NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES: BRICKYARD 400

August 7, 2004

Brian Vickers

BRIAN VICKERS: Yeah, I appreciate it. The GMAC Chevy team, all the guys did a good job all week throughout testing. We had a really good car. We entered practice a little tight - actually real tight. We made a lot of changes to help fix that. We got most of it fixed, but we were still just a little too tight to sit on the pole for the Indianapolis 400, Brickyard 400. But it was, you know, it was still a solid run for us. To come out and be the top Raybestos Rookie qualifier is really a pretty cool honor, especially here at Indianapolis. It's a neat track. It has a lot of history to it. You know, I've had a blast coming up here and being out there on the speedway and everything. It's one of those deals where it's so much that it's not really even going to hit you till the week after, I think.

BRIAN VICKERS: Yeah, you know, the team has really done a good job from the very start with qualifying. They've done a good job with -- you know, we've gotten better as the year's gone on and everything, not just qualifying, but also in the race trim. I knew we had a shot at it. You know, I felt like we even had a shot at the pole if everything went right, if we had a good draw, and the situation was right, and the car was just right. And, you know, everything was pretty close, but not just enough. You know, I think in every little category, we missed just a little bit. But that's part of it. You know, we'll learn from it, we'll come back next time. But still we're very happy with a Top 10 start. It will be good for the race and, you know, give us a good pit box as well along with a lot of other things.

BRIAN VICKERS: It's a pretty neat experience, you know, to be here. And I have been like a kid in the candy store, to be here, period. I came here so many times, whether it be for, you know, NASCAR stuff, IndyCar, Formula 1 stuff. I've always had a lot of respect for the racetrack, and also for my teammates, as well. To beat them in qualifying is always a lot of fun. You know, I look at my teammates like brothers. You know, you help each other. I help them and they help me in any way possible. But at the end of the day, you know, we still want to beat each other. You know, it means a lot. You know, Jeff is obviously one of the best drivers out there - if not the best on the circuit right now. You know, he's obviously probably the best at this track, you know, if you look back at track record. So that's pretty neat. Now we just got to do it again on Sunday.

BRIAN VICKERS: It's a neat experience. You know, to go -- to be traveling that fast, period, it's something that not many people will have the opportunity to do. You know, I'm fortunate to be able to do it every weekend. I love it. This track, you know, to do it here I think is even more impressive because of how flat the racetrack is. It's amazing how much banking helps our cars. You know, an IndyCar is different. They've got so much downforce already. We need all the help we can get. Plus like Atlanta, Texas, with a lot of banking, makes a tremendous difference. To be able to come here and run as fast as we do is pretty neat. And today I think you really saw, you know, the track conditions were great and the cars, the teams in general, are just getting better and better every week and every year. And that's why the speeds keep going up. But like you said, for this track to be as flat as it is, to go that fast off into a turn, it's a pretty neat experience.

BRIAN VICKERS: You know, it's probably not much different than most races. You know, there's some situations where you want to fall in behind a veteran driver and try to, you know, learn a lot. And I think that's always the case to a point. But at a place like this, you can't ride behind somebody too close for very long or you're going to get extremely tight, and then you're going to start going backwards. When you get to them, you got to pass them or you got to let them get some distance on them so you can get some good air on your car or you will eventually build up too much air pressure in the right front tire and cause problems. I think right now our focus is on practice, to get the car the best we can, and to get it turning good, to get it turning good in traffic, and then to getting clear air come Sunday, get to the front as soon as possible, at least maintain where we are until the pit stops. You know, I think we saw it last week at Pocono, you know, just track position means a lot. It always does no matter what series or what form of racing you're in, and no matter what track you are. I think track position always means a lot. But at this track in particular, it's going to mean that much more.

BRIAN VICKERS: Thank you.