Toyota NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) Post-Race Notes & Quotes
Dover International Speedway
Race 28 of 33 – 200 miles, 200 laps
Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016
TOYOTA NXS DRIVER FINISHING POSITIONS at Dover International Speedway
1st, DANIEL SUAREZ
2nd, Ty Dillon*
3rd, Justin Allgaier*
4th, Ryan Blaney*
5th, Alex Bowman*
6th, COREY LaJOIE
8th, JJ YELEY
16th, ERIK JONES
20th, DAKODA ARMSTRONG
21st, DREW HERRING
32nd, JEFF GREEN
40th, MATT DiBENEDETTO
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA NXS DRIVER POINT STANDINGS following Dover International Speedway (race 28 of 33)*
1st, DANIEL SUAREZ 2087 points#
10th, ERIK JONES 2053 points#
14th, DAKODA ARMSTRONG 610 points
15th, JJ YELEY 585 points
*unofficial point standings
#Competing in the 2016 XFINITY Chase
TOYOTA NOTES
· Camry driver Daniel Suarez was victorious in Sunday’s rain-delayed NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) race at Dover International Speedway to earn his second win of the season.
· Suarez automatically advances to the ‘Round of 8’ in the inaugural NXS Chase with his win Sunday and currently ranks first in the unofficial NXS driver standings following Dover.
· The victory is the 125th win for Toyota since joining the XFINITY Series in 2007 and the 16th this season.
· Camry driver Corey LaJoie also earned a top-10 finish with a sixth-place result on Sunday.
· Erik Jones, who is also competing in the NXS Chase, finished 16th and is currently 10th in the Chase standings.
TOYOTA QUOTES
DANIEL SUAREZ, No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
What does it mean to win at Dover?
“I’m very proud of this team – the 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry. They did a really good job today and the guys just brought an amazing car. We had a ton of speed. This is one of those races that you would feel bad to lose the race. ARRIS, Juniper, Toyota – everyone that supports this program together, it’s pretty unbelievable to win.”
Can you tell us about the pass on the 7 car to take the lead for the final time?
“He (Justin Allgaier) was racing aggressive because clean air was everything. He got me right there on the restart and I was a little faster than him and I knew if I was close to his rear bumper that I was going to make him loose. I don’t think I ever touched him, but I just wanted to make him loose to be able to complete the pass. Like I said, very proud of everyone and I want to apologize to the 42 (Justin Marks), it wasn’t my intention to wreck him that way. I felt like I had the inside line and he went to the bottom and I apologize for that. Norm Miller (Interstate Batteries), thank you for this run today. Very proud of everyone on this team.”
Have you ever had a car this dominant?
“A few times, a few months back in Michigan when we got our first win – I felt like we had the fastest car all day in the long run. We made some mistakes with the pit road speeding penalty and we had some issues with the ignition and even with that we were able to overcome. We have had super strong cars in the past, but sometimes its not just to put a strong car together, you have to put a full race together. Today’s race it just worked out very well.”
Did you have to make any adjustments on the race car?
“We made a little adjustment right there. On the exit of the corner I felt like we were okay, but not perfect. We made a couple adjustments. The guys did a really good job and I only needed the small adjustment on the car. Right there at the end it was just unbelievable fast.”
What does it mean to be locked into the next round of the Chase?
“That’s something really good and it just gives us more confidence and we are going to move to the next one at Charlotte with a little more – we know we’re really strong in Charlotte so now we can go out there and have a little fun. We always have fun, but try to enjoy the race a little bit more on the relaxed side and try to get a win.”
Are you even more excited with this victory than you were at Michigan?
“Every win is very special and Michigan was super special, but I really wanted to win that monster so finally I have a little guy going home with me.”
What does today’s win mean to you?
“It really means a lot. It means a lot to get a win here in Dover. It’s a place that I really like a lot since my K&N days when I used to race here and it was a lot of fun. My first time here I was scared because it was very very fast, but now I just enjoy this place a lot and it’s very good to have a win this way performing the way we did and to have plenty. The 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry was super strong today. I think that’s something really good for our team to build good momentum, to build some confidence and to move to the last six, seven races of the Chase. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun and performing this way I think is going to help this team and everyone in our organization.”
Do you feel like your teammate Erik Jones gets more attention than you do and how do you feel about your win?
“I feel good. Erik (Jones) has been doing a really good job. He’s very strong. He’s very fast as well. I’ve been learning a lot from him and from the entire organization. I feel like I’m very lucky to have very strong teammates, not just in the XFINITY Series, but as well in the Cup Series. I’m able to go up there and ask a question and everyone has been super helpful to me. So, I just feel good. I feel like every single race we’ve been working hard on trying to find new things and sometimes we miss a little bit and when we do miss it a little bit we finish in the top-five. That’s something good that we have as a team that we are consistent and we know when we need to finish in the top-three, top-five. So, I’m very proud of my team. I feel we have some good momentum going. We have fast race cars and really looking forward for the next couple months.”
What does this mean for you to get a win during Hispanic Heritage Month to represent your culture like this?
“This is something really cool. Honestly, I didn’t remember this until they asked me in victory lane so this is something really good, very special for me and for all the people that have been supporting me since I moved here to the U.S. almost five years ago. Having all of the support that I have had from Mexico and from here in the U.S. and all of Latin America has been super special. I really feel lucky to be in this position and to be able to represent all of them.”
Do you feel your team is peaking at the right time this season?
“I think we are. Something really good about my team is that we have a lot of chemistry. We don’t give up, we work really hard. When we have bad days, we work even harder. I really like my team because we are together – we win together and we’ve lost together. We just have a lot of communication. A couple months ago, we were having a lot of conversations because we needed to find more speed and we were working hard to try to make that speed happen. I’m just proud of my team, proud of how we’ve been performing the last few weeks and I think in the next month and a half, couple months is going to be better.”
Who were you on the phone with in victory lane and where will you put the trophy?
“It was Norm Miller from Interstate Batteries. He has been just great to me, a lot of support and a lot of trust as well since last year so that’s something really, really special. I feel very lucky to have support from people like him, Interstate Batteries, ARRIS, Juniper, Coca-Cola, Dewalt and all the people that make this program possible – Toyota, that’s definitely something really cool. And this little guy (Miles the Monster trophy), you know what, I’ve been trying really hard to get one of these guys because in the K&N Series, I used to see this guy and think that this was really cool and I wanted to have one of those for my house and finally to get this guy and be able to bring it with me home is going to be very special. Where I’m going to put it, I don’t know, but it will be something easy to figure it out.”
SCOTT GRAVES, crew chief, No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
What does it mean for Daniel to win today and move into the ‘Round of 8’ in the Chase?
“Obviously it feels good to move on and know that you’re locked in, so a big accomplishment for us to get the win at this point in the season. Just the day we weren’t really sure what we were going to have, but we knew we had a decent car at the end of practice. Actually struggled a little bit so to see the way it took off today and know we made the right adjustments and had a car to dominate like that that shows a lot for the team. Had a good day with it.”
JOE GIBBS, owner, Joe Gibbs Racing
What does it mean to Joe Gibbs Racing to get this win today and advance in the NXS Chase?
“Just really proud of Scott (Graves, crew chief) and Daniel (Suarez). Obviously a big day for us. It shows you how hard our sport is. We had three cars in there, we thought all three of them were pretty good and had a tough day with Erik (Jones) and had all kinds of issues there and then Drew (Herring), the same thing with our 18 car. So, it tells you how hard our sport is and again it points to what a great day Scott and Daniel had. Big deal for us. Think about it, Interstate Batteries has been with us for 25 years. I just called Norm (Miller, Interstate Batteries). I mean, you think about that our sport is totally different than other sports, you’ve got to have great sponsors and long term relationships are – the easiest way to a sponsor is to keep one and Norm has been so good for us. Then, ARRIS is a big part of our program there too. As everybody knows, those guys coming on board and we have a bunch of them here today. ARRIS is going to be on the Cup car today with Carl (Edwards). I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for our sponsors and for everybody out there, everybody in the media that gives us attention and talks about our sponsors, it’s just a huge deal for us and it’s one of the most important relationships obviously that we have. Toyota, again just a great partner. More than a manufacturer for us, they’re a partner and everything we share in they share in.”
What does it tell you about Daniel Suarez to win in this sort of pressure situation?
“I think that’s a great point. He is one of the up and coming I feel like young stars. I think Daniel (Suarez) too, the fact from a diversity standpoint and all he represents there from a Hispanic standpoint too I think it’s huge for our sport. And, he’s the perfect I think representative. He’s funny, he’s got a good sense of humor and I think he really really appreciates where he is. And, you think about what he battled through. He’s been helping my grandson with go-karts. He’s racing go-karts in Mexico and fighting his way up through all that series down there. You know what that takes for a young guy to be able to go through all of that, get recognized and then have a chance to come up here. It’s a great story. I think it’s a great story. I think it’s great for our sport and we’re thrilled to be a part of that. Our diversity program at Joe Gibbs Racing has been a big deal for us. Aric Almirola came through there. So, we’ve got a lot of guys that we think are going to wind up making a great presence in our sport. It’s a big deal for us.”
What did you tell Erik Jones after having a tough day in today’s race?
“I think it’s a big disappointment two weeks in a row for Erik (Jones), and I mentioned how hard our sport is. I think we’ve gone to the race track with fast cars and he ran well here the last go round but today we just couldn’t get a handle. It was a lot of different things that happened to us. We were cutting a tire down and put ourselves two laps down. I think it just shows you how competitive and tough this series is. We at our race team, the XFINITY program here, is a huge deal for us. We’ve got three cars in there. It’s a big deal for us, it’s a big deal for our sponsors. I just talked about ARRIS and Interstate, but for Erik it puts us in a real bind. He said to me after the race, he said, ‘Well, I feel like we’ll be real fast at Charlotte.’ But, that’s going to be a pressure cooker for us. We’re going to have to find a way to run great there. So, we put ourselves in a bind with it but that’s what can happen in our sport. And, particularly for the fans and everybody in the Chase until you know you’re in. I’m going to be so nervous coming up here in about another hour or two for the Cup deal because any of our cars, if we had a serious issue we run the risk of being out of this and so we’re all on edge right now. But, I think it’s great for the fans. Obviously it’s a lot of pressure, but I think the fans really enjoy it. We don’t know what’s going to happen so that’s the great thing about our sport right now in the playoffs.
COREY LaJOIE, No. 24 Youtheory Toyota Camry, JGL Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
JJ YELEY, No. 44 Zachry Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 8th
ERIK JONES, No. 20 GameStop/Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 16th
How difficult was the pit strategy to have to pit late in the race?
“We weren’t very good before that either so just kind of an embarrassing day overall, we’re a lot better than that. It’s pretty embarrassing not to even be in the Chase right now for the next round too. We have a lot of work to do and we have to have a good run at Charlotte for sure. It’s just unfortunate, it’s just something that I never would have seen it coming. Pretty disappointed.”
How will you approach Charlotte?
“We have a good team, we just have to do it right. We just didn’t do it this weekend. We didn’t have the car and things just didn’t work out. Hopefully we have a better car next week at Charlotte to go out and hopefully get into the next round. A lot of work and a lot of pressure, but I think we can do it.”
How disappointing was this run today?
“Just not a very good day at all and not what we needed to do. We just didn’t do it, we just didn’t run good, didn’t finish good and just had a bad day. It’s unfortunate and it’s not something we would have hoped for and just have a lot of work to do at Charlotte.”
DAKODA ARMSTRONG, No. 28 JGL Young Guns Toyota Camry, JGL Racing
Finishing Position: 20th
DREW HERRING, No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 21st
Are you frustrated with the finish after having a strong run in the race?
“Definitely not the finish I was hoping for, but exactly the opportunity that guys in my situation are looking for. I don’t get to run every weekend – I’ve run four races this year and before that I hadn’t run a race since 2013. To get in a car that’s run 10 times this year and has been as successful as it is, it’s an opportunity for me to get in there and really hopefully get out there and do what they’ve been doing all year long, but if nothing else just continue to show that I can get the job done even when I haven’t been in the seat much less if you give me the opportunity to be out there every weekend. I thought the race itself was good. We started out a little tighter than I would have liked to have been, but we were still making really good speed. We got up to 11th before the first caution there. I probably asked for a little too much adjustment and we went a little too heavy and got a little too free that second run, but came back and we were good after that and then had a caution where the 6 (Darrell Wallace Jr.) car, I don’t know if he was trying to get around something under caution or what, but came up and hit us in the right rear. Knocked the stem out of the right rear tire and got a flat. I had to come in under green, I came in a little frustrated probably and not paying attention as much as I should have getting out of the pits and got us another penalty and put us even farther behind by speeding there. It’s just frustrating and I wish it could have been better, but I’m just thankful for this opportunity to be back behind the wheel of a Toyota Camry with NOS and everybody. I’ll just keep digging and hopefully we can do some more.”
JEFF GREEN, No. 14 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 32nd
MATT DiBENEDETTO, No. 10 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 40th
