Ford Racing NSCS Notes & Quotes:
NSCS GEICO 500
Saturday Oct. 18, 2014
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion (Qualified 40th) – “I think everyone is confused. We worked with Kyle and got a good run and drafted off the right guys and were fast enough to make it but we just didn’t get across the line in time.”
AT WHAT POINT DID YOU REALIZE YOU DIDN’T MAKE IT? “We got across the line and they were telling me in three and four it would be really close and that maybe we wouldn’t make it. At that point you are to the wood, so what are you supposed to do? You are trying to set yourself up to go fast. I don’t know. If you lay back you get a faster lap but if you don’t go you don’t get there in time. I don’t know how much we missed it by. I guess it was about a half a second that we missed it by and that was enough. You have to draw the line somewhere and that is where it was. So we will start 41stor something.”
DOES IT MATTER THOUGH? “No, it doesn’t matter. We will be fine. We will race up there and hook up with Brad and go from there.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Redd’s Wicked Apple Ale Ford Fusion (Qualified 5th) – “We survived. I hope I get a t-shirt out of it. We got through it and that is the most important thing.”
DID YOU LIKE THAT FORMAT? “It doesn’t matter to me. Did the fans like it is the question because that is who we do everything for. If the fans like it then I am happy and if not I am not.”
WHAT WAS YOUR STRATEGY? “I was trying to run the fastest lap. I wasn’t sure how or why or where I was going to do it but I missed it by four spots. It was an okay effort and we beat 39 others.”
WILL THIS IMPACT YOUR STRATEGY TOMORROW AT ALL BEING UP FRONT? “No, I think we may end up going to the back because we broke an alternator or something. I don’t see how it impacts anything. I guess it is an earlier pick for Paul so he can go home earlier tonight.”
ARE YOU SURE YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE BACK FOR THAT? “I am pretty sure. We will see. You guys know the rules better than I do. I don’t even know what I just did.”
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 SKF Ford Fusion (Qualified 4th) – “That was fun. The main plan was to follow the 2 and then it was kind of a free for all off of turn two. A lot of guys pulled out. I thought we had a perfect run. We timed it really good and I thought we would have a great run coming to that pack but then a couple guys pulled out and side drafted bad. I pulled that line and had AJ with me and the 7 pulled in front of me and stopped me. That was fun. I think it adds a cool factor to it. I can say that now because we didn’t wreck a car. If there would have been a wreck we would have hated it. I think we have a really fast Ford for tomorrow and we are looking forward to it.”
CARL EDWARDS, No. 99 Subway Ford Fusion (Qualified 15th) – “It seemed pretty obvious to us that since that first group waited that if the whole second group would have just gone out in a line, it would be possible that all of those cars would beat everyone in the first group. That seemed like that is what we should have been doing but that didn’t happen. So we kind of talked to a couple people and Jason Hedlesky was up there working on it. That was my thought but it didn’t work and maybe I was wrong anyway. The second round was much simpler because you are just racing everyone on the track with you at that time so it is the standard lay back and draft. That first round I think we had an opportunity that we missed.”
HOW WORRIED ARE YOU THAT YOU WILL HAVE ONE LESS TEAMMATE IN THE RACE NOW? “Is that official? Ricky is not in the race? Is there any way for them to get in? I don’t know what will happen. I imagine there will be some talking going on. I didn’t think that could happen. I didn’t know that was possible. I don’t know. Cargill and all those folks have done a lot for us so I am sure that as a group we will figure out a way to represent them well in the race. I don’t know what Ricky’s points situation is but I can’t imagine them not doing everything they can to put him in the race somehow.”
IS THERE A GOOD WAY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO QUALIFY ON THESE TRACKS? “Not really. I think Matt (Kenseth) had the idea and Brian Vickers said it as well that maybe some actual heat races would be interesting because it would be much simpler and you would see some people actually trying to go. This is tough to go out and give your best effort. Before it was 100-percent the car, now it is basically a crap shoot and I think we can get it back to the car and the driver but I don’t know.”
TREVOR BAYNE, No. 21 Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Fusion (Qualified 16th) – “We made the race and that is what we are excited about. This is heart wrenching. I can feel my heart beating in my throat after we watched the first session guys go. It was crazy trying to figure out what we were going to do and I think I made it to the stripe by about two seconds. We were sixth in the first session and 16th in the second one. We can race from there. I am glad we aren’t going home again. That was really tough on me last week and I am really looking forward to driving this 21 car and having some fun here in Talladega.”
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion (Qualified 17th) – “This is silly. I think they should just turn us all loose all at one time and give us five minutes. I think we should put 46 cars on the track for five minutes and see what happens. I don’t know. I think it is all kinda luck of where you fall on the track once everyone is up to speed. If you are far enough back to get a good run but close enough to get a draft then great. If not you are dead in the water. I don’t know though. In my opinion I think it is silly but I don’t know how you fix qualifying at Daytona and Talladega. I think it would be more exciting and crazier and more cool if we just had five minutes to all go like hell with all the cars on the track. I think it would be complete chaos and fun and exciting and at least it would get it over in five minutes.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Cargill/Sam’s Club Ford Fusion (DNQ) – “My spotter was telling me a lot of information. I thought being the last car in line would be beneficial for us. We had Jeff Gordon leading the pack there I thought we would have a good shot at putting a good lap in but my spotter was telling me, ‘Hey, you have 30-seconds to get across the start-finish line’ as we were entering turn three. I don’t guess the 24’s was giving him a lot of information. He kept slowing the pack down and we didn’t get a good lap and never got across the start-finish line in time. My spotter was giving me the information I needed and I wish the 24 would have been doing the same.”
