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NASCAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 11, 2017

THE MODERATOR: And thank you all for joining us for today's NASCAR teleconference previewing the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Eldora Speedway. We're going to kick things off with John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 8 Fire Alarm Services Chevrolet for NEMCO.
John Hunter, I think it's safe to say your team has found speed in recent races. In fact, you took back‑to‑back victories after winning at Gateway Motorsports Park and Iowa Speedway.
Can you tell us how your team is planning to continue this momentum outdoor next Wednesday?
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: Yeah, our team has definitely been very fast. We've been building some great trucks coming to the racetrack the past few weeks. Eldora is kind of an oddball compared to most racetracks we go to, but we've had speed there in the past couple of years. So we're looking to go back with somewhat of the same setup.
We just have to read the track when we get there, seeing what the track is wanting truck‑wise and make sure we stay out of trouble.
As long as we run a smart race and we're able to finish all the laps, we'll be one of the contenders at the end.
THE MODERATOR: We're also joined by Johnny Sauter, the driver of the No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet for GMS Racing.
No doubt you're a proven star on the asphalt. You're the reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, and currently at the top of the point standings with one win and five stage wins so far this season.
Can you tell us how your strategy changes when it comes to the dirt at Eldora?
JOHNNY SAUTER: That's your polite way of saying I'm not a stand‑out on dirt?
THE MODERATOR: Not at all.
JOHNNY SAUTER: Yeah, I mean, obviously Eldora is a little bit different situation. Especially a guy for me that's raced asphalt his whole life. I've been to a couple of dirt races throughout my lifetime, I guess. But I've always been an asphalt guy.
So I have fun at Eldora. I think it's a fun place. Obviously a good atmosphere. A lot of great race fans there. But for me it's just a place where I just haven't figured it out quite yet.
But I've had some decent runs there but for some reason got tore up towards the middle stages of the race. I guess my mindset going there is just to have fun, first and foremost.
But I think if we do everything right, I think and like John said, or John Hunter just said a second ago, if we can stay out of trouble hopefully we'll be in contention at the end of that thing. It's sort of a survival state. But it's also a place where if you have a win early in the season and you had some good runs going, it's a place you can kind of just go and enjoy.
And believe me, I'm a competitive guy, I'm a racer, and I want to go there and I want to run well. I just don't exactly know how yet.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: When you figure it out, let me know, Johnny.
JOHNNY SAUTER: Yeah, I will.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Johnny, how do you guys prepare? Do you do anything specific to get ready for this race? Do you‑‑ it's not necessarily testing in the sense that we normally think, but how do you get ready for a race on a different surface like that?
JOHNNY SAUTER: It's tough obviously with the no‑testing policy, even for just to be able to go to any type of dirt track and just be able to run around would be pretty awesome.
But having said that, this week I'm actually the first time ever taking it upon myself to try to gear up a dirt car, street stock.
Obviously I live in Wisconsin, there's a racetrack there called Beaver Dam, it's a half‑mile. I've been trying to get ahold of the guys to try to go over there Sunday afternoon for four or five hours and drive that thing.
I think whatever I get on that's on dirt it has to be somewhat the same as what a truck would be or what I perceive it would be. And that's something that's heavy, 31, 3300 pounds, whatever it is. I think those street stocks weigh that much.
I don't think it would do me any good to try to jump in a dirt later model called. Jimmie Meyers is a good buddy of mine. I don't think that's the right avenue.
I can honestly say this is my way to try to get prepared a little bit on may own, if I can do anything. But you can watch the race. Last year I had the liberty of having Power as a teammate. You would think I could learn something from that and I didn't take much from that.
I think it's a feel thing. Like he told me, man, I've done this my whole life and I've raced 100 times a year, it's something you have to get a feel for. If you only do it once a year, it's hard to grasp that concept.

Q. John Hunter, what are your thoughts, obviously you can't test, but how do you prepare?
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: Yeah, I wish we could go test the truck at a dirt track. When we first went to Eldora, we were able to do that and kind of get a feel. But like Johnny said, I think if you were to go run a dirt late model or something like that, it's really not going to help you just because of the weight difference.
I mean, the trucks around Eldora, they're really heavy. They're kind of boggy. You don't run wide open like you would an actual dirt car.
So it's definitely a lot of difference. I definitely think that going to run a street stock could help Johnny. We're not really doing anything to compare cars to the trucks. We're not going to test anything.
I definitely think that just being able to show up and drive and going back and watching last year's race and the previous year's race is definitely going to help us.

Q. John Hunter, since you guys are on kind of a tight budget, do you have like an old body or something that you can put on a chassis, or do you buy somebody's old truck just for this race, knowing that there's a good chance it's going to get pretty beat up?
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: The truck we're taking to Eldora, that actually ran at Martinsville. It had quite a bit of cosmetic damage from earlier this year. So we took it. We repaired it. We patched it up where we needed to, added the extra bars we run at Eldora, right rear corner panel, and that's what we take.
You definitely don't need to take the nicest piece you have to Eldora, because most likely afterwards the right side will be tore off of it from beating it off the fence. But hopefully not. Hopefully we can run a clean race and run up front and just make sure that we finish.

Q. John Hunter, you look at Eldora, you don't have much dirt experience. How do you prepare for a dirt race like this? And should other series try racing in the dirt?
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: I definitely think other series should try racing in the dirt just to get a feel of what we're going, what we're doing, how we're racing.
I mean, it puts on one of the best shows each year and for it to be kind of a stand‑out race throughout the year, something different than our normal asphalt everyday routine. I mean, you see guys sliding around three, four wide, as long as they can manage to keep their trucks in one piece and not take out the whole field, I definitely think that going to Eldora, it's really hard to prepare.
And for a truck race there, just because the trucks are so much different than any dirt car, but I definitely think the dirt racers have a little bit of an advantage, just due to racing on dirt, knowing what the track conditions are, what the dirt looks like and what they need for setup‑wise.
And for asphalt racers, we don't really know what we need. Luckily we have a couple guys on our team that have raced dirt in the past. They're definitely going to be a huge help.

Q. Johnny, you look at racing in the dirt and stage racing. Of course, you of all people should know how to get stage points, since you pretty much have gotten all of them after last week in Kentucky. How do you think stages will affect racing on the dirt?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Well, I don't know‑‑ obviously it's going to put a bigger emphasis on trying to be a little bit more aggressive. I feel likeI say this every week that I'm aggressive no matter what the situation is.
But you know you might not be as apt to let a guy squeeze into a spot that you maybe normally would. So Eldora is going to be an aggressive race, there's no doubt about it.
I guess for me, personally, I look at it as sitting at the top of the points, I look at Christopher Bell and say this is his backyard type of a race. And if there's any place he's going to go and try to make up as much ground as he can and ultimately have a really good shot to win the race, it's going to be Eldora.
So I've got that in the back of my mind for sure. But I've ran decent at Eldora. I mean I just haven't been spectacular. So having said that, I feel like I'm putting more effort into it this year than ever before. And it is only one race on the schedule, but it's still a race, nonetheless, and you want to put your best foot forward every week.
So stage points are very important. I think they're going to be very important coming down the stretch. So I've just gotta go in there, do the best I can without putting myself in hazard's way and making sure we finish that race.

Q. With Eldora being the only dirt race on the schedule, is there room for one more, or do we need to keep this deal sacred?
JOHNNY SAUTER: I think you better keep it sacred. I'm good with one.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: I'm there with Johnny, I'd like to keep it sacred, just keep it there with one. And keep to the asphalt stuff. I like that a little bit better.

Q. Johnny, did you feel you were a better team so far in 2017 than you were in 2016 knowing you've led the double amount of laps you've already had this season?
JOHNNY SAUTER: I think there's no question about our performance. It was a bummer the other night at Kentucky. We lost a cylinder there with 14, 15 to go, that would have been another top 3 finish. And as it was we still finished 9th on seventh cylinder.
I definitely feel like we're hitting on all eight. We're doing everything, you know, depending on who you talk to, pretty smart.
I definitely think that we need to win some more races for sure before things get going. And we're coming to a lot of great racetracks coming up. Yeah, I feel great about where we're at. And the key deal is I don't feel any complacency. I feel we're still digging and trying to make our stuff better.
So, yeah, I feel like we're a long shot better than where we were a year ago this time.

Q. John Hunter, how is the sponsorship going, have you picked up any more sponsorships for any more races this year?
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: We still have to sell fixed races for the end of the year. Mostly here in August and September. Definitely have to sell some more races to continue.
But it's been good. Fire Alarm Services came on board for a few more races. I can't think them enough for believing in me, but the sponsorship hunt still continues. Seems like a never‑ending battle. Hopefully we can find some more great partners to finish out the year and have a shot for the championship.

Q. A lot of NASCAR fans are used to the asphalt experience. Both drivers, can you talk about the experience you have and how different it is at Eldora?
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: I think Eldora being able to race on dirt for one time a year you get a lot of fans. And you get a crossover between asphalt fans and dirt fans. And I mean everyone that I see fan‑wise, I tell them to come out and watch the race live in person for sure. It's definitely something to watch. It's something that puts on a great show.
I mean, it's three, four‑wide racing you see guys banging off the fence and running into each other and who doesn't like contact.
JOHNNY SAUTER: Me, no.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: You love it Johnny, don't lie.
JOHNNY SAUTER: I think it's obviously for the fans they get to see I think last year it was modifieds or late models. I know it's been vice versa in years past but those guys are flying around the racetrack and running all over the racetrack and the trucks get out there. And I feel we're just fast enough to where they see us racing, like John said, three, four wide and it's a different deal than what they just saw before the late model cars the guy that gets out there is flying.
So having said that, you know, the beat of the venue is definitely there. You've seen the racetrack go through a little transition period. From my perspective it's amazing how racetrack changes from where we unload to the end of the night looks like ice shining off of it from the driver's seat at the end of the night.
So the hard‑core dirt fan understands a lot of what we're going through, and I think that's part of the alluring factor that brings them to the racetrack is racing 3400 pound race cars or race trucks on dirt and the racetrack going through the transitions it does I think it appeals to a lot of people.

Q. Johnny, isn't it like the atmosphere that's sort of amazing, because that little track is just packed with people? They don't have enough seats for everybody.
JOHNNY SAUTER: Yeah, for sure. I'm a short track guy. I feel it and I can remember growing up as a kid, I remember a lot of the tracks I would go to, the place would be packed. And that has the same type of atmosphere feeling to it. And I always feel like it's good to have a late model division or a modified division with our races because it brings the hardcore fan to the racetrack. For sure. I feel on short track race, in fact, back 20 years with all the people that are there, I mean the place is‑‑ when we go to the driver's meeting and they roll out the ropes and tie everybody back, I mean, the place is swarming with people.
So signing autographs and everything for people before the driver's meeting, it's a really cool experience.

Q. Is this an oddball event for the Truck Series or is this kind of turning into a major at this point?
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: I don't want to say it's an oddball, but it definitely is a one‑off race each year. I mean, the biggest thing for running for points and running for a championship is just being able to finish, not getting yourself in trouble.
I mean, you have to be consistent throughout the whole race and just being able to get a good finish and take home your truck in one piece would be a good day at the dirt track, that's for sure.
I definitely think if you talk to the normal dirt guys, they love it. They want it to be something big. But from a fan perspective, it's definitely not an odd‑ball for the truck series, just due to the atmosphere. It puts on a great show and it's a huge event in their eyes but for us racers, I definitely think it's kind of a one‑off deal.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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