Ford Performance NASCAR Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 – Texas Motor Speedway
Saturday, November 4, 2017
FORD FINISHING RESULTS
2nd Ryan Blaney
5th Cole Custer
23rd Ryan Reed
RYAN REED, No. 16 Lilly Diabetes/#DriveYourHealth Ford Mustang (Finished 23rd)
“We got that flat tire early on that put us behind. I thought we could get the wave around right after it happend at that stage break but I guess they closed the pits right there. It was the worst case scenario for us. Tough deal. I felt we had an okay Mustang, one that could contend for a top-10 and keep us in this deal and go to Phoenix and give ourselves a shot but it wasn’t meant to be. I am proud of everyone on the Lilly Diabetes Mustang team for not giving up and we won’t give up. We are still in it. It is pretty much a must-win going to Phoenix next weekend. That is the mentality we will have.”
RYAN BLANEY & COLE CUSTER POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCES
COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang — YOU RECOVERED FROM AN EARLY INCIDENT, WALK US THROUGH THAT AND HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO RECOVER: “I think we just had a flat tire at the start of the race and had to go pit but we kept our heads on straight and tried to do what we could to salvage a good day. We all did a really good job doing that, staying within our limits and get a decent finish. I think we did a good job of that and had a fast race car. I can’t really say I am too upset or too down going into Phoenix or anything. It is just two weeks in a row that we had some bad luck.”
WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHANCES GOING INTO PHOENIX TO MAKE THE NEXT ROUND? “Yeah, we are only like 13 points out of the top four right now I think. For us, we struggled a little in the middle part of the race but like I said, I can’t really be down with our two weekends. We have had two pretty good race cars but have just had a flat tire in both the races. It is what it is for us. I think there is no reason why we can’t make that up.”
RYAN BLANEY, No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — YOU BATTLED THE 20 CAR AT THE END. HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO CATCH THE 20 AS YOU WERE GOING THROUGH LAP TRAFFIC? “I thought our car was good from the beginning. I was pretty loose to start but once we got it tightened up I thought we were really good. I thought the track took another swing free with maybe 60 to go and got our car looser again but we were still able to run down the 20 and get to him but we just couldn’t pass him. Couldn’t pass anybody. Lap cars were all over the place. I thought it was a good night for us. It just stinks we couldn’t get around him. I thought we had a shot after the green-flag stop. I thought we were way better but we got held up a couple times by traffic. I thought we had the car to win, just a matter of trying to get in front of him and I couldn’t pass anybody. I tried to get him loose a couple times and couldn’t do it. I about wrecked myself trying to get him loose. It is really hard to get around anybody. Hopefully that gets a little better for tomorrow.”
IS THERE ANYTHING NASCAR COULD DO DIFFERENTLY TO IMPROVE PASSING FOR THE NEXT RACE? “Yeah, have a day race. Make it a day race. It was too cool.”
WHAT ADVANTAGE DO YOU HAVE OVER CUP RACERS TOMORROW THAT DIDN’T RUN THIS RACE? “I think it is a little bit different. I think the track changed a lot from yesterday when we practiced in the sun to tonight. I think it changed a little bit. that is something that I learned tonight but there are some things about the race track, things in one and two that maybe you can learn. How loose or tight you have to be over there to make passes or get in the corner. It is hard to compare but there are little techniques that I would like to feel. Hopefully we can compare notes a little bit and get a little better. It is really hard to compare the two races just because they are drastically different.”
