Driver Notes & Quotes for the IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol

Johnson gained his only Bristol win last season (Getty)

JIMMIE JOHNSON ON THE MULTIPLE GROOVES AT BRISTOL AND HOW FAST THINGS HAPPEN THERE: “I feel a lot more in control going to Bristol these days. From a guy sitting behind the wheel, you want options and opportunities to race. The track has that now. In a certain respect, we almost have three lanes that you can run on around the race track especially as the race wears on and the groove gets pushed out. Behind the wheel, that is what we want. That is what we ask for. That is what they gave us. It is unfortunate that some people don’t see it that way. They prefer the old track and the craziness that would take place. As a driver, you want to have a chance to race. We have a chance to race there now.”

“Not only is it fast, we make a lap in 15ish seconds depending on the run and the tire, but, the hard thing is also visibility and that helps enhance the sensation of speed. When you go into a corner at Bristol, the radius of the turn is so sharp, that you would literally need a sun roof to see the exit of the corner because you go in the corner and the exit is over here. So not only are you going really fast in a small area, you can’t see much. You only see, as you are going into the corner, you can maybe only see five car lengths in front of you, six car lengths. When something happened, you see it late and then you are going fast and you can’t stop and there’s so room and it just compounds from there and puts on exciting races; exciting stuff. It puts us in a position where we just have to build a lot of trust in spotters and assuming things are ok in front of you and just hope for the best.”

JOHNSON CHASSIS CHOICE: Johnson will pilot chassis No. 592 in Saturday night’s event. He last drove that car to a third-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. Johnson finished 16th in backup chassis No. 623 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

BRAD KESELOWSKI ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is one of those tracks where you always have to be mindful of your pace, where you are on the track and who you are around. But you also have to be looking forward so that you can avoid that wreck that happens half of a straightaway in front of you. Short track racing and restrictor-plate racing are very similar in that you can get caught up in a wreck that you had nothing to do with. Bristol is a very aggressively-paced race. You have to stay tuned in to what’s going on the entire time if you want stay out of trouble. Penske Racing was able to win the 50th Daytona 500 and it would be great to pick up a win in the 50th anniversary year of Bristol.”

“It’s been a good couple weeks for us. We’ve got a lot of good things going, obviously leading the wild card standings, but we certainly don’t want take that for granted. As quickly as we’ve risen, all that could go away if we don’t keep performing. Last week was a big week for us, getting up to 12th in the points, so we can make sure to take advantage of the two wins. I feel good about where we are, but we’ve still got a lot of racing left until the Chase starts. I really would just like to go out and win another race. I think that’s where our focus is.”

KESELOWSKI CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-736 during Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Speedway (BMS). Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 23rd-place finish at Pocono Raceway in June.

Hamlin has finished 33rd or worse in last two Bristol starts

DENNY HAMLIN ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT BRISTOL: “Look at Kyle Busch’s notes. He’s just a great driver at that race track. We go to Martinsville and he’s asking me. But, Bristol is the one track that I’ve run well at — don’t get me wrong — we’ve led a lot of laps and been in position to win a lot of races, but he’s over the last couple years had a dominance on that track. We’ll just kind of use their notes. I’ll talk to him about what he does as far as braking and things like that. He makes it look so easy in the sense he’s never really strong in practice but in the race he fires up and takes off. I have to find some information before I can tell you what’s good there.”

HAMLIN ON THE CHASE: “These are three good race tracks for us. There’s Richmond, there’s Atlanta and obviously Bristol this week that we’ve all run well at all of them. We have to get this ship up and pointing back in the right direction and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to do it. A lot of communication and obviously we have some stuff we have to work on but we’ll get through it and we’ll try to get in there these last three races.”

JOEY LOGANO ON RACING AT BRISTOL: “We’ve certainly been able to figure out how to be fast at Bristol. We seem to always qualify well. Unfortunately I haven’t had an uneventful race there yet. Who knows, if I was able to finish well at both road course tracks which have been terrible tracks for me as well, maybe we will finally get the results we deserve this weekend.

“Last weekend was frustrating. That’s two recent races where we were running really good at the end of the race and something happens. We’ve been running really good lately and that’s been encouraging for the entire team and keeps the momentum going for sure.

“I’m also really pumped about racing Sunday at Kingsport Speedway. I’m running Coleman Pressley’s car. He’s going to be my crew chief and spotter, that’s going to be a blast I can’t wait.”

LOGANO CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 20 Home Depot Team is taking chassis #297 to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. Logano drove this chassis at Dover International Speedway where an early-race spin and a late-race wheel issue left him in the 27th position when the checkered flag waved. He also piloted this car at Texas Motor Speedway in April and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. The back-up chassis is #290 that Logano drove at Kansas earlier this season.

Harvick is using chassis from the All-Star race (Getty)

KEVIN HARVICK ON RACING AT BRISTOL: “We haven’t really figured that out (what it takes to be successful at Bristol) yet since the new banking and the new track design was put into place. We haven’t run great. We’ve run ok, but we haven’t got the notebook that says you need to do this. So we’re still searching a little bit there. The new one (Bristol Motor Speedway) is pretty easy. There is a lot of room to race. Two totally different animals (from old track to new track). It is a lot different than it used to be. Obviously that race for years has been the hardest ticket in our sport to get. It seems like the Saturday night race there always brings out something exciting.”

HARVICK CHASSIS CHOICE: Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 346 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The No. 29 team started 14th and finished 19th in this car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in May.

JEFF GORDON ON BRISTOL: “We have one more chance to earn a spot in the Showdown, and I really want to be the driver that wins a fan one million dollars in Atlanta. I think this is such a cool program by Sprint that is a great chance for a fan — and a charity — to win a million dollars. The Bristol night race is just a completely different atmosphere. The intensity level may be even higher with the final Showdown spot on the line. Even though we have a little bit of a cushion, the focus hasn’t changed. The goal is to win each and every week. With the cushion, how we go about it has changed. With that cushion, we can take more risks with fuel or pit strategy the next few races to try to get another win. There was a groove – a rhythm – that I found on the old layout. I just haven’t found it yet in the new layout.”

Newman is using a chassis that's had lots of success (Getty)

RYAN NEWMAN ON BRISTOL: “There isn’t not a track on the schedule that I don’t look forward to going to. There are some tracks I look forward to going to more. You get to place like Bristol, it is a little more difficult now to be a product of somebody else’s frustrations because of the way the bumpers align and therefore, it’s a little bit more secure when you are there that you used to be. Because before, if you had one bad run at Bristol, all it took was somebody lifting your back tires off the ground and you were in the fence. There’s a lot to look forward to throughout the rest of the season. We’ve done a good job, like I said, up to this point. But by no means are we locked in. By no means do we feel like we’re a…I shouldn’t say a championship caliber team, but I think we have some room that we need to grow to be more successful and have ourselves a better opportunity at winning the championship.

NEWMAN CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 39 team will use chassis 39-506 for the second time this season but for the first time at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The No. 39 team had used chassis 39-516 for the previous five Bristol races dating back to the team’s first outing at the .533-mile bullring in March 2009, but that car has now mileaged out, thus the move to chassis 39-506.

This chassis has been a solid performer for Newman & Company as it has earned four top-10 finishes in just five starts since the team joined forces in 2009. The No. 39 team ran this chassis at both races at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in 2009, scoring two top-15 finishes. In the June race, Newman started fifth and finished fifth. He started seventh and finished 14th in the car at Pocono in August. During the 2010 season, the car saw action at both Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. In its first outing at Darlington, Newman started sixth and finished ninth. Newman followed that up with another top-10 finish at Atlanta. Newman started on the outside pole and led nine laps en route to an eighth-place finish.

During the offseason, the chassis was updated for 2011. After being tested at Darlington as part of a Goodyear tire test in March, the car saw its first action at the track in May with Newman qualifying second and leading 28 laps before settling for a top-five finish. This car was also tested at Kentucky in July.

Junior is using runner-up Kansas chassis this week (Getty)

DALE EARNHARDT JR. ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is a real rough-and-tumble short track and just trying to stay clean and stay out of trouble and stay out of other people’s messes and wrecks and mistakes and have good pit stops and try to have a good pit stall. Need to be able to get in and out of your stall because it’s tight on pit road. There’s a lot of ways to go around the corners so you can kind of find somewhere where your car has speed and speed kind of comes and goes all night long as your car changes with the flow of the race a ton trying to move around and find speed in the corner. The balance of the car is important, but not quite as much as on short tracks. I think the race track is awesome and I think if you put the old car out there, you would see some bad ass races."

"The first time we went there and raced (on new surface), it was actually a really, really good race. Me and Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne were running three wide for the lead midway through the race for 50 laps. The track is perfect and fine. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s as good or better than it ever was. It all comes down to choosing the correct tire that allows us to race around the race track because the tire, as Goodyear will probably tell you is one of the most important components to being able to produce and provide good racing and the cars. The COT — is it for that race track which car provides the better race — the COT or the old car. Everybody is going to have their opinion about that. We have the COT now and it’s tough with the splitters to drive these things around the short tracks; especially a banked place like Bristol. They don’t really want to turn too well when they get on the splitters. The first time we had that configuration, we had an awesome event I thought. I think what they did to the track made it better.”

EARNHARDT JR CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-657. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis at Kentucky Speedway in July. He also has raced this chassis to a runner-up finish at Kansas Speedway in June and a 14th-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in May.

TONY STEWART ON RACING AT BRISTOL: “I just love the night race there. To me it’s one of the coolest races of the year but you can’t have anything go wrong. You have to have a perfect race car if something goes wrong to be able to have a shot to get back. If you don’t have a perfect race car it’s a lot of times impossible to get caught back up. So you’ve got to have a problem-free day but you’re going to have to have a good race car."

"There’s a bunch of guys that are really good there now and you can’t be a little bit off and have a good day, you’ve got to be on your game. The track for sure from day one has been better. You didn’t have to just run behind guys and wreck guys to pass them. You could use the whole race track now. As a driver, especially on a track that size, that’s what you look for. That’s all you can ask for is to have a place that you can move around. I don’t know that the COT has really changed it any different. He’s (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) probably got a valid point. I guess I just don’t think about it. The big thing is just making sure you’ve got a car that you can move around the race track and if you can do that you’re probably setting yourself up for a good opportunity to have a good day because you’ve got to be able to move and switch lanes and run different grooves instead of just running around the bottom all day. When the cars hit the ground you can see the sparks there. Bristol has always had that cool atmosphere because of how short it is and the way the grandstands there are and then you do it at night on top of that, it’s just got a cool feel to it.”

Bowyer finished 35th in the first Bristol race this year (Getty)

CLINT BOWYER ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is a half-mile short track bullring. You’re going to have your good runs and you’re going to have your bad runs. Everything happens so fast. The key to success at a track like Bristol is you have to be able to get in the car, settle down and slow everything down, including the pace. You have to think and if you can do all that, you prevail there. Some teams do it better than others. That’s a very difficult situation. If your car is really loose, you don’t have time to breathe and settle down. It’s a difficult situation to be in. You have to slow everything down. I think that’s the key to having success there. I think that the quality of racing at Bristol is much better now than it has been in the years past. The fans want to see some wrecks and some emotions when they go to a short track, and they get that at Bristol. If you’re a true fan and like the quality of racing, you also get that at Bristol.”

BOWYER CHASSIS CHOICE: Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 340 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 33 Chevrolet Impala, built new in 2011, has made three appearances at the race track this season. The first was at Phoenix International Raceway in February, where Bowyer finished 27th after being collected in a multi-car accident on lap 68. Bowyer also drove this chassis at Martinsville Speedway in April, leading 91 laps en route to a ninth-place finish and Richmond International Raceway in May where Bowyer finished sixth after a third-place qualifying effort.

MARK MARTIN ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is one of those races that you can’t really go into it feeling like you have a whole of control. It’s been better since the repave with fewer accidents and it seems like the handling of the car means a whole lot more. With so many drivers fighting for that wildcard spot and for those bonus points going into the Chase, I think there will be riskier moves trying to get to the front and into the lead. It could be a little crazier this time around. We have to win. No other way to do it, really. With Denny’s (Hamlin) bad day at Michigan, that put the Chase in much closer reach, but not enough to do it with just good finishes like we had on Sunday. We have to win. We have three shots left and we’re going to do everything we can to make it happen. But, there are a lot of other teams out there in the same position we are. It’s going to be tough.”

PAUL MENARD ON BRISTOL: “The racing is great. I know some fans don’t like it. If you are a fan of crashing, you probably don’t like it. If you are a fan of racing, you probably do like it. Us as drivers enjoy it. There is a lot of room to race and run side-by-side. Uneventful days at Bristol and that (March race) was definitely an uneventful day. We had a pretty good car. I think we had a spark plug that broke toward the end of the race so I would say the last 100 laps or so we were on 7 and a half cylinders basically, which made the car turn really good. We just lacked a little down the straightaway. The car drove good all day so an uneventful day at Bristol is a good day. You can’t see anything. Bristol and Dover are probably the two places where you get the best sensation for speed, but you can’t see anything the way the banking is. You have to look kind of high through the windshield when you go through the corner so things come up on you in a hurry because you can’t really see, but, definitely one of the tracks that we go to where you get a sensation of speed.”

MENARD CHASSIS CHOICE: Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 356 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen in competition on track at Kentucky Speedway in July where Menard qualified 10th. An untimely caution during green-flag pit stops and front-end damage during a late restart resulted in a 24th-place finish. This car was also raced this year at Charlotte Motor Speedway where the Eau Claire, Wis., native started 16th and finished 29th in the Coca-Cola 600.

Montoya's career best finish at Bristol came last fall, 7th.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is a place where the Target team always runs really good. The problem with Bristol is that you either run really good or you get involved in someone else’s wreck. We were running top-five or top-10 the time we were there and we had a loose tire, and we had to come in under green, and lost two laps. Once you lose two laps, you are done. It’s all about maintaining track position and staying out of trouble.”

MONTOYA CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 42 team has selected chassis #1003 for the IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol. This will be the third race of 2011 for this chassis, after it was used in the spring races at both Bristol and Dover. This car also ran five times last year (Charlotte-May, Chicago-July, Atlanta-September, Fontana-October and Texas-November).

MARTIN TRUEX JR. ON BRISTOL: “The thing is you never get the chance to rest there. You are constantly up on the wheel driving hard. You do not get a chance to relax on the straightaways because there really isn’t much of one. You come out of one corner and the next thing you know, you are going into another. Things happen fast. There is no time for error. It’s a cool little place especially since they made the changes to the concrete and banking. It’s hard to believe that you can run two to three wide, but you can. Plus, it’s not hard to deal with all the bumping and banging at Bristol when you have a fast car. Obviously, it’s not a lot of fun when you have a car that’s fighting with you or a bunch of cars running into you, but it’s so much fun when you are fast. It gives you some options so when you have a good car, it is an absolute blast.”

JEFF BURTON ON BRISTOL: “Bristol has always been a place that when you got underneath somebody, the spot was yours. Now, you can get underneath somebody and the fight has just started. So, in some ways it is exciting and in other ways it is frustrating. Kind of the way New Hampshire changed a little bit. New Hampshire has always been, you get the spot its yours. Now, you get the spot and the fight’s just started. So it is exciting in some ways and frustrating in others."

"There is more energy at night. The driver’s introductions there are extremely exciting. The fans have had all day to get pumped up about it. It is just a different feel. Much more of a gladiator feel; like you are going out there and there is a lion trying to kill you and you are trying to keep from being killed. I don’t know how else to describe it but there is definitely different than the day."

"I’m really comfortable there. I like the race track. It seems like we run really well there every time we go. But, it is also Bristol and it is easy to have bad finishes there. We’ve had some good runs there and haven’t been able to finish them off. I’ve always liked going to Bristol, it is a hell of a challenge. It’s a lot of fun. Not too worried about what the last few races have been. This is a completely different environment around here right now and I am really excited about going. Imagine being on the interstate and everybody slamming on the brakes at once then taking back off. Then slamming on the brakes and taking back off. Something’s eventually is going to happen. That is the best way to try and describe it. It’s really fast. It’s better now because there are places to hide. If a wreck happens, there’s places to go and in the past there really wasn’t. It’s better now but it is still pretty chaotic.”

BURTON CHASSIS CHOICE: Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 329 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s IRWIN Tools Night Race. Built new for the 2010 season, Burton drove this Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala to a 36th-place finish after starting 16th at Texas Motor Speedway in November.

REGAN SMITH ON BRISTOL: “We’ve had a couple of opportunities this year to have a solid finish on a short track — a top-10 or better — but something beyond our control seemed to happen late in the race. It’s like anything else, we need to forget about past occurrences and focus on the present which is Bristol this weekend. We’ve been able as a team to post some career firsts this year, and a first top-10 on a short track would be a nice addition to the 2011 resume. We definitely have the goods and the personnel to be successful at Bristol. This is a race we all enjoy except when you get banged around and the hits start to have an effect on your car’s performance. We’re coming off a decent finish in Michigan (13th) and would like to keep the momentum going in our Furniture Row Chevrolet.”

Edwards has two wins at Bristol (Getty)

CARL EDWARDS ON BRISTOL: “The Bristol night race is always a lot of fun. We’ve had some really good luck there. We had a bad points day at Michigan with a rare parts failure, so we’ll just go to Bristol and pull out all the stops and do everything we can to get another victory before the Chase starts.”

EDWARDS CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 99 will have Aflac Dental as the primary sponsor. The crew will unload RK-739 for the weekend. This car first raced at Dover in May, and then went on to finish fifth at MIS in June.

GREG BIFFLE ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is just so intense. You can’t relax at all. It’s like walking a tightrope for 500 miles and holding your breath the whole time. No other track is like that. It obviously takes a good racecar to win at Bristol but it helps to qualify well. Sometimes it can be hard to pass and if the field gets backed up, it doesn’t take long for the leader to start lapping cars. If you have a bad qualifying run or have to start in the back for some other reason, it can be difficult even with a good car to get back through the field. The night race has a whole different level of excitement and it should be a great race for the fans.”

DAVID RAGAN ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is one of my favorite tracks and I always look forward to going back there. We had a strong qualifying and race effort there in the spring, and we need to be on our game this weekend to have a chance at making the Chase. I’m excited to get there and see what we can do with our UPS Ford under the lights Saturday night.”

RAGAN CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-744 Last ran Michigan – finished 20th; Backup: RK-711 Last ran Darlington – finished 21st

MATT KENSETH ON BRISTOL: “The August race at Bristol is always fun because racing there under the lights is pretty cool. It’s the middle of summer, it’s hot out, and they usually have a great crowd on hand for the race. The fans at Bristol are always excited and they know that there’s going to be a lot of action during the races that weekend. That is one of the weekends that not only the fans look forward to, but I think the drivers and teams look forward to it as well. These cars are a lot more stable and harder to get spun out than our old style of cars and that changed the dynamic a little bit at Bristol. The new track is more forgiving and drives like a ¾ or mile track instead of a half-mile because it is so wide. I think this new combination of car and track produces better racing as far as side-by-side racing and racing alongside people more than the old format.”

KENSETH CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary - RK-751 (last raced at Pocono in June)

JAMIE MCMURRAY ON RACING AT BRISTOL: “It is always fun to go to Bristol, especially the night race; it is always an electric atmosphere. We had a good weekend at Michigan last week although we didn’t end up where we should have with the final results. I think our team found a couple of things that helped us out and hopefully we can bring that with us to Bristol. Although they are two different types of tracks, it is always good to have positive momentum.”

McMURRAY CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has elected to bring chassis #1004 to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. This will be the second race of 2011 for this car, after running the inaugural race at Kentucky. The chassis also ran at Texas Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway in 2010.

KURT BUSCH ON BRISTOL: “That win in the spring race of 2002 was memorable because we were racing our big nemesis (Jimmy Spencer) so close back then. It came down to me and him. He led with about 50 laps to go. We got a little physical, but that’s to be expected at Bristol. We got the lead and went on to win the race, with Jimmy finishing second. There’s been a lot of volleying back and forth during the years since our battles back then, but I’ve publicly said that our issues have made me a stronger person and a better driver. I really do consider him a friend these days.”

Busch is the current King of Bristol

KYLE BUSCH ON BRISTOL: “Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the best race tracks on the circuit. All the fans love it because of the excitement, the run- ins, and the close-quarter action with all the cars being packed on top of one another at a half-mile race track with us 43 lunatics running around in a tight circle. With the fans, the atmosphere there always makes for a good time. We have the SAFER barrier on the outside wall taking up a little bit more racing room up off the corners since they’ve run the wall further down the straightaway. But, it’s taking up some racing room and it makes the racing even tighter and we are probably going to see some more action.”

KYLE BUSCH ON WHETHER HIS TEAM IS ONE TO WATCH IN THE CHASE: “No. There’s way too much that can happen, way too many laps to run, way too many miles to run. Certainly, we’ve built ourselves into championship contenders this year and that’s where our strong suit has been up to this point, it’s just being able to be consistent or at least try to be consistent. Bristol obviously being one of the best tracks for me, then going to Atlanta — not so great for me. I have won there. See if we can’t get a good run and win the Sprint Summer Showdown, win money for a fan and my foundation. Going to Richmond — one of my favorites as well. We’d love nothing more than to carry on our strong runs through the final 10 weeks. It’s just a matter of being consistent.”

KYLE BUSCH CHASSIS CHOICE: This chassis will make its sixth-ever start in Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. No. 277 made its debut at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in August 2010, when Busch started 21st and finished 23rd in the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. Its next start came in the Air Guard 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in September 2010, when Busch qualified a distant 32nd but rallied to bring home a second-place finish behind teammate Denny Hamlin. In its next start, in the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway last October, Busch started 26th but brought home a solid fourth-place finish. In March at Bristol, Busch started 12th and scored his first win on the season in the Jeff Byrd 500. In No. 277’s most recent start, Busch started 14th, led 78 laps and finished 11th after late-race contact with another car at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in May.

INSIDE the Numbers at Bristol Motor Speedway

THE NUMBERS for the IRWIN Tools Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway

0 – fewest cautions for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7/11/71)

0 – fewest lead changes for a race (3/25/73)

1 – fewest laps led by race winner (7/26/64 – Fred Lorenzen)

4 – number of jet dryers available for track drying during race weekend

7 – number of consecutive wins by Darrell Waltrip at BMS (1981 – 1984)

16 – most wins by a car owner (Junior Johnson)

20 – most cautions for a race at BMS (three times, most recent 8/23/03)

34 – races won from the front row (22 from the pole)

38 – different winners at BMS in 101 Sprint Cup races

40 – most lead changes (4/14/91)

42 – number of cars that started first race at Bristol in 1961

60 – minutes, the minimum amount of time it takes to dry the .533-mile track after a significant rainfall

157,574 – number of fans that established the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest audience wave at BMS (August 23, 2008)

2011 Caution Update

4 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana and Pocono1)

6 – number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011

10 – number of cautions in spring race (March 20) at BMS

16 – most cautions this season (Daytona)

167 – number of cautions in the first 23 races of 2011; includes 77 for accidents, 40 for debris and 24 for spins

774 of 6,251 – number of laps under caution in 2011

1,143.611 of 9,166,258 – miles under caution in the first 23 races

- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release

Gordon Looking For Sixth Bristol Win with Invite to Chase and Showdown

Jeff Gordon's last Bristol win came in 2002 (Getty)

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Win it, and Jeff Gordon is in it(s).

If five-time Bristol Motor Speedway winner Gordon takes the checkered flag in Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race, he will clinch a spot in the 2011 “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.” Along with earning one of those 12 coveted spots in the 10-race playoff, Gordon would also secure the final spot in the Sprint Summer Showdown –joining Paul Menard, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch as those racing for the bonus in Atlanta on September 4.

“We have one more chance to earn a spot in the Showdown, and I really want to be the driver that wins a fan one million dollars in Atlanta,” said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet. “I think this such a cool program by Sprint that is a great chance for a fan — and a charity — to win a million dollars.

“The Bristol night race is just a completely different atmosphere. The intensity level may be even higher with the final Showdown spot on the line.”

Also on the line for the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is a berth in the Chase. If Gordon wins Saturday night, he would secure at least a “wild card” spot –entries into the playoff for the two drivers with the most wins that are outside the top 10after race No. 26 at Richmond. He can also secure his spot in the Chase if he holds at least a 97-point advantage over 11th-place in the standings following Bristol. That gap currently sits at 69.

“Even though we have a little bit of a cushion, the focus hasn’t changed,” said Gordon, who has earned the most points in the last 10 races – moving from 13th up to sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings while cutting the deficit to the leader from 121 to 60 during that span. “ The goal is to win each and every week. With the cushion, how we go about it has changed.

“With that cushion, we can take more risks with fuel or pit strategy the next few races to try to get another win.”

Along with his five wins at the 0.533-mile high banked short track, Gordon has earned five poles, 14 top-fives and 20 top-10’s. Much of that success occurred before a track reconfiguration in 2007.

“There was a groove – a rhythm – that I found on the old layout,” said Gordon. “I just haven’t found it yet in the new layout.”

If found this weekend, it could be worth a million dollars.

Las Vegas Hilton Super Book Odds To Win IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol

Kyle Busch is the heavy 5-to-2 Bristol favorite; he's won 4 of the last 5. 

IRWIN TOOLS NIGHT RACE
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2011

CARL EDWARDS 8
JIMMIE JOHNSON 5
KYLE BUSCH 5-2
JEFF GORDON 12
MATT KENSETH 15
KEVIN HARVICK 12
DENNY HAMLIN 12
KURT BUSCH 10
TONY STEWART 18
DALE EARNHARDT JR 30
GREG BIFFLE 18
KASEY KAHNE 25
CLINT BOWYER 30
RYAN NEWMAN 30
BRAD KESELOWSKI 25
JOEY LOGANO 40
MARTIN TRUEX JR 50
DAVID RAGAN 50
JUAN MONTOYA 60
MARK MARTIN 30
JEFF BURTON 50
JAMIE McMURRAY 100
BRIAN VICKERS 100
DAVID REUTIMANN 50
PAUL MENARD 50
AJ ALLMENDINGER 100
MARCOS AMBROSE 100
REGAN SMITH 200
BOBBY LABONTE 1000
FIELD 300

Johnson and Busch are 3-to-1 co-favorites to win the Championship

2011 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP (updated 8-22-11)
JIMMIE JOHNSON 3
DENNY HAMLIN 15
CARL EDWARDS 9-2
KEVIN HARVICK 8
KYLE BUSCH 3
JEFF GORDON 7
GREG BIFFLE 40
TONY STEWART 25
MATT KENSETH 8
CLINT BOWYER 40
KURT BUSCH 15
MARK MARTIN 60
JOEY LOGANO 100
JEFF BURTON 500
JUAN MONTOYA 500
KASEY KAHNE 60
JAMIE McMURRAY 500
RYAN NEWMAN 30
BRIAN VICKERS 500
DAVID REUTIMANN 500
DALE EARNHARDT JR 30
AJ ALLMENDINGER 100
MARTIN TRUEX JR 100
PAUL MENARD 100
DAVID RAGAN 100
BRAD KESELOWSKI 25
MARCOS AMBROSE 100
FIELD 1000

IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Odds & Ends

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

History

·         Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.

·         First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961.

·         In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.

·         The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.

·         The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.

·         The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.

·         The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.

·         The track was resurfaced between races in 2007.

Notebook

·         There have been 101 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the first race there in 1961, two races each season.

·         All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.

·         Fred Lorenzen won the first pole.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen).

·         There have been 44 different pole winners, led by Cale Yarborough and Mark Martin (nine). Martinswept both poles at Bristol in 2009.

·         38 different drivers have won, led by Darrell Waltrip (12).

·         Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon each have five wins, most among active drivers.

·         The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.

·         80 of 101 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 52 from the first four spots.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001.

·         The 2009 night race had a margin of victory of .098 seconds, the second-closest MOV at Bristol since the advent of electronic scoring in May of 1993.

·         The last five Bristol races had a margin of victory under one second.

NASCAR in Tennessee

·         There have been 162 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Tennessee.

·         101 drivers all-time in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Tennessee.

·         There have been 13 race winners from Tennessee in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Darrell Waltrip	84	13	0
Sterling Marlin	10	2	0
Bobby Hamilton	4	1	10
Joe Lee Johnson	2	0	0
Paul Lewis	1	0	0
Trevor Bayne	1	0	0
Bobby Hamilton Jr.	0	5	0
Jeff Purvis	0	4	0
L.D. Ottinger	0	3	0
Mike Alexander	0	2	0
Casey Atwood	0	2	0
Brad Teague	0	1	0

Bristol Motor Speedway Data

Race #: 24 of 36 (8-27-11)

Track Size: .533 miles

·     Race Length: 500 laps/266.5 miles

·     Banking/Corners: 26 to 30 degrees

·     Banking/Straights: 4 to 9 degrees

Driver Rating at Bristol
Kyle Busch	108.1
Greg Biffle	99.4
Jeff Gordon	97.6
Matt Kenseth	97.5
Kurt Busch	96.8
Tony Stewart	92.8
Kevin Harvick	91.8
Carl Edwards	91.7
Jimmie Johnson	91.1
Ryan Newman	88.7

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (13 total) at Bristol.

Qualifying/Race Data

2010 pole winner: Jimmie Johnson, 123.475 mph, 15.540 seconds

2010 race winner: Kyle Busch,

99.071 mph, 8-21-10)

Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (128.709 mph, 14.908 seconds, 3-21-03)

Track race record: Charlie Glotzbach (101.074 mph, 7-11-71)

LV Hilton Bristol Odds

Storylines for IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol

Kyle Busch rules Bristol with 5 wins, 4 in last 5 races

Call it a Crown Jewel, call it a spectacle, call it a fan favorite. Whatever the moniker, the annual Bristol Motor Speedway night race has grown in prestige for all kinds of reasons.

Forever a must-see-live for all NASCAR fans, the IRWIN Tools Night Race combines hard, tight racing under the lights in a coliseum setting. But this season there are two wrinkles that ratchet up the anticipation – the Wild Card and the Sprint Summer Showdown Presented by HTC EVO 3D.

After race No. 26 at Richmond, the top-10 drivers are locked into the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field. Spots 11 and 12 – the Wild Cards – go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20. A precious three races remain for Wild Card opportunities.

Bristol’s also the final race for drivers to become eligible for the Sprint Summer Showdown. The winners of Indianapolis (Paul Menard), Pocono (Brad Keselowski), Watkins Glen (Marcos Ambrose), Michigan (Kyle Busch) and Bristol become eligible for the $3 million prize. If one of the eligible drivers wins at Atlanta, a million dollars goes to the driver, the driver’s charity and one lucky fan.



NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Busch Comes “Home” With Some Security
Obviously, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is Las Vegas-native Kyle Busch’s home. But really, shouldn’t Bristol be substituted in this category?

Busch has won the last five NASCAR national series races at Bristol, including his three-series sweep last August. In all, he has 11 wins at Bristol – including five in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which is tied with Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch for most among active drivers.

He's the only driver with a 100+ average Driver Rating (108.1) and one of two drivers with an average finish over the last 13 races less than 10 (8.7).

Why not another victory? He adds momentum to his past history, winning last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway and clinching the first Chase berth of the season. With his Michigan win, Busch locked up at least a Wild Card spot.

He also became eligible for the $3 million Sprint Summer Showdown sweepstakes. Another win at Bristol would help limit the competition at Atlanta.

And finally, it’s only a matter of time until Busch clinches a top 10 spot. Once he does, every “regular season” win means three bonus points to his Chase total. After Richmond, each Chase drivers’ points total gets reset to 2,000, but only the top 10 get three bonus points added for each victory over the first 26 races.


Busch Brothers Wage A Little Sibling Rivalry
A subplot from Kyle Busch’s Michigan win: It was his 23rd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, matching his brother Kurt’s win total.

A friendly rivalry could be in the future, though Kyle made this post-race point: Kurt still has one up on him, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Others Can Clinch At Bristol

Jimmie Johnson can clinch a Chase spot this week (Getty)

This weekend’s magic number: 97.

Leaving Bristol, any driver with a 97-point lead over 11th place will clinch a Chase spot.

The top eight drivers are all mathematically able to reach the 97-point mark (including Kyle Busch, who already locked up at least a Wild Card spot, but could clinch a top-10 spot this weekend).

The top eight: Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch.

Edwards is of special interest in the above list. He can clinch despite a 36th-place finish at Michigan. Coming into the race, Edwards was in a points-tie with Busch for the points lead. His finish combined with Busch’s win now has Edwards 39 points off the lead.

Tough Guy Keselowski Continues Roll
What Brad Keselowski is accomplishing right now defies logic.

Just a month ago, he was 23rd in points, and looking like a driver who wasted a Kansas win and the adjoining Wild Card potential.

Just three weeks ago, he broke his ankle in a testing accident, further solidifying the thought that his Chase hopes had crashed.

But now? Now he looks like not only a Chase hopeful, but a legit championship contender.

His last three finishes look like this; a win at Pocono, a runner-up at Watkins Glen and a third at Michigan.

Keselowski has rocketed up to 12th in points, 52 points outside the top 10.

On the other hand, his teammate Kurt Busch has fallen. Over the last four races, he has dropped from third to eighth in the points.

Wild Card Watch Hits High Banks
Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin remain in spots one and two in the Wild Card hunt.

Keselowski’s two wins – at Kansas and Pocono – put him a near-lock for the Chase. Hamlin has one win (at Michigan in June) and the tie-breaker (points position).

Others with a win inside the top 20: Paul Menard in 18th and David Ragan in 20th. Marcos Ambrose and Regan Smith also have victories, but are outside the top 20.

Who Will Land Final Sprint Summer Showdown Spot?
Bristol’s the last chance for drivers to land a coveted spot among those eligible for the $3 million. Best bets for Saturday night’s winner often come from the pre-race Driver Rating rundown. Here it is: Kyle Busch (108.1), Greg Biffle (99.4), Jeff Gordon (97.6), Matt Kenseth (97.5) and Kurt Busch (96.8).

Bubble Boys Looking For Win – And Some Security
Tony Stewart in 10th and Clint Bowyer in 11th are the bubble boys, and share something in common. They’re among six drivers who won in 2010 who remain winless in 2011.

Stewart holds a 24-point lead over Bowyer for the coveted top-10 spot.

Bowyer has five top 10s in 11 starts at Bristol. Stewart has eight top 10s in 25 Bristol starts, including a win in the 2001 night race.

Bristol Milestone Watch
Some interesting Bristol-specific milestones to watch this weekend…

In March, Busch tied Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch for most wins among active drivers with five. Another win would be halfway to Darrell Waltrip's record 12 victories at the track. While 80 of the 101 races have been won from top-10 starting positions, Busch's best starting position on a day he's won is 12th in March…Mark Martin goes for a record 10th Coors Light Pole at the track, snapping a tie with Cale Yarborough.

Kyle Busch Wins Pure Michigan 400

Kyle Busch wins his first race ever at Michigan (Getty)

BROOKLYN, Mich. - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch really wanted a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Michigan International Speedway.

After six years racing on the circuit and 13 Sprint Cup Series race starts in the Irish Hills, Busch finally got his wish by taking the checkered flag for the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday.

“Awesome!” Busch responded as if at a loss for words. “Certainly it feels good to win here at Michigan. We’ve been trying so hard to do it. Our teammate (Denny Hamlin) has been able to do it but we haven’t.”

Busch had a comfortable lead after pulling away from Jimmie Johnson with three laps remaining, however, a late-race caution caused a green-white-checker finish after his brother, Kurt, hit the wall.

Busch had to sweat the double-file green-white-checker restart with five-time Sprint Cup champion Johnson next to him. Lurking directly behind them were Brad Keselowski and Mark Martin.

But the only thing to increase in temperature was Busch’s somewhat overheating engine. He kept his cool, held off Johnson and registered his fourth victory of the season and first at MIS. It was also his 23rd triumph in 245 Sprint Cup starts, helping him clinch at least one of the two wild card spots for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

It was the third win in the last four races at MIS for Joe Gibbs Racing, with Hamlin capturing the last two June Sprint Cup races.

Busch decided to take the outside starting position on the final restart.

“I figured I’d run the top side and keep my momentum running through turns one and two,” Busch explained. “When we got down in there and were running side by side, Jimmie had to pinch his car down a little bit and that certainly doesn’t help.”

Busch’s margin of victory over Johnson was just over one-half second. The win kept Johnson out of Gatorade Victory Lane at MIS, a track he has yet to win at in 20 career Sprint Cup starts here.

“I got away from Kyle toward the end of the race but my car was sliding pretty much and I knew my rear tires weren’t going to last long enough with about 24 laps left,” Johnson explained. “Eventually he got up to me. On the last restart I had a shot again starting right next to him but I couldn’t make it happen on the bottom through turns one and two and I just brought it home from there. All in all it was a very strong performance for us and a very big day for the confidence of the team and myself to really recover from a slow start and turn it around.”

Keselowski, like Johnson, had problems early in the race but finally got things sorted out enough to become a solid contender, finishing third.

“I wish I had something more for the 48 (Johnson) and the 18 (Kyle Busch) at the end, but I was just really watching and hoping someone would make a mistake.” said Keselowski, from nearby Rochester Hills, Mich. “I couldn’t do anything on my own merit.”

Traditionally, MIS is the site for the first drivers to clinch a spot in the 12-driver Chase field. But with three races remaining before the 10-race Chase, Kyle Busch was the only driver to gain a spot in the field today.

Johnson jumped to second in the points standings behind Busch with Kevin Harvick third and Carl Edwards fourth, falling from second with a problem-plagued 36th-place finish. Jeff Gordon moved up from seventh to sixth with his sixth-place finish. Ryan Newman also gained a spot, up to seventh, while Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Tony Stewart retained their Top-10 status, respectively.

Place a refundable $10 deposit and receive lowest prices of the 2012 season. New customers can call 800-354-1010 to leave a deposit. That deposit ensures race fans get the best pricing for 2012.


- Michigan International Speedway, Press Release

Final Pure Michigan 400 Driver Ratings Following All Practice Sessions

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Pure Michigan 400
Michigan International Speedway
Sunday, August 21, 2011 - 10:16 am (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds     Practice 1   Qualified   Practice 2   Michigan*

 1. Matt Kenseth 12/1             1st               2nd            7th            2nd
Two-time winner with 9.5 average finish; using same chassis that won at Texas.
 2. Greg Biffle 20/1                 3rd              1st              4th           15th 
Two-time winner with 12.4 average finish; led the most laps in the first Michigan race.
 3. Jeff Gordon 8/1                 7th               9th             5th           17th 
Two-time winner, the last coming in 2001, with 11.6 average finish; 18 top-five finishes.
 4. Kyle Busch 8/1                 11th              17th           2nd            3rd
Two top-five finishes in 13 starts; using 10th-place Brickyard chassis this week.
 5. Jimmie Johnson 7/1         26th              19th           3rd           27th 
One of only five tracks yet to conquer; using third-place Kentucky chassis this week.
 6. Paul Menard 50/1             6th              11th           10th            4th
Fastest average speeds and 10-consecutive lap average in practice 2; using chassis from June.
 7. Mark Martin 50/1               4th               5th             1st             9th
Five-time winner, the last coming in 2009, with a 13.5 average finish in 51 starts.
 8. Denny Hamlin 8/1            12th               4th           11th            3rd
Two wins and a runner-up in last three starts; using brand new TRD engine this week.
 9. Kurt Busch 8/1                 13th              13th           6th            11th
Two-time winner, the last coming in 2007; using 10th-place Texas chassis this week.
10. Carl Edwards 7/1             28th              22nd          14th           5th
Two-time winner with track best 6.6 average finish; using fifth-place Kentucky chassis.

* Results from the first Michigan race of season held June 19, 2011.
             
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

Martin Fastest in Final Michigan Practice, But Menard Looks Better

Martin had his best practice of 2011 (Getty)

Mark Martin, with a lap speed of 187.642 mph, was the fastest in Saturday's final practice session for Sunday's Pure Michigan 400. Martin grabbed the top time early in the session and held on to have his best all around practices of any race this season.

Most of the teams spent Friday's session in qualifying trim with only a few making race runs. Between the two sessions, Martin was one of the overall fastest in either set-up. Martin is a five-time Michigan winner with the last coming in 2009.

Kyle Busch was second fastest with a lap speed 187.417 mph, and was followed by Jimmie Johnson (187.407), pole sitter Greg Biffle (187.393) and Jeff Gordon (187.246).

Rounding out the top-ten fastest during final practice were Kurt Busch (187.086), Matt Kenseth (187.003), Ryan Newman (186.916), David Ragan (186.901) and Paul Menard.

Despite Martin's resurgence, the star of the day looked to be Menard who had the fastest average lap times and best 10-consecutive lap average. Menard ran 43 laps and looks to be every bit as good as he was in the first Michigan race back in June where he finished fourth. Menard is using that exact same chassis this week.

Kyle Busch only has two-five finishes at Michigan, the second coming in June. Busch had perhaps the biggest turnaround in performance from qualifying trim to race trim between Friday and Saturday practices. Busch was second best in the 10-consecutive lap average while running 53 laps.

Kenseth ran 50 laps and solidified his place as the favorite after running the second best combined average lap times. Following his qualifying and practice efforts Friday, the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book installed Kenseth as the 6-to-1 favorite win from his opening odds of 12-to-1. Having the car that finished runner-up in June as well as winning at Texas shouldn't hurt his chances Sunday.

Green flag for Pure Michigan 400 is scheduled to drop at 1:20 PM (EDT) on Sunday afternoon.

Final Michigan Practice Speeds

Biffle and Kenseth On Front Row For Roush at Michigan

Greg Biffle headlined an all Roush front row at Michigan

BROOKLYN, MICH. (Aug. 19, 2011) – Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle covered the two-mile oval of Michigan International Speedway in 37.83 seconds (109.345 mph) to capture the pole for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup race. He will be joined on the front row by Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth, who finished runner up in the Cup race earlier this year at MIS. David Ragan qualified seventh for the race and Carl Edwards will roll out 22nd on Sunday.

“I don’t think that could have gone any better,” said Biffle “ I tell you what. This team has needed it. We have great cars and I can’t say enough for (crew chief) Matt Puccia and this 16 team. They work really hard and I am proud of them. All of a sudden Matt (Kenseth) is becoming a hell of a qualifier. He makes fun of himself when he gets up there and says that the throttle sticks. What a great job for the whole Ford camp. I want to thank Ford for all of their support and I know this means a lot to them here in Michigan to have this thing on the front.”

The pole is Roush Fenway’s second in the Cup Series at MIS and its seventh overall in NASCAR action at the track. Biffle will look for his third Sprint Cup win at MIS on Sunday, while Roush Fenway looks for its 12 Cup win at Michigan and its 22nd overall victory at the track.

The pole is Roush Fenway’s sixth in the Sprint Cup Series in 2011.

Ryan Newman (189.573) will start third followed by Denny Hamlin (189.294) and Mark Martin (189.190).

Rounding out the top-ten starting positions will be Brad Keselowski (189.006) who will start from sixth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (188.669) eighth, Jeff Gordon (188.600) ninth and Jamie McMurray (188.462) will start from tenth.

Failing to make the starting lineup were the #7 driven by Johnny Sauter, the #46 driven by Erik Darnell and the #50 driven by TJ Bell.

The teams will return to the track Saturday morning for their 10:10 AM – 12:00 PM (EDT) scheduled final practice session, and then return on Sunday for the 1:20 PM (approximate) start of the Pure Michigan 400.

Pure Michigan 400 Starting Lineup


DRIVER QUOTES FOLLOWING THEIR MICHIGAN QUALIFYING LAP

Kenseth is using his winning Texas car this week (Getty)

MATT KENSETH QUALIFIED 2ND: “I think that I would have had a shot at the pole if I wouldn’t have looked up at the big screen down there and watched Greg’s lap. I saw his lap time and saw that it was really fast. I got loose here in the green and overdrove turn one to make sure I kept the car tight enough and overdrove it a little bit. I was pretty far over my head. I was glad to get a lap that good that had a ton of speed. I want to thank Kroger for sponsoring our car, I am pretty excited about that. It has flames on it so DW should be happy. All Roush front row, so it was a good lap for us and I look forward to Sunday.”

CARL EDWARDS QUALIFIED 22ND: “We were a little bit loose, just a little bit. We leaned on Matt Kenseth quite a bit and that helped us a ton. We picked up a lot of time. I really appreciate his help there. We have to be able to put the throttle down come Sunday and not be so loose. The good part about this race track is that if we are fast we will be able to pass people and we will be good. I am excited about it. I love racing here. Even if we start 30th it is okay because you can still win here if you are fast.”

TREVOR BAYNE QUALIFIED 20TH: “That was a pretty good qualifying run. I think we will sit pretty good and it could be a good weekend for us. I am so excited to be driving this race car designed by seven-year-old Katie. She designed it herself and we got to make her dreams come true by putting it on the real race car and bringing it out to the race. It is an awesome weekend for us. I think we will have something come Sunday. It was better for qualifying this time than last time and I think we can learn for the race trim with that. Our race trim is totally different but we will wait and see about practice tomorrow. I think our car is really fast and it ran good at Charlotte with Stenhouse driving it, so I think it will run good here.”

MARCOS AMBROSE QUALIFIED 16TH: “I did the same thing here in the spring. I got loose getting up to speed coming to the green flag and I just spooked myself and pinched it off into three and I did the same bloody thing this time. I am mad at myself. We had another half a tenth or so in the car. I will take that because it will be a decent spot.”

Ragan looks sharp in quest for win No. 2 to make Chase

DAVID RAGAN QUALIFIED 7TH: “I would give myself probably an A- on that lap. It could have been a little better. It looks like we will wind up in the top five or six. We have a good car here and it is good to see our Roush teammates fast. I can’t wait for the race on Sunday.”

RYAN NEWMAN QUALIFIED 3RD: “Well, I didn’t know what to expect. The guys said the race track was a little bit warmer, and the guys were going a little bit quicker, but that doesn’t always mean everything. Our WIX Filters Chevrolet was good today. I felt like we had a really good balance, and a pretty good lap, good enough for third, obviously. Just proud of the effort, the guys on the team, Tony Gibson and everybody, coming off the truck. Spent the entire qualifying session in qualifying practice. Hopefully, the 14 got a little bit of help from that, and then him, in turn, being in race trim will help us out tomorrow. So, look forward to the rest of the practice session and the race, and it’s nice to have a good starting spot, as well as pit selection.”


NEWMAN ON HOW CLOSE HIS CAR IS TO STEWART'S: “Honestly, today, I have no idea where his car is at compared to mine. He spent 90 percent of qualifying practice in race trim. I think he did one, maybe two runs in qualifying trim. We’ll sit down tonight and look through those things from our end, as well as from his end to make sure that we’re both putting the ideal package under each driver.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON QUALIFIED 19th: “Qualifying has been tough for us and I don’t know where that has gone, but we’re working very hard to get it right. Sundays have been much more productive and better, but it sure helps when you qualify well, so I hope that time holds up.”

“Over the course of the weekend when the car is fast is good, but the truth of the matter is that track position is everything. It doesn’t matter where you are or what track you’re on. Pit road pick has a lot to do with it anymore too, now. So, those two elements are the truth and there is a small mental component, but the other two far outweigh that.”

TONY STEWART QUALIFIED 18th: “That’s the best we’ve been here in a while. I’m pretty happy with it so far. Darian (Grubb) and all the guys on this Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy have done an awesome job. We struggled with balance here last time but I’m really happy with the way it’s been all day. It’s not been perfect yet, but it’s been a much, much easier car to drive than what we’ve had here. So I’m pretty happy with it. That’s the best balance that we’ve had all weekend so far. But you always want to be better than what you are (laughs).”

Junior looking to snap 115 race winless streak (Getty)

DALE EARNHARDT JR. QUALIFIED 8th, ON RUNNING A DIFFERENT LINE FROM EVERYONE ELSE: “I don’t know; I just like running down there. But it wasn’t a perfect lap. I think there’s another tenth or two out there. I’m sure some of them guys up there will find it. But I’m pretty happy. We’ve struggled in qualifying all year long, so this was definitely better today. The car drove good. It wasn’t the perfect lap. It was a good team effort today. I’m really happy with that.”

“It’s a brand new car. It took a little bit of adjusting, but we have a great team and the guys did a good job.”

MARK MARTIN QUALIFIED 5th: “Well, all it says is that our car is faster than it’s been. It’s a real privilege to drive the CARQUEST Auto Parts/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet and I want to give a shout out to everybody that works so hard at Hendrick Motorsports. They give us big horsepower under the hood and a very nice race car. Lance McGrew and the crew have done a fabulous job making a fast race car. We’ve been making progress at Indy and Pocono and hope to be building on that here.”

DENNY HAMLIN QUALIFIED 4TH, ON HIS HIS NEW TRD ENGINE: “It’s good. It’s so tough to say really until you get into race conditions what differences you can feel. I just can’t say enough for everyone at TRD (Toyota Racing Development) and Joe Gibbs Racing for putting this deal together. This is going to be a long compilation of engineering and things. We’re going to bring a lot to the table to them as well as they’re going to bring it to us. I can’t say enough for them and their efforts to get this in here in such short notice.”

HAMLIN ON HOW HE'S FEELING AFTER THE HARD CRASH AT WATKINS GLEN: “I feel good. I felt better. Today is better than yesterday. Wednesday was the worst, by far. It’s a little tough to sit down right down — my tailbone is hurting me pretty good. But, other than that it’s good to be back at a race track and obviously being competitive.”

DAVID REUTIMANN QUALIFIED 12TH: “Problem is — we still have a lot of fast cars to go. It’s a decent lap. Hopefully, it will hold up good, give us a good starting position and a good pit selection for the Aaron’s Dream Machine. I’m glad to be here and glad to be away from Watkins Glen. It’s a cool race track. It just wasn’t good to me the other day.”

“We were a little bit free. I’m not sure if that is going to be enough to get the job done. Hopefully, it will hold up for a decent starting position and see what it gives us on Sunday. The main deal is getting is a good pit selection. Starting position is one thing — pit selection is something that can help you all day. So, we have to qualify well to get that.”

KASEY KAHNE QUALIFIED 14TH: “Everything felt pretty good there. I missed turn three a little bit. On my entry I screwed up and got loose-in, which I did by myself. But, the car was — I probably should have run a .15 or .20, and I ran a .28. I made a mistake, but it felt better than practice. It’s good changes.”

KAHNE ON KEY TO SUCCESS AT MICHIGAN: “Probably momentum. It’s a big part of it — to keep your momentum up. I just feel like this track is all about momentum. And you slow that down — you get passed from behind by someone who is keeping their momentum up. It’s a cool track to race. But, you have to keep your momentum going.”

Truex Jr had two runner-up finishes while with DEI (Getty)

MARTIN TRUEX JR. QUALIFIED 15TH, ON WHAT JIMMIE JOHNSON ASKED HIM BEFORE QUALIFYING: “He was just getting a few pointers. No, I’m just kidding. He was just wondering if I thought my lap was decent because he thought his was not pretty decent. We beat him by about a tenth. I thought it was okay. I left a little out there. The car wasn’t perfect, but a good lap. We picked up from practice for our NAPA Toyota. These guys are doing an awesome job for me and I love working with them. We’ll see how long it stays up there — hopefully it will be a good starting spot for us.”

TRUEX JR ON WHAT HIS TEAM WILL WORK ON IN PRACTICE SATURDAY: What will you work on in practice tomorrow? “Long runs — it goes green a long time here and got to have a good race car on the long runs. We had a good car here in the spring race. I had a little trouble on pit road towards the end. Started were we were there (in the spring), hopefully get it even better and see if we can’t go out and win one of these things.”

KYLE BUSCH QUALIFIED 17TH: “Our Interstate Batteries Camry wasn’t bad. I got through (turns) one and two perfectly and got a good run down the back. But, when I got to turn three, we were way too tight through that end of the track. Wish we would have had a better lap, but we will work on it tomorrow in race trim and hope we can run like we did here in June and have a shot to win.”

Keselowski is going for third win of the season (Getty)

BRAD KESELOWSKI QUALIFIED 6TH: “A decent lap for sure. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but a pretty good lap. It’s something for a good start. I don’t think I’ve ever had a great qualifying effort here at Michigan, but this car is good. We’ve got a little work to do tomorrow, but we’re not too far off. Sunday, we’ve just got to go fast all day and try to bring home a win.

This car is very fast; I’m proud of the speed we had. This is by far the best race car I’ve ever had here, so I’m excited about Sunday. We’re on the upswing right now, just riding the wave and enjoying it.”

KURT BUSCH QUALIFIED 13TH: “We had to change quite a bit after practice with the hot temperatures, sliding around a lot; the car was tight and we qualified tight. Luckily, we picked up some speed. It’s disappointing when you get the pole here in the first race and barely hang on to a top 15 in the second one.

BUSCH ON WHAT THE TEAM WILL FOCUS ON IN PRACTICE: “We need a lot of practice.”

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