Before racing Sunday, a soothing Saturday
daytona beach, fla.» riday was a busy day on and off the track. I took part in a charity fishing tournament when the sun rose and then sat down for a two-hour interview for an upcoming Furniture Row Racing video. I also did a few news interviews at the track before heading out to do a fishing clinic for the Boys and Girls Club at the Bass Pro Shops store across the street from Daytona International Speedway.
That was the business side of the day. The racing side was equally as good. We did a few laps in our No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota and felt very good. I feel we made some positive improvements from Thursday night’s Duel qualifying race with gains in speed and handling.
Right now we feel we’re fully prepared for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500. With that said, we are not planning to practice Saturday. When you’re practicing in the draft, it only takes a little hiccup by another car to cause a major wreck. Our primary car is free of damage, and that’s the way we want to keep it for the 500.
Daytona Speedweeks has seemed like it has been one long media day. I don’t have a problem with that, and I think the more media the better for all of us involved in NASCAR.
FOther than last year’s photo finish in the 500, the other most asked question I’ve been getting by the media is about our new team with Erik Jones driving the No. 77 5-hour Energy Toyota Camry.
No doubt, Erik is a talented driver. He’s been really fast in everything he’s been in. This will be the first time in my career that I’ve been the senior driver on a team. I’ve always been one of the younger guys, so being on the other side of that for once, and trying to give back a little bit of what some of those veterans gave me years ago, will be exciting.
Another frequently asked question is about our crew chief, Cole Pearn, whom I call my Canadian brother. The bottom line on Cole is that he’s really good and really smart. But more important, he is really, really good at putting the right people in the right places.
Our engineers and Cole have a history. They really get along well even though they’re complete opposites. But they know how to work together and hold each other up. We are similar in age, and we really approach racing the same way and feel the same way about a lot of things. It’s the best situation that I’ve been in.
As we say each year at this time of Daytona Speedweeks — it’s the lull before the storm. And we will be ready to challenge and attack whatever comes our way Sunday.
This is the biggest and most prestigious race to win in NASCAR, and you had better be ready because the other 39 drivers will be giving it their all.