THE CLASH | RACE RECAP

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
No. 42 DOLLAR TREE CAMRY XSE

START: 21ST
FINISH: 13TH
POINTS: N/A

John Hunter Nemechek’s Post-Race Thoughts: “It was great to make the show, great way to kick off our year and for myself just to get more experience and laps. Finishing in 13th is a solid day for the Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, I ran around the track, ran into cars, and got run into as well. It’s what we expect in The Clash. On to Daytona.”

ERIK JONES
No. 43 FAMILY DOLLAR CAMRY XSE

Erik Jones on “The Clash” experience: “Today was obviously not the day we wanted. I wish things could have gone differently for our guys and our partners at Family Dollar and Toyota, but the real test is in Daytona. We have a week to reset and get better before the regular season kicks off.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The Club competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as Club Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at the Coliseum | Saturday, February 3, 2024

Ford Finishing Results:
3rd – Ryan Blaney
4th – Joey Logano
7th – Chase Briscoe
8th – Brad Keselowski
11th – Ryan Preece
19th – Michael McDowell
20th – Noah Gragson
21st – Justin Haley
23rd – Todd Gilliland

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Ford Mustang Dark Horse – DID YOU THINK YOU’D HAVE TO TAKE A PROVISIONAL? “The plan was not to take a provisional. Our group was pretty slow. I guess we just couldn’t go, so we were lucky that we got in the race and then we did a good job all night. We just kind of stayed clean and our car was fast too, to just kind of drive up through the field. A couple of restarts went our way to where our lanes went. I had a shot. I got a terrible restart on the last one, but I probably wouldn’t have won anyway. We came from a long way back, so it was fun. I think every time I’ve been here I’ve been spun backwards two or three times, so it’s nice not to have that at the last one. It’s good.”

WHAT HAVE YOU LIKED ABOUT RACING HERE? “The demographic and the way that they kind of pulled the trigger on today trying to get it in. I think that was really smart by NASCAR. Maybe it doesn’t show in the stands just because of what it was, but it gets a lot of support and you also have the NASCAR Mexico Series here too. I think that’s good as well to kind of grow their side. It’s a neat area to do it in.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAVE YOU LIKED ABOUT RACING HERE? “I think it’s very entertaining and sometimes it’s real frustrating when you’re out there because it’s a tight bull ring and you’ve got big cars and they’re sliding around, especially on refires with old tires you’re sliding a lot. I know from rewatching races and sitting in the grandstands for one of the LCQ’s a couple years ago it was like, ‘This is really entertaining to watch.’ It becomes pretty crazy at the end, obviously, but you kind of see that. I think we were actually a little better than we were last year.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We were good. We weren’t great. We probably needed a little bit more to kind of get into that top three or five group. We were kind of just OK there, but for us starting 22nd and get to seventh was good. I did not even think we were going to make the race. I was walking back to change and ready to head to the airport and I realized we made it so from that to seventh is something to be happy about. It’s a good way to start the season with a little bit of confidence. It was gonna be kind of a kick in the butt if we didn’t make the race, so it was nice to just make the race and then be able to go forward and pass cars and a lot of good cars too. This doesn’t really mean anything for the rest of the year, but for our confidence and from a team building standpoint I feel like it’s a really good start.”

JUSTIN HALEY, No. 51 Walmart Health and Wellness Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I’m really proud of the effort from everyone at Rick Ware Racing. We were having a good night. Early in the race we were able to make some gains and as it went on, you either get better or fall off, and once we lost some track position we definitely had some of that fall off. I think we would’ve been alright at the end. I feel like we could’ve gained a few more positions before it blew up, but overall I’m just really proud of how we did tonight and I can’t wait to get some more time with the team and show everyone what we’ve been working on.”

DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE CLASH

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AFTER NOT MAKING IT IN THE MAIN EVENT? “Obviously, not excited about not being able to make the show. This place has been pretty challenging for me. We made a lot of progress between the first group of practice and second group of practice. We kind of did a Hail Mary on changes for qualifying, so I think we learned some stuff. We tried to apply some things that will hopefully help us with directions in the season, but it’s not fun to be able to watch it. I’d much rather be driving.”

YOU HAD SOME CHALLENGES HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND THEN WON THE DAYTONA 500, SO THIS DOESN’T DEFINE A SEASON. “We do not race anywhere like this, that’s for sure. It’s definitely not discouraging me for the season. I was hoping I’d be able to make more progress at this track with the effort we put into the off-season.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WITH THE CURVEBALL YOU WERE THROWN TODAY WITH THE WEATHER AND CHANGE IN THE RACE? “Nothing about that messed us up. We were better than we had been in the past. I felt pretty decent in the second practice there and got into our session and I don’t know. We were around fast cars in practice and thought we’d be able to pace them pretty well and the group didn’t go. I got caught up behind a car there and should have gapped more. I felt like we were definitely in a lot better spot this season and we were, but that’s just frustrating.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 4 SunnyD Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Obviously, it was definitely a fun experience to race here at the Coliseum. I feel like everybody did a good job. It was a lot happening really quickly there and I thought we did the best we could and we just barely missed it. I think we just needed a little bit more time to make some adjustments, but ultimately we were really close to making it into the show, but we’ll just go get ready and get ‘em at Daytona.”

KAZ GRALA, No. 15 N29 Capital Partners Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I like the track a lot. Definitely quirky. It’s different than anywhere I’ve ever been in anything, but you know, I feel like we started out of the box a little bit far off there at the beginning and took a swing for that second practice that ended up actually being too much. Right in time for qualifying I felt like we got the balance better. We were finally in the mix and our lap times were close. We just missed it by a little over a 10th. So I mean, the times were so tight that a little bit went a long way here. I feel proud of our effort, we beat a couple of cars that we probably shouldn’t have. It seemed like anybody that just missed it a little bit or hit it a little bit, you know, could have swung anywhere on that sheet there. We were just on the wrong end of it, unfortunately, but it was good working with everybody here for the first time. I think we got our communication down a little bit. I would have liked to be in the race tonight. I feel like had we had one more practice maybe we would have been better but I think we can leave here with our heads up as far as who we were competitive with in time there.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES
FEBRUARY 3, 2024

 CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. Media Availability Quotes:

WHAT TRACK IS THE MOST YOU LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY YEAR?

“Bristol (Motor Speedway), for me. I’ve always enjoyed going up there. I think the environment, much like Daytona (International Speedway), the fans really make that place really, really exciting. The energy level is really high. From a driver’s perspective and being a part of the event, it just makes it better. It makes it better for everyone involved. Not just for us – I think it makes it better for industry personnel and everybody that has a part in the show. I think the energy level from the fans really makes us feed off that.”

DO YOU FEEL THE RACE BEING BUMPED UP TODAY FROM TOMORROW CHANGES ANY PRE-RACE PREPARATIONS OR MINDSET FOR YOU?

“I don’t think so. I don’t think it really changes anything, to be honest to you.”

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO MOVING IT TO TONIGHT?

“I think it’s awesome. I think it’s one of the most logical decisions we’ve made as an industry, potentially ever. I appreciate it. I know a lot of the industry personnel really appreciates the willingness to make a change like that. To be honest with you, doing an event like this on a Saturday night is a better fit for it anyway. I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”

THE FLEXIBLITY THAT NASCAR IS SHOWING HERE… IT JUST DIDN’T SEEM POSSIBLE FIVE OR 10 YEARS AGO. IS THAT LINKED TO CURRENT LEADERSHIP, DO YOU THINK?

“I do. Like I said, I think it’s one of the most practical decisions we’ve made in quite some time. Whatever the relationship they have created with FOX in this case to be able to even have that conversation I think speaks a pretty good volume, in my opinion. This stuff doesn’t need to be complicated, right? And I think a lot of times when you get TV and corporate things involved, we overcomplicate things and that’s just kind of where we are. It’s just really nice to see that they have a personal relationship enough to say – ‘Hey, look, tomorrow is not really ideal for anyone involved – for the fans or industry personnel alike.’ I really think highly of the decision and the ability to be able have conversations to consider something like this.”

WITH QUALIFYING BEING A BIG DEAL…

“Qualifying was going to decide the deal anyway. You’re not going to qualifying bad and drive to the lead from last, I don’t think. Qualifying was always top-of-mind, I think, for everyone, and I don’t really think that changes anything. It’s still going to be the case. I really don’t think anything changes from the competition standpoint.”

HOW ARE YOU FEELING STARTING THE NEW SEASON?

“I’m excited for another year. For me, the way it feels, my career doesn’t feel like one book and every season is another chapter. It feels like every year is a whole different book in itself and I think they have all had different feels, to me. Every year, from my rookie year up to last year, has felt so entirely different. I closed that book up and will try again. I’m thankful for the opportunity and read to go to work.”

QUALIFYING HAS SUCH AN EMPHASIS AT THE DAYTONA 500. DO YOU FEEL THAT GOING INTO IT?

“It’s always been an important thing to the boss, and an opportunity, too, for the engine shop to shine. It’s a huge piece of HMS and they do a really good job. It’s a big weekend for our sport. It’s a good look for our company to go down there and fire off well. On the same token, I would rather have better results in the race than qualify well. There’s really no reason why we can’t do both. I think the qualifying side has been good, we just need to shape up the race side of it, as well.”

YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A NEW SPOTTER THIS YEAR. CAN YOU TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR SPOTTER, AND HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HIM YET?

“Trey (Poole) and I have worked together. He spotted for me a good bit. It’s not like we’re new at it by any means. It just felt like the right decision for right now. I think we’re both excited to have a little bit of a fresh start, in a way, in that position. At the end of the day, our team is really performance driven and performance motivated, and I think Trey is performance driven. We just want to perform at a high-level, and I don’t think he’s any different. I’m looking forward to it, but he’s not as new to it as people might think. Again, I think the situation is a right fit.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES
FEBRUARY 3, 2024

 KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. Media Availability Quotes:

TALK ABOUT THE SHIFT OF RUNNING THE RACE TONIGHT VS. TOMORROW…

“It’s great that we get to race. I’m sure NASCAR is taking a huge hit on money being made or whatever now, but at least we get to get the event in and all that. I was not expecting to run any more than a heat race tonight.”

WITH THE MARKET HERE BEING VERY IMPORTANT, AND POSSIBLY EXPANDING, WHAT DO YOU FEEL THE IMPACT WILL BE?

“I haven’t really thought about the impact moving it up like that, but I love racing here. I love this venue, and I love being a part of it and seeing what NASCAR is able to do. I don’t know. I don’t know what their future plans are. If they were to move it, I think they’ve proven that it works, so maybe you can take this style of event somewhere else. I haven’t really thought about it that much. I’m just excited to race.”

DOES IT CHANGED YOUR MINDSET AT ALL HAVING TO RACE A DAY EARLY?

“You’ve got to get focused, right? I don’t think anyone thought we’d go racing, or that we’re going to be racing four hours from now. I think you’ve got to try and calm down, get focused, and the team as well. You’ve really only got one shot to get your car right. The way the schedule was before, you could make adjustments going into tomorrow, but now you can’t. Hopefully our team is prepared with a great racecar, and we can go out there and qualifying well, and get a shot to win.”

DO YOU LIKE THE PROSPECT OF THE RAPID-FIRE RACING LIKE THIS?

“Well, I come from dirt racing (laughs), so our programs go pretty quickly. When you’re not used to it on the pavement side of things, it feels like a massive rush. I’m sure once we get in the car for practice, it’s going to feel pretty crazy until we get to the race. I think once you get to the race, that’s when you can finally be able to take a deep breath and collect yourself a bit. I just applaud NASCAR for making the decision and doing it. As I mentioned earlier, I’m sure they are taking a huge hit financially because today was free to the public. It’s just nice to see them make a big move like that.”

DO YOU THINK THIS TRACK IS CONDUSCIVE TO RUNNING RAIN TIRES?

“I think so. With the experience that we’ve had now and the few wet races we’ve run in NASCAR, I think it’s been fine. We’re not going very fast here, so I think it would be okay.”

WITH THE SHIFT TO RACING TONIGHT, AND TRACK POSITION BEING KEY, HOW BIG WOULD IT BE TO START THE YEAR WITH A WIN HERE?

“I think it would be great. We’ve been in the top-five both of these years, but you want to improve on that. I haven’t been on the track yet, so I don’t know how my car will be. But like you said, it is hard to pass here. You’ve got to get kind of lucky to work your way forward with restarts and stuff. But if your car is good, you can make moves for sure.”

YOU’RE THREE MONTHS AWAY FROM ATTEMPTING THE DOUBLE – THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 AND THE COCA-COLA 600. AS IT GETS CLOSER MONTH BY MONTH, HOW WILL YOU SPLIT YOUR TIME PREPARING WHILE BALANCING YOUR CURRENT SCHEDULE?

“I’ve got a couple of tests coming up here if the rainstorm doesn’t hit too hard. I’m supposed to test Tuesday in Phoenix, and I think there is an open test in April. I would say once April rolls around, I’d say that’s when it’ll get hot and heavy on prep work. I’m so used to being busy, so I don’t think it’s really going to feel way different for me. Just more studying and stuff behind the screen of a computer. It should be okay, I think. Our Cup team, hopefully, will be in a good spot where we’re fast and all of that. You’re not stressing about that as much as you need to, but I want to do a good job, so it’s definitely going to take a lot of focus on the INDYCAR side to do a good job. I’m confident that I’m going to get all of the data and information to study with, and all of these extra laps will help me come the month of May and will help it all go smooth.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES
FEBRUARY 3, 2024

 WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. Media Availability Quotes:

HAS YOUR VISABILITY INCREASED WITH THE NASCAR DOCUMENTARY ON NETFLIX?

“I think a little bit, for sure. I mean, I probably gained a thousand followers within 24 hours, so I think a little bit. It was fun to sit back and watch it and just see how it all played out. I think they did a really good job capturing the intensity of the final few races and did a really good job in production, in general. I thought it was cool.”

HAVE YOU AND RUDY (FUGLE) DISSECTED THIS SEASON AND GOT AN IDEA OF HOW YOU GAIN TWO SPOTS BETTER ONCE YOU GET BACK TO PHOENIX (RACEWAY)?

“I listened to Dan Campbell talk about it being twice as hard to get back, and it’s definitely twice as hard to get back in this sport, too. You know, you’ve got to work twice as hard. You’ve got to work smarter. It’s going to be tough for us to repeat the things we did last year, but I feel like we’ve got the team capable. We have all the same people and even made some improvements in the off-season to get our team a little bit tighter.”

DO YOU COMMEND NASCAR ON MOVING UP RACE DAY FROM SUNDAY TO TODAY SO QUICKLY DUE TO WEATHER?

“Yeah, I think it’s really progressive. I think it’s a good start. I hope we can do that in the future too because we’ve all been through the events where we’ve stayed until Wednesday. I don’t think it’s fun for anyone, but I don’t think it’s productive either for ratings, the excitement on track and the build up to it. Obviously I hope we can get into a system of maybe having a chance to flex during the week, kind of like the NFL does. I think if we’re able to flex the race forward sooner, we could get some people tuned in. But I think it’ll be better than waiting out a rain delay, for sure.”

HOW DOES THE MINDSET CHANGE TO GET INTO A RACING MINDSET WITH THE RACE PUSHED UP? DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR MINDSET?

“I think it’s kind of better, honestly. Less chance to get nervous. You just go out there and kind of do your own thing. Naturally, I think I do the best work when I’m comfortable and just in a rhythm. I feel like this allows me to get into a rhythm sooner. If we make it, we make it. Obviously, hopefully with a top-22, we should be able to do that and a provisional, maybe. But just try to get into the race. You don’t have as much time to think or dwell.”

IS THERE A DIFFERENT MINDSET WITH THIS NOT BEING A POINTS RACE?

“Yeah, it’s for fun. But we want to get a good systems check, and there’s still a trophy to go get. It’d be really nice to stand up there and get that medal, the trophy and everything. I was envious of Martin Truex Jr. last year. It’s always bragging rights and there’s a little bit of money on the line, so I want to get a good start.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Toyota Racing – LA Clash Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LOS ANGELES (February 3, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin were made available to the media prior to the Clash at the Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you think about the decision to race today?

“The weather forecast was pretty telling that there wasn’t going to be any racing tomorrow. I’m happy that they made this decision and I think it was the right one.”

What is your favorite and least favorite parts of the Daytona 500?

“My favorite part of the Daytona 500 is just the big event feel – it’s a really big race and you can tell that. You have probably the most casual fans that we have over the entire schedule that tune in for the Daytona 500. My least favorite thing is just the style of racing – the restrictor plate racing is not my favorite. It is what it is. It is the Daytona 500 and it’s the biggest one of the year. It definitely has that big event feel.”

What track do you look forward to most every year?

“Definitely Bristol. That is my favorite. I’m definitely excited about having two concrete races this year.”

NASCAR was supposed to debut an electric race car tomorrow. Have you thought about what electric car racing would look like?

“I would be very intrigued just to drive to just to see what it sounds like because obviously the sound would be definitely different – I would be intrigued by it.”

Do you think in 10-to-15 years you will inevitably be racing electric cars?

“NASCAR, in general, has always been about the stock production vehicles. We have our three manufacturers in the series based on what is available on the showroom. I guess if the showroom is going that direction, it seems that we would go that way.”

Is that exciting to you?

“I don’t know. It seems so far-fetched, I really don’t have an opinion on it.”

What are you hoping people learn about you and your wife from the Netflix show?

“That is a great question. I don’t really know how to answer it. I feel like most people don’t know who I am – people have general conception that I’m not a bad person, or whatever, but hopefully, they learn that I’m just a regular normal person, and I try to leave good impressions on people and that’s hopefully what they learn from the Netflix show.”

Did you like how you were portrayed?

“I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched it yet. I can’t watch interviews of myself, so I can’t watch it. I have got a lot of positive comments about it, so that’s good.”

What does the format for the race mean to you now?

“Yeah, it doesn’t really change anything from my standpoint. I think NASCAR made a genius call to try to get this race in. Everybody was nervous on what was going to happen if we didn’t race today – which we weren’t even planning on racing today – that’s awesome, and I’m happy we get to race.”

Has your recognizability changed since the Netflix show?
“No, not at all.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Was there any consulting with the drivers or owners about the decision to move the race?

“I’m not sure. I just got here.”

How do you feel about the decision to move the race?

“I feel like this is the right move. You risk not running it at all. We’ve all come out here and we are in the window now where we know there is not going to be any rain for the next 12 hours or so. It’s like a Deal or No Deal – you had to take the bank on this.”

What is your favorite thing about the Daytona 500 and your least favorite thing?

“My favorite thing is how big it is – how historic of an event it is. The only downside is it is the first race of the season. There is no time for buildup in the sense of seeing where you are at with the season. Usually all the big events in any given sport are towards the end of the year – I’m not advocating to switch it, just that’s the only negative to it.”

What is the legacy of this race?

“I think it’s a huge win for NASCAR – no matter if we choose to come back or not. I think this event certainly did what they were hoping it would do and that was to create buzz in the area, create better ratings and I feel like they accomplished that.”

Do you feel like the teams have made any progress with the charter process?

“I don’t know that much progress has been made, but it has all kind of been stated in articles this week where everything stands, and everything is pretty accurate.”

How does the shoulder feel?

“Very good. I feel pretty good about it, and I’m happy to start a season knowing I don’t have any physical ailments ahead of me. I feel really good about that for sure.”

NASCAR was supposed to debut an electric race car tomorrow. Have you thought about what electric car racing would look like?

“I haven’t – just simply because we don’t know what the future of electric or hybrid is going to be in the general population sense, much less in the racing sense. I haven’t put too much thought into it at all. I’m just letting them progress it as they see fit.”

What is the feedback you’ve gotten on the Netflix series?

“It’s been positive. I mean you have some negatives, here and there, but overall, I feel like it has been really positive for the sport and certainly, I hope we bring it to some new eyes and that is what it is all about.”

Did you feel overexposed at all?
“Again, no one had editing rights except for Netflix, so they are ultimately the ones that put out the ones that they thought were compelling, and obviously, my quest for this Cup has been 18 years in the making, so they thought that was a compelling story.”

Do you have any comments about Fontana?

“The big track will never come back, and I feel like that is what we will miss the most – it had some incredible races, and certainly the crowd rejuvenated around that race track the last few years. Economically, I’m probably in the boat with Kyle (Larson), I’m not sure if we will ever see it come back, but you never know. I think it depends on what happens with the economy, situations, and land prices around that area that will dictate whether that place comes back or not.”

Do you think the California market should figure out somewhere else?

“This area is really, really important for us. This area has been pretty good from a fan standpoint, and when you look at ratings and where our fan base comes from, it is actually a pretty decent market on the list, so certainly we need to try to figure out something in this area that will keep us around.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES
FEBRUARY 3, 2024

 KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MORGAN & MORGAN CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. Media Availability Quotes:

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO WIN THIS RACE?

“Obviously having a good car always helps.. having some speed to start with. But we’ve had some good races here, so I’d really love to be able to come out here and have another strong one this time around and be able to get our No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet Camaro to victory lane. That would certainly be nice.”

DO YOU COMMEND NASCAR FOR MAKING THE DECISION THEY MADE AS QUICK AS THEY DID?

“No question. I think today is an unprecedented mark in our sport and one that I think all of us will applaud NASCAR, FOX and everybody on for giving us the chance to get a race in today. I don’t know that we would have been able to do it before Wednesday and would we have even been here on Wednesday. So this was the best chance that we had. I feel like it was definitely a very good move.”

DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR PREPARATION? ARE YOU LOSING OUT ON A LOT OF PREPARATION TIME NOW?

“No, no.. not at all. You better be ready when you get here. It’s all good. Everything is already done, so ready for what we have in store for today. Just get out there on the track – run some practice laps, get some qualifying laps in that are hopefully good to get us into the Top-22 to be in the show. And then from there, go race it out. I want to say starting up front would help your result at the end of the day, but last year we started up front – we got spun out, went to the back and then we came back to the front anyways. That just hurts your chances of getting that victory because last year I burned my tires up getting back to the front. It would be nice to not have those issues this year.”

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU ACTUALLY HAD TO QUALIFY ON SPEED?

“I mean every week, we do.”

I MEAN TO MAKE THE RACE, THOUGH.

“Yeah, you would think that – I guess in my situation, being wherever we were in points last year, we would still be able to get in. But yeah, it’s a short field, a tight field, and it’s going to be close. The times here are always really within thousandths of a second, sometimes to the fourth decimal, so it’ll be tight.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN YOUR FIRST YEAR AT RCR? WHAT HAVE YOU AND RANDALL (BURNETT) TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE 2024 BETTER?

“We started the year really well last year. We had some good speed and we did things early on in the year just kind of based on their notes, and then we built off of that. We had some good races in the second-half of the year, I just did not capitalize very well on those. Had some issues myself, and then also just some other issues. Slow pitstops would sometimes knock us back, and then I would try too hard to get to the front and spin out or whatever. So just a lot of things – It’s not just one single area, I feel like. I know we’ve kind of changed some processes and procedures over the off-season of how we were doing cars, how we were looking at parts of cars and things like that. So hopefully all that helps, too.”

THIS IS THE LAST RACE WITH THE 2023 SHORT-TRACK PACKAGE. ARE YOU JUST AS HAPPY TO SAY ‘GOODBYE’ TO THAT?

“Yeah, I guess so. We have to figure it out, regardless. Whatever the next one is, we have to figure it out. That was definitely our weak spot last year, was the short-tracks. We had one good one, which was the second Richmond (Raceway) race. We ran third there. We need to have more results of being able to run in the top-five, top-10, like that.”

WHEN IT COMES TO SIBLING RIVALARY, THE ONLY THING KURT (BUSCH) CAN HOLD OVER YOU IS THE HARLEY J. EARLY TROPHY. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO KYLE BUSCH TO WIN THE DAYTONA 500?

“Yeah, that would be awesome. That’s the last box to check, essentially, in my career for the great things to do and accomplish in our sport. I would love to have that and be able to get that. Been oh-so-close a few times and still continue to work on being able to get that done. Last year, I led mile-marker 500.. it was just under yellow. Would love to be able to have that trophy back home.”

INAUDIBLE..

“Yeah, I mean to me, I feel like the championship is the pinnacle of our sport. I feel like the Daytona 500 – everybody wants to call it the Super Bowl of our sport. It is.. it’s our biggest race, it’s our biggest stage. It’s just that though – it’s one race. So being able to score that win in a restrictor plate-style race where there’s 30 other guys that are vying for the win and that have a legit shot for the win. You go to many of these other places and sometimes the drivers aren’t very good at those tracks or sometimes their cars, their teams or the manufacturers or whatever, they don’t really lineup well for those tracks. So I feel like the restrictor plate stuff though is pretty level for everybody.”

10 YEARS AGO, IT’S HARD TO PICTURE NASCAR LEADERSHIP MAKING THIS DECISION. DOES THIS GIVE YOU MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE PEOPLE STEERING THE SHIP, SO TO SPEAK?

“Yeah, definitely. Not sure how much we can still be able to do that down the road. I remember going to Fontana (Auto Club Speedway) last year, right? Like we all knew it was coming.. we all knew the snow was going to be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but could we run a race on a Thursday or a Friday ahead of time instead of waiting until Monday? I don’t know. Obviously with how bad the weather is that’s coming, for three days straight – we all don’t want to be here wasting money on hotel rooms and everything out, no matter how great you feel like the state of California is.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE A WEIGHT HAS KIND OF BEEN LIFTED ON YOU AFTER SELLING KBM AND JUST BEING ABLE TO CONCENTRATE ON RACING AND WHAT BREXTON IS DOING?

“No, not really actually. I’m busier now than I was then. Just don’t have the resources, the people behind the scenes to send work to.. you know, like clerical work, booking hotel rooms, booking rental cars or doing that sort of stuff. I’m doing it.. Samantha (Busch) is doing it. It’s her and I that are just kind of getting everything done and making sure we have all of our pieces that we need to be able to travel and go race with. It’s definitely busier. I would say just a lot of off the track stuff, but it’s fine.. it’s not too hard.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE DAYTONA 500 AND WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING?

“I would say my least favorite thing is just how many guys have a chance to be able to race for the win and it doesn’t really come down to the greatest driver or the greatest car. I feel like it all comes down to circumstances. I feel like the greatest thing about the Daytona 500 is that it’s the Super Bowl of our sport – it’s the biggest race, it’s the pinnacle, and you want to be able to go out there and win it.”

WHAT TRACK DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY YEAR ON THE SCHEDULE?

“Well Fontana (Auto Club Speedway) was one.. that’s not happening. But I would say Bristol (Motor Speedway), of course. Charlotte (Motor Speedway) is always pretty fun.. the oval. Pocono (Raceway) was probably one of my least favorites for years, but now that’s a pretty good one.”

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at the Coliseum Media Availabilities | Saturday, February 3, 2024

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOU’RE CELEBRATING A CHAMPIONSHIP COMPARED TO A TEAMMATE? “It’s kind of what I said before is Joey has won a couple there. I was just getting to the organization when Brad won his in ‘12 and it’s nice to walk around. You’re like, ‘Man, I feel like I’ve done something really nice for the whole company and organization, for RP and everyone working there.’ I don’t want to say you feel validated in being there because everyone always believes in you, but it’s just like a personal confidence-booster. It’s nice to feel part of that champion group that’s won for RP, so it personally makes you feel a little bit better and a little bit more certified in being there and racing for the cause each week.”

WITH PENSKE THERE IS A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS. “It’s just nice to be on that list. RP has had a big six months and really the past year. From 600 and 500 and Cup championship and winning Daytona, the 24, it’s nice to keep adding to that list. You want to do that. You want to add titles and wins and history for RP and that team, so that’s just nice to be able to have a small part in the historical side.”

WHAT IS THE MOOD LIKE AT TEAM PENSKE RIGHT NOW? “You’ve got to win the 500. You need to have a shot at winning the 500. That’s what’s next. Try to just keep getting milesones for RP and try to win historic races and bring more championships and stuff like that. That’s just the main goal. Them winning the 24 was great, but now it’s like we have to do it again in Daytona here in a couple of weeks. We’re usually fairly decent at trying to continue to stack on big wins from the other race teams that he has, so that’s top of the list right now.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SEE YOUR FIRESUIT WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP PATCH ON THERE? “That meant a lot. It did mean a ton. It was one of those things that was like a month removed from all those celebrations and it’s in the new year, but you see that – you get the trophy, you get the Goodyear car, you get the ring and then once the banquet is done that stuff is over. You’ve got all of that stuff, but then it’s a nice little refresher for the new year when you pull out the fire suit from the bag and you see the champion logo beneath the NASCAR logo. That part was nice. You look at that every morning, at least I will on race day. You look at it and it’s one of those little things you notice. It’s kind of a nice little reminder.”

YOU WERE JOKING ABOUT GETTING CROPPED OUT OF THE SHOT OF THE KNICKS, BUT DOES IT SHOW HOW MUCH FURTHER THE SPORT HAS TO GO IF YOU AREN’T GETTING RECOGNIZED? “Personally, I didn’t care about it. I just thought it was funny to point out, but that was cold, man. That was cold of them. And the worst part was the photographer was like, ‘Bubba, Ryan, get in this photo’ and then the Knicks chopped me out. I’m not a Knicks fan anyway, but I just thought it was funny. I don’t care about that stuff. I just thought it was funny, so I put that out there. I think people took it as I was being literally upset with it and I wasn’t. I was just having fun with it. It doesn’t bother me any. They just missed it. I don’t think they’re used to having champions in there. They haven’t won one in a while (laughing). I’ve got to give it back to them a little bit.”

GIVEN THAT, IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS HAVE YOU SENSED ANY INCREASED LEVEL OF RECOGNITION IN PUBLIC? “Yeah, a little bit. I’m sure at the race track, too, but even just in public. I enjoy people if they call my name they call me, ‘Hey, champ.’ That part is kind of nice. It’s just those little tiny things that you appreciate and people have been great, fantastic.”

HAVE YOU WATCHED ALL FIVE EPISODES OF THE NETFLIX SERIES AND WHAT IS YOUR TAKE? “I thought it was good. It was nice to see that. It’s nice to see the positive response from it. I haven’t seen very many negative sides. I think everyone has really enjoyed it and it seems to be doing really well. I thought they did a good job of mixing the racing side with the personality side and showing what goes into it – the ups and the downs. It’s a lot of emotions positive and negative depending on how you’re doing in it, and I thought they did a good job with that. Hopefully, it continues to build and it gets picked up again. It was good to give access to those folks and just show the personal side and then the racing side, whether it’s your diehard NASCAR fan or someone who doesn’t know anything about the sport, I think it portrayed it really well. I especially enjoyed the ending, so that part was good. Gianna has a new quote in it now that people keep telling me, so that was nice.”

ARE YOU PLANNING ANY MERCH WITH THAT QUOTE ON IT? “I can’t put that word on a shirt, but maybe we can work our way around it a little bit. Yeah, I thought it was really good. It was nice to see and it was nice that people enjoyed it. That was the main thing, really.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY PRE-RACE RITUAL? “I don’t really have a superstition, but I think the only thing I have to do is I have to have a good meal before the race and a good dinner. Bland, man. It’s like chicken or steak and rice. It’s pretty boring, but it’s something I’m not gonna regret a couple hundred miles into this race. That’s like the only thing.”

HOMEMADE OR A RESTAURANT? “Homemade. I usually have some stuff in the bus that I cook that morning.”

WHEN IT COMES TO THE DAYTONA 500 HOW DO DRIVERS JUSTIFY THE FACT IT’S VIEWED AS THE BIGGEST RACE BUT SO MUCH OF IT IS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL? “I’ve always had the mindset of speedway racing in general is like a lot of times it’s not gonna be fully in control of your own destiny and I’ve just kind of accepted that. These races are what they are and I’m just gonna do my best to try to stick around this thing and if I get wiped out or something that’s not my fault, what can you do? But, yeah, that is the tricky side. It is such a crown jewel and it’s tough a lot of times, especially recently, I think you haven’t seen it since back in the eighties or something like that, like the fastest car is gonna win that thing for sure. You have fast cars that sit on the pole, but they might not win it now. They usually don’t win it just because you never know what can happen because a lot of people can win, but it is tough to win. I don’t want to take away from people winning that race is special because it definitely is and you’ve done a good job of staying in the race all night and putting yourself in a spot to win. It still is very hard to do, but you do have to have that factor in the back of your head that it’s not fully in your control, but that’s just part of it.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE DAYTONA 500 AND HAVING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE RACE ISN’T ALWAYS IN YOUR CONTROL? “It’s not a true measure of your career. It’s a huge race to win because of everything that goes behind the Daytona 500. Unfortunately, the race is kind of the way it is. It’s a speedway race. You would assume the biggest race of the year, the best teams and drivers would always win, but it’s not like that. Speedways have always been known as the great equalizer and it really is. With that said, you could still set yourself apart from the field and be better at it and help your chances of it, but you still can get caught up in something or something can happen. So, I don’t think it defines your career. It is an unbelievable stat to have on your resume. That part is fantastic, but I think if you never won the Daytona 500 and then you won 15 Cup races, you’d probably rather win 15 Cup races over one 500. I don’t know what that number is. Maybe it’s five to one, I don’t know, but I feel like winning at other tracks, personally, I don’t want to call it a bigger accomplishment, but it kind of means a little different things.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NETFLIX SERIES? “I haven’t watched all of them yet. Honestly, I’ve been waiting to watch all of them with my son because he really enjoys watching them. We’ve watched three so far and it’s been really good. I think it’s been really entertaining and interesting to watch. I enjoyed watching it just to see how other people do things. I didn’t like reliving getting knocked out of the playoffs. That part really sucked, but I get they have to do that, but it wasn’t fun to relive that, I can tell you that much (laughing). I think the show is a great success and I think on Netflix it’s probably a big win there.”

DID YOU OR YOUR TEAM OK THE CREW COMING IN AFTERWARDS? “I didn’t OK them, it just happens. They just follow you everywhere you go (laughing). They were trying to film me changing and I said, ‘OK, I think this is probably enough.’ I don’t know how to say it politely, but…”

DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR FELLOW COMPETITORS YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE? “Not yet. I’m only three episodes in, but nothing that’s really surprised me yet.”

DO YOU FEEL IT WAS PORTRAYED ACCURATELY? “Yeah. I think so. We didn’t open the doors as much as others. I mean, Denny really did. I don’t know if I feel really comfortable doing that just from a privacy and safety standpoint. That was my reason for kind of like, ‘OK, this is what I’m comfortable with.’ At the racetrack, everything was fine. You’ve just got to have some limits there for me. Maybe I’m weird about that stuff, but I didn’t feel like they said anything that wasn’t true, at least about me.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Castrol Ford Mustang Dark Horse – THE DAYTONA 500 IS OUT OF A DRIVER’S CONTROL MANY TIMES. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT? “It’s really difficult. I think you go to the Daytona 500 and you’ve done all of this preparation work. Some of it by the nature of it being the biggest race of the year, but a lot of it by nature of it being the first points paying race of the year that you spend so much time preparing for Daytona. You get there and the result kind of feels more often than not unearned either way, and so like many things in life you just have to recognize that it’s not always fair and accept it and move on, but it’s just difficult to reconcile for sure.”

HOW DIFFICULT HAS IT BEEN TO COME HERE AND MISS THE SHOW? “It’s not good, but the great thing about it is both times we’ve went straight to Daytona and led a lot of laps and been up front and, I think, got a little bit of leniency from our partners, but we can’t rely on that. We need to come here today and have a good race and be very competitive for sure.”

WHERE DO YOU STAND AS FAR AS THE CHARTER NEGOTIATIONS? “The good thing about the charter negotiations is the reality is we don’t have to have anything done until February of 2025, which is a year almost exactly from today. Obviously, you always want to get those things done sooner rather than later because of the ramifications they can have to everybody, but there’s quite a bit of time. I think there’s a lot of work to be done to get everybody to come together, but I’m still optimistic.”

WHAT KIND OF MINDSET DO YOU TAKE TO DAYTONA THIS YEAR? “I would trade all the laps led for a lead on the last lap, I can tell you that. Nobody ever seems to care who has led the most laps, but I appreciate you bringing it up. It just hasn’t come together. I always feel like on plate tracks there are races that I’ve won that maybe I didn’t earn and just things came together, but then there’s races where you feel like you’ve earned the win and it doesn’t come together. Daytona has been that way for me the last three races, where I feel like we made the right moves, had a great team, great car, I feel like I made all the right moves and happenstance didn’t play in our favor. It’s frustrating, but there’s nothing I can do about it. You keep moving on and keep pushing forward. I want to make sure if I go to Daytona and don’t win, whether it be this year, year’s past or year’s to come, that I did everything. I put in all the effort, made all the right moves, studied all the right things to study, worked with the team to bring the best car and have the best pit stops, and then there comes a point where you just have to accept the fact that if you don’t win it and you’ve done all those things at the highest level possible that it just wasn’t meant to be.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE DAYTONA 500? “My favorite thing about the Daytona 500 is, hands down, the walk down the stage for driver intros. That’s one of the few things that I’ve been in the Cup Series for 13, 14 years now and it still gives me chills. I’ll carry that with me to my death bed is that memory and feeling, and then the least part is almost always the same – it’s leaving the Daytona 500 and driving out of the tunnel having not won it, and how deflating that is, but that’s what it is.”

WHAT TRACK DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO AFTER THAT? “I really look forward to a lot of them. I don’t know how to weigh it. There are certain places that you fly into or drive into and you pull into the racetrack and you just feel the fan atmosphere and it feels really cool. It’s hard to pick one because I think it changes year to year. I’m gonna guess this year it’s gonna be Iowa because I just feel like we’re gonna go to Iowa this year and that community is gonna go crazy and it’s gonna be contagious, but in a normal year I would say it’s probably that way at Talladega.”

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN RYAN BLANEY EMBRACE THIS CHAMPIONSHIP? “It’s great. He was made for this moment in so many different ways, from his upbringing to the people he’s surrounded himself with. If I’m NASCAR, it’s a dream for Ryan Blaney to win the championship because he’s willing to put in the work and effort and he’s just a good person.”

HOW HAS THE MOOD CHANGES AT RFK FROM WHEN YOU TOOK OVER TO WHERE IT IS GOING INTO THIS YEAR? “It’s really high. We have a team that I think feels like we can go compete for the championship this year – both cars. We have phenomenal pit crews. We’ve put in the work on the engineering side to where we think the race cars will be fast more often than they’re slow, and then it really is just a matter of going out and executing it. The company is in a really good place.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ANY THOUGHTS ON THE CLASH POTENTIALLY GOING INTERNATIONAL NEXT YEAR? “Man, it’s a perfect opportunity to do it and move around. I think when it first came here the word was it would be neat to see it move around some and try to break the mold. I’m excited to see if something comes around. I know Canada was really close to happening for a road course event this year and it didn’t quite come around, but I’m equally excited about Iowa. It doesn’t hurt my feelings too much, but for this event I think it’s the perfect chance to go try something and move around a little bit and see what we can do.”

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR DAYTONA? “To win the 500. For RFK, we’ve had such fast Ford Mustangs every time we go down to a superspeedway that I don’t see that changing for us. The new Dark Horse Mustang, we’re very excited about it for our mile-and-a-halves and some of our larger short tracks, but where we’re standing at right now, and I’m not the most intelligent person to be able to say this, but from the talks we’ve had and what i’ve gathered is we don’t see any penalty coming for us when we go superspeedway racing, so I think we’re still gonna have the speed there. We’re still gonna have the ability to push. We’ve worked hard to be able to have the handling to go with that, so nothing from my point of view changes going into the 500 that says we won’t be just as competitive and be able to be in the hunt with all three of our race cars heading into the 500.”

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO BUY INTO BRAD’S VISION? “I was onboard from the get-go. I know when he came in there were a lot of changes that were cumbersome for everybody in the weeds in the shop. There was a lot of work to make things just physically look nicer. For me, it’s a little easier because I’m not having to do all that, strip stuff and paint. I’m just watching it get nicer, so it’s a little easier for me. It’s hard to get everybody to buy into that being a solution, but it was just the first puzzle piece of it, I think. To see it evolve into what it has become now and kind of just that pride that everybody has in what we’re doing in the organization, I think it certainly has caught on at this point. I was on board from the get-go. I would say that I love the organization. I love the cleanliness of it. It’s bled over into my life and I’m sure Brad is happy to hear that. I’ve been building a shop at home and now everything is black and white and clean. I used to love some color, so I don’t know what’s going on, but you see how it operates and how it works and I think it’s just that idea of you’ve got to start somewhere and now we’re sitting here looking at detail work and everything we do, and they have been for a long time, but that’s what it’s come down to, especially with this car is it’s the little details that are making big differences on the track. It just started with something way more basic than the small parts on the race car.”

COULD YOU HAVE ANTICIPATED A THREE RACE WIN SEASON AT ROUSH BEFORE BRAD CAME ON BOARD? “I always wanted to get there and felt like we would have that opportunity, but the small gains we made year over year made it frustrating that we weren’t making bigger strides. I won’t say you got used to the small gains, but Brad coming in and being very optimistic and saying big gains are gonna happen quick, you love to hear it but had watched it fall a little bit short for a long time, so to see it happen as quickly as it did is amazing. I mean, you’re talking about within the first 12 months being able to win a race at Bristol was big, but the next year being able to have a season like we did is amazing from where I’m at. I don’t think you could have anticipated it, but was certainly hopeful of it and now that we’ve been able to do that and show what we’re capable of, it puts us in a good spot to say, ‘All right, that’s our new floor. How do we improve on that?’ A lot of that starts by making the race at The Clash, but knowing that once we get going in the season we’ve got to fire off a little stronger than we have. If we can do that, then that will make our summer a little easier on us and we can be able to take some more chances to win even more races.”

WHAT IS THE MOOD LIKE AT RFK AS YOU LOOK AHEAD TO THE DAYTONA 500? “I would say that it’s not a whole lot different than it’s been going into Daytona or really any superspeedway because we always have a shot to do that. It’s just a matter of executing it correctly, having a little bit of good fortune on our side. We’ve been more times than not able to have that kind of result and not been able to put it all together at the right time, so that was finally that moment that says, ‘Man, we’ve got to figure out how to do this every time.’ It doesn’t work like that when we go to speedways. I know that there are a lot of people in our sport say there’s no such thing as luck, that you make your own – whatever. I don’t buy into that. There is a certain amount of luck you’ve got to have, but you’ve got to work hard to be in the right spot. There’s a lot of things that can happen. I know going back into it there are gonna be three RFK Ford Mustangs that are gonna be capable of winning that race. We’re gonna have three of us that are gonna be able to work really well together. David being a good friend and a fantastic superspeedway racer as well, I was able to learn a lot from him early in my career and a lot from Brad as of late, so I feel like I’ve got good people around to study and talk about this thing and be able to put up some pretty awesome results to get the season fired off on the right foot.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE GOING INTO 2024 AFTER THE BEST SEASON OF YOUR CAREER? “It’s more fun. I mean, for simplest terms it’s just want racing was always supposed to be. It’s what you enjoy doing growing up when you went to the track and they saw your hauler roll in there and everybody said, ‘Man, that’s who we’ve got to outrun.’ That’s fun. That was always the joy of it and so we’re certainly as close to that feeling as I’ve been in a couple decades at this point. For me, I look at our season, I look at the wins and look at the successes at different styles of racetracks. The ones that weren’t wins but were strong showings and I don’t sit here and look at weak points in the schedule for us. That’s kind of what I’m talking about is unloading and feeling like we’ve got a chance wherever we go. There are three or four racetracks that I’m sitting here from a personal side saying I have a lot of work to do to get us to that point, but I think that the team being in such a better place and being a little ahead of me at some of those is really gonna help me turn the corner at some of those places, no pun intended. I’m excited about the season and I’m really not looking at any one track as this is our potential, this is where we can get it done. I think we go in every week right now and say this is another chance to go win more races and that’s fun to sit here and think about and talk about.”