Toyota NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) Post-Race Notes & Quotes
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 5 of 33 – 300 miles, 150 laps
Saturday, March 19, 2016
TOYOTA NXS DRIVER FINISHING POSITIONS at Auto Club Speedway
1st, Austin Dillon
2nd, KYLE BUSCH
4th, DANIEL SUAREZ
15th, ERIK JONES
18th, CORIE LAJOIE
22nd, DAKODA ARMSTRONG
27th, JJ YELEY
38th, DAVID STARR
39th, JOSH WISE
40th, MATT DIBENEDETTO
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA DRIVER NXS POINT STANDINGS following Auto Club Speedway (race 5 of 33)*
1st, DANIEL SUAREZ 182 points
7th, ERIK JONES 152 points
13th, DAKODA ARMSTRONG 108 points
18th, JJ YELEY 77 points
20th, DAVID STARR 65 points
*unofficial point standings
TOYOTA NOTES
· Camry driver Kyle Busch (second) was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) race at Auto Club Speedway.
· He led a race-high 133 laps (of 150) at the Fontana, California race track, but experienced a tire issue on the final lap and was relegated to the second-place result.
· Toyota driver Daniel Suarez (fourth) ran out of fuel on the final lap, but recovered to earn his third top-five and fifth top-10 in five races this season.
· Suarez continues to lead the series point standings for the third week in a row since capturing it in Las Vegas.
TOYOTA QUOTES
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
CHRIS GAYLE, Crew Chief, No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
What happened at the end of the race?
“We had a really good NOS Energy Camry all day. I think Kyle (Busch) and the team did a great job, led the most laps. It’s just really kind of sour right now to have that good of a car and not win the race. We obviously did everything right on fuel mileage, we made it past the checkered flag and we knew we would be close. Just unfortunate – I don’t know if we ran over something or if it was just wear with the left front tire. It would have been nice to get a caution on that last lap and to be able to come down and fix that, but kind of everyone’s strategy was played out and it was what it was. It happened after we crossed for the white flag on the apron just before we got into turn one.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
What did you experience in the closing laps of the race?
“In the whole run we were saving fuel. I knew that we were one to one-and-a-half laps short. I was saving fuel. I wasn’t worrying about the 20 (Erik Jones) or 18 (Kyle Busch), I was just trying to finish the race because I knew that we were short. I knew that the 20 was a little bit shorter than us and eventually he ran out. When he ran out I started saving more because I knew that I had more fuel than him, but not a lot. I was just trying to save as much as I can. I passed the 18 when he blew the left front tire in (turns) one and two and on the exit of two I ran out of fuel and on the exit of four, the 2 (Austin Dillon) and the 18 passed me back. Very unfortunate but it’s part of racing. I really think that our first victory is coming and hopefully we can get it very soon.”
What was your team telling you over the radio on the final lap?
“At 20 laps to go, they told me I was good on fuel. Actually, when they told me that I was still saving a little bit just in case because you never know. Then, when the 2 (Austin Dillon) started catching me, I just started to be aggressive again. Then I saw the 20 (Erik Jones) and the 18 (Kyle Busch) and I was saving a lot to a point. I was like one quarter on the straightaway and that wasn’t enough.”
Is there a bright side to today’s finish?
“We have a really fast race car and won the pole. I think it’s been the closest race that I ever had and would have loved to get that first victory. It’s not bad. The team is amazing with the chemistry that we have. We win and we lose together and today we were close and that’s pretty much all I can say. I can tell you our first victory is coming, and it’s coming fast.”
ERIK JONES, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 15th
COREY LAJOIE, No. 24 Youtheory Toyota Camry, JGL Racing
Finishing Position: 18th
DAKODA ARMSTRONG, No. 28 Winfield Be Greater Toyota Camry, JGL Racing
Finishing Position: 22nd
JJ YELEY, No. 14 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 27th
DAVID STARR, No. 44 Zachry Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 38th
JOSH WISE, No. 40 A1Tickets.ca Toyota Camry, MBM Motorsports
Finishing Position: 39th
MATT DIBENEDETTO, No. 10 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 40th
