"It was unfortunate that we went through this. We pushed it a little bit too far. We got caught with something that NASCAR didn't like and they imposed a penalty upon us and we have to accept that. We have to continue to move forward as a team and try to win the championship. That is what we are going to do. We have got a great task at handout there trying to beat everybody. There are some very competitive teams out there and that is a tribute to NASCAR by setting the standard out there for the teams. It is up to us to put a product out there that will win races. That is something that is difficult. Sometimes it gets clouded you lose sight of certain things. The rulebook says what it is and the procedures are what they are and we have to stay within those guidelines. We got pinched there a little bit. We are going to pay the penalty and then move on.
"I have apologized to everyone out there. Lowe's, everyone at Hendrick Motorsports, my teammates, the Lowe's employee owners and then all the race fans. It is not something I am happy about, it sheds a bad light upon me and Hendrick Motorsports and that is not the way we live. We do a lot of great things as a company for racing as an industry. We do a lot of great things as a company for people in general and I want to make sure that everyone always views us in that light. That is what we are going to do.
"I am really proud of my race team. They are the strongest race team out there. I think that Darian has proved himself in the past and really proved what he is capable of doing on Sunday. Shoot, we have the best driver out there in NEXTEL Cup competition and the best team and the best sponsors. I think that this is only going to help us a whole and I am looking forward to the rest of the season."
Q:
DID YOU DO IT INTENTIONALLY?
CHAD KNAUS
"You know, there are a lot of things out there that can be called intentional, unintentional, what ever you want to call it. The fact of the matter is that when NASCAR went back through the inspection process, the car didn't fit. How that happens is pretty irrelevant. The car just didn't fit. So we have gotten punished for that, we are serving the penalty for the thing that happened and that is what it is. It didn't fit."
Q.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED?
CHAD KNAUS
"If you look back, I think that NASCAR put out in their statement exactly what they feel happened and if you go back and see what they said, I think you can just go off of that. They put it out there the way that they see that it worked, how it happened, whatever happened and that is what we are talking about and we are just going off what they said."
Q.
AND YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THEM?
CHAD KNAUS
"I didn't say that. I just said they put out their statement and that is what we are going to abide by."
Q.
ARE YOU RELIEVED TO GET OUT OF THIS WITHOUT A POINTS DEDUCTION WHILE HALL OF FAME RACING RECEIVED A POINTS DEDUCTION?
CHAD KNAUS
"I don't know what went on with the Hall of Fame Racing situation, that is their issues to deal with as a company. I would honestly say that losing the head coach of the team, crew chief or leader to an organization is probably more detrimental than any points you could possibly take away. Obviously, as we won the race and everything went picture perfect, it was a day that was meant to be and it was going to happen whether I was there or anybody else. I think it was a day that was written before we ever even showed up. I think in the immediate future, the next three races, it could be very detrimental me not being there. We are just going to try the best we can to get through it."
Q.
Do you think they can win without you there?
