Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 - Pocono Raceway

NAPA RACING PRESS BOX FEATURING MICHAEL WALTRIP

How much does the Pocono track change from the race in June to the race in August?
"It changes quite a lot. You are talking about the hottest six weeks of the whole year between June and August. We will head back knowing the track is going to be different. A driver that put an end to some of that kind of thinking was Denny Hamlin. He went up there as a rookie and won the first and second race at Pocono. He probably didn't notice it changing at all. I think as we go forward, drivers understand what Denny was able to accomplish. It was impressive. We all know that the track changes, but it changes for everybody. You just go up there and deal with it."

Now that we have one race down at Pocono, how did the new patch of pavement effect how you race the track?"I am of the opinion that they should put a patch like that at all the tracks. Go somewhere and find a groove that you never run and pave it brand new. It will mix things up. That patch at Pocono in Turn 3 made it so fun. That's because you had the opportunity to dive to the bottom and take the shortest way around and try to beat a guy around a corner who is taking the long way on some fresh asphalt. That fresh asphalt had a lot of grip. I thought it was fun to be honest with you. Pocono has always been one of my favorite tracks, but this new patch of pavement has made it even more fun because it gives us another groove to race. It's another option and that's always a good thing to have."

In your opinion, what would you have liked to see happen in Indy when the tire problems developed?"We should have been able to say on Saturday afternoon that we had a problem. I remember back in 1994 or 1995, we went to Dover and we didn't like our tires. On Sunday morning, Goodyear gave us a new tire and we went out and practiced it and then raced it. In Goodyear's defense, in the history of the world, the track has always rubbered-up. The track is the same it has been over the last couple of years. It didn't change. It's the same track with the ruffles and ridges on the surface. The tire compound did not match up with the surface. When it was all said and done, Goodyear, the competitors, and the fans need to thank NASCAR. NASCAR stepped up and made sure it was an entertaining race and that is what they got in the end.

"I think in moving forward, we need more testing before we go back to Indy to avoid this situation from happening again. They have to go back there and understand exactly what you need to come back there and race. Over the 50-plus years of NASCAR racing, very rarely has Goodyear ever let the competitors down nor have they let the fans down. Indy was a big day. NASCAR had Goodyear's back and they decided to work together to do the best they could to put on an exciting race. It was an isolated incident. We will all get it better and be smarter next time. We will go to Pocono this weekend and you are going to see great racing without any tire problems."

Michael Waltrip Fast Facts

• NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will qualify for his 710th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the 21st event of the 2008 season, the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500, is held at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.
• Waltrip will start in his 45th Cup race at the 2.5-mile track. His best start is first in the NAPA machine (June 12, 2005) and best finish is second (June 19, 1988). In total, he has three top-five and six top-10 finishes at Pocono.
• Earlier this year, Waltrip started 19th and finished in 37th place in the Pocono 500. The disappointing finish was a result of a spin just past the halfway mark and a late-race caution that ruined the team's pit strategy.
• Waltrip has completed 7,723 of 8,708 laps (88.7%) at the track and has led a total of 63 laps in competition. His average start is 21st and average finish is 21st.
• Entering this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Waltrip is 32nd in driver and owner points standings. He is guaranteed a starting spot in Sunday's race. A total of 44 cars are on the preliminary entry list.

EVENT FACTS