Dave: Hey John how are you doing?
John: Not too bad!
Dave: So now your boy Matthew…
Matt: Hey I asked Kevin Harvick to pass a message on to you, did you get it? (laughing)
John: (laughing) Yea, I got it! (laughing)
Joe: What was that all about? That was not very sportsman like.
John: Well I do not know what Kevin wanted me to do. He obviously wanted me to disappear and not be on the race track at all. Unfortunately he had the best line, because he was in the outside line. I did not hold anyone up all day and I would have not held him up if it hadn’t been for on the second lap, he made a hard left going down the front straight away and took the left side of my car off. People probably did not see that, including Darrell. At that point I figured…. Game’s on buddy! I am sick of these guys thinking they can drive all over and they think it is wonderful. I did not appreciate him coming and hitting me in the back then and after that, after we settled that, he raced me clean and once he drove me clean, I let him go. I do not have a problem with guys who race me, but if they are going to race me that way, I am going to race them back that way from now on. They are costing our race team too much money and too good of finishing positions to treat us like we do not exist or that they are more important than us. The reality of it all is from now on it is the same for everyone. I guess I am too nice of a guy out there and I am still going to treat those good, who treat me good and if they don’t….
Dave: Stick a wheel in them!
John: You hit me in the back, do not expect that it is not coming back, Is all I am saying!
Dave: That is why they put fenders on that 43 car.
John: That was not racing, that was just punk driving. If that is what he wants to do or anyone else then, they are fair game as far as I am concerned, because it is not equal play if I am the one that keeps getting taken out and they keep on going on. I hate it because, it is a level of frustration on my part, but after two years of being the guy that gets whooped on. Evidently you have to take care of this yourself, there is no rules.
Dave: The frustration level has to be high, because you usually run very well at Martinsville, I mean you won the Spring race there in 99 running for the King, so it is surprising you struggled there.
John: It was surprising and embarrassing and really something that really caught me off guard because I had never anticipated going to Martinsville…… And I do not think we had ever ran bad at Martinsville. We have had motors break and get caught up in wrecks, but we have never ran bad. We just flat out ran bad, and to do that at a place that, we always run good at is pretty disturbing. It makes you sit up in your seat and take note we have to work harder to make it up there. We have a great organization and a great team, so there is no reason we should run like that especially at a place we have ran so good at. Now, we have ran better at some places we have not ran good at, but I do not know…… Martinsville got away from us and that is too sad of a story, because that is a place where I thought we would have picked up points if we did not get crashed, and we did not get crashed. The only damage I got was running around the 29 and when the 88 got spun out and I straightened him up. There is no place for you to go anymore at Martinsville, because they put that inside pit road wall there. There is no escape route, so it was easier to hit him than the wall.
Joe: Does the prize money mean anything John? Because we were going through and you finished 30th, but you were 13th best in the prize money, obviously you do not see that. It is the wins and the finishes you are interested in, but can you find some solace in that?
John: It is good for Petty Enterprises. I think they give me that extra money because they like me (laughing). That is what that is all about… It has something to do with point fund money, a lot of things go into that. It can be quite confusing and there are 2 or 3 different plan moneys in there. Most of that goes to the owner that is what it is based on, because NASCAR knows they need to take care of the owners, because they are the ones that show up week in and week out. Drivers go in and out, but the owners have to be there for the drivers to participate.
Dave: Lets, shift gears and talk about your cousin Michael. His last race is coming up now with the impending Indy 500, have you spoke to him anymore about it? He has got to be feeling a little weird about it.
John: No Michael is actually…. He feels really good about his decision and I do not think he has any regrets. Matter of fact, I think he feels he needs to get this behind him and get focused on Andretti Green Racing. He has a great organization obviously and they are doing wonderful things over there, so he has a great future in motor sports outside of the seat. That has him obviously jacked up aside from going to the Indy 500 now, obviously nothing would be greater than for him to win the 500, unless I am there. (laughing) He has a lot of great things coming in the future, it isn’t like he is hanging up his helmet and that is the last touch he will have with motor sports from a competitive standpoint. I see him becoming the caliber of an ex-driver, a Penske or a Gnassi. Those kind of guys that went out and established successful teams or even the King.
Dave: Did you hear Cheever had decided to forgo his last race at the speedway?
John: I think I heard that somewhere. I understand they have a lot of business things going on over there with John Menard and that is good to see that they are organizing, building an empire.
Dave: John I know you are still putting a program together to come here in May, but you know Tony Kannan depending on how bad he was hurt…
Joe: It could have been much worse, it was just a broken arm, but we can find other things wrong with him. (laughing)
John: Put him in a go-kart next to Matt and I know he will be hurting worse.
Dave: That 11 seat may be open come May and who better to fill that chair if Tony is not heeled, than his cousin John.
John: It is one of those things where you go to visit Tony and grab him by the arm and say how is it feeling (laughing)
Dave: You do not have to do that we can just send big Joe.
Joe: Yea, I’ll do it. I’ll be a big fan, a little over zealous.
John: Give him a bear hug.
Joe: head butt him.
Dave: Pick him up and drop him. (laughing) He is a little guy next to big Joe.
John: We all are! I am little compared to an 8th grader. (laughing)
Dave: Anyhow we will keep our eyes open for that seat for you. You never know!
John: You never do know and the deal with Michael is great and no one is more deserving that hasn’t won to win it.
Dave: That is true, Hey you have the weekend off!
John: Yea, imagine that!
Dave: For Easter, have fun with your family and have a great time with your family.
John: Thanks I appreciate it…..
Joe: Will we see you at St. (buffering) are you coming back to Indy?
John: We will be down here at St. Mark. I was going to say the reason we do not race is so people can go to church, we hope they do.
Joe: Especially Kevin Harvick.
John: I talked to Sister Rita the other day and she is doing great, so they have Calcutta coming up at Cardinal Ritter. (laughing)
Dave: Have sister Rita say a prayer for Harvick. (laughing) I don’t know if it will do any good….
John: I have no idea how Kevin lost all those fingers. (laughing) Industrial accident somewhere.
Dave: He must have not been very good at shop. (laughing) He could get a gig playing captain hook!
John: It didn’t look very crooked to me. (laughing)
Dave: All right buddy take care, we will talk to you next week.
John: Take care!
THE END