Ford Racing Las Vegas David Starr

Sep 19, 2007

VEGAS ROLLS STARR'S WAY THIS WEEK IN FORD RACING

Las Vegas — David Starr has enjoyed a great deal of success at this week’s stop on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit—Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Starr won his first touring series race at the 1.5-mile oval and then won his first NCTS event in 2002 at LVMS.

DAVID STARR – NO. 10 INTERNATIONAL MAXX FORCE DIESEL FORD F-150 YOU’VE WON AT LAS VEGAS IN THE NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES, SO YOU MUST BE LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK, RIGHT? “Las Vegas has always been a really magical place, even the old configuration. When they tore the race track down, I couldn’t believe they were tearing it down because it really produced good racing. I loved the facility and the first NASCAR race I ever won—a NASCAR Winston West race—was there at that track and then I turned around and won my first truck race there at Las Vegas, so it’s a special place for me.”

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW BANKING? “Last year with the new configuration, they did a really tremendous job. It’s supposed to be a showplace and I can’t wait to get back because last year all of the facilities weren’t completed, so I’m anxious to see what the final product looks like. I bet it’s probably going to be one of the finest facilities on our circuit.

"We didn’t run very good there last year. We struggled and I had never struggled there before. With this new configuration, you can almost run wide-open there or you can if your truck is perfect. Before, you couldn’t really run wide open, but it’s kind of like a Charlotte, Texas, Atlanta track now—it’s got a lot of banking to it. That’s the difference. The track has always been smooth, even before they dug it up, so the biggest difference is just a lot more banking. It’s a fun place to race and we’re gonna put on a good show for the fans. I thought the racing was good before they dug it up, but it’ll be just as good now.”

THE TRUCKS PUT ON A GOOD SHOW REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A TRACK IS BANKED OR NOT DON’T THEY? “It doesn’t matter. The way the trucks are and the competition in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with the depth of talent we have in the series among drivers and teams, we’re gonna put on a good show no matter where we race. Flat track, short track, banked track, fast track, it doesn’t matter—the truck series puts on a good show with good racing and you’ll see that at Las Vegas.”

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A CHASE FORMAT IN THE TRUCK SERIES? YOU WOULD BE IN RIGHT NOW IF THEY TOOK THE TOP 12 AND RE-SEEDED. “That’s a hard question to answer because the last three years it’s come down to the last race at Homestead before we knew who our champion was gonna be, so it’s not like somebody always gets out to a big lead and we know who our champion is before the last race of the season. It always seems to come down to the last laps of the last race at the end of the season. That being said, it also depends on where you’re at and how your season has gone. Today, sitting where we are in the points, I’d like to see a Chase for the Championship. Maybe last year when I was sitting fourth or fifth at this point, I don’t know if I would have liked to have seen a Chase. But with the truck series having only 25 races, I’d like NASCAR to maybe add five more races and if they did that, I’d like to take maybe the last 10 and have a Chase for the Championship. I think that would be good. Right now, though, I don’t know if they kept the same format with 25 races and after 15 races made the last 10 a Chase, I don’t know if that’s enough races.

"NASCAR always does what’s best for our sport, so whatever they do, I’m gonna bet on their side because every move they make has always been for the betterment of our sport. They haven’t put a Chase in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series or the Busch Series yet and if they see a need to do and they do it, I’m gonna be right behind them.”