NASCAR Cup

Richmond: Jeff Green qualifying press conference

JEFF GREEN (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge) -- Qualified Third "We worked on our Cheerios Dodge in practice. We didn't come here to test. We heard a lot of rumors and heard a lot of things were good and a few things were bad. We worked on ...

Published: May 15, 2004, 5:50 PM

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JEFF GREEN (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge) -- Qualified Third

"We worked on our Cheerios Dodge in practice. We didn't come here to test. We heard a lot of rumors and heard a lot of things were good and a few things were bad. We worked on getting the car driving good. Everything we threw at it didn't make it drive any better or worse. The car drove good. We ended practice a little tight and the way it turned out that's the way we needed to be. The track turned out to be a little slicker and the balance of our Dodge was really good. That allowed me to get after it a little harder. We actually picked up a little bit from our practice run, and that allowed us to get up there.

"The last three or four years we've been able to run side by side and the outside of the racetrack, the outside groove was even better than the bottom. As a driver, that's what you want to see. I think the surface, who knows, the Busch race will tell us a lot. I think we'll still have that second groove, but it'll take awhile. The only time you can have a second groove is when the bottom gets worn out. The pavement is brand new, so it's not worn out yet. It's real important to get a good starting spot. It'll help you through the first part of the race, but you've got to make sure you keep that position for the second part of the race.

"We've got the qualifying down now the last couple of weeks. We've done good there. We just need to make sure we finish the race and have a good effort doing that. These guys we race with each and every week, fortunately these guys give and take a lot and give you the room you need. The bottom will be the best, but if I had to pick one of the two, I'd rather pick the bottom. I thought the track would get faster as we went, but evidently it didn't. When you qualify you only have one chance. In practice you have three or four chances. Some of those times don't come back when you go to qualify.

"Any time you go to a black top racetrack the morning temperatures are a lot cooler than the afternoon. Any time the sun hits the black top it gathers the oil out of the surface and you're basically running on a film of oil and that slows your car down. The track was a lot cooler this morning. Guys had more grip. Even though the pavement is new, the grip goes away when you have that hot sun on it. I don't know what the temperature was, but it had to be up there. Any time you're sweating in a racecar the track is sweating, too."

-dodge motorsports-

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