NASCAR Cup Series

It was a solid day with a second place finish for Kyle Larson and his No. 42 DC Solar Camaro ZL1 in the Auto Club 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Auto Club Speedway. The defending event winner posted his third top-10 finish in five races at the challenging 2-mile California track. The result also marked Larson’s third top-10 finish thus far in the 2018 season. He was able to rally from contact with Kevin Harvick on Lap 37 of the 200-lap race, and then from a brake issue later in the event.

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 DC SOLAR CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 2nd: YOU ENDED UP BRINGING IT HOME SECOND BUT YOU HEARD KEVIN HARVICK SAY HE TOOK THE BLAME FOR THE INCIDENT, HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU COME TOGETHER EARLIER IN THE RACE? “We were racing really hard and I was better than him in three and four and he was better than me in one and two. I would side draft him down the front stretch and he would side draft me down the back stretch and I don’t know if he was just coming down to side draft me or what but we made contact and it spun his car to the right."

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Wurth Ford Fusion - Finishing Position: 4th “Martin was real strong for sure. I’m not sure what happened there to Kevin, but we were really good on the short runs and made some good moves and led to a decent day.” THE SHORT RUN VS. THE LONG RUN. IS THAT WHAT BIT YOU TODAY? “We had exceptional speed today with the Wurth Ford Fusion on the short runs, but not very much for them there on the long runs, that’s for sure. I was hoping to get a late-race caution and I could make it exciting for the fans that are here, but it didn’t pan out that way.”

Aric Almirola is off to the strongest start of his career, as he sits 10th in points and is currently in position for the Playoffs.

Martin Truex Jr. took the top spot in the final round of qualifying Friday to win back to back poles in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, his first at Auto Club Speedway. Toyota Racing Development will share the front row with the efforts of Kyle Busch.

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Ford Fusion – “We were just tight as we went through every round. We had the same thing in practice where the second round was just so much tighter than the first round. We tried to adjust on it and we made it better entering the corner and through the middle of the corner, but as we got to the exit, right at that three-quarter mark, I just kept getting tighter and tighter, and then I got up the race track and got hung on the seam and got loose and kind of screwed it up.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 DC SOLAR CAMARO ZL1 - Qualified 3rd - ON QUALIFYING: "Decent qualifying run, we would have liked to have been on the pole but got a little tighter each run. That is kind of what ended up hurting us a little bit and lost some speed off Turn 2."

Lefty’s Kids Club is a children’s group dedicated to various activities across Auto Club Speedway to help them experience everything a race day weekend has to offer. This year, Kasey Kahne was introduced as the new president of the kid’s club.

ERIK JONES, No. 20 SiriusXM Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Will you approach your second start at Auto Club Speedway different than you debut here? “You know, I think for me, every weekend is a little bit different approach, but especially coming to Auto Club I feel like last year just gives you a lot of notes to lean back on. It’s so tough here."

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion, comes into this weekend with back-to-back Top 10 finishes sits 10th in the driver standings after four races. He came into the Auto Club Speedway infield media center before qualifying to discuss his season to date.