Official Release

Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Ford, had a right front tire go flat as a result of a melted bead that ultimately sent the Roush Fenway Racing driver hard into the outside retaining wall on Lap 228 in Sunday afternoon’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) event at Phoenix Raceway. The damage ended Bayne’s day prematurely, ultimately resulting in a 38th-place finish.

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 HOOTERS CHEVROLET SS – Finished 2nd - THIS SECOND PLACE FINISH HAS GOT TO HURT A LITTLE BIT MORE ‘Yeah, for sure. We were so close to having another shot next week. But man, I can’t say enough for our team and our Hooter’s Chevrolet this weekend. We fought really hard today and gave ourselves a chance. Our car was really fast on those short runs after a caution and after pit cycles on tires."

BRAD KESELOWSKI -- No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion -- “We overcame a lot of obstacles and jumped a lot of hurdles today. I am glad I don’t have to relive this day, that is for sure. I am just looking forward to going to Homestead. This feels a little bit like Christmas. Sometimes you need a little luck on your side. Today we had that. It wasn’t by any means where we wanted to run. We wanted to run up front and have a shot for the win. That wasn’t in the cards. We tried to run the smartest race we could and survive and it ended up paying off in the end.”

Tough Break for Brendan Gaughan and the South Point Hotel and Casino Team at Phoenix Raceway "It was just one of those racing breaks. We were a little snug all day and that happens. Goodyear builds a great tire and we don't push limits. Our accident was just one of those racing breaks. The boys did a good job recovering from our first pit stop and it was a great track position battle. We had a decent South Point Chevrolet. I feel confident we would have gotten a good solid ninth-, 10th-place finish, so I'll take it. We'll go on to Homestead and get more points."

Ryan Blaney started sixth and finished second in Saturday afternoon’s Ticket Galaxy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway with the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang after a dominating performance. On the initial start, Blaney showed the speed of the Mustang, powering to the third position in the opening laps.

With William Byron’s victory at Phoenix International Raceway, Chevrolet clinched the Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS). The 2017 achievement marks the 18th time the Bowtie Brand has captured this prestigious honor, more than any other manufacturer.

COLE CUSTER – No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang – “I knew we needed to beat him, but I guess we needed a buffer in between us to beat him. We were all right all day. We just needed that much more really to compete with the top three guys. It sucks. The short tracks weren’t our strong suit all year, but the mile and a halves were really good for our Haas Automation Mustang team. We just had a lot of bad luck this round with the first two races."

Camry driver Erik Jones was top-finishing Toyota driver with a third-place result in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

The Team Penske duo of Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion, and Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion, held separate Q&A sessions following today’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Phoenix International Raceway. Here are transcripts from each.

To celebrate Veterans Day during the Can-Am 500 race weekend, Phoenix Raceway will honor veterans and recognize the military leading up to and during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.