Toyota Racing – Kyle Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

NASHVILLE (June 24, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to media prior to the Nashville Superspeedway race this Friday:

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Pedigree Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

What was it like to watch your life play out on the big screen last night and have people cheer for you in the theatre?

“Yeah, it was a unique experience for sure. You know, really exciting opportunity to have that chance to showcase my career and everything and what it’s been from the very beginning until, I guess up to 2019 so was good. Great reception. Positive feedback from a lot of folks and most of those that come up to me through the after party and would say they’ve never been to a NASCAR race, but just seeing that, you know, makes them kind of want to see what NASCAR is all about. And, you know, they thought it was a good show to portray what my career has been like thus far.”

How important would it be for you to win the regular season championship?

“I think that would be important. I mean, obviously the bonus points that come along with it. It’s the number one priority there. So you want to win races, you want to get those bonus points, you want to win stages, get those bonus points, all of that to just allow yourself an easier time, let’s say through the Playoffs. So you know, having that goal right there, you know, we’ve got to be careful with it because you can’t overextend yourself trying to race for a win — Gateway and get yourself crashed out in and not get points. We are so close with it and I feel like, you look back at COTA, big missed opportunity running third on the last lap, finishing 33rd. You know, Sonoma, we just all completely missed it, but running horrible not getting very many points on that day. So there’s some definitely more opportunities than that too, that we’ve thrown away that I wish we had back and we’d be either the leader much closer.”

How did the Martinsville test go earlier this week?

“So the dirt, the Bristol dirt aero kit, let’s call it, the bottom pan area. I felt like was a net positive. We were able to get into a traffic setting situation where we started a race and kind of run around each other a little bit. The 2 car was a little better than us at that point. So he was able to get by me but when I could follow him I follow like he was on my bumper following me. I got on his bumper following him. He drove away just due to the fact that he was a little bit better than us at that point in the test, but I felt like that was a net positive. I don’t feel like any of the tires were any better. There was a couple there was a softer set of lifts and a softer set of rights that were a grippier better tire that you could go faster on. But there’s no fall off. There was no wear. And so with the control tire that we had, we would have some fall off, but you could kind of recover your fall off if you just took it easy for a couple laps and let it cool back down and then re attacked and we went so they’re falling off more due to heat than they’re falling off due to wear so I think we missed on the tire selection that that we had there. We didn’t gain anything on the tire.”

What can you take away from last year’s race for this weekend?

“I feel like last year’s race will lend itself into a little bit of this year. I say that because the track really widened out nicely and this car does not like to trail another car and follow so you’re going to need options you’re going need different groups that you can go run in so with last year’s race really widening the track. Hopefully, the same thing will happen this time around.”

Did you feel like you had a good handle on the track last year?

“Yes and no. You know with this car and with the mile-and-a-halves that we’ve been to this year, the Gibbs guys, us, we’ve been fast and we’ve shown good speed. But at some of the flatter shorter track, we haven’t shown great speed, but I would say besides Gateway was a good offset for us so it just kind of depends on what this place ends up racing like — a mile-and-a-half or a short track. We’ll find out in about an hour.”

Do you expect a good crowd for this race again like we had last year?

“Yeah, I mean, as far as the crowd count, I would hope so. You know, I would like to think that having a race in a market once per year is the optimum time for people to come out and enjoy your race and have a great weekend. The campgrounds, from what I saw driving in, look decent. So I would like to think that they all turn out and if they do, that’s great. I think that goes to just prove the point that you know many of these places only need one date, that they can make it successful off of that.”

How close do you follow the Xfinity Series now that you don’t race in it anymore?

“I follow it zero, no idea what’s going on there. Besides Ty Gibbs. I guess that’s it.”

How did Joe Gibbs Racing struggle at Sonoma after being decent at COTA?

“Yeah, I mean, we struggled at COTA as well to be honest with raw speed and being able to be good there. You know, in the early stage of the race, I think we were running eighth, we were fading, I got spun out by Chase Elliott running 12th, you know what I mean? So we weren’t great at COTA either, but we were able to get through some of the restarts and get positions on guys to get ourselves up front. Christopher (Bell), I think was third or fourth. I was right with him on the last lap there. And so you know, felt like with everything that kind of ensued on the last lap, we would have had a shot to run in the top two or three, for sure. But I would say both road course events so far this year, were not our strong suit. Why we missed it? I don’t know. If I could answer that, we wouldn’t struggle, we wouldn’t we wouldn’t have been bad. But talking to Martin Truex (Jr.), who tested for us at the Glen, certainly not looking forward to going into Glen either. They weren’t very fast there.”

Is missing it as an organization at one track and hitting it at others just a function of this new Next Gen race car?

“A little bit. I would argue to that the Penske guys weren’t great at Kansas. But like you said, they’ve been super strong at the flatter tracks. They’re really fast at Martinsville, Phoenix. They’ve been good. They were good at Gateway as well. too. They qualified really strong so far packages, it seems that these teams or organizations kind of have that they’re good at these particular tracks. And so I think as we all continue to learn and grow like the good teams will be the good teams everywhere. But you know, it is kind of patchy, right now with just getting an understanding built around this car.”

How hard is it to recover at Road America if you miss a corner?

“The big straightaway corners it’s important yeah, like you know missing turn three I think it’s called and then going down along back there. That’s important. That’s a big deal. Obviously, the last corner I think it’s 13 or 14 coming up along from straightaway. So those can be detrimental to lap time for sure. Because you’re just losing time by the distance in which it takes to get up to speed so you really want to be strong on those turns.”

With Atlanta being one of the first tracks to return to with this car, do you expect to be stronger there next month?

“I felt like we were one of the stronger cars there earlier this year. We just didn’t get to showcase it. You know, we got behind Austin Dillon early in the race. He got loose and spun out and we wrecked. So you know we had a little bit of an issue there at the start of the race just being too loose balance wise, but I felt like we would have been able to work on that as the day progressed and gotten better with it. So you know are a couple of our teammates were up there towards the end of the race, Christopher (Bell) got penalized for finishing second. I think Bubba (Wallace) was up real tight real close had a shot from the win, crashed on the last lap. So I mean, it’s a speedway race it’s going to happen, but you’d like to be in position at least all the way to the end.”

Do you focus in on certain tracks for testing with the Playoffs coming up or just getting track time with this car?

“Anywhere there’s an opportunity to test you want to work on your car make it better, right so like I got selected to do Martinsville. Hopefully we’ve learned something got a little bit better. I felt like the first day we were a little behind the 2 car and second day we were equal in the 2 car which is a positive you know, I felt like we made gains there. And then yeah, that’s the second last race of the year and then of course Gateway you’d like to think okay, we were better at Gateway that’ll hopefully show that we’re better at Phoenix when we go there. But I think another test of that will be Loudon. And so you know, we’re still, you do work from the back of the season forward. Obviously, you know, the most important race being the last one and trying to figure out what it takes to get to that championship race while being eligible is very important.”

Were you at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the filming of the Toyota ‘Aliens’ commercial?

“It wasn’t photoshopped. That was real. There’s a real alien abduction. No, I never been inside the race track before that was my first time inside. I’ve only ever really driven by it. So that was my first time in it. It’s obviously got some age on it, you know, a bunch of the amenities and everything are quite rundown. They are quite proud of the fact that the lift still works though. Victory Lane lift, which is cool. But you know, to give that thing a facelift to get it back ready to good. And it can be successful and it can turn into something nice. So I’m looking forward to it. If they put something there. I think it would be sweet. I know from my understanding anyways, I know Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) is looking forward to running a late model stock race if he can. And so, you know, it’d be nice to see that place come back to life and whether it’s an All-Star race or a Truck race or Xfinity, whatever you know, I think that we can make something happen there for sure.”

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NASCAR CUP SERIES
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
ALLY 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

JUNE 24, 2022

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Nashville Superspeedway. Press Conference Transcript:

YOU ARE SITTING 11TH IN THE STANDINGS BUT YOU BASICALLY ARE ON THE BUBBLE. OTHER THAN GETTING A WIN, DOES THE SITUATION HAVE YOU DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO FIND YOUR WAY INTO THE PLAYOFFS?

“No. But it’s definitely crazy how things can change in the matter of one race. We were in a place where I think we were in good position to make our way in on points and I feel like that has drastically changed. So, certainly as the mindset shifts more to winning. But if I am being honest, we have been trying to do that all year long. So, in reality, not a whole lot changes for us. But certainly, I don’t think we are as worried about points going forward.”

YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE MARTINSVILLE TEST RECENTLY AND I AM CURIOUS WHAT ALL THE CHANGES THAT YOU GUYS WENT THROUGH AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GUYS LEARNED?

“It was a tough test. Just with the setting and the circumstances with weather. You know, we raced there when it felt like it was in the 40s or right around there and we went back and tested and it was in the 90s. So, the control tire that we raced on in March laid plenty of rubber. But the three cars laid more rubber than the entire race. The different tire combinations all seemed to work pretty well, but it seems like the car is in this weird spot where its got plenty of mechanical grip, but it just doesn’t seem like we have enough power for the grip we have in the tires for in the driver’s seat to make the mistake of burning the rear tires off and making throttle and tire management a part of the Martinsville game that I think has been a part of it since I have been driving in Trucks or watching the Cup races. So, that is an interesting spot that we are in. I am not sure where we came away from that, but the underbody stuff that was tried certainly helped the situation. We are just missing the racing product a little bit, I think. Still, at the end of the day, the cars have a lot of grip at the short tracks and I don’t think we have enough power to rip the tires off if we make that mistake.”

DID YOU GUYS PLAY WITH THE GEAR RATIOS AND TRY TO CHANGE THE SHIFTING RULES?

“As crazy as this may sound, in my opinion, if we changed the gear and we made it to where we are just running one gear, that makes our problem worse in my opinion. Because then, you could run 150 laps and never burn the tires on the car off if you are not shifting. When you are downshifting, eventually you know 50-60 laps into the run you know you can start feathering the tire on corner exit, but in my opinion just running it for whatever gear it would be, we are never going to spin the tires. So, I don’t think a gear change would be the solution.”

DO YOU FEEL THAT THIS CUP CAR IS IN A GOOD PLACE AS FAR AS RACING TODAY?

“Yeah, for the most part. The bigger tracks that have less side force its more treacherous to drive but at the short tracks you are never really on the edge of the car quite like that. You know, we are more fighting mechanical grip, and the car has more mechanical grip everywhere we go. For the most part it has been better and it’s been better at a majority of the places, its just unfortunately put the short track racing where none of us wanted it to be.”

DID THEY TRY ANYTING WITH ENGINES AND USING MORE HORSEPOWER ON THE TRACK?

“Yeah, it wasn’t tried. But I am not one to say what we should or shouldn’t do there because there are a lot of moving parts and pieces. A lot of time, research and development have gone into the horsepower package that we are at now and you can’t just flip a switch or change the tapered spacer or go to a different horsepower level and have the same engine reliability across all the engine manufacturers. So, as much as it would be nice to have that option, I can’t really say whether that is an option or not because there is a lot that goes into that unfortunately.”

WHAT ADVANTAGE TO YOU THINK CAN BE GAINED AT GOING BACK TO ATLANTA AND THE FIRST TIME RETURNING TO A TRACK FOR A SECOND TIME WITH THIS CAR?

“That one is an interesting one in my opinion because it’s a speedway type race. I thought we were actually pretty good when we were there the last time. We had the tire go that really took us out of that race. You will be able to look at some gains, right? But its more on speedway-type racing gains that really only apply to the six speedway races now that we have in counting Atlanta. So, I wouldn’t say that its an A to B that we can take to one place or the other necessarily, but it will be interesting to see from the first time we were there what improvements have been made. It sounds like they made a number of them to the racetrack and to some of the bumps that were in place at the speedway. So, it will be interesting to see how some of those details to the track have been changed and hopefully improved.”

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS YOUR SEASON SO FAR?

“Frustrating. That is probably the best way to put it, yeah. You know, it’s everything you hoped for at times, but unfortunately things go wrong.”

DO YOU LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE RACES AND SAY WOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE OR JUST LOOK FORWARD AND BE POSITIVE ABOUT IT?

“It’s important to go back in the days after and look back on it and take away the positives for sure so you can grow and get better for hopefully the next race and the next weekend. But after that you are telling yourself should have, would have, could have and saying the what ifs if you will. If you get caught up in that, then you lose sight of what is important and that is the next week ahead.”

HOW DO YOU STAY POSITIVE AND BELIEVE YOU ARE GOING TO TURN THIS AROUND AND GET IN THE PLAYOFFS?

“Through the speed that we have had. The things that aren’t going our way are the things that we can learn from and correct. Eventually, as frustrating as these things have been to us, we are going to learn from them, and I would rather go through this now than in the Playoffs. If it turns around and we work all the kinks out that we have been going through, hopefully the right time of the year comes and we put all this behind us.”

GOING BACK TO THE MARTNSVILLE TEST, YOU SAID THERE WERE CHANGES TO THE UNDERBODY. HOW DID IT FEEL DIFFERENT?

“Well, that was the great thing. The feel of the car wasn’t much different, it just felt like a little bit less downforce. You didn’t feel as tight behind the car ahead of you and that was one of the things we were feeling at Martinsville when we raced there. When we had the different underbody, it didn’t seem to be as bad. I didn’t get to run up behind cars as much as Austin Cindric or Kyle Busch did, but they certainly thought it was better too. So, that is something that is certainly interesting and hopefully if we can apply it the right way, it will help the racing when we go back.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU SEE THE OFF WEEK LAST WEEK AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF RESET THE STREAK OF RUN WELL GET A GOOD FINISH, RUN WELL, DON’T GET A GOOD FINISH AND RUN WELL AND GET A DNF?

“Yeah, it was good to have. Anytime we have a bad week, it would be kind of nice to have a moment to gather ourselves up and get back going, but the nature of the schedules is that you don’t have that. So to have that off weekend last weekend for all of us was good. We only get one, so we have to make the most of it and a lot of us did. You don’t want to have a bad race, but if you are going to have a flip like we did of being in a really good points position going into Sonoma and having a first-time winner now being 18th or wherever we are in points, to have that off weekend in between Sonoma and here was good timing.”

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE MORE OFF WEEKS AS NASCAR LOOKS TO THE FUTURE FOR THE SCHEDULE?

“I mean, I would be up for having more off weekends in the year if we raced more. If this is how we get all the races in, then I am good with it. I used to race 100 times a year, so more races the merrier for me.”

WILLIAM BYRON SAID WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR IN ATLANTA THAT HE FOUND THAT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST MENTALLY DRAINING RACES HE HAD BEEN IN. DID YOU FIND THAT TO BE THE CASE AND IF SO, WHY?

“Physically it was too. We are zipping around a mile-and-a-half at really high speeds, high average speeds, running upper 180s the entire lap. Not a lot of rest down the straightaways because the corners were so long and the aggressive pack racing that we had just really drains you mentally. But certainly, after that race I felt like I was surprised physically of the toll that it had. Normally at speedways its purely a mental drain, but it seemed like at Atlanta it was a little bit of both and that was surprising. When we go back and its even hotter, there is going to be more of that.”

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NASCAR CUP SERIES
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
ALLY 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

JUNE 24, 2022

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Nashville Superspeedway. Press Conference Transcript:

DANIEL, JUST TO START US OFF BEFORE WE GO TO OUR MEDIA FOR QUESTIONS, GIVE US A RECAP OF WHAT LIFE HAS BEEN LIKE THE LAST WEEK OR SO.

“Yeah, it’s been fun and it’s been busy at the same time. I feel very fortunate that I got some extra time to enjoy the moment a little bit more. As you guys know, we had the off week and I got the opportunity to celebrate with my team Sunday night on the plane. But also Monday night, I was able to celebrate with my mom, my dad, my sisters, friends and family. So, it was special. If it was any other week besides Sonoma, it wasn’t going to be like that. It worked out like that and it was great.

I’ve been trying to digest every single moment of it because your first win only happens once. But it’s been good. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, but now my focus is here at Nashville.”

THE PINATA – WHEN DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT IDEA?

“A few months ago, I had a few conversations with a few friends in Mexico about a piñata. They asked me what my celebration was going to be and I had no idea; and then a piñata came into the conversation. Then, I had a similar conversation with my teammate, Ross (Chastain), about it. Slowly, it just started making sense. Matt Norris, he works at Trackhouse Racing – he went to check for a piñata. He sent a few pictures of piñatas and a taco piñata was there, so we decided to pick the taco piñata. It’s been with us in the hauler for six or eight weeks, so it was about time to smash it.”

WHAT WAS IN IT?

“The one from the race track, there was candy in it. In Mexico, that’s a big culture thing. Since I turned one year old and all the way to 30 years old, for every birthday, I’ve had a piñata. And I will say that every kid does it; it’s a big culture thing. It was fun.

In Mexico, they put candy in the piñata. You break the piñata and everyone jumps in to get the candy. It’s kind of like that idea and it worked out great, really. It was pretty cool to see the comments from people connecting very well with the piñata idea.”

AND THEN YOU GOT TO GO TO THE SHOP AND PITBULL THROWS YOU A PINATA. YOU SMASH IT AND IT HAS MONEY IN IT. HOW WAS THAT?

“It was cool. I didn’t know that piñata had money. They told me it had something in it. I lifted it at one point and it was heavy (laughs). It was good. I have to say, thank you to Pitbull for throwing the piñata the right way because if it wasn’t for him, I was probably going to miss. But he threw it very, very good.

It was great. That day was also very special for me. That was the last day of celebration for me because that was the last day that I got to enjoy it with Pitbull and my team again. That night, I put it in my mind to flip the page. I enjoyed every second of it, but for me, it’s in the past. Now, it’s time to get some more.”

DANIEL, NOW THAT YOU’VE WON, YOU’VE QUALIFIED FOR THE PLAYOFFS. ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT?

“Yeah, honestly, I haven’t thought about the Playoffs yet. We still have 2 ½ months before that. I feel like there is still a lot of things to be done before that. It feels good to know that we’re locked-in. But as a race car driver, at least for me, we know that being locked-in doesn’t mean a lot. For me, it means a lot when you have a lot of points in the bank – when you have more than a win, but also at least a few Playoff points. That’s when you start becoming a strong contender in the Playoff races.

That’s the goal. We still have 2 ½ months to work on that. Hopefully we can get a couple more wins and some more Playoff points. That would be nice.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK, YOU RAN WELL AT COTA – YOU WON A STAGE, HAD A CHANCE TO WIN AND THINGS DIDN’T GO YOUR WAY. YOU SMOKED THEM AT SONOMA. FOR ROAD AMERICA, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO SAY YOUR THE NUMBER ONE GUY NOW GOING INTO THE ROAD RACE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE THE NUMBER ONE GUY?

“Honestly, I don’t know. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter to me. I think at COTA, we we’re extremely strong. Our car broke early and we did what we had to do to finish the stage and survive. But in my opinion, we were very, very strong; even stronger than Sonoma. In Sonoma, we had a very good car. We did a very good job calling the race.

It’s been good. I would be lying to you if I told you I’m not extremely excited about every single road course because I believe that we can win in every single one of them. We have good cars. I have a very good team behind me. I feel like I’ve done a good job with the tools that have been given to me and it’s been fun. So, I’m really looking forward to it.

Right now, I’m trying to put all my energy into here at Nashville. But next week at Road America, I know it’s going to be a lot of fun for me; and hopefully we can have another strong shot.”

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN HERE AND DO IT IN THE TOOTSIES CAR?

“Yeah, that would be really cool. I was at Tootsies last night. It’s been a long week, but it’s been fun. It would mean a lot for Tootsies, for Steve (Smith), the owner of Tootsies; and also for Trackhouse Racing. The whole idea of Trackhouse was actually born here. This is one of the homes of Trackhouse, so it would be very special. If you think about it, last year, Ross (Chastain) and I, we both had a pretty solid performance here at Nashville. So, why not? We really have come from a good couple months of racing, speed-wise. We haven’t had the results that we’ve wanted; but speed-wise, we’ve had speed for two months. So, I’m really looking forward to hopefully be contending for a win on Sunday.”

HOW MUCH MORE CONFIDENT DO YOU FEEL COMING INTO SUNDAY COMING OFF OF THE WIN AT SONOMA?

“Honestly, the people that know me, they would tell me that I’m very confident before or after the win. The biggest change for me is just that I feel relief. I feel more relaxed. I feel that now, I don’t have to answer the question of ‘when are you going to win’. I feel like I got that one out of the way, but I do feel more relief. Confidence-wise, honestly I feel just as confident right now as I did two months ago. I knew that I could win races. Now, the only difference is that everyone knows that other than just me. Hopefully we can carry that over and get a few more.”

WHAT WAS YOUR RECEPTION WHEN YOU WALKED INTO TOOTSIES?

“Everyone was having a good time last night when I walked in. It was good. It was a great time. It was a lot of fun to spend some time with my team, with my pit crew. And with a lot of media; a lot of media were there. A lot of folks from NASCAR. It was very, very cool to see a lot of people from this industry outside of the race track. Personally, I don’t get to see that very often. And the couple times that I have seen it has been at Tootsies (laughs). It’s been fun. I’ve had a good time.”

WE KNOW THE THING ABOUT THESE NEW CARS – AND WE HEARD EARLY ON ABOUT GETTING AIR TO THE DRIVERS AND HOW TO KEEP THEM COOL – THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE HOTTEST RACES THAT YOU’VE HAD SO FAR THIS SEASON. WHAT DO YOU DO EXTRA, THAT YOU CAN DO, TO COMBAT THAT?

“Luckily, I was just in Mexico for a week and it was hot down there (laughs). So I feel like I came here a little acclimated for the heat. But the reality is, I feel like every driver in the field prepares themselves for this situation. Try to get a lot of fluids. Try to do different exercises in the heat to prepare for this weekend. But it’s going to be fun. Honestly every time that we get to the summer part of the race season, I get excited because I personally try to prepare myself as good as I can to perform as good as possible in this part of the season.

I’m excited. Hopefully it gets very, very hot; and hopefully everybody gets very, very tired.”

HOW WAS THE RECEPTION FOR YOU BACK IN MEXICO GOING BACK WITH A CUP WIN?

“It was quite a special moment. It was probably the most special trip I’ve ever had to Mexico. Everybody was very, very excited for me. The people that have been with me on this journey for 10 years now in the U.S., they know how hard its been on this journey. They’ve known me when the lows were low; and known me when the highs are high. It was a lot of fun to see all the people that have stuck with me. All the people that I love. Honestly, if I could write down everything I wanted it to be for that first win, it’s exactly how it happened. So, I’m very, very blessed and very fortunate.

I enjoyed it a lot, but that’s now in the past. Now, I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

12 WINNERS IN 16 RACES – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THIS PLAYOFF FORMAT HISTORY. IT MIGHT TAKE MORE THAN ONE WIN. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT’S IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND?

“It’s not. I think that it’s very cool to see what is happening in the Playoffs right now. I feel like a big reason for this is the Next Gen car. These Next Gen cars really came to the game to change everything. The way that we work, the way that we approach things. Everyone is out there playing with pretty much the same tools and we’re seeing those results on track. You never know who’s going to be competitive. It can be a Chevy; it can be anyone really. That’s fun and I really enjoy that. Maybe I’m a little biased because we’ve been strong lately, but it’s been a lot of fun.

For me, I really try to focus on one week at a time. There is nothing I can do about Road America right now or the following race. I’m trying to put all my focus into Nashville. I take it one day at a time. I feel like we’re in a good spot. I believe that we can actually contend for more wins before the Playoffs start, so hopefully we can do that and put ourselves in a better position for the last few months of the season in the Playoffs.”

IT WASN’T ONLY YOUR FIRST WIN, BUT THE FIRST WIN FOR YOUR SPOTTER, FRANKIE KIMMEL. YOU AND FRANKIE DIDN’T REALLY KNOW EACH OTHER BEFORE YOU WERE PAIRED TOGETHER AND YOU GUYS HAVE HIT IT OFF REALLY WELL. WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WORKING WITH FRANKIE?

“Yeah, it’s been really special. I have quite a special team. And I say team because it’s everyone – Frankie (Kimmel II); Travis (Mack), my crew chief; Jose (R. Blasco-Figueroa) and Dusty (Zacharyasz), my engineers; my mechanics; pit crew and PR people. Everyone that makes Trackhouse what it is, is very special. I feel very, very proud to have such an amazing group of people around me. I was actually talking to Travis, my crew chief, on the plane back going home from Sonoma. For most of the guys on our team, it was the first win in the Cup Series in the position they have. Travis has won races in the Cup Series, but never as a crew chief. Frankie, the same thing. It’s very special because everyone now knows what it feels like. Everyone knows what it’s like to do that and what it takes. So, I feel like not just myself, but my entire team is way more relaxed and way more relieved. That’s quite exciting to know.”

YOU DON’T HAVE A NEW CONTRACT EXTENSION TO ANNOUCE, DO YOU?

“I’ve been so busy doing interviews the last week that I haven’t even had time to answer Ty Norris’s calls (laughs).”

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.

LEBANON, Tenn. (June 24, 2022) – – The ink is dry on a multi-year contract extension for NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JTG Daugherty Racing. Stenhouse Jr. joined media members in Nashville Superspeedway’s deadline room this afternoon to share the news that he’s returning to the team, which will enter its 29th year in the sport of NASCAR in 2023.

“We’re pleased to announce Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is returning to the company,” said Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing with Jodi Geschickter, Gordon Smith and Brad Daugherty. “Ricky has done a solid job on the racetrack and off the track during Kroger Racing in-store activations for our esteemed partners. We’re continuing to learn the new car and we’re making progress. We’ve led laps, earned stage points and been close to winning this year.”

Since joining JTG Daugherty Racing in 2020, Stenhouse Jr. won the Daytona 500 pole award (2/9/2020) and has collected five top-five, 11 top-10 and 26 top-15 finishes with crew chief Brian Pattie. Now with his path forward, he is set to increase his career stats that include two wins, two pole awards, 20 top-fives and 45 top-10s.

“I’m ready to continue our progress together as a team,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “We’ve made some strides with this new car at some tracks and we know there’s some work to do on others. I look forward to that process with the good group of people we have in place at JTG Daugherty Racing. I’m grateful to our partners for giving us an opportunity to continue to make our program better. I’m really happy with the first three years here at JTG Daugherty Racing.”

Although the Olive Branch, Mississippi native’s two wins occurred at superspeedways, his team has been strong at different styles of tracks this season. Entering Nashville Superspeedway, his best finish this year is second-place at the one-mile high-banked concrete oval of Dover Motor Speedway.

“We’re hoping for another good concrete track run at Nashville like we had at Dover where we finished second with our No. 47 Kroger/The Frozen Farmer Camaro,” said Stenhouse Jr. “This style of racetrack has been better for us than some of the other ones and I love Nashville. It was a really good track for us last year, but of course it’s a totally different car. The biggest thing for us is to have a good practice session on Friday and make sure we have a car that handles good and is easy on the tires for our race.

“It’s going to be hot at Nashville,” continued Stenhouse. “I love the heat that affects the physical side in the car and then the lack of grip the car has on the track. We were able to come away with a strong run there last year. We feel confident we can do the same with this new car on Sunday.”

Live coverage of the Ally 400 on Sunday, June 26th begins at 5 PM ET. The 300-lap event will be broadcast on NBC, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Dillon at Nashville Superspeedway: With the NASCAR Cup Series making its inaugural visit to the Lebanon, Tennessee track last season while not competing full time in the series, Ty Dillon will embark on his first start at the concrete speedway. Despite not running an actual race, Dillon has completed close to 1,000 test laps at the track when the sport was dormant at the facility. In addition, the 30-year-old spent eight hours on the simulator this week in preparation for Sunday’s event.
• Coffee Tyme: Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) will serve as primary partner on Dillon’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s 400-mile race. Founded by veterans and operated by principaled men and women who honor those who protect, defend, and support our country, BRCC stands for more than high-quality coffee.
• Meet Dillon: On Sunday, June 26 at 12:30 p.m., Dillon will be at the Black Rifle Coffee Company display in the Nashville Superspeedway Fan Zone. Stop by to meet the No. 42 driver, sample coffee, and grab an autograph.
• 10,000 Veterans: A large part of Black Rifle Coffee Company’s success is due to the outstanding work ethic and discipline of their veteran employees. The company is committed to hiring 10,000 veterans to provide opportunities to the military community. BRCC strives to help other service-members successfully transition from the military into entrepreneurship, providing assistance to veterans who seek to launch a business of their own. - About Black Rifle Coffee Company: Black Rifle Coffee Company is a Veteran-founded coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. Founded in 2014 by Green Beret Evan Hafer, Black Rifle develops their explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus they learned while serving in the military. BRCC is committed to supporting Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and the American way of life. With every purchase made, they give back.

To learn more about BRCC, visit www.blackriflecoffee.com, follow BRCC on social media, or subscribe to Coffee or Die Magazine’s daily newsletter at https://coffeeordie.com/presscheck-signup.

• From the Drivers Seat: Nashville is another track that you haven’t race at before. How are you approaching the weekend?

“While I haven’t actually raced at Nashville before, I have made a ton of test laps at the track – probably close to 1,000. We would come to Nashville and test when our sport didn’t race here, but that has also been seven or eight years since then. I spent around eight hours on the simulator this week, just making laps and doing everything I could before getting in the actual car for practice. I like the fact that we have another 50 minutes of practice this week. Hopefully that helps our team dial the car in and get myself acclimated to the track.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Jones at Nashville Superspeedway: With NASCAR’s return to Nashville Superspeedway and the Cup Series first appearance at the Tennessee track in 2021, Erik Jones made his lone start at the track where he started the race from the ninth position and finished 19th.
• USAF Sighting: Jones will be at the US Air Force display on Sunday, June 26, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT. Stop by to get an autograph and meet Jones before the start of Sunday’s race.
• Points Racing: With 16 races complete in the 2022 Cup Series season, Jones currently sites 16th in the Point Standings with one top-five finish, five top-10 finish and eight top-15 finishes.
• Focused on Winning: FOCUSfactor will serve as the primary partner on Jones’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s race at Nashville Superspeedway.
• About FOCUSfactor: FOCUSfactor is sold at America’s leading retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com. FOCUSfactor, America’s leading brain health supplement, is a nutritional supplement that includes a proprietary blend of brain supporting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In December 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 8,329,227 covering FOCUSfactor’s proprietary formulation “for enhanced mental function”. The issuance of the patent marked one of the few times a patent has been issued for a nationally branded nutritional supplement. FOCUSfactor is clinically tested with results demonstrating improvements in focus, concentration and memory in healthy adults.
• From the Driver’s Seat: Considering we’ve seen some good races on the intermediate tracks with the new car, are you expecting something similar at Nashville Superspeedway?

“Yea, I think it’ll race good there. It’s hard to tell. It’s kind of surprising. We didn’t think Gateway would be good with these cars, but it was and it put on a good show. You just have to see how it plays out and what it does, but I think Nashville will race good. From what I’ve known with this car a little bit, I feel like it’ll put on a good show.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow Petty GMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Richard Childress Racing at Nashville Superspeedway … Nashville Superspeedway opened for business in 2001 and hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series event in 2021. Austin Dillon led RCR in the inaugural Cup Series event with a respectable 12th-place finish. Dillon also owns a victory in the Truck Series at Nashville in 2011. He won the pole, leading 56 of 150 laps with an average running position of 2.207.

Racing in Music City … NASCAR has a rich tradition in Nashville with the Cup Series competing at Fairgrounds Speedway dating back to 1958. Car owner Richard Childress made 20 starts at the .596-mile oval as a driver from 1971-1981. He had six starts there as an owner with drivers Ricky Rudd and Dale Earnhardt from 1982-1984. The duo combined to score three top-five finishes led by Earnhardt’s third-place effort in July 1984.

RCR In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Nashville … Richard Childress Racing has 38 starts in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Nashville Superspeedway. The organization has three wins at the 1.33-mile track with three different drivers: Kevin Harvick (2001), Clint Bowyer (2005) and Scott Wimmer (2008). RCR owns two 1-2 finishes at Nashville: Harvick and Bowyer in 2006; Wimmer and Bowyer in 2008. The Welcome, N.C., based organization has 16 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes entering Saturday’s race.

Introducing the Carolina Cowboys … Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the PBR Team Series, an elite new league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games beginning in July 2022. The team is operated by Richard Childress Racing with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon serving as General Manager. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys inaugural “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 9-11 at Wake Forest’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.

Catch the Action … The Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway will be televised live on Saturday, June 25 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Sunday’s Action at Nashville … The Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway will be televised live on Sunday, June 26 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Nashville Superspeedway … Austin Dillon raced in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021, finishing 12th after starting 28th. He made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Kevin Harvick, Inc. at the track in 2011, earning a third-place finish among two top-10 finishes. In Four NASCAR Truck Series starts at Nashville, Dillon has earned one win and one pole award.

Tracker Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.

Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

When you think of Nashville Superspeedway, what are some of the memories and experiences that come to mind for you?

“Nashville Superspeedway kicked off my NASCAR Cup Series career. One of my first Cup tests was at Nashville. I remember going there to test with the team leading into the season and having a really good time. We won there in the NASCAR Truck Series and finished third there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with KHI. We had fun at Nashville. It was a good track for me. I didn’t feel like the Cup race at Nashville was as good for our team as I had expected going into the race. We finished decent. I think we were 12th. But I know we are capable of running better than that at Nashville so I’m looking forward to going back.”

What is cool about Nashville Superspeedway?

I think what’s cool and what I enjoyed about Nashville is people fought for that bottom line and you really had to be disciplined and not miss your exit leaving the corner at Nashville. The car that rotated the most was pretty good. It’s been a good track for us in the past, and I think it will be interesting to go back there with a year of Cup racing under our belt at the track.”

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This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Nashville Superspeedway … Tyler Reddick has one start at Nashville Superspeedway, finishing 18th in the inaugural event in 2021. Reddick has four top-10 finishes on super speedways this season, ranking him fifth overall among active drivers on tracks over one mile in length. Reddick is also scheduled to compete in the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event this weekend at Nashville.

3CHI Blazed the Trail for Another Industry First … 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:

What are your expectations for Nashville this weekend?

“Nashville Superspeedway is going to be really hot and slick this weekend. We saw last year that the track was physical and hard on the race cars. The track time that I’m getting in the Xfinity Series will certainly help on the Cup side. It’s a new car with the new track again and we’ve been going through that a bit this year. We’ve been pretty good at races like that. The Next Gen car has been good pretty much everywhere we’ve been so our confidence is high. We’ll see how the heat and this new car come into play at Nashville. We’ve struggled a little bit on the concrete tracks so we’ll see if we’ve made that a little bit better. Nashville was good for us last year. We had a strong car and it will be good to get the extra seat time.”

Do you expect the track to change a lot during the weekend?

“We’ve got to keep an eye on how much the resin is going to wear off of the track during the race weekend. We saw that in the Cup and Xfinity races last year. It will start wearing out from the bottom up as the Goodyear tires burn the resin off. Most likely that’s going to move the line on the racetrack around as the race goes. The track should change a lot throughout the race. We’ll just have to keep up with it with our 3CHI Chevrolet as always.”

This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Nashville Superspeedway … Sheldon Creed will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday. Last season, he made his first and only national series start at the Tennessee track in the Truck Series. He started 24th and finished 14th, completing all 150 race laps. In his rookie season, Creed has six top-10 finishes in 14 starts with an average start of 9.9 and an average finish of 19.0. He’s led 28 laps and completed 92.4 percent of laps attempted. The Xfinity Series had the last two weekends off and the team heads to Nashville Superspeedway in search of their first victory and punching their ticket to the Playoffs. Currently, Creed is 17th in the driver standings.

About Whelen … Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

SHELDON CREED QUOTES:

You’re making your first Xfinity Series start at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. What are you looking forward to?

“When we went to Nashville Superspeedway last season in the Truck Series, it was a really fun race. The atmosphere was awesome and you could tell how excited people were for the race. With it being my first time in an Xfinity car at the track, the only thing I can really take from the truck race is the track itself. Our team has been taking a lot of notes and preparing for the race. It’s nice that we’ve got practice and qualifying to make sure our car is where we want it for the start of the race. I’m excited to get to Nashville. The off week has been really special for me as I welcomed my son, Axel, to the world with my wife, Cami. They’re both doing great and I’ve gotten to spend some quality time with them and now I’m ready to get to the track and go win for my team. We’ve had a really up and down season so far but ours win is coming.”

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This Week’s Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Nashville Superspeedway … Austin Hill will make his second Xfinity Series start at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday. Last season, he competed in the race and started 15th and finished ninth. Saturday afternoon’s race will be his first at the Tennessee track as a full-time Xfinity Series driver for RCR. Hill has one win so far this season as well as six top fives and seven top-10 finishes. He’s led 146 laps and completed 98.7 percent of laps attempted. The Xfinity Series had the last two weekends off and the team heads to Nashville Superspeedway looking for redemption after a hard-found third-place finish at Portland International Raceway. Currently, Hill is eighth in the driver standings.

About Bennett Family of Companies … McDonough, Ga.-based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 12 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:

You ran in the Xfinity Series race at Nashville last season and had a very decent result. What are you looking forward to for this weekend’s race?

“Last season’s race was a lot of fun and I was able to take home a ninth-place finish in a car that I didn’t drive every weekend. It’s nice to be able to have some notes from that race and use them for this weekend. The racetrack was really fun to run on and it felt like once you could get your car dialed in and figure out the best place to run on the track, you could move around in traffic. Hopefully it’s the same this weekend and we can be the car up front. Practice will be helpful and then we qualify on Saturday and jump right into the race so there will be some track changes to keep an eye on. I’m looking forward to getting back after these two off weeks. I think our team has really been dialed in and we’re ready to go.”