Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 5, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to media after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series event at the Michigan International Speedway on Saturday:

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

How does your car feel after qualifying?

“I feel excellent about what I have for sure. It has been a pretty smooth Saturday. In practice, it was very good off the truck and fast and balanced. That is what it is all about at Michigan – having the car comfortable and balanced so you can drive as hard as you need to, to create speed as you need to here in Michigan.”

Can you talk about your turns three and four?

“Round one, I felt really good in (turns) one and two, and I got pretty tight in (turns) three and four. Last year, I almost won the pole, but I felt like I overdrove three and four trying to carry too much throttle. Round one was very similar, where I got tight down there. Round two, I told myself I’m going to try to back up the corner a little bit, and it did. I was able to have a much cleaner corner and didn’t have to use all of the race track out of four. I was glad to finally hit a corner out of my four opportunities here in qualifying.”

Can you talk about what Martin Truex Jr. means to Joe Gibbs Racing?

“Just having Denny (Hamlin) and Martin (Truex Jr.) there adds so much. They’ve been around the sport for so long, that their feedback is invaluable. Myself, I’m still young in this sport, and Ty Gibbs is in his rookie year, so having veteran leadership that kind of steers the ship and says that we need to go down this path is very important. I’m grateful to have him around for a little bit longer.”

What is it about qualifying at Michigan that you’ve been successful with?

“Honestly, I live for those moments in qualifying, where it is right on the edge, full of commitment. Maximum, just right on the edge of being able to hold it wide open. It’s awesome. It’s an adrenaline rush that I love. All of the intermediates with this car have been that way. It seems like we’ve excelled with the 20 car, but qualifying has a slight bearing on the race. There is so many strategy options, and restarts, and pit stops – you are not just going to be able to go out there and lead 200 laps tomorrow. Last year, I thought my car was certainly capable of winning the race and we put ourselves in position and then I wrecked out. This year is more of the same. We’ve got the pieces to do it – we just have to execute tomorrow and see where we stack up.”

When did you find out about Martin?

“I heard earlier this morning from my PR rep (Nancy Padula). Today is when I found out as well.”

Did you have an idea if he was going to return or not?

“So, after he came back last year, I felt like this year was going to not be his farewell tour, as good as he is running. He’s got a couple more wins in him. I guess I was not expecting him to retire this year.”

Do you have the same car from last year?

“Honestly, I have no idea. I would be surprised if it was the same one, but I honestly have no idea.”

What do you think about the restart zone moving at Indianapolis?

“I think it will be better. I still wish we would go single file, but I don’t think that is on the horizon. I think it is going to be less chaotic for sure, but I think the opportunity is still going to be there. We will just have to pay a lot of attention to the Xfinity Series race goes, and the Cup guys will figure out a way.”

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Firekeepers Casino 400 Qualifying | Saturday, August 5, 2023

Ford Qualifying Results:
4th – Chris Buescher
6th – Joey Logano
9th – Ryan Blaney
12th – Brad Keselowski
18th – Aric Almirola
19th – Chase Briscoe
21st – Austin Cindric
22nd – Kevin Harvick
23rd – Michael McDowell
28th – Ryan Preece
29th – Harrison Burton
32nd – Todd Gilliland
33rd – Cole Custer
36th – JJ Yeley

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Castrol Edge Ford Mustang – “That was solid for qualifying here. I was really happy with that and our Castrol Edge Ford Mustang. I felt like after practice: It wasn’t the fastest on the charge, but I felt like we were really close to maximizing potential. I think we were able to do that there. I want a redo in [turns] three and four – see if we can get a little better. But, our one and two were wide-open. So, I’m really happy with that. That’s where we’re going to need to be, and we got that. Just a little down in three and four speed.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang – “I don’t know yet. I got a lot to look at. I don’t know if we’re good or not. The car doesn’t feel awful. It’s just the other cars going faster. So, we have to go back and look at it. Our car is a little on the tight side, and that usually robs a little bit of speed. So, we’ll have to look into that.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Knauf Ford Mustang – “I thought we were pretty good in race trim. I feel like our cars have some decent speed on them. But, for qualifying, I don’t know where the speed was. I thought we were plenty good enough to run faster… we just didn’t. Disappointed in that. But, I thought our race car was fairly decent.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – “Yeah, I had it wide-open through [turns] one and two, which was kind of to my surprise. So, I went into three and four – wham. Tried to do the same thing, and I just got a little too greedy – chattered, really tight and lost a lot of time. I left at least a tenth on the table. As close as the field is, I’m a little annoyed at myself. But yeah, definitely a bit more of an eventful day for our Discount Tire Ford Mustang where we would have wanted to. Got about five minutes of practice… just had electrical issues. It seems like probably the E.C.U. We went to bump the starter to start the thing before practice, and it all shut off. A bit annoyed by that, but can’t let that get in the way of a productive day. Honestly, more pissed at myself over that three and four. I just tried to bite off more than I could chew.”

Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 5, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to media after practice for the NASCAR Cup Series event at the Michigan International Speedway on Saturday:

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you have a decision for us?

“I’m coming back.”

Why?

“Because I want to (laughter).”

Was there any difference in making this decision this year versus last year?

“Not really, no. It was the same deal. I got it out of the way. It didn’t feel right to not come back and keep doing what we are doing. Excited to get that out of the way and continue to work on this year and excited for next year as well too.”

So, it didn’t feel right to leave?

“It felt like the right thing to do was to keep going. The more I thought about it, the more I was like – ‘don’t be stupid, go race another year and see how it goes.”

So, you are just going year-by-year at this point?

“Yes.”

Are you happy that we are no longer going to ask that question each week now?

“It doesn’t matter to me. You are just trying to do what you have to do. Last year was June, this year was August, so realistic – give me October next year (laughter), and we will talk about it then.”

When you were looking at making this decision, how did you come to that decision?

“That is what takes so long to figure it out. I’ve come to terms with all of that obviously, and I’m looking forward to continuing all of that. It is part of the job. It comes with the territory. You are not going to half-ass this job. I’m ready. I’m excited. We’ve got a great thing going. My team is amazing. They are doing great things. Love working with them, and happy to keep this going.”

So, if you win the championship this year, you are not going to be able to walk off?

“Apparently not. Once you sign on the dotted line, you are committed. A lot of people are looking for big things, and hopefully I will deliver.”

When did you sign it?

“I signed it last night. It’s all done.”

It’s got to be a weight off your shoulders.

“I think it bothers them a lot more than it bothers me. Everybody is happy, so that’s good.”

Are there races for Ryan Truex as part of this?

“Yeah, we’ve got races for Ryan (Truex) again next year. Hopefully more. We are looking for sponsorship to do a full year, if possible. That is on the table. He will be running part-time, but obviously it would be great if we could get him a full-time deal, so any out there looking for a good driver? He does a good job on social media too.”

What was James Small’s reaction and the team’s reaction?

“He was happy. I don’t know if all of the guys know yet. I’ve got to go tell them. This is the first announcement. He was really excited. He was like – let’s go get them this year and next year and figure it out from there. He works really hard. He’s part of the reason I want to keep going. I feel like we can win every week, and I don’t see that going anywhere.”

When did you make the decision?

“Honestly, I’ve been leaning that way for a couple of weeks, and I was like okay. I kept thinking about it and seeing if something changed and nothing changed, so I was like here we go, let’s do it.”

Was it important to make the decision before the Playoffs?

“Honestly, I don’t think it would have mattered either way. With our team, I think with our guys – it doesn’t really matter. They would more worried about next year than anything, but I don’t think it would have affected this year. I think it’s more so for the team, Coach (Joe Gibbs) and all of our partners, so we can just put that out of the way and go back and button up next year’s plans. It’s pretty late in the season to be putting them in a spot where you keep them hanging. I think I did that as long as possible – not on purpose, but it is just how it worked out.”

Was Coach (Joe Gibbs) happy?

“He’s thrilled. He’s a great guy to work for.”

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 24 electrified options.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 5, 2023

 CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Michigan International Speedway. Press conference transcript:

YOU COME INTO SUNDAY 40 POINTS OUTSIDE THE PLAYOFFS, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THINGS. DO YOU TRY AND MAXIMIZE STAGE POINTS OR DO YOU HAVE TO GO ALL IN FOR THE RACE WIN?

“My stance has been the same since I got back. I think we need to win. So, and like I have said a thousand times since I have been back, I think gaining a lot of points and contending for wins is very much one in the same. It’s not coincidence that the guys that are high up in points have race wins, but they are also leading the regular season thing, or whatever it’s called, too. Those things go hand in hand. If you are gaining a lot of points, you are probably going to have a shot to win. And if you are not, then you are probably not going to have a shot to win. So, I think those are one in the same.”

IS THERE SOMETHING WE COULD ADD TO THIS CAR THAT WOULD OPEN THINGS UP TO THE RACING A BIT?

“That is a great question, and I am not familiar with the INDYCAR rules at all. I know that they were first to the spec car thing and I had heard that what we were doing was more in line with what they had going on or what they had going on. But I don’t know. I don’t know what you open up. I think this is really what NASCAR as a sanctioning body wants. That they want a lot of control over the cars. And they want to have parts suppliers and have the teams buy parts instead of building them. I think the thought was that it was going to save a lot of money, you know. And I will let other people answer whether or not that, that is true. I don’t know what you open up to make it better or worse. I am not really sure. But I do know this, the cars are very much alike. It’s so funny like every week we do our post-race debriefs and the engine shop comes up with a really nice report for us to look at while we are talking through our race and it kind of splits up like part throttle, full throttle, closed throttle, and like the four of us are like within a percent of each category. When those things are the same, it’s just going to be really hard to be different. I just don’t see it changing.”

REGARDING RACING AT BERLIN IN A SUPER LATE MODEL

“Yeah, I have run more this year than I have in the past….I don’t know how many years. So, I am looking forward to it. We have been working at it much like the Cup side, just trying to get a little better and trying to get some momentum on that side of things too. So, I am looking forward to going to Berlin, its been a little while since I have been there and I am looking forward to getting back to a really unique and weird short track I have run at a few times. But looking forward to getting up there, it’s a good show, a good mid-week show and a place that seemingly has a lot of support from the local community that I remember. Always great crowds and they put up a nice purse too, which in the asphalt world is a big deal in my opinion. So, I think its important for the racers to go and support those shows that put up a lot of money to win, when they do, because it doesn’t happen all the time. I am excited to go and support it and try to get a win.”

REGARDING HOW MUCH TO READ INTO THE RACE THIS WEEKEND AS A MEASURING STICK FOR THE PLAYOFFS

“That is a great question, and it is kind of your last sample of what would be a normal race track I guess. So, that is a very valid question, but I am just trying to think back to last year and it seems like all the Gibbs cars were really strong here last year as a whole. I think at some tracks, the characteristics here might carry forward and I am not sure that all of them necessarily are that way. I would say that its not unfair to say that this is our last normal opportunity to show what you have or don’t have, but I do think this place is very unique and it is its own animal. You kind of look at it and you think maybe its like Fontana, but its really not at all like Fontana. I never had a chance to race here at the old surface, so this is all I have really known ever since I have been running. This place has always been kind of its own world. I do think it is the last normal look, I guess, but at the same time, this place is very different. I wouldn’t read to terrible far into it.”

REGARDING WATKINS GLEN AND LOOKING AT IT FOR A WIN BASED ON PAST SUCCESS

“Yeah, I have said this, I don’t circle races. That is not how I operate. I just take it week to week and try to get better. Like I have told you guys a thousand times, and I will make it a thousand and one, I just want to be a guy that can go and contend every week and be in the running wherever we go. Whether it is a half mile, road course, two-mile speedway, I don’t want to care. I don’t want to care where we are going. That is where I want to get. I will keep working really hard until we can achieve that.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET A GOOD ENTRY INTO TURN ONE AT WATKINS GLEN TO SET UP THE ENTIRE LAP?

“I think it definitely matters. I think about it more in terms of a restart and track position is extremely important. You know, it’s really difficult to pass the leader there, especially now. So, the game has changed. Used to, it was all about how good of a launch you got, but now its about who is pushing you and how good of a push you are going to get. So, you are almost better off having a bad launch and the person behind you getting to you sooner than you are doing a good job of getting a good go at it. That is just the game that it’s turned into.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE MICHIGAN TRACK TO US?

“Yeah, I can try. When I say that, I think I am more referring to….heck, I don’t know what year this thing was paved, but it had to be 2012, 11, somewhere in there. Correct me if I am wrong, but that would be around my guess. Whatever asphalt they used, I wish they used it on the roads and the highways around the United States because it just doesn’t seem to age. It doesn’t seem to give away a lot of grip. It is changing color a little bit, but it certainly doesn’t seem like it has become anymore abrasive, or the grip level has gone down any. For that reason, the middle of the track is the dominant place on the road. The bottom is too flat to run at pace for a lengthy period of time. And the middle, because of the way the track is shaped, is the fastest way through and it has enough banking to make it work. I think the hope is, and I think it will age eventually, is to keep working it up and have a wider racing groove with the right amount of banking to run. I think that is what they are trying to achieve with the grippy stuff, and trying to promote us moving up. Yeah, it’s just that the place has a lot of grip. Still very fast and hasn’t really seemed to change. We will see if its any different this weekend, but I kind of doubt it.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Michigan Media Availability | Saturday, August 5, 2023

RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher met with the media Saturday to discuss this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Raceway, the series’ playoffs and more. Buescher enters this weekend as the most recent series’ winner, earning his first victory of the season at Richmond Raceway. Both Buescher and Keselowski are above the 16-driver cut-off line in the playoff standings.

Brad Keselowski: Co-Owner of RFK Racing, Driver of the No. 6 Nexlizet Ford Mustang
Chris Buescher: Driver of the No. 17 Castrol Edge Ford Mustang

HOW SATISFYING IS IT TO COME BACK TO MICHIGAN HAVING SEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS WITH RFK RACING SINCE THIS POINT LAST SEASON?

BRAD KESELOWSKI – “A lot of progress over the last 12 months. We started making progress immediately when I came in, it is just you don’t realize it. You make a lot of investments in people and equipment and none of them are light switches. I feel like about this time last year we really started to hit and some of our investments started to mature and then there were more during the off-season. Things really started to come together. I think from this point last year to the end of the year, both cars were easily top-15 cars. This year we took another step and are 11th and 13th in points. I think we still have more steps to go. I am super proud of the progress we have made the last 12 months but we need to make another leap to be a playoff-winning kind of cars. That is the next level for us that we are committed to. I am certainly proud of the progress we have made and being able to win races and compete for a lot more top fives and top-10’s and laps led. That is good to see and we are super proud of that.”

BRAD, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU WITH YOUR CURRENT PLAYOFF SITUATION?

KESELOWSKI – “I am way more confident in Chris’ playoff situation. His looks really good for us. We aren’t in a bad spot. We have four races left until the playoffs start and it would take three new winners for us to be knocked out. That is certainly possible but probably not likely. Ultimately we need to go out and perform and we can’t take anything for granted. I think we have something like a 150 point cushion on the cutoff line now and 100 on the next one if someone were to win. That feels pretty reasonable and I would take that over the alternative of not having a cushion or being behind, but it isn’t a guarantee. We have a good race track for us here in Michigan. This is a track I have had a number of really good runs and second place finishes and most laps led and stage points. I know all the Ford’s are loaded for bear and have worked really hard to make sure we have a strong showing here with our car prep for all of our cars. Hopefully that bodes well for Sunday. Ultimately you aren’t in until you are in and we aren’t in. I think if we were able to punch through and get both cars into the playoffs there are some really good races for us. Having won Bristol last fall with Chris, that track seems to suit our cars really well. Darlington was really good for us. Texas last year we ran really well. Homestead we had a great race. There are some tracks that really suit us well in the playoffs and I feel like if we can lock both cars in we will make some noise in the playoffs. FIrst things first though, we have to get both cars in.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR BOTH CARS TO ADVANCE INTO THE PLAYOFFS?

KESELOWSKI – “I think it is super critical but I have my own biases. I think putting both cars in and really kind of showing to ourselves and others that we are committed to having that depth across the entire company to be able to win and be a threat on any given Sunday with both cars is super critical to our long term standing in the sport.”

LOOKING AT THE NEXT TWO ROAD COURSES ON THE SERIES SCHEDULE, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT GETTING INTO TURN 1 AT THESE TRACKS?

CHRIS BUESCHER – “Road course racing has been a lot of fun and we have been very competitive at them. Fast race cars make me look too good at those kinds of places because it is not my background. We had fantastic speed at Indy last year. Both of us were very fast in that race. I think Brad had the fastest lap of the race. That is definitely one that we are looking at. Obviously lap one led to our highlight reel and being on fire and all that nonsense last year. We are definitely going to try to pay attention to that one and try to guard yourself against that. I think the cars have come a long way too and we have made some changes, the industry has, where we don’t have to worry about it in the same regard as we did at that point last year. Hopefully now we can get through it nice and clean because once you do and establish yourself in the running order it certainly cleans up a lot as we get into the race. As we look at what we did with Chicago and the restart zone, we were single-file there which I don’t think any of us minded but with the weather and everything it was kind of more out of necessity than wanting to be single-file. The restart zone helped clean up turn one which was a pretty big concern for all of us heading into the weekend and it ended up being a non-issue. I feel like some of the changes for Indy will certainly help that as well.”

“The changes, trying to move the restart zone and make it so we aren’t driving in there five-wide. I think that is the big part. You start on the front straightaway of Indy, if we would have been there at Chicago … COTA, you go into the corner five-wide and something has to give and it usually isn’t a driver, it is usually a toe link or a bumper or something because we are all a little hard headed. Anything we can do to help smooth that out will certainly be a big help.”

BRAD, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN OUT OF CHRIS THIS SEASON?

KESELOWSKI – “In fairness to some of my predecessors I didn’t bring him on, he was here before me, but I certainly wanted him to stay. I think Chris is very talented and has a very humble approach that is great for building a team and a framework that can be successful and enduring for years to come. So the roots are all there for him to be successful. I have felt like for a while that he was held back by the equipment that wasn’t on par with his level of talent and I am fully committed to making sure we have that level of equipment in all aspects of our business. I am not sure if I fully answered your questions but I think we are lucky to have Chris and it has been good for everybody.”

NEXT WEEK WILL BE NINE YEARS SINCE YOUR WIN AT MID-OHIO IN THE XFINITY SERIES. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MEMORIES OF THAT?

BUESCHER – “Man, time is flying. I do get to see them and talk to them from time to time. I don’t think I have seen them since probably pre-COVID in Charlotte a handful of years ago now. Another one of those road course wins that I guess started the wave. Obviously it was a special event to have Nationwide Children’s Hospital on the car for that one and the family there with us and in victory lane for that first win. It was certainly a fun one. I am sure that if it works out we will see them at another race. Mid-Ohio is their local track and we don’t go there in the Cup Series but I would vote for that one if someone asks. I would be in for it.”

IS THERE AN AREA OF DEVELOPMENT IN THIS GENERATION OF CAR THAT CAN OFFER MORE SPEED DISPARITIES?

KESELOWSKI – “Wow, I wasn’t really prepared for this one. I should have put more thought into this one. I think there are some open criteria that we do have that IndyCar doesn’t. Some of our engine criteria is open where IndyCar is more highly regulated. So there are some areas that I think are open for development and we do have a fairly robust aero program amongst the manufacturers which is somewhat generated from the teams. I would be hesitant to say there aren’t areas for development. I think there are. But certainly less than ever before. To specifically suggest a certain area, I don’t know if I have that idea at this time. But I will put some thought into it, I will tell you that. I think we do see disparities right now. They aren’t as prominent as they were. I think right now the majority of the fight and contest seems to be on the submission and homologation of the aerodynamics of the car. We see that fairly routinely through the years and it hasn’t changed fully through the NextGen. That will continue to surface. I feel like last year the Ford’s had a pretty good car. Arguably the best car through the homologation period and then this year pretty easily the worst car. Conversely, you could probably say Toyota had the worst car last year and this year the best. That seems to show itself more than what we have available to us on the team side. Those things flip and they flop here and there. You have to take advantage when you are on top and try to mitigate when you are behind. It is hard for me to say there is one area where NASCAR should just open the rule book. These cars were meant to tighten it up and they have done a good job of that. Maybe it can be argued that it is good or bad with respect to parity and passing but for the most part I think it has served our sport well.”

WE’RE FOUR WEEKS INTO SRX. HOW HAS IT BEEN SO FAR?

KESELOWSKI – “I had a great time seeing some of the local short tracks that make up our sport. That has been a blast. Seeing guys I haven’t seen in awhile. I had a chance to sit down and talk to Kasey Kahne and I haven’t seen him since he stopped running in NASCAR. I got to meet some of the IndyCar drivers that I knew but hadn’t had a chance to really talk to. Ken Schroeder and I shared some old NASCAR stories that I always had some questions about. I keep joking with people that it is like the senior tour series. I am not sure if I should be proud to be in it or not. I don’t feel that old, but they even have this latch so you can get in and out of the door easier. That hit me pretty hard. It has been fun. It is a nice little piece. Not being able to run the Xfinity Series, I miss those reps and being able to compete in those series. With the rules changes and the lack of availability for rides for the limited races you are allowed to run, it just hasn’t been an opportunity for me. This fills a nice gap for me in my life.”

HOW DOES THE NEW MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL IN THE XFINITY SERIES EFFECT A DECISION TO EXPAND THE RFK RACING OPERATION?

KESELOWSKI – “It is certainly very intriguing. I thought the announcement for the Xfinity Series was a big win for our industry to be on broadcast for all the races for that series. I think that gives us a high level of exposure for that series that hopefully transcends into whatever the media rights deal is for the Cup Series or at least compliments it in some way. I think that is an exciting moment for our sport which is probably not fully understood at this moment but if we fast forward the clock five or 10 years I think we will say that was a really nice win for the sport. It is yet to be seen what is going to happen with the Cup Series and Truck Series and I would be remiss to have an answer for you on what our level of involvement will be in the Xfinity Series but I would like to think that the series being broadcast would be able to attract the partners we would need to justify the level of investment it would take to run that series and ultimately that will be the deciding factor.”

BRAD, WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE WIN LAST WEEK FOR THE ORGANIZATION, DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT TO EXPAND TO THREE TEAMS?

KESELOWSKI – “I think we would definitely like to do that but it is easier said than done. For the time being I think we are quite satisfied with the relationship we are building with the Rick Ware Racing cars which allows us to kind of add some depth to our roster without going out and buying another charter right now. I think it is maybe well documented and maybe not but it is almost impossible to buy a charter. Nobody is selling one. Really no matter what your offer is you can’t buy one. I think there have been some people knocking on the door with a lot of money and the answer is that your money is not good anywhere. Everyone on the team owner side wants to see where the charter goes and where the TV media rights deal goes. So there are no charters even actively for sale right now. It will be interesting to see where that plays out over the next 24 months when this thing gets announced. Ultimately we would like to get to a third car. It has to be possible and right now it is not possible.”