NASCAR Cup PR

(P) Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Toco Warranty Ford Mustang - Qualified 1st - IT IS YOUR FIRST POLE IN 12 YEARS: “It beats the hell out of me, guys. I am as shocked as you are. It is tons of fun. Obviously bragging rights for the guys first and foremost and I am extremely proud of the effort. Hey, we sit on the pole but look, my gosh, 1-2-3-4 for Stewart-Haas Racing and I think that shows a lot about our hard work, dedication and focus on the qualifying lap."

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 5th “I think with qualifying, we’ve been doing a really good job at the 1.5-mile tracks. Making sure we are wide open, but also to be able to have the right downforce levels for the car for the race. It’s going to be a slick one tomorrow and that’s really where the focus is with the impound. We are making sure the race setup is dialed in.”

Denny Hamlin was the top Toyota driver in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

(P) Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang - Qualified 3rd - “Our Mobil 1 Ford Mustang is fast. I kind of blew it right there getting up to speed. I got sideways accelerating coming off pit road there. Our guys have done a great job and we have done a lot of things to make our cars handle better and knocking speed out of them so they have done a great job.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1, met with media to discuss the progress of his plans for the 2020 season, his relationship with Monster Energy, the importance of personalities in branding of the sport, and more. Full Transcript:

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1, met with media to discuss his confidence from Indianapolis carrying over to the rest of the season, how expectations will change from building off their recent success, what it’s going to take to get his first win, and more. Full Transcript:

On Thursday, September 12, before the first race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TM Playoffs, excited fans lined up inside the MGM Grand Casino for a chance to spin the reels on the Mobil 1TM 250K Mile Slot Machine – a unique pop-up experience with surprise appearances from Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) drivers Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer.

WHY IS TEAM PENSKE SO GOOD AT LAS VEGAS? “That is a hard question to answer. It might be an easy question for you. I think there are a few things. I do think this track kind of fits into our wheelhouse. I think it fits into Ford’s wheelhouse as far as engines and the Roush Yates program. I think we have done a good job finding the balance to get through the bumps in 1 and 2 yet still have grip around the rest of the race track.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T COME DOWN TO PHOENIX THAT DETERMINES YOUR FATE AGAIN THIS YEAR? “I think last year we were really close to winning that race and being able to advance. Looking forward to this playoffs, it really is just about worrying about one week at a time. You can’t get too far ahead of yourself or worry about Phoenix. You have to run all of the races before you get there. I think we have got a great opportunity in front of us and we have to go out and maximize that opportunity and that means being at our best every single weekend.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHANCES COMPARED TO HOW YOU FELT THIS TIME LAST YEAR? “I feel better about them this year than I did last year, for sure. Last year at this point, we didn’t have many playoff points. We didn’t have the speed that I felt like we needed to win and it seemed like we started picking it up here and getting a little more consistent and getting some solid runs and get through a round and then all of a sudden we were contending for wins."