Tony Talk at Richmond
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Tony Qualified 7th for Saturday Night and afterwards talked to the media:
WILL THIS RACE BE ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN?
“At least for those of us locked in (to the Chase) probably. We’ve got the flexibility to just race and just go for the win so if it doesn’t happen then we got to worry about every position next week.”
WITH THOSE BEING LOCKED INTO THE CHASE HAVING FUN WITH THIS RACE, DOES THAT SEND A MESSAGE TO NASCAR THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE EMPHASIS ON WINNING IN THE FUTURE?
”I don’t think you’re going to get that. I don’t think there’s a way of doing that and running for a championship. The reason we’re in this position is because we got ourselves enough points to lock ourselves in so that’s the only way you’re going to get a situation like this and this is the only format that creates that.”
HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY REACTION FROM FANS TODAY ABOUT TOYOTA?
”I haven’t been walking around much. The good thing is I’m still part of the Chevrolet family. We are through the rest of this year and we’re going to do the best we can to win races and a championship for them and even the next two years I’m still with Chevrolet with the World of Outlaw teams and my USAC teams. So just because I’m not going to be there with the Cup side doesn’t mean that I’m not still part of that family.”
GIVEN THAT ASSOCIATION WITH YOUR PERSONAL TEAMS, WAS THERE AN APPREHENSION FOR YOU?
”No, same as the other day. I’ve always trusted Joe and J.D. If I didn’t believe in that I wouldn’t be in contract negotiations extending my contract. We wouldn’t be working toward that goal if I didn’t believe in them.”
ON WHERE HIS TEAM IS THIS YEAR VS. LAST YEAR COMING INTO THIS RACE:
”Like I said, it’s a total opposite set of emotions this year versus last year. There’s no stress on us at all this weekend. Even though we’re locked in we went and tested Tuesday just to make ourselves better for here and it doesn’t mean that we’re just going to go out and ride around tomorrow night. Our goal is to go out and win the race and that’s why we went and tested was to go out and try to win the race this weekend. The emphasis and the desire hasn’t changed, just the pressure behind it has.”
HOW CLOSE ARE YOU WITH YOUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS? DO YOU THINK YOU’LL HAVE IT DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE SEASON?
”That’s for us to know and you guys to wonder about. You guys don’t have to know everything that we do. It’s really not that important for you guys to know every detail about what we’re doing all the time. When we got something to tell you on that we’ll let you know.”
love the last paragraph
Michael> No kidding. Why does the media seem to feel that they have to know every little thing? I’m glad Tony doesn’t talk circles and just tells it like it is.