Having such a loyal employee and talented crew chief like Tony as part of DEI on a long-term basis was an important objective for the continuity of our program.

I know Tony was disappointed in himself and Philippe (Lopez, the crew chief) was disappointed in himself. To me, I like that. I walked away saying not bad, a top 25 finish, but the fact that those guys expected more of themselves, that's encouraging.

There ain't no way you can do that. They'll find a way around it. (Crew chiefs) will find a way around it. We'll find something else to run into each other with if it isn't the front bumper.

I would hate personally to get penalized for something that my crew chief did that I didn't even know about.

Contrary to popular belief, everyone cannot be replaced. Legends live on forever. I don't think the No. 3 will ever be driven by anyone else.

Working with Tony Jr.'s going to be a lot of run. We've already tested with each other, and we've got a good mentality ... This is a new start. We've always been close, but the working relationship is definitely improved.