Official Release

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 4TH - DO YOU THINK YOU HAD A SHOT AT THE POLE? WOULD YOU HAVE RATHER RAN THAT FINAL ROUND OF QUALIFYING OR ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR POSITION? “I don’t think you know unless you get to run. With it being a repave and the tire that we are on, tires, like having extra laps on them didn’t seem to hurt. The No. 20 car did that in the first round. We actually ran our best lap on our oldest tires there. Yes, we legitimately probably could have had a shot at the pole, but for us it was all about hitting Turn 3, that is just a really tricky corner and I only hit it one time and it was when it counted the most.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kentucky Speedway after receiving a Jukebox from the track as a retirement gift that will be given in his name to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., answered questions from the media and discussed this being his final race at Kentucky, his thoughts on NASCAR silly season, and many other topics.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., fresh off his second victory of the season a week ago in Daytona, spoke with media at Kentucky Speedway following both Cup practice sessions. Among the topics were Stenhouse’s post-Daytona win celebration and more.

MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Circle K Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Talk about coming to Kentucky and what you expect this weekend? “We’ve done okay here. Last year we ran much better than our finishing position. We just – I think there were seven of them that made it on fuel in front of us and we didn’t make it, but it’s been a good track. We’ve performed pretty well here in the past, but this is the third different configuration I guess we’ve raced on - our second repave. I don’t really know what we’re going to have here until really we get going. It’s been a good track. I enjoy it.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – Quickest in Final Practice at Kentucky Speedway - ON THE TWO PRACTICE SESSIONS AND WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN IF WE DO NOT GET QUALIFYING IN THIS AFTERNOON: “I thought in race trim we were pretty good."

Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are hoping to capitalize this weekend on the speed they’ve shown in their past two trips to Kentucky Speedway.

Ben Rhodes, No. 27 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing - What’s it like being back at your home track of Kentucky Speedway? “We do a lot with Kentucky Speedway. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks for obvious reasons. It’s my home track. I drive past the speedway almost every week on my way up to ThorSport Racing. I’m very familiar with it. I grew up driving past this place whenever I went to go-kart races, so it’s been my dream ever since to race here."

In perspective, the last two NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) races at Iowa Speedway and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for B.J. McLeod Motorsports have felt like wins.

ERIK JONES, No. 77 SiriusXM Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - Talk about coming back to Kentucky, especially with Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky right down the road in Georgetown. "It always nice to come back to Kentucky. It’s been a good track too. I’ve had – I feel like we should’ve won a few races here in the past couple years between truck and XFINITY. Just haven’t had it quite work out between mistakes I’ve made and pit strategies we’ve had and the way they’ve played out, it just hasn’t worked out."

Harrison Rhodes knows his way around Kentucky Speedway. Rhodes has raced in six Xfinity Series races at the 1.5-mile track. “I think I know more about Kentucky than maybe any other Xfinity track,” Rhodes said. “Having a history at a place gives you a leg up going there. I’m hoping that will give us somewhat of an advantage Friday night.”