Jeff Burton, last September’s Monster Mile winner, answers questions about his big Dover win, the “Monster Mile” nickname and the Car of Tomorrow in 2008.
1. You won the fall race last year at Dover. Talk about that win and what it meant to you and the team.
“At the end of the day, results are what matter. On the last run, Scott (Miller) and those guys made it right. We went flying up to the front and had a battle with Matt (Kenseth) and eventually got the win. It was a big win because it had been a long time since I had won. We kept putting ourselves in position and finally found a way to do it. Dover was a day when we had to go earn that win. We won the race and took over the points lead. It reminded this team and my peers that we haven’t forgotten how to do this.”
2. What is your mindset going in to Dover?
“Dover is an exceptionally fast race track. For a mile-long race track, it generates a lot of speed. You’re in the throttle a lot of the time, there’s a lot of banking and you really have to work hard to get your car to turn well. That’s what I go to Dover thinking; you have to make it turn well and keep it where you can run on the bottom. You don’t want to lock in so you can only run on the bottom. You want to be able to run different grooves. If you can do those things, you can run really well there.”
3. Dover’s nicknamed “The Monster Mile.” Is that fitting?
“Definitely. Darlington's nickname and Dover's nickname are the two most fitting of all the race tracks. Dover is just a physically demanding race track. It's very difficult to handle well there. When you hit, you hit hard. It's one of the most difficult race tracks we run on. The corners are really wide, but the straight-aways aren't. It's just a really tough race track."
4. What outside factors play a key role in running a good race at Dover?
"Pit road here is one of the biggest challenges we have all year in my opinion. This even more so than Bristol so having a good pit selection is really important. It can make or break your day. We see a lot of things happen on pit road here. Every year somebody gets their fenders knocked in or gets some kind of beating and banging. It can have a major impact on the race."
5. You’ve recently re-signed with Richard Childress Racing and the No. 31 AT&T car. Talk about your relationship with both partners.
“I’m really excited about AT&T extending their involvement with RCR. They’ve been a great company to work with. They have great people and great products. It’s a real honor to represent AT&T both on and off the track. My enthusiasm about what we are doing at RCR is as high as it’s ever been. I’ve never even considered doing something different. I’m glad we were able to re-sign with AT&T so that Richard and I could get our deal done. It’s a real honor to drive for Richard and I am looking forward to continue working with him over the next few years.”
6. You’ve used the Car of Tomorrow once now here at Dover and you will again in September. But what are your thoughts about running the COT full-time in 2008?
"I think that's the right call. In the financial interest of the team owners, they were much better off having one car; and the teams can concentrate on that car rather than having to have potentially three different kinds of cars today. For me, I think it's 100 percent the right thing to do."
7. Right now you sit in the same spot as you did last year in the second half of the pre-Chase season. What is your approach towards the rest of this season?
"I think the experience is the same. I think the situations are different. Situationally this sport moves so quickly that last week is different than this week. You can't approach everything the same but I think the experience is the same. I think having gone through it last year benefits our whole team, not just me, it benefits all of us - understanding the pressure, understanding a little more about what's coming. At the same time you have to do what's right for the situation that you're in and that again can change every week and you don't know what you have to deal with a lot of times until you're dealing with and that's what's hard about our sport."
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