Joliet: Ward Burton preview

"Last year at Chicago, we qualified poorly and went a lap down early in the race. We had a couple of chances to get our lap back but weren't able capitalize on it. By the end of the day, we were running lap speeds good enough to be a top-10 car.

"Last year at Chicago, we qualified poorly and went a lap down early in the race. We had a couple of chances to get our lap back but weren't able capitalize on it. By the end of the day, we were running lap speeds good enough to be a top-10 car. While we didn't have a great finish, we did learn a lot about the front end of the car and that helped us the rest of the year. With that information, we went to a track similar to Chicago, Kansas City, were running really well that day until we got wrecked. You can't always control those things, but knowing that you ran well, keeps you optimistic about the next race. I'm pretty positive about our chances this weekend at Chicago."
- Ward Burton, driver of the Caterpillar Dodge

THIS WEEKEND AT CHICAGO...

"We are going to Chicago with a new motor package that we initially ran at Michigan," said Burton. "It should be great for us this weekend because we were running competitive at Michigan until we suffered a mechanical failure. We're also taking the same car we ran at Michigan to Chicago this weekend, so I feel we'll have a great set-up for this weekend."

IS CHICAGO TOUGHER THAN OTHER TRACKS?...

"I'm not sure that it is tougher than other tracks, but it is one of those places where you have to have the whole package in order to be competitive," said Burton. "Heck, in competitive Winston Cup racing today, you have to have the whole package every weekend. You have to have the right aerodynamic package, right chassis package and right motor combination. Without all three of those things and a driver that likes the chassis and the aero package, you're not going to go fast."

IS CHICAGO STILL A ONE GROOVE TRACK?...

"Let's hope the groove will move up a little bit this time at Chicago," said Burton. "Normally, after a new track has worn off its initial greenness, we will start moving up a little bit. I don't know if you'll ever see the preferred groove being other than the bottom, but let's hope we'll run a little more side-by-side this time."

SUNDAY AT HOME...

"It was great to have a Sunday off," said Burton. "My family and I went to the lake to spend the day together. My brother, Brian, and I have a place in Bug's Island, Virginia. It was nice to have that quality time together on a weekend."