Quotes of the Week
"The future looks very complicated with these new regulations. We feel introducing KERS this year was already a mistake, even though we're supportive of F1 being a technology proving ground. However, the energy recovery systems for our race cars will be very different from road car systems. The costs are very high. We've studied proposals with FOTA to meet the FIA's fair requests regarding spending cuts and the engine costs should be halved next year compared with 2008." Luca di Montezemolo, President, Ferrari
"For two years I've had a Concorde Agreement available for them to sign, but the problem is they have so many smart-arses in the teams — doctors, lawyers, masseurs …" Bernie Ecclestone, President and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Association
"Never, never, never. The first day I won't be going into work is the day they will be lowering me into my grave. And that won't be for a long time to come." Bernie Ecclestone, insisting he has no plans to retire
"It's the ultimate reward. We worked so hard to put ourselves in this position. It's just total teamwork and dedication. There were times this year when things were dark, but we buckled down and got to work and that's what it was really all about." Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports, 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, commenting after the Homestead-Miami race where he tied Cale Yarborough's record of 3 consecutive championships
"It was only fun at the end — not at the beginning or the middle. If those guys didn't come in, I might have come in, but when they came in, I knew what he [crew chief Trip Bruce] wanted to do, so I stayed out… All these guys behind me that worked on this thing are great friends. We've worked very hard to make this happen. [Friday] was about Trip Bruce making the right calls." Johnny Benson, Bill Davis Racing, 2008 Craftsman Truck Series Champion, commenting after the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway where he finished seventh which secured him the Truck Series Championship
“He [father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.] would had better luck at securing the sponsorships than they currently do with the state that they are in. When my Daddy died, all of that changed. Everything about everything changed. If he was here, he would be sad, but he is not and everybody has to go do their own thing and make their own way. Everybody has got to take care of themselves. He ain’t here to take care of everybody, so you have to do your own thing, take care of yourself. Gotta do what they gotta do and that said and I ain’t got nothin’ to do with it and I don’t really have an opinion about it. I want them to succeed, I want them to be happy. I want it to work. But I can’t exhaust any of my emotion over it because of what I got going on myself. I have to get my own thing going, I got to do better. I got things I could do better." Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR driver, Hendrick Motorsports, commenting on the proposed DEI and Ganassi merger