Ford Racing NSCS – Notes & Quotes:
Budweiser Duel #2 – Daytona International Speedway
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Ford Finishing Order:
6th – Trevor Bayne
12th – Terry Labonte
15th – Carl Edwards
17th – David Ragan
23rd – Eric McClure
24th – Brad Keselowski
TREVOR BAYNE – No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion –
“It was more than nerve-wracking. I was waiting on what happened off of four to happen a lot earlier. Fortunately, we just happened to go to the bottom. I can’t take credit for any of that, that’s just being at the right place at the right time, and I’m just so thankful for this team. It’s a lot of pressure, though. I’m not gonna lie. I kind of take it for granted all the time when we qualify good and don’t have to worry about these Duels, but we did it when it mattered and I’m really proud of these guys. They’ve worked hard on this car and deserve to be in the 500, and I’m just thankful Jesus spared us on this one.”
YOU SEEMED SETTLED IN 10TH AND THEN MADE A MOVE. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING AT THE END?
“At the beginning of the race I tried some things just to learn a little bit. We drove to the front and then I kind of got rooted out. I tried to go around the 11 on the bottom and everybody stayed with him in the middle. From there I went to the back and I seemed to lead the charge every time to the front. We’d get a group from the back pack and we would catch them and then once we’d catch them I’d get shafted a little bit and have to do it all over again. David Ragan, Bobby Labonte and some others helped me that whole time and stuck with me. That’s what I needed was a couple guys to stay right behind me and David did that right until the end. I’ve got to thank him, and then we went to the bottom. I rode around in 10th there for a while and then I saw the 78 get a little loose. I figured if there’s gonna be a crash it’s gonna wash to the top, so I went to the bottom and fortunately it worked out. I was just in the right place at the right time.”
CARL EDWARDS, No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion –
“Everything was going really well and then everybody started sliding around and I saw Clint go way up in the air in front of me. I don’t know what it looked like on TV but to me it looked like he was 25 feet in the air. That is alright. We have a good car and even with the damage we sustained we will be okay. It hit harder than what it looks like. Hopefully everything is okay. We will just work on everything and practice a little bit. I had a lot of fun learning a little bit. I think it will be a good 500 for us.”
DAVID RAGAN – No. 34 CSX – Play It Safe Ford Fusion –
“It’s unfortunate to tear up a lot of race cars coming out of turn four in a qualifying race. Our CSX Ford was fast and our mindset that last lap was we were just kind of cruising 10th-12th and the bottom lane got rolling. It looked like everybody was separated pretty good, so I just stayed in line. I felt like the bottom would be a safe place and it appears the 48 ran out of gas or something and just a chain-reaction. When guys start turning left and turning right and slowing down it just kind of creates a trap. The 15, I think, got spun in front of us, so there was nowhere to go for our 34 Ford, but we’ve got a fast race car and I’m looking forward to Sunday.”
FRANK STODDARD, Car Owner – No. 32 C&J Energy Services Ford Fusion –
“I don’t have many more years left in me. I just lost five more lives, maybe 10. One car. We were 17th with two to go. I had been praying to the Good Lord with 15-20 to go for just one guy to have a problem – I don’t want to wish any bad luck on anybody, but just one guy have a little bit of a problem that’s not gonna affect him a lot. And then when the 13 had that problem, that put us in the transfer spot in 16th, Bobby was gonna be 17th – he’d use the past champion – we’d be in on the deal and everybody is happy.”
