NASCAR Cup

Rockingham: Ward Burton preview

Burton and CAT Team Ready to Roll at The Rock "It has been an absolute whirlwind since I won the Daytona 500. I never dreamed it would be this huge. It just goes to show you how much the sport of NASCAR has grown over the past several years. I ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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Burton and CAT Team Ready to Roll at The Rock

"It has been an absolute whirlwind since I won the Daytona 500. I never dreamed it would be this huge. It just goes to show you how much the sport of NASCAR has grown over the past several years. I mean, now we go to New York and do all sorts of studio visits on national television shows. I never thought I would be doing this. It has been an unbelievable experience."
-Ward Burton, No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge

North Carolina Speedway
Subway 400

BURTON ON ROCKINGHAM
"I'd like to think that we can go to Rockingham and have a legitimate shot at winning. I scored my first win there in my first seven races with Bill Davis Racing. Since then, we've had some very good runs there and it's a place that not too many drivers can say that. It's one of those tracks that you either love or hate. I am fortunate enough to have had some good runs with a good team, so I am looking forward to this weekend's race."

BALDWIN ON ROCKINGHAM
"I am ready to get back to Rockingham. It's nice going somewhere you know you can run well. We're coming of a very big win and I want to do everything I can to keep the momentum going for the No. 22 Caterpillar Racing team. We plan on racing the same car we had here last fall. It's a good car and Ward ran pretty decent in it last fall. I just want to finish in the top five and have a shot to win. That's my goal."

TERRY ELLEDGE ON ONE ENGINE RULE COMING INTO PLAY
"Our biggest concern is the cam and lifter wear. Every time you start and stop the engine over the course of the weekend it wears on the flat tappet cam. If we can minimize the starting of the engine and the idling time, then we will increase the life of the engine. We've been looking at those issues. We've been trying to redesign the lubricating system inside the engine that specifically lubricates those parts that would have a lot of wear. We are currently working on new components to help with the parts that will have an increased amount of wear. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope for the best."

POST VICTORY ITINERARY
Following the Daytona 500, Ward and Tabitha Burton, along with their three children, and Bill and Gail Davis attended a ceremony at Daytona USA to induct the winning car, where it will remain for a full year. While there, Burton was a guest on NBC's Today Show. From there, they flew to New York for a media tour that included: ESPN's Unscripted, ESPN's RPM 2Night, FOX's Best Damn Sports Show Period and FOX and Friends, and ABC's Regis and Kelly. Burton and his winning team flew to Auburn Hills, Mich., on Thursday to Dodge headquarters, where they had a victory celebration and signed autographs for employees.

-cat-

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