Nemechek Putting Hard Work Into New Ride

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 6, 2002) -- Joe Nemechek joined Hendrick Motorsports just three races ago, but he’s already put in a season’s worth of work as he jells with the UAW-Delphi team, spending hours a day at No. 25 shop. “The process of getting acclimated to Hendrick Motorsports has been really interesting for me,” said Nemechek, a former NASCAR Busch Series champion. “I never realized the kind of operation they had and everything that goes into it on a daily basis. It’s just awesome.” Nemechek, who occasionally runs his own Busch Series entry, came to Hendrick Motorsports on May 15, just before the running of NASCAR’s all-star event, The Winston, at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. With just a few days to prepare, the veteran driver impressed his new teammates, qualifying 12th and finishing 14th in his first seat time in the No. 25 UAW-Delphi Chevrolet. “We had a great weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for The Winston,” said Nemechek. “It was an opportunity for me to work on communicating with the guys in a non-points event. We learned a lot about each other during those first few days.” As the 2002 season progresses, Team 25 is confident that hard work off the track will pay off in the long run. With just one top-10 finish in 13 points events, some have speculated that pressure on the new driver might be at an all-time high. Nemechek disagrees. “I’m not feeling any pressure right now,” he said. “I’ve been brought into a situation where I can be very successful, but everyone here at Hendrick Motorsports understands that there’s going to be a period of adjustment. How long that period is depends on how soon we can get our communication down, and I think we’re very close to that. “Just being here is fun. I’m provided with the best equipment in NASCAR and I have a ton of support from some of the best minds in the business here at Hendrick. “I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”