Showing posts with label RFR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RFR. Show all posts
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Danica and Ricky are living love in the fast lane
Source-usatoday(nate ryan)
In a secluded bar at the rear of Sandy Point Restaurant, concern crosses Danica Patrick's face as she glances at her boyfriend.
During a two-hour dinner of loving wisecracks and gushing compliments at this lobster house on the bucolic shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, here is what counts for an awkward moment with auto racing's most famous pairing.
"We don't have utensils," Patrick says, staring blankly at a plate of mozzarella sticks.
"Why do you need those? You're supposed to use your hands," Ricky Stenhouse Jr. says with a devilish pause. "You want me to feed it to you?"
She smiles. "Yeah, baby."
NASCAR's First Couple might seem odd only because their relationship has been so ordinary despite the extraordinary circumstances.
Patrick and Stenhouse are battling for Sprint Cup rookie of the year on the track, but away from the spotlight, they have built a caring yet competitive relationship around screwball comedies, high-end shopping excursions and competitive rounds of golf.
STANDINGS: Complete Sprint Cup points
They somehow have managed dating and racing each other seamlessly — well except for those two instances in which they slammed into each other at full speed.
"I guess it has been a little easier than we thought," Patrick tells USA TODAY Sports in their first extended sit-down as a couple. "It is unique. It is different. But you just can't pick when love happens and with whom."
In this case, romance has blossomed at the most critical juncture of Patrick's career — her rookie season in NASCAR's premier series.
As the circuit moves to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's Brickyard 400, Patrick is 27th in points with one top-10 finish this season, while Stenhouse is 21st. Although her mass marketing appeal has guaranteed sponsorship for years regardless of results, Patrick admits that she must start improving.
"I'm not really in transition anymore," she says. "Most of the (series) I'd been in for a long time, I was like, 'One more year, two more years. Don't rock the boat, do the best you can.' Now I'm like, 'Holy crap, I've got to make this right.' (Sprint Cup) is it for me, you know? It needs to be better because I'm not waiting for the next thing. This is it. Or there won't be a next thing."
Yet it's been mostly sunshine and roses away from the track for Patrick, who revealed her Stenhouse news in January, two months after announcing the end of her seven-year marriage. It initially seemed the NASCAR universe might implode from the virtually unprecedented pairing, but the glare faded quickly.
When Patrick accidentally spun Stenhouse at New Hampshire Motor Speedway two weeks ago, it hardly caused a stir aside from the most popular woman in motor sports joking to Jay Leno on The Tonight Show that she "did sleep on the couch that night." There have been no wisecracks from fellow drivers or scandal-sheet headlines about their unusual union — not that it matters to the couple.
"It's not that we really care what people say," Patrick says. "I didn't think about it a ton. Maybe a little bit. But I think people mostly were just happy for us."
Says ESPN analyst and 1999 champion Dale Jarrett: "They're probably extremely happy that it's become a non-issue. As much attention as Danica gets, you wonder why there isn't as much on the relationship, but a lot of it probably goes to the fact that neither one of them said, 'This is what we're all about.' They've said, 'We're here to do our jobs as race car drivers,' so I think that maybe everyone said, 'OK, they don't want to talk about it anywhere past this, and we're not going to get much more out of it,' so it became a non-issue, and I think that's the way it should be."
IN DEPTH: 12 Questions with Dale Jarrett
Though they've kept their feelings low profile, it isn't because they are playing it cool. On the contrary, Patrick and Stenhouse have been virtually inseparable, even during their daily crossfit training routines. At the track, they use one motor home for living and sleeping quarters and the other for Patrick's noted culinary skills ("D's Diner" or "Café D" as Stenhouse has dubbed it).
"Does it worry me at all being together so much? No, because we're worse apart," Patrick says. "We're much better together."
"I mean, we're apart for at least four hours on Sundays," Stenhouse jokes.
"But I'm still as close as anyone can get to him that whole time," Patrick says.
The arrangement might be working well because there hasn't been much of an on-track rivalry or consistent success to attract the spotlight's glare. While Stenhouse contended for a victory at Kansas and has been in the hunt for a Chase for the Sprint Cup bid, he also is currently ranked 21st in points and still seeking his first top 10. So is Patrick whose results have faded since starting the season as the first female Sprint Cup pole-sitter and the first woman to lead the Daytona 500.
Maybe it works simply because "they both seem extremely happy," Tony Stewart tells USA TODAY Sports. The three-time champion has fielded cars for both — the No. 10 Chevrolet for Patrick in Cup and USAC sprint cars for Stenhouse. "I've been around Ricky a lot longer than I've been around Danica, but Ricky seems the happiest I've ever seen him, and that's definitely the happiest I've ever seen Danica," Stewart says. "It seems like everything is going really, really well."
So how far along are Patrick and Stenhouse in their relationship? Well, they've met the parents, they're buying each other clothes and they've entered into various stages of cohabitation and compromise. (Patrick is using slightly fewer vulgarities; Stenhouse is drinking slightly more wine.) But the adoring and devoted bond hasn't prompted any talk of wedding bells in the near future (though they toyed with pranking the news media with a photo tweet in front of a Las Vegas chapel).
"We're enjoying it," Stenhouse says.
"But if you continue to enjoy it for long enough," Patrick adds, "then it's just common law in some states."
CROWDED HOUSE
Patrick, 31, spends much of her free time with Stenhouse in the Lake Norman area about 20 miles north of Charlotte at a house where her boyfriend rents a bedroom from his accountant, Ehren Hull.
She keeps her belongings on the floor of a spare room that holds Stenhouse's racing simulator, which serves as a hanger for some of her clothes.
"See, that's how much this is true love," Patrick laughs.
PHOTOS: Danica Patrick's NASCAR career
She doesn't seem to be bothered that Stenhouse, who has been looking to buy a large tract of land for a cattle ranch and motocross track, also shares a residence with a family of four (including two young children).
"It's fun with a whole bunch of people," Patrick says.
The scene is markedly different when they stay at Patrick's River North condo in Chicago. Stenhouse, 25, accompanies his girlfriend on shopping trips to Barneys New York, Lululemon Athletica and other Magnificent Mile stores.
Her favorite? "All of them," says Stenhouse, sitting patiently at dinner while Patrick giggles her way through sharing an email meme about being a young woman in Chicago: "Show the world you're a girl who's self-worthy of $80 yoga pants."
Shortly after ordering (one-pound king baked stuffed lobsters for each, with glazed carrots for Patrick and potato wedges for Stenhouse), Patrick frets about asking for a black napkin.
"Let's keep that in my inner monologue," she says. "What's that Will Ferrell skit about how to train a dog? The dog won't eat his food, and he's like, 'Oh, I'm sorry, The Palm was full tonight. It's going to be the Alpo.'"
"She knows all of Will Ferrell's Saturday Night Live lines," says Stenhouse, noting the couple gave two thumbs up to a screening of Grown Ups 2 a night earlier.
DEAL MAKING
The topic switches to their mismatched sense of fashion and Patrick's high-falutin tastes. "I'm pretty sure that 80% of the time he looks at my outfit and goes, 'I don't get it,'" she laughs. Stenhouse is slightly embarrassed to be wearing a $75 James Perse T-shirt bought for him by Patrick.
"Are you kidding me? I grew up wearing free racing T-shirts," Stenhouse says. "What's wrong with still wearing them?"
There's a similar kind of deal making when it comes to wine. Stenhouse grudgingly imbibes to keep his significant other happy during wine pairings of 15-course meals, such as her birthday dinner at Providence restraurant in Los Angeles.
"I can drink some white now and then, but I don't really like it," Stenhouse says. "I just drink it more so that when I kiss her, it's not that bad."
These seem like major concessions for a native of Olive Branch, Miss., who "can live on Sweet Tarts. I'm pretty sure my body turns them into protein."
But aside from attending fewer dirt-track races, Stenhouse says life with Patrick hasn't changed too much.
"I hang out with a bunch of girls now, but other than that," he laughs, then pauses. "No, I don't really think there's anything different."
"So I'm awesome?" Patrick asks.
"Pretty much," he says.
MEETING THE PARENTS
She isn't very good at golf, which she is trying to master so she can join her guy (who has played regularly since his freshman year of high school) more often on the links.
Stenhouse's handicap is about 8. Patrick's? "My temper."
That doesn't stop her from vowing to take a round off Stenhouse "in a couple of years," particularly when he agrees to let her shoot from the women's tees.
"Baby, if it means winning, I'll take it," she says. "You want to handicap me in the car and give me 20 extra horsepower because I'm a girl, that's fine, too."
Competitive spirit is a cornerstone of the relationship, as Patrick also brags about making up a 20-second deficit to finish 45 seconds ahead of Stenhouse in a four-round CrossFit workout.
But there also are signs of yielding by Patrick, who wears cowboy boots and hats and has learned to cook liver mush for Stenhouse.
"I drink a lot less wine, and I don't swear as much," she says.
"Yeah, my mom doesn't like it," says Stenhouse, who warned Patrick before their first trip to Mississippi.
There was another family outing last month with both sets of parents at Kentucky Speedway, where the drivers made use of the extra space in two motor homes to house their relatives for cookouts and golf.
"Meeting the parents is the easiest," Stenhouse jokes. "Let's be honest: Parents like me."
Says Patrick: "Parents are worried about me and wonder, 'What's she really like?' Then they realize I'm sweet. I take care of you."
That was evident as the couple strode out of the empty restaurant in New Hampshire, and an employee called out, "Good luck racing this weekend, Danica!"
"You know Ricky's racing Sunday, too," she counters. "You can root for him!"
Stenhouse smiles sheepishly, but the support is something he appreciates, particularly after qualifying.
"Either she's trying to get me to laugh, or I'm trying to get her to laugh," he says. "Generally, it seems like one of us has a good mood or a bad mood."
"What am I like in a bad mood?" Patrick asks.
"Wonderful," Stenhouse replies without missing a beat.
"That's why we're going to make it, honey," Patrick says with a smile.
Stenhouse on his own track
Source
FONTANA, Calif. -- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was braced for the onslaught of questions about his love life as he waited for an interview with E! News on the roof of his No. 17 hauler two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway.
After all, this was the entertainment network that makes headlines out of celebrity gossip stories about Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian.
Stenhouse's only claim to that type of celebrity status and gossip column fodder is, well …Danica Patrick.
But a surprising thing happened. Patrick's name came up only once -- or twice.
"When they said we were going to do [the interview] I thought it was going to be all about that," Stenhouse said of his relationship with Patrick. "But shockingly, it wasn't. They actually asked a lot of racing questions. What goes on? What's a crew chief do up here? So I was kind of surprised. It turned out to be a great interview.
"I thought that was kind of cool."
So the actual E! News piece was on the couple, not so much their racing. What did you expect?
But with all the attention focused on who will replace injured Denny Hamlin in the No. 11, Tony Stewart's feud against Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. moving into the points lead, the latest on one of the biggest stories of the NASCAR season has been overlooked.
Stenhouse has left Patrick.
Not literally.
Stenhouse has left his fellow Sprint Cup rookie behind in the point standings and almost every other statistical category.
Heading into Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway he is 12th in points, 62 behind Earnhardt. Patrick is 29th, 112 behind Earnhardt and 50 behind Stenhouse.
So while they may have moved closer off the track, they're growing father apart on it.
Asked by E! News if her struggles have made for some silent dinners, Patrick laughed.
"It's been a little challenging," she said. "I'll say, 'Babe, am I less hot when I'm not good on the track? Does that make me less attractive?' And he's like, 'I'm not with you because you're a race car driver.'"
And Stenhouse, 25, isn't in NASCAR's premier series because of whom he dates. He's first and foremost a race car driver.
Fortunately, that hasn't been overshadowed by his love life, as some suspected it might before the season, when his relationship was the main topic around the garage.
"It's been good," Stenhouse said. "We haven't had the focus off track since Daytona got going."
That doesn't mean Stenhouse shies away from drawing attention to the relationship. During prerace introductions at Bristol he told the crowd, "Hey guys, she's taken."
But Stenhouse obviously hasn't let the relationship become a distraction to his work. He's one of only five drivers to complete all 1,483 laps this season. The others are Earnhardt, second-placeBrad Keselowski, fifth-place Greg Biffle and eighth-place Paul Menard.
Patrick, 31, has completed 144 fewer laps.
Stenhouse has a respectable 16.4 average finish, which is better than four-time champion Jeff Gordon, three-time champion Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer -- to name a few.
Patrick's average finish is 26.8, 31.5 since she set history with an eighth-place finish in the Daytona 500.
Roush Fenway Racing owner Jack Roush couldn't be happier with Stenhouse's progression since he was named the replacement for Matt Kenseth, who moved to Joe Gibbs Racing. He hasn't been concerned about Patrick being a distraction since the news first broke his driver was dating her.
"I looked him in the eye and asked him about that," Roush said. "He assured me some things were more important than others, and that he'd take care of things in the proper order."
RFR president Steve Newmark understands why people might think Stenhouse would be distracted by the TMZ fodder.
"But he is so laser focused on being a championship driver, it was easy to see he wasn't going to be distracted," he said.
If anything, Newmark and Roush have had to temper Stenhouse's expectations. While their driver expected to contend for wins and a title just as he did in winning the past two Nationwide Series titles, they understood the steep learning curve.
Stenhouse understands it better now, too.
"It's not very much fun not competing for wins like we did in the Nationwide Series, but that will come with time," he said.
The learning curve will be even sharper this weekend as Stenhouse and Patrick race at Martinsville Speedway for the first time. For Patrick, it will be another historic moment in that no woman has competed at the half-mile track in a Cup car.
Stenhouse just hopes to avoid what many rookies do on their first trip to the paper clip-shaped track.
"I remember the first several races I ran there, I ran into everything," said Earnhardt, who now claims Martinsville to be one of his best tracks. "I ran into other race cars, walls, pace cars … just about everything that could be ran into, I found it."
But Stenhouse has shown the patience and maturity that makes one believe he'll negotiate the track better than most first-timers.
Not since Hamlin finished third in the final standings in 2006 has a rookie been this high in points. Only six of the 25 drivers who finished in the top 25 a year ago were top 10 in their first season. The average position in the final points standings for that group was 16.68.
Reigning Cup champion Brad Keselowski finished 25th in points in his first full season.
So at this point, Stenhouse is ahead of the game.
"We're getting better," he said. "If we keep building every week and learn from the mistakes, at some point this year maybe we can compete for a couple of wins."
One day, RFR expects Stenhouse to compete for titles. He is a cornerstone for the future of the organization.
"He's such a competitive guy, which is why he is where he is," Newmark said. "He's got a drive that is unmatched out there. But it is one of those things you've got to preach patience to him and make him understand he's in it for the long haul."
Stenhouse has kept that perspective through all the attention surrounding his love life. And he's not nearly as concerned about being identified as Patrick's boyfriend as he is being confused with Richard Childress Racing Nationwide Series driver Austin Dillon, who like him wears a cowboy hat around the garage and in public.
"I was walking around at Bristol and some guy came up and said, 'Austin, sign this for me,'" Stenhouse recalled of one incident. "I looked at him and went back to talking to my Best Buy [sponsor] group that was there.
"Then he was, 'Austin!' I'm like, 'I'm not Austin!' I gave him like four chances and he still thought I was Austin."
That sounds like something for E! News. But Stenhouse's goal isn't to be a part of entertainment gossip. It's to be a championship driver.
"Like I was trying to tell everybody at media day, once we get on the track everybody will be talking about the new car -- and obviously Joey and Denny has kind of taken the spotlight away -- which has been nice," Stenhouse said. "I thought it would get a little bit better, and it has.
"I'm just glad I was right about that."
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. comfortable as Danica's other half
Source-usatoday(nate ryan)
CONCORD, N.C. — The downsides of dating Danica Patrick?
OK, there actually might be a few if you're a fellow Sprint Cup Series rookie such as Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Despite the Roush Fenway Racing driver's attempts at lobbying his famous girlfriend for help, there's no doubt who will receive more votes in balloting for a wild-card slot in next week's Sprint All-Star Race.
PATRICK: Finds comfort in commercials and car
There are the slightly embarrassing episodes of being cropped out of the photos with your sweetheart that are disseminated through the national media.
And then there's being noticed — or not — while eating out together in public.
"Yeah, people notice her," Stenhouse said with a laugh during an interview Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "It's still funny. People are telling her good luck this weekend, and I'm thinking, 'Thanks, Thanks.' They're not going to tell me good luck. She includes me sometimes. People ask for a picture and she's like, 'Hey come on. Get in this picture.' All in all, it's really fun."
Stenhouse can laugh about his relative anonymity considering he is outperforming Patrick through 10 races of their first full seasons in NASCAR's premier series. Heading into Saturday's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, he is ranked 16th in the points standings (Patrick is 27th) and still within striking distance of making the Chase for the Sprint Cup, particularly if he can score a breakthrough inaugural victory.
STANDINGS: NASCAR Sprint Cup points
While the two-time Nationwide Series champion is getting comfortable in the No. 17 Ford, he and Patrick also have become more comfortable in public with their high-profile romance.
They recently attended a Chicago Blackhawks playoff game where Patrick participated in a televised shot competition on the ice. They were discovered by ESPN cameras watching the Nationwide race at Richmond International Raceway from the grandstands ("All of a sudden, my phone's blowing up," Stenhouse said. "I thought it was funny, but I was surprised."). They collaborated on a playful YouTube video to promote the All-Star Race.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr(Speedweeks) transcript
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Best Buy Fusion – HAVE THINGS CHANGED FOR YOU OUT IN PUBLIC SINCE YOU AND DANICA ACKNOWLEDGED YOUR RELATIONSHIP? “No, it hasn’t really changed. Not many people notice me out there. It has been fine. I have been spending most of my time in the shop though. I don’t go out a ton. Everything has been good. Everything is great.”
WHAT DID YOU GET HER FOR VALENTINES DAY? “I got her some fancy playing cards. She likes to play cards a lot. She has been teaching me some of her card games and beating me at them so I have to get better. I bought some cards so I could practice.”
WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST DATE? “We never really had like a first date. She kind of told me to ask her out so I asked her out on a date and we went to dinner. I should probably remember where we went but I can’t remember.”
DO YOU THINK IT WILL AFFECT THE WAY YOU RACE? DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WATCHING WHEN YOU RACE AROUND EACH OTHER WILL GET OLD? “I think for everybody to assume it is going to make me race any different is wrong. It’s not going to. I am respectful to my teammates and I will be respectful to her, but I am respectful to everyone on the race track. I don’t feel like if somebody crashes her I am going to go crash them because of it. I am out there to do my job. I am out there to put on the best performance I can for my sponsors and my team and my fans. I can’t get caught up in any of that. She has been racing for a long time and can handle that situation and I will handle mine. You are probably going to give her a break but it is nothing other than a teammate.”
DO YOU VIEW HER AS A ROOKIE GIVEN HER EXPERIENCE AND YOURSELF AS WELL FOR THAT MATTER? “Yeah, I think so. Anytime you step into a new car and a new series it gets a little difficult. You have a lot more to learn and the cars drive different. She does have more experience in this car, so she has the upper hand in the Rookie of the Year battle. I told her I was going to win. At least we both get to go to the banquet right? I think she definitely is a rookie and I believe I am too.”
YOU SAID YOU WOULD RACE HER AS A TEAMMATE, BUT YOU AREN’T TEAMMATES. “Yeah, I mean I am going to be respectful to her. I have always raced her clean but I feel like I have raced everybody clean. It isn’t like I am going to drive anybody different. I try to give respect to everybody on the race track, no matter who it is, teammate or not. Teammates you give more respect to but along those lines I was saying if someone wrecks one of my teammates I am not going to go wreck them. Same with her. I am not going to retaliate. I have a job to do.”
YOU SEEM LIKE A VERY PRIVATE PERSON. DID YOU HAVE TO MENTALLY PREPARE FOR DEALING WITH THESE QUESTIONS? “Yeah, it is part of it obviously. I think that people question whether you all should report on it or not. Obviously it is a big story. It isn’t my most important story. I am here to race but it is something that you are going to have to deal with and just move on. I think once the season gets going and we can talk about how great this Gen 6 car is going to be and how great the racing is going to be, hopefully it can take a back seat and we can focus on our racing.”
IT IS A BIG STORY IN A LOT OF WAYS BECAUSE IT IS HER. DO YOU WORRY THAT WILL OVER SHADOW WHAT YOU DO ON THE TRACK? “Yeah, the headlines don’t say anything about me. That is cool. I see what you are saying but I am going to take it seriously. If I win a race and it says Danica’s boyfriend wins the race, I don’t know how that will work out. Everybody at Roush Fenway, Zest, Fifth Third, Best Buy, NOS, everybody knows that I am a serious racer and I am here to do the best job for them. Jack doesn’t have any concern on it. My teammates don’t have a concern over it and neither does my team working on the 17 car. Really that is all my concern is, those guys around us putting in the same effort that I do.”
YOU ARE THE TWO-TIME NATIONWIDE CHAMPION. DOES IT BOTHER YOU AT ALL THAT YOU ARE GETTING ASKED ALL ABOUT DANICA AND NOT YOUR OWN ACCOMPLISHMENTS? “It doesn’t bother me. I know it is a big story and people have been waiting to talk about it, waiting to ask about it. I think it is a cool opportunity for me to come into Matt’s (Kenseth) number with a totally different team and because of the story people don’t realize it is a different crew chief, team and over the wall guys. The only thing the same is the number and the sponsors. I think we have accomplished a lot in NASCAR in the Nationwide series and to think that is going to translate right over to the Sprint Cup Series the first year is a little difficult. I think we are capable of doing that though and that is the plan. At the end of the season we want to be talking about our performance.”
DANICA HAS BEEN IN THE PUBLIC EYE SO LONG, HAS SHE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT HOW IT WILL BE? “We have talked about it. She can definitely help out with that because she has experienced a lot of it. You all don’t get to me and it doesn’t bother me what you say. I don’t read articles so it doesn’t really bother me. She knows I spend my time at the shop and focused on our racing. She helps out with that because she has experienced a lot and that has been helpful.”
SHE SEEMED TO BE ALMOST BASKING IN THE YOU AND HER STUFF THIS MORNING. SHE WAS RIGHT ON HER GAME. “Well we are happy and that is good right? I feel like what I have learned in my career in racing is that anytime you are happy off the race track it tends to show up on the race track. That is one good thing that we have going. We are both happy, we are focused on racing and having fun.”
KESELOWSKI SAID IT ISN’T WHAT THEY DO IF THEY ARE DATING IT IS WHAT THEY DO IF THEY BREAK UP. IS THAT INSULTING TO YOU? “Coming from someone that has never had a girlfriend? Sorry, go ahead.” I GUESS THE QUESTION IS THAT HE IMPLIES IF YOU WERE ANGRY WITH EACH OTHER DOWN THE LINE THAT IT COULD IMPACT THE WAY YOU RACE. “I think with anybody that has a relationship whether they are in the sport or not, if you are having problems in the relationship it shows up on the race track no matter who you are. I think he has a point that it does matter if things are going well or not but I think that has to do with anybody. I could be dating somebody that is never at the race track and if you are having problems then it definitely shows up in your work. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
MARK MARTIN SAYS IF SHE STARTING BEATING YOU HE WILL FEEL SORRY FOR YOU. WHAT WOULD THAT BE LIKE IF SHE STARTS BEATING YOU EVERY RACE? “Well, that wouldn’t be good. If we are finishing 1-2 then it would be fine but I think we both have a lot to learn and it is going to be tough for both of us. Obviously the more media I have – she has always had it – you get criticized. I have noticed that with her coming through the Nationwide Series. You get criticized in not performing well. In 2010 I got hammered pretty hard for crashing all the time and not performing. I was able to look past that and keep going.”
HAVE YOU EVER, THROUGH ANY RACING SERIES, BEEN REALLY CLOSE FRIENDS WITH SOMEBODY AND HOW DID THAT RELATIONSHIP PAN OUT ON THE TRACK? ALSO, ONE MOTOR COACH OR TWO? “Two. You know, Trevor and I are great friends and we were racing for a championship and were one-point separated when he got sick. If you ask him and ask me and go back and watch we raced really hard on the race track. We were respectful and gave ourselves enough room. Off the track we hung out all the time and I think that is just part of it. I think there are a lot of drivers in the garage that are good friends off the track that go out and race hard. We both still have a job to do.”
WHAT NICKNAME DO YOU GUYS PREFER? “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me. I am not going to use any of those hash tags so whatever you all want.”
HAS ANYONE FROM THE BUSINESS OR MARKETING THINGS TALKED TO YOU ABOUT DOING THINGS TOGETHER? “No, they have not. This off season has been busy with going to our sponsors Best Buy and everybody. I did a new hire orientation at Best Buy and that was fun. Nobody has talked about anything with the two of us.”
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO EACH OTHER? “Is that a question, really?” WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT HER? “She is hot! No, we have had a friendship for a long time and I can’t cook and she can. She loves to cook, so that is nice and I love to eat. We get a long really well. I have never had someone that I can talk racing with and I wasn’t 100-percent sure how I would like that but I have enjoyed it. I think we can learn a lot from each other and be successful.”
ARE YOU RELIEVED THIS IS OUT IN THE OPEN? “Yeah, it is fun. It was obviously going to come out sometime.”
WILL FOLKS BE ABLE TO FOLLOW YOUR EXPLOITS ON TWITTER? “Probably not too much. Maybe a little here and there. I think fans still like to know what is going on and that is what we do Twitter for, to engage the fans and let them know what is going on. Most fans seem to be interested in it. Then again, I don’t want to blow up peoples Twitter feeds with it. We will be respectful to everybody.”
THIS IS A BIG RACE COMING UP, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE DAYTONA 500? “I am excited about the race. Testing was great here. The things they have done with the Gen 6 car for driving here at Datyona, set up is going to be key. The track is getting a little older so the grip level is going down and the down force on the car isn’t very much. The cars are dancing around a lot and I think you are going to have to have a good driving race car. In the past that has produced really good races here at Datyona. Right before they paved the race track that was some of the coolest racing that we went to. It is going to get back to that. I think NASCAR has done a great job with it. The 500 is going to be exciting and hopefully we can get this done with this week and talk about the Daytona 500.”
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR THE SEASON? “I haven’t had specific goals that I’ve set for the season but I don’t think it is past us to go win races. We are going to go out each and every week – I had a team meeting with the guys yesterday before I came down and I wanted them to know that I was going to the race track prepared to win every week. If you don’t prepare to win every week you will never achieve it. I wanted them all on the same page. I feel confident in the crew guys and the race car we have put together. The test has been great. We have tested all kinds of tracks and I feel really comfortable in the race car. I think if we can be smooth the first 10 races and really not have any big issues and evaluate where we are and go from there it will set up the rest of the season off of that after the first 10.”
JUST TO BE ON THE RECORD. IF YOU ARE RUNNING THIRD ON THE LAST LAP AT DAYTONA WITH TWO CARS IN FRONT OF YOU. DANICA IS ONE SIDE AND A TEAMMATE ON THE OTHER. WHICH CAR DO YOU GET BEHIND? “At Daytona there is enough room for three, so I am going three wide. That is a good scenario. I hope we win.”
RUSTY WALLACE TALKED ABOUT AT A YOUNG AGE BEING COCKY. DO YOU THINK PEOPLE MIGHT SAY YOU EXUDE CONFIDENCE? “I think at the beginning at 2010 they could say I didn’t have any confidence. I think it is to a point. I can definitely see what he says about looking back but mainly I think you can be cocky and still be respectful to everybody else at the same time. I feel confident in my ability and confident in the ability of our race teams. I think you have to have confidence to be a little cocky. You have to be respectful at the same time though. That is a tough thing to balance but listening to that it is nice knowing that people want to look back and wish they weren’t so cocky. You try to balance that and still be respectful.”
DID YOU HAVE ANY HESITATION DATING DANICA WITH THE WHOLE CHEVY VS. FORD ANGEL OR THE FACT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RIVALS OUT THERE? “No, not really. There wasn’t really any hesitation. I think that you are excited about it at first. You are ready to go and it is exciting and then you think about how everybody is going to take it. What are the fans going to think? What will other drivers think? I think it has been fairly good. Everyone has been pretty supportive of it. I wasn’t too nervous about it. Maybe a little bit though.”
DID YOU MAKE IT TO FENWAY PARK LAST YEAR? “I went to a sponsor summit there but wasn’t able to go to the game.”
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE SUPPORT YOU ARE GETTING FROM THE FENWAY END OF THINGS GIVEN THEIR SOCCER AND BASEBALL OBLIGATIONS? “Yeah, they are passionate about Roush Fenway and definitely are working closely with Jack to help the sponsorship side of things and help the things they can help with. They don’t know about our competition side to really contribute to that they way they know their baseball and soccer but they are huge supporters. John Henry is a cool part-owner to have. I think anytime you can be associated with a team like Roush Fenway, the Red Sox it is a big opportunity for us.”
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