Ford Performance NASCAR Notes and Quotes
Good Sam 500 – Phoenix International Raceway
NSCS QUALIFYING
Friday, March 11, 2016
FORD QUALIFYING RESULTS
9th Joey Logano
10th Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
12th Ryan Blaney
13th Greg Biffle
14th Aric Almirola
19th Brad Keselowski
21st Trevor Bayne
27th Landon Cassill
30th Brian Scott
32nd Chris Buescher
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion (Qualified 14th) – “We adjusted for the track to go one way and it seems like it went another. We just kind of miscalculated on our adjustments. I am disappointed obviously that we didn’t make the final round but really happy with the speed our Smithfield Ford Fusion has had all day. I am looking forward to getting it ready for race trim and go race.” YOU AND TRENT OWENS WERE SMILING AT LEAST AFTER YOUR DISCUSSION. “Yeah, we typically qualify between like 20th and 25th here. We have never really qualified that well so it is definitely a step in the right direction for qualifying here at Phoenix. We typically race inside the top 15-10 and we have a head start on that qualifying 14th. I am looking forward to getting our car driving better tomorrow.”
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion (Qualified 9th) – “We kind of got screwed there with those red flags coming out. It was crazy. We had one and the track sits for a little bit and they blow all the stuff from the top lane into the bottom lane and then you go back out there and you are ice skating. I don’t know. It just sucks because we had a much faster car than that but we just didn’t get a shot at it.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Fastenal Ford Fusion (Qualified 10th) – “That wasn’t bad. That is about where we were in practice, give or take a little bit. We were really loose the first run so I think it threw everyone off a little bit trying to play catch up after that first round so we ended up tightening the car up for the second round and was pretty good but then we were really wondering what to do for the third round. We loosened it up, just not enough. All in all, we were really happy with that. It is a good start to the weekend again and that is what we have to do each week, get a good start to the weekend and a good start for the race on Sunday. We will go to work tomorrow just trying to make sure we get a car that turns but has good grip off and kind of look for that long run speed.” DID THE RED FLAGS MESS YOU UP AT ALL? “Luckily for me we got out in the third round before that and we got to make adjustments and we were so close even on hot tires and our fourth time out we were real close to going a little bit faster. I don’t think it really messes anybody up. I think it does cool down the track and helps the people that haven’t gone yet, though. I think that is the biggest thing.”
RYAN BLANEY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion (Qualified 12th) – “It wasn’t bad. We didn’t have a lot of speed that last round unfortunately but it isn’t a bad day for us making it to the last round. That is about all you can ask for and we worked hard at it today. The guys on the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team have been working really hard and they have made me a really fast Fusion, so I am most looking forward to getting out there and seeing what we can do in the race on Sunday.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion (Qualified 19th) – TALK ABOUT THAT WIN LAST WEEK AND HOW THAT TRANSLATES TO THIS WEEKEND AND EVEN AUTO CLUB NEXT WEEKEND. “I am not sure it carries over, other than my pit crew which was blazing fast last week and made my life a lot easier. These tracks are so different that there isn’t a lot to really compare off of them. We haven’t been exactly where we want to be speed wise this weekend but we haven’t been in race trim yet so I am optimistic about that. My teammates have been fast so there are things we can learn there and apply them. Phoenix has been a good track for us the last couple half dozen times or so we have run up front and led laps and had solid top-five and top-10’s so we want to keep that going.”
YOU HAVE RACKED UP LOTS OF WINS IN EVEN NUMBER YEARS, DID WINNING LAST WEEKEND GIVE YOU AN INDICATION THAT TREND MAY CONTINUE HERE IN 2016? “I am not sure why that happens but we do seem to get more wins on even years. I am not sure if there is any logic behind that. I don’t feel any different than any other year. Sometimes teams just get on streaks, both good and bad. We finished last year on a really good streak, just they weren’t wins. They were solid, consistent races leading a lot of laps and we were able to carry a lot of that over. That can reset at any time. The roller coaster goes up and it goes down and you try to ride the waves both ways as best you can.”
WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH THE REACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA LAST WEEK WITH THE FLAG DEAL AND WILL IT CAUSE YOU NOT TO DO THAT TYPE OF CELEBRATION ANYMORE JUST TO AVOID THAT? “I don’t know if I am surprised by anything on social media anymore. It is hard to be surprised by the internet these days. I think my team guys told me they came up with some new system to help me hold it better in the car. I asked them what it was and they said I will find out if I win. So that is all I can tell you. It is inspiration I guess.”
WHEN YOU WENT OUT AND PICKED UP THE FLAG DID YOU HAVE A FEELING PEOPLE WOULD BE CRITICAL OF IT? “Yeah, probably, I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking about much other than just picking it up. I wasn’t thinking that it made a lot of people mad. In my mind, I didn’t want to see it on the ground either, so I got there as quick as I could and picked it up.”
IT SEEMS LIKE THIS YEAR THE GIBBS GUYS CAN ALMOST DO NO WRONG AND THE HENDRICK GUYS SEEM TO BE HAVING TROUBLE EVERYWHERE. DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE OTHER TEAMS TOO MUCH? “There is a balance between watching other teams and focusing on your own. A lot of people would tell you to just do your own thing the best you can and you will be alright but that is not really how sports work. You line up against other teams all the time. So I think you have to keep your focus on yourself and the other teams at the same time and I guess in one way it can make you kind of cross-eyed. I think you are right, there is a reason the Gibbs cars are 1-3 right now. They have a lot of speed and are doing things at a very high level. They had a shot at winning the first three races and have been very close to doing that. I don’t know if anyone else can say the same. It is our goal to go out there and find some speed to be able to put up the numbers they are putting up like in qualifying today. Hopefully, we can do that. They have a lot to be proud of with the things they have done to their cars to make them so fast. Of course, we want to do the same and get ahead.”
