What’s it been like since you won at Las Vegas?
“It was nice to lock ourselves in. Immediately, on the Monday after Vegas, we put the plan together for how we’re going to win. What are those things we need to talk about over the next two and a half weeks, executing the plan we put together, how to make our car better and making sure the team is ready. All of the little things are nice to go through when you have the opportunity to think about. If you were locked in at Martinsville, you have three days before the car has to be loaded up and shipped out to Phoenix. We’ve had two and a half weeks to do it, so it’s been pretty nice.”
What do you think you need to do to win on Sunday?
“I think we’re going to win. It’s really going to come down to details. I expect all four of these cars to be really fast. It’s going to come down to the human element, including the drivers, the pit crew, the strategy with the crew chief and the execution of restarts. All of these things are going to have to come together the right way. I feel really good about our position with all of that and we’ll go do our jobs.”
What would it mean to win a second championship?
“It would be twice as good as having one of them. That’s the goal. It would be special. Every year, when you start the season, it’s not about winning races but winning the championship. That’s the ultimate goal. We’ve been able to get to the point where we’re able to do that, which is great. We’re not celebrating the fact that we’re in the Championship 4. We want to celebrate when we’re champions. We have to get to that point.”
This is your third year with Paul Wolfe. What’s it like to do this with him?
“Paul’s been great to work with and it’s been great to grow with him. We’re two very different personalities, but we seem to work fairly well and we can have open conversations with each other. We’re able to help with each other’s weaknesses. What you want in your crew chief is what you want in your spouse. You want somebody that makes you better. We’ve found our way to lead the race team together, execute races, communicate throughout races and figure out what we need to do. Phoenix is one of his best racetracks, so I’m ready to go.”