Do you think running the Budweiser Shootout will help determine how well you will matchup against the rest of the field in the Daytona 500? “I don’t think so. I think most teams will bring their back-up cars for the Shootout and save their best car for the 500. I think the Shootout gives you a chance to get back in the swing of things and shake a little rust off. It is also a great opportunity to get extra exposure for the sponsors.”

Are you excited about running in your fourth Budweiser Shootout race? “The Budweiser Shootout is a lot of fun to race because it doesn’t have any points tied to it. It gives you a chance to go out there and give it all you have and not worry about anything. It also gives us a chance to get a race under our belts before everything really gets going.”

How was the Shell Chevrolet at the pre-season test at Daytona? “Testing went really good. I think this is one of the best Daytona tests I have had in my career. We had one car that was really strong and the other two were off by just a little. So we came back to the shop and cut the bodies off of them and started over. Hopefully, we made our Budweiser Shootout car just as competitive as our Daytona 500 car. We are really really excited about the car we have for the 500.”

You have a go-kart track in your backyard. Do you think it helps you stay sharp during the off-season? “I think so. My little asphalt track in my backyard only takes about six seconds to get around. It is short track racing at its best. I think it is good anytime I can get a chance to get behind the wheel and keep the rust off a little. Usually in the off-season I kind of hibernate and I didn’t want to do that again this year.”