TOYOTA NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
Post-Race Notes & Quotes
Bristol Motor Speedway
266.5 miles, 500 laps
April 17, 2016
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS — at Bristol Motor Speedway
1st, CARL EDWARDS
2nd, Dale Earnhardt Jr.*
3rd, Kurt Busch*
4th, Chase Elliott*
5th, Trevor Bayne*
6th, MATT DiBENEDETTO
14th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
20th, DENNY HAMLIN
36th, MATT KENSETH
38th, KYLE BUSCH
39th, DAVID RAGAN
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA DRIVER IN NSCS POINT STANDINGS — following Bristol Motor Speedway**
1st, Kevin Harvick 287 points
2nd, CARL EDWARDS 286 points
5th, KYLE BUSCH 262 points
9th, DENNY HAMLIN 222 points
10th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 214 points
18th, MATT KENSETH 177 points
30th, MATT DiBENEDETTO 112 points
32nd, DAVID RAGAN 98 points
*non-Toyota driver
**unofficial point standings
TOYOTA NOTES
· Camry driver Carl Edwards was victorious at Bristol Motor Speedway in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
· The win is the first for Edwards this season making him the third Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota to qualify for this year’s ‘Chase for the Sprint Cup’ championship along with his teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.
· This is the third consecutive victory for JGR and Toyota along with the fourth in the first eight races of 2016.
· Toyota drivers led 418 laps (of 500) with both Edwards leading a race-high 276 laps and his JGR teammate Matt Kenseth leading 142 laps.
· Edwards started from the pole in his Camry and his victory marked the fourth career win for the Missouri-native at the half-mile Tennessee short track.
· Camry driver Matt DiBenedetto finished a career-best sixth for both his career as well as the BK Racing team.
TOYOTA QUOTES
CARL EDWARDS, No. 19 Comcast Business Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
What was this race like with so many different strategies?
“There were so many different things happening out there. Different guys were fast at different times. I have to work on my drag racing stuff, Kurt (Busch) has those restarts figured out. He was tough. Just awesome. This is a real testament to my team. The guys have been working really hard. We’ve got Comcast Business folks here and they helped put this whole thing together with ARRIS and Toyota, TRD, Stanley – all the folks that made this 19 team happen. Just great and so awesome. Thanks to Sprint and Cessna and all the folks that make this happen. Now we’re in the Chase and we can go have some fun. Just so cool, awesome to be here.”
Were you concerned about tire wear after what happened to your teammates?
“There was some concern, but for some reason with our car we didn’t have any of those issues. Just really proud of these guys and thank you to everybody that makes this happen. This team is awesome and Dave (Rogers, crew chief) doesn’t quit. He can almost read my mind, he can tell me things in the race right when I needed them. It was just a good day.”
What does it mean to get the win here at Bristol for this race team?
“Just a real testament to our team – we have really fast race cars. Those restarts are tough, everybody is so good. Kurt (Busch) does an amazing job, I don’t know if his drag racing or something is paying off, but I have to learn what he’s doing. He could get so much grip down on the bottom. Just a lot of fun, really good day and really proud of my guys – flawless on pit road. This is such a special place to win and really proud of my team.”
What was your strategy on the final restarts?
“They’re hard to remember exactly how they went, I was zoned out there. It’s tough, but the leader has an advantage there on the top and that’s good, but you also go down into turns one and two and I hadn’t forgot what Kurt was able to do on that one restart – he just drove me and got underneath me and made it happen. I knew I had to step it up and fortunately we had the outside lane and everything worked out. It’s so cool to win here, I can’t thank the fans enough for coming out and hope they enjoyed Colossus. It’s cool to be a part of this.”
Were you worried about landing the backflip?
“This is the oldest I’ve ever been and I was nervous about it to be honest with you. It’s so cool to see all those fans up there cheering and the people up there supporting this 19 team.”
MATT DiBENEDETTO, No. 83 Cosmo Motors Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
How does it feel to record your career-best finish of sixth?
“I’m sorry I’m so speechless – just I’m so thankful to everybody on this team, everybody at BK Racing, Cosmo Motors in Hickory, North Carolina – they’re local to me, he’s my best friend, sell some awesome cars, please check them out – everyone at BK Racing, Dustless Blasting. These guys, man – that’s unbelievable for a team like to us to be growing this much and for us to get a sixth-place run – I’m sorry I’m so emotional, it’s just this is like a win for us. I am so excited. I see my family back here – my wife, Taylor, my brother is in town from the military and I’m so glad he got to experience this. This is just – this is incredible. I’m so blessed to be here.”
What does this finish mean to this race team?
“A sixth-place finish for BK Racing and for all my guys, this is like a win for us. I apologize for being so emotional, but this is an incredible run. I can’t thank my team enough, my crew chief Gene Need and everyone on this team for working so hard and busting their tails for me to be able to drive this race car in the Sprint Cup Series. This is such an honor and I’m so thankful to all the sponsors – Dustless Blasting, Cosmo Motors, Dr. Pepper and I know I’m forgetting people. Thank you to the fans most importantly – they are so great and so supportive. I’m just really thankful to be here, this was a great day.”
MARTIN TRUEX, JR., No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing
Finishing Position: 14th
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 20th
MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 36th
What happened to put you behind the wall?
“We just keep blowing right front tires, I don’t know why. The first one was a little confusing, I knew I blew a right front, but I thought they were telling me it wasn’t flat so I was a little confused. This one just blew a lot earlier and the angle was a lot worse hitting the wall. We really weren’t very tight, our Dollar General Camry was pretty fast today. I was encouraged again today even though we don’t have the result. I have a smile on my face and we’ll go to Richmond and try again.”
What were the issues with the right front tires?
“I don’t know why, I’m not a tire expert. Just blew a right front (tire) two different times, two different corners. This one was a lot worse because the angle was a lot worse headed towards the wall. Honestly, that run I was backing up and I wasn’t really going to go fast. Kurt (Busch) was catching me and I was ready to kind of let him go around and pace it to see how long we could make it then just blew another one. Not sure why, we weren’t having any big handling problems or brakes hot. I don’t know why. Hopefully we’ll get it figured out for next time.”
Were the two blown tires similar situations?
“The first time we blew a right front in turn one, I was kind of in the corner so we didn’t hit as hard. The second time I blew it in turn three and my angle was a lot worse, we hit a lot harder. Same problem just happened twice.”
Do you feel like the tire issues between yourself and the 18 Camry are similar due to setups?
“I don’t know, I’m not a tire expert and I’m not a setup guy. I don’t think we’re doing anything much different than we’ve ever done here. Same tire and pretty similar setups that we always run. No major handling problems so I honestly don’t know.”
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s 75 Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 38th
What happened that took you out of the race?
“I have no idea. I just kept getting tighter in the long run, not sure why that was. We had a really great car yesterday and we were fastest in practice. I felt really good about things for today. I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I hate it for all these guys, all the work and effort and everybody at M&M’s – all our M&M’s and Mars associates. Not a day we were hoping for. We had a really fast car. We drove up from the back to the front a couple times and showed what we were made of, but obviously it doesn’t matter when you’re in the garage.”
Did you have any indication of the tire issues?
“We just kept getting tighter in the long run. Our car was really good yesterday and we were fast in practice and fast again today. We came from the back to the front a few times and probably one of the few cars able to do that today with as hard as it is the pass. I hate it for all these M&M’s guys and our fans and everybody for us not being out there anymore. I guess today just wasn’t meant to be.”
What was the cause of the tire problems you had in the race?
“I’m not sure what started it, but we were a little snug early on in the first run of the race. As the car would run more and more laps it would get tighter and tighter, that’s the weirdest thing that I’ve felt all day and all weekend we haven’t had that problem. Not sure what happened.”
Were the tire issues a result of having to push the car too hard coming from the back to the front?
“Once I got single file there after that last restart I was just cruising, I was just riding along and the car felt fine. I don’t know why it kept getting tighter and why we were blowing right fronts.”
DAVID RAGAN, No. 23 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry, BK Racing
Finishing Position: 39th
