SM Archive

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 DIET MOUNTAIN DEW/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET, POLE WINNER: ON HIS LAP: “It feels good. I’ve not really been the best of qualifiers the last couple of years. We have a lot of improvements we’ve made this year. It feels good to get a pole.”

Each race weekend, selected SRT Motorsports Engineers, Penske Racing engineers and crew chiefs, drivers or engine specialists give their insight on the ‘Keys for Success’ for the upcoming race. This week, Howard Comstock, SRT Motorsports Engineering, provides the keys for Saturday’s Sprint Cup race.

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Qualified 10th WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER IN THE CHASE THIS SEASON? “I think you’re always learning as a driver and the sport is always evolving so you try to keep up with it. One of the two things that stay the same is the pressure that the chase has and learn how to work around that. You know for us I think we’re more prepared for that than ever. I’ve got a good combination of youth and experience on our team, not just myself but our whole team, and we’re ready to go.”

CARL EDWARDS, No. 99 Kellogg’s Ford Fusion (Qualified 16th) – “One side of the track is sunny and one side is dark and I just messed up both sides a little bit. I think we have a really good race car and hopefully it will be top-12 or something like that. I think we will be just fine. I am excited about this race. The car was really fast in the last practice. In race trim, we were the fastest car in the last practice I think, so that is good.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How was final practice? "This is the first time coming back here with the shorter skirts and I think it's got a little bit of an affect on the cars. I think everyone's struggling with their car mainly on corner entry. You have to change your setups basically for these skirts that have been cut down. Most of practice was a struggle to get the balance where we wanted it, but our speed has always been decent so we're fairly happy with that."

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Does it feel good to have two Michael Waltrip Racing cars in the Chase? "It does -- it feels awesome and what an accomplishment for our team. I know a lot of people look at the Chase and they're used to seeing the same faces and maybe kind of take it for granted how important it is or how special it is to make that deal. For us, it's been a big goal for a few years now since I've been at Michael Waltrip Racing."

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) TALK ABOUT YOUR MINDSET ENTERING THE CHASE. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SEED AND YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE RACERS WHO GOES HARD REGARDLESS. “Yeah, I’m going to try to win the race either way. You know I was talking to Martin Truex before practice started and he put it best – this weekend for us feels like the all-star race where you just go out and race and you don’t worry about anything else."

Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion, heads into Saturday nights race at RIR locked into the Chase field and standing third in points. Biffle talked with media members after the second practice session Friday afternoon.

JR Motorsports and its competition director of five years, Tony Eury Sr., announced today the decision to amicably part ways, effective today. Eury is a winner of 55 NASCAR races in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series as a crew chief. He has 28 years in the NASCAR industry, the last five of which were served as competition director and crew chief for JR Motorsports

Roush Fenway Flashback – RFR followed up its back-to-back championships and the inaugural “Chase” for the Sprint Cup win in 2004, by placing all five of its Sprint Cup teams in the 2005 Chase. RFR occupied 50 percent of the 10 Chase slots for the season; a feat almost certain to never be replicated.