Chevy Notes--Ken Howes, HMS Director of Competition

CHEVROLET NOTES & QUOTES

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES

DAYTONA TEST SESSION 1

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

January 13, 2005


KEN HOWES, DIRECTOR OF COMPETITION, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

(YOUR TEAMS HAVE DONE WELL IN TESTING, HAVEN'T THEY?)

"We're encouraged, obviously, any time you come down here and run well. You feel good because as a racer that's what you like to do. It also tells us the guys have been working really hard over the winter. The No. 5 car is not quite where we want it right now, but that's new team with a lot of new faces and it takes a while for that to all come together and learn the lessons. This form of racing is very difficult. When you have a good, experienced team it will show.



"I feel a little better than in the past about coming to this test. In the past we have struggled a little bit. So far so good but again there's no money on the line, no trophies. Don't read too much into it."



(WHY IS JEFF GORDON FAST AND THE USUAL TEAMS NOT RUNNING NEAR THE FRONT?)

"That comes out because people inevitably ask, 'what's up with the No. 8 or the No. 15 and why aren't they where they need to be?' Who knows the answer why? They've had a lot of personal changes and different things happen to the cars. We're like anyone else - we've got to rely on them and respect their ability at these tracks. So, it's a little surprise to us but in the scheme of things we don't know what's going on down there, or what problems they could be having. Hopefully for us they stay struggling."



(HOW ARE THINGS AFTER THE REORGANIZATION WITHIN HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS?

"We're encouraged by coming here and running well. It shows that the guys have been able to keep their heads down and stay focused on what we need to do. In another way that's sometimes you tell yourself that maybe it's a result of what happened-that you tend to work hard and try to occupy your mind when something like that happens to you because it's one way to keep going. You have to wake up each morning, put your foot on the ground, and go. So, in all, we feel good but we've done it too often to feel excited. When we get six weeks down the road, we'll see."



(ON HOW THE DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS ARE RUNNING)

"You can get into all the car makes. They way we look at it is that NASCAR has the rules where everything is really close. The cars are very close in their performance, so the differences you see are really small details. I really don't know that there's anybody with a clear advantage-it's more an indication of teams' abilities, strengths and weaknesses. The rules just force us into a really close competition here. Hundreds of a second make a difference and they are really hard to find."



(WHY IS JEFF GORDON SO FAST HERE?)

"Well, we were for a while but then Dale Jarrett got us yesterday. It's an indication that we started out with some good equipment and the guys have worked hard over the winter. But, it could change. There's another test next week and somebody else can take it. I don't think we're showing everything and neither is anybody else. We just happen to be leading the test. It's only a test."



(DO YOU LIKE THE GAME OF TESTING?)

"I don't know if game is the right word. I think it's more an opportunity to get out, get back to the track, and get some Florida weather. Cabin fever is a real thing that we struggle with in the winter and it almost makes us feel like we have real jobs. So it's nice to get out and go back and sort of race. It's not really racing, but it sort of is."