NASCAR Cup Series

Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, led the way for Team Chevy in qualifying at New Hampshire Motor Speedway placing his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy SS on the outside pole for Sunday’s Overton’s 301. Johnson posted a lap of 28.705 seconds/132.688 mph around the 1-mile track. A three-time winner at NHMS, Johnson will make his best start of the 2017 when he takes the green flag from the second starting spot.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 WIX Filters Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - Starting Position: 2nd - Are you enjoying the rivalry with Kyle Larson this year? “Oh yeah, it’s been fun. His car’s fast and he’s a good driver and it’s been fun racing with him and practice we were one, two and now qualifying we’re one, two, so yeah. I just I thought we had a little advantage there on tires, you know? We only ran one lap in the first two rounds and I just didn’t quite have it there that third round. Just a little bit too tight, but all in all it was a really good day. Excited to have WIX on the car for the first time this year and hopefully we’ll give them a good run on Sunday.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – Pole Winner - YOU USED TO STAY THIS WAS ONE OF YOUR WORST TRACKS… “We haven’t got to the race yet. No, our Target Chevy has been really fast all day. It has a lot of speed. Like I really don’t have to drive that hard and it just makes a lot of speed. So, that is good. We are missing Chad (Johnston, crew chief) this weekend and for the next couple of weeks, so good to rebound with a pole. That is pretty strong out of our organization. I’ve got a great lineup of guys and gals. Hats off to everybody at the shop. It’s been so much fun this year. I have never really been a great qualifier, but this is our fourth pole of the season. Hopefully, we can keep it going and figure out where our car works best in the VHT or PJ1 or whatever they are calling it this weekend and hope we have a good race on Sunday.”

Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion: Qualified 10th “I feel like we just can’t find that extra grip. We are just dealing with what we can find, trading and borrowing. We are tight here and loose there and so we trade and end up opposite. Not quite sure how to find that extra speed in it. We just keep chipping away. It is a flat one-mile track with certain things you have to do here that you don’t do at other places. Thanks to Gibson and these guys for working hard and building aero and mechanical grip. We are trying to cover all the bases here. We don’t give up on this team.”

This season for the "rocket man" Ryan Newman is roughly on par with his 2016 campaign.

Breakthrough singer-songwriter Carly Pearce will perform the national anthem before the start of the Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 WIX Filters Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - What would it mean for you to win here in New Hampshire where you family has history? “Oh, it would be awesome. It’s been on my list for a long time. Won here in K&N and also in XFINITY, so been after that Cup win for quite a few years. Been close a few times. I think last year we led the most laps in both races or close to it, but had really good cars here last year, so definitely excited about coming here to this weekend. I’ve been thinking about it all week – what it would feel like. Looking to get on a race track and get after it.”

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to the media at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Why is this track so difficult for one team to dominate like you see at other facilities? “I think it’s challenging just because the effect of traffic and sometimes not being able to get through traffic as well as you want to and being challenging with the aspect of being able to pass here."

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 GRAINGER CHEVROLET SS, met with media and discussed his success at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, his thoughts on traction compound, what the team needs to do to prepare for the playoffs, and more.

Aric Almirola returns to the seat of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion for his first action since suffering a T5 vertebra fracture at Kansas Speedway in May. Almirola addressed his return to the car this weekend at New Hampshire as part of his media availability Friday afternoon.