NASCAR Cup Series

This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to a fast, wide track this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with the two twins in the series to Atlanta being Charlotte and Texas with the familiar 24 degrees of banking in the corners and 5 degrees on the straightaway's.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 SportClips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Starting Position: 4th - What impressed you the most about your qualifying run? "That I didn't wreck? I've been doing a lot of that lately. I don't know. Our SportClips car was very strong all day, even in mock qualifying runs and race runs. This is a race track where we hope to turn things around."

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – No. 17 Best Buy Ford Fusion – POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE – WHAT ABOUT YOUR LAP? “I love Atlanta. It’s been a good track for us in the Nationwide car. I think our worst finish was 10th. We’ve had a third and first, so Atlanta has been a fun race track I enjoy. Friends and family get to come out because it’s not too far from home, and the guys worked really hard on the Best Buy Ford Fusion today"

With a best speed of 188.539 mph in 29.405 seconds, Juan Pablo Montoya put his No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS in the third place starting postion for Sunday’s Advocare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This qualifying effort was Montoya’s fourth Top-10 start on the 1.5-mile oval, and his ninth Top-10 start of the season.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD ON HIS LAP: “I was really expecting to run in the 20’s to be honest with you. I ran in the 40’s in practice in the heat. It just bottomed out and with the cooler conditions the track grip bottomed out and I had to get out of the gas in (turns) one and two. It’s okay. I mean I can’t complain I’m third. That is probably a top five start.”

DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway and discussed the first practice session, the addition of Kurt Busch to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 and other topics.

New Thunder Ring Track Record: A new track record was set Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway on the quarter-mile Thunder Ring during qualifying for Tim Smith’s CLIMAX Moonshine Sprint Car Shootout.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing - How do you feel entering the Atlanta race weekend? "Obviously, I'll start off with the wrist and what happened at Bristol (Motor Speedway). It was obviously unfortunate for something like that to happen this time of year with the position we're in and where we are at in points and trying to make the Chase and the Wild Card situation and all that, but I feel good that we're able to come here and race and do the best job we can do. "

Chip Ganassi of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates made it official Friday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway that Kyle Larson will drive their No. 42 Target Chevrolet full-time in the Sprint Cup Series beginning next season.

CHIP GANASSI, OWNER EARNHARDT GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES, MET WITH MEDIA TO ANNOUNCE THAT KYLE LARSON WILL DRIVE THE NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET IN 2014. JOHN OLGUIN, VP OF COMMUNICATIONS WAS THE MODERATOR.