Q:
Kyle, obviously the question that we all want to know is the process. How difficult, how many people did you talk to, and what was sort of the process did you go through? What was the tipping point that led you to this decision?
KYLE BUSCH
“Well, you know, it was a great decision making process that I was able to go through, a great learning experience as well, being able to sit down with the various owners, spend time with them, get to know them, build a friendly relationship with them all. I think we went about it in the right way where everybody was pleased with the way it went down. I'm sure they were a little disappointed when I led into my phone calls a couple Mondays ago and my decision in who it was going to be. But, you know, I felt like for myself, for the time in my career, I made the right decision. You know, it was just all about laying all the cards out there, seeing what all the possibilities were, seeing who the teammates were going to be, who the team members were going to be, the crew chiefs, stuff like that. I feel like at JGR, with everything that they've got going on here, they've got a great track record and also one that's second to none with the PR staff and everybody else that works here. It just felt right. It was a tough decision, but in the end I feel like I made the right one and I feel like it was an easy one.”
Q:
Can you outline how much different Hendrick is to Joe Gibbs, the drivers, the teams? Were you ever really serious about going to Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI)?
KB:
“I think to the first part of it about the differences between the drivers, I think as J.D. led into a little bit, Tony and I have a lot of similarities. That is a scary thing. But when you look at it, for who we are off the race track, I think it makes a lot of sense in why we're here, why we're together. Denny and I are great friends on the race track as well as more so off the racetrack. So I felt like that was going to be a great fit. Jeff (Gordon) and Jimmie (Johnson), I've got a lot of respect for those guys. Obviously they're both champions in their own right – Jeff a four time, Jimmie just last year. There's great equipment over there. There's great equipment over here. You know, I don't feel like I took a step back one bit. I feel like I'm actually right where I left. I feel like I will be able to go out there, contend week in and week out, get Norm here back to seeing that checkered flag again hopefully and being able to just put it on them next year. DEI, there was the opportunity to go there. I felt very strongly about DEI as well as here at Joe Gibbs Racing. What set me apart, honestly, they were so similar, it was really a hard decision. That's what it came down to in the end was DEI and here. With the support from Joe and J.D., I just felt maybe a little bit more at home. But, you know, DEI's got a great reputation over there, too. They've been coming on real strong here in the middle part of the season. Competition was definitely a tough side to look at. But I feel like in the end, it's the right decision.
Q:
J.D., you joked twice now that Kyle and Tony are frighteningly similar. What do you do with Tony to keep him in line and can you do the same things with Kyle in that sense?
J.D. GIBBS
“I missed something. Do we actually keep Tony in line? No, I think in all seriousness, here is what I know. As a race team, first and foremost, you’ve got to win races. You’ve got to go fast. You have to have a chance to win those championships. If you don't do that, you don't put yourself in that position, you won't have sponsors, you'll lose team guys, you won't be here very long. So for us, first and foremost, NFL and other sports, you have to perform on the track. Clearly Kyle does that, as well as Tony, as well as Denny. I think the second thing that I would say is Tony, for as intense and passionate as he is around the race track, I think a lot of people more and more so, don't see him off the track, all the stuff he does, his heart, the way he really cares about other people, the kids, the people he works with. I think I see a lot of that same thing in Kyle. Very passionate on the track, but really off the track, a good sense of humor, quick wit and I think will bond well with our guys and also is able to give back a lot to the community. I think that's kind of where I see him and Tony. Really I think both those guys, as well as Denny, really know at the end of the day how much their team guys sacrifice. I think those guys are tight. I think we'll have the same thing with Kyle.
Q:
J.D., you've talked about this, a lot of teams would shy away from putting these three big personalities, strong willed individuals on the same lineup. What makes you, Joe, this organization, able to massage it and keep it all together?
JDG
I would disagree with you somewhat. I think if you offered Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch to most guys out there, they'd do that at all costs to make that work. You're talking about three guys that can obviously perform on the track. Forget about the fact Kyle is 22 years old. Denny is young. Tony, he's our mentor but he has matured a lot. I think he's able to share some of the stuff he's learned along the way, what not to do, what to do. I think really for us, I think these guys put us in a great position as a team going forward. Everyone's asking about a fourth team. What does the fourth team look like? The way we are right now, I think if you want to do a fourth team in '09, that's great. If it's 2010, great. We're in no hurry. Right now if you do well with the teams you have. You have a lot of options. That's kind of our goal in bringing Kyle on board. You're going to have a lot of options to do other things from a sponsor standpoint and from a team growth standpoint.
Q:
The 18 car has not been very strong over the past few seasons. Were you concerned about coming to a car that hasn't had top performance? Were you given any assurances they would try to make the performance better at all?
KB:
“Well, I think you look at the 20 and the 11, and you say, ‘Well, what's going on with the 18? Is it team? Is it crew chief? Is it driver?’ I've got a lot of respect out there for J.J. Yeley (current driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet), his talents, what he's done in open wheel ranks, stuff like that. When he came to the NASCAR ranks, he's been competitive. He's been a legitimate top-20 driver week in and week out. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors, whatever he does. As far as the 18 ride, what I foresee going on with it is being able to run up front. The 20 and the 11 do it. You know, I hopefully think that everything will work out fine where we'll be able to jump in there and hopefully get the chemistry right, right off the bat and be able to get up there and run competitive in the first few races or maybe even take a couple of them and throw them away and hopefully be able to run competitively through the middle part of the season to try to get towards the Chase (for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup) next year. Like I said, the biggest thing for me is just try to come out of here, be competitive to try to win races and win championships. But, you know, there might be a little bit of a growing period, but hopefully it's not too long where we can't catch back up. Maybe we can start off strong, be in contention to contend for the championship.
Q:
Kyle, obviously this issue has come up a few times. Do you feel like you have to mature based on all the events that happened in the last few years as you come to this new team? J.D., talk about the drive to improve, to become deeper and stronger. What's going on in NASCAR that is inspiring teams to merge and grow?
![Kyle Busch at Indianapolis. [Pic Credit IMS Media/Dana Garrett]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/252485.jpg)
