Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Hendrick Motorsports Talladega Driver Quotes

Chase Elliott on speedway racing:
“I have never disliked it, I think it’s kind of one of those things that we have to do. The races pay the same amount of points as the rest of them, so you might as well embrace it. We have had some really fast cars and led some laps. We have had opportunities, just haven’t had the end results to prove the kind of runs we have had. Just going to keep doing what we have been doing there.”

Elliott on the differences between Daytona and Talladega:
“Talladega is just wider and it’s a little more inviting to be three-wide more often. I feel like people get a little braver there just because it is wider and it looks welcoming.”


William Byron on racing at Talladega:
“I’m looking forward to Talladega just because it’s fun and has a great atmosphere. Plus, when you’re racing there, you can make a lot of moves because it’s so wide. I felt like our car in the Daytona 500 was good and stable – we just kind of got caught up in a few different wrecks – but if we can take what I learned there and apply it and be closer to start the weekend to know what I want in the car, it’s going to be a good weekend. Talladega is definitely more spread out than Daytona – Daytona is really tight in the corners and handling matters a lot more, whereas handling doesn’t really matter as much at Talladega except through the tri-oval. I think it will be different than Daytona, but I can still apply what I learned there.”

Byron on working with his teammates and experience:
“I think there is more opportunity to work with your teammates at Talladega. And Chase (Elliott) has really been good on the restrictor-plate tracks, so if I can lock onto him that’s going to be an advantage. Plus, I just feel so much more comfortable already than what I did in my first (Cup) race (at Daytona) that I think when we get to Talladega, we’ll already be a lot further ahead.”


Jimmie Johnson on rebounding at Richmond:
“Richmond was an amazing effort by my team to stay in the game. We’re taking steps forward. I’d love to take a jump forward, but we’re definitely taking steps forward. As far as drafting partners go this weekend, you always prefer your teammates first, but that’s not always possible. So, if I can’t draft with my teammates, I will try to draft with a car who has a shot to win. If they are behind me I would want to hope that they would be content pushing, but that is not always the case either. The bottom line is when it comes to plate tracks, on the last lap, it's every man for itself.”


Alex Bowman on the differences between Daytona and Talladega:
“Both tracks are a little different. I feel like if you have an ill-handling race car, but it’s fast at Daytona, you can get away with it at Talladega. We had a good-handling race car and it was fast at Daytona, so I think we will be really good at Talladega. (No. 88 team crew chief) Greg (Ives) can put some more speed in it, take a little handling out, probably make me say that I’m loose all day, but it will be fun.”

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