NASCAR Cup Series

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed racing both the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 on Memorial Day weekend, his physical fitness routine to prepare, the busy schedule, and more

CLINT BOWYER, No. 15 Cherry 5-Hour ENERGY for Special Ops Warrior Foundation, Michael Waltrip Racing - What has it been like coming home to Kansas this week?“It’s been a hell of a week. We’ve had a lot of fun. Coming back to Kansas first and foremost is always big for me. I spent a lot of time with the Sprint folks -- Miss Sprint Cup and I actually went to the old high school and last time I left there was in 1998 -- a free man. "

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed not having a win in 2014, the potential to change up the All-Star format and many other topics.

Ryan Blaney will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut Saturday night, driving the No. 12 SKF Ford Fusion for Team Penske. Blaney, who will also race in tonight’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, talked about his Cup debut as part of a media availability Thursday. Below is a partial transcript of that availability.

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KINGSFORD CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed last weekend’s finish at Talladega, his season thus far and many other topics.

Kansas is not as sexy as Talladega, I admit. It is not a Daytona, a Darlington, and it is no Indianapolis. I think having the race named after a series of sponsors instead of seeking a real identity might have something to do with that. Still, some big names have been among the 16 winners there since they first started up the engines back in 2001.

After ‘cleaning up’ the infield at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Zest will once again ‘clean up’ the media at Kansas Speedway by giving each media member an authentic No. 17 car shaped Zest soap bar.

At Talladega this past weekend, one fan, wearing only a Goodyear, received some significant television time during the race broadcast. So, this week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes simply had to focus on Chris MacNicol, the man otherwise known as the Talladega Tire Man.

Gordon ran up front much of the day at Talladega before he was collected in the “Big One” on lap 137. He finished 39th, his worst finish of the year, 32 laps down, but held on to the lead in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“Talladega did not go as we wanted but now we go to Kansas and for me there is no bigger race during the season than Kansas. So many people that I know come to that race, people who have helped me in my career, and it would be really special to win.