NASCAR Cup PR

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang – “There’s always a lot going on at Bristol and a lot happening at one time. The top was pretty much the dominant line. It’s hard to pass, so guys were aggressive in making moves. There at the end it looked like maybe the 12 blew a right-front tire. Somebody blew a tire and they all slid up, and it’s Bristol you check up and you kind of all wash up into the same spot. I saw my teammate try to dive low to miss it and just caught it and when he caught it, I just ran right in the back of him. It’s unfortunate for everybody at Front Row Motorsports – lost two cars in that accident and not really anything of our own doing, just wrong place wrong time. It’s unfortunate for the Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang and for David – not his last Bristol race, but this was an important race for him and I hate it for him.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO.9 HOOTERS SPIRITS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 5th EARLIER IN THE RACE, YOUR CAR SEEMED A LOT STRONGER. WHERE DID IT GO? "I don't know. I thought we were just off a little bit off all night. All weekend we just needed a little bit. I felt like we were really close. We just never got over the hill. But our Hooters Spirits team did a good job. Heck, they executed a great race. I think we gained spots on pit road every time we came; like more than one spot, too. So, they did a great job. Alan (Gustafson) called a great race. I lined-up in the top multiple times. You can't really ask for anything else. From a driver's standpoint, I just didn't do a very good job with it. I seemed to be a little bit better than these guys. I felt like the past Spring race and this race, we've been off just a touch. We've got to go to work."

Denny Hamlin captured his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series pole award at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday afternoon.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES: KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 2nd - ON HIS RUN “I was just a little too tight. But, I feel like being a little bit too tight was better than being a little bit too free, I think. I saw so many people get loose through (Turns) 3 and 4. But, I was just a little bit too tight to kind of roll through the center like I needed to and get to the gas just a little bit sooner."

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang – “I thought our car was pretty good. I felt good about the first run that we made in happy hour and then we made some adjustments just trying to find a little bit more speed and we kind of got off track, so we’ve had a good car. Our Smithfield Ford Mustang has been good since we got here. I love this place. It’s a really good place for me, so hopefully we can have some lady luck on our side this time.”

WITH DARLINGTON COMING UP, IS IT STILL A BIG EVENT ON THE SCHEDULE FOR YOU? “I think the older guys kind of see it as a highlight. Before I was even a part of the sport, I didn’t even watch it. I’m not knocking it at all, it’s a special place and it’s the Southern 500. For me to sit here and say this a huge event for me personally, not really. Any race is good for me to go out and win.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Dent Wizard Ford Mustang – WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR CAR IN PRACTICE TODAY? “The power-steering pump had a big issue and blew all the fluid out of it right at once. I’ve never seen one do that before, so it was kind of in the worst spot, right in the middle of three and four, kind of when you’re max load, so I haven’t had one do that before. You have ones that kind of slowly go bad. I had that happen a couple years ago, but I’ve never had one that abrupt. That was a weird spot to do it, but luckily we didn’t wreck it and it’s something you can replace.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights: HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR DARLINGTON, ONE OF THE BIGGEST RACES OF THE SEASON? “I’m excited about it. Obviously having a Modified driver as our ‘throwback’ scheme with Ron (Bouchard) is pretty cool. So, I’m excited about that."

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights: GOING INTO ONE OF THE BIGGEST RACES OF THE SEASON AT DARLINGTON, HOW ARE YOU FEELING? “I feel good. We did some simulator work for Darlington this past week. I don’t think you’re going to be wide open there. I think in Turns 1 and 2, we will be lifting a bit and in Turns 3 and 4, it’s going to be pretty normal."

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to media at Bristol Motor Speedway: