Official Release

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 3rd - WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU WERE OUT FRONT AND KEVIN HARVICK EVENTUALLY GOT PAST YOU FOR THE LEAD? “Yeah, we had a good car. It was solid, you know? Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) made a good call there at the end and we had a good pit stop there to get into the lead and I just felt like I needed a little bit of drive there to put the power down in front of him. I had a pretty good turn those last two runs and before that I wasn’t turning good enough and too good of forward bite. So, he was definitely the car to beat and it felt like there were a lot of laps left. I tried my best to hold him off as long as I could, but I felt like him and Kyle (Busch) had just a little bit on us. We’ll go to work and try to get better for California.”

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 22 car for Team Penske, overcame a stage two pit road speeding penalty and multiple weather delays to outlast the field in the DC Solar 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at ISM Raceway. With Keselowski’s victory, Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske, became the winningest team owner in ISM Raceway history with 15 including six in NASCAR.

Martin Truex Jr., the reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, started his quest for his first career win at ISM Raceway in the best possible way, claiming the pole on Friday for the TicketGuardian 500.

Kyle Larson drove his No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 to a front row starting spot in today’s knockout-style qualifying session for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway. Larson turned a lap of 136.643 mph, 26.346 seconds to capture his fifth top five start at the one-mile, tri-oval track.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 5-hour ENERGY/Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - Starting Position: 1st - What was that qualifying run like to get the pole? “It was a good run. We worked really hard coming here, knowing what we’ve done here in the past. We’ve run well, but we never could quite get it just right to go for the pole. I think we were fifth here last fall. We had a good game plan coming here and I had to adjust my driving a little bit and then adjusted the way they set the car up and it all played into our hands. Just really proud of everybody on this 5-hour ENERGY/Bass Pro Toyota and definitely a good starting spot.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion - Qualifying Position: 5th “I got a little free that last run. I had a decent one and two the first lap but washed up in three and four. Just chasing the back of the car. I slowed up the second lap and went faster. Just trying to get all you can."

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 2nd - HOW DID IT CHANGE FROM ROUND 2 TO ROUND 3 OR DID YOU NOTICE A CHANGE IN THE TRACK? “I thought between rounds it maybe just got a little more grip. Nothing crazy. It was definitely different when we qualify later in the day. It seems like from practice to qualifying in the past you go a little bit faster. But today, it was hotter outside and it was a little slicker there in that first round."

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Skittles Sweet Heat Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Are you concerned that NASCAR has made decisions based on social media? “Absolutely. I think what they see on social media and also goes based off of driver penalties and other things as well, too.”

The most famous words in motorsports, drivers start your engines, will echo through the Estrella Mountains for the TicketGuardian 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway on Sunday, March 11. The renowned words will be delivered by Bryan Derbyshire, CEO of TicketGuardian as he serves as the Grand Marshall during pre-race ceremonies for the TicketGuardian 500.

Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 34 K-LOVE Radio Ford Fusion, is a Arizona native who considers IMS Raceway his hometown track. McDowell met with media members prior to Cup Series qualifying at Phoenix.