2002 News
Indianapolis: Dale
Earnhardt Jr. Press Conference
Chevrolet
(August 3,
2002)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo (qualified 3rd) -
"The track didn't have any laps on it this morning and it was a little green, but the
early draw really helped us out. Me and Michael (Waltrip) had about the same car (he
qualified 14th).
ON THE HEAT
"We're not supposed to do a whole lot of complaining,
but it's pretty hot. You'll see the guys push the cars out for qualifying and for the race
with the covers over the windshields and whatnot. We didn't cover the windshield of my car
before qualifying and the steering wheel was too hot to touch. If I hadn't of had gloves
on, there was no way you could have held onto it for as long as I had to. It just gets
real hot in there (cockpit). It's real important to keep your helmet in the shade. It gets
real hot in there when you first put it on. You need to keep everything as cool as
possible. It's going to get probably 140-150 degrees in the car tomorrow. It'll probably
be the same way in Michigan in a couple of weeks, and the same at Watkins Glen next week.
"If you're running good and you're real competitive,
it never enters your mind. When you're not, and you're just trying to hang onto track
position,that's when it tends to bother you."
WILL THE HEAT BE A PROBLEM FOR THE MOTOR?
"I don't really think it'll be much different for the motors. It depends on what gear
you pull and how much tape you have on the grill and things like that. You can do things
to accommodate for the heat to help the motor and try to save the motor a little bit.
We're pulling a little less gear than I think a lot of people are. You've got to watch
what you do in practice. We try not to put too much heat on the motor. When you continue
to heat it up and cool it off, it makes all the parts that much more brittle. In these two
practices this afternoon, we'll try to save as much of the car as we can. I'm probably not
the best guy to ask as far as the engines go. I think if you take care of what you've got,
you'll be fine."
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