TOYOTA NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Post-Race Notes & Quotes
Iowa Speedway – July 31, 2015
- Camry driver Daniel Suarez (sixth) scored the top Toyota finish in Saturday evening’s NASCAR XFINTY Series (NXS) race at Iowa Speedway.
- Suarez started from the pole and raced with the leaders before a tire issue forced the driver to make a green flag pit stop. After losing track position in the pits, Suarez recovered to record his fourth-consecutive, top-10 NXS finish.
- Toyota driver Erik Jones (seventh) competed in the 260-lap event after racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway earlier in the day where he finished 10th.
- Veteran driver Kenny Wallace (15th) piloted the No. 20 Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in his final NASCAR start.
- Toyota driver JJ Yeley (18th) also finished in the top-20 overall on the 0.875-mile track.
- Five Camry drivers are currently in the top-20 in the unofficial NXS point standings –Suarez (seventh), JJ Yeley (13th),
David Starr (15th), Blake Koch (17th) and Cale Conley (19th).DANIEL SUAREZ, No. 18 ARRIS Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
How did you recover from the tire issue?
“We had a really fast Toyota Camry No. 18 ARRIS tonight. Unfortunately, we just had some bad luck with a tire that went down earlier in the race and dropped us down a lap. My team and I never gave up and we were able to get back on the lead lap and fight to score a top-10. Great job by everyone tonight. I can’t thank ARRIS, Toyota, Juniper, Telcel and Joe Gibbs Racing enough for all the support. We’ll work hard and come back strong next weekend.”
ERIK JONES, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
How was your race?
“It was a solid day overall. Just seems like we couldn’t really catch a break. Most of the day we had a fast car – got up front and had a shot at the win. We were running fourth on the restart and just never quite worked out lines – the lines didn’t open up for us, but a solid day overall for our Monster Energy Camry. A lot better than we were here at the first Iowa, so excited to come back next year – I guess we’re done here for this year, but good race overall.”
KENNY WALLACE, No. 20 U.S. Cellular Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 15th
How were the emotions during your final race?
“It was exciting. Obviously, I’m not going to be upset over a hard-earned, 15th-place finish. You know, it was just a deal where everything was going good – what were we, like ninth, 13th all night – and it looked like and we were going to close in on a good finish, but as normal short track racing, the horns came out at the very end. No excuse – running along in the middle of the race there and I felt something hit my left side leg and low and behold my left side spot mirror fell out. I just chewed Ryan Reed’s butt out. I said, ‘Buddy, next time you spin somebody out like that, don’t pass me up.’ He was going to walk right past me on pit road, so try to give those young kids a little bit of information. I said, ‘When you spin somebody out, you stop.’ Going out trying to give advice and I’m not whining and crying about nothing – (Dale) Earnhardt taught me. The only bummer is I can’t go back and get him next week.”
JJ YELEY, No. 28 Toyota Camry, JGL Racing
Finishing Position: 18th
DAVID STARR, No. 44 Zachry Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 22nd
CALE CONLEY, No. 14 IAVA Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 23rd
BLAKE KOCH, No. 8 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 24th
MATT WALLACE, No. 26 Toyota Camry, JGL Racing
Finishing Position: 25th
ERIC MCCLURE, No. 24 Reynolds Wrap Toyota Camry, JBL Racing
Finishing Position: 26th
JEFF GREEN, No. 19 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports
Finishing Position: 40th
