Virginia Native Ready For Richmond

"At Richmond, we have to work real hard to be good.  It is not an easy place
for us and it isn't going to get any easier.  But our short track program is
a lot better than what is used to be."  - Ward Burton

RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY PONTIAC EXCITEMENT 400

BURTON ON RICHMOND

"Richmond hasn't been very kind to us in the past. A lot of times there have been small things wrong with the car that we figure out after we get back to the shop when we start looking. With good finishes at all of the short tracks early in the season, our confidence is riding high. We can come out of Richmond with another solid finish. That's our goal - keep having consistent finishes. If we continue doing that, we'll be there in the points at the end of the season.

"We tested at Richmond just before the off weekend. We mostly tested shocks and various components of the car. Our test didn't consist of going fast, just learning information from the computer and the driver. We had our California car at the test, so we were being very careful with it. We didn't want to wreck that and have to take a back up car to California."

BURTON ON CALIFORNIA

"I can assure you that the Caterpillar team never gave up. I was really hard on them on the radio. Every lap I was telling them that the car was too tight, the rear-end had too much steer and then at one point that the motor might be letting go. With all of those issues, the team did a great job to make the changes they did and get me back to the race with a car that I was comfortable with. When we got back on track, we went from 41st all the way back to the top five. I would've liked to have finished in the top five, but Ricky Rudd got by me at the end. Days like Sunday show the No. 22 Caterpillar Racing team is capable of winning championships. They took a junk car and turned into a top-five."