Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Quaker State 400 Qualifying
Friday, June 27, 2025

FORD RUNS ATLANTA CUP POLE STREAK TO SIX AS LOGANO CLAIMS TOP SPOT

• Joey Logano put his No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse on the pole today at EchoPark Speedway.
• Ford has won the last six NASCAR Cup Series poles at AMS (Joey Logano twice, Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell twice, and Ryan Blaney).
• Blaney won the pole for the race earlier this year at AMS.
• Ford has swept the front row in six straight AMS qualifying sessions – Logano/Berry (2025-2), Blaney/Cindric (2025-1), McDowell/Blaney (2024-2), McDowell/Logano (2024-1), Almirola/Blaney (2023-2), Logano/Cindric (2023-1).
• Team Penske has had at least one driver start on the front row in each of the last six races (Logano, 2025-2; Blaney and Cindric, 2025-1; Blaney, 2024-2; Logano, 2024-1; Blaney, 2023-2; Logano and Cindric, 2023-1)
• Ford swept the top 8 spots in the 2023 spring race.
• Ford swept the top 6 spots in the 2023 summer race.
• Ford swept the top 5 spots in the 2024 summer race.
• Ford swept the top 5 spots and 9 of the top 10 in the 2025 spring race.
• Ford swept the top 8 spots in the 2025 summer race.

Ford Qualifying Results

1st – Joey Logano
2nd – Josh Berry
3rd – Ryan Blaney
4th – Austin Cindric
5th – Ryan Preece
6th – Brad Keselowski
7th – Cole Custer
8th – Zane Smith
13th – Chris Buescher
17th – Todd Gilliland
25th – Corey LaJoie
27th – Noah Gragson
39th – Cody Ware
40th – David Starr

POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW MUCH EASIER IS IT NOW TO CONTROL THE RACE WITH HOW QUALIFYING WENT? “It definitely helps at the start, for sure. Being up front and controlling this race is the name of the game. If you can get up there and solidify the top positions, I feel like you can stay there. The thing is there’s a lot of what-ifs that play out in this race, a lot of cautions that maybe timed in a different way where it can jumble up the field. It’s hard to say you’re gonna be leading every lap of this thing. It’s kind of a hard thing to try to accomplish. The good thing is we controlled what we could today. I’m super proud of Team Penske, Roush Yates, Ford, obviously, to keep our Mustangs up there. It really shows the ability to repeat from car to car. It’s really hard to do. When you see we tied with the 21 and I think all the other cars were all within a couple hundredths of a second, and you think of all the parts and pieces on a race car and how you can put them together, to make them all end up the same like that is pretty impressive. I’m super proud of what Team Penske has been able to do there. It shows the discipline and quality control is definitely there, so I’m proud to see that. That part is cool to show as an example today, but tomorrow is a whole new day.”

HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED OR SEEN A TIE LIKE THAT IN YOUR CAREER? “Not for the pole, no. I’m glad I’m on this end of it (laughing).”

HOW DIFFERENT IS QUALIFYING VERSUS THE RACE IN TERMS OF SETUP? DOES IT TRANSLATE? “You just don’t know, still. It’s by yourself. Everybody has the heights lowered and all that stuff for qualifying, so you don’t know. Tire pressures. Everything is different. I say everything is different, it’s not like you’re slinging springs at the thing because all we can do is pretty much adjust the heights and pressures from here. There’s no way to know.”

HAVE YOU GUYS TWEAKED YOUR GAME PLAN FOR TOMORROW OR JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE? “I’d say for stages it works really well. I’d say as the race continues, at times, we, A, get separated or, B, the intensity ratchets up and we get wrecked. Unfortunately, the wrecks nine times out of 10 start right in the front and that happens to be where we are most of the time, which is great, but with these speedway races recently the best cars, the cars that lead all the laps most of the time don’t win these days just because of the wrecks. I feel like here in Atlanta it’s a little bit different, especially tomorrow, handling is gonna come into play. It’s gonna look like the old 550 days a little bit, I think. The draft is still gonna be there, don’t get me wrong, but I think the field will definitely have a little bit of separation. Some lifting will definitely come into play, those type of things. It’s a speedway race, but it’s almost a 550 race – like right on the edge – kind of like Michigan used to be years ago.”

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH BEFORE THE END OF YOUR CAREER THAT YOU HAVEN’T ACHIEVED YET? “My goals are very short-term goals all the time. I know some people like having some goals that sit out there a long ways, but mine are simple. It’s, win the championship and win the next race. What else does it have to be? And where the stats end up, they’ll end up from there. I’ve never had a number that I was trying to reach or anything like that. I just want to win what I can win today and I’ll focus on tomorrow when that happens. I’m not saying the way he (Denny Hamlin) does it is wrong, I like the long-term plan on a lot of things, but on this one I’m looking at the hood pins.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Atlanta 2 Media Availability
Friday, June 27, 2025

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse, got the first win for Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series when he won here at EchoPark Speedway on Feb. 24, 2019. Keselowski stopped by the infield media center before qualifying to talk about tomorrow night’s race.

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU’VE HAD ALL THREE RFK DRIVERS FINISH IN THE TOP 10 A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. ARE YOU GUYS GONNA JET FROM HERE? “It’s a good thing. We’ve had some really strong races where you don’t get the results and it’s kind of frustrating, but we’re on a good path. We want wins. Strong showings like that are great and you’d like to think that we’re paying some dues in order to get the wins that we really need, but they’re not wins. I’m very optimistic that we can turn that into something with the weeks we have in front of us, but until then it doesn’t matter. With the way this format is we don’t get any bonus for top 10s. It’s all about the wins, but still it’s not a bad problem to have. A lot of reasons for optimism. All three teams have shown some bright spots. I think that the 17 car, Chris Buescher, qualifying really well, racing really well. That team is very mature. It’s got mature people across the board, pit crew and crew chiefs and drivers and they’re clicking off really strong runs, but just a tiny bit short of getting that win. The 60 car has really grown well together. Last year, we put that team together and ran a partial schedule with Derrick Finley and we had a handful of different drivers and matured a lot of that team and a partial schedule, whether it be pit crew as well, and that team has fired off with putting Ryan in as the driver full-time and shown a lot of strength. We’re probably not where we want to be with my car, the 6 team. I had a slow start to the season, but starting to find a rhythm of our own here over the last month with good runs in the Coke 600, good run at Michigan, good run at Pocono, so I think three of the last five races we’ve been a contender to run up front and compete for the win, but ultimately we haven’t punched through with any of the three cars and I’m eager to do just that.”

DO YOU PUT ANY NEW PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO AVOID THE PENALTY YOU GOT FOR PITTING TOO SOON LAST WEEK? “No, probably just better communication and working through how we missed it. It was kind of a system of redundancy errors, which is not fun, but it happened. We’ll try to be better for it and move on. I don’t know if there’s any glorified procedure to fix to it. That might be a better question for Jeremy Bullins and my spotter, TJ, but it certainly wasn’t an ideal situation.”

WITH T.J. PUCHYR SAYING HE IS GOING TO BUY RICK WARE RACING AND KEEP BOTH CHARTERS AFTER 2026, DOES THAT MAKE YOUR ABILITY TO BE A THREE-CHARTER TEAM MORE DIFFICULT AFTER 2026? “To be determined. As a company, we have to sit down and go through our strategy and what we want to do there. I think it’s pretty well publicly known that we have the first right of refusal on all those deals, so we have to decide where we want to go.”

YOU’RE RACING AT NIGHT, SO IS IT HARDER TO QUALIFY DURING THE DAY? IS A DIFFERENT SETUP REQUIRED? “This track is just super hard to predict. I think here yesterday it was almost 100 degrees and pretty slick. It cools off a little in the night as the sun sets, but it’s still pretty hot. Today, it’s cooled off a bunch. You can stand outside and feel like you could live out there for an hour or two at least, whereas yesterday not so much. So a lot goes into it. When the sun will set during the race, probably halfway-ish I’m guessing from the information I have, but when it does set, the track should gain a lot of grip. It’ll be interesting to me to see the track has sat through another half of a summer. You can really see it turning gray. I had to remind myself on the track walk today that it’s been three years since it’s been repaved because if you actually walk it, it looks like it’s been 10-15 years. It’s seen a lot of degradation. It’s got a lot of different character spots in it that it didn’t have before. It reminds me a little bit of the old Daytona and it’s kind of turning into that type of racetrack. The dynamics of that race are gonna change a lot, just from the track, but when you throw the weather and then the sunset in it, you’re basically running two or three different races as one.”

DOES ANYTHING CHANGE IN THE DYNAMIC AT RFK WHEN EACH OF THE TEAM’S FATE IS MORE ADVERSARIAL TO ONE ANOTHER THAN NORMAL? “No, I think we entered the season – I don’t want to say protecting against that mindset, but having the foresight that it could be realistic and saying, ‘Hey, we just need to get all three cars to win.’ That’s our goal. That’s our focus and then we’re not thinking that way, but if we get so caught up in racing each other, none of them will make it in, so we’ll try to get all three of them to win.”

YOU CAN BE AGGRESSIVE WITH STRATEGY AT A LOT OF THE RACES LEFT IN THE REGULAR SEASON. WILL YOU BE EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH WHERE YOU ARE IN THE STANDINGS? “To some degree. The road courses, but even Pocono is that way and I suspect Indy will be that way. I feel like that’s probably my mentality regardless, but it’s interesting because I don’t necessarily think it’s all of our team’s mentality. I think the 17 team has a very good shot of just pointing their way in. They’re very well positioned, but certainly when you look at our season it looks that way with the 6 car, yes.”

HAVE YOU HAD ANY INTERACTION WITH T.J. PUCHYR? “Yeah, I know T.J. T.J. has been in the garage for a while and he called me and gave me a briefing of what was going on there.”

WHEN YOU SAY RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL DOES THAT MEAN YOU COULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET ONE OF THE CHARTERS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF RWR? “There’s always an opportunity. The juice and the squeeze have to line up.”

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE FOURTH OF JULY DURING YOUR CHILDHOOD DAYS? DID THAT MEAN DAYTONA? “No. Actually, it being kind of a Truck Series/ARCA brat, it was Milwaukee. We would usually race the Milwaukee Mile around the Fourth of July weekend. I can remember driving back through Chicago because we lived in Michigan and the fireworks would be going off. I have a lot of great riding in the motorhome stories and the July Fourth race weekends were always some of the best.”

HAS THERE BEEN ANY FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THE OTHER DECISION TO STAY OUT ONE LAP LATER AND THEN THE CAUTION CAME OUT? “No. We’ve been really busy, a lot of focus. We were testing at Gateway the last two days and I would say all of our energy has been consumed by just trying to be fast. The opportunities and the different things that happen through the year, particularly around pit strategy, are very lotteryesque and your best way to take advantage of those situations is just to be fast, so I think our energy and time is focused on what do we need to do to show the pace that we’ve shown, whether that be at Michigan or Pocono or a handful of other races like Charlotte. How do we get that pace at more races that will put us in a position to where some of those things when they fall your way you’re able to capitalize.”

WHEN YOU GET BIT BY A CAUTION LIKE THAT CAN IT MAKE THE TEAM GUN SHY ABOUT THOSE DECISIONS TO RUN LONG? “It’s like the age old blackjack story where you sit down at the table and you don’t hit on 16 and the next card that comes up was a 4 and you lose and you’re like, ‘Wow, that was pretty dumb.’ And so your tendency the next time is, ‘let’s hit,’ and then you get a face card and you bust. It’s kind of like you pick a path and you stick to the path. When you flip-flop back and forth on the path, I’ve always believed that’s when you make a mistake because a lot of those shots are 50/50 shots and they come back and that’s what I meant. You’ve just got to make sure that when it does go your way you’re fast enough to make it count and it didn’t go our way at Pocono. We were good enough to make it count if it did and that’s just the breaks.”

AS A DRIVER, HOW MUCH EMPHASIS AND FOCUS ARE YOU PUTTING IN THE CHALLENGE AND DO YOU FEEL YOUR MENTALITY TOMORROW MAY CHANGE LATE IN THE RACE. AS A TEAM OWNER, HAVE YOU TOLD CHRIS AND RYAN TO PUT MORE OR LESS EMPHASIS ON IT? “The only thing I told them as a team owner is to make sure we all shared if we won, and they said yes, but we didn’t say exactly what that meant. I agreed to share if I won with the team and they at least nodded that they would do the same. I probably should have outlined that a little better. We have a few more weeks to figure that out, but I think as a whole some of the drivers have been kind of dismissive over the bracket challenge, which always feels like the ‘don’t take a picture with the trophy’ type of thing where you’re like, ‘I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t want to be thinking about it.’ But I think it will become a lot more real, whether it be for the drivers or for the media or for the fans as it progresses into the later rounds of the next few weeks. I look at the races ahead of us, for example this weekend, and it’s like the field is so big right now that it’s like, ‘I don’t really know what to say.’ It’s too much, but I’m hopeful that all three of our cars will make it through the next couple rounds and then it will certainly become more of a focal point for us.”

DID YOU TALK TO KYLE BUSCH AT ALL ABOUT YOUR MATCHUP? “No, I haven’t talked to him at all. I don’t know if he’s here. He’s not here. He didn’t show up. Showing up is half the battle. I’m sure there will be some great matchups along the way and some shocking losses.”

Toyota GAZOO Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

HAMPTON, Ga. (June 27, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Friday prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Have you had any discussions with your 23XI drivers about the in-season tournament or the Playoff push?

“No discussions about the in-season stuff. Obviously, the motivation is pretty straight forward. You’ve got a million-dollar prize if you can make it through the rounds, and certainly, I think they have a legitimate opportunity there, but mostly, trying to get this last playoff push. We’ve got multiple cars that are in. We’ve got one car that is out, overall, you just have to shake the bad luck. You have to shake the stuff we’ve done that hasn’t helped our drivers finish races, just have to be a little bit cleaner with our days and this is the time that you have to make the push because you can’t count on that cutline not moving.”

Do you approach this race differently when you run at night versus during the day?

“A little bit. Mainly it is about track temperature, whether that is day or night, the track will have a certain amount of grip based on the temperature of it. If we were racing in conditions like this during the day, not only having the ambient temperature outside, but the sun radiating off of it, it would have a lot less grip than it would have at night. The teams just weigh that balance and they try to give you a car that is going to be as fast as it possibly can be while also having the handling that it needs. Certainly, I believe that our philosophy this weekend will be qualify bad, race good. That is what we are probably going to do.”

How do you feel about paying the drivers directly for the in-season tournament?

“I think that the interest should align. I think the conversations that I’ve had with my team – I can only speak where I’m at as a driver. If I can make it through this round, make it to a road course, I’m going to want our strategy to revolve around beating whoever I’m up against, where typically, we are going to get a couple road course stage points and we’re trying to surive the rest of the day and get a decent finish. I think I’m going to do whatever I can to beat the other person. Everyone’s motivation is a little bit different there, but I would think the interest would somewhat align, again I think it becomes tougher if you are a bubble team, because you have to chase points, and maybe not chase one person, but I’m in a different position where I’m locked in, we have points – likely not going to win the road courses anyway, so flip it and get the best finishes that we can.”

What did you have to do in the past to keep Bubba’s attitude in place versus how he handled last week’s disappointment?

“Well, a lot of it is just, it’s not like, it’s not giving 23XI a free pass, right? I think it is just so much easier, if you have issues and you want to kick and scream, like, do it to us. When you do it outwardly in the public and in the media, it creates a lot of other distractions that you have to deal with. He’s made it easier – a third of the races he has DNF’d, right, and is still in the Playoffs. He hasn’t even existed for a third of the races when it comes to finishes. I think it just shows how strong that they are, and what they are capable of doing, and I think truthfully, the biggest change has just come from him within, more so than anything I’ve done with him or the team has done with him, and I think certainly, we look at the biggest change coming in his personal life midway last year, and what not, and I think that has changed the most.”

How much does he need to win the regular season or is there any pressure on him?

“I just know the resources that we’ve put in at 23XI, and all of our driver should win. That is the expectation that I have of them. Obviously, it is a result-based business, and if you don’t over time, you consider your options. Overall, I’ve seen enough progression, specifically, from the the 23 standpoint, that I can see where this can go. Obviously, putting himself in a Playoff position year after year is good, but winning makes it better. It makes it good for the team; it makes it good for your sponsorships. The progression is smaller, but it is still happening with Riley (Herbst) as well. We started at the bottom of the cellar, and it is slowly but surely getting a little bit better. That is what I’m looking at as an owner, but certainly, I need all my cars winning at some point. There are just too many resources, too many good people over there not to win more races, and certainly, I think we’ve underperformed as far as actual winning this year. We expect more, but a lot of it – I think we carry that burden.”

If the sun stays out during stage one tomorrow, how much will this track change?

“A lot. I believe that handling will be a big factor. We keep waiting for this place to kind of turn the corner and when is going to separate itself a little bit with car handling, the field size. Is it going to start to stretch out where handling really matters? It hasn’t got to that point yet, but certainly, if it ever will, it will come during these type of conditions. There is a balance to be had. Can you hang on – if you build a car that is going to be fast in qualifying today, can you build a car that can do that and can also survive the day part of the race tomorrow to get to get to the night so you can use your all out speed. I personally want a car that I can turn left and right in, in the middle of the corner and not have any second thoughts, but everyone has a different style on what they want out of their car. I think we are still a few years from it being a true handling type race track.”

How much of your focus is going towards the regular season championship?
“A little bit. Certainly, I don’t know how good our opportunity is to win the regular season championship. I think we are going to have to have some things go our way that – (William) Bryon has obviously had speed. He’s executed extremely well. It’s just been the last couple of weeks that he has had a little chink in the armor, but still, we are still a race and a half behind when it comes to the actual standings. Happy that last week we able to get ourselves back to third after missing Mexico, but a goal of mine, truthfully, would be to be second or third. I think if I can be there, that is enough bonus points that will translate into the Playoffs. If I get one or two more wins, that should be enough that I would feel comfortable going into the Playoffs.”

Did you get to the bottom of the brake rotors from last week?

“The team did, yes.”

Was it the brake rotors or a team decision?

“Without getting too in depth with it, it was a team oversight. If that’s – just too aggressive. I don’t know how else to say it. They knew what they had, but they didn’t think about the implications of what they were doing set-up wise.”

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Toyota GAZOO Racing – Chase Briscoe
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

HAMPTON, Ga. (June 27, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe was made available to the media on Friday prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway.

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Has there been any surprise congratulations since your win at Pocono?

“Nobody that was super surprising. I felt like it was a normal cast of characters. Tony (Stewart) did reach out and told me that he was super happy for me, and I was texting him last night about him running the midget at IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park). It was super cool that he reached out. He didn’t have to do that, right? I would say – nobody that was really surprising, just kind of the normal people for sure.”

At the end of the race, we know you are going to be racing for the win, but are you also going to be aware of where Noah Gragson is running?

“It definitely is going to be a unique complexion to the race. I’ve never really been where it is head-to-head with one other guy. In the Playoffs, you are racing only really against 15 or 11 or 7 or 3 other guys, but never head-to-head. It will kind of be unique – if you are running 14th and they are running 16th – like that battle is going to be really intense in the mix of the battle of the race itself. It will be kind of hard, having that play out on a superspeedway – just because here, we can really be all right on top of each other, right? You could almost have a battle for the win for 15th with the guy. It is going to be a unique layer to the race. Maybe it could cause chaos at the end. I don’t know how desperate people will be in the first round, but if you get knocked out the first round, you can’t move on. I think it will add a very unique element to the race, and I’m looking forward to it. It should be a lot of fun.”

Have you or has the team put any emphasis on the in-season tournament?

“I’ve looked – not only at the matchup with Noah (Gragson) – but kind of who I will go up against every round. The team, I don’t think, truthfully, really cares. They are more worried about winning the race, and obviously, if you win the race, you are going to move on anyways. I don’t think the teams are going to change their strategy based on who you are racing, because based on the Playoff standpoint, it doesn’t really do anything. I do think when you get to the final round, or even the final four, I think there is maybe a chance that maybe teams will call a different strategy based on the Playoff situation, but yeah, it is definitely something I looked at. Noah and I trash talked each other for a little bit this week, so it will be fun to kind of have that competition, and certainly, out of all of the tracks, I would say, in this matchup deal, I’m by far the most nervous about this one – especially going up against Noah. This is a place where you can come and run really, really well, so it will be a tough challenge for sure.”

Do you get paid directly if you win this tournament?

“I have no idea. Honestly, when I did my contract at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) – I don’t think this had even been announced yet, so it really wasn’t even a talking point like it would be, when you run Xfinity with the Dash 4 Cash. It was a thing you would work around. Yeah, I need to figure that out. We have five weeks before I really need to know, but that would be cool for sure.”

Are you feeling more relaxed or relieved after getting the win?

“There is definitely a sigh of relief – just a weight off your shoulders, but honestly, I’m expected to win multiple races, not just win one and be done. I think the pressure just continues to ratchet up, but it is definitely nice to just get a win and just try to know that I can do it. It is a weird sense of feelings, because there is a sense of relief but there is also a sense of more pressure because now, they know you can win, just an unique situation for myself.”

Do you want to be racing Noah Gragson back to the line?

“I don’t know. It depends on where the wreck is, right? You don’t want to be racing through a wreck. It will be kind of unique – just how this race plays out. You could be able to be making a move against the guy you are racing against, and the caution comes out and it changes everything. It will be fun going against Noah (Gragson). He’s probably my best buddy on my entire circuit. We play golf a lot, and he’s actually my son’s favorite driver (laughter), so the pressure is on this weekend.”

Are you more comfortable against Noah Gragson versus another Toyota?

“Honestly, I feel like here at a superspeedway, we’ve seen how good the Fords are, and going against a Ford here is certainly a hard challenge. This is one of those race tracks that no matter what team you are with, you kind of have a shot to go and win. It’s no secret, right? Noah (Gragson) is not at one of the powerhouse teams, but when he comes here, he can be right here in the mix. Front Row cars qualified on the front row here last year, so it will be a challenge. I know that Noah will probably qualify well. The Toyotas don’t typically qualify quite as well, but our cars will handle really, really good in the race. It is going to be a tough challenge. Anybody that you are going up against in the Cup Series is going to be hard. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day, so it is going to be a hard one. Of all the weeks, I definitely feel like this is the one that I’m the most nervous about because this is the one that is the most out of my control, but it will be fun. Hopefully, I win because if I don’t, I will never hear the end of it from Noah or my son.”

Is this a track that would benefit from you having practice?

“I mean, yeah, I’m sure like if we had practice, guys would go out there in a pack and practice for sure. I don’t know if that would make the racing any better. I think that is one of the unique things about this place out of all of the speedways – this is where your car’s balance comes into play the most – especially that first run of the race, we always see the guys that start at the back will take on the long run and guy’s cars just don’t drive very good, so I don’t know. Would practice make our cars drive better? Yeah, absolutely, but would that put on a better race, I don’t think so. I’m not against it, especially this weekend with how hot is going to be – handling is going to be a premium, and I think you are going to see the teams that hit it the best, especially this first run of the race, really be able to take advantage of it. I’m not for practice here yet; 10 years from now, I might have a totally different answer, but for now, I’m good with it.”

Is there any way to get Brooks to root for you over Noah Gragson?

“No. Noah (Gragson) is like that uncle that you take your kid too that has Pop-Tarts, ice cream – everything else when he’s with him – every candy that you try not to give your kid. So, yeah, Brooks definitely loves Noah for that reason. Every time he’s around him, he’s getting sugared up like nobody’s business. Brooks definitely likes Noah, and it will be fun to go up against him and all of the trash talk leading into it. It will be a lot of fun.”

Do you feel like everything with the 19 team is starting to gel at the right time?

“For sure. It has definitely been a learning curve to start the season – I feel like these last, really the last month, four or five weeks, we’ve really started growing a lot and we’ve gotten to a really good point. I think there is things that we can still do better. I feel like our communication and trust in each other has grown a lot these last four weeks, so hopefully that will just continue to get better. Like I said, there is still a long way to go, but I do feel really, really good about where we are at right now. I felt good about where we were at the beginning of the season – but it was so new, and we were still learning each other that we are finally to that point of where we have an understanding and a baseline and we continue to get better and better at that. It should only get better as time goes.”

What does it mean to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field?

“It is going to be super cool. I didn’t really start racing until I was 11, so all I did growing up was play baseball. Growing up as a kid, I wouldn’t say I’m a Cubs fan now, but as a kid, I loved the Cubs. I loved Sammy Sosa, and Gary Gaetti played there. I loved the Cubs for whatever reason, and whenever I played my MLB video game, I would always pick the Cubs. If I had a my career player, it was always with the Cubs, so it is going to be really cool to go to such an iconic place like Wrigley, and for me, I grew up playing baseball and loving baseball. Truthfully my early passion was to be a baseball player, so for me to go there, and throw out the first pitch is going to be really, really special, so looking forward to the opportunity. It is going to be neat, and they are playing the Guardians, which is the team that I’m the closest to now. The kid that I grew up playing baseball with travel ball is the travel coordinator there, so I’ve gotten to know a lot of the Guardians organization and a lot of their team management guys. A couple of their players are huge NASCAR fans, so getting texts from them almost every single week, so it is going to be cool that it just so happens that the Cubs are playing them and they are all going to be there too, so it will be nice to see some friends too.”

Have you practiced yet?
“No, I’m just going to go there and let it rip. I played enough baseball growing up that I feel like I’m going to be alright, I just might throw my shoulder out that is all (laughter).”

What does the Briscoes generally do on the Fourth of July?

“Definitely at a Sprint Car track and baseball before I got to that point. I would be playing baseball tournaments, but yeah the Fourth of July – Bloomington Speedway always had a massive fireworks show. It was one of the best in the state, so it was all really cool to go there as a kid and be able to celebrate the Fourth of July and watch Sprint Cars and watch fireworks, and now to do it in Chicago will be pretty neat. Looking forward to the opportunity.”

How old is Brooks and has he filled out a bracket?

“He is three-and-a-half, and he hasn’t filled out a bracket. I need to have him do that, just to see who he picks. I would say that Kyle Larson will definitely goes far, Kyle Busch and Noah (Gragson) and Austin Cindric – those are four guys, I would say. Actually, I’m going to have Brooks fill out a bracket and I’ll post it online.”

Have you noticed the excitement around the in-season tournament?

“Definitely noticed on social media for sure. A lot of people have been tagging me in brackets and people just posting their brackets in general. It is really cool. Growing up, and you can still do this today, when March comes around that was the thing – you would fill out your March Madness bracket, and for us to finally have something like that is a lot of fun. People can kind of follow along, and even for myself – it might not be your favorite team, but you find yourself cheering for them if you pick in them in the bracket, and I think the same for us. People will pick drivers that they might not necessarily like, and will be cheering for them to be better in the race. It is a fun angle for all sports to kind of have that bracket.”

How long was Joe Campbell your spotter?

“Well, he doesn’t do it now, but it was 2022, 2023 and 2024.”

What was it like to change spotters?

“It is hard. Anytime you switch spotters – you get just used to having that same voice in your ear, and you learn their tendencies and you learn by the sound of their voice how urgent things need to be, you really put all of your trust in that person, but it takes time to build that trust. I worked with Tim Fedewa for three or four years and then went to Joe (Campbell), and it took us a while to get that trust built up and you learn things, so for Christopher (Bell) to be on his third different spotter is tough, because each spotter has their own way. For example, Joe, he would clear me if there was an inch – it was going be tight, but now, my spotter, Drew (Herring), his tight clear might be five inches – it is the same for Christopher. Tab (Boyd) now – how willing he’s able to clear him on things is going to be totally different than the other two guys he has worked with, and the sound of his voice and how urgent he is, even the emotional part of it is a challenge, especially, going to a place like this, where I feel like the spotter is very important as it is. It is always tough for the driver, but that is why when you find a spotter that you like and you work well with and you have confidence in, you try to stick with them for as long as possible. It will be interesting to see how Christopher adapts. He’s obviously really, really good, so he will be fine, but having that voice in your ear is a huge part of your success, especially at a place like this.”

Are you aware when you are around Christopher Bell this weekend that he has a new spotter?

“I feel like when you are in the heat of the moment and you are racing, I’m not thinking about who his spotter is, but I will say that when you have that constant guy, I know there are some spotter that will call tighter clears or be more aggressive on blocks, so when you are racing that guy, you kind of know that and when you get close enough, well this spotter will typically give it to you, call it inside or outside, but with a new spotter, I won’t be thinking he’s got a new spotter this weekend. I’m used to how they race throughout the season, based on their spotter, and some guys are just way more aggressive than others and you know that when you are racing them, but yeah, at the end of the day, I don’t think tomorrow will be like oh he’s got a new spotter, I need to be hesitant or anything like that, it will definitely be a challenging or a different complexion of a race for him and that’s totally different for sure.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 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 nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at EchoPark Speedway… In 167 NASCAR Cup Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned nine wins and three pole awards, including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory in 2001. Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the Hampton, Ga., track under the RCR banner (1984-fall, 1986-fall, 1988-spring, 1989-fall, 1990-spring, 1995-fall, 1996-spring, 2000-spring). The Welcome, N.C., team has 31 top-five and 64 top-10 finishes at Atlanta and has led a total of 3,045 laps at the 1.54-mile oval.

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at EchoPark Speedway… RCR has recorded eight NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the greater Atlanta facility, led by Austin Hill’s five victories (2022-fall, 2023-spring, swept both races in 2024, and won most recently in February 2025). Jeff Burton (2006 and 2007) and Kevin Harvick (2013) also secured victories at Atlanta with RCR. As an organization, RCR has piled up 19 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes over a span of 66 starts at the Peachtree State track.

NASCAR’s $1 Million Showdown: The 2025 In-Season Challenge… The NASCAR In-Season Challenge kicks off this weekend at EchoPark Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series. The challenge is a new, bracket-style tournament. The 32 qualifying drivers are seeded into a single-elimination bracket. Each race in the tournament reduces the field by half: from 32 to 16, then to 8, 4, and finally 2. The driver with the better finish in the final race is crowned the tournament champion. The challenge will end on July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

RCR Drafting Track Success in 2025… In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition on drafting tracks this season, RCR has won all three races and swept all six stages. During those three drafting track races, the organization has led 315 laps (78%), with the next closest team only leading 24 laps.

Did You Know? RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program has won seven of the last nine (Hill – five, Jesse Love – two) and 11 of the last 20 drafting track events (all since Hill joined the team in 2022).

Tickets to the 2025 Carolina Cowboys Home Stand Are Available Now… 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 the Carolinas in the PBR Team Series, an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games throughout the country. The team is owned by Richard Childress and Jeff Broin with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Dillon serving as General Manager. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys 2025 “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 12-14 at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.

Catch the Action on Friday… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway will be televised live Friday, June 27, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Friday’s qualifying session will be shown for free on The CW App.

Watch Us on TNT Sports… The NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, June 28, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on TNT Sports, the first of five consecutive races this season that will air on TNT Sports. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at EchoPark Speedway will be broadcast on truTV and Max. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway… In 17 NASCAR Cup Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, Austin Dillon earned a best finish of sixth in March 2021. In four NASCAR Xfinity Series and four NASCAR Truck Series races at the Hampton, Georgia track, Dillon has posted seven top-10 results and never finished worse than the 11th position.

About 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 united with 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 basspro.com.

Winchester AA® Super Spreader… New for 2025, Winchester AA® Super Spreader™ loads are designed to give target shooters a competitive edge with close range targets. Available in 12 gauge, this new sporting clays shotshell throws 70% larger patterns at 20 yards vs. standard loads. AA® Super Spreader™ shotshells contain a hinged wad and specialized shot column that allows for a rapid and uniform spread that crushes close range, fast targets. Now available at retailers nationwide.

First Round Opponent… NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge begins Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway. The single-elimination tournament makes its debut during the 2025 season. Dillon’s first-round opponent is Chase Elliott. The $1 million-to-win bonus tournament will be contested over the next five weeks, culminating at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Zone on Saturday, June 28 at 3:40 p.m. Local Time. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet and get new RCR gear.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts heading into EchoPark Speedway?

“I’m excited. The new track surface at EchoPark Speedway, which we have been racing on for a couple of years now, has created a whole new style of racing. You get to see these packs that are moving really fast. It’s probably the closest thing to a video game you will see in NASCAR. I’m excited about it and I’ve been studying hard.”

Does EchoPark Speedway feel as wide as it looks?

“It’s pretty wide. You’re running right up against the wall and all the way at the bottom, so it’s pretty wide and you’ll see guys using every single bit of this track, which makes it fun for fans, and the drivers.”

You have a long history at EchoPark Speedway.

“I have a lot of memories of Atlanta, even from a young age. I used to come up here with my family, I think on Wednesday nights or Thursday nights, and we would run the little quarter mile on the front of the track with the Bandolero. Just learning the craft.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 SENIX Tools Chevrolet at Echo Park Speedway… Saturday night’s 400-mile race will mark Kyle Busch’s 32nd career NASCAR Cup Series start at Echo Park Speedway. Busch has two NASCAR Cup Series wins at the 1.5-mile track, finding Victory Lane in March 2008 and September 2013. The 40-year-old driver has 10 top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes at the track, has led 623 laps, and has completed 95.4 percent (9,153 of 9,599) of the laps he’s contested there. He holds an average starting position of 11.3 and an average finish of 12.8. In addition to his Cup Series success at Echo Park Speedway, the veteran racer also has eight NASCAR Truck Series and three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the 1.54-mile oval.

History Maker… Busch is the youngest winner in Cup Series history at Echo Park Speedway. His 2008 win at the track came at just 22 years, 10 months, and 7 days of age.

Remember When… Busch owns two wins at Echo Park Speedway in the Cup Series. His first win at the track was in 2008. Busch took the lead with 50 laps remaining in the race after Carl Edwards, trying for a third straight victory, retired early with a broken transmission. Busch’s second Cup win at Echo Park Speedway was in 2013. He claimed victory by beating Joey Logano to the finish line by .740 seconds. The win was his fourth of the season and tied him with Rex White for 23rd on the career victory list with 28.

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First Round Opponent… NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge begins Saturday night at Echo Park Speedway. The single-elimination tournament makes its debut during the 2025 season. Busch’s first-round opponent is Brad Keselowski. The $1 million-to-win bonus tournament will be contested over the next five weeks, culminating at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Your Thoughts, Kyle… For the second time this season, Busch will join the CW broadcast booth for Friday night’s Xfinity Series race at Echo Park Speedway as an analyst. Busch made his debut with the network at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What are your thoughts overall on racing at EchoPark Speedway at night?

“I enjoy night racing. It’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be an important race. There are so many things that can change in any given lap, let alone a whole race, with superspeedway style racing. Those two dynamics – night racing and speedway racing, are going to make Saturday night’s race at Echo Park Speedway one of the ones to remember.”

Is Echo Park Speedway as exciting for you behind the wheel as it is for the fans?

“Racing at Echo Park Speedway is intense, so I guess that would be exciting for us. The race certainly brings a lot of adrenaline and action. There’s something happening all the time so you’re trying to figure out your next move and seeing what lanes are moving, and what things are happening in order to get yourself further up front. It seems like there’s a lot of maneuvering in the middle of the pack from those ten spots between eighth and 18th, but at the same time it might seem like it’s dull up at the front. Although we’re all trying to get there, it just seems like it gets a little locked up because sometimes the track gets that one lane, that high lane moving in the bottom. It just doesn’t materialize.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Roland Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway… Jesse Love has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, all coming behind the wheel of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The 20-year-old has qualified on the pole for each of the races and earned a best finish of sixth in the 2024 summer event. Love has completed 100% of laps competed at the Hampton, Georgia facility.

50 NXS Starts… Friday’s race at EchoPark Speedway marks Love’s 50th career Xfinity Series start. Through 49 events, Love has won two races, captured 11 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes, and claimed seven poles. The defending Sunoco Rookie of the Year has led a total of 505 laps.

Mr. Pole Position… Love has won three straight poles at EchoPark Speedway and four straight poles on drafting tracks.

Did You Know? With Love’s six career drafting track poles in the Xfinity Series, the Menlo Park, California native ranks second all-time behind Joe Nemechek with 10.

Laps Leader… In each of Love’s three starts at EchoPark Speedway, the young gun has led a minimum of 13 laps and paced the field for a total of 193 laps.

Points Check… Through 16 races, Love continues to hold the fourth position in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings – 16 points behind third-place Sam Mayer.

About Roland DGA… Roland DGA serves North and South America as the marketing, sales, distribution, and service arm for Roland DG Corporation. Founded in 1981, Roland DG of Hamamatsu, Japan is a worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers for the sign, apparel, textile, interior design, personalization, and vehicle graphics markets; engravers for awards, giftware and ADA signage; photo impact printers for direct part marking; and 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the dental CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, part manufacturing and medical industries. To learn more about Roland DGA or the complete Roland DGA product line, visit https://www.rolanddga.com.

Meet Love… On Friday, June 27 at 2 p.m. Local Time, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at EchoPark Speedway. Stop by to meet Love and purchase new No. 2 gear.

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

What is the key to success at EchoPark Speedway?

“I’m not sure, because I haven’t won there yet. I’ve seemed to dominate every time that I’ve gone there, but a huge part of being successful is having a really fast race car. The spring and fall races are two completely different races and not the same in the slightest. One is a speedway race and then the other is basically a high downforce, high drag intermediate race. I don’t think this race is going to be the same as last year’s fall race. We won’t be packed up tight, and we will probably be sliding around which will be super challenging. I think that caught us a little off guard last year and we are better prepared for it this time around.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway… Austin Hill has seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, earning five wins and a second-place finish while piloting the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet. Hill has led at least one lap in each of his seven starts, totaling 364 laps pacing the field. In addition, Hill has six NASCAR Truck Series starts at the Hampton, Georgia facility, posting one pole (2019), two top-five (2020, 2021) and three top-10 results (2019-2021).

Defending Race Winner… Hill enters EchoPark Speedway as the defending race winner, with the veteran driver claiming the victory in the last three Xfinity Series events – dating back to the 2024 spring race – and five of the last six.

Record Chasing, Again… Hill is currently tied with Kevin Harvick for the most all-time Xfinity Series wins at EchoPark Speedway. Harvick’s five victories came before the track reconfiguration, while Hill’s five checkered flags have all been on the new surface.

Did You Know? After his dramatic three-wide victory at Talladega Superspeedway in April, Hill is now the all-time Xfinity Series drafting track leader in wins (nine), stage wins (14), and laps led (754). The 31-year-old is the only Xfinity Series driver to win on all three drafting tracks.

Bennett Home Track… Located a short 15 minutes from EchoPark Speedway, Bennett Transportation & Logistics’ headquarters are based in McDonough, Georgia. Bennett Family of Companies will have hundreds of guests on site to watch Hill compete on Friday night.

Celebrating Exceptional Truck Drivers… In conjunction with their home track race, Bennett is celebrating exceptional truck drivers with 20 names featured on the No. 21 Chevrolet. Of the 20 individuals honored, seven are from Bennett’s Women In The Drivers Seat program, while 13 are from Bennett’s Driver of the Year program. At Bennett, Driver of the Year is one of the highest honors a professional driver can receive. Each recipient is handpicked by their business unit leader from a group of standout drivers who’ve demonstrated excellence throughout the year. These individuals represent the very best in their fleet – prioritizing safety, living out Bennett’s core values, and going above and beyond in their work.

Georgia Boy Returns Home… Hill is a native of Winston, Georgia, sited 60 miles from EchoPark Speedway. Hill started his motorsports career racing bandolero and legends cars on the frontstretch quarter-mile oval at Atlanta. Hill’s extended family continues to live in the Peachtree State and will be in attendance for Friday’s race.

About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies provides industry-leading logistics solutions that help businesses thrive. Whether you need specialized trucking, warehousing, 3PL, exporting, importing, or crane services, Bennett has the expertise to handle your most complex and time-sensitive freight. From LTL to over-dimensional truckloads, Bennett ensures safe, reliable, and on-time deliveries around the world. With a legacy of excellence since 1974, their family and woman-owned company is dedicated to providing personalized, flexible solutions that meet your unique business needs. Trust Bennett to deliver when it matters most – discover how we can help your business grow at www.bennettig.com. Together we can move anything.

Meet Hill… On Friday, June 27, fans have two opportunities to meet Hill prior to the green flag. At 1:20 p.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to make an appearance at the Bennett Family of Companies Display in the Fan Zone at EchoPark Speedway. Immediately following at 1:40 p.m. Local Time, the hometown driver is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at EchoPark Speedway. Stop by to meet and get an autograph from the defending race winner.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

You’ve had a lot of success at EchoPark Speedway. What is the outlook heading back?

“Our No. 21 team has been so good in Atlanta, but it’s just like any superspeedway race. All it takes is one crash or one guy to make a mistake, and you’re on the hook. When we go there, our team can’t be over confident and think ‘oh, we are going to go win the race.’ We have to do everything right and hope that it works out in the end. We know how to put ourselves in positions to run up front and win. We’ve proven that. But we can’t let our guard down and think it will be easy.”