“I think that is added pressure, you can’t not win at a track named after you.” - Jeff Gordon on PIR being renamed “Jeff Gordon Raceway” for the day
“I told him I need to be the one retiring, not you.” - Rick Hendrick on Jeff Gordon retiring
“If anyone could walk off with a walk off Championship, it would be Jeff Gordon. His whole career has been a storybook career.” – Kyle Petty on Jeff Gordon competing for a Championship in Miami
“We have heard Kevin Harvick try to give credit to fast race cars. Fast race cars are created by smart drivers.” – Steve Letarte on Kevin Harvick’s success at PIR
Avondale, Ariz – Nov. 15, 2015 – This afternoon’s NASCAR on NBC coverage from Phoenix International Raceway was hosted by Rick Allen and Krista Voda. While fans waited for the rain to stop and the green flag to come out, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton discussed the latest developments affecting the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In addition, Marty Snider, Mike Massaro, Kelli Stavast and Dave Burns interviewed drivers, crew chiefs and team owners.
The following are highlights from this afternoon’s NASCAR Sprint Cup rain delay coverage on NBC.
Jeff Gordon to Snider on PIR being renamed “Jeff Gordon Raceway” for the day: “I appreciate what PIR has done here, in honoring me this way…I think that is added pressure, you can’t not win at a track named after you.”
Jeff Gordon to Snider on his Championship goals: “It is going to take everything to go win that Championship next week. This team has it. We definitely have it in us. I don’t know if we are going to show all the speed that we have this weekend, but next week we are ready to get it done.”
Jarrett on the mental state of Chase drivers: “I think it is really taking its toll on those other seven drivers. They are trying to get themselves inside the Championship Four. Jeff Gordon has had the luxury (of relaxing) for a couple of weeks now…These other guys are going to be taxed mentally.”
Jarrett on Gordon: “Jeff told me that today is all about execution, getting everyone ready for next week. They certainly want to do well today but it is all about Miami.”
Burton during his NBC Sports Toyota Camry On Track Car lap: “This is one of my favorite race tracks. It is difficult, it is demanding, it is narrow.”
Letarte on Harvick’s success at PIR: “We have heard Kevin Harvick try to give credit to fast race cars. Fast race cars are created by smart drivers. I think that is what Harvick is, especially here at Phoenix.”
Petty on Gordon competing for a Championship in Miami: “If anyone could walk off with a walk off Championship, it would be Jeff Gordon. His whole career has been a storybook career.”
Martin Truex, Jr. to Massaro on his fourth place Chase standing going into the race: “All can we worry about is what we can control.”
Mike Lepp, Athletic Director at JGR, on pit crew pressure in a pre-race feature: “There is no greater pressure than losing two tenths of a second at Homestead and losing four million dollars.”
Letarte on pit crew symmetry: “What makes pit stops very unique is, unlike football, in a pit stop every player touches the ball on every down. You have to have six guys truly in unison. They have to respect one another, believe in one another and put a lot of faith in the driver.”
Rick Hendrick on Gordon retiring to Snider: “It is exciting and it is sad. I don’t know what it is going to feel like going to Daytona and not seeing Jeff Gordon’s name on one of the cars…I told him I need to be the one retiring, not you.”
Ryan Newman to Massaro on the rain delay: “Whenever we have a rain delay like this you see some pent up energy and it usually comes out in the first few laps.”
Joey Logano to Snider on racing after a rain delay: “You win this race and it is bigger than winning the Daytona 500. There is just that much on the line. You get all fired up, then it starts raining and you relax a little bit. Then you have to get all fired up again. It is part of our sport.”
– NBC SPORTS GROUP –