NASCAR Xfinity Series: David Starr talks first Charlotte roval race
By Mark Kristl
Q & A before the race at the Charlotte roval (continued)
Q: How do you deal with racing against the playoff drivers?
A: What you have to understand is I once drove in equal equipment. By equal equipment, I mean tires, engine, cars, etc. I raced for championships before. Respect is a big key. I show the leaders respect. I race them hard yet I want to stay on my lap. Racing clean in that situation means I don’t want to hold them up but I’m racing for position. They need to understand that though. With 15 laps to go I’m moving out of their way. Earlier in the race, I’m racing for my spots, especially at the end of stages.
Q: You talk about racing against the leaders as they try to lap you. As I hear you talk about that, the incident between Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick at Darlington Raceway comes to mind. Tell me your opinion of what happened when they made contact as they lapped Timmy Hill in the #40 Chevrolet.
A: It was one of those racing deals between Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick. I thought Chad Finchum drove the #40 but either way, Timmy did a good job giving them room. Darlington isn’t a wide track to race on so Timmy stayed high. What happens sometimes though is the leaders use lapped cars as picks. As a driver of the lapped car, there isn’t much you can do to avoid that. Race them clean, give them space, but also race your race. You don’t want to move out of the way so much so that you lose spots. My main point is you [being the driver] don’t want to be known as the driver who will always hold people up.