to not having enough mechanical and aero grip that the drivers are going to have a knife-edge window to deal with.

“I think it's going to be trouble."

Roush suggested a larger rear spoiler to stabilize the cars, but said he doubts NASCAR will make any changes until after the Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. commented on the Daytona testing wreck caused when he turned Marcos Ambrose in a misguided bump-drafted attempt on the backstretch. “I’ve thought long and hard,” he said, “and that's probably the most embarrassed I've ever been."

Chase Elliott will run in five ARCA and nine Camping World Truck Series races this season in a No. 94 Chevy Silverado fielded by Hendrick Motorsports. The second-generation driver – son of longtime Cup Series favorite “Awesome Bill” Elliott will run all four Truck Series races at Martinsville and Iowa Speedways, along with single events at Rockingham, Dover, Bristol, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Phoenix.

Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports for Chevrolet, commented on the synchronicity between Chevy’s new SS race car the street version of the machine. “It’ll be great to be racing a Chevy small-block V-8, rear-wheel-drive car on the race track and selling a Chevy small-block V-8, rear-wheel-drive Chevrolet SS in the showroom,” said Campbell. “The SS has a great history. (The letters) stand for Super Sport and I can’t wait to see the Chevrolet SS on the opening lap of the Daytona 500.” Chevrolet will unveil the Chevy SS production car on Feb. 16 at Daytona.

Chip Ganassi

Chip Ganassi shared the Media Tour stage with all seven of his NASCAR, IndyCar and Grand Am drivers; a group that claims six IndyCar championships, six Grand Am titles, four Indianapolis 500 trophies, four Rolex 24 at Daytona titles, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and 150 assorted race wins.

“This is a pretty talented group,” said Ganassi of Sprint Cup drivers Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya; Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Charlie Kimball of the IZOD IndyCar Series; and Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas of the Grand-Am series. All seven Ganassi drivers will be competing in the 51st annual Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend.

“There’s obviously something missing from that list, and that’s a NASCAR championship,” said Ganassi. “We want to add that to our list of accomplishments.”

Montoya said he is confident of his prospects after two consecutive disappointing seasons. “I’m not going to come out and say I’m confident we’re going to have a great season, but the way testing has gone, it’s hard not to be excited,” said Montoya. “We’re bringing back our whole team. That’s very rare. I think that is going to be an advantage for us.”

Charlotte Motor Speedway President Marcus Smith commented on the 2013 All-Star Race, calling the event, “the perfect race for the ADD generation. What’s not to like?”

And finally, Jeff Gordon offered this gem when asked “if the Car of Tomorrow was a suit, how would it compare to the new, Gen-6 car?” In Gordon’s words, “Mine was about five sizes too big.”