- Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) drivers Denny Hamlin (third) and Kyle Busch (fifth) earned top-five finishes for Toyota in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Martinsville Speedway that was won by Jeff Gordon.
- Camry driver Carl Edwards also earned a top-15 result with a 14th-place finish at the Virginia short track.
- Busch is currently ranked second in the unofficial NSCS point standings and sits eight points behind leader Gordon while Edwards is fifth in the standings (17 points behind Gordon) with two races remaining in the ‘Eliminator 8’ round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Series championship prior to the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- Hamlin led the field once for three laps (of 500) in the No. 11 Camry and has now earned 11 top-five finishes and 16 top-10 results in 20 career starts at the half-mile Virginia track.
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
How was the car on the long runs?
“Not as bad as our car was for the first 40 laps of a run, obviously we had a very, very fast car after that. All these short runs and everything just killed us and we just went backwards on every restart. That’s kind of where we sealed our fate there at the end with the 47 (AJ Allmendinger), he held us down there just enough to where I was tight and I didn’t want to jam him up in the wall. I was trying as hard as I could to keep him out there and he cleared me and the next thing you know the 24 (Jeff Gordon) is coming with tires. I’m proud of our FedEx Ground team, that didn’t keep us from having a good day. There were two pit road penalties and that’s just the driver trying to make too much up on pit road, trying to do too much and obviously I come for a grandfather clock – that’s the only reason I come to this place. Happy for Jeff and those guys, that’s a good win for that team. Looks like Kyle (Busch) and those guys are doing okay as well. Hopefully we get some of these JGR cars to Homestead and hopefully they can race him.”
Does this run today give you any redemption after the parts failure last weekend at Talladega?
“Zero. The part failure was just a small part of sealing our fate last weekend. There were a lot of things that played into us missing the Chase. Look where we finished other than that one race. It’s just incredible that we’re not part of the championship picture anymore, but we’ll go out here and we’ll try to get three more trophies before the end of the year.”
How was the race?
“My race was eventful to say the least – two pit road penalties, my car wasn’t very good at all up until the very, very end and we just took a long time to get going. It’s just part of it. This racing now is different now than what it used to be when I first came in the sport and its just survival of the fittest.”
What do you think of the racing currently in the Chase?
“I don’t even know anymore, the structure in which we have around us is not very strong as far as an authority figure saying, ‘No, you cannot do that anymore.’ It’s just tough for us because this is what’s been created. I love Brian France, but when he says that drivers are doing what they have to do, it seems like he’s promoting this type of racing so that’s tough to crown a true champion when things go like this.”
Does this change how you have to race for a championship?
“Oh it changes it for sure — it’s a no holds barred, wild, Wild West. Sure, when people crown the statement that a driver’s doing what he’s got to do and they became okay with that statement, you’re just opening up Pandora’s box – everyone is just doing what they have to do I guess. It’s a bad statement, it’s an ugly statement, I wish we could all do this fair and square and the fastest person win, but I just don’t know if that’s going to be the case.”
What did you see from the incident between Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano?
“If you do, you should reach out to him, in my opinion. I know when I got into with Joey (Logano) and I’ve been fine with Joey here lately. I’m not going to stick sides too much, but Joey didn’t choose to call me until the Chase started in fear of getting wrecked. I think in my opinion, you have to control that a little bit better and talk to the person. If you’re just going to stick your nose in the air and say, ‘Well, that’s the way it’s going to be,’ then you’re going to have to expect it back.”
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
Was this a typical crazy Martinsville race?
“It was and I screwed us up early in the race and touched that water down there in turn one and spun out with the 3 (Austin Dillon) car so that was my bad. I bent up the front end of the car and it was just never right from there on out, but we persevered and we just made the changes that we needed to make for this car for our conditions that we had. The M&M’s Crispy Camry there at the end was good enough for a top-five so I’m glad we finished there. Everybody is so equal here and when it’s those last sort of restarts like that you are just going for everything you’ve got – whoever’s in front of you, get them out of the way. All in all, good day for us. Real proud of this team and everything that we’ve been doing this year, hopefully we keep it going.”
How was the race overall?
“It was not quite the day that we wanted, but we had a really great M&M’s Crispy Camry. The car was fast today and made a mistake early on and got in the water there with the 3 (Austin Dillon) car and we spun out there. I hate it that I did that. From that point we kind of bent the frontend of the car a little bit. It wasn’t the same from there on out, but we just kept working on it and kept making good changes to the car. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the guys did a really good job for me and we were able to come home with a top-five. I felt like we had a top-five car and there the way the restarts kind of worked out at the end, it worked out in our favor and just real proud of that effort. We’ll go on from here.”
How do you feel rolling into Texas second in the points?
“It just gives us a little bit more vote of confidence going into Texas. I wouldn’t say it sets us up for a good race, we’ve got to be able to execute and do the right things there and hopefully win that thing. There’s going to be a bunch of other guys that want to win there as well too. If we can have a solid day and point our way through this deal then we’ll do that too.”
CARL EDWARDS, No. 19 XFINITY Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 14th
How was the race?
“I thought it was going to be a top-10 there at the end. We struggled for a lot of the day, but really proud of all these guys. Our XFINITY Camry was fast at the end, maybe if we got tires – we were just in no man’s land, we didn’t know whether to get tires or not at the end. Crazy race and really tough to pass.”
Did you have a vibration in the car?
“I thought I had a left-rear coming loose and I think it’s just the tire ratcheting from the wear, but it didn’t fall off so that’s good.”
Was this a crazier race than normal for Martinsville?
“That was a crazy day. It’s Martinsville and just at the end I think we had an opportunity to get a couple more spots and I’m a little more frustrated about that. We just held our own – it was a bad day, but we didn’t make it worse. Just have to thank XFINITY for coming on board there. I just wish that last couple laps, if we didn’t get choked up behind Tony (Stewart) there, I think we could have had a 10th or a ninth.”
How do you feel heading into Texas?
“I think we’re one point out of fourth so that’s good, we’re fine. We’ll just go win at Texas or run well, do what we do and we’ll be fine.”
DAVID RAGAN, No. 55 Aaron’s Online Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finishing Position: 25th
JEB BURTON, No. 23 Rocky Ridge/Estes Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 27th
JJ YELEY, No. 26 Maxim Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 29th
MATT DIBENEDETTO, No. 83 Cosmo Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 30th
MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 38th
What is your reaction to what happened?
“Well it’s a really disappointing day. I thought we were going to have a shot at the win there and they were jacking up the restart real bad to let each other in as teammates which is fine and I probably went in there and I got on the other side of Joey (Logano) and I was going to try to race him for the win and Brad (Keselowski) wiped me out for some reason. I’m not really sure why. And then we had so much damage on the right front I should have probably just put it in the garage and just got into (turn) 1 and couldn’t get it to turn and ran Joey over. So, disappointing ending for sure.”
What is your reaction to Joey Logano saying it was a complete coward move on your part?
“I don’t have any comments for that.”
Was there intent involved in the wreck?
“There’s people that say a lot of things. The splitter was dragging the ground and got into the corner and certainly ruined his day. I know what it’s like to be that too. Some days you’re the bat some days you’re the ball. It’s never fun when you’re the ball so like I said disappointing end, a disappointing end to our Chase and he’s (Joey Logano) got a couple races left, he’s got the best car, he might get a couple of wins here and still have a shot at it. Certainly disappointed it came down to that. Man, I was out there trying to race as hard as I could for Dollar General and try to get the win. I really thought we were going to have a shot for the win before they got me the first time. Disappointed to get wiped out twice in the last four weeks with a shot to win for sure.”
Do you think this is over or do you see another chapter in retribution from him?
“I don’t know. I feel like every week is a new week. Go out and race and do what you think is right, race as hard as you can and just take it one week at a time. I don’t know. I try to do the best I can. You never like to be in these situations. They really stink to be honest with you but sometimes you get put in these spots and you’ve got to try to keep respect in the garage area. You can’t get yourself ran over. You can’t get in the Chase next year and get ran over for the same reason. Like I said, hate the way it ended. Wish we were out there celebrating or having a shot for the win like we did before we got wrecked, so a disappointing day.”
What happened to take you out of the race?
“Well, I don’t know exactly. They were both jacking up the restart trying to let each other in and I got in there and tried to pass Joey (Logano) and then Brad (Keselowski) got into me off the corner real hard so I don’t know what happened and definitely wrecked our day.”
What happened with Joey Logano going into turn 1?
“Yeah, definitely my fault. I got into him. The right front was dragging down there and probably should’ve went to the garage area and went into the corner there and man couldn’t get it to turn and collected him. I know it’s got to be disappointing for him you know. It’s a tough sport, some days you’re the bat and some days you’re the ball. I was the ball a few weeks ago and I was the ball again today so that part is never fun.”
What happened with Joey Logano?
“I don’t know. I got down into (turn) 1 and I was trying to go for the win and Brad (Keselowski) got into me off (turn) 2 and ruined our day. So, I really thought we were going to have a shot to win this thing. Unfortunate it ended the way it did.”
Are you saying you didn’t wreck Joey Logano on purpose?
“I didn’t say that. Nobody asked me that.”
Was it payback or not?
“Well, like I said some days you get put in spots you don’t want to be in for sure. I much rather be out there racing for a win than to be in that spot. I had two chances to win I think in the last three weeks and I got wrecked out of both of them going for the lead. One from him (Joey Logano) and one from Brad (Keselowski) so that’s disappointing. We should have never been in that spot trying to limp that car around and get the finish.”
CLINT BOWYER, No. 15 Maxwell House Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finishing Position: 43rd
What happened that took you out of the race?
“I got hung up on the outside there and just got turned. Not sure what happened but we still had a long way to go. A little patience would have gone a long way there.”
