Latest / Kenny Wallace Media / Jeff Gordon Talks William Byron's Huge Martinsville Win | NASCAR Press Conference

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Jeff Gordon Talks William Byron's Huge Martinsville Win | NASCAR Press Conference · Kenny Wallace Media

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I felt like a total stranger watching the end of that race is
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just so nerve wracking. You know, to to be so close to
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to accomplishing the ultimate goal, which is to get to through
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and and you know, so many things that that can can go the
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opposite way, cautions or you know, who knows what else.
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And and so, you know, to, to get so caught up in the 20 fours
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race, the fives race, the nines race, and and I mean, it's just
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a fantastic, you know, battle and race And, and I mean the 12
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Blaney, you know, we've seen what he's done here the last
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couple years and and they're so good here.
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So when they got the lead, I, I really, I, I didn't lose faith,
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but I, I will say I, I thought it was going to, you know,
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really be challenging to get by them and, and just could not be
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more proud of the job that William did.
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Obviously qualifying played a role that number one pit stall
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and then the the you know, the, the pit crew did their job, but
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just a great race car and great race car driver and, and, you
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know, total team effort and, and yeah, just absolutely an epic
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race. You know and can't can't think
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of a better way to go to next to to Phoenix next week to battle
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for a championship in that way, as well as you know the the
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solid job that the five did all day.
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Bob Hackers, Fox Sports Kyle is the only driver among the four
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who's won a title. Cliff is the only crew chief
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among the four who has a crew chief has won a Cup title.
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Does that matter? I mean it it doesn't hurt, you
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know, to to know what now you got to remember though, too.
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You know, William has and that 24 team has battled for they've
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gone through the process of this week and and what takes place
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championship week leading into Phoenix and the pressures and
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and you know, the the responsibilities, you know that
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that could be a distraction. So to me, those are the biggest
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things. It's just being on the stage and
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the pressure of being on that stage, you know, to to win a
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championship and and then the distractions that can come along
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during the week. So but but, you know, having a
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championship under your belt and and doing it at Phoenix the way
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the five car has done in the past, yeah.
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I mean, all that experience and knowledge is, is, is good to
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have in your back pocket, but it's going to be an epic battle.
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And I mean, you got, you know, 4 cars, 2 organizations that are
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are going to give it everything. And you know, it's, it's going
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to be fascinating week in preparation and seeing it how it
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unfolds at the racetrack in in Phoenix.
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And a lot of this is just the things you've been building on
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during the year to try to make sure that you get your, if
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you're in this position, you capitalize on it by improving
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your cars at that track. And I feel like, you know, this
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is anybody's race. What do you think it would say
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about the five team and Larson if if they are able to win it?
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They've seemed to have so many highs and lows this year,
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especially Kyle with the and you know, the month of May.
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Yeah, I would say maybe more than month of May, right.
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You know, it seemed to linger longer than that.
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But, you know, I, I just think that you have, you know, Kyle,
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that is very unique in the way that he blocks things out.
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And, and I feel like, you know, he's always had confidence,
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always been able to fall back on his talents and his race team,
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his race cars to to get himself back there.
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And, and Cliff is an incredibly strong leader and in a very
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positive thinker. So, you know, I think that the
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combination of those two and the people that that they surround
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themselves with really helped him fight through that.
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But I think when the playoffs started, their performance was
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there. And I think all through the
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playoffs, I think they've been, they've been building up to, to
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this point. So yeah, I never count those
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guys out. All right, Steph's going to give
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you all the mic and then you just share it down the row
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because everyone has a question. So I'm just not going to get
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involved and then go on road thing, I guess so. 23. 11 thing
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Jeff, your short track program has come a long way.
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It feels like, you know, going into the playoffs, it was like,
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man, how are these guys going to beat Penske cars and even JGR
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seemed to have a leg up. But when you got through, you
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know, like you look at Gateway, look at Loudon, there was like
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steady gains and then this weekend was really a resounding
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Hendrick showed a lot of speed. Where how did how did that
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happen for you guys? And where did where do you see
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things turning around that you were able to get to this point?
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Yeah, I mean, I, I think you just got to prioritize, right.
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And, and maybe we gave up a little bit on our mile and a
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half stuff, not not purposefully, but it's just you
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only have so much time in, in a day.
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And so when you start looking at prioritizing what it takes to to
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win a championship, you know, it's it's probably, if you're in
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this round, going to come down to what you do at Martinsville.
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And if if you get through Martinsville, then it's going to
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come down to what you do at Phoenix.
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And so I think it's been a top priority for us.
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And really you got to look at what Penske has done.
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They they had raised the bar in such a big way of the way
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they've performed here and the way they have gone and and won
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the championship in Phoenix, When you really all year long
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didn't necessarily think that they had what it took, but they
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had what it took at the right time, the right places.
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And, and so you have to to adjust, you know, with this
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format and and with certain tracks that that become that
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important. And so I know that it's been,
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I'd say go back two years getting beat at Phoenix.
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It was, we've got work to do here.
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Last year we, we stepped it up and it still wasn't enough.
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And this year I think it became a much bigger priority.
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And, and the effort, you know, and, and the folks that are at
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Hendrick that have the, the brain power to, you know, put
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the effort into mechanical grip and arrow and, and horsepower
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and all the things tire modelling.
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They, they went to work give a lot.
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Obviously we give a lot of credit to our crew chiefs
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because they work, you know, tirelessly on it.
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And then the engineer, you know, they're, they're head engineers.
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But Tom Gray, I think is a guy that probably does not get
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enough credit. He's you know, he heads up our
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our engineering group and and, you know, development group and,
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and he was he was my head engineer next to Alan Gustafson
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when I into my career. And he's one of the best in the
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garage. And, and him being in this role,
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I think has has really elevated our game.
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And I give him a lot of credit also for for orchestrating the
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improvements that we've had in the short tracks.
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John Bianca, the athletic kind of following up on that, that
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there isn't a Penske car in the championship for.
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Does that make it feel like a wide open?
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It does. It does.
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I mean, you saw what they did today.
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We saw what they did at New Hampshire.
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You saw what they did today. I mean, where'd Blaney start
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30th, 31st? Honestly, I thought it was
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impossible to win this race from 31st.
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And yet he drove right up through the field.
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He didn't do it immediately, right?
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It it, it took long runs. It took pit stops.
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It took, you know, some gambles on some strategy, but they put
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themselves in position. And I really didn't think that
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first. I thought the 22, you know, kind
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of had the magic there early on when he was making some gains.
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I was like, oh boy, you know, 22, this is going to go up there
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and take this thing and, and go battle for it again.
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But, but then, then you started really seeing, there was 1 long
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run there and you saw Blaney just, and, and, and, you know,
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we were chatting among ourselves going, oh, 12 just showed up.
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And, and once he got the lead, I thought, man, I don't know how
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we're going to get away from him.
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So they, and they've carried that on into Phoenix, right?
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And, and we've won, you know, the championships last few
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years. So I think that it is wide open.
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And, and with our improvements, I, I, you know, that we've
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manned the shorter tracks. I, I feel like, you know, it
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gives us even more confidence next week.
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Dustin Long, NBC Sports Jeff For an organization built on wins
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and championships, for the last championship to have been 2021.
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How how long is that within the halls of of Hendrick
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Motorsports? Well, I mean, we've these days
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with this format and maybe this changes next year probably, but
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when you just make it to the Final four, it's sort of like a
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championship. You know, it, it just, it comes
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down to, yeah, ultimately 11 team and drivers holding up the
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trophy. But but just making it into that
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final four, such a huge accomplishment that I think, you
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know, we've kind of been measuring our our abilities and
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success on that and hanging it on that a little bit more than
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just ultimately what happens in one race at the end of the
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season, which is another reason why to change the format.
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So I think, you know, we probably haven't been counting
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the days and and the years quite as much as maybe some others
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have, but you know, to legitimate we in our minds,
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we've also had two there, but it's usually been like with an
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owner and then, you know, with a driver.
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So, so this this really is, is a huge accomplishment and just,
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again, just to be there, just to be to get this far in the
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season, have two going for the championship.
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But yeah, we want it bad. You know, if we if we're in it
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and we've got a shot at it, we, we want to, we want to come away
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with it. Also, Cliff has talked a couple
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different times the last few weeks.
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It's just, you know, he says at some point he wants to tell the
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full story of of the five crew and what they have gone through
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off the track as much as on and just the personal some of the
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losses and some of the challenges individuals and that
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team and others have faced. And I'm sure you obviously
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you've seen a lot of that and experienced a lot of that is how
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has that team stayed together? How has that maybe challenge
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Cliff in a way to be a different leader and and just how this
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group has overcome some of the personal things that life
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happens at times. Yeah, I think, you know, that's
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racing. That's life of, of you when you
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think you, you've got all the ingredients and everything is
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just going to exactly the way you wanted to.
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Usually something's going to remind you that that life and
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racing is not perfect. And so, you know, I, I'm a big
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believer that those things that come along to a team, whatever
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challenges they may be, is what makes you stronger, makes you
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better and makes you grow, You know, and, and get yourself into
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position to to be stronger in days like today and in the
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battle next week for the championship.
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But they have been through a lot more than than most seasons in a
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team when you look at personnel. So he's right.
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You know, they they've been through a lot and, and a lot of
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times, you just have to fight through it internally and, and
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make the proper adjustments and, and, you know, hope that you're
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you, you stay in the fight and stay strong.
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And, and they have and I think it goes back to him again,
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Cliff's great leadership. But this is where I'm going to
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go a little deeper and say Chad Knaus and Jeff Andrews, you
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know, and other folks, Rick Hendrick of, of having the
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support and, and strength and guidance around Cliff to help
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him with some of those as well. Because crew chiefs tend to want
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to do everything and kind of control everything and, and
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that's part of their job. But, you know, we're all still
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human at the end of the day, and you can't do it all.
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And so it takes that support. Yeah.
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Zachsterniolonascar.com Building off of that a little bit,
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looking at the way the adversity that Kyle and William both had
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to overcome throughout different moments of this season, in what
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ways does it feel different for from your perspective, to see
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both of them reach the championship for this year?
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Yeah, and and you know, I didn't want to take anything away from
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what Dustin was asking about the five team, so I'm glad you asked
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because in my opinion, the 24 has been through quite a bit,
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right. Maybe it's not as much personnel
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in in some of those personal challenges as much as it has
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been performance, right where, you know, you win the Daytona
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500, you got high expectations, you win a couple other races.
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And then all of a sudden you have this summer slump where you
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just feel like you can't do anything right.
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What you know, what's happened, you know, is it?
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And you start doubting yourself as a driver, as a crew chief, as
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a, you know, pit crew member or mechanic, engineer, whatever,
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you know, all the way across the board and you start searching.
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And I'm just proud of how they searched and found, you know,
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and got back, found themselves and got back on track the way
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that they have. But one thing I think that they
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have done is proven that their championship caliber this year,
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not just by winning regular season championship of what
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they've had to do to do that, as well as what they've had to
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overcome to get themselves in this position in, in, in the
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pressures that were on them as well.
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So they're as complete of a race team as I've ever seen right
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now. To that point, I think back to
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this race a couple of years ago when he was struggling to run
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top 20 and he he he grounded out and ended up making the
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championship for that year. But then you Fast forward to
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what this year was, what tonight was muscling up to pass Ryan
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there over in Turns 1 and 2. How has how does that speak to
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how you've seen William grow and adapt as a driver?
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Yeah, I know he's he's miss matured, you know, he's he's
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never lacked in effort. You know, I, I, I, you know, I,
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he'll have to share with you what kinds of things he does
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every week prepping for races. But it's unlike anything I've
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ever seen. And, you know, he's just very,
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very narrowly focused on it. You know, he cuts out
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distractions and, and minimizes them like unlike, you know, we
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all have things in our life going on, but you know, he's,
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he's just laser beam right now. And, and I think that it shows
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in his effort, his prep, you know, his his relationship with
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his team and Rudy and everybody. And he had that fire today
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burning and, and was not going to hold him back.
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So, yeah, I don't even remember what your question was.
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But it's just those guys have had to, to there he is right
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here. They they they've they've had to
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prove to themselves and a lot of others what they're capable of
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and what they're made of and and all those tough things that
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they've been through to me is is only made them even stronger
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team and allowed them to do what they did today.
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John, you'll be fan buzz. So Jeff, you actually kind of
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answered this when you're answering Zach.
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So I'll switch to Rudy for the answer on this part Great.
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So he was talking about, you know, the way.
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William's grown, obviously. This fall race has been brutal
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to him over the last couple years, but listen to the radio.
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He's just completely calm, level headed this entire race, you
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know, just very fact focused. Those curious, what have you
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seen this kind of led to that change in his personalities at
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the maturities, at the winning more races?
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I mean, because past years, I mean, like we said, it's been
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awful on him. Yeah, I think, you know, two
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years ago was a really tough race.
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Last year was a a pretty good race with a with a weird ending
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with with getting some damage there opposite run of the 12 is
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what was today. So you know, but him himself
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this year has grown a ton of maturity.
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I think is the main thing he's, he's worried about himself and
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his race team and the close people in his inner circle.
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And then it doesn't seem like he cares about much else.
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So, and that's great. That's, that's the way I try to
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live my life too and not really worry about what any of y'all
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have to say or anybody else on, on some Internet website or that
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crap. So anything, anytime you can,
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ignore that, that stuff's going to help you.
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Don't take that personal. Nobody take that personal.
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All right. I think Mark had a question and
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Deb had a question as well. I'm Mark Carroll, PRN Jeff.
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Just wondering how you feel about the fact that this feels
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like a heavyweight fight, right? You got Gibbs 2, Gibbs 22
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Hendrick cars feels like one of these, you know, Las Vegas, you
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know, you know, world heavyweight unification to kind
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of title fights going into Phoenix.
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How do you feel about that? Yeah, no, I I totally agree.
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I mean, you know, we have tremendous amount of respect for
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one another. We've we've battled through
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some, some big events and championships, you know, in the
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past. And, and you know, we, yeah, I,
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I just, I, I, you know, it's, it's Penske, Gibbs and and
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Hendrick that we're in this this round.
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And then, you know, you narrow it down to two, which it was
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going to be and, and, and either one of them was going to be a
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heavyweight battle, right? So, but but yeah, no, we're
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we're pretty excited to to have, you know, two on two and in a in
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a heavyweight fight, as you mentioned.
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And I don't know, Rudy can attest to how how confident he
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is going into that race. But I, I don't know, I feel
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like, I feel like our chances are, are extremely good.
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And, and I'm, I'm right now, I'm excited now that we've gotten
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through this and this is exciting day.
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And, you know, a lot of, you know, emotion of, of being able
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to pull off this accomplishment. But now what I love doing is
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watching these guys leave here and go to work on what it's
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going to take to go in it. You know, I mean, they already
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started, I'm sure they've, they've been prepping for weeks
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hoping that they would, this would happen.
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But now it's like that, that all the, the, the details that come
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along with what happens from now until next Sunday.
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That's what I love watching these guys do because they do it
18:23
so well. And I'm sure, you know, the
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Gibbs folks, you know, do a lot of the same things.
18:29
It's why they're as successful as they are.
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And I think it's what makes us, you know, as good as we are.
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And just for Rudy, real quick talk about he's ready for you
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guys to go to work. How much more of going through
18:45
stuff with a fine tooth comb is there?
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Is there a double check, triple check, quadruple check?
18:51
What's different about prepping a car for a championship?
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Yeah, it the biggest thing is I think that the plan starts, you
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know, probably two to three months early, you know, and
19:03
that's the biggest those big races, you know, the, the, the
19:07
plan for the car and how it's built and how it's put together
19:09
starts starts way, way earlier. So it doesn't always have to
19:13
just fall in the last couple days.
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You know, it started from when that car is gets assembled and
19:17
put together and and gone through from from everybody that
19:20
works at Hendrick Motorsports. So, yeah.
19:22
And then and then we'll get to this week, get to tonight when I
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get home and, you know, hopefully get there super early
19:29
tomorrow with with a bunch of vigor, which I have right now.
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I'm ready to get there and start working, you know, go through
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those final details of the set up, the plan for practice, all
19:38
those things. Those are those are exciting
19:39
things for the race team. You know, we get to we get to
19:42
practice. We had three sets of tires.
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So we had a whole, a whole bunch of guys.
19:45
They're actually, you know, they're really raring to go,
19:48
raring to change stuff during that practice and make their car
19:50
better. So yeah, we're just excited to
19:53
go do it. I, if you don't mind, I think
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it's just kind of interesting because this just happened.
19:58
We were just talking about this. I mean, I literally just, I
20:01
think Dave would be fine if I, I won't share a word for word, but
20:04
Dave Aupern just sent me a text. You know how honored they are to
20:07
go battle with us next weekend. And he just beat me to the
20:10
punch, right? I, I would have done the same
20:12
thing. And it's, it's just, it just
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goes to show you, you know, the respect that we have for one
20:17
another. So I'm, I'm, we're honored as
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well, but I'm really proud to call him a friend.
20:23
And, and have, you know, the relationship that we have with
20:25
Gibbs and be able to go and next week we're we're going to be
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fierce competitors off the track.
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We say we're teammates, but on the track we're fierce
20:33
competitors. And and so I just thought that
20:35
was interesting that just popped up Deb Williams without a week.
20:39
And Jeff, I'm actually kind of going to build on that a little
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bit decades ago, excuse me, you were just built.
20:46
You were just starting out with Hendrick when Rick was helping
20:50
Joe Gibbs come into this sport and helping he built him build
20:53
that team. Now you 2 the two teams that
20:58
Rick really kind of built are going for the championship.
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So what does that mean to you now?
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I mean, is like the proud father with this the son?
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Or is it like, yeah, we got to beat you because we've done this
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or, or what is the emotion there?
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Well, you know, again, like I say off the track, when it's not
21:18
Sunday and the green flag is, is falling there, there's
21:23
relationships there. There's friendships, you know,
21:25
that you, you, you help one another out.
21:28
You're there for one another in, in in good times and tough
21:30
times. And Mr. Hendrick and, and Coach
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Gibbs have incredible relationship.
21:36
You know, they, they talk on a pretty regular basis.
21:40
They don't talk racing. They don't talk, you know, about
21:42
what happened on Sunday. It's unless they're
21:44
congratulating one another on something.
21:46
But and, and it's something that had it was built over time
21:51
because of, of the way it started.
21:53
You know, I, Rick is just an incredible type of person where
21:57
he's done this in automotive industry, he's done it in racing
22:00
where, you know, he, he loves helping people get their start
22:03
and, and get them going and, and he's proud.
22:06
I don't know if he'd considered a brotherhood or a, or a, you
22:10
know, a father figure or whatever, but he does it for so
22:14
many people. He loves to to see them succeed
22:18
and excel, and he loves to be a small part of that in some way.
22:21
And I know it makes him really proud that that he's been a part
22:24
of that with Joe Gibbs and in that organization.
22:28
Yeah. All right, Michael.
22:32
Michael Massey, front stretch Jeff Byron had the race under
22:35
control. Then the caution comes out for a
22:38
Spire car getting into another Spire car.
22:40
You guys have the Spire affiliation.
22:42
Was there any thought of like, come on guys?
22:44
Let's let's keep it clean here. You mean the?
22:46
Third time the 77 was in the incident, I was thinking it yes,
22:53
more than three. I don't know.
22:55
I, I lost count. I think, you know, listen, I can
23:03
I'm, I'm just far enough removed Rudy.
23:05
I can't, I can't imagine what he's going through right in, in,
23:08
in the crew chiefs. But and I know that, you know,
23:12
for those of us that that have have, you know, been in these
23:16
meetings, we're all thinking, wow, that Monday morning
23:18
meeting's going to be a tough one over there at Spire because
23:21
there's a lot of contact not just with their current drivers,
23:24
but their well, their future drivers too.
23:25
So yeah, that's all I ended at that.
23:30
But just what what were the nerves for both of you guys?
23:32
What were the nerves there on that final restart, given you
23:36
guys have seen what can happen on a late restart here
23:38
Martinsville? Well, I mean, listen, there's
23:41
some contact right between Ron and and William.
23:45
I think it was just really hard racing and and you know, there
23:48
was a gap there and and I'm proud as can be of William that
23:52
he went for that gap, right. I think we talked about him
23:56
maturing. It's not just him maturing, it's
23:59
his aggressiveness to his his, you know, yearning for how bad
24:03
he wants it. And I think that showed it right
24:04
there is that he he you know, that was his opportunity there,
24:07
you know, and they went, he went for it and there was contact.
24:10
So when there's contact, then you know that you've opened up
24:13
the door for there to be contact, you know, that you
24:16
could receive. And so, you know, I think I was
24:19
really curious to see how he and Ryan race one another and knew
24:22
they were going to race one another hard.
24:23
But I mean, to me, William, I believe had the race of his
24:28
career today. I know it wasn't Daytona 500.
24:31
But to me the way he handled himself and the way he
24:34
approached it and raced today was just unbelievable.
24:40
And in that last restart, I would put right in there with
24:43
that. I mean, he nailed that restart.
24:45
Not only did he he get the jump, you know, when in in the restart
24:51
area, but then he drove that thing deep down into one, went
24:55
up wide, turned it and drove off and cleared the 12.
24:58
And we saw how strong the 12 was on the outside and some of those
25:01
restarts. So I was anticipating the 12
25:04
giving them a heck of a battle, but I was also expecting them to
25:07
give him the bumper and and William didn't give him the
25:09
chance to do that all. Right, Dalton, go ahead.
25:13
Hey Jeff Dalton Hopkins with front stretch what?
25:17
What is more nerve wracking, watching or you yourself
25:21
leading? Me in that car all day long not
25:23
today I don't want to be in there at all right but now I
25:25
know where you're going it is so tough to have basically 0
25:30
control over what happens and and sit there and you just want
25:34
it so bad because you see these guys in the effort they put into
25:37
it and and how bad they want it and you want it so bad for them
25:41
and for the organization for the people and and for Rick and and
25:45
so you you lose a lot more than you win and and you know I was
25:51
talking to Rick a little bit earlier and we're just still as
25:55
as many good things that have happened for Hendrick
25:56
Motorsports over the years to to want something as bad as we
26:00
wanted to to to transfer through today.
26:03
You're still doubting whether it's possible or whether it
26:06
could happen and what's going to what's going to disrupt that.
26:09
And so, yeah, you're, you're those kinds of nerves and, and
26:15
you know, looking at it from that perspective is far more
26:18
nerve wracking than than being in the car.
26:22
All right, Jeff, thank you so much for your time.
26:24
We really appreciate it. Best of luck next week.
26:28
All right, we're going to continue questions with Rudy
26:31
Fugel. If you have a question for Rudy,
26:33
go ahead, raise your hand. I'm going to work to get a mic
26:35
to you. And I'm going to start with Zach
26:36
Albert, huh? Zackalbertnascar.com Rudy, it
26:50
would be really easy for you guys to dwell on what happened
26:52
at Vegas, how Talladega played out for you guys.
26:56
How are you guys able to just block that up between you, the
27:00
team and and William just to focus on the task at hand and
27:04
and perform? Yeah, I mean, at this time of
27:07
year, it's it's easier because there's there's not many weeks
27:11
left and, and, and all you have to do is win to have a chance to
27:15
go to Phoenix. So you have to refocus.
27:17
If you sit there and worry about other things that have already
27:19
happened, then nothing good is going to happen.
27:21
So it was pretty easy to, you know, Monday afternoon to put
27:26
Vegas to bed and move on and recognize it was a mistake and,
27:30
and we're not going to get him back, you know, and then put
27:32
ourselves in position to to win Talladega.
27:35
And then stuff happens and you move on.
27:37
And so Martinsville, Martinsville is a great
27:40
opportunity for us. And we we proved we could do it
27:43
today and. There were some fans in the
27:45
grandstands chanting your name felt like a movie.
27:49
Have you had that before or what was that experience?
27:52
Yeah, it was good. You know, it's, you know, just
27:55
just cool to have have that nickname and then be able to,
27:58
you know, have the fans behind the whole team and just I mean,
28:01
just to get the 24 team, you know, rolling like we have been,
28:04
I think just gets a lot of people that we used to cheer for
28:07
that guy, you know, excited again.
28:10
So if we can get that kind of momentum rolling behind us,
28:13
there's there's nothing like that.
28:17
All right, Bob. Bob Hockers, Fox Sports.
28:21
We've seen other drivers and teams do it, but what is there
28:26
any challenge to coming off such an emotional high of this race
28:33
to then try to win a title and seven days later?
28:37
Yeah, definitely. I mean if we're not focused, you
28:40
know, on the right stuff fast enough, especially when you have
28:42
to load early to Phoenix, you know, a lot of work has to get
28:45
done. You know, thankfully like we
28:46
talked about, there's a lot of a lot of the car build all of that
28:49
stuff to make your car as best you can have the best parts and
28:52
pieces on your car has been in the works.
28:55
So our car is sitting there in great shape.
28:57
I spent a lot of time with at the end of this week, you know,
29:00
and, and we all have, you know, two 2 1/2 days of really good
29:04
prep this week. So I told the guys last week
29:07
that, you know, a Martinsville win would feel great because
29:10
it's my kind of celebration, which is, is celebrate on
29:14
Victory Lane, you know, you know, do the, do the inspection
29:17
part, get home and then go back to work the next morning and
29:20
start working on the next win. So I'm, I'm ready for it.
29:23
I know, I know our group is too. So they'll enjoy it.
29:25
We, we deserve it. You know, we have a shot to
29:27
enjoy it, but you know, there's still a lot on the line.
29:29
We'll we'll focus for. All right, Zach in the back.
29:34
Zach, I'm working on the bottom. Where are those emotions like
29:38
when in this it comes down, there's comes down to the late
29:41
race pit stop. I didn't really if the 24 they
29:45
make a mistake, that could be the race.
29:47
And then just to see the 24 pick crew who's been one of the best
29:49
pickers all year to put William out front.
29:53
And then also knowing that you're going to go to Phoenix as
29:56
as feel good. The picker was hitting on all
29:57
cylinders. Yeah, I know it's great.
29:59
They've been, they've been doing great lately.
30:01
They had a great day today and just you know, we talked about
30:05
it in the pre race meeting of, you know, wanting the ball at
30:07
the end of the game, you know, and that's whatever the
30:09
situation is. We wanted the ball and they
30:12
wanted the ball and they they performed.
30:13
So it's what you what you hope to have.
30:18
All right, Jeff, go ahead. Yeah, I was just seeing a stat
30:21
here from Daniel suspicious on XI.
30:24
Want to give credit, says William Byron just became the
30:28
first Cup Series driver to start on the pole, sweep the stages
30:31
and win in a playoff race. This is obviously a big clutch
30:35
moment as well. And to do that in any playoff
30:38
race, as long as the playoffs been around, what does it say
30:41
about his mentality? And I know you've known him
30:43
since you know he was coming up through the ranks.
30:46
How have you seen him change mentally to be this strong and
30:49
be able to do something like that?
30:50
Yeah, I think this is you just can be a stepping stone into,
30:55
you know, getting some more great, you know, victories.
30:58
So really, really excited about that.
31:00
You know, it just he's grown a lot.
31:02
You know, this, this will be the third time in a row we've been
31:04
to there and you know, everyone we've changed.
31:08
It was a different feeling. The first one was like, you
31:10
know, Oh my gosh, we can't let this go.
31:12
I don't know if we're going to get back here yesterday.
31:14
Last year was more calm. We kind of knew it was in front
31:17
of us and went with it. And this year will be will be
31:19
even more know what know what to expect and just just go bring
31:23
it. So hopefully that experience
31:25
will bring us, you know, doesn't doesn't mean you're going to win
31:27
the race, have a better shot to win the race.
31:28
It means that we're going to be more prepared.
31:30
We should execute better. We should we should execute
31:32
practice better. We should be better because of
31:34
it. Yeah, absolutely.
31:40
Yeah, He's he's changed our percent.
31:42
I mean, he's got his own house now.
31:43
He takes care of a lot of his own things that he'd never had
31:45
to before. And, but just just his routine
31:48
that that's what's changed in the past probably year and a
31:51
half, is his routine is, is what he likes to do, how he likes to
31:54
do it. And, and he, you don't have to
31:57
worry about him being prepared. You know, he's able to do all
31:59
those things with, with, you know, his, his group, his circle
32:03
to be prepared for, for the race weekend.
32:06
So I'm just just really proud of him for that.
32:09
All right, Kelly, go ahead. Kelly Crandall, racer.com, Rudy,
32:14
I guess to build off of that, when you're talking there about
32:16
experience and kind of what to expect third time, maybe the
32:20
charm going to Phoenix. But I'm curious of what the last
32:22
two years from a racing perspective, a car perspective,
32:26
I guess the biggest lessons going into that race, because
32:29
that track obviously is So what finicky and sensitive that I,
32:34
you know, what can you share about how prepared or or what
32:37
you've learned the last couple years?
32:39
Yeah, I think every year has been different because it's it's
32:42
like what what you have going into that race, right.
32:45
So, you know, two years ago or that was that was a different
32:49
aero package. We had won the race prior, but
32:52
we had struggled, you know, as a as AGM group really especially
32:56
Hendrick of trying to win any races with that package, that
32:58
short track package. We went there and and had to
33:01
deal with that, you know, and then the stress of just, you
33:03
know, think knowing that, you know, last year different
33:06
package with a lot of struggles at those type of tracks still
33:09
performed fairly well, but kind of just searching for a
33:13
baseline. And then this year, since that
33:16
five car gateway test, we've had a package that we could work
33:19
with at all these races. You know, Loudon is, it's going
33:23
to, it's a different setup, but a lot of the same stuff, a lot
33:26
of package. And we had a had a car really
33:28
capable of, of racing with some of those Penske cars and, and
33:32
that's what you look for. So now we have that package,
33:34
we'll fine tune that. We'll adapt our practice plan
33:36
and all those things because of it.
33:38
You know, so I think it's a conceited effort, you know,
33:41
either a concerted effort, Excuse me for for all of GM, you
33:47
know, trying to get better at this type of track, knowing it's
33:50
getting ready to get ready for Phoenix.
33:51
So really, really helpful, you know that they were able to work
33:55
as a big group, you know, Chevrolet all is 1 to to get
33:58
better. I'm just curious if you think
33:59
there's any momentum like when you when you have a win like
34:04
today at the, you know, the last race to get into the to the
34:08
championship, you guys are the last one standings the win.
34:10
Like, do you think there's any momentum of the team that wins
34:12
this race going into Phoenix? Yeah, I mean it, it never hurts.
34:16
Have a little winded yourselves. Everybody's going to be ready to
34:18
go to work tomorrow. Like everybody's going to be
34:20
ready to drive home, you know, take a shower and get to the
34:23
shop and work, you know, and there is nothing wrong with
34:25
that. Does it mean that you're
34:27
definitely going to win? No, but the effort level, the
34:30
preparedness, all those things are definitely at our backs.
34:33
Momentum being confidence is a lot for him and a lot for the
34:38
pit crew, you know, so different levels, right.
34:40
You know, the, the, the car guys that build the cars, we need
34:44
the, the confidence to, to do the setups and do the things
34:47
and, and we don't need to really perform in a, in a moment, you
34:51
know, necessarily either in practice.
34:53
And then the driver in the picker got to have that
34:55
confidence to go perform in those seconds and in that
34:57
intense competition. And so that's that'll be big for
34:59
them. All right.
35:00
We're now going to roll into our post race, post race press
35:03
conference with our race winner, William Byron.
35:05
William, congratulations. Thanks for spending some time
35:08
with us. From your perspective, if you
35:11
don't mind, before we go to questions, can you just share
35:14
with us what it was like from from your vantage point on those
35:17
final laps, especially with that final caution coming out and
35:21
then essentially they're the shootout at the end?
35:24
Yeah, it's, yeah, probably the first time I've really thought
35:28
about it too much. But it's just you're thinking
35:31
about it's going to be a long run to the end, right.
35:34
So you're just trying to manage your stuff and, and when I got
35:37
the lead, it's just, OK, how do I manage my my tires and manage
35:40
my stuff to get through the next lappers that I got to get
35:43
through? And honestly, you're just kind
35:45
of counting the laps. You're just trying to match that
35:48
with what your your effort level inside the car is.
35:52
And then when the caution came out, it's like, OK, like I told
35:56
myself before the before the day started, I'm like, I'm not going
35:59
to get anxious about pit calls or, or cautions or whatever.
36:03
I'm just going to just going to do whatever it is that needs,
36:07
you know, that's I'm told to do. And, and so I just was, but I
36:10
was thinking about the possibilities of other guys, you
36:12
know, taking 2 tires or whatever it is.
36:14
So I think that's in the back of your mind just trying to execute
36:19
pit Rd., you know, not speed, have a good rolling time, all
36:23
those things, get in the box on the marks, all those things.
36:26
So our guys had a great pit stop.
36:29
I felt like pit Rd. in general went really smooth that that
36:32
last time around. And and then it kind of shifted
36:35
to OK, how do I get to this restart?
36:37
How do I get a good launch? And then what is my balance
36:40
going to be once I do get out, you know, get clear.
36:45
So all those things. So yeah, it just kind of tested
36:49
everything in those last 40 laps, just all the different
36:53
scenarios. All right, we're going to go to
36:55
questions. If you have a question, raise
36:57
your hand. Well, where'd you get a mic to
36:59
you? We're going to start with Kelly
37:00
and go to Jeff and then work our way around the room.
37:02
Go ahead, Kelly Crandall, racer.com.
37:04
Two things, William. First off, I want to start with
37:06
the contact contact with Ryan. Your view, your approach.
37:10
He he thought there was nothing foul about it.
37:12
You both are racing for the win. So from how you drove into turn
37:16
one, what was your play there? Yeah, I mean, that's what that's
37:20
what, you know, you guys want to see, right?
37:22
We're going for it. And I feel like in that
37:25
situation, yeah, I never like wanted to make contact because I
37:29
felt like I had a good position, like I was inside of him.
37:32
But we also had the lap car and I didn't really, I mean, I can't
37:34
see where the lap car is in that instance.
37:37
And so I just knew I wanted to commit to the corner and and
37:41
have position and and yeah, you know, I hate that we made
37:44
contact, but I think, you know, he was probably probably leaving
37:48
just enough space as well. And I was going into the corner
37:51
committed. So that's just kind of fighting
37:53
for space. But yeah, it's just it's hard
37:56
racing. We both want to make the
37:57
championship 4 and you know, it's a race win.
38:00
So you know, it's, it's no, not no ill will, but it's just kind
38:05
of it's hard racing and you racing for the win.
38:08
The last two weeks, the amount of points this team has seen
38:11
slip away in the third stage after how well you've run during
38:14
the race, I think it'd be, you know, understandable if you
38:16
were, you know, down in the dumps or worried or came in
38:19
yesterday and and stressing. But outwardly you seem like
38:22
you've been very calm, business focused forward.
38:26
Do you have us fooled or do you think the last couple years,
38:29
having gone through this, this, this playoff run, being in the
38:32
championship for before, has all that experience helped how
38:35
you've handled this round and then especially coming into
38:38
this? Yeah, I mean, I think I just
38:41
have good people around me and good perspective.
38:44
And I, I found that perspective. I don't know exactly when, but I
38:48
just found it and I felt good coming here.
38:51
Like I obviously I was nervous. Like everyone's nervous.
38:54
They want to win, you know, and they want to do the best job
38:57
they can. They don't want to let their
38:58
team down. That's the biggest, the biggest
39:00
feeling. But I just came here with, I
39:04
knew I had prepared. I knew I'd done everything I
39:06
needed to do this week. And in some ways I had worked
39:10
harder and other ways I didn't work as hard or gave myself a
39:14
rest. And I felt like I just was
39:16
prepared. I was going to do everything I
39:17
could do in the race car and see what the result was from that.
39:22
So that was my mindset and I think I'm just thankful to have
39:27
good people around me and good team.
39:29
And but definitely the last two weeks were very depressing
39:34
because they were just, there was no result.
39:37
And almost when Talladega happened the way it did, it was
39:40
I was almost numb to the result because I'm like, you know, it
39:43
just seems like it's just been happening this way, you know, so
39:47
you just kind of keep digging in, keep digging your heels in.
39:50
And we just came here with a lot of determination.
39:54
And our team could have gone one or two ways.
39:57
We could have been like, OK, Vegas didn't go well.
40:00
Talladega, we had a shot to win, you know, whatever happens at
40:04
Martinsville. But we came here on offense.
40:06
And I think that's that's what I'm super proud of.
40:09
It was a very freeing position to be in, you know, having to
40:14
race to win. Not like the last couple years
40:16
where you had to count points. And that freed me up inside the
40:20
car as well. And I think our team just.
40:22
Put everything out there this weekend.
40:23
It was the ultimate test for our group, the ultimate one we've
40:28
been through yet, and that was pretty cool to see.
40:33
Good, you led a career high amount of laps and you became
40:36
the first playoff driver according to this stadium.
40:38
Sing on X to win from the polls, sweep both stages and win the
40:43
race in the whole playoff era. Nice.
40:46
Is that do you consider? This I just, I knew that by the
40:49
way, I, I was like, man, a lot of guys don't win from the poll.
40:52
I mean, just statistically, right?
40:53
But I keep going. Yeah, I also saw a stat that
40:58
you're the first driver at Martinsville period to win from
41:01
the poll since 2013. So Jimmy, yeah.
41:05
Anyway, do you, with all that being said, is this, is this the
41:08
best race of your career? Is this the best race you've
41:09
ever driven in your life? Do you consider that?
41:13
I hope it's not the best, because I hope next week is.
41:16
Good. Well, so far so.
41:17
Far but yeah, I feel like all the things I've learned and all
41:23
the things that my team has has learned, obviously, and we just
41:27
put that all into a a big effort this weekend.
41:31
We're like whatever happens, happens.
41:33
And yeah, I I do think that from start to finish, it's the it's
41:39
the best I've ever felt in the race car and that's a that's a
41:43
damn good feeling. So yeah, I think it, I think
41:48
just, it's been a lot of work. I mean, it's been a lot of
41:50
heartbreak this year, the 600 and just different races and you
41:55
just channel those things, just learn from them.
41:57
And if you can learn from them, they become positives.
41:59
They become things you lean on and in the moment.
42:02
And you know, for some people, they become like scars and
42:06
things you can't get past. But I feel like for me, I found
42:10
a way to flip that script either this week or sometime during
42:14
these playoffs, and it went the other way.
42:17
And then yesterday you were talking about your mentality
42:20
driving yourself up here yesterday.
42:22
So are you driving home after this like by yourself or you is
42:25
you have a long drive Ed? I see my mom over there, so
42:27
maybe, maybe I'll get mom or dad to drive.
42:30
But yeah, I don't know. I'm gonna probably take it easy
42:33
for a couple days and get ready for Phoenix.
42:36
So what are you going to I guess if you're you have a drive home
42:39
though, So what are you going to be thinking about reflecting on
42:41
this on on your way back tonight?
42:45
I think it's important to reflect.
42:46
I think I'll think about as I am.
42:49
I'm very, I feel like very analytical, some people could
42:54
say, and introspective. So I'm probably going to think
42:56
about all the things that happened and all the all the
42:59
moves and I'm going to try to remember the good things.
43:00
But a lot of times your mind doesn't really remember the good
43:04
things because they're a little bit subconscious.
43:06
So yeah, it'll be hard to remember exactly how it played
43:09
out, but I'll try to. And I think I will also try to
43:13
move past and kind of get ready for Phoenix, honestly, and just
43:18
manage my week and just manage every opportunity I have to get
43:21
better and just try to learn as much as I can.
43:27
All right, Mark, go ahead. Mark Garrow PRN straight in
43:29
front of you. Hey William, First off,
43:32
congratulations. Personally, how does it feel to
43:36
come up this big? Kind of playing off what you've
43:38
just been talking about, How does it feel to personally come
43:41
up this big at such a clutch moment, right, and be big enough
43:46
for the biggest moment? It's awesome.
43:51
I mean it. You know, I have a friend of
43:53
mine that told me that this week.
43:57
He said, like, no moment's ever been too big for you.
44:01
And I didn't, you know, as a competitor, you don't really
44:04
realize that like you, you only view it in your eyes as every
44:07
opportunity and you only kind of look at it as missed
44:10
opportunities or things you could get better at.
44:12
But yeah, just kind of, I feel like this week and this weekend,
44:18
it's just trying to maximize the chance you have in front of you
44:23
because you never know when the next one's going to come.
44:25
Even though you think you're going to be there all these
44:27
times, you never know. So you just want to give
44:30
everything you can to it. I feel I felt good coming in
44:33
here that I had given everything.
44:35
And then, you know, once you get in between the lines, in between
44:38
the the walls, it's you're going to give everything.
44:42
So you just got to go out there and do your thing.
44:47
All right, Bob. Bob Pockras, Fox Sports Is this
44:52
track wins for you at this track as big as Daytona just because
44:57
of your history? I mean, that's a good question.
45:00
I think they're two totally different techniques, right?
45:03
Everyone would say this place is a lot in your control, it's
45:06
finesse, it's managing tires. Everyone would say Daytona is
45:10
aggression. It's it's making split second
45:13
decisions. They're totally different race
45:16
track. So it does, it makes me feel
45:18
good that I have diversity in my skill set, that I can go to
45:22
Daytona and anticipate and make good decisions, you know, in a
45:26
split second, and then I can come here and finesse and manage
45:30
tires and things. But it's it's, yeah, they're two
45:34
totally different. But yeah, they are two huge
45:36
places, I think. And I guess just from an
45:38
emotional side, you had your big one here in 2022, then you won
45:43
the 40th anniversary kind of race in 2024, and now this.
45:49
Yeah, I think this is probably the toughest place to get a hold
45:53
of and still is. So yeah, I think it just it's
45:59
kind of an evolution. But they are they are big wins
46:02
for sure. The 40th anniversary win was
46:05
big, but the win coming here the after the year after my mom's
46:11
deal and just winning and, you know, having them here was a
46:14
huge deal. That was that was number 1.
46:17
I think it still is number one. We talked about that this week.
46:19
So, you know, this is a close second.
46:21
But yeah, this place has meant a lot to me and my family and just
46:26
my dad and I come in here years ago and just watching race cars
46:30
go around, I feel like that what I saw from an outsider and that
46:35
kind of I feel like I still hold on to that and and kind of feels
46:39
me. All right.
46:43
We'll go to Davy there in the middle.
46:45
Thank you. Davy Segal was SiriusXM.
46:50
William, I know that you follow other sports really closely.
46:53
You're friends with a lot of other athletes.
46:55
As an athlete yourself in a big moment like this from the
46:58
outside and watching some of your in car that we saw on the
47:01
broadcast that looked like from afar that you were kind of in
47:04
the zone at some points today. Really.
47:07
Did it feel like that? Yeah.
47:09
I feel like I have AI. Don't know.
47:11
I feel like I get into kind of a zone, probably in there.
47:15
I mean, I noticed like, some guys stare.
47:17
I don't really stare. I just look like I'm kind of
47:19
like falling asleep in there. So it's kind of weird.
47:22
But yeah, I feel like I just kind of get into a zone
47:26
probably, and just that cadence and rhythm, I guess.
47:30
And yeah, as an athlete, you always want to find that.
47:33
But I think that the biggest key is kind of when things don't go
47:36
your way, how you adapt to the circumstances around you and
47:40
stay in that state. Yeah, In terms of looking ahead
47:44
to next week, a big talking point for a lot of people here
47:47
and also in the garage in general, was Penske and the fact
47:50
that they're not going to be eligible to win a championship
47:53
next week. I know that you're probably
47:55
going through a lot of emotions and thoughts in your head right
47:57
now. You haven't processed
47:58
everything. But the fact that you're not
48:00
going to have to go up against the Penske car when they've been
48:02
so good and so dominant in that race, how does that sit with you
48:05
now? I don't know.
48:07
I mean it, everyone's really good in this series, but I think
48:12
you saw an awesome battle between US and the 12.
48:16
And I told Jeff earlier in the the weekend, I said that, you
48:20
know, if you don't win here, it doesn't matter for next week,
48:23
right. So I feel like the challenge was
48:25
tonight for us and there will be another big challenge next week.
48:29
So it's not like it's not like we're thinking, oh, you know, we
48:33
got off easy because they're they're not in it.
48:36
It's nothing like that. I mean, Denny, Chase and Kyle
48:39
are amazing competitors and we're going to have to do
48:41
everything we we can do next week to win that one, too.
48:46
All right. We'll come up for our final
48:48
question with you. On media day, we were talking
48:53
about how you guys were kind of far off on the flatter, shorter
48:56
tracks and then you were like, well, you know, Gateway and
49:00
Loudon actually kind of give us a chance to get better and this.
49:03
So we might, those might be good tests for the Martinsville.
49:07
Were you, did you really believe that at the time?
49:09
Were we like, was that false optimism or did you actually
49:11
think, OK, that no, we, we have a chance to get as good as you
49:14
guys turned out to be today? Yeah, I did.
49:17
Those things are real, you know those.
49:19
I mean, the notes are real and I felt better I think than my crew
49:23
chief did after Loudon. Like when I got out of the car,
49:26
when we finished third, I was like, man, that was awesome.
49:28
And he was like, oh, we didn't win, but but I knew as a step
49:32
like I knew the car felt good. I could drive it hard.
49:35
I needed I I had what I needed in the car.
49:39
The 12 was just a little bit better and the 21, they were
49:41
really good. But so I knew that was a good
49:44
step and I was hoping that applied to this weekend, but I
49:47
was cautiously optimistic. And then when we unloaded the
49:50
car on Saturday, I was like, OK, we're, we're getting closer, you
49:55
know, and, and we have something we can fight with and just a
49:58
matter of how much. And I think honestly, us and the
50:01
12, like I said, we're super evenly matched.
50:04
It was just, it was a battle.