Ford Racing Phoenix notes

Bobby East, driver of the No. 4 Klatt Enterprises/Ford Racing Esslinger Ford, won Thursday night's USAC Mopar Copper World Class National Midget Championship Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.

BOBBY EAST -- No. 4 Esslinger Ford

ON THE CLOSING LAPS. "I was running out of fuel those lap two laps and it was sputtering just a little bit down the straightaway but it stopped completely in [turns] one and two there and on the last lap. I didn't think it was going to get back going. I can't say enough about how great this car handled tonight."

YOU GOT A GREAT JUMP ON THE RESTARTS. YOU JUST HAD TO HIT THE BUTTON AND GO. "I couldn't conserve any fuel and there were so many cautions out there and some of them took a while. That's why we were running out but, this Esslinger Ford restarts great and runs great and makes good power and is fun to drive."

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE THE EAST FAMILY CELEBRATE WITH YOU BEHIND THE WHEEL AND YOUR DAD WRENCHING ON THE WINNING CAR? "It's pretty cool and it's taken a while. I've had a lot of really fast cars here and just haven't been able to get it done for different reasons each time. We've still got one more to go tonight in the Silver Crown car and I think we've got a good car for that race too.

WHERE DOES THIS WIN RANK IN YOUR CAREER? "It ranks up there. The night before the 500 was a really big win for me earlier this year. This took a while to get, but so did the night before the 500. It's really nice to win here."

THE RACE HAD SEVERAL CAUTION PERIODS, WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? "I definitely didn't want any cautions, especially towards the end. Then there was so much oil down there at the end of the race off of [turn] two, I was really nervous about that. Then I was running out of fuel. My car was completely stopping in the middle of [turns] one and two those last two laps. Lap 23 was pretty bad then on the white flag lap, I didn't think it was going to get back going and I just couldn't believe it. I've lost a race about four years ago here on the last lap and I almost had visions of that re-happening."

ON THE SPEED AND LENGTH OF THE RACE. "You've got to go all out right away. It's pretty cool. It's a big track for the midget cars, too."

-credit: usac