DRO: Now that you're doing TV, do you have a preference for driving or TV?

MD: Oh yeah, I got a preference. I'd rather be driving a car. I've been saying this for the last year, I've gotten to the point where I don't want to go out there and just drive anything anymore, I'd rather do TV than that, but if the opportunity comes around to drive a really good car, it would be hard to pass that up.

DRO: Are you looking for any rides?

MD: I looked for a ride and tried putting a deal together last year because I had a one-year contract with ESPN and came fairly close. I had some deals that came pretty close, but just couldn't put the deal together, so I signed with ESPN for three years. This being the first year of that three-year contract, so I have two more years until 2005.

Even if I'm in a situation where I can't do something for the sponsor and that would be a deal to have my own team, ultimately that would be what I'd like.

DRO: Do you have a preference in driving Top Fuel or Funny Cars?

MD: Um, I like the Funny Cars better; they're more fun to drive and they're safer. I agree with Gary Scelzi. I've driven both and the one time the dragster is better is when it's on fire. Other than that you're better off being in a Funny Car.

DRO: Has anyone approached you about tuning?

MD: People have mentioned that I should pursue that but nobody has really approached me on it. Because of my father, when I came up, and he knew that I wanted to become a driver, he said the first thing you have to learn is the mechanics, the mechanics of the sport and how everything works. You don't have to be a top-notch crew chief, but you have to know how everything works, because it will make you a better driver. Because you will have an understanding of what the car is doing going down the track and you can make better decisions about driving because of it, so I did go in that direction by starting as a mechanic. I don't think I'm smart enough to be a top rate crew chief. I understand and that's kind of helped me on the TV side, cause I understand the basics of it, but if it gets real technical, I'm gonna call on Alan Johnson or Bernie Fedderly or any of those guys.

DRO: Are you still close with the Gwynns and Ken Veney?

MD: Oh yeah. I still talk to Jerry (Gwynn), and I talk to Kenny all the time. In fact, if the deal had happened last year, he was going to be my crew chief, so I talk to Ken probably once a week at least and Darrell, I probably talk to him once or twice a month.