Post Race Quotes - Hamlin, Busch, Rogers
TOYOTA NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)
Race Notes & Quotes
Daytona International Speedway - July 4, 2008
Camry driver Denny Hamlin earned his third NNS victory of the 2008 season Friday night at Daytona International
Speedway. Earlier this year, Hamlin registered wins at Richmond and Dover.
Hamlin started 17th and led three times for 29 laps in his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 20 Hardee's/Coca-Cola Camry.
Camry drivers have now won 13 of the 19 NNS races this year. Along with Hamlin, other Camry drivers who have won
NNS races this year include Tony Stewart (five wins), Kyle Busch (four wins) and Joey Logano (one win).
The JGR No. 20 Camry has nine NNS wins this season. Drivers who have recorded wins in the No. 20 entry include
Stewart (five), Hamlin (two), Busch (one) and Logano (one).
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 20 Hardee's/Coca-Cola Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
How excited are you to win this race tonight?
"To do this with the Coca-Cola/Hardee's Toyota today -- it just means a lot. Our final ride in the No. 20 car. It feels good to do
this in my last ride. Got to thank all the fans. Got to thank everyone for sticking with me. Got to thank Kyle (Busch) for
sticking with me right there at the end. The only way we weren't going to win is if he actually went for the win. Just thank
everyone -- Dave Rogers (crew chief) did another great job and the pit stops were great all day. Can't thank everyone -- Toyota,
Hardee's, Old Spice -- everyone who sponsors this No. 20 car throughout the year."
What were thinking during the final caution with Kyle Busch behind you?
"Kyle's (Busch) has a lot of fire in him. He wants to win races no matter what. We had two very strong Toyotas today. I knew
he could go for the win and maybe not succeed. As long as he stuck on our rear bumper there was no way we weren't going to
have a one-two finish."
Were you focusing more on your mirror or windshield after the late restart?
"Out the mirror mostly. Kyle (Busch) kind of got back there on the restart a little bit and kind of worried me a little bit that he
was going to get a run. I knew he was going to have a good head of steam. He was a good teammate. Just a fine example of
how it worked last week (in NH) -- we had a one, two, three finish for all of us, and one-two this week. I just couldn't be
prouder to have Kyle (Busch) as a teammate."
What were the final laps like from the driver's seat?
"It was a great night for us because it looked like with about 15 (laps) to go after that pit stop we weren't going to catch that lead
pack. With just pitting that one lap later kind of put a bind on us because it let those guys run new tire speed lap versus our old
tire speed lap and that was the difference. It was about two seconds or so or what have you. Once they pulled that gap I needed
those guys to battle. If they would've stayed inline there's no way we would've caught them I don't believe. It would've been
close but I don't think we could have but I think one guy got shuffled out of line and it let us suck right back up to the lead pack
with 10 to go. Then it was up to me to kind of drive through there. It was a great handling race car. We worked on it all day.
Dave (Rogers, crew chief) really did a good job with the adjustments. He never really overstepped everything. He just kept
getting it a little bit better all day. We did what we had to do to win."
What is your response to Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinking Tony Stewart was driving the 20 car tonight?
"You could take that several different ways. I think honestly a lot of the confusion is because it's the same colors as what Tony
(Stewart) usually runs. I don't know. My head is a lot smaller than his -- I don't know. You could take it as I was driving a lot
like Tony (Stewart), which is a compliment in my eyes. If I was driving like Tony (Stewart) on a superspeedway, I was pretty
dang good so I will take it. Maybe he wouldn't have helped me if he would've knew it was me."
Do the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers fight to drive the 20 car in the Nationwide Series?
"I don't think so. No discredit to Dave (Rogers) but the 18 (Kyle Busch) is very, very strong. Jason (Ratcliff, No. 18 crew
chief) does a really good job. The advantage that Jason (Ratcliff) has is that he can focus even more on the races that they do
run so that car is very strong when it does run. So really it doesn't matter which one you get in but there's great communication
right now between Dave (Rogers) and Jason (Ratcliff) and the guys that are head of the fabrication shop. They are all doing a
really good job working together -- figuring out what we need to work on to make these cars better. We're always thinking of
things we need to make better on these race cars because you can't just say, 'We're dominating. The guys are so far behind us
now that they will never catch us.' They're right there and this team has been very fortunate. The 18 team has been very
fortunate to get the wins that they have. Sometimes things full their way and they get the wins, but other times they have a
strong race car. Here at Daytona, just because you're in the 20 car doesn't mean it's an automatic win. The best car doesn't
rarely win. For me, it was going to be up to me to make it happen. When you've got a car as good as I did, it gives me some
options on that race track. When you don't have that it makes it a lot tougher. I'm proud to do it for them."
Can you go through the last two laps after the caution?
"I didn't want to happen what did happen -- that was us get out too far. It looked like the 18 (Kyle Busch) took off the same
time I did but it looked like he didn't want to go. It looked like he was trying to build up a run with the 5 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.).
Once we pulled about four car lengths there I just tried to do my best to just -- it's so hard to do -- but just ride that brake while
you're in the lead to let those guys sit there and catch you. But they've got to catch you at the right time. You've got to put
them to a decision. If they catch you in the center of the corner with the big head of steam they need to make a decision -- are
they going to go for the win and sacrifice maybe a good finish or are they just going to ride inline and protect what they've got?
By doing that in the corner that's what decision you make and I think Kyle (Busch) realized a one-two finish was better than the
alternative."
DAVE ROGERS, Crew Chief, No. 20 Hardee's/Coca-Cola Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
How did the race look from on top of the pit box tonight?
"At the checkered flag it looked pretty good. Denny (Hamlin) did a great job. I was telling him that we were going to win this
race but I wasn't so sure. There was a two second deficit he had to make up by himself. He just did a really good job of staying
focused and staying inline and sniffing the draft as best he could and put ourselves in position to win. It was a lot of fun."
Is the driver-crew chief chemistry difficult with drivers switching almost every week?
"No, not really. We've looked in the mirror a lot this year to figure out why are we running well and how do we keep it and that
chemistry word keeps coming up. I think what chemistry boils down to is trust. I think right now our team trusts that all of
these drivers can get in it and win. And I think these drivers think that this team can win. I think there's so much trust in this
team that the chemistry is pretty much seamless week to week."
Why weren't you confident that Denny could pull off the win?
"I wasn't -- once we caught the pack I was convinced we were going to win but the deficit is just so hard to overcome. It was
two seconds and they were single file and I didn't really think they were going to go two-wide there to give us an opportunity. I
wasn't doubting Denny (Hamlin) by no means but I wasn't sure if the car had it. Side note here is I don't know if that matters
because I think tonight was Denny's last race in the car for a while so he'll forget about it by the next time we work together."
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Farm Bureau Insurance Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finished: 2nd
How bad did you want to win this race?
"We wanted to win here badly. Congratulations to the 20 team -- obviously that's three straight for their car. That car is awfully
strong and hard to beat every week anyway but that restrictor plate car is strong, too. I've got to say thanks to Farm Bureau,
Toyota, NOS Energy drink and MAC Tools. I was pretty comfortable tonight and the guys gave me a great Butler built seat.
All is well, I guess, finishing second. First Farm Bureau finish of the year so that's always nice to have as well instead of tearing
up a perfectly good race car there."
What happened on those final two laps?
"I just knew that we got a green-white checker restart and the 5 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) really, really hung back on us and we kind
of hung back on the 20 (Denny Hamlin) but when we got a little run down the back straightaway I just pulled inline and did what
a teammate would do. I'm glad we were able to get a JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) car in Victory Lane and wish it was us but that 20
team is awfully hard to beat. That's three straight for them in restrictor plate cars so it's a special car."
Was there no where you could go when you made a move to the outside coming down the stretch?
"No, there's not enough momentum and that car is too strong. He (Denny Hamlin) could pull right up back along side of me,
side-draft me and drag me back. I could've lost more spots going for that."
What are your thoughts on the race tonight?
"It was a good night for JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) that's for sure. The 20 car (Denny Hamlin) being as strong as it has been all
year long and of course that restrictor plate car -- that's three in a row for that thing this year. Just a tremendous opportunity
there for us to capitalize on a good night and thankfully that was the first finish for Farm Bureau in the Nationwide Series for the
JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) camp. I'm glad we were able to give them that tonight. I felt like we had a good car and battled
upfront all night long and stayed in position to win. I felt like I drove probably one of the smartest if not the smartest races out
there tonight. I just kept my stuff on the bottom and had a fast car where I could stay out of trouble and didn't have to maneuver
around too much and find something that would work for my car. My car just seemed to work on the bottom the best. Overall, a
good night and the green-white checker made it a little more exciting for the fans but I knew there wasn't going to be much to
get around that 20 (Denny Hamlin). He was just too much."
How unbelievable has that No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car been this year?
"It is. In Daytona testing here that 20 car was so strong that we cut mine up and tried to make it a duplicate and just couldn't get
it done for the February race and we cut it apart for Talladega and still didn't get it. Then we cut it apart again and still didn't
get it tonight. It's the closest it's been but still not what the 20 car is. It's definitely really, really strong. For them to have the
type of season that they're having it's just unbelievable. Whoever gets in that thing seems to win. Thankfully I was apart of that
in a race earlier this year at Mexico City, had a shot at Atlanta and missed out there, and had a shot at Nashville and missed out
there. It's been a good ride for that team, that's for sure."
What happened with the missed communication on the pit stops with Denny Hamlin?
"We were going down the back straightaway and it was 78 or 77 -- one of the two and we were either supposed to be on pit road
on lap 78 or 79 -- I don't remember which one. But anyways, we were going down the back and it was one lap shy of when we
were supposed to come in and Denny was waving like, 'I'm pitting this time, I'm pitting this time.' And so I figured if he was
going to come this time then I'm just going to come with him and he came off of turn four and kept digging and I was slowing
down so I don't know what happened there. I don't know why he was waving unless he was just saying hi. Somehow we just
missed communication there. It didn't really matter much. I got out in front of him after the pit stops were over and he charged
right back through the field and had one lap fresher tires, which really didn't make the difference. He just had a faster car and
got by us all."
