NASCAR Cup Series

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the No. 17 Fastenal Ford Fusion, stopped by the Bristol Motor Speedway infield media center after today’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session to talk about his friend, Bryan Clauson, and how he is honoring him this weekend.

MATT TIFFT, Joe Gibbs Racing - Opening statement: “It’s great to see everybody, I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed being at the race track. I think it’s been since June and I can’t say that I’ve ever been away from a race track for that long."

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 HUGGIES CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media along with his friend Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. to discuss a special helmet each driver will be wearing in memory of their friend Bryan Clauson. Larson discussed the helmet, racing at night and other topics.

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Kyle Busch topped the chart in first Sprint Cup Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 14.878 and a speed of 128.969 mph.

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- While he doesn't believe he's where he wants to be, Trevor Bayne says that being in contention for a Chase spot on points this late into the season "says a lot about what my team has done this year."

Dover International Speedway has started two construction projects which will add more than 500 feet of SAFER barriers around the track and increase usable space for NASCAR haulers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage.

Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Fusion, comes into this weekend trailing David Ragan by three points for 30th-place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. After his win at Pocono Raceway, Buescher needs to finish 30th or better to qualify for the Chase, which starts in five weeks at Chicagoland Speedway. Buescher visited the infield media center at Bristol Motor Speedway this morning to talk about his situation.

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 KOBALT CHEVROLET SS, met with media and discussed the season to date, leading into the Chase, the new package at the upcoming Michigan race, his expectations for the Bristol race this weekend, and more.

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/GREAT STUFF CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Bristol Motor Speedway and discussed the potential of making his first Sprint Cup Series chase, his up-coming 3-on-3 charity basketball tournament and many other topics.

“There is nowhere else in the country, at any racetrack, where you have the atmosphere like you have at Bristol. To have that many people surrounding a racetrack of that size, you just don’t get that anywhere else.