KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER/JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 3RD - WHAT WAS YOUR CAR LACKING TODAY? “We were fairly good in the first two rounds. I felt like I could have pushed harder in those two rounds to go faster; and that last round, we just kind of missed the balance on our Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevy."
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion – Qualified 4th - “We were in the ballpark. I think all the Team Penske cars were pretty fast. I am proud of everybody there. Brad obviously laid down a good one there at the end. He never slowed down ever and everyone else was slowing down each lap. It was interesting to see that. We were just a little free all of qualifying there. We just never jumped the fence with it.”
With two races left before the start of the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Brad Keselowski got the momentum builder he needed with Saturday's pole-winning effort at Darlington Raceway.
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Darlington Raceway to discuss his last Southern 500 as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, making the Chase, the low downforce package and many other topics.
Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 STP Ford Fusion, along with crew chief and Darlington, South Carolina native Trent Owens, met with media members after opening practice Saturday to discuss their 43 car throwback scheme, the weekend ahead and more.
MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - What are your expectations for this weekend? “Well, it’s hard to pick expectations. You come here once a year – different aero package – so you’re not really sure, but certainly the last few months our cars have been fast, so we’re hoping we can continue that momentum here."
Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion, finds himself in the middle of a hot streak, having won two of the last three Sprint Cup races. Logano enters Sunday night’s Southern 500 second in the points standings and poised for a deep Chase run with two regular season races remaining. Logano spoke to media members Friday morning.
Old School: Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt on Sept. 4, 1950. – won by Johnny Mantz. There were 75 cars that started that first 500 mile race, opposed to the 43 cars that regularly start modern-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races. In 1950 the pole winning speed was 82.034 mph; the current track qualifying sits at 184.145 mph. The average race winning speed in 1950 was just 75.250 mph, compared to the track race record of 141.383 mph.
Landon Cassill returns to the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller No. 01 Chevrolet this weekend as the Xfinity Series rolls onto the most historic stock car track on the schedule – Darlington Raceway.
Much like in Race 2 a few hours earlier, Pato O'Ward benefitted from another driver's misfortune on the final restart to sweep the day at the Milwaukee Mile. Also Alex Palou won his fifth title.
Turner made the first statement of the weekend by pacing each Qualifying session. Her time of 2:18.740 placed her well ahead of Cannon’s 2:21.082, with the title combatants separated by 2.3 seconds.
Don’t tell the principal, but Max Garcia may have earned the right to skip school Monday after his stirring first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile.
