Daytona II: Pole winner interview

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BURGER KING CHEVROLET IMPALA SS -- Starts on Pole: WITH QUALIFYING CANCELLED CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR CAR WAS IN PRACTICE YESTERDAY AND YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE RACE? "I'm excited about it and I think handling ...

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BURGER KING CHEVROLET IMPALA SS -- Starts on Pole:

WITH QUALIFYING CANCELLED CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR CAR WAS IN PRACTICE YESTERDAY AND YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE RACE?

"I'm excited about it and I think handling is always a big issue here at Daytona so that is what makes racing here so much fun is because it's a handing issue and it's not just necessarily strategy of being in the right place at the right time as much as you have to have a good, balanced car to get to the front and stay at the front.

"So I am excited about it and we have got different colors with the Burger King paint scheme on the car this weekend and I am excited to get out there tomorrow."

DALE EARNHARDT JUNIOR CAME IN HERE A BIT AGO AND HE SAID THE REASON THAT HE LIKES THE 400 VERSUS THE 500 IS THE PAGEANTRY AND EVERYTHING WITH SPEEDWEEKS JUST SEEMS TO GO ON FOREVER, AND THIS ONE IS WHERE YOU JUST COME IN AND RACE. DO YOU AGREE?

"It's like a typical weekend. It's no different than any other weekend really and it's only the Daytona 500 where we have ten days in here so that does make Daytona in February different than here in July obviously but it's still three days here and you still spend the same amount of time you do at any other race track but it's nice. I mean the format of today of just qualifying on Saturday and being able to impound is nice and we got all of our work done last night and we all come in and we're supposed to qualify today and race tomorrow so it kind of gives us all a day to kind of relax and get ready.

THIS IS YOUR THIRD POLE IN THE LAST FIVE RACES AND ALL OF THEM BY RAIN. DOES THIS ONE MEAN LESS THAN POCONO AND NEW HAMPSHIRE?

"I don't know how to answer that honestly. It's still a pole due to rain so we're still going to start the race on the pole tomorrow."

BUT MEANING IT'S EASIER TO GO UP AND BACK AS OPPOSED TO POCONO.

"I don't know that it would matter that much here then if it's that much easier. It really doesn't matter anyway. I mean if you have got a good enough car then Pocono is an example that at a Cup race that if your car is good enough to get to the front then you can do it from dead last and it doesn't matter if you start on the pole or not. I mean the advantage is it gives us a good pit selection and that is what helps. Other than that it's really not an issue."