BUSCH FINISHES RUNNER-UP IN INAUGURAL CLASH AT THE LA COLISEUM
Kyle Busch won the pole and finished second at the historic venue

LOS ANGELES (February 6, 2022) – Kyle Busch (second) scored the pole, led a race-high 64 laps and came home in the runner-up spot to lead Toyota in the first Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The first official race of the NCS, the Daytona 500, will take place on Sunday, February 20.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Clash – 150 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Joey Logano*
2nd, KYLE BUSCH
3rd, Austin Dillon *
4th, Erik Jones*
5th, Kyle Larson*
8th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
15th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
18th, BUBBA WALLACE
23rd, DENNY HAMLIN

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

How did you view the finish of the Clash and was there anything you could have done to pass Joey Logano for the win?

“I was being perfect doing everything I needed to do – keep the tires underneath me. When I got close, I was like, okay I’ve got to try more and pounce at an opportunity and just overheated the tires and smoked them in three laps and that was it. Disappointing, obviously, come out here and win the pole, and lead laps, run up front. The finish goes green and it’s not chaotic and we can’t win, so it sucks. Congratulations to my son (Brexton Busch) – he won yesterday. That’s cool. I was trying to match him. He’s winning more than me these days, so somebody better send him a contract.”

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

Finishing Position: 23rd

What happened to end your day?

“Mechanical. It looks like the power steering belt evidently came off and took the hose with it. We didn’t have any steering ability. This is something you will probably see a lot of this year. It’s just fixing all of the bugs that are going to happen. Unfortunately, had a power standing issue.”

KURT BUSCH, No. 45 Monster Energy Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: Did Not Advance to the Busch Clash Main Event

You ended up on the wrong end of it out there. Can you explain it from your perspective?

“Just got put in a bad spot on one of the restarts. When you are not managing the race and holding the white line, it puts you in a vulnerable spot. We needed to transfer. We needed to start off the year strong, and we did not. I’m just disappointed to not be in the A-main. We’re racing in the Coliseum. This is what it is all about. NASCAR did a great job putting this all together. Thanks to Monster Energy, Toyota, Jumpman, everybody with this team. We’re supposed to be in the A-Main, and we’re not.”

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at the Coliseum Heat Races | Sunday, February 6, 2022

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Farmer John Ford Mustang (Retired after hitting the wall during LCQ #1) – “It was a bigger hit than I expected with as slow as we were going here. The 38 just destroyed us. We had a decent start and we were moving forward and the 38 just drove in there a mile and tore us up.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Violet Defense Ford Mustang – “We learned a ton today and feel like we’ll apply that and come back stronger. I was really proud of Chris and how smooth of a race he ran. Our race was not super clean, but we made the most out of what we brought today. We didn’t bring enough, so we’ll work on that and be better.”

THE RACE IS ONE THING, BUT THIS EVENT AND EVERYTHING THAT’S GONE INTO IT. HOW DO YOU FEEL THINGS WENT? “It’s an awesome event. NASCAR deserves a lot of credit for that and I’m proud of them for doing this.”

DOES IT FEEL EVEN MORE REAL NOW THAT YOU’VE GOT A RACE BEHIND YOU WITH THESE GUYS? “Yeah, I don’t really have time to think about that. It will feel more real when I’m in victory lane and that’s what I’m focused on.”

TODD GILLILAND, No. 38 First Phase Ford Mustang – “I definitely made a mistake. It’s a super bottom dominant short track and he had gotten really good momentum off of two and I thought he was gonna be clear of me, so I was looking in my mirror at the 17 behind me, kind of inside and it was gonna be close. I was trying to pinch him a little bit and just as I was looking down left I barely turned left and it barely got him. It didn’t take much. I definitely apologize to those guys. I know that no one really has much equipment to put together, let alone tear up before the season, so I definitely feel really bad about that. I didn’t mean to do it and hopefully I can prove it to him throughout the year.”

A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT FOR YOUR FIRST RACE IN CUP IN SUCH TIGHT QUARTERS. “Absolutely. As a rookie, coming out of here I really just wanted to gain respect and I obviously did the opposite of that. It’s hard to gain respect on a quarter-mile. It’s super easy to lose it, so I didn’t achieve that goal.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang – “It’s a beautiful facility. They did a really nice job with the paving. I had a lot of doubts coming in. I walked in and realized real quick that they did a really nice job of making this doable and make it raceable. The race went about how you’d expect, just pretty brutal with pushing and shoving, which you’d expect short track racing. You’re all good with a couple of big dive bombs, but some of those times you get knocked out of the way and it still upsets you. That’s not really part of what we’re coming out here to race like, but ultimately we got a little bit behind and got knocked up the hill. We didn’t have the cautions in our race to get back up there. We had the speed there in the last half, but didn’t have the time. I really hate it for this Fastenal bunch. The team worked hard. We wanted to be in this thing. We wanted to have a shot at it. It’s gonna be really exciting and just hate it. We’re gonna work really hard on this. We’re gonna study it. We’re gonna be better when we come back short track racing. We’re gonna be better for Daytona because of it. We’re gonna get everything we can out of this to make sure we keep on improving.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 eCascadia Ford Mustang – “I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like I was the only victim in the race. I didn’t have any luck in my heat race or the LCQ. I think we had a fast Ford Mustang. I think the Freightliner car has been a fan favorite. I wish it was in the show. I can guarantee that there is gonna be a winner in the feature and there’s gonna be hurt feelings in the feature. It’s not the most conventional style of race that we normally have, but that’s why it’s an exhibition.”

YOU SEEMED TO DO WELL ON THE RESTARTS AND LEARN AS THE RACE WENT ON. “I feel like I led the category of never giving up. Past that, I’m not sure what to take away from it other than go on to Daytona and start the season.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RESULTS
FEBRUARY 5, 2022

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER

2nd Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Guaranteed Rate Camaro ZL1
3rd Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1
5th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1
7th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1
8th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
9th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Food 4 Less/Slim Jim Camaro ZL1
11th William Byron, No. 24 Valvoline Camaro ZL1
14th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
16th Landon Cassill, No. 77 Voyager: Crypto for All Camaro ZL1
19th AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 ChevyLiners.com Camaro ZL1
22nd Austin Dillon, No. 3 True Velocity Camaro ZL1
24th Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Camaro ZL1
31st Corey LaJoie, No. 7 NationsGuard Camaro ZL1
33rd Ross Chastain, No. 1 Howler Head Camaro ZL1
36th Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER

1. Kyle Busch (Toyota)
2. Tyler Reddick (Chevrolet)
3. Justin Haley (Chevrolet)
4. Joey Logano (Ford)
5. Daniel Suarez (Chevrolet)

FOX will telecast the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 6. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT HIGHLIGHTS
FEBRUARY 5, 2022

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1, AND AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 TRUE VELOCITY CAMARO ZL1: PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT HIGHLIGHTS:

IT’S OBVIOUSLY A HUGE DAY. EARLY IN THE SESSION, YOU WERE ONE OF THE MORE QUICKEST ONES. HOW ACCLIMATED HAS THIS TRACK BEEN, BECAUSE SOME SAY IT HAS TURNED A LOT BETTER COMPARED TO THE OLD CAR, WHERE IT MIGHT NOT HAVE MADE IT THROUGH?
DANIEL SUAREZ: “Well, that was a good time now that I got (inaudible). Listen, I can really tell how the old car was going to drive here. I honestly don’t think we all care because we are in the next chapter and that is the past. Now we have to think about the new car. I think the new car is performing amazing. Very, very happy with it and everything we have done so far. Everyone at Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet, everyone has done a great job. We have a good piece and now we have to go out there and have fun and make the most out of it.”

AS YOU’VE PROGRESSED IN THE NEW TEAM AND WITH YOUR BOSS, WITH HAVING PITBULL, HOW IS YOUR SPONSORSHIPS IN THE WAY YOU RELATE TO THEM AND HOW YOU TALK TO THEM AND HOW YOU ATTRACT THEM? HOWS THAT CHANGED AND HAVE YOU LEARNED A LOT OF LESSONS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP MOVING FORWARD AND HELPING IN YOUR SPONSORSHIP SEARCH? IS IT BECOMING EASIER?
DANIEL SUAREZ: “Yeah, it is a process. I think today, thanks to a lot of people, we are in a pretty good spot. Last year, we started the season with a close partnership with RCR and without them we wouldn’t be here. It was a huge help to be able to start strong. Without that support, it is almost impossible to be competitive. There is so much information, so much data out there that require years and people and manufacturers to be able get. It’s a process. Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Ty Norris, this great group of people, Pitbull they have done a great job you know. We had to start the right way, like I said with help from Chevrolet and RCR. Now we are kind of like doing our own thing, but we are still under the umbrella of Chevrolet. It’s been great and I feel like when it comes to sponsors we have to do a good job, not just in the racetrack but also outside the racetrack. I feel like so far we have done a pretty decent job, but really we could push it and there is always room for improvement.”

(INAUDIBLE)
DANIEL SUAREZ: “Yeah it is good. He (Pitbull) is an amazing person. He is a role model for me and I’m sure for many others. I think it would be amazing to be able to have a good race, hopefully win it and have him here. Because if that happens, we are going to have to throw a big party and I know you guys are invited. Hopefully we can get it done.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE COMING OUT TO LOS ANGELES AND COMING TO A TEMPORARY TRACK LIKE THIS AND DRIVING ON IT IN FRONT OF ALL THESE FANS THAT KIND OF HAVE A RELATONSHIP TO YOU?
Daniel Suarez: “Well, for me, you know I kind of answered that question in Spanish. I feel very, very lucky and fortunate to be here in Los Angeles. As you guys know, I don’t get to race at home in Mexico. So, this is as close as it gets. I have been here since Wednesday, doing a lot of media tours. Doing a lot of activations and honestly it feels like home. Everywhere I go, people are speaking in Spanish to me. The tacos here are amazing, so it is very, very cool to be here. I am loving it. This is the first time that we’re racing here, but I truly hope that it’s not the last one because this is an amazing place and a place that everyone makes it feel like home. As you all know, 70 percent of tickets sold are for new fans. I’m pretty sure that a lot of those are Hispanics, so that truly puts a huge smile on my face.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE DRIVING ON A TRACK THAT’S GOT TEMPORARY ASPHALT?
Austin Dillon: “It’s been interesting. I think last night I got some information from Dale Jr. leading into the race and he was like man it’s really slick out there, but I don’t think they were on the same tires. When we got out there, I was kind of anticipating just no grip, sliding around. As the track kind of got better and cleaned off, I started having some good forward drive and the ability to turn and use that paint. I love that there is that painted area where the rumble strips are and then you can either choose to cut across it or not. Everyone is kind of doing their own thing out there and finding speed different ways. When it gets down to those heat races, I mean I think the track is going to shorten up a lot and we are going to be routing and gauging a little bit more.”

I’M DRIVING DOWN TELEGRAPH ROAD IN ARIZONA YESTERDAY AND AT THE INTERSECTION, I’M LOOKING UP AND THERE IS A BIG DANIEL SUAREZ BILLBOARD AND I AM LIKE DANG I KNOW THAT GUY. YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, THE EMBRACING AND THE MESSAGE THAT NASCAR HAS GOTTEN OUT ABOUT HEY WE ARE HAVING A RACE HERE THIS WEEKEND, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE KNOWING AND BEING AWARE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING A RACE HERE THIS WEEKEND?
Daniel Suarez: “Yeah, I mean this is a team effort right. NASCAR has done a tremendous job putting all this together. It requires years of work to be able today to be here. I don’t take that for granted. I think NASCAR has done an incredible job. They have gone the extra mile. They have put a lot of work, for us to be able to be here and hit a new market. Like I said, I just feel very, very lucky and fortunate to be part of this lineup in the Cup Series and being able to be the driver that can connect with the Hispanic community. I feel very, very fortunate for that and feel very blessed. I hope that we can all enjoy the weekend. I know there is going to be a lot of Hispanics out there in the grandstands and hopefully we have a great time.”

OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW THAT KYLE’S SON AND KEVIN’S SON IS RACING. I SAW ACE WAS DRIVING SOMETHING THE OTHER DAY. ARE YOU PREPARING HIM TO BE NEXT IN LINE IN THE DILLON RACING LEGION?
Austin Dillon: “I think he is so young right now, but it is fun to see him get behind the steering wheel. One of the only sounds he makes is (racecar noise). I mean he knows cars, he likes watching cars. If he is having a bad day, I can throw cars on and he is like ready to go. It’s cool I get to do an obstacle course out there with the Disney group and Pixar. They did cars theme stuff and I was like man I wish I had Ace out here with me. I don’t know what he would have done. He probably would have knocked over the obstacle course because he is just kind of wide open right now. Man, I don’t know, I think it would be awesome if he races one day and if he doesn’t, he is going to be good at something though. We are going to put all of our effort into him. He’s a stud. I love hanging out with my little guy.”

DANIEL, WE SAW YOU AT THE DIRT RACE LAST YEAR. SURPRISED EVERYONE RUNNING UP FRONT AND HERE YOU ARE TODAY AND OF THE PRACTICE SESSIONS YOU WERE THERE UP TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE CHARTS. WHAT IS IT WITH YOU TAKING A CAR ON NEW TRACKS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER DONE IN THE CUP SERIES EITHER IN A LONG TIME OR EVER AND JUST PUTTING IT UP FRONT?
Daniel Suarez: “I don’t know. I don’t really know. I think a lot has to do with the mentality of getting to that new place that we are talking about. I think that is very important to be positive. It is important to enjoy it and have fun and to be open minded. Heading into this race, I tried to do my homework and tried to be open minded about a few things and be aware of unknowns. There are a lot of unknowns here. We can do as much work as we want, but the reality is no one really knew. With that being said, I have an amazing team behind me. Everyone at Trackhouse Racing is building an amazing racecar. I got a good hot rod here and hopefully we can make some tweaks and pull that thing up front.”

DANIEL, YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING HERE IN LA, IT’S AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET TO RACING AT HOME WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING HOME. DOES BEING ABLE TO RACE HERE OPEN IT UP FOR EXTENDED FAMILY TO COME WATCH YOU HERE IN PERSON WHERE OTHERWISE WOULDN’T GET TO?
Daniel Suarez: “Well, my family is actually on the other side of the country, so it’s actually closer to Texas. They, unfortunately, won’t be able to come here. Sometimes it’s amazing to have family, but when you are that busy and have so much going on, you don’t want to have too many distractions. This place being so new, having a lot of unknowns, I just didn’t invite them. Maybe next time. They just party to hard and distract me. Maybe soon, they love to come but I am super happy to be here. Great people and great food. It’s just everyone makes me feel like home and I have this feeling it’s special when I am here in LA, California, this part of the country. It’s quite special for me, so just very happy to be here and hopefully we can show that tonight and tomorrow.”

AUSTIN, RCR WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THIS CAR AND I’M WONDERING SINCE YOU HAVE KIND OF BEEN A PART OF IT, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT NOW COMING FROM THE INFANTCY TO WEHRE WE ARE NOW? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PROJECT THAT WE FINALLY HAVE IT ON THE TRACK?
Austin Dillon: “Yeah, you know it is pretty cool to you know from the start this whole project and getting to the point of coming here racing. First test was at Richmond and I remember doing the test. We built the car in house and kind of with the direction what (inaudible) wanted to do. They came to Richmond, and it felt like 100 people when I backed out the car at Richmond. Manufacturers of parts, people that were bidding on parts and then we had a successful day. We didn’t wreck. We didn’t tear anything up and everything stayed together. Afterwards Jim France handed us all a cigar. This was the inception of this car and we took a picture with it. Which was really cool. Now you come to LA and get to be a part of the first race at another kind of grand opening for us as a sport. I think we have done a good job getting here and we are still learning a lot about the different parts and pieces on this car. It’s done very good and performed so far. We will just keep working with it at all these tracks we go to this year. We will be trying to get every piece a little bit better.”

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at the Coliseum Advance| Saturday, February 5, 2022

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford Mustang — YOU WERE NEXT TO LAST IN THE FIRST SESSION AND JUMPED UP TO SECOND IN THE SECOND SESSION. IS THERE THAT MUCH ADJUSTABILITY IN THE CAR OR WERE YOU JUST GETTING USED TO THINGS? “We found a lot. We changed a whole lot between the first and second practice. We were really bad the first run and just really loose. The corners are so tight here that the moment your rear slips out from under you it takes forever to catch it and you lose tons of time. we came in and put tons of wedge in it and changed the right front spring and rear springs. There is a lot of adjustability in these cars with rear and front bar and stiffness on the arms on them, you can change a lot. We did a good job of getting on top of it and taking a huge swing at it. We were so far off. The adjustability on these cars is a lot though. On any other practice weekend I don’t know if you would make as much changes as that in the short time frame we will have on other weekends but you can change a bunch on these cars in not a ton of time. It is nice to have so many options where you can tweak on things.”

DID YOU FIND IT EASIER TO TURN FROM THE PREVIOUS CAR? “Yeah. I feel like this new car has more grip than the old car. The tires are wider and it just has more grip on the track and it feels like you are going faster than you would have with the old car here. There are things that are similar and other things that are different. The steering is so quick here, when you get loose with the power steering system we have in these cars is not as smooth. It can kind of catch and be harder to correct and turn but I feel like these cars have more grip so you can really lay on the wheel and the tires will take it and not just chatter. The old car you had a lot of chatter with tires but these ones feel like they will take it a little bit more.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE DRIVING ON WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A TEMPORARY TRACK? “Honestly, I think everyone kind of didn’t know what to expect when we announced this. When we got here yesterday and were able to walk around and now sitting up here, this is awesome. What a cool venue. A great event, I think. I think the fans coming to watch it tomorrow night are going to be really pleased and put on a great event for everybody. I think it is really neat that we are out here and doing this and getting the first laps on the track were tough because you are trying to find the limits and things like that. The track was really slick getting going this morning, that is for sure. But it got grip by the end of it and everyone learns pretty quickly here. I couldn’t tell it was a temporary track. It is asphalt. You can run on it.”

YOU HAVE A NEW CREW CHIEF AND BRAD (KESELOWSKI) ISN’T THERE ANYMORE. HAS YOUR ROLE CHANGED WITHIN THE TEAM AT ALL? “You go through changes all the time with Austin and Harrison (Burton) coming in, it is cool to get some new minds in there. Everyone thinks differently and it is cool to get some fresh blood in there that brings up some points that maybe you haven’t thought of that way before. It is good to get all these different collective minds working. Working with Jonathan Hassler has been really good and it has been nice to have some tests with him in the offseason and be able to get down each others languages and things like that and how we go about things. It has been great. He has been a part of Penske for a long time and I was really impressed with the job he did the second half of last year on the 21 car and I am happy to be working with him and see how we do. Yeah, a little different but we are strongest when we all work together, all the team and drivers, and we do a great job of that as a group at Penske. It is a matter of getting the season going and that kind of comes naturally. It is a little different look but the same objective, really.”

WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY DOES THIS EVENT REPRESENT IN THE QUEST THAT YOU HAVE HAD THE LAST FEW YEARS TO TRY TO HELP GROW THIS SPORT? “I think it is great. You always want to get new fans and at the same time please your fans that have been around forever. That is hard to do. YOu always want to do your best at growing the sport in general and keeping people happy who have been a part of it for a long time and attracting new eyes. I thought I read somewhere that 70% of the people coming here tomorrow it is their first time coming to a NASCAR race or watching NASCAR. That is great. Where else are you going to get something like that? This venue, I am jealous that you guys get to look at the backdrop while we are talking. It is nice. And the George Lucas museum. You know, what I was doing, I was just doing those things because they were fun to me and I thought it would help grow myself and the sport of NASCAR as well. If I drove cars and people liked something I was in or they saw me in a show or something then maybe they would check out NASCAR and get hooked because they liked me on something else. It was never my main goal. I just thought it would help everybody, myself and NASCAR included. I think it is really great and honestly, staying at the hotel, a lot of people know what is going on this weekend here. It is not a secret. They have done a great job of branding it and putting it out there that the Clash is here at the LA Coliseum. That is the first part. You have to get the word out. I have tons of friends I have made over the years who are actors and artists who are coming out to this race tomorrow and a lot of them it is their first time. It is something new and it is right here and it should be exciting. I would love to be here as a fan. If I was a fan of the sport and a spectator, I would love to watch this race for the excitement that it is going to bring. Ask me this tomorrow night if I am pissed off after getting wrecked, but as a fan it is going to be a lot of fun to watch. I never would have thought I would be able to drive in the LA Coliseum. It is really cool.”

YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU FELT THE TRACK GETTING MORE GRIP. YOU PRACTICED IN THE MORNING AND YOU CAN FEEL THE HEAT COMING UP. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND WHEN IT GETS MORE GRIP TO YOU GET MORE AGGRESSIVE? “Yeah, Austin had the fun one. He as in the first session this morning. We got to run last night for the NBC Super Bowl thing and we were kind of putting around then but you could feel how slick it was and how dirty it was. You get that with any new asphalt especially when it is cool outside. It just got better and better as rubber got laid down and temps got up a little and drivers got more confident at knowing what to do. Just speeds pick up. Everything gets better and better as you get running on it and you saw that with speeds getting faster and faster as the day went on.”

WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THIS CAR VERSUS LAST YEAR’S MODEL? “I think I can compare it to the tracks we have been testing it on like Phoenix and the Charlotte Roval and things like that. There are certain things about it that are like more grip in the corner, you feel like you can drive it harder. I feel like it is a double-edged sword. You can drive it harder but the price you pay for driving it too hard and slipping is worse than what the old car was. So that is going to make it tough. It is easier to mess up in this new car I feel like. You will pay a bigger penalty when you do mess up. that part is really neat for me as a driver and makes it more challenging and will put more of an emphasis on being perfect throughout the race. That part is something really big that I have learned just running them at the tests right now. They handle different. It is hard to tell you what your butt feels when you are in the car, just the way it moves around and slides around. It is a different feel from that old car. We will get a better idea when we get in races and traffic and stuff and get 40 cars out there but there are a lot of things different and it will challenge drivers and teams to really be on top of their game at the start of the year. You will see who is on top of their game right away and you just hope to be one of those teams.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 eCascadia Ford Mustang — FOLKS WERE SAYING THAT IT WAS EASIER TO TURN INTO THESE CORNERS WAS EASIER WITH THIS NEW CAR AND THAT YOUR ROAD COURSE BACKGROUND MIGHT HELP. IS THAT WHAT YOU FOUND WITH THIS NEW CAR? “I certainly felt like the track, once you got out there, it didn’t feel as tight as what I probably thought they were going to be beforehand. Even turning into the infield. I had a big concern trying to pull off early in the session if you could even make the turn into the corner. I think the track is fine and the cars can handle it fairly well. Just trying to understand how to make it work the best. I think you almost erase all your concerns beforehand after you make the first three laps. YOu are like, okay, this is a race track and there is a car on it, so lets make it go fast.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE DRIVING ON WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A TEMPORARY TRACK? “I have driven a lot of temporary tracks in my career. It reminds me a lot of street courses. I think a lot of these walls and fences are from Long Beach. Even the rallycross tracks, a lot of it is similar, even the transition of cleaning up the track and the dust coming off. As a sport it is kind of our first free trial run at doing it. I think for us as an industry, even as drivers and teams, it proves that we can do it on a much larger scale than inside the confines — we basically expanded as wide as we could before we got to the bleachers. I think there are other applications like street course racing that we can be even more creative with the track layout for sure.”

THIS HAS BEEN A TRANSITIONAL OFF-SEASON FOR YOU, WHAT HAS THE WELCOME TO THE 2 TEAM BEEN LIKE? “A lot of transition for me between the car and the race team. Staying with the same team but a completely new group of people. For me, it has been a lot of transition. Not new faces but new personalities and new ways to work around things and a new car that you are not sure of what the process should be in the first place. In some ways it makes it easier and some days I feel like I am learning three things when other guys are learning one. It has been more challenging probably personally than I had anticipated but it has been rewarding at times as well. Even today, our practice was pretty dismal at best. I felt like we went from every extreme of the adjustments we made or the feedback I gave and where we ended up. I do feel like we were able to be very productive in reviewing that and I am excited to see what it holds. I think I have to continually tell myself to be patient. I have certain expectations for myself that I want to hold up, but at the same time being patient with that process and not just blowing through some of the finer details of what is important and building those relationships with the team, Jeremy and the car. Making sure I am paying attention to all the details and not pushing too far ahead.”

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING THESE FANS THAT ARE COMING TO SEE NASCAR FOR THE FIRST TIME TAKE AWAY FROM THE EXPERIENCE? “I think everyone here can attest to the fact that you go to a NASCAR race or any motorsports event and you are able to experience it in person you usually walk away hooked. It isn’t often you get to see people driving cars this hard and racing near each other and the noise, sights and sounds. This is a very compact version of that, a concentrated version, which is why I think it will be very exciting. I think anyone sitting in the stands here tomorrow night will not be able to escape the energy. It will be loud. It wil be fun. It will be a party. Everyone around you is going to be having a good time and that is infectious. I think the more you can have that, the better. That is why I like events like this and why I always loved going to street courses because you brought the party to the people and we are the entertainers. That makes our job more fun and more rewarding to be able to do that. I think it is cool when you can bring it to fun venues and that attracts a following and then that attracts going to events outside of your own ecosystem. It is a great start, a great way to test that theory in a controlled environment for us as a sport.”

WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THIS CAR VERSUS LAST YEAR’S MODEL? “I think the mechanical components that on paper make this car seem so different are probably actually the things that aren’t so different as far as driving the car. You have the independent rear suspension, differential instead of rear end housing. You have rack and pinion steering and a whole lot of things that on paper are different about this car but doesn’t take away from the character. It is still definitely a NASCAR. We left Phoenix saying it felt like Phoenix. I think the things that are different is how you get the speed out of it and make the right adjustments with those new tools.