NASCAR Cup Series

Ryan Newman posted the third fastest qualifying lap for Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in his No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet with a lap of 27.943 seconds, 193.251 mph. It marks his 17th top-10 start at Charlotte Motor Speedway; and his 18th in 31 races this season.

2nd, MARK MARTIN 28th, MIKE BLISS 4th, CLINT BOWYER 31st, DAVID STREMME 6th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 37th, LANDON CASSILL 8th, KYLE BUSCH 41st, TRAVIS KVAPIL 9th, DENNY HAMLIN 43rd, REED SORENSON 12th, JOEY LOGANO DNQ, JOE NEMECHEK 15th, BOBBY LABONTE

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED THIRD HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING LAP? “It was a good lap for our Quicken Loans/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Chevrolet. I got everything I could out of it. I got just a little bit free getting into (turn) three had to counter steer just a little bit which just kind of cost me a little bit of confidence off of (turn) four. They said I had a good lap going. The guys did a good job today. We will keep working on it.”

Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T) Qualified 14th “I’m just mad at myself. I don’t feel like I drove it hard enough but even from what it’s changed from practice to qualifying from the end of Nationwide practice it’s picked up so much grip that I feel like I’ve babied it a little bit."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Charlotte Motor Speedway and discussed Dale Earnhardt, Jr. out of No. 88 with concussion, Jimmie Johnson at Charlotte, rule changes and other topics.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing How was your car in practice today? "We had a pretty good practice. The NAPA Toyota was pretty good right off the trailer. We fought being a little bit tight most of the session and we got better as we went. We still need a little bit for qualifying, but going out later tonight it will be quite different, so we'll just have to see what we can do. Chad's (Johnston, crew chief) going to hopefully tune the thing up for me and we'll get a good lap in tonight."

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 MYLOWE’S CHEVROLET met with media and discussed a few of the Chase drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his concussion issue, his own experience with concussions, his relationship with crew chief, Chad Knaus, and more.

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1/OFFICE DEPOT CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Charlotte Motor Speedway and discussed the first practice session, his strategy at this point in the Chase and other topics.

It might have started off as a friendly, lighthearted fundraiser, but the Better Half Dash has quickly progressed into an ultra-competitive event.

Saturday’s Bank of America 500 broadcast from Charlotte Motor Speedway will feature a fun new family twist. A team of regular NASCAR broadcasters and crew will invite their children into the broadcast booth for a fresh new perspective on NASCAR’s only night race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.