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NASCAR MEDIA CONFERENCEJuly 16, 2018John Hunter NemechekTHE MODERATOR: We've now been joined by John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No.8 Chevrolet for NEMCO Motorsports. John Hunter will compete at Eldora on Wednesday evening before traveling to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the No.42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing. You're coming off of a top‑5 finish at Kentucky. How is the strategy different going into a dirt track race, and what's it going to take to win at Eldora? JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: A lot of drive off the corner. That place is slick. Hopefully the bottom and the top will slick off and the top will still have a cushion like it was last year. Had a lot of fun at Eldora last year. We ran top 3 most of the race, but it's one of those races that you kind of look forward to going to all year long. It's different in the sense of like a road course race, the Truck Series only has one road course and one dirt track compared to all oval stuff. It's a lot of fun, it's a little bit different, and takes you back to when you were running go‑karts and mini‑sprints back when we were younger. Q. This race last year you kind of jumped up and I think opened a lot of people's eyes as to maybe what it takes by the regulars to be successful at Eldora. Can you put your finger on what it was that you guys found that worked so well last year, and can you replicate any of that this year, or because of the changing nature of dirt track racing, is it kind of a whole new ballgame for everybody? JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: I mean, dirt track racing in the Truck Series, it's definitely a different ballgame. Last year we were able to find our balance, and we ran really well, and I think just being able to drive at Eldora again year after year, you kind of learn some things. Talking to some of the dirt regulars and kind of seeing where the grip is, where the grip isn't was definitely big last year, and overall we've just got to run well and drive off and hopefully have a good night. Q. How has this race changed for you since 2014 in terms of preparation or your mindset going into the race? JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: Since 2014, I think just having more experience at Eldora definitely helps. The first year going into it, we really didn't know what to expect because our team hadn't been to Eldora, and the trucks definitely drive completely different on dirt compared to asphalt. Overall, I think it's just finding your comfort. It's hard going back to run just one race a year on dirt compared to running more races on dirt or being a dirt regular. You kind of have to get back in that mindset, but I think it's just experience and learning as much as you can. Q. There's ringers, there's regulars, and then there's you, who doesn't necessarily fit into either category. I know when we talked after you won at Martinsville, you made it very clear the goal was chasing trophies. That's what you're here in the Truck Series to do this year. How do you balance that or how do you consider yourself amid all the dirt guys that come into this race, and then the regulars like you were last year who were still chasing points in this? JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: Yeah, like I said, our goal is to just go and try and get trophies. If that means that we're going to do a little bit different strategy or something along those lines, I don't think that I would put it past our team. But overall, our goal is just to (indiscernible) in the Truck Series other than owner's points, and the best way to gain owner's points is to win races. At this point we're locked into the owner's championship, we just need to capitalize on as many of the playoff points as we can (indiscernible) and winning the race. That's what we're going to try and do. Overall, we're going to find our balance and just go out there and do the best we can. Q. With a track like this, the track itself can change from lap to lap and year to year. How is your personal notebook for this race different to other races on pavement? JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK: Just with the track changing compared to what the surface is like, dirt changes a lot more than asphalt. It can be really tacky one second and really slick the next. Just kind of having the notebook and setup we've had I think in almost every track condition since I've been going there in 2014, so it's definitely having a notebook built up and experiencing going back to a learning process. But overall, you have to have a really good truck underneath you, and my NEMCO Motorsports guys have given me that in the past, plus driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Xfinity Series this year, being able to talk to Larson about when he ran there and kind of the dirt stuff, I feel like that's somewhat of a regular conversation each week is talking about dirt stuff in the Cup hauler or Xfinity hauler whenever I see him, so I'm definitely trying to learn as much as I can. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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