Life from Talladega you're gonna hear him on the broadcast day at am. -- -- near buffalo good morning. Good morning -- or do you agree it's great to talk to you again and fortunately. I think we need to start this conversational for the weather reports. I -- unfortunately it's been raining and raining hard here in Talladega for the better part of the morning however in the last four or five minutes it -- stop. But that according -- the radar there's a little bit more to come through here in the next hour so by. Outside -- I think it would be okay got it will be a great thing in its entirety today. And at the edit salad. Yeah we're just talking about that and we party scene. Plenty of action this week Alex with the. Our our guy's gonna be a little -- here at the start I mean I know we see these these type crashes every time we total plate track but. When you we have an incident like yesterday with Eric McClure being cut out of the car. How much he think is that in a way on the drivers' minds once we go Green today. I don't think a little it. In the driver's meeting which is going on right now aspect and it and the few moments ago in. And talked a couple of different drivers and they said yeah well we'll take it easy the first part of the race but every actress says that and really get out there. For whatever reason their helmets on a little bit too tight Green flag flies and what they say before the race simply get right out the window the going to be racing hard so I think we're gonna see a lot heart racing early just the kind of feel each other out. This in practice Friday these guys oriented acts of about eight -- in cars they didn't really run in powerful 43 car. So they have to figure out immediately. Just how far they can run before things get hot in the engine that department so. They're gonna have to run hard for the first few laps to kind of figure some things out there heavily these banks -- battle of Britain and give it to look at race. Obviously yet no changes really to the cooling systems since Daytona. How -- -- have you talked to this weekend and and how many of them are worried about the the overheating possibilities today. He had talked quite a -- -- about all of them as a matter of fact throughout the week ended. They're the overheating is tough and and these guys like air maintenance. They have no idea how bad it's going to be when you're in a packet in the middle the middle and three wide and you have nowhere to go. He can't go I can't tell you can't bail out of it then they're very afraid that the Indians to simply go on -- -- and quote so. They're they've got some major concern that out over eating now the big. Big issue that nobody really talked about is when they come the pit road because the cars are going to be running so hot. At speed in and that's what they are blowing into the small opening. The radiator. No slowdown comes to erode. And as sort speaker when the car sitting idle for those opening act at thirteen seconds -- pit road. They're Kurt he's that are actually concerned that the engine may liberty of making regular pit stops so the it's it's -- -- the -- really close. And typically pit stops at Talladega aren't that big -- deal because you can make up your track position rather easily in the draft but. Suddenly it stops and become a big deal here. The quicker they can get ought to get off pit road the better off they're going to be and -- big key to getting off road which here's -- fact that the Goodyear tires are so good. Its biggest simply don't Wear out it'll. -- -- -- I was closely alliger states it's a year broadcast of the nationwide race it's I didn't see on TV or what I was on car right. It's on -- light traffic was kind of an issue a pit road actually satellite there's a couple of running in there are reducing more -- today. I think you little I truly think you will because. The -- Haven't yet on at all it rose so quickly. It aired back into the attitude of radiator. They're gonna do whatever they can't keep the car rolling so when somebody pulling out of their box somebody else maybe pulling into their box it's it's going to be a traffic yeah. And what we saw yesterday too we saw Kevin Harvick and his team in the Nationwide Series race it would there was a -- and -- they stayed on the racetrack. Burst on pit road was open when the majority of the field came in -- stayed out on the racetrack -- -- -- that can't act on pit road so. I think you're gonna see more accurate a little bit later on today when the Green flag that's why these guys can figure out different strategies to avoid contact -- -- You know 11 little scrape -- damage on those bodies could just put it be -- death knell for someone they really -- Aaron dynamic packaged. LX hated of MRI and radio joining us here on WGR Patrick Alex just talk about the guys in the field the date -- obviously. One group -- drivers everybody's head I noticed last few weeks is that Ford drivers from Hendrick motor sports trying to get mr. reaches 200. Race to win it and once again these four guys are on the top of a lot of people's list of who might win this race today. Absolutely they are and that seems about tired of hearing around all these pat and all these teacher all the memorabilia. They're trying to trying to get off the trucks the way things -- -- -- week -- -- six. A lot of people point that they -- art junior that they is that this is weak -- and a lot about it because. Not get his record your winning five times in Sprint Cup Series car bit. The fact that we're back in the -- I'll -- instead of what we've seen over the past and all of these and where -- the two cart and and acting. Erik you essentially what the mercy of your partner or an actor acting it put the driver back in the play and quite frankly there's nobody better Dale Earnhardt junior when it comes to pack style attracting a lot people are Spain R&R guy to beat this weekend. Jimmie Johnson knows how to draft Jeff Gordon point six -- here -- certainly without -- he starts from the pole position today. Think he gained another guy out of that incorrectly that had. So bad luck this Saturday and and he's got another good great -- qualified well you are being good in the draft this weekend as well. He kind of sleeper out of life in got to enter motor sports but yeah everybody say and that that this is going to be. Probably the -- an -- motor sports gets win number two -- Yeah -- Casey said a couple of good weeks now the last two weeks and he's got back to back top ten finishes after that awful start he's on his way out but. I think there's a lot of pressure obviously and junior but I think Jeff Gordon at this stage of the season. It seems like you've got the most pressure on him he he seventeenth and pointy starting on the pole today. I think he he has a hard time dealing with not being up there with the forty meaty in the point standings. I agree with you that opted. He kept himself quite a bit yes they would sit on the kind of chat a little while yesterday. And and he's got a totally different mindset NA in it made me kind of opened my eyes. It it initially you think oh boy they didn't have a lot of pressure on the short but in the -- -- they do not they have not. They don't have to maintain. Where there rat points and they're so far behind right now. But within the rule change that NASCAR implemented. In last year even where the two wild cards in height from eleven that we can point whoever has the most wins it's in the chase. So Jeff Gordon and an Alan Gustafson an apple -- fourteen mindset now is. Just a win races. It is and that's a lot easier said that -- obviously but but they don't have to worry about trying to win races and maintain their point standings. All I have to do is go out and take it is expecting it to. And try to win races so they're still pretty good about their tradition and any potentially getting into the chase for. The bottom line is they still act the way it. Lastly Alex for really go look a couple of Toyota teams to keep but I had they obviously the folks and Joseph Gibbs racing -- won the last two cup races. Joel O'Donnell won the nationwide race yesterday and Michael Waltrip racing this great start their having it and Al Michaels behind the wheel and they -- -- his record a plate tracks and. Martin Truex and Clint -- of those guys can get together. Couple those those two Toyota teams to have something to -- today. No outlook and its stock in the record books they're and I didn't realize this but. Illegal Conoco had the best. Restrictor plate average finish in the anybody in the. And in fact yet Hillary the mean time. Is -- numbers can be a little. Street beside in the little bit. It doesn't tickle in the fact that -- around the finish these races so I really likely gone go to -- reported out in -- -- Michael Waltrip racing ain't it. The great feel good story for that race team this year waltrip driving today in the odds are that. Mark Martin shared -- -- Brian Baker had a top five at Bristol in the 55 are. So Michael can get the job done -- but I really like clean it earlier today as well he went to a collapse or Talladega are racist. Although they were all races still end and with a different team but he still the driver. And employer sporting the university of Alabama national championship and skiing got. Paul Bear Bryant painted on the helmet felt that the that the local flavor on the on the fifteen -- Clint -- -- I think boy are gonna have something about the sort of well. Light Yahoo! Eli gold be cheering for today than. Yeah hey Matt I election other side here I -- And he's already been over there and -- -- art -- not that good stuff is CIA Eli excited about. We'll tell Ely and the and the rest they gang over at -- that up here in buffalo and LB GR will be listen in this afternoon looking forward to a great race. Alex thanks so much for the time today. As -- though it is my pleasure thank you that.
