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NASCAR PRESEASON THUNDER TESTINGJanuary 13, 2014Jeff BurtonDAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA MATT HUMPHREY: We are welcoming here to the World Center of Racing Jeb Burton, driver of the No.4 Arrowhead Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports. Give me your thoughts about what goes through your mind; your dad is a former winner, so what goes through your mind when you come here to Daytona International Speedway? JEB BURTON: Well, there's so much history behind Daytona and it would be really cool to get a trophy here. It's only my second time here, so pretty excited. Last year we finished fifth and we always have a lot of speed at restrictor plate, so I'm excited for 2014. Q. Talk about drafting a little bit this morning and the stability of the trucks or lack of stability. I think you told me a little bit that you were having trouble sucking up to the cars ahead of you. JEB BURTON: Yeah, we just made a change, and that helped it. Just trying to help Ben learn as much as he can before we get back. These trucks, it seems like it's harder to break the air wall when it's just two of you out there. We kind of ran into the same problem with the other style, too, when it's just two of you out there. I'm interested to see what it's going to be like in a pack. I think it'll be a lot different then. I got to him a couple times right there. He dragged the brake, and I got into him, then we switched and he got into the back of me. I'm kind of glad we're not doing tandem anymore. I got in a really bad wreck at Talladega because of the tandem stuff, just got turned sideways. I'm not a fan of it. I like the pack racing. The bump drafting is fun, but when you're hitting somebody in the corner, if you hit the guy and he gets loose and the back guy slides up and then he comes back down, it catches him and turns the guy right into the fence, and that's what happened to me at Talladega. Definitely not a fan of the tandem, but I like the pack racing like it used to be. Q. What are your new impressions of the truck? Obviously you did well last season, and how I don't know if they've changed the game on you. How are you viewing it with the new truck? JEB BURTON: Well, it seems like Turner Scott Motorsports is always ahead of the ballgame with new stuff. I'm excited. I think it could be an advantage for us. I feel like our guys are working really hard with this new body style in the wind tunnel and testing a lot trying to make it better. I'm really excited to be back with these guys. My team is pumped up, we're ready to go. I feel like we've just got to be a little bit better this year and we can contend for the championship. We did all last year, we've just got to be a little bit better so we can go win some more races. Q. Can you talk about taking your rookie stripe off of the Turner Scott Motorsports truck, not a rookie in 2014? Maybe the senior member of the organization; still waiting to see what happens with Miguel Paludo. But talk about your mindset going into 2014, knowing the mistakes you made last year and what your realistic goals are for this year? JEB BURTON: Well, the only thing I'm going to miss about being a rookie is the extra set of tires you get for practice. That was nice. Other than that, it's cool to be a veteran out there I'll say. I'm excited. I'll have experience at all the racetracks besides two of them we go to, so that's going to help me a lot. I'm pumped up, my team is pumped up. I feel like I've matured and got better, and I feel like our team is getting better every day, and we've just got to do the right things this year and not shoot ourselves in the foot and go do our deal, and I think we'll win a championship. Q. Did you guys make a point to be the first ones out on the track today? It seemed like nobody was really in a big rush to get out there. JEB BURTON: Well, you know, when I come to the racetrack I always want to be first on the racetrack. It's something I like to do when I get here. I'm ready to go. That's kind of the reason we come here, to get things done and get to rolling. If we can be first on the racetrack it says that we're really prepared and we're ready to go. Q. And the rear bumper with the step that's there, do you see that posing any problems in terms of bumpers matching up the way you guys do bump draft, and did you have any experience with that working with Ben? JEB BURTON: Well, last year our noses were‑‑ we had that shelf lower, and you could really get underneath somebody easier, and it would be easier to turn them. So I feel like the new noses are going to help with the bumpers lining up better because you don't have that shelf to get underneath somebody. Q. Since you came up to the NASCAR ranks, the top NASCAR ranks, there's been a lot of young guns your age or around your age. Does that put any more pressure on you than had there not been the kind of crop of young up‑and‑comers that there are right now? JEB BURTON: I think so. I'm still trying to compete for a job. I've got to go perform and make my sponsors happy and my team happy so I can get to the next level. That's the goal next year. I want to go full time Nationwide, and I feel like I've got a good opportunity here and I need to go win a bunch of races, and I feel like if we can do that it'll help my case. I'm trying to take my career to the next level next year. Q. Can you talk about Ben Kennedy, you worked with him a little bit last year, ran some truck races, now he's going to be your full time teammate. Talk about your relationship on and off the track and has he come to you for any pointers? JEB BURTON: Well, man, Ben is a great guy. He's really cool, down to earth. I look forward to working with him. He's going to be really good this year I feel like. He's learning a lot every week, and the races he ran last year has just built him for this year. He's going to be a good teammate I feel like for Turner Scott Motorsports. MATT HUMPHREY: We really look forward to seeing you today, and we look forward to seeing you in the NewEra Energy Resources 250. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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