Adapting to this track

• Although Phoenix is a one-mile speedway, we treat it like a short track. It has fairly long straightaways, but the two corners are the big issue. They are long and sweeping, so how fast you're able to come off them dictates how fast your speed will be down the straightaways.
• The track gets hotter during the race and sometimes becomes slick. In the past, the car has been tighter later in the race, so you have to be ready to make adjustments, including changes in the tire pressure, taking wedge out and raising the track bar. Generally the guy who is running the best at the end of the race has had to make minimal adjustments throughout the day.

Plotting strategy

• The biggest thing is to compromise on the setup because the two ends of the track are so different. You can get your car set up to take Turns 3 and 4, but it will be too tight in the exit of Turns 1 and 2. If you get the car hooked up good coming off Turn 2, it will be loose coming off Turn 4. You have to work at it really hard to get a happy medium. It's rare that you'll get the car set up so the driver is happy at both ends.
• The weather doesn't seem to change much. Mornings and evenings are fairly cool, and the day is warm and sunny. It's in the desert, and it rained just once on race day, when the 1998 race was shortened. That race was the only time I've seen a hint of rain or clouds that could bring rain, so weather rarely is a factor.

Where the action is

• You'll see most passing going into and coming out of the turns. If you have a good run, and you can get around the corners well, you can pass on the exits of the corners. And if you can take a position back on the straightaways -- especially getting into Turn 3 -- you can make your passes by getting on the brakes better and quicker than the other guy. If you are racing against a car in the corners and that car isn't handling well, you can take advantage of him if he gets the slightest bit loose.
• There aren't many cautions at Phoenix, but most of the incidents take place when cars pinch each other off, coming off Turns 2 and 4. We don't usually see many incidents going into the corners. Accidents happen mostly in the middle of the corners or coming off the corners.