1on1: Joe Nemechek

His hauler sat discretely to the side of the Richmond infield, along with four or five others in the same position. The reason they were in garage purgatory: they're outside of the top 35 in owner points.

It's a tough life for drivers like Joe Nemechek.

It's even tougher as a single-car team. But two weeks ago at Talladega, Nemechek put those difficulties aside and then put his No. 78 Chevrolet on the pole. The word "upset" was thrown around frequently, but to Nemechek, it was what his team has been building toward.

Joe Nemechek took the pole for the inaugural race at Fontana in 1997.

Most Poles

From 1993-Current

Rank	Driver	No.
1	Jeff Gordon	65
2	Ryan Newman	43
3	Bobby Labonte	26
4	Rusty Wallace	24
5	Mark Martin	23
6	Dale Jarrett	16
7	Ernie Irvan	15
8	Jimmie Johnson	14
	Kasey Kahne	14
10	Bill Elliott	13
11	Ken Schrader	12
12	Kurt Busch	10
	Joe Nemechek	10
	Tony Stewart	10

He says his team can win a Cup Series race this season. Sound surprising? So did having Front Row Joe lead the field to green at Talladega.

Heading into Mother's Day weekend, Nemechek talked about how his team is progressing as a single-car outfit, the importance of prayer and having it on his hood, and what exactly he has in mind to get his mother, Martha.

Q: Two weeks ago you sat on the pole at Talladega as a single-car team. How important was that for the team?

Definitely sitting on the pole was really big for this whole Furniture Row Racing team. To do it with a sponsor on board with the National Day of Prayer meant a whole lot. That was good stuff. The finish wasn't quite like it should have been. We were right there, going to have a top-10 run. The last lap is crazy out there, and we got caught in the Big One. It's part of it.

Q: Thursday was National Day of Prayer, and that's what you had as your sponsor at Talladega. How appropriate was it for you to have your car front and center with that message on the hood?

It makes me feel good. It's good stuff. It seems like you're not allowed to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ anymore. That's messed up. That's not how I was brought up. I'm trying to teach my kids the right values, and I'm going to do whatever I can to do that.

Q: We see a lot of different sponsors in the Cup Series, but a day as a sponsor is somewhat unique. What was behind the decision to put that on the car?

Barney Visser, my owner, he's heavily involved in a lot of Christian functions and very involved in the National Day of Prayer and he put it on the car. He said this will kind of remind everybody that Jesus still loves them. So take time and say a prayer. We all do it, we take things for granted. You can't man, it's too important.

Q: Furniture Row Racing is a one-car operation. How difficult is it to survive in the Cup Series without a teammate in your garage?

Man, it's hard. It's very, very hard. You just don't have the resources available to you. There's so much that needs to be going on. You look at what the big teams have, they have test drivers that are going every week testing somewhere. They have testing setups and teams going to the wind tunnel and proving grounds. It's a constant deal.

Q: Obviously it affects how you approach a weekend, but specifically how do you handle the pressure each week?

We're doing good for what we have. We're getting smarter and better every week. It's just tough. You get stuck there not locked in the top 35 you have to worry more about qualifying. And then you get into race trim and you're that much farther behind. It's a crazy deal. It's definitely a hard climb. But I think we can have success. I still think we can win a race this year. If we get the car right to where I can drive it, we can win a race.

Q: Mother's Day is this weekend, and your mother has been heavily involved in supporting your career. How important is that for you?

I just can't thank my mom enough for what she's done for me over the years. It's really special having her around. I know all the stuff that my wife does for my kids, so I hope they appreciate it as much when they grow up.

Q: Is it true she makes her own shirts as a sign she's a Nemechek supporter?

She's constantly getting new shirts made. She has them for everybody. She has them for my son's lacrosse games. She has them for motorcycle racing. It's pretty funny.

Q: Have you gotten her a gift yet for Mother's Day, and if so, do you care to share with us what it is? We promise not to spill the beans.

Nope. I can't say I have it yet. We're working on that because we're working on stuff for my wife with my kids. We have some cool stuff going on. Can not spill the beans.