October 26, 2007

Chevy EasyCare 200 At Atlanta Preview

Filed under: Chev events

 

What will be Chevy’s plight at Atlanta? As the team aims for victory, what measures will be taken?

Practice for the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 started noon today. Qualifying is scheduled tomorrow at 9:45 a.m. after which NASCAR officials will impound the 36-truck starting field until the start of the 130-lap/200-mile race set for 1:00 p.m. SPEED TV, MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio will bring the live action to the fans.

Ron Hornaday, Jr., No. 33 Camping World Silverado, and his Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI) team are continuing their disciplined strategy to the remaining four races of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) season as Team Chevy Silverado heads for Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS).

The NCTS champion and crew chief Rick Ren are entering the EasyCare Vehicles Service Contracts 200 this Saturday with the mindset that has kept them in a oscillate fight for this season’s championship all year long - lead laps, win races or secure the best finish possible.

How’s the team? Let’s hear it from the members…

Hornaday has this to say: "I am looking forward to going to Atlanta. I have one win there already, and I will be going for another one. We did a good job at Martinsville last weekend. We did what we needed to do and that was to have a good finish and we ended up finishing third. Rick Ren and all the guys are doing a great job, just giving me awesome trucks. These guys are tough.

Ren is taking a proven Silverado for Hornaday, knowing that keeping his driver comfy in the arena helps the team stay focused on the immediate task at hand. "We are ready for Atlanta," said Ren. "We are taking a truck that has been driven a lot this year, and it has been driven at different types of tracks. It has already been to Atlanta once this year. It has been to California, Kansas, Dover, Charlotte and Las Vegas, which are the same type of track as Atlanta."

At AMS, Matt Crafton, No. 88 Menards Silverado, finished third in the spring NCTS race. After qualifying second, his season high, at Martinsville, Crafton looked to be headed for a strong top-three finish until a multi-truck wreck in turn four on the last lap relegated him to the 18th finishing position. "That was just one of those racing deals…unfortunately, we just got out of position," said Crafton. "But all in all, it was a real good day, best qualifying effort of the year, and best run of the year, and we just have to forget about the last half-lap of that race.  I love Atlanta…it’s my favorite track.  We’ve had some success there, and we expect to run well there.”

Regan Smith will be behind the wheel of the No. 47 Ginn Resorts Silverado fielded by Morgan-Dollar Motorsports at AMS. "Every time I have crawled in that Silverado this season, we have been capable of a top-five finish, we just have had some bad racing luck. We are going to Atlanta looking for great things for this team. Every one at Morgan-Dollar deserves a good run and a good finish," said Smith.

The Atlanta race will ink Kyle Busch’s 8th start for Billy Ballew Motorsports this season. Aberrantly for the team, it has yet to visit victory lane in the No. 51 RedTop Auto Auction Silverado. Busch has a NCTS victory at AMS, coming in the fall race of the 2005 season. "I’m excited to be back in the truck for Billy Ballew this weekend in Atlanta," said Busch. "Our first run in Atlanta for him we won.  I would love to repeat the win for Georgia native Billy Ballew and the Georgia sponsor RedTop Auto Auction.  We haven’t had a win this year yet and I think we have a good possibility to do that here in Atlanta.”

Brendan Gaughan, No. 77 South Point Hotel Silverado, had a great performance in the spring 2007 AMS race. He is looking forward to relive it this Saturday. "We’re back to a track that I love," Gaughan said. "I was lucky to get out of Martinsville with an 11th-place finish, and I’m happy to be heading back to some tracks that suit my style of racing. We’re going back there expecting better things this time around."

Willie Allen, No. 13 ThorSport Racing Silverado, is currently sitting in the lead for the 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year title notwithstanding previous disaster. "I’m really excited about going back to Atlanta," said Allen.  "Anytime I get to go to a track that I have been to before is a definite plus for me and the team. It’s nice having a little extra experience and confidence. Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit."

Shane Sieg, No. 15 Terry Reid Automotive Group Silverado, will field a second BBM entry. It will be his fourth NCTS start of the season and his third start for BBM. "Atlanta is an exciting track to race at," said Sieg.  "You can run the high or low grooves on the pack making it easier to pass.  Atlanta is a fast mile and a have race track and you need to make sure your truck is balanced. I hope to avoid the crashes and have a solid finish for both Billy (Ballew) and our sponsor."

[Via: TruckSeries.com Report]    

The Chevy Bel Air

Filed under: Chev love

The demand for oldie cars are fast coming strong these days. How can we ever forget about the magnificent and flourishing years of the automobile world? This was the point were the best things started… the roots that gave birth to a new breed of excellent cars! The 50s and 60s cars preserved their appeal up to the present time. They are definitely as hot as the BMW 325es radiator! 

Chevy fans are now asking for the 50s and 60s automobiles to make a comeback today! And one of the much awaited comebacks is the Chevrolet Bel Air concept car. When people talk about Chevy cars, this vehicle is frequently brought up by Chevy cars aficionados! The Bel Air was very famous in the mid and late 50’s. So it only means that it really backed and drove Chevrolet over the highest peak as far as reputation was on the line. Chevrolet in fact dominated over several car manufacturers such as Ford when it came down to the durability and creative design of their vehicles.

The Bel Air line was manufactured by Chevrolet and was introduced to the market from the early part of the 50s all through the early ’70’s, but the all-time classic favorites endured the test of time and are exceptional for car collectors and car hobby aficionados and those that still came from the 1950’s period displayed a great character in the automobile world. Some of the automobiles that were manufactured by Chevrolet identified with the Bel Air name including the original Bel Air and some include the Chevy Impala and the Biscayne.

 

Corvette Racing Duo Cap Season with Ninth GT1 Win At Laguna Seca!

Filed under: Chev love

Gavin and Beretta, popularly known as Corvette Racing’s twin Compuware Corvette C6.Rs, went through a ferocious and Chevy shocks-breaking battle in the season-ender of the American Le Mans Series at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta stood very proud at the top of the traditional victory podium in the GT1 class for tying the record the ninth time in 2007 after the four-hour race ended in a dramatic fashion.

The Corvette Racing duo drove their No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R to a 30-second victory over the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen.

"I have to take my hat off to Olivier because he drove brilliantly. We were knocked off the track twice today, and there was big pressure all the time from our sister car. The one thing that kept us in front was the pit stops. The guys did a fantastic job with every stop, and our engineer Steve Cole and Corvette Racing gave us a mighty car. This was the best car we’ve had at Laguna Seca, and a victory was a fitting way to finish the season," says Oliver Gavin.

"Fifty years ago, Zora Arkus-Duntov, the godfather of Corvette Racing, conceived the Corvette SS race car to put Corvette squarely in the arena of international endurance racing. This year marks the 50th anniversary of both the Corvette SS and of the Laguna Seca circuit. As we look back on the results today at this great track and reflect on Corvette Racing’s record of success over the years, it’s clear that the Corvette C6.R has realized Zora’s dream," says Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper.

"Corvette Racing has again set the standard for engineering excellence, preparation, and commitment in the American Le Mans Series. The team came to race at every event, and ran with all of the passion and skill that have made Corvette Racing America’s premier production sports car racing team. The drivers, mechanics, engineers, support personnel and team managers of Corvette Racing have made everyone at Chevrolet proud, and I congratulate every one of them on a job well done,” Pepper noted.

Monterey Sports Car Championships GT1 Results courtesy of www.corvetteracing.com:

Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps

1. Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 150
2. O’Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 150

GT1 Championship Standings (unofficial after 12 of 12 events)
Manufacturer/Points

1. Chevrolet 258
2. Maserati 38
3. Aston Martin 19

Driver/Points

1. Oliver Gavin 246
   Olivier Beretta 246
3. Jan Magnussen 184
   Johnny O’Connell 184
5. Max Papis 52
6. Didier Theys 38
   Fredy Lienhard 38
8. Ron Fellows 35
9. Andrea Bertolini 22
10. Antonio Garcia 19
    Liz Halliday 19
    Darren Turner 19
13. Andy Pilgrim 13

October 25, 2007

Jeremy Mayfield Takes The New NASCAR Nextel Cup

Filed under: Chev love

Jeremy Mayfield replaced Jeff Green driving the No. 66 Chevy Haas CNC Racing as entry for the rest of the season. The race will start this weekend at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Motorsport.com has the news when I was looking for Saab convertible parts on the net. Mayfield will be driving the Haas CNC Racing during the 2008 Sprint Cup season however the car he will be using has yet to be disclosed.

Jeremy Mayfield said, "I’m very excited about this opportunity with Haas CNC Racing. Every indication is that this is a team with unlimited potential.” He continues say, “The shop is state-of-the-art, the equipment is first rate, there is an outstanding relationship with Hendrick Motorsports here, and it’s my challenge to make it all equal success on the track.  I’m ready to see how far I can take it."

According to the team general manager Joe Custer, "We’re very happy to welcome Jeremy Mayfield to Haas CNC Racing.”

“Jeremy has a proven success record and we will be relying on his skill, experience, and leadership to improve our overall team performance. Jeremy’s not far removed from being a Chase contender and I know he’s motivated to get back to that level," Custer has spoken. "We’re confident in our equipment and Jeremy knows how to get it done, so this is a very exciting opportunity for us."

 

October 23, 2007

2008 Malibu: A Déjà Vu For GM?

Filed under: Chev love

Are you familiar with déjà vu? The sensation you feel when you experience a new situation previously. That impression of having seen or experienced something before. Déjà vu, also known as paramnesia, is a French term which means “already seen.”

I do experience déjà vu but hardly ever. But in the auto industry, some experts are expecting a déjà vu in the 2008 Chevy Malibu. Past history about the Saturn Aura isn’t encouraging, argues Fortune’s Alex Taylor III. Would the new Malibu follow her sibling’s footsteps?

It’s 2006 and the new midsize car from General Motors arrives on the market with fabulous fanfare. Built on GM’s global Epsilon platform, it is specifically designed as an import fighter, aimed at knocking Toyota Camry off its perch. With stylish new sheet metal and a slick interior, it is dubbed GM’s best new passenger car in years. Reviewers are vociferous in their admiration; one said: "The sedan is so overwhelmingly good it’s a welcome check to import stalwarts from Honda to Hyundai."

That was the 2007 Saturn Aura that was introduced in August 2006 and almost promptly disappeared from sight. Despite its notices, and election by a journalist group as the North American car of the year, it has been an enormous disappointment. Instead of the 90,000 units a year that Saturn expected to move, it is selling at a rate of about half that. "Aura was a huge missed opportunity," said one competitor.

Another year, and another midsize car is getting a huge sendoff from GM. This time it is the 2008 Chevy Malibu, also built on the Epsilon platform, also boasting an upgraded design, and also hoping to steal sales from the Japanese, CNN reported.

"We think we’ve built the best midsize sedan in the world," Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper told the International Motor Press Association in New York this week. "We’ve got the car to beat Accord, Camry, and [Nissan] Altima."

For those keeping score at home, Peper didn’t offer any benchmarks to determine exactly how the Malibu will beat the competition. It won’t be sales volume, but here are a couple of others to consider:

•    The new Malibu has to sell better than the old Malibu, which was a homely child from birth and seemed to find its way into airport rental car fleets more frequently than it did the driveways of private homes. Some 103,000 old Malibus were sold during the first nine months of 2007.

•    Success for the Malibu can’t come at the expense of the Impala, Chevy’s other entry in the midsize car segment. Though often overlooked because of its innocuous design, the Impala is GM’s best-selling passenger car, with nearly 250,000 sold so far this year. Cannibalizing those hard-won sales won’t do GM any good.

•    Finally, Malibu has to make Chevrolet part of the national conversation again - especially on the East and West Coasts. Justly renowned for its pickups and SUVs, Chevy is all but invisible when the talk shifts to passenger cars, much less advanced technologies and alternative fuels. Since Chevy is GM’s biggest brand by far, that has to change.

People at GM argue that this time will be different. Whereas Aura had no name recognition and a tiny base of Saturn owners to draw from, Malibu is a well-recognized brand that resonates with Chevy’s enormous network of dealers and customers, they said.

Some things have absolutely changed. As analyst Tom Libby of J.D. Power points out, the Saturn brand doesn’t carry much clout these days because of years of neglect. But he adds that for Malibu to do better, Chevy has to provide the consumer "with a compelling, can’t-be-denied case for buying the Malibu over the Asian two."

What’s the forceful factor?

GM said it is value. The base four-cylinder Malibu comes to market with standard features like satellite radio and OnStar and a base price of $19,354 vs, $19,620 for the Camry and $21,620 for the Accord. Overall, Malibus are expected to sell for about $2,000 less than the comparably-equipped market leaders.

October 19, 2007

Corvette Racing’s “Jake” Mascot in ALMS Season Finale On The Spotlight By!

Filed under: Chev love

Corvette Racing’s skull mascot will on the spotlight at the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on this coming Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007! The team and fans call him Jake and he will soon beautify the Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars in full-body graphics for the four-hour season finale of the 12-race American Le Mans Series this weekend.

"We wanted to do something special for Laguna Seca, and the guys on the team are totally behind Jake. He’s a little edgy, urban, and underground. Young fans get it. The special Jake cars are a one-time only deal, just for fun, to make the last race of season memorable for the fans," says Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan.

Jake, the skull mascot, is the creation of designer Eddie Jabbour of Kick Design.

"Jake is the unofficial official mascot of Corvette Racing," Jabbour said with a laugh. "He really came from the team. I was at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2004 and noticed that the team had adopted skull icons as a symbol of the ‘take-no-prisoners’ mentality of those intense 24 hours. In fact, someone had scrawled ‘TAKE NO PRISONERS’ on the wall of the Corvette garage."

"I thought it would be awesome if there was an icon that truly belonged to Corvette Racing. I scribbled the Corvette flag on a cocktail napkin, then drew a skull around it. I thought the design worked, and the team embraced it immediately."

"Jake first appeared on the cars at Le Mans in 2005," Jabbour recalled. "Soon he was on the team uniforms, their travel shirts, and on the drivers’ helmets. It was in sync with what they were about, and the fans recognized that. Now people are flipping out that there are going to be two Jake cars at the last race."

"We’re not taking this race lightly. The drivers and crew for the No. 3 Corvette C6.R have something to prove after getting knocked out early in Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, and they’re going to be pushing hard to end the season on a high note. Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and the No. 4 Corvette crew have wrapped up the drivers championship, but they have pride at stake and they’re certainly not going to coast," says GM Road Racing Group manager Steve Wesoloski.

"We’ll push to be faster than we were a year ago," he continued. "That’s been our goal at every race this season, and I think we’ll see strong competition between the two Corvettes."

 

October 16, 2007

Chevy Revealed Ad Campaign For Malibu

Filed under: Chev love

At last, Chevrolet will be revealing the newest and the freshest car in the Malibu Line-up - the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu in a new form. Even before it was said to be revealed on November 1st, the car industry have anticipated that the new car design will be a great hit in the mid-size segment. The popularity of the new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu is going to depend on the advertisement made by the carmaker and this ad will start showing this coming October 17.

This is a plan that pushes the Chevrolet’s “American Revolution” campaign which will take over the scene and will be available through all media including websites and TV. The new advertisement will also be seen on the screens of the Major League Baseball 2007 League Championships and World Series as well as on primetime cable shows. Print ads in magazines including USA Today will also have the advertisement.

The Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said, “We are introducing the all-new Malibu to America with a ‘no stone left unturned’ marketing effort. We want the entire country to know that this car, which is designed to be the best in the mid-size segment, is coming, and that it has bulletproof quality, coupled with beautiful interior and exterior design. Malibu has the look, feel and content of a $40,000 car but it costs less than half that amount. It truly will be the car you can’t ignore.”

There are three phases of the Malibu Ads:

First: it involves intensive and unavoidable burst of car’s activity to bring into knowledge to the people what the new car can offer.
Second: a methodical approach to build credibility about the Malibu’s competitiveness using third-party endorsements.
Third: emotionally engage consumers and deliver the proof of why Malibu is the car Americans can’t ignore.

These three phases were released by theautochannel.com also a reputable website for car parts like Acura legend performance parts.

The General Director of Chevrolet advertising and sales promotion, Kim Kosak, said, “The Malibu campaign is not a one-day wonder. It will be a sustained, disciplined marketing effort to tell America about the all-new Malibu. We know we face a big challenge because Malibu is going up against strong competitors like Accord and Camry. But we know we have a great product, a strong media plan, and a creative advertising and promotional campaign to tell our story. We’re confident we can get the new Malibu on people’s shopping lists.”

Kosak also commented that even though the new ad is delivered to almost al kinds of networks, it is not a mass-market approach. She also insisted that this is a form of advertisement that catches women’s attention. It also has the interest of Hispanics and African Americans to have more knowledge about the soon-to-come all-new Malibu.

Kosak even added, “The all-new Malibu is the most-researched car in Chevy’s history, and our marketing campaign is also the most-researched plan we’ve ever developed. We know who the Malibu’s target buyers are, and we have designed customized media plans for all of them to connect with them in a targeted way.”

The advertisement was created by expert Campbell-Ewald and it features the Malibu’s quality, reliability and durability; the highly designed interior and exterior; its quietness and safety features; and the hybrid version, which will be the most-affordable in the midsize segment released by theautochannel.com.

 “The Malibu target audience is deeply entrenched in their beliefs. They are highly skeptical of anyone’s ability to compete with Camry and Accord. This campaign is designed to shock their systems, attack their beliefs and debunk myths. We want them to start out skeptical and end up wowed. The great thing is, we have the product to do that,” said the vice chairman and chief creative officer at Campbell-Ewald, Bill Ludwig.

 

October 11, 2007

Mark Martin Opens Chevy Dealership In Arkansas

Filed under: Chev love
The legendary NASCAR driver Mark Anthony Martin recently announced that he has opened a Chevy in Melbourne, Ark. The dealership is located approximately 30 minutes from Martin’s hometown of Batesville, Ark., where Mark Martin Ford Mercury and his museum are located, says TruckSeries.com.

“We are real excited about Mark Martin Chevrolet,” said Martin in an interview. “I know that I’ve had a lot of fun driving Chevys this year in the Nextel Cup Series, and we are really excited about partnering up with Chevy for a dealership.”

“We are an authorized Corvette dealer and we are currently in the process of remodeling the facility. The dealership is located close to my hometown of Batesville and we are very excited about what we have going on. My partner and good friend Lance Landers will oversee the day-to-day operations at each facility. Nobody knows the dealership business better than Lance and it should be really cool to see how it is able to grow under his direction,” he noted.

According to the report, the dealership, formally Tate Lawrence Chevrolet, has approximately 250 units in stock and is located at Hwy. 69 and 9 in Melbourne.

Martin is a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., driving the #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS/Impala. Aside from that Martin is also a part-time driver in the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series for Hendrick Motorsports, and Wood Brothers/JTG Racing.

In NASCAR, Martin is one of the iconic drivers who exude consistency. He frequently finishes in the top 10. What’s more, Martin also qualified for the Chase for the Cup all 3 years he raced full-time during its existence.

How legendary is Martin? Well, base your verdict on his driving record…

Martin’s Awards and Recognitions:

1977 American Speed Association (ASA) Rookie of the Year
4-Time American Speed Association (ASA) Champion (1978, 1979, 1980, 1986)
5-Time IROC Champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005)
Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)

He’s exceptional that is. Now that he is venturing into business, though still connected with cars and of course Chevy, a lot of well-wishers are positive he will go a long way with it. I agree. A man with skill and determination like his will surely succeed in whatever undertaking he chooses to take.

October 10, 2007

GT1 Championship with Petit Le Mans Victory Secured Gavin and Beretta!

Filed under: Chev love

The GT1 championship along with the Petit Le Mans crown was already clinched by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Max Papis. They drove their No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R to a GT1 class victory at last weekend’s 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta. The event was the sixth class title at Petit Le Mans for Corvette Racing with a victory secured a third successive GT1 drivers championship for Gavin and Beretta. Yeah! Congratulations!

According to CorvetteRacing.com, the triple treat finished 364 laps, completing 50 laps in advance of the runner-up No. 27 Maserati MC 12, which retired after a car crash. The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R was driven by Jan Magnussen; Johnny O’Connell, and Ron Fellows were forced to rest due to an accident after finishing 15 laps.

"The traffic was suicidal at some points today. People were doing the craziest stuff. I’m not sure whether it was the track, the conditions, or just people having a bad day, but there just were so many people going off the road. Fortunately everybody in the No. 4 car kept it on the road, the team did a fantastic job, and we came through without any issues," said Gavin.

"We had a couple of very close calls, but we definitely deserved this win," Papis noted. "Even though we didn’t have much opposition, we went as hard as we could to prove the Corvette is an invincible car. It’s an amazing feeling to bring this car into the winner’s circle. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta are the two best teammates I could have."

Beretta completed his record for ALMS career wins with his 36th win last weekend. He became the first ALMS driver to win five championships as well with three rings with Corvette Racing and two with Oreca.

"It’s great to win the championship by winning here today. This makes up somewhat for the huge disappointment of Le Mans. I’m delighted for everyone in the team, and especially for my engineer, Steve Cole, who’s done a marvelous job all season. Ray Gongla, my crew chief, has been a rock, a real leader, with his cool head and his ability to keep talking us through the races. All of the team managers - Gary Pratt, Doug Fehan and Steve Wesoloski - have been at the helm, steering the ship along. Olivier has done a fantastic job, and it’s marvelous to have Max back in the car," says Gavin, who tallied his 27th career ALMS victory.

A quick glance at the Petit Le Mans GT1 results:

Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps

1. Gavin/Beretta/Papis, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 364
2. Theys/Lienhard/Bertolini, Maserati MC 12, 314
3. O’Connell/Magnussen/Fellows, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 15

GT1 Championship Standings (unofficial after 11 of 12 events)
1. Chevrolet 235
2. Maserati 38
3. Aston Martin 19

Driver/Points
1. Oliver Gavin 223
   Olivier Beretta 223
3. Jan Magnussen 165
   Johnny O’Connell 165
5. Max Papis 52
6. Didier Theys 38
   Fredy Lienhard 38
8. Ron Fellows 35
9. Andrea Bertolini 22

 

October 6, 2007

Jeff Gordon Speaks

Filed under: Chev love

Just a few hours before the race at Talladega, Jeff Gordon talked with the media and shared his thoughts on going into the race. Gordon is currently second in the Chase behind teammate Jimmie Johnson. Driving the No. 24 DuPont /Pepsi Impala SS, Gordon has won four companionships and is ready to take another one.

During the practice, Chase contender Denny Hamlin was chastised by NASCAR for aggressive driving.  Here’s what Gordon had to say about that:  "I didn’t see what happened. He got into the back of me. Maybe it was a little harder than it should have been but that’s these cars. That’s the situation that we’re in right now. So I don’t know. I didn’t see what happened."

Being a superspeedway, the race in Talladega has always had crashes. Gordon is wary about that and talked about his thoughts on how to deal with the situation come raceday. When asked whether he would hang in the back of the pack to avoid pile ups, he said:  "I don’t know. I tried that before and I just couldn’t do it. But I think that what you’re going to see is a lot of shuffling. You’ll see a guy who drives to the front and then he goes to the back. So you’re going to see a lot of that. If we get up front and can stay there, I want to stay there. But if you can’t get to the front or if you get shuffled from the front to the back, then maybe we will ride in the back. I don’t know."

He added that:  "I think you’ve got to evaluate every situation differently. If it looks like it’s a little bit too out of control out there, that might be a better option. There is no guarantee any where on this race track that if a crash happens, that if you’re riding in the back you’re going to be out of it; or if you’re up front leading that that’s not going to happen. So, all you can do is drive the best you possibly can. If it’s your day to get caught up in it, then it’s your day. And if it’s your day not to, then you won’t."

As for the track, Gordon said that the race in Talladega is like playing Russian roulette.  "This is one of the most spectacular tracks we have on the schedule. I think that while we all know it’s like playing Russian roulette when we come here, I still think it’s one of those races that it’s too spectacular not to be in the Chase," said Gordon.