Pepsi 400 Post Race Quotes -- Chevy Drivers
7 July 1997
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Chevrolet Post-Race Quotes Pepsi 400 Daytona International Speedway July 5, 1997 DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The following provided by Chevrolet Motor Division, General Motors Corporation Public Relations: TERRY LABONTE (#5 Kellogg's Monte Carlo) - Started 35th, finished 2nd - "We had been struggling all day, but we were running fifth at the last start. I wouldn't have been real mad if it ended under caution. When they dropped the green on that last lap, I had a good run on those guys in front of me. "I hit a tire on pit road. I really didn't mess it up. It looks worse than it is. We thought it was really going to be a problem for us, but it was OK. "It was a big points day for us. Jeff had big problems and we almost got caught in that wreck with him when he came back down across the track. We gained points on him and we gained on Mark Martin, too. I got by Dale (Earnhardt) at the end. As far as points go, starting 35th, believe me, we're happy. That's our second straight second-place finish." DALE EARNHARDT (#3 GM Goodwrench Service Monte Carlo) - Started 2nd, finished 4th - "We just couldn't get going on the restart. I couldn't get anybody to work with me. Once I got to that 98 (John Andretti), he was awful strong. Everytime we got up there nobody would work with me. Nobody could get by him. They were trying to get by whoever was in second. Everybody was sort of racing for second. He was too strong by himself." KEN SCHRADER (#33 Skoal Bandit Monte Carlo) - Started 14th, finished 15th - "Ward (Burton) got into me and knocked in the fenders. It killed the car. Then on the last lap, I passed everybody that wrecked and everybody that let up for the wreck. We went from 29th to 15th on the last lap." STERLING MARLIN (#4 Kodak Gold Film Monte Carlo) - Started 30th, finished 3rd - "I didn't want to see that last caution. We came in and got tires and about half the field did. The guys in front of us were at a little disadvantage. It worked well for us. We got a little tight on a 20 or 25-lap run, but my hat's off to this Kodak team. They did a great job. Maybe we can get a roll going. I tried to lay back on that last lap and get a good run on Dale. I knew something was going to happen and sure enough it did. I just about made my move too early and got inside the 88 (Dale Jarrett). He raced us down the back straightaway and somebody ran him down and hit him in the right rear. Somebody came behind me and pushed me through there. I looked in my mirror and they were wrecking everywhere. We got through it and dodged a bunch of bullets." DARRELL WALTRIP (#17 Parts America Monte Carlo) - Started 34th, finished 14th - "Considering where we started, this turned out to be a pretty good day. The car went through a lot of changes today. It would be loose to the point where other cars would get me sideways when they passed by. Then the car would change again and be great for about 15 laps. Jeff (crew chief Hammond) and the guys worked on the car all day and didn't make much progress until our last pit stop when they adjusted the wedge. The car was great after that and we were able to avoid the last couple of wrecks to bring this car home in one piece. We're 15th in points right now at the halfway point and building momentum for the top 10. Then ol' DW can go back to New York and do a little dance on stage (at the year-end NASCAR banquet)." JOE NEMECHEK (#42 BellSouth Monte Carlo) - Started 11th, finished 24th - Involved in multi-car accident on last lap - "They started wrecking in front of me, and it was going to be big. I had 'em cleared and hit the grass and spun around and somebody drilled me in the left front. There was nowhere to go. It was a tough day. We were running pretty good. We were going to finish in the top 15. It's kind of a crazy thing to have a one-lap shootout when everybody is driving like nuts. They got their money's worth today." DAVID GREEN (#96 Caterpillar Monte Carlo) - Started 36th, finished 19th - Was the highest finishing rookie. - "We had a decent day. At least we led the way for all the rookies. We struggled a little bit and couldn't keep anybody around us to draft with, but we missed the big wreck and that was a big deal. I kind of felt for John Andretti in a way. I knew when they said one to go that all hell was going to break loose. It did. Maybe a little impatience by one guy messed up a lot of people." RICKY CRAVEN (#25 Budweiser Monte Carlo) - Started 39th, finished 37th - "I guess we used up all our luck at Daytona in February (where he finished 3rd). A piece of brake rotor went through our radiator and we had to come in and fix the radiator. That made for a long day. We struggled all weekend, but we'll bounce back. I'm headed to Milwaukee for the Busch race and then we're headed for New Hampshire, and we're looking for a strong run up there next week."
