Pemberton reflects on season, prepares for '10 (cont'd)

Q: At Phoenix last weekend, owner Kevin Buckler of TRG Motorsports admitted that he runs the full races when he can and other times this season has had to start and park for financial reasons. Is that the kind of operation you're talking about?

Pemberton: There are days when he has to race, and days when he can't. But it's nice to know that the purse structure is enough that guys can take advantage of that -- and that there are days when they can run as hard as they can and compete for the highest finish they can get.

Budding rivalry

It's not just Brian France. Everyone wants a word with Brad Keselowski these days. Robin Pemberton had some interesting words of his own.

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Q: Another hot issue this season was Talladega -- again. What can be done to keep the cars on the ground there?

Pemberton: We're working on that. Like anything, many of our rules and regulations come out of a reaction. Carl [Edwards'] wreck [in the spring race, where he nearly went into the grandstands] was what it was. We made a change there [in terms of minor modifications to the car]. The race track has done a job with their catch fences and stuff to further protect the race fans, and we're working right now on some things that hopefully we can put out there that will help all of that.

Q: It looks like you're going to end the year with two four-time champions -- not only Jimmie Johnson, who is poised to capture his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup title, but also in Ron Hornaday, who often is overlooked but already has clinched his fourth Camping World Truck Series title. As a guy who clearly respects the history of this sport as much as anybody, can you put those accomplishments in perspective?

Pemberton: Absolutely. You look at those accomplishments, and you look at the high regard in which people hold the accomplishments of Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, and all those types of guys ... when you look at that, everybody looks at how Cale won three [Cup titles] in a row. He was a hard racer, a great competitor. And here Jimmie not only has tied him, but has the opportunity to pass him and set a record.

I tell you, I appreciate what it takes to make that happen. And I think everybody in this garage area appreciates what it takes to make that happen. It's a great feat. To do four in a row is incredible. To do four of anything .. there are many people who go through a career and don't get one of anything.

Q: And Hornaday?

Pemberton: Hornaday is a great racer. He's been around a little bit and has been on all different levels throughout NASCAR. ... To still be able to compete at his high level in one of our three national series, everyone should really appreciate what he's done for the sport and what he has accomplished.

Q: What are you going to do in the off-season to relax?

Pemberton: Work on next year. Work on stuff at the wind tunnel. Work with our guys on Daytona and Talladega.

Q: Come on, aren't you going to at least take a couple days off to go fishing or golfing or something like that?

Pemberton: I'll get a couple days off, but it'll be shorter than it's ever been probably. When we get to the Daytona 500 next February, people will not care what I did in December. They will wonder why I did not work harder. The fans won't care and the teams won't care. They'll only care if we did something to help the Daytona 500, so hopefully we'll get some of that stuff put to rest in the next three or four weeks and get to work.