Post-Race Interview With 2012 Daytona 500 Winner - Matt Kenseth
22.05.12
MATT KENSETH: I think the 16 had one of the strongest cars all week, and I think ours was right there, as well. Our car for some reason was a lot faster out front than it was in traffic. It took a long time to get to the front. But like Thursday once we were in the front, it was hard for anybody to get locked onto you. My car was one of the faster cars, so it was harder for some of the cars to push you and stay locked onto you. And I learned a little bit on Thursday that the last couple laps there, and kind of what to do and what not to do and what this car liked. And we had enough speed once we took the white, I felt sort of okay about it, but I still thought they were going to get a run and pass me. By the time I got to 3 and could see they couldn’t get enough speed mustered up to try to make a move.
Like I said, the car had a lot of speed. Doug Yates and guys deserve a lot of credit. They did a great job on the engine and really go through the gears good and restart good, which was a key for all them restarts at the end.
Source: Auto Racing Daily
Kevin Harvick on Racing in The Daytona 500, Changes to The Team and More
22.05.12
“I always look at the weekend as a build up as well. My first year in Cup (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), we didn’t race here. This is our biggest event, and I think as you look back through time it’s always been full of people and it’s always been our biggest race. That part of it really hasn’t changed. You drive in the tunnel and you still get that sensation, and that feeling of ‘this is the start of the season’. There is always more hype around this race than any other race. More sponsors; more people; more everything. It’s still the same deal. As you have been here for a couple of years, you try not to get too high on the highs, and too low on the lows. It is really all about Sunday. Everything else matters, but it’s still about the result you get out of Sunday. It is just about maintaining that even keel demeanor as you go through the weeks. Just let it all come to you, and learn. I’ve been here and been the fastest car off the truck, and the slowest car off the truck. By the time you get to Sunday you seem to have that same feeling when the green flag drops if you do it right.”
Source: Auto Racing Daily
