CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion -- WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING IN THE DAYTONA 500?  

 

“It’s going to be a race of restraint for the drivers because you can really take chances and you can make some things happen.  I think Kyle showed that to everybody.  You can really hang it out there, but this isn’t gonna be the Budweiser Shootout, this is the Daytona 500 and there’s more on the line. People are gonna be thinking about their seasons on the whole and the chance of winning this race, so I think you’re gonna see one where people are patient and considerate and then for the last two laps it’s all gonna just go out the window.

 

WHAT ABOUT THE DUEL RACES?  

 

“I have no clue how the duels are gonna go.  I think until we understand exactly what everybody is racing for and who is trying to do what, there are gonna be guys in the duel that are racing for everything and they’re gonna take those chances, and there are gonna be guys with really good 500 cars are just gonna do what they can to survive that race.

 

DO YOU EXPECT TWO CARS TO HOOK UP AT THE END OF THE 500 OR  WILL IT BE TWO AND THREE WIDE?  

 

“Juan Montoya and I talked about it a little bit after the race because he was behind me and I should have backed up and let him push me, but the whole time during that race it looked to me like two cars together didn’t have that big of an advantage and my car personally, I was having trouble hooking up with people.  It seemed like I was really loose, so I think what you’re gonna see is guys go back and work on their setups and work on their cars so that they can utilize that because right now I think it’s kind of a crapshoot.  Some guys you can push and some guys you can’t and it’s hard to find that good partner.”

 

TREVOR BAYNE – No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion -- HOW WILL YOU ATTACK THE DUELS KNOWING YOU’RE LOCKED IN BUT DON’T PROBABLY WANT TO LOSE THIS CAR?  

 

“You really don’t want to, but even though it worked out okay for us last year, tearing it up a little bit, the guys worked hard and got it fast for the 500 again, probably better than it was before, but you still want to take care of your ride.  It looks like it’s gonna be tough.  I don’t know if you want to be in the back or the front.  I definitely don’t think you want to be in the middle, but if we can get to the front, that’s where I’d like to be, but it’s gonna be hard to maintain it up there, so we’ll just see how it plays out.”

 

HAVE YOU TALKED TO ANYONE WHO RACED IN THE SHOOTOUT ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THIS NEW PACKAGE?  

 

“I talked to Kyle and Jimmie a little bit and Kyle seemed to have it figured out pretty good even before he won.  I was texting somebody and told them that it looked like Kyle had it going on, so he figured it out and won the race.  I think you just have to be smart.  Even if it’s a pack or two cars or a combination, you have to be smart with it and keep your car in one piece.  Kyle did a great job saving his car in those crashes, but that could have ended his day, so you’ve got to try to stay out of those messes if you can.”

 

 

“I hate to say it, but it’s really all common sense with the aero stuff.  We learned a lot last year about the two-car drafting and it really is like a big chess game, being in the right place and setting yourself up to be in the right place.  They just said it’s hard to drive them.  They said if somebody is on your left-rear, you better hang on and that’s about it.”

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Check out this video recap of last Saturday night's Bid Shootout from the NASCAR Media Group.