Last November, David Starr made an incredible charge through the field during the Sam's Town 125 Winston West Series event, moving from his 30th starting position to finish in 7th spot. Starr had pushed his #35 NAPA Racing Filters Chevrolet into the top-5, but during the late stages of the event, he developed a handling problem.

This year however, Starr, plans to leave nothing standing between him and victory in the Orleans 150 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His current racing blueprint is to stay in the top-three near the end of the event, so he can challenge for a win.

RacingWest: What's your favorite part about racing at the Vegas Motor Speedway and why?
David Starr: Las Vegas is a great track to race because it is very fast and very wide. There is a lot of room to move around and several grooves to race in and that makes it exciting for both the drivers and the fans.

RW: How do you as a driver feel about the greater speeds involved with the big tracks?
DS: I like the big tracks and the fast speeds. If you look at the direction NASCAR is going it is towards bigger tracks. Drivers who can excel at these types of tracks should be able to do very well in the future as they move up in divisions.

RW: How much input do you as a driver give your crew chief as far as changes that need to be made on the chassis?
DS: Quite a lot. When I get to the garage I tell them how the car feels and they make suggestions on what they think is the best way to improve it. Together we decide on which changes are to be made.

RW: How do you feel your shock program will stack up against the other teams?
DS: The other teams are ahead of ours right now, but we are learning and catching up.

RW: Is the transition from Bias ply tires used on the short tracks to the radials used on the speedways a difficult one for you?
DS: No, I don't really see much of a difference.

RW: What tire do you plan to use at the Vegas race, Hoosier or Goodyear and why?
DS: We will race on Goodyear because all of our experience has come on Goodyears. They have been on our NCTS program and I have never run a Hoosier.

RW: With the chance of ARCA drivers, or drivers from other divisions, will that change your driving style when you are racing with them?
DS: Not really. When racing I don't really know who is in the cars ahead or behind or their level of experience. As with all races, you just don't want to get yourself in a position to get knocked out.

RW: With Winston Cup and Busch car owners watching the race and possibly scouting, will you change your driving style to "show off" for the car owners?
DS: No, when you try to show off you usually end up in trouble. You have to focus on what's important and that is being there at the end of the race and hopefully in a position to challenge for a win.

RW: What is your goal, Win? Exposure? Experience?
DS: Out goal is to be running in the top 3 in the closing laps and in a position to challenge for the lead.

RW: Will you be doing any appearances for the fans at Vegas, if so where can they find you?
DS: Yes, I will be doing a Speedway Children's Charities function, but I don't have the specific details yet.

Source: RacingWest
Posted: 2/24/99