Ricky Rudd and the #21 Motorcraft Racing team tested last week at Homestead-Miami Speedway ahead of this weekend's 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season finale'. Rudd answers questions this week from his fans about the test and the race track.
How did the test at Homestead go? "It was a two-day test. I thought it was a good test. We carried two cars and eliminated one of them pretty early so we could focus on the primary car. It was a good test because we could try two or three extremely different set-ups and we really didn't know which would be better on the longer runs. We did a lot of longer run stuff, no qualifying stuff. And about the last 10 or 15 minutes of practice on the final day I thought we had a set-up that was really good. It ran fast and stayed fast. It was real competitive with the best cars that were there."
Have the car set-ups changed a lot from last year? "I don't know. I don't know what we ran on the car the last time. It's the same tires we had last race. The track has given up a little bit of speed. There were probably 20 or 30 teams that were testing and everybody's speeds were a little off from last year. But that is understandable because we were on the same tires and the track has weathered out a little. It is generally expected that the speeds will go away. But I don't know about the set-up."
Do you like the way the track drives now with the new banking, or do you wish they had left it alone? "I think it makes for better racing right now, but I kind of liked the old track better. It was more of a challenge. From what I saw at testing it'll probably be a pretty good race to watch. It's almost like Atlanta. It seems to have multiple grooves once you get running so you can pass each other. Sometimes those tracks seem to be follow the leader, but I think you are going to see a lot of passing going on."
These "cookie cutter" type tracks have not been your strong suit the past years. After your second place at Kansas, are you more excited about racing at these tracks? "I've always enjoyed, in the past, those types of tracks. We've had a pretty good performance on them until this last year, year and a half. We haven't run very well, and then Fatback shows up and we're running pretty good again. It helps that Homestead is one of those types of tracks. I liked the way it felt, and it looked pretty good on the watch. The other day it had a real good feel to it. I think those tracks test you harder than any other track we run on. You get the right guys turning the bolts and good things happen."
When racing the last race do you ever think of the following season? "Normally, I focus on the race at hand, and still do to a degree. But I'm excited about what I'm seeing shaping up for next year and it's already starting to come together now. Sometimes you enjoy seeing winter come. But, I like seeing what I'm seeing right now and the team's success. I'm looking forward for winter to come this year so we can erase all our old test dates and can start new. We've been trying to do all this without any testing or very little testing. I like what I see Fatback has planned for the winter. We've got one big hurdle to overcome. All the teams do, for that matter, and that is the new spoiler rule they are gonna have will be pretty major next year."
Do you know why different makes of the race cars have the exhaust pipes coming out different sides? "It's not make or manufacturer that determines what side the exhaust pipe comes out. What determines that is how much the car is going to travel. It used to be that at the high-travel tracks you would put your exhaust out the left side because you would hit if they went out the right side. I don't really have an answer to that. I'm thinking most of the exhausts go out the right side now. The left side frame rail is down a little lower now."
Are there still heat problems with the exhaust pipes? "Yes. I'll still get a burn on my heel occasionally. It's better than it used to be but you've still got to pay attention to it. There are several different materials that go under the floorboard, but you still have to stay on top of it. I've got a little different protection that I copied from Johnny Benson years ago. You've got insulated shoes and an insulated heel pad. But I'll take a Styrofoam cup and cut it open and tape it up and put it inside my shoe, too. I've seen the days when I'm glad to have had that Styrofoam cup in there because I've actually burned my feet even with that cup in there."
Is there a Rudd clone on the track? "I don't know. There is a lot of talent out there. I kind of personally like, but I don't think he's a clone, I like his demeanor, Kasey Kahne. He's a good kid. He's not here to be a Hollywood star. He's here to race."
