NASCAR Cup PR

With fuel strategy becoming a factor in the final stage, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was one of four cars that topped off on lap 117 having two additional laps of fuel than the leaders. After a late-race caution set up a four- lap shootout, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was battling for position when he was forced into the outside wall causing significant damage forcing him to settle for a 21st-place finish in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Pocono Raceway.

Ryan Newman drove his Performance Plus Oil Ford to a 14th-place finish Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway.

Monster Energy Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway more often than not boil down to fuel-mileage gambles and pit strategy plays. Sunday’s Gander RV 400 was no different.

"I'm so proud of this team. We had a major setback today after having to start at the rear of the field. However, these guys didn't let that dampen our spirits or prevent us from working on a plan to get the No. 3 Freightliner Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 up front."

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 4th “It was a struggle. I felt like the guys did a good job with strategy, and being able to maximize on restarts. We got fortunate on a couple of things. We go on from it and move onto Watkins Glen.” “It was a tough day. We didn’t really have a lot going our way. In the first stage and even the second stage, we were just kind of hanging on. We just found a way to kind of make it work. We had good strategy and just found a way to kind of settle in there in a decent spot, and save the right amount of fuel. We ran out of fuel coming across the line, so that was great. We saved the right amount of fuel and that was about it.”

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Beer Gen X Ford Mustang – “It was a good day. They had the right strategy and I just didn’t time those last two restarts right and our car struggled a little bit on the first lap or two to get the front to turn, but they had everything right where it needed to be. If the caution doesn’t come out, I think we were in good shape, but that’s the way it goes, especially at this place. You have to have the cautions fall your way and you have to have everything go right. We just had a few little things here and there that didn’t go our way and wound up sixth.”

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Beer Gen X Ford Mustang POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE IS THIS THE WEEKEND YOU CAN CROSS POCONO OFF YOUR LIST AND WIN? “We hope so. It has been a really good track for me and my guys and really the whole company know that we’d love to cross this one off – one of the last two of tracks that we haven’t won at."

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 FREIGHTLINER CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 5th “That was a heck of a lap for this team. I’m really proud of our Freightliner Chevy and all of our guys. This American Ethanol team has done a lot throughout the last two practices. I was not too happy; I was getting after it on the radio during the practices. They gave me what I needed right there and that was a heck of a lap. I tried to put all three corners together the best I could and it came together well for a shot at this pole. There are some really fast cars still to go, but I think that’s a good lap.”

ERIK JONES, No. 20 Reser’s Main St. Bistro Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Qualifying Position: 4th - How have you been today? “Good. We have had good speed."

HOW WAS YOUR PRACTICE? OBVIOUSLY, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CARS THAT CRASHED DURING THAT FIRST PRACTICE. “Yeah, I don’t know if it was due to the PJ-1 or not. I don’t really think so. I think it was just people pushing it to the edge to go faster and faster. We’ve kind of seen it the last couple of weeks, so everyone has figured out that you kind of have to be freer with these cars to gain speed. I think people were just pushing that limit. On our Geico Military Camaro, we just weren’t really happy with the balance on it. Hopefully in this second practice, we’ll hit on something and get better.”