TOYOTA NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Post-Race Notes & Quotes Daytona International Speedway – July 6, 2012
Camry driver Joey Logano (fifth) was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Friday evening’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Daytona International Speedway.
Logano, who won the 2011 July race at Daytona, led six times for 12 laps (of 101) at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway.
Mike Bliss also earned a top-10 finish for Toyota with an eighth-place result.
Other Toyota drivers in the field at Daytona included Jason Bowles (14th), Tayler Malsam (15th), Eric McClure (18th), Joe Nemechek (22nd), Kyle Busch (23rd), John Wes Townley (25th), Clint Bowyer (26th), Casey Roderick (27th), Brian Scott (32nd) and Jeff Green (43rd).
JOEY LOGANO, No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 5th How was your car in the race? “Our Sport Clips car was fast. Elliott (Sadler) and I were working really well together. We got up there at the end and led the last lap, which continued our streak over the last six restrictor-plate races where we’ve been first or second on that last lap in the last six of them. It’s pretty cool to have that. I wanted to lead the last one. We were going and then the 1 (Kurt Busch) and the 6 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) got on the outside of us and pulled us apart so then I tried to pull them apart. I failed at that. Then I tried to hook back with Elliott — we struggled to hook back up and then by the time we got hooked back up it was too late. Then I don’t know how I missed the 3 (Austin Dillon). That’s where my heart stopped. I was trying to race to the line to get the spot and then I was watching him wreck and I was like, ‘Man, this is not going to be pretty.’ We were just able to miss him and bring our Sport Clips Toyota home in one piece. It’s a really good car and it’s been out front a lot — we led a lot of laps. I had a lot of fun. I want to thank Sport Clips and Toyota and all those guys.”
Did you think you had a race-winning car tonight? “We were close. I felt like we were in the right place. We got ourselves out front there and I said, ‘Okay, as long as we can hold them off.’ And, they got a bigger run behind us and they got to the outside of the 2 (Elliott Sadler) and pulled us apart. So, once they pulled us apart I’m like, ‘Ah, man we’re in trouble.’ I tried to pull them apart at that point and then tried to re-hook to the 2, which I failed on both attempts — trying to pull them apart and trying to hook back up to the 2. Coming to the line, I think that was the closest I’ve ever been to getting hit pretty hard and made it through there. I had a lot of fun. I felt like we had the Sport Clips car that could win it. It’s back in one piece without a mark on it so we’ll take it and go to the next superspeedway race and give it another shot.”
What happened on the last few laps? “Man, I felt like we were where we needed to be. We got out front and leading the last lap and then I saw the pack behind us. We tried to kind of come up and block them, but we were too late and they got to the outside of Elliott (Sadler), pulled him off the back of my bumper and then once that happened you slow down in a hurry. I tried to pull back the lead group — the 6 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) and the 1 (Kurt Busch) after that and I couldn’t pull them apart. So, I was like ‘Okay, the next move is to try to hook back up with the 2 (Elliott Sadler) and try to make something happen there again.’ By the time we got hooked up and going again we were too late and couldn’t get up there in time. Wild finish though. I was pretty sure I was going to get hit by the 3 (Austin Dillon). It was one of those deals like you want to race to the line and you want that spot, but then it’s like, ‘Oh no, I’m going to get destroyed here.’ Just barely missed it there with the 3. Had a lot of fun tonight. Led a lot of laps. I feel like we did everything we had to do with the Sport Clips car to win this thing. We were up there, had a shot and that’s all you can ask for at this place.”
MIKE BLISS, No. 44 BANDITchippers.com Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 8th How was the racing tonight? “Typical Daytona. The only thing we didn’t have was a wreck coming to the checkered. It was pack racing like we want to see it. I think it was entertaining for the fans and that’s why we’re doing it. We’re here to entertain and I think it was a good race. We always have big wrecks — it just took out a lot of cars. All in all, I think it was a good night. I think the racing was pretty good. I was happy with a top-10 finish and I’m always happy to be able to load my car up here.”
JASON BOWLES, No. 81 American Majority Toyota Camry, MacDonald Motorsports Finishing Position: 14th
TAYLER MALSAM, No. 19 G-Oil/Noah’s Light Foundation Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 15th
ERIC McCLURE, No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 18th
JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 AM/FM Energy Wood Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Finishing Position: 22nd
KYLE BUSCH, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry, Kyle Busch Motorsports Finishing Position: 23rd
JOHN WES TOWNLEY, No. 99 Barberitos Toyota Camry, RAB Racing w/Brack Maggard Finishing Position: 25th
CLINT BOWYER, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 26th
CASEY RODERICK, No. 24 West Virginia Miners Baseball Toyota Camry, SR2 Motorsports Finishing Position: 27th
BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 32nd
JEFF GREEN, No. 10 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 43rd
