Toyota Racing Post-Qualifying Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Richmond International Raceway
300 miles, 200 laps
April 28, 2017
TOYOTA STARTING POSITIONS
1st, MATT KENSETH
3rd, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
7th, KYLE BUSCH
11th, DANIEL SUÁREZ
16th, DENNY HAMLIN
20th, ERIK JONES
31st, GRAY GAULDING
34th, COREY LAJOIE
TOYOTA QUOTES
MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Circle K Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Starting Position: 1st
Your team was faster every lap, how did you guys do it?
“You gotta ask Jason (Ratcliff). Those guys did a really good job today adjusting between rounds. We had enough speed in our Circle K Camry that we only had to do one lap each of the first two rounds to get us into the third round and we improved a little bit the second lap. It was a good qualifying effort for us. Feels good to be on the pole. I want to thank Circle K – it’s their first foray into full-time Cup racing. So glad they’re on our car. Everybody needs to roll by and fill their car up with gas and go buy some Gatorade.”
How big is pit selection here at Richmond?
“You know this year has not been a good year for us obviously so far. We finished strong at Bristol but we didn’t get to qualify because of the rain and that put us in the middle of the pack – there and Martinsville. We haven’t been getting any stage points. We’re buried in the points back there and we finally got a decent finish last week, so hopefully this week we can start up front, stay up front and hopefully collect some of the stage points. But most importantly we’re in the mix for a win at the end of the day.”
How difficult is this track to get a hold of in these hot conditions?
“It’s a tough track. It’s such a fine line because you have to be patient and not overdrive it but you can’t underdrive it either. It’s just kind of a fine edge and I felt like my first lap the last round I did really good in 1 and 2 not into 3 and 4 and the opposite in the second lap. I didn’t feel like I had the perfect lap but I had good speed.”
Matt, you put a Toyota on the pole for the Toyota Owners 400. That’s obviously pretty special, I’m sure. Talk about that.
“I don’t really get a lot of poles. Any time I get a pole is pretty special in my mind. Yeah, they did a good job with the car today. They did really good adjustments. We just were able to run one lap in the first couple rounds to get us to the last round. I think that helped a lot saving the tires a little bit. Jason (Ratcliff) made some good adjustments. Got a couple good laps there in the last round. So it’s exciting to be on the pole. It’s exciting for Circle K, their first race as a Cup Series sponsor to be on a pole. So hopefully we can stay up there. I was reminded last week that I’ve led zero laps so far this year. I think I have negative two stage points, whatever they are (smiling). I think they’ve just taken some away because we’ve been so bad in races. Hopefully we can turn that around Sunday and stay up front, hopefully be in the mix for a win at the end of the day.”
Was it nice for a change just to be able to get to qualify because of a rainout or something?
“The last two got canceled for something. Yeah, I mean, Martinsville and Bristol were very interesting to not qualify the way it all worked out with weather and stuff. Obviously for us being buried so far back in points, which I guess is our own fault, we had to start in the middle, toward the back. These days it makes it just tough to get through the field. So, yeah, good to start up front. As you know, anything can happen at any time. You can lose that track position. The main thing is to work hard tomorrow, try to get a good corner balance for Sunday, just try to keep that track position.”
When you watch a guy like Dale Earnhardt Jr. announce he’s stepping away at the end of the season, do you go into reflective mode?
“Yeah, I mean, I always thought he would race longer than me, to be honest with you, just because I figured he would. But really just happy for him, honestly, that he’s doing what’s best for him, what he wants to do. I know it was real important to him, like he said and everything, to kind of go out on his own terms, be in control of that. I’m happy for him in that aspect. Obviously things change. It was weird last year. Our motorhomes are parked next to each other for the last 17, 18 years, whatever it’s been. Last year toward the end of the year when he was out all year, that spot was always empty, and it really bothered me. Even though until he met Amy (Earnhardt), for about 15 years he never came out of that motorhome except to practice. He ran in there after practice and you didn’t see him again until like 10 minutes before the drivers meeting. Now he actually comes outside and hangs out a little bit and everything. Certainly when he is not at the track, I’ll miss that.”
Do you pay a lot of attention to the stage points?
“Well, I have not. Maybe that’s why we don’t have any. I think Jimmie is going to be just fine. I’m not real concerned about him and his performance and his point standings. I think he’ll be okay. We just haven’t been up front. We’ve crashed a lot. Atlanta, we ran really well, go the a pit road speeding penalty early. Took us all day to get back. Last week I don’t think we got in the top 10 till right towards the end of the race. We finished pretty well. For us, we know they’re there. We know they pay them. I guess I didn’t realize how many some people had compared to us, like over a hundred more than us or something, which is crazy in this points system for being a position or point of position, whatever. Last week was the first week I actually looked at them after the race because I saw we were still like 20th in points. How are we 20th in points? You kind of look at that. It’s certainly a lot of different. I’m almost understanding it now, starting to try to figure it out.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing
Starting Position: 3rd
How was your second-place qualifying effort here today?
“We gained on it, I felt like our first round. I felt really good about the car. We were able to be fifth I think with only running one lap. We were second of the cars that had only run one lap, so I felt really good about it and we went out in the second round and the first lap was awful. The car just wouldn’t hook up and then the second lap it got better, but I still didn’t feel like we got back to where we were in the first round. So we made some changes and the third round was for sure better, but I felt like we were still missing something. I should’ve run three laps and I might’ve been even quicker, but all in all it was a good job by the guys and third is a great starting spot here. Up front where we need be. Hopefully, we can keep her up front all day.”
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Starting Position: 7th
How did your qualifying run go today?
“It was good. Definitely hoped for more but all in all it doesn’t necessarily matter where you start here – you’re just trying to get a good pit selection. Fighting it loose, fighting it tight.”
