NHRA: Jason Line finally earns home win at Brainerd; Pritchett, Capps also triumph

By Aug 18, 2019, 8:16 PM EDT
Photos and videos courtesy NHRA
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Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.

NHRA Pro Stock drag racer Jason Line may not have originated that saying, but he certainly lived up to it Sunday in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Although he now lives in North Carolina, Line grew up in northeast Minnesota in the town of Wright, about an hour’s drive from Brainerd International Raceway. BIR is where Line cut much of his racing teeth, so to speak, but he never took home a Pro Stock win there (he did win two Stock Eliminator sportsman races there in 1992 and 1997).

That is, until Sunday. Sure, Line was credited as the winner of the 2014 race at BIR, but due to weather, the final round was not completed until two weeks later – and was held in an alternate venue during the subsequent U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Park.

So, Line may have entered this weekend with a past Pro Stock win from the Brainerd event, but he never actually did the trick at his home track until Sunday. And oh, what a dominant win it was. Line plowed through the opposition for his first win of 2019 like a man on a mission who was not going to be denied something he’s been chasing for more than 20 years of racing.

He also set an NHRA record by recording a win in 16 consecutive seasons now.

The three-time NHRA Pro Stock champ had an outstanding weekend. Not only was he No. 1 qualifier, he wrapped things up with a win in one of the best Pro Stock battles of the season to date, running 6.597 seconds at 209.10 mph to defeat Erica Enders (6.604 seconds at 207.59 mph) in Sunday’s final round.

MORE: NHRA: Jason Line looks to finally win big at his home track in Minnesota

En route to his win over Enders, Line defeated Wally Stroupe, Alex Laughlin and Deric Kramer to reach the final round. Enders, the No. 2 qualifier, beat Shane Tucker, Chris McGaha and Matt Hartford to meet Line in the final round.

“This is very cool,” Line said. “As we get older, you realize these moments are going to be few and far between and less chance of them happening, so it’s very special. Right now it feels special, but it’s going be feel more special later on, for sure. It was just a great weekend and a fun day. We had a great car and you want to win here in front of your friends and family. To see them and see how happy they are, it’s super special. This place has been a big part of our lives.”

The win was the 49th of Line’s Pro Stock career and his first since last fall at Charlotte. He’s now the seventh different winner in the first 11 races of the 18-race Pro Stock national event schedule.

IN FUNNY CAR: Ron Capps (3.946 seconds at 324.28 mph) defeated his Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Tommy Johnson Jr. (3.947 seconds at 319.98 mph), in Sunday’s final round. It was Capps’ 64th career win and his 50th racing for DSR. It was also Capps’ sixth career Funny Car win at Brainerd.

In a way, it was somewhat of an avenging victory, as Capps lost in the final round of the last race, at Seattle two weeks ago, when John Force captured the 150th Funny Car win of his career.

Capps defeated, in order, J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman and Shawn Langdon to face Johnson Jr., who defeated Tim Wilkerson, Robert Hight and No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan.

“I had my hands full today,” Capps said. “This is a race that we circle on the calendar because it’s fun, but you want to race this race and get the finishing touches on your tune-up.

“This is a crucial race and they’ve done such a great job here. Both lanes are equal and you really want to have your act together leaving this race. I’m so happy we’ve had great success here and we had a great running car today.”

IN TOP FUEL: Leah Pritchett (3.732 seconds at 321.04 mph) held off Mike Salinas (4.066 seconds, 235.72 mph) to earn her first win of 2019, snapping a 26-race winless streak that dated back more than a year ago.

It was the Southern California native’s eighth career Top Fuel win and 14th overall win (including prior wins in the Pro Modified and Factory Stock classes). It also was Pritchett’s second career Top Fuel win at Brainerd.

Pritchett defeated Kyle Wurtzel, defending event winner Billy Torrence and Austin Prock to meet Salinas in the final round. Salinas, meanwhile, defeated Luigi Novelli, Clay Millican and Doug Kalitta to meet Pritchett. By virtue of her win, Pritchett became the second DSR driver to win Sunday, joining Capps in the winner’s circle.

“I was proud to be the one to put on the final win light (today) for DSR, and this is the perfect time to be able to get the momentum for our season,” Pritchett said. “Looking at the time sheets, we made four incredible runs and that’s something that the crew chiefs have been able to do consistently, and it’s coming together at the perfect time. Between the racecar that we have, the team and what we’re asking it to do, (the car) is performing beautifully, and I couldn’t be more happy.”

PLAYOFF UPDATE: There is now just one race remaining for drivers to qualify for the upcoming six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Those that have clinched so far include, as well as those still in contention for the remaining playoff position(s) are:

TOP FUEL: Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, Clay Millican​​​​​​, Brittany Force, Doug Kalitta, Mile Salinas and Leah Pritchett have all clinched playoff spots. Five other drivers are in the running for the three remaining spots; Austin Prock, Richie Crampton, Terry McMillen, Scott Palmer and Billy Torrence.

FUNNY CAR: Robert Hight, Tommy Johnson Jr., John Force, Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III, Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd and Shawn Langdon have all clinched playoff spots. Tim Wilkerson and Cruz Pedregon will battle it out at Indianapolis to determine the lone remaining playoff contender.

PRO STOCK: Bo Butner, Greg Anderson, Alex Laughlin, Matt Hartford, Jason Line, Deric Kramer, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Erica Enders and Chris McGaha have all qualified for the playoffs. Nine drivers will battle it out at Indy for the remaining one spot: Kenny Delco, Fernando Cuadra Sr., Val Smeland, Rodger Brogdon, Alan Prusiensky, Fernando Cuadra Jr., Shane Tucker, Richard Freeman and Steve Graham.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: Even though the class did not race at Brainerd, only four riders have qualified so far for the playoffs: Andrew Hines, Eddie Krawiec, Hector Arana Jr. and Matt Smith. Six other spots will be filled at Indy.

NOTES: The next NHRA race is the biggest of the season, the 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis from August 28-Sept. 2.

**********************************

Here’s the statistics from Sunday’s final rounds:

FINAL FINISHING ORDER:

TOP FUEL: 1.  Leah Pritchett; 2.  Mike Salinas; 3.  Austin Prock; 4.  Doug Kalitta; 5.  Brittany Force; 6. Steve Torrence; 7.  Clay Millican; 8.  Billy Torrence; 9.  Luigi Novelli; 10.  Chris Karamesines; 11.  Antron Brown; 12.  Terry McMillen; 13.  Richie Crampton; 14.  Kyle Wurtzel; 15.  Scott Palmer; 16.  Cameron Ferre.

FUNNY CAR: 1.  Ron Capps; 2.  Tommy Johnson Jr.; 3.  Matt Hagan; 4.  Shawn Langdon; 5.  Jack Beckman; 6.  Bob Tasca III; 7.  Bob Bode; 8.  Robert Hight; 9.  Cruz Pedregon; 10.  Dale Creasy Jr.; 11.  Paul Lee; 12.  Tim Wilkerson; 13.  J.R. Todd; 14.  Jonnie Lindberg; 15.  Terry Haddock; 16.  John Force.

PRO STOCK: 1.  Jason Line; 2.  Erica Enders; 3.  Matt Hartford; 4.  Deric Kramer; 5.  Jeg Coughlin; 6.  Alex Laughlin; 7.  Chris McGaha; 8.  Bo Butner; 9.  Richard Freeman; 10.  Kenny Delco; 11.  Fernando Cuadra; 12.  Val Smeland; 13.  Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 14.  Wally Stroupe; 15.  Greg Anderson; 16. Shane Tucker.

**********************************

FINAL RESULTS:

TOP FUEL: Leah Pritchett, 3.732 seconds, 321.04 mph  def. Mike Salinas, 4.066 seconds, 235.72 mph.

FUNNY CAR: Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 3.946, 324.28  def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.947, 319.98.

PRO STOCK: Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.597, 209.10  def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.604, 207.59.

**********************************

FINAL ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:

TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE — Austin Prock, 4.532, 226.77 def. Scott Palmer, 9.253, 92.79; Clay Millican, 3.696, 327.43 def. Richie Crampton, 4.843, 158.78; Brittany Force, 3.728, 332.75 def. Chris Karamesines, 4.636, 167.88; Mike Salinas, 3.723, 329.34 def. Luigi Novelli, 4.030, 269.67; Leah Pritchett, 3.744, 327.43 def. Kyle Wurtzel, 6.758, 85.34; Steve Torrence, 3.817, 301.81 def. Cameron Ferre, Foul – Red Light; Billy Torrence, 3.685, 328.22 def. Antron Brown, 4.648, 162.18; Doug Kalitta, 3.735, 330.47 def. Terry McMillen, 4.705, 169.21;  QUARTERFINALS — Kalitta, 3.733, 331.28 def. S. Torrence, 3.757, 322.19; Salinas, 3.729, 316.67 def. Millican, 3.964, 252.10; Prock, 3.766, 328.46 def. Force, 3.730, 331.77; Pritchett, 3.764, 326.79 def. B. Torrence, Foul – Red Light;  SEMIFINALS — Pritchett, 3.725, 327.27 def. Prock, 4.002, 299.33; Salinas, 3.800, 272.50 def. Kalitta, 4.066, 271.08;  FINAL — Pritchett, 3.732, 321.04 def. Salinas, 4.066, 235.72.

FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE — Shawn Langdon, Toyota Camry, 3.905, 323.35 def. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 4.385, 235.31; Bob Bode, Ford Mustang, 3.980, 321.27 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 12.298, 72.89; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.937, 329.18 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.119, 295.66; Jack Beckman, Charger, 3.876, 329.75 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 5.076, 151.27; Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.909, 328.14 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.964, 309.42; Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.944, 320.20 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.519, 191.87; Ron Capps, Charger, 3.920, 327.03 def. J.R. Todd, Camry, 4.635, 174.55; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.343, 229.98 def. Jonnie Lindberg, Mustang, 4.756, 216.03;  QUARTERFINALS — Johnson Jr., 3.910, 323.50 def. Hight, 6.034, 115.21; Langdon, 3.903, 325.69 def. Bode, 4.544, 186.07; Capps, 3.918, 325.53 def. Beckman, 3.945, 327.82; Hagan, 3.954, 323.81 def. Tasca III, 4.092, 267.16;  SEMIFINALS — Johnson Jr., 3.930, 324.59 def. Hagan, 3.932, 326.08; Capps, 3.938, 322.27 def. Langdon, 4.377, 201.43;  FINAL — Capps, 3.946, 324.28 def. Johnson Jr., 3.947, 319.98.

PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE — Alex Laughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.865, 205.91 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 8.695, 106.29; Chris McGaha, Camaro, 10.443, 87.81 def. Fernando Cuadra, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.594, 207.88 def. Richard Freeman, Ford Mustang, 6.612, 208.14; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.593, 206.51 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.612, 208.36; Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.595, 208.36 def. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.642, 207.46; Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.596, 208.46 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.661, 208.75; Jason Line, Camaro, 6.589, 208.78 def. Wally Stroupe, Camaro, 6.714, 205.38; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.584, 206.83 def. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 9.584, 95.51;  QUARTERFINALS — Hartford, 6.608, 208.01 def. Butner, 6.643, 209.10; Kramer, 6.599, 208.65 def. Coughlin, 6.610, 206.48; Line, 6.583, 209.26 def. Laughlin, 6.610, 207.50; Enders, 6.583, 207.40 def. McGaha, 6.612, 209.30; SEMIFINALS — Enders, 6.602, 207.40 def. Hartford, 6.633, 207.66; Line, 6.590, 208.94 def. Kramer, Foul – Red Light;  FINAL — Line, 6.597, 209.10 def. Enders, 6.604, 207.59.

**********************************

UPDATED POINT STANDINGS:

TOP FUEL: 1.  Steve Torrence, 1,650*; 2.  Brittany Force, 1,015*; 3.  Doug Kalitta, 1,013*; 4.  Clay Millican, 1,009*; 5.  Antron Brown, 998*; 6.  Mike Salinas, 986*; 7.  Leah Pritchett, 903*; 8. Austin Prock, 826; 9.  Richie Crampton, 785; 10.  Terry McMillen, 708.

FUNNY CAR: 1.  Robert Hight, 1,397*; 2.  Tommy Johnson Jr., 1,218*; 3.  John Force, 1,199*; 4.  Ron Capps, 1,171*; 5.  Jack Beckman, 1,098*; 6.  Matt Hagan, 1,047*; 7.  Bob Tasca III, 1,038*; 8.  J.R. Todd, 981*; 9.  Shawn Langdon, 914*; 10.  Tim Wilkerson, 824.

PRO STOCK: 1.  Bo Butner, 874*; 2.  Greg Anderson, 802*; 3.  Alex Laughlin, 794*; 4.  Jason Line, 774*; 5. Matt Hartford, 753*; 6.  Deric Kramer, 709*; 7.  Erica Enders, 697*; 8.  Jeg Coughlin, 663*; 9. Chris McGaha, 581*; 10.  Kenny Delco, 363.

* Clinched berth in NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

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After 19th Indianapolis 500 win, Roger Penske never stops; focusing on Detroit, Le Mans

By Jun 2, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT
Roger Penske stops
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
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DETROIT – Roger Penske never stops.

Just consider what the 86-year-old billionaire has accomplished last Sunday.

At 12:40 p.m. last Sunday, Penske greeted the massive crowd of 330,000 spectators at the 107th Indianapolis 500 and gave the command, “Drivers, Start Your Engines” to begin the big race. Since 2019, Penske has been the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar.

Over three hours later, Penske was standing on top of the Pagoda, the massive suite and command post of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, watching the dramatic conclusion of the Indy 500 with his wife, Kathy, son Greg, Penske Corp. marketing director Jonathan Gibson, and Penske Corp. president Bud Denker.

When Penske saw his driver, Josef Newgarden, cross the start/finish line as the winner, he thrust his left fist in the air in an enthusiastic fashion and celebrated with his closest associates.

“I’m up on the very top of the Pagoda and I have a screen up there with all the times of every (Team Penske) car, each lap and I have a TV and a radio that I can’t talk (to the teams) on,” Penske said. “I can go from the channels of 2 (Newgaren), 3 (Scott McLaughlin) or 12 (Will Power) just listening to where we are.

“I have my own idea to what I might have done, but when I heard (Team Penske president) Tim Cindric say we had to take our time, when he said we were on plan at 100 laps, we were actually ahead of where we wanted to be. They were saving fuel, to be in the right window, which was right on.

“It was amazing when you think about all of the things that happened. If we didn’t have that wreck on the front straightaway, it would have been different.

“It’s a crazy place. It’s rewarding. That’s why we are here to race.”

In addition to owning the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Penske is also the winningest car owner in Indy 500 history and Sunday’s win was a record-extending 19th win in the 500-Mile Race.

It was the first time Penske, the car owner, won the Indy 500 since Penske, the track owner, officially took over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Jan. 6, 2020.

Roger Penske (Bruce Martin Photo)

With the purchase, he also put some professional distance between himself and Team Penske after calling strategy in the race for many years.

“After you have been on your face for three of four years qualifying here, it’s nice to be up again,” Penske said. “We won nine races last year, won the championship and qualified in the back half of the field. Then we came back here this year, and we worked so hard.

“Guys have better ideas than we do. You have to hand it to them. The cars are legal, I’m sure. Rocket (IndyCar technical director Kevin Blanch) and those guys aren’t going to let that happen and we don’t want it to happen.

“We have to figure out what the magic is so we can be up front at the beginning (of the Indy 500).

“You have to take the good with the bad. You have to eat crow when you have to eat crow. I’ve had good days and bad days, but the good news is we are the same team whether we win or whether we lose and that is the most important thing.

“We are committed.”

Penske was still celebrating in Victory Lane when the placard that designates his parking spot (between the Pagoda and IMS media center) was changed from “18” to “19” to signify the number of times he has won the Indianapolis 500.

“He was hoping to get to 19, and it happened,” Penske’s son, Greg, who is the Vice Chairman of the Penske Corporation told NBC Sports. “It was special for our whole team, our family, and our 70,000-plus team members around the world. And our partners. Shell, in its first race to win with renewable fuel and it happened to be their car. They have been such a great partner over the years.

“That was so exciting to see that all come together as one team.

“It’s always a great feeling to wake up and say, ‘Man, we did this as a team, and we did this together.’

“Now, we move on to Detroit and move forward. Bud Denker and the team, it will be exciting over there, too.”

On Monday night, Penske attended the Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. About 565 miles away, Penske’s NASCAR Cup Series team was competing in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I watched it until I had to go to the banquet,” Penske said Thursday morning in Detroit. “Then I had my iPhone sitting on the table there.

“With 50 laps to go, I didn’t know who to watch or what to watch while I was at the (Indianapolis 500) banquet.”

One of Penske’s NASCAR drivers, Ryan Blaney, went on to win the Coca-Cola 600.

It was yet another first for Penske – the first time he won the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same year. The only reason it wasn’t in the same day is because the NASCAR race had been rained out and rescheduled for the following day.

The accomplishment, however, remains impressive.

“That’s what we are here for, to set goals for other people to try to achieve,” Penske said. “The 19th win at Indianapolis was long overdue when you think about the past. It was a great race. It could have been anybody’s race.

“We were able to execute at the right time.”

Penske enjoyed more success in 24 hours than most team owners or businessmen would experience in a season, or even in a career.

But Penske immediately switched his focus to this weekend’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The NTT IndyCar Series race is the first time this event has been contested on the streets of downtown Detroit since 1991 and is a massive undertaking.

There isn’t anything too big that Roger Penske and his team can’t accomplish, however.

“The good news is we have great weather, and we will be able to showcase the people in the city that don’t normally get a chance to go to the race at Belle Isle in the past can get a chance to come here and see what is going on,” Penske said Thursday. “The economic benefit for the city is going to be terrific.

“Mike Montri, Bud Denker and Chevrolet and the whole team, what they have put together here is an amazing job. Knowing what it takes to start fresh in a city on the city streets is amazing.”

Moving the race from Belle Isle, its home since 1992, back to the streets of Detroit is a massive undertaking, but Penske said it was time to leave the Island.

“We had a lot of noise from people because we were taking Belle Isle, a place where a lot of constituents in Detroit have weddings and things like that,” Penske said. “We cleaned up the island.

“We are going to make this a big event by coming to downtown Detroit. With the support of GM and ourselves, it was a home run.

“Last week, when the mayor of Detroit and the city council took down the 25 mph street signs and put up 200 mph, that was the day when I knew that we had made it.”

Win the Indianapolis 500 win on Sunday, the Coca-Cola 600 victory on Monday and then turning downtown Detroit into a street course and stage the race this weekend, it would be easy to expect Penske to take a break afterward.

Not so.

He will be off to Le Mans for the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans Sports Car race June 10-11 with Porsche Penske Motorsport aiming for an overall victory with its 963 hybrid prototype.

“We want to win Le Mans, that is what we would like to do,” Penske said. “We have three good cars. It’s going to be competitive. The Balance of Performance, we’ll see how that works. They made some changes, but right now, I’m sure the Toyotas have the edge.

“Just to go there and compete this first year with Porsche is something we have wanted to do for a long time. It’s a quality brand, a long-term contract so we can build on it this year.”

Penske and his son Greg are constantly looking forward, instead of taking too much time to celebrate their successes.

Greg Penske with Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden (Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment)

But both men realize what a huge success last week’s Indianapolis 500 was from both a competitive and business standpoint.

“After being stewards of the place here and all the hard work that everyone has put in and the team, what they have done to get back to winning, it was exciting,” Greg Penske told NBC Sports. “We had a lot of competition. Probably the best competition we’ve ever had to race against.

“It was exciting. To be up there and see the move Josef made and how they raced. It was quite a finish for the fans and for everybody.

“Great news. No one left. It was nice to see everyone staying and they wanted to see a great finish. That was exciting.

“It was exciting for everybody.”

The massive crowd of 330,000 fans was the largest to watch the Indianapolis 500 since 350,000 fans attended the sold-out 100th running in 2016.

It serves as proof of what can be done when people such as Penske and his staff get out and promote the event.

“The Indy 500 has always been a spectacular event,” Greg Penske said. “People want to come. It’s Americana. It’s amazing when you take a look at it. The people that came here from 50 different countries and all around the world.

“There is nothing like it. To get this many people to come in, but it’s still one guest at a time. That is something that is really important to us. Every experience is a good one. We have to keep working on that. I’m sure there will be opportunities for us to execute and get even better.”

The day after the Indianapolis 500, Roger Penske spoke to a small group of reporters during the annual Indianapolis 500 victory photo shoot at the Yard of Bricks.

He emphasized it wasn’t just the size of the crowd, it was also the changing face of those in attendance.

“That was some crowd,” he said. “And it was real.

“Owning the track is something we have done over the years. When (former IMS owner) Tony George came, I didn’t realize when I said yes, what I was really signing up for.

“What we signed up for was to make it better and make it a place where everybody wants to come and have fun. The demographics, so many kids coming out here with their families.

“I stood out at Turn 3 here earlier in the week and watched those cars go into Turn 3 at 240 miles an hour and to think you can go out there for $45 with your kids and watch it. It costs me more than that to go to a movie in Detroit than to sit out there.

“This is what we have to do. It’s generational. People come here. They want to keep their tickets. If we can make it fun and exciting as it was yesterday at the end, not many people left. It was amazing that not many people left.”

Roger Penske with his wife, Kathy, at the Indy 500 awards ceremony (Bruce Martin Photo)

Penske is involved in all aspects of his business. He revealed that he used helicopters to take overhead shots of the crowd before and after the race to help improve crowd control in future Indianapolis 500s.

“We had a helicopter every half hour from 7:30 a.m. on taking pictures so we could sit down as a team and look exactly how the place filled up and how it was at closing,” Penske explained. “We can look at where we had pinch points. That’s the most important thing, to make it easier to get in and easier to get out.

“Over in the Snake Pit, there are some things we can do where people can sit on the mounds.

“We had two screens on the back straightaway that were temporary. I want to put a big screen on the back of the grandstands coming off Turn 4 – a big one – so that when you are on the viewing mounds, you can see. Those are the things we have to do and that will only make it a better experience and to grow it.

“I don’t want to take any credit for filling it up. What we are doing is trying to take a product that took 106 years to build into what it is. All we are trying to do is sustain it and bring it up to the current standards from the standpoint of expectations. Whether it’s you as a family or kid, it’s whatever you have.

“That’s how we run our business.

“No risk, no reward. It was great.”

Penske has taken plenty of risks during his career, but he is calculated with every move that he takes when guiding his race team, or his business empire.

That is why he is able to enjoy the tremendous rewards that come with his success.

“Every victory for us and for the team and for my father, what he has been able to build over the years, it is exciting for all of us,” Greg Penske admitted. “He feels the same way.

“Being on top of the podium, as we all know, never gets old. But it takes execution, and it takes hard work.

“The teams here and how they commit to be here and make sure we are successful; I’ve never seen it so competition. Think about qualifying being 14 inches over 10 miles. That’s a pretty close margin.

“It’s always exciting. For him to continue to drive and to work the way he does is pretty amazing.

“I’ve had a front row seat for that and I’m very excited to be a part of it.”

Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500