MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang — “I just can’t believe it. I’ve just got to thank God. So many years just grinding it out and hoping for an opportunity like this. I’ve got to thank Love’s Travel Stops, Speedco, Bob Jenkins for giving me this opportunity. I’m so thankful. Such a great way to get a first victory — a Daytona 500. Are you kidding me? I just want to say hi to my wife back home. Happy Valentine’s Day. I know it’s been a tough week. My kids, I love you guys. I wish they could be here with me to celebrate. Maybe NASCAR will send a plane to bring them down here, but we’re the Daytona 500 champions. Thank you Doug Yates, Ford. We had our Ford partners at the end and they all crashed, but luckily I was able to make it through. I’m just so thankful. God is good.”
YOUR THOUGHTS? “I just can’t believe it. The only thing I can think of is just God is so good. For so many years I’ve just been grinding it out trying to stay in this sport. Bob Jenkins gave me a great opportunity to go full-time in a competitive car and Drew Blickensderfer and my whole entire team we’ve been working so hard for years to get into this position and I’m so thankful to Love’s Travel Stops and Speeco and Ford, Doug Yates. All of my Ford partners out there, we had a good plan coming to the white and unfortunately Joey and Brad got together and the hole opened up. I just can’t believe it. I’m so thankful. It’s amazing.”
HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE LAST PIT STOP? “It was the race. We knew it was and it always comes down to that green flag stop. If you speed, you make a mistake, you slide the tires, your day is done. We just executed perfectly. We left together. Brad and I left together hooked up on bumpers and we were able to get some good speed and when the Toyotas and Chevys joined the track we had so much momentum we were able to keep the lead. It’s unbelievable. I just can’t believe I won the Daytona 500. This is amazing.”
DRIVE US DOWN THE BACKSTRETCH. YOU WERE THIRD. “My plan was to stick to the 2 car. I knew he would go for a race-winning move and my plan was to let him make that move and then coming off of four try to get to his outside or inside. I knew I didn’t want to make my move too early, so I was committed to the 2 car’s bumper and when he made the move, the hole opened up. It’s just unbelievable.”
DOES THIS MATCH THE DREAM? “It does, but whether I win this race or not it’s not what defines you. It’s unbelievable and I’m so thankful, but I’m thankful to have a happy, healthy family and a beautiful wife and a great family. Not everybody makes it to victory lane and for 14 years I didn’t, so just to be here now is just so amazing.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — WHAT HAPPENED? “I had a big run down the backstretch and wanted to make the pass to win the Daytona 500 and it ended up really bad. I don’t feel like I made a mistake, but I can’t drive everybody else’s car, so frustrating. The Discount Tire Ford was not the fastest, but Jeremy Bullins and the whole team did a great job of keeping us in position and right then we were in position. It’s exactly where I want to be running second on the last lap at Daytona with this package and had the run, made the move and it didn’t work out.”
KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Light #TheCrew Ford Mustang — TAKE ME THROUGH YOUR LAST COUPLE LAPS. “Brad just dropped way back and tried to stuff it in there and then everybody scattered, just trying to hope that you get the right push or push somebody. It was a really good Busch Light Ford Mustang and just came up a little bit short.”
YOU WERE IN POSITION AND THINGS DIDN’T WORK OUT. “Yeah, Brad laid way back there and got a run on the inside and then at that point when it scatters you hope that you get a push or you can wind up in the right spot and I just wound up in a spot that finished fourth. We had a great Busch Light Ford Mustang all night. We were able to position ourselves up front. It was kind of a weird race the way it would all single-file out and then you kind of scatter there a lap or two at the end and see where it all played out.”
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang — YOU WERE IN THE LEAD AND THEN WHAT? “Pandemonium, I guess. Chaos struck. The 2 kept trying to back up, trying to get a run. I was trying to back up to him to keep the runs from being too big and just, I guess he got to the back of the 34 and it ended up being a really big run coming at me and it seemed like we all just collided in one spot. It’s a real bummer that none of the Penske cars won, but at least a Ford won and I’m really happy for McDowell. I hate that we didn’t win with our Shell/Pennzoil Mustang. I feel like we had a great shot being where we were and leading on the last lap, but if we couldn’t win I’m really happy to see McDowell win this thing. He’s a great guy, a great person, a good leader in life and has helped me a lot in my life, so it’s very cool to see him win the Daytona 500.”
