NASCAR Cup Series

A late-race fuel gamble by Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion Crew Chief Jeremy Bullins paid off with a strong 12th-place finish in the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard.

In a season that has given the No. 14 team little reason to celebrate, Tony Stewart clinched his best starting position of the year for the upcoming Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

If Toyota and Ford are to break the Chevrolet stranglehold on Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the two manufacturers took a positive step in that direction during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series time trials on Saturday.

Two-time Brickyard 400 winner and Indiana native, Tony Stewart, turned a lap of 49.228 seconds/182.82 mph in his No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS to earn a fourth-place starting spot in Sunday’s Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

CARL EDWARDS, No. 19 Stanley Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Starting Position: 1st - How confident were you about the lap you posted in the second round to secure the pole? “Tony (Stewart) had me nervous – he was so fast in that first round. Our guys did awesome. Yesterday they worked so hard – everybody in the garage worked hard changing engines."

Leonard Wood, whose work over the years on the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane/JDRF Ford earned him induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, has a special appreciation for Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

SAM HORNISH JR. – No. 9 Medallion Bank Ford Fusion – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING EFFORT AND POSITION FORTOMORROW? “I feel a lot better about it than what I did yesterday. We struggled a lot through the first two sessions in trying to find speed in the car. It’s definitely a lot different package than what we’ve ever had on the car, so I think we’re all pretty frustrated."

Our other car isn't like this one! That may be the thoughts of Luther and Stephani Martin after Eckrich and NASCAR driver Aric Almirola surprised the military family with a new custom-made 2016 Ford Fusion, designed to replicate the No. 43 scheme that Almirola will race in Sunday's Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Skittles Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - What have the last four weeks been like for you winning three of the races? “It’s certainly been pretty remarkable to come back and be as successful as we have been for us and this 18 team. Certainly it started out a little rough, but it’s certainly gotten a heck of a lot better here as of late in the last three of four weeks."

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Eckrich Ford Fusion, presented Army Veteran Luther Martin and his family with a new Ford Fusion and a free year of groceries as part of Eckrich’s participation in Operation Homefront this morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Almirola spoke about that and the new rules package being used this weekend after the presentation.