Raybestos® Rookie Contenders Race Notes

Florida Dodge Dealers 250
Daytona | 2/14/03
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02-14-2003

Raybestos® Rookie Contenders Race Notes

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Doug Keller, No 27 Van Am Tool and Engineering Chevrolet

KELLER DROPPED OUT WITH ENGINE FAILURE AFTER 57 LAPS AND WAS CREDITED WITH A 25TH PLACE FINISH.
"It looks like we broke a valve spring. I was just out there playing, trying to get used to it. We were actually having a good time there. I was just hanging back. I told them (his crew) it seemed like they kept wrecking and they said 'Get up there and draft.' I could pass a bunch of people but until it gets late in the race I didn't see any need in being up there all piled up. We were tight at the beginning and right side tires made us loose so I was just riding around. As long as you keep the draft you are not going to go a lap down. We ran out of gas under caution. We got real lucky and got out right in front of the pace truck and stayed on the lead lap. That's all our goal was so we were doing good."

RANDY BRIGGS IN THE NO. 53 TOOLBOXGRILL.COM/ CANINE'S CHOICE FORD WAS THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE OF THE RACE AT DAYTONA. HE FINISHED 14TH.
"We started out real good. The truck seemed to handle real good. We knew it was a good truck. We didn't change a whole lot from 'Happy Hour' yesterday. Long story short, we just survived. It got tight later in the race. I was a rookie and didn't realize how tight it was and wasn't helping the crew chief enough. Calvin Humphries (his crew chief) made real good calls. With four
to go I don't think we had a scratch on this thing and we just got caught up in one of those deals out here."

THE RACING LOOKED INTENSE. "I've been here once and I am a rookie but I got to be here once in the trucks. You learn so much every time and I got a feeling I went to school for basically 250 miles. Hopefully we can do this for the rest of the season."

HOW IMPORTANT TO YOUR TEAM IS A GOOD FINISH THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON? "It is a small race team. It means a lot to them. It's pretty emotional, actually, just being able to take the checkered. Last year we didn't get to do that. This is Daytona and everybody wants to be here. It was a dream come true."

HOW CLOSE DID YOU COME TO MISSING THE ACCIDENT AT THE END OF THE RACE? "I would say six inches. I got all the way on the yellow line trying to get away and I was afraid if I got down off the apron I couldn't hang on to it. I tried and I just didn't miss it. Maybe a good veteran like (Dennis) Setzer
or somebody like that could have made it. I didn't know if I could do it or not. From where I was sitting it kind of looked like the 07 had a good run and I was going with him and it seemed like the 8 got down but I was three truck lengths back.

BEFORE THE START OF THE RACE, BRIGGS ASKED MARY WARD TO MARRY HIM. SHE ACCEPTED HIS MARRIAGE PROPOSAL.
"I've been listed as engaged because at my age (38) saying girlfriend just didn't sound right. I've been putting it off to a special moment. Her birthday was yesterday and being down here I couldn't get her anything. It's Valentine's Day and I asked her right before the green and she said yes."

TINA GORDON, NO.31 3M POST-IT/MICROTEL INN DODGE, FINISHED 22ND.
"It seemed like from the very start it seemed like it was something always happening. I sure thought we were going to be able to finish this race today. I don't know what it looked like but from my view it looked like he was coming back up the track with more momentum. I had already started going high and then like I said I thought he was coming back up the track and I
kind of come down and then he come right back down. That was all there was. I just hate it. I hate that it all happened."

CARL EDWARDS, NO. 99 ROUSH RACING FORD, FINISHED 24TH.
"I think that's just classic rookie there. It kept getting looser and
looser. It's no big deal to be loose but I think it was chassis-loose and then Mike (Wallace) was coming around me, I think. I think it just got the air so far off of it there was just no getting it back. I tried real hard initially and then I though I'm going to hit the wall with this thing. It's just frustrating. Roush Racing is wonderful. Mike Mittler just checked on me. They say I still have a job. We're going Darlington, hopefully. Everybody that won a championship last year ran finished like crud in the Daytona deal so maybe it's an omen. The guys worked so hard; they're awesome. I feel terrible for them. Everything was going better than planned and it kept getting looser and looser. Mike Wallace got up there just right and it went from being like, on a one to 10 scale, a five loose the 10 laps before that it went straight to an 11. There was no getting it back. It's just inexperience on my part dealing with the air. It's so amazing what it does. Gosh, I'm so frustrated. We were going to win this thing or at least a top-five. We stayed out waiting for a yellow. We just didn't plan on
being the yellow."

IT LOOKED LIKE YOU PATIENTLY WORKED YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT. "I was not over excited. It had nothing to do with that. That's as loose as you can get, I guess. I thought it was great (to lead) because I know the pit crew is going to be great so we're going to get right back out where we belong. I wasn't worried at all about that. There were guys still in front of me so nothing changed."

ARE YOU ENCOURAGED BY HOW WELL YOU RAN TODAY?
"This organization is unbelievable. I've looked up to Roush Racing my whole life and now I know why."

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