NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY POLE WIN PRESS CONF.
OCTOBER 22, 2022

WILLIAM BYRON RECORDS FIRST POLE WIN OF 2022 AT HOMESTEAD
Five Camaro ZL1’s to Start in Top-10

· Defending Homestead-Miami Speedway NASCAR Cup Series winner, William Byron, laid down a lap of 32.454 seconds, at 166.389 mph, in his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to capture the pole position for tomorrow’s Dixie Vodka 400.

· This marks Byron’s first NASCAR Cup Series pole win of 2022; and his eighth career pole in 178 NASCAR Cup Series starts.

· Byron’s pole gives Chevrolet its 10th NASCAR Cup Series pole win of 2022; and 733rd all-time in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-20 STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1
3rd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
5th KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1
7th TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1
10th AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ED MORSE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP CAMARO ZL1
15th JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
20th ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st William Byron (Chevrolet)
2nd Christopher Bell (Toyota)
3rd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
4th John Hunter Nemechek (Toyota)
5th Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 – Pole Winner Press Conference Transcript

HOW DO YOU GO FROM BOTTOMING OUT EVERY LAP ONE WEEK, TO BEING ON THE POLE THE NEXT?

“No doubt. I’m glad we’re not hitting the ground this week, for sure. Last week was tough. Didn’t feel like we ever got it figured out throughout the weekend. We tried a lot of different things.

This week has been good. I felt like in practice, I was pretty happy with the car. I felt like I could move around. I got into some traffic and felt like I could do some things there and pass somewhat. It’s going to be a tough race, but our team loves this track. It’s a place that’s of high importance obviously with the Round of 8, so we’ll try to bring our best here.”

WITH THE PENALTIES FOR COLE (CUSTER) AFTER CHARLOTTE, TO BUBBA (WALLACE) LAST WEEK; HAS NASCAR SENT A MESSAGE AT ALL TO DRIVERS AND HAVE THOSE PENALTIES CHANGED WHAT YOUR OWN PERSONAL LINE OF WHAT YOU WOULD DO?

“Yeah, I think everyone kind of has their own idea of how they race and react to things. I try to keep my emotions in check and just try to stay focused on the task. Tomorrow the task is to run 40 or so laps on tires and that’s going to be difficult. You’re going to be up against the fence and with a chance to hit it and things like that. So, I’m just focused on that and try to block out all of the other stuff. Certainly, I think we know where NASCAR stands and know what they’re willing to do. Just try to race the way that I want to race and try not to get too emotional.”

HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS IT TO START FROM THE POLE POSITION HERE AT HOMESTEAD?

“I don’t think it means a lot, honestly. Anywhere in that top-10 would be a good place to start. I think we could start first and not get stage points if we’re not careful; if we don’t have the balance right and I don’t do the right thing as a driver. So it’s not like a guaranteed point gain or anything like that. I would say the pit stall is good; I’m happy with that part of it. And just the momentum for the team. We’ve tried to get poles this year. We’ve come close; third, second, kind of all around that area. But it’s nice to kind of just knock that off the list. That’s one of the things you want to do going into a season, is to win a pole. It shows where our team is and hopefully that’s a good sign.”

AS A RECIPIENT OF ONE OF NASCAR’S RETALIATION PENALTIES, WE’VE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT A LOT OF PENALTIES SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE PAST AND IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE ANYBODY HAS TECHNICALLY BEEN SUSPENDED. THE SUSPENSION, DO YOU THINK THAT’S A LINE IN THE SAND? DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR LINE IS NOW?

“Yeah, every situation is different I think. That’s the biggest thing. But yeah, like I said, we know where they stand. We know what penalties are what and we’ll go forward.”

FOR YOU, GETTING OUT OF HERE THIS WEEK AND GOING INTO MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEKEND, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT RACE WILL BE LIKE.. CALM? CHAOTIC?

“Chaotic, I think, because you can’t really pass. We had a good car there in the spring and there were probably better cars than me on the long run that couldn’t pass me. So yeah, I think it’s going to be chaotic because you can’t pass. Anywhere that you have a hard time passing, it’s going to create chaotic restarts and people are going to do things that they know they have to do because you can’t get the track position later in the run.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE IN THE POINTS FOR YOU? ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BECAUSE YOU’RE STILL WITHIN REASONABLE REACH OF GETTING IN THERE? ARE YOU WORRIED OR CALM?

“I’m just trying to be the same. I think it’s good to be where we are and the position we’re in. I just try not to stress out. Just try to approach it the same. I’m going to drive it as hard as I can regardless of the situation. I’m just going to rely on my team to make me situationally aware of who I’m racing and for what position. The easiest way to do it is to win and that’s what we try to do all of the time, but definitely this time of year, it’s really critical.”

SAY YOU MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4.. IS THIS LIVING YOUR DREAM? WHAT PRESSURE IS IT FOR YOU TO GO OUT THERE AND TRY TO BRING HOME A CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS HAD THE PAST TWO?

“I don’t think it’s any pressure. I think that the pressure would be if I was running 20th and my teammate was winning or something. I think just trying to compete within our team and try to be the best that I can be is my ultimate goal. If it happens, it happens. If not, it doesn’t. But if we’re in the mix and we’re where we are, that’s all you can really ask for. You just try to execute the best that you can in those situations. It really just goes back to the studying that you do and the preparation, and hopefully all of those things equate to success. You never know, but you just try to put yourself in those positions is the first goal. I don’t think there’s any pressure once you’re in those positions.”

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
Dixie Vodka 400 Qualifying | Saturday, October 22, 2022

FORD QUALIFYING RESULTS
8th – Chris Buescher
9th – Brad Keselowski
13th – Ryan Blaney
16th – Kevin Harvick
17th – Joey Logano
18th – Michael McDowell
19th – Chase Briscoe
21st – Harrison Burton
25th – Cole Custer
26th – Austin Cindric
29th – Todd Gilliland
34th – JJ Yeley
35th – BJ McLeod
36th – Cody Ware

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang — Media Availability

DID YOU TALK TO BUBBA WALLACE AT ALL THIS WEEK AND WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO HIS SUSPENSION FROM NASCAR? “Yeah, I spoke to him. I didn’t speak about that, but it is NASCAR’s decision. Whatever they thought was the right thing to do in that case. I don’t really speak on too many instances I am not involved in. That is a NASCAR judgment call and they did what they thought was fit for it.”

WITH THE COLE CUSTER PENALTY A WEEK BEFORE AND NOW THIS PENALTY FOR BUBBA, HAS THAT SENT A MESSAGE TO YOU DRIVERS? HAS IT CHANGED YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU MIGHT DO IN THOSE SITUATIONS? “No really. I personally think it is good that NASCAR is putting the law down, the hammer down on things that they think are wrong and that they want to act. That is the only way you can kind of police it. You have to do those things. At the end of the day, it is their call. If they see something that they don’t like, I expect them to act on it and they have the last couple of weeks. It doesn’t change the approach of the way I do anything. In my mind, you never think about if I do something malicious with intent or something like that that you can get away with it. You always think there will be law and order. I personally like that they are enforcing things and that is the way it should be. That is why they are the sanctioning body.”

WHAT HAS THE WEEK BEEN LIKE FOR YOU MOVING ON PAST LAS VEGAS? “It was good. I went grocery shopping and watched dad test at the dirt track at Charlotte. That was fun. Then I got ready for here. You talk to everybody when you go in the race shop on Monday and Tuesday when you see your guys and we get over things pretty quick. That was a single incident that was my bad last week. I just tried too hard and ended up wrecking. You apologize for that. We are one big group so they understand when I mess up and I understand when they mess up and we move forward. We had that deal and then we quickly turned to Homestead and what we need to do to run well and win the race and try to put ourselves in a good spot going to Martinsville next week.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN A MUST-WIN SCENARIO? “I don’t think we are in a must-win. After I wrecked last week I thought I was going to be way more points out than I actually am. The stages we ran really good, so luckily we had those. You never know what can happen. I think you can make up those points in the next two races but I would sure like to win this weekend but I don’t think we are in a must-win situation.”

WHAT HAS STOOD OUT TO YOU ABOUT JOEY LOGANO AND THE 22 TEAM THIS YEAR AND WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO? “I think they have just been really consistent. Winning as much as they have and showing up with good speed, I think it is something that he and Paul Wolfe do a really good job at is working through the race. Especially from practice to the race. I sit in all the meetings, obviously, and sometimes they are way off in practice and not happy with their stuff but they do a really good job of talking through it and getting better in the race and predicting what the track will do. You try to learn from that, obviously, as much as you can. They just do a great job of getting to where they need to be, even if they aren’t in the best spot the day before or even at the start of the race they do a great job of getting better. I commend them for that. They have really shown strength this year and a lot of strength last week to earn a spot at Phoenix. It would be really nice to join them.”

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO IMPROVE ON? WHAT ARE YOUR STRONG POINTS AND WEAK POINTS IN THE CAR? “Joey and Paul are very well-seasoned veterans of the sport. They have been around a long time and do a great job looking at the bigger picture of things. That is something that I try to do better, that exact same thing, look ahead to the bigger picture more than right in front of me in the moment. They do a really good job of that. That is something that myself and Jonathan, who has been on vacation the last few weeks, but Miles has done a great job stepping in. I think when Jonathan comes back that is something we can improve on. It is his first full year crew chiefing and that is something we can really work on, planning ahead better. I think we do a good job at it now but I can definitely do a better job at that, for sure. You try to learn from people who are really good and surround yourself with good people. We have that, we just have to apply all those things.”

FOR NEXT WEEK WITH MARTINSVILLE, DO YOU SEE THAT RACE AS CALM OR CHAOTIC NEXT WEEK? “I feel like that race always gets pretty wild. I hope the racing there is better than in the spring. I don’t know how it is going to be any better or different than the spring with no changes really. I think it will be wild. You are going to have, let’s say a playoff guy wins tomorrow, you are going to have six guys trying for two spots. So it can definitely be chaotic. I think you have to prepare yourself for anything. That race is a long one. You have to be there at the end of that thing and be aggressive to position yourself towards the front. Qualifying there was really important. Joey and I qualified really bad there in the spring. Our race runs were great but we got to third and fourth and you were a lot better than first or second but you can’t pass them. You can’t even get to them to lay the bumper to them. We will see but I think it will be pretty aggressive next week per usual.”

DOES IT FEEL LIKE THE AGGRESSION HAS BEEN MORE THIS SEASON THAN IN THE PAST? “A little bit. I feel like that has been kind of the story all year. I feel like we have talked about it all year of the racing being more aggressive than it has in the past. I just think there is an emphasis on winning. It is weird because winning means the same now as it did in years prior where if you win you are in. It is the same deal but I just think it is so hard to win and these cars are so sturdy that you can be more aggressive with these cars as far as laying the bumper to somebody or dooring somebody. You aren’t going to get tire rubs or things like that. I think that plays into it a little bit. I feel like restarts have been super aggressive because track position is so important. I feel like track position now is probably the most important than it has ever been because it is so hard to make it back through the field. A, because the cars are so close and it is hard to get around guys. B, because the cars can be put into situations where in traffic they are kind of a nightmare. It has definitely put a bigger emphasis on being aggressive. In the playoffs, I don’t think the playoffs have been any more aggressive than the regular season, any different than the regular season to post-season jump that we see any other year and that spike in aggression levels. I don’t think it has been any more aggressive than I expected. It has been fine in my book.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 22, 2022

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

YOU MAY BE ONE OF THOSE THAT IS OWED ONE. HOW DO YOU APPROACH IT HERE AND AT MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEK?

“Go race. I think that is what is so great about this sport, is that every seven days we pack up and move the circus to another town and we do it all again. I feel like I am in a good spot in the garage. The summer was definitely tough, and I learned a lot from a lot of that and we will continue to learn and evolve throughout this sport and this series. It’s incredible to race against your heroes, but it’s kind of odd and humbling when your heroes get mad at you. So, it’s been a learning experience for sure.”

WITH THIS BEING A LEARNING EXPERIENCE, WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

“Just that there are so many races and so many opportunities to pass, and it’s not always about the here and now. I had to stop living in the moment of each lap and definitely race with a mindset of a broader look across the whole season and see that the entire body of work will get me a lot farther than one pass and not caring about what happens. Just putting a lot at risk for like seventh and why did that really matter, and just looking at the whole body of the season. Especially with the speed that we have had and letting the car do a lot of the work for me, then when we get in those positions to win or to go for that spot late, it becomes a whole lot easier when you have just done it a better way two months before. These guys have incredible memories and as I have evolved and learned, it’s been easier to race and that has been nice.”

REGARDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FANS GIVEN YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHERE YOU CAME FROM.

“Yes, it is, it’s incredible. We are known in South Florida for farming and agriculture. We are not known for racing. The Chastain family is not a namesake in the sport, so I didn’t come in with a predisposed reputation of my dad. My dad raced locally down here in South Florida, but it wasn’t on this stage. So, we have built up our fanbase kind of at a grassroots level through the Melon Man Brand and through my racing in the last decade in this sport. I probably haven’t done myself a lot of favors with my social media and my online presence to push myself. That’s just not me and I am not one that is just going to willingly and naturally go and just post selfie videos and do YouTube Channels. My group has to push me. But I have surrounded myself with people and we are evolving and learning how to present ourselves on social media. I think that and the speed of the Trackhouse cars has created a lot more cheers at driver intros. And some boos, right? Along the way, I didn’t do myself any favors in those moments in the summer when the spotlight was on us, and I got out and my post-race interviews were not appealing. I look back and I wouldn’t root for that guy. That guy drives one way and he talks another, and he doesn’t know what he wants and he apologizes. So yeah, I get it and that is part of the evolution I think.”

DO THE BOOS BOTHER YOU AT ALL OR IT IS WHAT IT IS AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT?

“You know, it’s funny because when I hear them, I almost smile because it’s wild. It’s wild that people care enough about me and my racing career – I think that’s why they’re booing me at least – that they want to boo me.

A smile has just kind of been my natural reaction. It’s different, right? It’s not something that as a kid, no kid wants to get booed. You don’t want to get booed on the playground at recess and you don’t want to be booed at a NASCAR race. But I’m a big boy now and I’ve learned that it’s going to happen. We get a lot more cheers than boos, I can say that.”

DENNY (HAMLIN) WAS ON DANICA (PATRICK’S) PODCAST THE OTHER DAY AND HE SAID THAT WHEN YOU GUYS WENT TO BREAKFAST, YOU SAID WHEN YOU GREW UP RACING, YOU HAD TO KNOCK SOMEBODY OUT OF THE WAY TO PASS PRETTY MUCH. IF THAT’S ACCURATE, WHEN DID IT OCCUR TO YOU THAT’S NOT THE WAY EVERYBODY GREW UP RACING AND THAT’S NOT THE WAY EVERYBODY RACES?

“I think people remember things in a better light than they might have actually been. Like we remember the good old days a little better than the old days might have actually been. I grew up with guys at a Saturday night short track over on the west coast of Florida. And yeah, that was Randy Fox; he crashed and fought for seventh in a late model race. He had beverages after and hung out all night in the pits after the race. I don’t think it was this perfect little race track in Virginia that everybody raced so eloquently. I just think the good old days might be being remembered a little better than they actually were.

Some of the things that I did throughout the summer, looking back, I would do them different. Some of it would just be my stance after the race that I would do different. But a lot of on-track stuff, I could definitely clean up. In the Cup Series, I’ve never driven cars this fast and I wanted to just take full advantage of it because I thought it might go away. Now, as I’ve seen throughout the playoffs, what’s really opened my eyes – Trackhouse’s arrival here is to stay. We’re not just a flash in pan early in the season when the car was fresh and nobody really knew how the springs and shocks were.

The guys that I raced against growing up – I watched them when I was running the pro trucks and they were in late models. When I got into late models, and the pro trucks as well, it’s just slammed or be slammed. So I think the good old days are being remembered better than they were.”

YOU MENTIONED YOUR FAMILY AND OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE FROM ALVA, OVER BY FORT MYERS. HURRICAN IAN DID A LOT OF DAMAGE OVER THERE. HAVE YOU BEEN BACK? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE?

“I have not been back. I was there about a week or so before it hit and everybody was kind of getting ready. But it’s a hurricane.. they come every so often. When it hit, it was a big deal. The coast took the brunt of it. We’re inland a little bit. Our houses are fine and everybody is living in their homes now. A little roof damage here and there; a little screen porch damage. But the main thing was just the amount of water that came on shore. We have neighbors and friends that their houses flooded. A lot of my family is here for my race and Chad’s (Chastain, brother) race this weekend. They’re just like ‘we’re ready to take a break’. The cleanup and the rebuilding is going to be for years. They just wanted to come enjoy the race and it’ll all be there on Monday when we drive back. But they just keep telling me that I won’t believe it when I do see it, even when I come back after Phoenix at some point. They are like you will not be able to comprehend what it looks like. It just looks like another country; something you would see on the news, on TV or online.

For the farm, we pretty much survived. There’s some damage and some pull barns are down, but our main facility stayed up and offices are in working orders. We’ll be shipping watermelons just like we always have.”

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE HIGH WATER MARK OF YOUR CAREER, IN TERMS OF COMPETING FOR A MAJOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT – HOW DIFFICULT IS IT – TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE TODAY INSTEAD OF LETTING YOURSELF WANDER OFF DOWN THE PATH TO ‘IN TWO WEEKS, WE COULD BE RACING FOR THE CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP’?

“High mark, so far. Luckily, for me, I can compartmentalize. I had a conversation this week and what we were describing, me and this person, we were talking about their life. They felt like their life is one big box and everything was always intermingled and all the wires were connected. I was like I think mine is box, by box, by box. I open one box and all the other boxes automatically shut. That’s just how I’m wired. I think that’s what makes part of my racing ability, for better or worse, what it is. I’m not saying I’m full-blown gold fish, but about every lap, it feels like a new lap. When I come back around, I have a new expectation of what I can do and it doesn’t have a lot of bearing. Yeah, I take each lap and build my notebook throughout the weekend, my race, my career and my life. But I can go lap-by-lap a lot easier than if you ask me to think about something two weeks from now. I’m in Homestead.. I haven’t even put any thought into Martinsville, let alone Phoenix. Those that know me, know it’s not just a sweet answer up here. It’s the truth, for better or worse sometimes. Sometimes it’s not a good thing.”

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU’VE COME TO YOUR HOME TRACK BEING A CUP WINNER AND YOU’RE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS. WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE FOR YOU TO BE HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT?

“The nerves side is an easy one to talk about. I have less nerves than I did a couple years ago when I came here for a Truck championship with Niece Motorsports in 2019. That was the first time that had ever happened. That was the first time I had ever been in the playoffs; made a run and we were here fighting for a championship. That definitely had a lot more nerves.

This weekend, my brother is running the truck race. Honestly, I get more nervous for that, as odd as that sounds. I’m way more fine with the Cup race and doing everything I need to do with my group. But when I don’t have control when he’s out racing.. I just wish I could have control and I don’t. It’s their deal, it’s his team. I’m just up in the grandstands by myself fidgeting. Those two things take my mind off of how serious what we’re doing with the No. 1 Chevy right now. But it feels good.. it feels really good to see the smiles of my family and friends. Guys that let me drive race cars when I was 14 years old. There were only a few that weren’t my dad and a couple of those guys are here. Just enjoying the weekend living out all of our dreams of racing in the Cup Series. It was their dreams too and they’re living it through me.”

YOU SAID EARLIER IN THE YEAR, PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT TRACKHOUSE RACING WAS A FLASH IN THE PAN AND WOULDN’T MAKE IT TO THIS LEVEL. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT TRACKHOUSE THIS YEAR, BEHIND THE SCENES, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORGANIZATION TO GET YOU AND DANIEL (SUAREZ) TO WHERE YOUR AT?

“It starts with this car. This is an unprecedented move by NASCAR and the France family to roll out this car. Everything that it stands for is why Trackhouse Racing is here in the first place. Justin (Marks) would not have gone on this endeavor of Cup racing.. he’s smart enough to know he was never going to catchup with the old car. So that’s why we got here.

As we got here, I don’t know enough about race cars to truly know why our cars go as fast as they do. I know the things we do; I know the procedures we have in place. We think we know that we’re doing the right thing, but it’s racing. Somebody can always build a better box.

For me, throughout the year, just continuing to have that speed is why we’re not just a quick blimp on the Cup Series radar. This is our arrival. I’m not going to sit up here and tell you I know why our cars go fast.. that’s for somebody way smarter than me. I just drive them.”

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 22, 2022

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 PRINCESS CRUISES CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

HOW WOULD YOU RANK THE SUCCESS THIS YEAR AND DID YOU SEE THIS COMING LAST YEAR?

Yeah, I think that the season has been good. Its tough, because as a race car driver, I am very greedy. If I don’t win the championship, I wouldn’t say that it is a perfect season. With that being said, I feel that it was a huge step from first year of Trackhouse to second year of Trackhouse. Right now, I feel like we are working hard to build up our house, and we have done that. I feel like the 99 team has a lot of things still to prove. And for me, with how we are running, I know that there is potential for more, and that is very exciting. I am very happy with where I am, I am very happy with Trackhouse, and the 99 team. I have an amazing team and we are going to continue to fight. I wish I was still in the playoffs and fighting for a championship, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us. But we have the speed and honestly everything to give these guys a fight. We are going to continue to do that and close this season as strong as possible so we can start building momentum for next year.”

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TEST HERE, AND HOW MUCH THE TIRES DROP OFF. HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT DRIVERS PUSHING OUT TO THE OUTSIDE WALL AND HOW QUICKLY WILL THAT HAPPEN?

“Very, very quickly. Honestly probably the fastest I ever remember. The last time we were here, before the Next Gen car, we were in a high downforce package. So the last time we were here with a lower downforce package was a long time ago and honestly, in the long run, it feels that way. It feels like you don’t have any grip. But it is fun. I think that is going to make the racing very, very fun and I think you guys are going to enjoy that. I think that when we start, and in the first 10 laps, you guys are going to see cars like bees – everywhere. Then slowly we are going to be migrating to the top like we have always done. We will see what happens, but I think in the long run, it is going to be tough to pass. That is reality, but it has always been that way here. So, once everyone migrates to the top, its going to be tough to pass because everyone is going to be running very, very close to the wall. But we will see how it works. It is pretty free and if you are too free, maybe you can’t run the wall. There are going to be a few options and there are a few things I have in my mind, and we will see how things play out.”

WITH THE PENALITIES TO COLE (CUSTER) AND BUBBA (WALLACE), DID A: NASCAR SEND A MESSAGE AND B: DID IT CHANGE ANY OF YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT YOU MIGHT DO TO HELP ROSS (CHASTAIN) AND WHAT YOU MIGHT DO IN THINKING ABOUT RETALIATION?

“Honestly, it hasn’t changed anything in the way that I think or the way that I do things. Because in my opinion, all those moves were extremely, extremely dumb. Both of them. And with both of them, I was going to be extremely surprised if they were not penalties. Like before even those situations happened, I would never do something like that. Not that clear, you have to be smarter. I don’t know what those guys were thinking. I am glad NASCAR is reacting to this, because when is too much? When is too much of helping a teammate? People know I want to race, and I race everyone very hard. But in the next few weeks, I am going to race Ross, not super hard. Just because he is my teammate, and I know what is ahead of him. I am going to keep racing him hard, and I will never give up a win to help him. But definitely, my level of aggression toward my teammate right now, is going to be a little bit lower. But I will never brake to give up a position and I know the consequences of that. That is not professional. The same thing in wrecking somebody in the way it happened last week, its not smart, especially with everything that is happening right now. Honestly I am glad NASCAR stepped in and they were able to put everyone in their places because it was too much.”

IS IT ONLY NATURAL THAT WHEN YOU COME TO SOUTH FLORIDA, YOU JUST FEEL A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE? YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR PEOPLE SAYING VAMOS IN THE STANDS AND ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS. DO YOU FEEL SOME COMFORTS OF KIND OF LIKE HOME?

“Yeah, definitely, I definitely do. There are a lot of people that are talking to me in Spanish and everything starts I would say driving to the racetrack. If you turn on the radio and you start flipping stations, everything is in Spanish. Then we get to the racetrack and most of the security people speak Spanish. So, the energy just feels different, and they make me feel like home. And that feels very amazing. I really feel good and its hard to explain that to people. I don’t expect everyone to understand this, but me being away from home 98% of the time, I am able to have this experience and it feels very good. Miami is this way and there are many racetracks that are this way. Texas, every single race on the west coast, and yeah, I really feel more like home in coming to places like this. And I know that there are going to be a lot of fans speaking to me in Spanish and bringing some Mexican flags. We have a lot of support and that is something that I really enjoy a lot.”

DOES IT FEEL LIKE THE RACING IS A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THIS YEAR IN THE PLAYOFFS THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST OR IS IT JUST BECAUSE ITS PRESENT TIME AND WE THINK LIKE THAT?

“You, know, that is a very good question. Good or bad, I think I have a very short memory when it comes to that kind of stuff. I think back then, last year, I think the racing was pretty aggressive as well. But I think that just because of the package, It was aggressive for longer because everyone was more tied together with a high downforce package and less power. Right now, I feel like its kind of a hybrid between the high downforce that we used to have and the low downforce that we used to have. But I think that we seem to race equally aggressive. Last week I had a pretty good experience because I was in the front the whole first half of the race in Stage 1 and 2. I was top five, top two, leading the race and I thought ‘man, we got this’. Then we had a very bad pit stop and I went to the back, and I was like ‘holy…,this is where the dogfight is’. So yeah, everyone has been very aggressive, especially in Stage 3, but yeah, as a race car driver I enjoy that. But yeah, just seeing everyone in the present right now, we see everyone being very aggressive and I feel that everyone enjoys that. You guys, media, and us as drivers as well.”

REGARDING RETALIATION, MARTINSVILLE AND THE END OF THE SEASON AND MAYBE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO PAY THAT BACK

“Yes, we can. You just have to be smart about it. You can’t do it the way that (Bubba) Wallace did it, that is completely unacceptable. But retaliation is not wrecking somebody like that. With retaliation, you can put someone in the wall a little bit. NASCAR won’t penalize you for that. But what happened last week, it was just over the line.”

DO YOU SEE MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEK AS BEING KIND OF CHAOS WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT OWE PEOPLE HERE AND THERE?

“You know, the way that I see it is that there are a couple of guys that owe me something. But the way that I see it is that you don’t, and this is just my opinion, I don’t wait for Martinsville to say, ‘okay, these two guys owe me something, I am going to pay them back at Martinsville’. I don’t think it works like that. The way that I think it works is that it just comes to you. If one day that guy that did something to you is close to you, and for some reason you are struggling, maybe that is the day that you are going to give that back. Again, its not wrecking, its just to give that person a very impossible life and maybe put them in the wall a little bit to remind him, ‘hey, remember what happened a few months ago?’. It happens and I don’t think you wait for one racetrack to do those things. I think the moment just presents itself.”

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