NASCAR Cup Series

KEVIN HARVICK (No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion) - Qualified 1st “I just didn't feel like I got through turns 1 and 2 like I needed to. The front took off and I didn't want to do what everyone was doing in practice and get out of the groove and drive it into the wall. I'm just really proud of everyone on our Jimmy Johns/Busch Ford. I have to thank everyone at Mobil 1, Outback, Hunt Brothers, Morton Off Road for sticking behind us with this Ford. It's been a stressful day. Coming in and breaking in a new race track and going out there running as fast as we had to run for qualifying. I have to say thank you to the Xfinity guys for letting me run that car this weekend because I really think the reps allowed us learn some things that I was able to apply here."

It was a challenging day on a new, slick, and unfamiliar track surface at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) for many Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) drivers in preparation for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, Round 7 on the 2017 schedule.

Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media at Texas Motor Speedway: MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - Why have you had immediate success with this new format? “I think it's, you know, really not doing anything different, but consistently running up front, leading laps and trying to perform well is kind of what the stage points system rewards."

Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 6 Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion, met with media members Friday afternoon after posting the 13th fastest practice time on the newly reconfigured and repaved Texas Motor Speedway.

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA CHEVROLET SS – Involved in a single-car accident during the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Texas Motor Speedway - WHAT EXACTLY LED TO YOUR IMPACT? “Just got out of the groove there off (Turn) 2 and got too high and got the wall. Then had too much wheel in it going the other way, so just a mistake on my end. I hate it. I thought our car was pretty good, so hopefully this one will be just as good if not better.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Texas Motor Speedway and discussed the newly repaved and reconfigured Texas Motor Speedway, slowing the cars down for better racing and many other topics.

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 SCOTT PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed driving the newly-paved Texas Motor Speedway in the pace car and shooting video, coming to his hometown track, and more.

DANIEL SUÁREZ, No. 19 STANLEY Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - How was your last weekend at Martinsville Speedway? "Well, talking a little bit about last week, just happy to get that week over because it was a lot going on in that week and weekend and it was a lot of work and a lot of rush and a lot going on and I'm just glad that we got that behind, and now we are working on what we have to do here in Texas. Texas normally has been a pretty good place for me. Now with the new Texas, I am happy to get the same result. Looking forward to seeing the racetrack shortly."

CLINT BOWYER (No. 14 Haas Automation Ford Fusion) -- SO MANY XFINITY RACERS HAVE SAID THEY ARE THANKFUL YOU ARE PRACTICING FIRST HERE BECAUSE THEY WILL BE WATCHING. “Yeah, I was hoping they would pack the track for us. I don’t know. Eddie (Gossage) needs to know. That is short-track 101, you have the sport classes pack the track for you. What the hell?”

NASCAR has always been a sport where teams push the envelope. Whether that’s a team trying to squeak something by inspection or a team trying to get the slightest advantage in the gray area of the rule book, innovation and outside the box thinking has always been something teams have tried.