NASCAR Cup Series

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – No. 17 Zest Ford Fusion – “I felt we weren’t as fast on the speed chart yesterday, but I felt really good about it. I got really loose in our first run during practice in our qualifying run, so we didn’t ever put a new set of tires on and were down in 19th, but we did that on our second run on tires, so I felt pretty good about it."

Chase Elliott was the fastest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Rookie-of-the-Year contender in today’s qualifying session with a lap of 27.974 seconds, 193.036 mph in his No. 24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet SS at Texas Motor Speedway. The Team Chevy driver will start fourth in the 40-car field in Sunday’s Duck Commander 500.

CARL EDWARDS, No. 19 Stanley Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Starting Position: 1st - What does the lower downforce package mean for you at Texas, given your success at this track? “I like it here, I really enjoy Texas."

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - What has Norm Miller meant to Joe Gibbs Racing over the year? “Norm Miller (chairman of Interstate Batteries) and Joe Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing team owner) are obviously both instrumental in Joe Gibbs Racing and what it’s become and where it started, so without Norm Miller and the Interstate Batteries folks back in the beginning there would be no Joe Gibbs Racing. I think that was on the NASCAR side as well as the NHRA side when they did some drag racing stuff back in the day, so Norm’s been a passionate guy for us to work with and be around for the last 25 years – for me, it’s been the last 10 years – and we’ve had a lot of fun together both on and off the race track.”

Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in the first Sprint Cup Series practice at Texas Motor Speedway Thursday evening. The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was the fastest with a time of 27.995 and a speed of 192.892 mph.

Martin Truex Jr. rose to the top of an ever-changing leaderboard Thursday to lead the opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Texas Motor Speedway.

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed his success at Texas Motor Speedway, what he expects with the new downforce package on Saturday night, and more.

Brad Keselowski made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start for Team Penske in the 2009 fall race at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), qualifying and finishing 35th

Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Fusion, will be making his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Texas Motor Speedway. The Prosper native was in this event a year ago with Front Row Motorsports and finished 30th. He spoke about returning to his home track before today’s practice session.

MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - What do you enjoy about racing at Texas Motor Speedway? “You enjoy it when you have a good car. Haven’t done too well here in recent history, but before that it’s always been a good track for us."