CONCORD, N.C. – This week, we asked Greg Ives five questions during a lightning round interview. Take a look at what the crew chief of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS team had to say, including his favorite Victory Lane moment with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and what he would do if he wasn’t a crew chief.
1) What does your pre-race routine consist of?
"Typically what I do is put on the race from the previous weekend. I just sit back on the couch in our lounge, go over pit strategy and listen to the race. It’s my time to relax and really kind of get into the mode of the race. That’s usually what I do."
2) What's your favorite Victory Lane moment with Dale Earnhardt Jr.?
"It would probably be our Daytona win. It was Fourth of July weekend and we had the Nationwide patriotic scheme. You can always think about your first Cup win but the whole atmosphere was different surrounding Daytona. We were kind of the favorites going into that race so going down there with that confidence and people gunning for you was pretty neat."
3) What's your favorite place to travel and why?
"I don't really travel much outside of what I do for my job. But whenever I do go anywhere, it's usually back to my hometown of Bark River, Michigan. So, for Thanksgiving that's where we're going to go. Other than that, I don't have a favorite vacation destination."
4) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
"It would probably be my Mom's spaghetti. Why? Because it's really good and has a lot of carbohydrates and meat and all that stuff. It's a good source of energy for me. It's definitely my favorite because everything is homemade."
5) If you didn't work in racing, what do you think your job would be?
"Well, I always tell people I would be a country singer performing somewhere – hopefully on the big stage. I had a dream of making professional racing a part of my life you know and grew up racing, but also always enjoyed music. I don’t think I’m a great singer but I think if I made that another passion or another dream, I would try to make that happen. That would be like another fantasy-type dream job like I have now. But other than that, I’d probably be working with the family business back home. We own a mechanic, repair business back home. If I wasn’t doing live shows at the local karaoke bar I’d probably be working as a mechanic."