After an encouraging practice session, Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang will have to start Sunday’s 65th annual Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway from the rear of the pack.

The Menards/Dutch Boy team showed good speed in Saturday’s practice session. Burton posted the 12th-fastest time in the session. His best lap, at 115.276 miles per hour, came on the third of the 47 laps he ran.

He was eighth fastest among drivers who ran 10 consecutive laps, averaging 114.089 mph over the first 10 laps he ran in the session. He and Ford teammate Joey Logano ran the most laps of any drivers in practice.

During the qualifying, Burton was one of the first drivers out on a track that significantly picked up speed as the session went on. He wound up 30th with lap at 113.900 mph, but there was an issue with the car’s master switch.

The Menards/Dutch Boy team plans to replace the switch prior to the start of the race. That’s considered an unapproved adjustment, and therefore the team will be sent to the back of the starting field.

Sunday’s 400-lap, 300-mile race is set to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. with TV coverage on USA Network.

Stage breaks are scheduled for Laps 70 and 230.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

Toyota Racing – Kyle Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

RICHMOND, Va. (August 13, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to media prior to the Richmond Raceway race this Saturday:

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Is there anything you do to try to change you luck from your routine or anything else?

“No, not really. I’ve had some bad luck spells I guess in the past and you just always kind of wonder when it’s going to be over and you can finally focus on getting the finishes that you deserve or that you would hope to, to get just based off of your performances and not something bad happening to you taking you out of a running.”

Does Kurt’s possible future in the No. 45 give you a potential option for 2023 if he doesn’t return?

“I mean, I guess it could. I don’t know that it’s necessarily been a prospect. So obviously I want him to be able to do what he (Kurt Busch) wants to do and go out the way he wants to go out. You know, I kind of talked about that where he and I just had a conversation where you know, he’s like, ‘Pocono qualifying crash isn’t necessarily the best way of going out.’ I’m like, 1,000% right, you know, so I just wish him the best that he can continue to get better and feel better and get through the processes of what this is. It’s nothing like breaking a bone and being out, you know, with an arm injury or leg injury, foot injury, anything like that. Obviously it’s the melon on top of your head that’s very important to your well-being going forward. And so just hope that all of that can go well for him and he can get back as soon and as safely as possible.”

Is it comforting to know that Toyota is doing everything possible to keep you in the family for 2023?

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that’s obviously, you know, a strong suit. I had a relationship with this manufacturer and this team – Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing — for 15 years. I mean, that’s nothing to bat an eye at, you know, so we’ve had some, some really strong runs and some great results. We’ve won championships and 50-something races together. And, you know, obviously to continue on with that – my dream was to always have the chance of being able to go out when I want to and retire when I want to and sort of do the Ivan Stewart ‘Ironman’ deal with Toyota where he’s kind of a lifer. You know what I mean, he goes to all the Toyota functions and all the Toyota things and he’s one of those guys that man, whenever you’re at one of those things, and you see ‘Ironman’ Ivan Stewart hanging around you know, it’s really awesome to see the brand tie that he has, and that was always kind of my thought of being the NASCAR guy in in the Toyota realm and being one that’s been the most successful driver for that manufacturer here in the NASCAR ranks. So, you know, we’d love to have that opportunity. It’s just a matter of being able to put all the pieces in the right places. And you know, it’s not as simple as a seven-year-old puzzle. It’s about a 50-year-old puzzle, just with the amount of pieces and how long this thing has been taken. So we’re still working through all that.”

Do you expect more teams to be part of a limited pit stop strategy in the final stage like the spring race?

“I think if you play the same race over again, it’s going to be a two stopper in the final stage. No question. I think everybody will jump on that. It’s also 20 degrees hotter than it was here the first time around. So tire wear and fall off is going to be worse. So you will be based off of the mathematics it’ll be a two stopper.”

Where are things with Kyle Busch Motorsports for 2023? Are things on hold until your deal is figured out for next season?

No, I wouldn’t say it’s on hold. It’s at the forefront in the discussions. You know, each and every week and people that you talk to, that’s obviously one if not probably the second question that gets asked. So it’s high up there for sure. And that’s probably why it’s taking a little bit longer than what it should. And so just working through those pieces. Again, the puzzle is not as easy and as simple as it may seem from the outside. So which that answers a lot of other questions in in my career and in my entirety. I’m not as simple as it may seem. Ever. Being able to put all of that together is not as easy as it seems. So we’re again trying to work through that. So this is the second time I’ve gone through this. The last time I went through this was 15 years ago. The landscape of the sport was entirely different 15 years ago. And so this to me, you know that I had a runway of 20 to 25 years ahead of me, you know, so I had probably a little bit more runway to stand on. And I understand that, I get that. But to me this situation right now is very important to me, as well as Kyle Busch Motorsports. Because wherever this next place is, whether it’s Joe Gibbs Racing or whoever. I would like it to not have to go through this again, right? I’ve got six, seven, maybe eight more years if I play all this out perfectly. Brexton and I we share a truck when he turns 16 years old when he’s 16 and 17. And then it’s his when he’s 18. And I’m done. I’m out. You know what I mean? Like that’s the perfect play. And so, if I can align all of that, you know, the runway does exist for a Busch. Obviously he’s pretty talented. He wins a lot. He wins more than I do. I hear about it every day. So the runway for him, if you want to look at it that way is 30 years plus so you know he can he can carry on this legacy a hell of a lot longer than I will.”

What type of wake-up call will it be for Kimi Raikkonen next weekend at Watkins Glen?

“I hope he’s at least watched a couple of these races at road courses and seen what the end turns into. You know, Indy is entirely different than Watkins Glen. You know, five wide into a two lane corner where the Glen you don’t really miss you don’t really get up to big speed before you got to break for turn one. So two, three wide is kind of the norm through there. But yeah, there’s always contact and stuff like that. So you know, hopefully we can all just be smarter about it and more respectful about it. But that’s probably asking too much.”

Has this been one of the most mentally challenging seasons of your career?

“Yeah, for sure. Please hold. Getting my facts straight here. All right. So let’s throw some facts which is performance on top of the optics which is results right. Sonoma collectively JGR, we all sucked. Nashville we repeat and led the most laps coulda, shoulda won the race barring a strategy call at the end. Road America driver made a mistake, pit road over the wall too soon. Speeding penalty, race went green to the end. Atlanta, good car drove from 19th to the top three in the opening run. We had a hiccup on pit road. We were involved in the next crash. New Hampshire we spun twice. We weren’t very good. Our team, teammates were a little bit better than us obviously. Still was able to salvage 12th. Pocono, one of the top three best cars all day led the most laps finish second before the room the doom and then the Indy road course obviously, we were probably a 10th to 12th place car, we put ourselves inside the top 10. We just passed the 2 (Austin Cindric) car leading into the second to the last caution of the day. And the 2 car ended up finishing second making his way through all the chaos at the end, and we did not so I think we’re I finished 11th on that one. So was still able to come from 24th to 11th on the last restart, so a lot of bad luck in there. And that’s not indicative of how we’ve been running. So if we can just finish how we’ve been running. We’re no slouch. I feel like we’re still contenders.”

Does it make sense to continue running the Indianapolis road course or is there something that should be changed?

“Sure, I mean, you can change anything you want to. We can go we can throw the green flag going through the esses if you want. But I don’t know. Other guys have kind of had just through rumblings I’ve heard is single file restarts, you know, throw the green coming out of 13 where we all kind of accelerate through 14 and then we’re all a little bit more spread out and you have a different shot at turn one, not so packed up so tight. So there’s all kinds of different things that you can do. I think that restarting early single file is something IndyCar guys do or something. So that’s kind of where that idea maybe stemmed from but yeah, or you can just go back to the oval and make Indy what it really Indy is meant to be and go run the oval with our cars. So yeah, I would think from the driver standpoint, we would all like to go see the Indy oval and see what it looks like and be back on hallowed ground if you will, but you know as far as action and calamity and destruction, if that’s what you’re into and keep us where we’re at. Don’t change a thing.”

Is there a team strategy to get Martin Truex Jr.

“Oh, man, if we’re in Richmond, that’s a bad question. That’s a bad question. I have an itch. No, race it out. Play it as it is. You know, that’s all you can do.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

RICHMOND, Va. (August 13, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media prior to the Richmond Raceway race this Saturday:

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Has everything that can be learned about this race car been learned before we get into the Playoffs?

“I think we’ve learned quite a bit in the first you know, two thirds of the season or whatever the number might be, but I think certainly we know a lot more and certainly after we’ve gone through all these different track types. You know, we’ve seen trends from certain types of tracks. We’ve got a good understanding of it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we can always kind of fix what we want to fix because of, you know, the rules and the tolerances being so tight.”

How concerned are you about Kurt Busch?

“I mean, it’s concerning for sure. You know, mostly concerned for his health. And not really for the race team. Just, you know, we want to give him all the time he needs and, you know, this is proof that he’s doing his doing right by his body and making sure he’s back to 100%. I think that other drivers maybe in the past probably maybe would have just kind of been able to get some tests passed and gone out there and race but he wants to be 100% Because it’s just, you know, no one race or season or whatever it might be as important as your overall health and long term.”

How does having Kimi Raikkonen in the Watkins Glen race change your approach to next week’s road course race?

“It doesn’t change the dynamic of the race. I don’t think you no unless it does. I mean, I think that you know, it’s a a great opportunity for him and track house and whatnot. But as far as like, being a contender to like brace for the winner, I don’t think that’s a possibility. Just simply because it does take time just you know, you know, it’s just do look at the people that have been successful in stock cars coming from an open wheel background. It takes a long time other than you got these anomalies like Tony Stewart and a few others want. Montoya took a little bit of time but it’s just it’s just really difficult because everyone has gotten so much better. And especially with the information, the data they’ve gotten nowadays, all those all the drivers that are in the field now have really stepped up dramatically. So I think it’s a good thing for our sport to get some good publicity. But other than that, I’m not really sure that it changes dynamic of the race too much.”

Is there any concern that Kurt Busch may not come back and are you thinking ahead to 2023 contingency plans?

“I mean, we’re always thinking about it. We’re as forward thinking as you can possibly be as a race team. But you know, ultimately we are not and we can’t rush current self but we always are. Trying to come up with contingency plans based off of any other scenario that might get thrown our way.”

Can you evaluate Ty Gibbs’ performance in the No. 45 Camry as a fill-in driver for Kurt Busch?

“I think he’s done a good job for sure. I think that I think he certainly realizes this you know the difference between explaining and cup is a big old tall one. You know, these guys over here, don’t mess around too much. And so it’s, it’s tough. And so, you know, Ty (Gibbs), I think he’s done really good considering of what we’ve asked him to do and that’s keep his nose clean, keep that 45 car in a good position. In the owner’s playoffs, you know, that’s really important for us financially. So it’s, it’s important and he’s really done a good job for us to do that. And then he took a fast car last week obviously made a mistake late in that race, but he took it and he maximized his day. So I think he did a really good job and certainly, we’re happy with the job he’s been doing for us thus far.”

Can you use a similar strategy for this race that you did from the spring with relation to number of pit stops and tire wear?

“Just depends whether the fall off is the same. You know, ultimately, computer programs are going to say, tell the true story and whether it’s the right thing to do or not, but you’ve it’s if the fall off is less this time, then two stops won’t work because there’ll be farther out. They won’t drop off as far in the long run. It just kind of depends on what the how the race is playing out. With the strategy is who’s up front when that’s happening? All that is part of a program that makes it so hard for us to do with pen and paper nowadays, like we used to do. There’s so many factors that play into it. Certainly there was a time where in that last stage if a caution comes at any point, either they would have been in big trouble or we would have been in big trouble. So it’s kind of a double edged sword there. What’s the right strategy? It just worked out the way it did didn’t necessarily mean that the one stop strategy was the wrong one.”

Why does Richmond seem to favor veteran drivers over first-time winners?

“Just knowing what you need to feel here in practice versus what you race is something that knowledge certainly plays a factor in an experience plays a factor in I know specifically when I go out there today, I’m going to look for a certain type of field my car needs to work a certain way in the certain part of the corner for me to know that whether it’s a race winning car or not. Those are things that you know younger guys would not next experience don’t necessarily have but sometimes you have a young driver with an experienced team that gives them the foresight to look for those things. And that’s where you see some of the young guys like Byron, even though he’s not a rookie, by any means, you know, latches right on and is a contender for to win like he was in the spring.”

Would you want Kurt Busch to be in the race car for Daytona if he was cleared for that race?

“I mean, I’m not really sure what the protocols will be on that once he’s cleared. Whether he continues to get waivers. Even if he is clear, I’m really not sure to be honest with you.”

What did you think about Bubba’s Block Party that was held in Richmond?

“We’re going to debrief as a team on it next Wednesday, but you know, being part of the NASCAR Diversity Council, I’m on that board as well. You know, that’s something that they’ve been planning for quite a quite a long time and certainly, certainly something that we’ve had our hands in and I it sounds like that went really, really well. I know that it had to cap the amount of people that were coming at a certain amount, which is a very good thing that there was an increased interest there. It’s all about just trying to broaden our audience in at this race track on television, everything and open up our sport to some that may not know anything about it. So anytime you can kind of mix you know, NASCAR racing, and pop culture. It’s all really a good thing for us. And I think that we’ve see it week in week out in our stands nowadays, that our fans and our audiences more diverse than it’s ever been.”

Is there emotion from you about racing at your home track in Richmond?

“It’s a good question. I mean, I think that certainly I feel it from within when I run back here, I feel it a little bit harder than I do on any other type of racetrack because, like I’ve talked about it, I know what I really need to feel this track and it’s very frustrating when I can’t get my car to do those things. And so it’s just part of it. So certainly, I would say I always feel more pressure coming to this race track in general. Martinsville is probably a very, very close number two, but it doesn’t always mean you’re going to have success even though you know what you need. Sometimes it depends on where your race teams at the time. There’s a lot of factors that goes into it, but certainly the emotion is very high at a race track like this versus others.”

Is there anything you’re seeing with Bubba Wallace as to how or why he’s really progressed on the race track in recent weeks?

“Certainly we live and breathe it every day at 23X1, we see where he’s progressed even though results. You know, typically, you guys have to hyper focus on 36 different drivers, right we focused on our two, so we know where they are getting better and whether or not and so we try to put those numbers and analytics in front of our drivers to see how they can improve in certain positions. And I think that certainly Bubba (Wallace) has taken a giant step and even though at the beginning of the year results, you know we honestly it’s well documented that I said that we I felt we were holding Bubba back at the beginning of the year. With kind of mistakes on pit road. I think that we’ve gotten that better target. Joe Gibbs Racing has helped us get that better. And then on top of that he’s continued to work on his game. Because ultimately, you know, it is sometimes convenient when you always have an out that you know, it’s the pit crew or a certain part of the team is what’s holding me back from performing. Well, you always have to be as professionally prepared for the moment that nothing else is holding you back and are you ready to step up to the plate when everything is going your way and your cars are fast pit crews great. You have to be ready for those moments. And I think that he continued to work even though publicly he didn’t handle things the way I loved it, but he continued to put his nose down and continue to work on his craft. And that’s what’s showing up now.”

Is there truth to learning how to race up front?

“That’s kind of why it’s tough, you know, with kind of the emotions he showed last week and that, you know, he felt like he let the team down he should have won. It’s hard to beat these guys each and every week and he is racing against a crop of drivers that he hasn’t raced with the first handful of years in his career. So it is more difficult to execute and beat them and so nothing’s a given you have to have all the pieces of the puzzle put together to win these races. The 14 (Kevin Harvick) proved that great. They’ve just been chipping away over the last month or so their performance has been getting better. And then bam, they had one good break with that caution and then they capitalize and so that’s all of it that you had to put together. And, to their credit, they put themselves in position to do that they’re running up front when that happens. So that’s the things that you know, it’s not always a given just because we have a fast car that you’re going to win races. You still have to have it all and so that’s why it’s, you know, we view last week is certainly a success because it was, you know, like Loudon, one of the more, you know, put together weekends that the 23 cars had from top to bottom from practice, qualifying and race and so that’s what we’re hoping to see we’ve seen it twice now at least in the last couple of months. So those are all good trends that are heading our direction. And I believe that this is probably the Bubba Wallace that is here to stay for sure.”

Did the timing matter to announce Bubba Wallace re-signing with him coming off four consecutive top-10 finishes?

“Of course it matters for me. I want to win. I don’t you know I’m heavily invested in the sport because I want to win and be competitive and build a top tier elite racing team. So if I didn’t think Bubba (Wallace) had the capability of winning I doesn’t matter about any other factors. I wouldn’t be part of this team but he is part of this team because I believe he can win. I think that he’s showing that he’s racing our cars to full potential right now. And so that’s all I can ask. You know, hopefully we just continue on this trend because it’s certainly what I want to see and what I what I expected last year, but you know, it’s probably was a little much to ask in year one, not only from him, but from our race team. These things take time you can’t just you it doesn’t matter how much money you can throw at this. You cannot just you know buy wins. You have to put the right people together. That’s Joe’s (Gibbs) slogan is dealing with people and that takes time to get all those things put together. And it’s now starting to come together and I believe that of his contract and extension with us was definitely well warranted from what I’ve seen this season. Not just including the last four weeks.”

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
RICHMOND RACEWAY
FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 13, 2022

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Richmond Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

HOW HARD IS IT TO TRANSITION FROM THE PRACTICE SESSION TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IN QUALIFYING?

“In practice you are more in a rhythm and you are mostly looking to get your car in a rhythm and have a good read in your race car to be able to make it better. In qualifying you have to be as present as possible because you have got what you got and you just have to maximize every single ounce of the car. And it is very very important to be present on the car, you know, to understand the car. Even before you take the green flag you have to know, ‘okay, is the car going to be tight, going to be loose, going to do this, going to do that’, right? You have to read the car as quick as possible. That is going to be the key and hopefully we can do a good job on that and fight for the pole.”

CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE TESTING SESSION WITH KIMI (RAIKKONEN)?

“Yeah, it was good, it was short. But it was good and I felt like Kimi….I have been trying to learn as much as I can from him because he is an amazing race car driver. But I believe a race car driver is great not just because of driving, I think it is just everything else around him. How he thinks and how open or closed minded he or she is. And in this case he is having a great time, and he is not just here to have fun, but he is here to be a competitor and wants to do well. So, its been a lot of fun to work with him the last few days and I am really looking forward to see what he can do next week.”

HOW DOES HE COMPARE TO MAX (VERSTAPPEN)?

I have never had the opportunity to work with Max. I have had the opportunity to hang out with him, but never to work with him. And that is different. With Kimi the last few days I have been able to do both. I can tell you that both are very relaxed and very fun in their own ways. Now that I got to know them, I am not surprised in how successful they are in what they do. It has been a lot of fun to hang out with these kinds of drivers because I feel like I always learn and I am always open minded to learn from these kind of people and I always feel like I am learning from them.”

DO YOU THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT HE REALLY WANTED TO KNOW, OR NEEDED TO KNOW IN THAT TEST?

“You know, there were a lot of things. He asked a lot of questions, he was very open minded, and I really thought he was going to be more quiet. A lot of people know him as being very quiet and a leave me alone kind of guy, but he is not like that at all. I was actually very, very impressed with that. So, he has been learning very quickly and I knew that he knows how to drive and he is very natural at that. But I was very curious to get to know him in more of a mindset level. You know, how he approaches this. So he has been learning quite a bit and has been thinking outside the box and getting a lot of information from myself and it is a lot of fun to see how he is adapting in the simulator but also in the real race car. Even though it was only a couple of hours, but it was good to see that.”

HOW DO YOU THINK HE CAN DO NEXT WEEKEND?

“I think he is going to be fast. The speed is there and the racing part is going to be a process because it doesn’t matter how much you practice in the simulator, doesn’t matter how many tests you do – the racing part is the racing part. Its different and he doesn’t know all these drivers. He doesn’t know how they race, he doesn’t know how aggressive they are, so that part is going to take a little bit. You can bring the best driver in the world and it is going to take some time in the racing part. I think (as far as) the speed, I think he is going to be good.”

DO YOU THINK PIT STOPS WILL BE AN ISSUE?

“That is part of the racing part I am talking about. Racing, restarts, taking care of your tires, taking care of your brakes, pit stops….like that part of the racing is what it takes to win races. That is the part I feel like is going to be a process for him. Just because he has never done it before. With that being said, he did pit stop practice a couple of days ago and he did well. There was a couple of things he was doing and I told him, ‘hey, you need to do this this way, you need to do this different, because the transmission works this way and you have to use your blower’. I tried to guide him as much as I can and I really feel he is trying to prepare himself as good as he can. If I was going to do a race in Europe one day, I wish I could prepare myself the way he is doing it.”

WERE YOU GUYS FAST ENOUGH TO WIN MICHIGAN, BUT IT JUST DIDN’T WORK OUT WHEN THE CAUTION FLAG CAME OUT?

“I don’t think we were fast enough to beat the Toyotas straight out, but we were in position to control the race there. So, yeah, I feel that if that caution doesn’t come out that we were going to be able to control the race together. I feel like it was either going to be the No. 1 or myself winning. I think we were sitting in a very good position right there with an opportunity when unfortunately that wreck happened and after that is was just history.”

JUSTIN MARKS WAS SAYING THIS WEEK THAT EXECUTION ISSUES HAVE KIND OF KEPT THE TEAM FROM GETTING GOOD RESULTS WITH FAST CARS THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. IS THAT JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THAT?

“Well, I can only speak for myself and at Indianapolis we should have finished somewhere in the top three. We had a flat tire on the last restart and somebody pushed me from behind and I pushed (Ryan) Blaney wide and I had a flat tire because of that. But if it wasn’t for that, we would have finished in the top three. So, I don’t feel like that was execution, I feel like that was bad circumstances for the race. When it comes to Michigan, I feel like we should have finished in the top five, top three, maybe even win the race. But the last thing you want when you are expecting a cycle of pit stops is the caution. And that is exactly what we had.”

HAVE YOU RE-SIGNED WITH THE TEAM?

“We are very close. I am going to be honest, I haven’t paid a lot of attention to that because I am so focused on the playoffs and making my team stronger. But I know that my manager and people from Trackhouse are very, very close. We never have doubts about where we are on things like that. We are working out a couple of details. It is not final yet, but we are very close.”

HOW NICE IS IT TO GO THROUGH THIS FINAL STRETCH AND KNOW YOU ARE LOCKED IN RIGHT NOW?

“It is nice, but I am going to be honest, in my mind I am already in the playoffs. I have had that mindset over the last six weeks. I believe it is not possible to go into the playoffs and flip the switch and say, ‘okay, we are in the playoffs, now we have to push hard’. I don’t think it works like that and you kind of have to start building that up. And I feel like that is what we have been doing, especially with the 99 team. That shows on the track because the last two months we have had race cars capable of finishing in the top five every single week. The last two weeks we haven’t finished there for different circumstances. Besides that, we have finished in the top five and top eight every single week. That’s good, I like that and this weekend in Richmond I feel like this is a real, real test for us. Especially because we struggled a lot last time here. I am really looking forward to this weekend to see where we stand.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.