NASCAR CUP SERIES
PLAYOFF MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 31, 2021

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT THE DENNY HAMLIN AND JOEY LOGANO RIVALRY. YOU KIND OF STAY OUT OF THE MIX AND CONTROVERSIES. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST FEUD YOU’VE EVER HAD WITH ANOTHER DRIVER? DO YOU PURPOSELY TRY TO STAY OUT OF CONTROVERSY? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FEUDS ON THE RACETRACK BETWEEN DRIVERS?
“We all race against each other so much that that’s going to happen, right. We’re racing against each other each and every week, so those things will happen. I’m pretty non-confrontational, so I try to somewhat avoid that. I would say my biggest feud was probably Bubba (Wallace) and I going back and forth a couple years ago. I’m glad that’s all squashed and kind of over with.”

“That stuff will happen. You get into each other; it’s just part of racing.”

GIVEN THAT SOME OF YOUR TOUGH COMPETITION HERE IN THE PLAYOFFS ARE YOUR TEAMMATES, HOW IS THE COLLABORATION GOING ON AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS?
“We’ve worked really well together all year. The four of us all get along really great. I don’t see that changing. The four of us have raced each other really hard, but we’ve all been clean. The crew chiefs are getting along well. The teams are working well together. Yeah, we’re going to be racing each other for the Championship. But we’re going to continue to work well together.”

YOU AND MICHAEL (MCDOWELL) ARE BOTH FROM ARIZONA, BUT TWO VERY DIFFERENT PLACES IN ARIZONA, TWO VERY DIFFERENT WAYS UP THE RANKS AND AT TWO VERY DIFFERENT TIMES. YOU BOTH WENT FROM START-AND-PARK TO CUP SERIES WINNERS. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL OR WHAT IS YOUR PERCEPTION OF HIM?
“I’ve known Michael (McDowell) for quite a while. He’s a really good dude. I think it’s cool that he won the Daytona 500. It’s so cool to see somebody that’s kind of been through similar things to me in their career -at a similar point to where I was at one point in their career – have success. I don’t want to take anything away from their team, but like a lower-level team going and winning the 500. Honestly, I think he’s probably one of the best speedway drivers in the Series right now. I think he’s consistently upfront at superspeedways and he has been for a long time; in a car that’s good, but not as good as what I feel like what we bring to the racetrack. It’s cool to see him have success there.”

“Representing Arizona in the Playoffs, it’s awesome. Hopefully, we can win a Championship at home.”

MICHAEL (MCDOWELL) SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU GOT INTO IT AT SONOMA A LITTLE BIT, THAT WON’T BE COMING BACK TO YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS. SO, YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
“Yeah, I talked to him after that and everything was good. I think the one thing about Michael (McDowell) is that he’s super nice off the racetrack and away from the racetrack. But on the racetrack, he’s extremely aggressive and one of the hardest guys to race. That’s just his racing style, so that’s just part of it.”

A NASCAR POST-SEASON IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. YOU HAVE TEN WEEKS BEFORE YOU CROWN A CHAMPION. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO BE CHAMPIONSHIP OPERATING ON THAT KIND OF LEVEL RIGHT NOW GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE TEN WEEKS YOU HAVE TIME TO BUILD UP TO THAT POINT?
“I think you need to be maximizing each and every week throughout the entirety of the Playoffs. I don’t think you can turn it up towards the end of the Playoffs. You need to be strong each and every week. While we didn’t have the summer that we wanted, I think we can have a great Playoff run. We had a miserable summer last year and had a really good Playoff run. I’m excited to get going. But yeah, I think you need to operate 100 percent each and every week.”

ARE THERE ANY PLACES THAT YOU TAKE YOUR TEAM THAT’S A HOTSPOT THAT YOU HAVE TO GO EAT OR VISIT WHEN YOU GO TO ARIZONA?
“Yeah, I used to try to pop around to a couple different places. I’d say my favorite thing out there is just Mexican food, in general. There are a couple places that are decent in Charlotte, but nothing like there was at home. Try to hit a couple spots there.”

“Pat’s Chili Dogs in Tucson is pretty amazing. That was one of my favorite places to go. This year, with kind of the different layouts and everything going on in the world, I’ll probably keep closer to the racetrack and keep a little more locked-up. But definitely some places in the past that we’ve tried to go.”

WHEN YOU DID THE SIMULATION DRIVING FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN? HOW MUCH DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT KEPT YOU SHARP IN PREPARTION FOR JUMPING INTO THE NO. 88 CAR IN 2018?
“I think that was definitely better than sitting on the couch all year. But, at the same time, it wasn’t racing. So, it’s definitely different. It kept me in a racecar a little bit, with the wheel force car. I ran a couple of Xfinity races that year and a Truck race early that year, too. Those couple of races I think helped, but there were definitely areas that I was rusty in 2018 that I needed to relearn or reacclimate to. It’s just never good taking a year off, but I felt like it was necessary to end up here at Hendrick Motorsports and be where I wanted to be.”

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.

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang — DO YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE GRINDED THROUGH THE REGULAR SEASON THAT IT’S MADE YOU STRONGER FOR THE PLAYOFFS? “I feel good about our team. I think our team has done a great job with the circumstances we’ve been presented with and I think the last four or five weeks our cars have run a lot better. We’ve still got some work to do with some things on the balance side of the car to start these races, but, in the end, our team has done a great job and those numbers could have been a lot better if it weren’t for three or four ill-timed accidents at the end of a few of the races. You obviously want to win, but some years just don’t go exactly how you want them to go and I think those are the years that you’ve got to dig down and do the things that our guys have done this year, so gotta be in it to win it and we’ve given ourselves a chance and see where it all falls in the end.”

HOW MUCH HAS THE DELTA VARIANT IMPACTED PRECAUTIONS YOU’RE TAKING? AND ARE YOU COMFORTABLE SHARING IF YOU’VE BEEN VACCINATED OR NOT? “I don’t really think any of that stuff is meant to be talked about on these types of situations, but I think as we’ve gone through the world over the last couple years I think we’ve changed with the world, and I think as you go through each week and you go through each different scenario you realize things that you should and shouldn’t do certain ways. I think compared to last year at this time I think our family and the things that we’re doing look a lot different than what they were two years ago at this time, so I think anybody who tells you that things are back to normal or doing things the same that’s not us. I think you have to be able to still live your life and we are doing that and trying to do it as safely as possible and be smart about the things that we do.”

DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU PUT ON A HANS DEVICE AND WHAT HAS IT MEANT TO THE SPORT? “Our sport has done a great job in safety over the last 20 years. Obviously, for me, I was on a different side of things with safety and the progression of it. Being in the car that Earnhardt drove there was obviously a lot of things that went along with that and that progression came from that particular scenario with Dale and I think our sport took a stance at that particular time and said ‘we’ve got to do things differently.’ So the first thing that happened was the open-face helmet was outlawed. The next year the HANS device came in and the head-and-neck restraints became mandatory. The seats have changed a tremendous amount, so the HANS, for me, I used the Hutchens device in the beginning. A HANS device is obviously a much better device and that has gone a long ways to the safety of our sport, so now it’s just a part of what you do, along with all the seats and head restraints and seat belts and walls and so many things have changed in such a great way through the years. It’s been quite the progression. It’s still something that NASCAR puts a really heavy emphasis on in making sure that they progress with the accidents and problems that they see and holding the safety equipment companies accountable to keep progressing and doing things better, so it’s been quite the progression for sure.”

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW THE HANS FELT WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED USING IT? “At that particular time none of us wanted to use any of it. They were forcing us to change, thank God. It took a lot of time to get your car and your seats and everything comfortable because the way you sat in the seat the HANS device at that particular time didn’t have many options with the different angles of the device and the way that it sat on your shoulders. Now there are still several different devices, but it’s pretty hard to beat the HANS device and now that the padding is sewn into the seat belts and you don’t have to wear big pads on the device itself, but it’s definitely the best head-and-neck restraint device that you can use.”

HOW DID IT GO PUTTING YOUR DAUGHTER IN A RACE CAR AND HOW IMPORTANT IS THE BALANCE BETWEEN RACING AND FAMILY? “Doing this for 20 years you figure out the balance that you want when it’s time to get away, you know when it’s time to press, you know when it’s time to do things differently — whatever the scenario is. I think, for me, our racing life pretty much revolves around our normal life as well, so they kind of go hand-in-hand with my racing and Keelan’s racing and Piper is definitely in the driveway here making laps as Keelan did four or five years ago. We’re a racing family. That’s what we do and you kind of plan everything that you do around the race schedule. Our kids are at school at home still. I think that gives us a little more leeway with home schooling and the things that we do with them, so it’s interesting how life has changed over the last couple of years. I think our life has migrated into something totally different than what we could have imagined it two years ago, but I would say it’s probably in a better spot than it was two years ago, so having all that right at home definitely makes managing the busy race life a lot easier because you have some flexibility of things and also understand what you like and don’t like.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang — IS YOUR COMFORT LEVEL WITH PAUL THE SAME IT WAS WITH TODD? “Yeah, I think so. Paul and I have been able to work together the last few years now and be able to kind of grow in this COVID environment, which has been a lot more challenging I think than any of us expected when we made the crew chief change — without practice and limitation on seeing each other or not, all of those are evolving day by day, but I do feel like our ability to connect at this point and have some history from the notebook behind us and how to be better every week. I feel like we’ve grown a lot and I feel ready to go. I feel better this year than I did last year.”

WOULD A TALENTED iRACER GET A LOOK FROM TEAM OWNERS COMPARED TO A SHORT TRACK OR DIRT TRACK RACER? “I don’t think so, in my opinion. You’ve got to be in a real race car. You can take some things from simulation racing, for sure. I think it can make you a better driver in certain ways, but Cup racing is in a real race car and you have to be in the car at some point. Maybe William Byron would have something different to say, but at some point he had to perform in real life and it’s a different feel and a different environment and different emotions you can imagine inside a real race car. I think there are definitely areas to gain and grow from that, but I also think as a team looking to hire somebody they’re probably going to look more at what you do in a real race car.”

YOU HAVE A NEW SPOTTER NOW. HOW HAS IT GONE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND YOUR COMFORT LEVEL GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS? “Paul and I were able to work together last year as well, so we have some experience together there, and Coleman Pressley and myself have been the best of friends since we were kids racing against each other, so the connection we have there away from the racetrack and on the racetrack actually came pretty seamless over the last couple of weeks to where I feel like we’ve been able to go over the races, go over restarts, go over choose rules, all that stuff and we went to probably two of the hardest racetracks to spot right off the bat at Michigan and Daytona. It was kind of getting thrown to the wolves there, but I felt like we were able to adapt fairly quickly, so that change I think has gone smooth and is going to make our team stronger.”

HOW IMPORTANT HAS MENTAL HEALTH OPTIMIZATION BEEN FOR YOU? “I think that’s the name of the game. All of us have talent. All of us are physically fit. The difference is how you mentally engage with yourself, your team and how you handle the pressure that is the playoffs, and that’s different for everyone, and you have to find your own way. Any advice I give or say doesn’t mean it’s the right way for you, it’s just what I’ve found that works for me. The only way you kind of find it is to put yourself in those positions. That’s the best part about experience. That’s what experience means is that you’ve been put in those spots before and you know how to handle it. You’ve become stronger because of it and that’s what makes the playoffs so exciting is that you either win or you become stronger. There’s really no losing that’s there. As an individual and as a team, you’re gonna be stronger because you’ve gone through a high-pressure moment.”

IS THERE ONE OR TWO RULES TO LIVE BY IN THE PLAYOFFS THAT HELP YOU GET THROUGH IT AND HOPEFULLY MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4? “I think I just said one there, but I think the other thing is just understanding that every point is gonna matter, every detail is gonna matter. Those things as you go through each race — 10 weeks is a long time, it’s a long playoffs if you think about it. You’re gonna have to go through some serious adversity. At some point you’re gonna have to overcome something and that’s part of it. I guess if you’re ready for it and you have that mindset that that’s gonna happen, and you can overcome that, those are probably the biggest things to have on your side.”

HOW DIFFERENT WILL BRISTOL BE THIS TIME AROUND ON THE CONCRETE? “I just don’t understand how they cleaned it up. That’s incredible that they can do that. I’m looking forward to seeing the track. The concrete is what we’re used to. The dirt was a whole new game, so it’ll be interesting to see how they’ve cleaned it up, but also how they’ve reapplied the PJ1, and what the affect of that is gonna be because you’re kind of resetting the racetrack quite a bit after you threw all that dirt on it, so we’ll be interested to see how that plays out.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT JUST TO HAVE A SOLID DAY AT DARLINGTON? “I think it’s pretty important. You bring up a solid point is we’ve had a few races that have been pretty tough on the finishing side, but if you look at the race as they’ve gone, they’ve been races where we can run in the top five in every single one of them. The confidence and what we can bring to the racetrack is up pretty high. I think the speed is there. Our pit crew is there. I feel like I’m firing on all eight as well. We’ve just run into everything you can possibly imagine. It’s just the craziest things have happened and it is what it is and that just happens sometimes. Darlington would be great to just have a normal day, but a win would be even better and that’s still our goal.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang — WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH ALEX? “I’ve got a good relationship with Alex. I feel like, not just because he’s from Arizona, but I’ve always enjoyed hanging out with him and appreciate his journey too of driving for underfunded teams and Tommy Baldwin and losing his ride last minute and then getting an opportunity to fill-in, so him being successful I felt like was a really neat story, but also an eye-opener to a lot of the owners that just because you’re driving a car that doesn’t run up front every weekend doesn’t mean you don’t have the ability, so I’ve always been a fan and pulling for him, and being from Arizona, I mean, if we count Tucson as part of Arizona (laughing). He’s got a great opportunity this year with those Hendrick cars being so fast. Obviously, he’s got two wins and a really good spot to contend for the championship this year, so that’s good for him. He did run me off the road there at Sonoma for a top 10, so I won’t be getting him back in the near future here in the playoffs, but if you see him, you just let him know.”

WHO HAVE YOU SOUGHT OUT FOR PLAYOFF ADVICE AND WHAT HAS STUCK OUT? “Even though we locked in, so to speak, early, there’s always that chance that there are more than 16 winners, so I didn’t really feel locked in. I never really allowed myself to get super excited about that until two or three weeks ago when it was finally official that we’d be locked in. As far as advice and things like that, it’s a little bit challenging because the drivers that are current right now aren’t gonna give you much advice, but I spent a little bit of time with Clint Bowyer last week at a Ford event, a Ford promotion that we were doing and talked about the playoffs and talked about Richmond coming up and just how he approached things, so everybody’s got a different style and a different philosophy. I feel like for our team and where we’re at we sort of know what we have to do and how we have to do it, and so we kind of have our own approach to it.”

DO YOU FIND YOU’RE HAVING TO CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS AT ALL WITH THIS BEING YOUR FIRST TIME IN THE PLAYOFFS? “Today has been fun and just talking about being in the playoffs and what it means. It kind of makes you appreciate and just enjoy the process, but more than anything for me is I’ve just been pretty laser focused on what I need to do and what we need to do. I haven’t really allowed myself to get too far ahead of where we’re at. Right now, we have Darlington and Darlington is the most important race in my life, and after Darlington it’ll be Richmond, so I haven’t thought about a lot of those extra things. I’m just trying to make sure we’re as prepared as we can for what’s in front of us, but at the same time, like I said, I’m extremely thankful to have the opportunity to race for a championship and to be a part of one of 16 drivers to do that in NASCAR. But I’m also trying not to let myself overthink things too much.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT AT IN THE PHOENIX AREA? “Being from Phoenix and Glendale and having great Mexican restaurants, that’s probably the thing I miss most in North Carolina. We don’t have the same quality or the same style of Mexican food, so I’m always loading up my crew guys and taking them to different places. My favorite place, Pedro’s in Glendale, actually shut down in the last year or two, so, unfortunately, that ones not there anymore. Macayo’s and POPO’S, those are places that we typically go to. Carlos O’Briens is a place I went to growing up, so there are a lot of great restaurants that we try to hit.”

IS THERE ANY RELIGIOUS ANECDOTE OR LESSON THAT APPLIES TO YOUR SEASON? “I think there’s always a story to the journey and something to take from it. For me, it’s all just about perseverance and endurance and obviously being in this sport a really long time and not having success until this year — a lot of losses, a lot of years where it’s been a grind and a struggle, so that’s probably the thing that resonates the most with me this year is just perseverance and endurance and then also just how it’s paid off. It would have been very easy to give up several years ago and not see it through, but by staying faithful to what I feel like I was supposed to do and grinding through times that weren’t that fun, now I’m getting to enjoy something awesome and experience it. It’s humbling, too. I didn’t have to win the race to feel like I’ve accomplished something, but it has been a moment of joy to take it all in and appreciate it.”

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE CHANGES THAT PHOENIX RACEWAY HAS UNDERGONE? “It’s amazing how much has changed there. I mean, I think I’ve been through three different track configurations and moving the start-finish line and now obviously with everything for the fans in the infield and the experience you can have. The garages and the pavilions, I think it’s one of the cooler racetracks that fans can go to and really see the inner workings of the garage and the teams and just how it all functions. It makes me proud to be from Phoenix and from the area and the race fans are extremely loyal and have been for a long time. So many families and so many campers and motorhomes out there. It truly is a family sport and to be able to have a facility that sort of matches the dedication of our fans is really cool.”

YOUR AVERAGE FINISH HAS BEEN OUTSIDE THE TOP 20 AT THE ROUND OF 16 TRACKS. IS THERE ANYTHING TO GAIN OR LOSE? DO YOU NEED LUCK ON YOUR SIDE TO GET TO THESE NEXT ROUNDS? “Two things with that. This is the best season that I’ve ever had and the best that we’ve performed as a race team, and so statistically it might not look that great but I think if you look back to this year at just our top finishes for me over my career have been this year at a lot of racetracks. I feel like we have the speed and the momentum to surprise some people in the playoffs, but we’re also realistic of where we’re at. I have to have three incredible races in order to advance in the next round and I know that, we know that, we’re not naive to it. We know where we’re at as a race team and what we need to do, so we’ve got to hit home runs here the next three races and if we don’t, we won’t advance. We all know that and we’re ready to see what happens.”

HOW MUCH OF A RESET ARE THE PLAYOFFS FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM AFTER THE LAST NINE RACES? “The last handful of races have not been fun. It hasn’t been from a lack of performance. We’ve actually had speed. You go to the Indy road course, running in the top seven there and hit the curb and finish in the thirties. You look at Michigan, where we ran in the top 12 or 13 all day and get tore up on that last restart and finished 20th. It hasn’t been fun the last four or five weeks. Daytona, a DNF with an engine failure, so the reset is nice. It’s nice to reset the points. It’s nice to be able to start 15th this weekend at Darlington and just kind of hit that reset. You can’t always control the ebbs and flows of racing. You look at those first five races and were crushing it, not just with the win but top 10, top 10, top 10, and then you hit this funk that we got into now where DNF, a crash, just things not always in your control. So it is nice to hit that reset button and have a fresh outlook going to Darlington, and that’s how motorsports is. The momentum can swing at any point. We have to have the momentum swing our way the next three weeks and we know that. We wish we were heading into the playoffs with a lot of momentum and not a DNF and all the things that have, but the reality is that’s where we’re at and we can start fresh this weekend.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
PLAYOFF MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 31, 2021

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: We’ll start with questions for Kyle Larson.

Q. Obviously you’ve had an extremely successful season, beginning in Las Vegas. What people may not know about you is you’ve also had a ton of success outside of NASCAR. How has that translated and helped you win on vastly different road courses, Sonoma, Watkins Glen? How do you think that’s going to help you in the Playoffs?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, if you’re speaking of the dirt track stuff, it’s been a good season all around in everything that I’ve done. I think I’ve won, like, 24 races to this point in the year. Yeah, I think just being in position as often as I’ve been helps kind of the mindset of staying calm and things like that on Sundays for Cup races, too.
Yeah, it’s been great. I love racing and staying busy. It slows down a little bit this time of year just because of schedule stuff. I look forward to running more dirt races, staying sharp for the Playoffs.

Q. You’re not one often to brag or have an attitude about yourself. But you are the favorite. You will be the target just about every time you drive, including the Cup Series Playoff. Do you like that position?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know, I mean, it means you’re in a fast race car and you’re doing a good job, so it’s good. I mean, it’s not like everybody’s gunning for you and you have a target on your back or anything like that. It’s just a cool spot to be in.
It’s been a lot of hard work to get to this point. Now we’ve got a great opportunity to go chase a championship. We’ve been doing a great job doing what we’ve been doing. We just got to continue that and execute well. Hopefully it will all kind of take care of itself.

Q. Where do things stand with Christopher Bell and if you have any plans on smoothing things over before things get started here?
KYLE LARSON: I mean, it’s been a long time since that. I don’t know why we’re still really talking about it.
Yeah, I’m looking forward to the Playoffs. I know he is, too. He’s got a great car. I’ve got a great car. Both of us’s best opportunity to go chase a championship.

Q. You don’t want to peak too early. Do you feel there’s still more you can gain, anything you’re looking to improve upon going into the Playoffs so you can still gain on the field or further separate yourself from the field?
KYLE LARSON: Sure, I mean, I don’t know. I hope we haven’t peaked yet. We won a race a few weeks ago. Yeah, I think we’re still capable of winning more races throughout the rest of the year and continuing to get better. I think all the race teams get better each and every week. We’re one of those teams that’s done that, too.
It’s hard to predict. It’s been fun. We’ve been able to win a lot of races. Even when we weren’t winning, we were still up front. That’s what you’ve got to do here in these next 10 weeks.

Q. When you think about a year ago, you weren’t racing in the Cup Series, everything you had to endure, what do you think about the last year, where you are now versus where you were a year ago?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I feel like I’m a much more mature person on and off the racetrack, behind the wheel, not behind the wheel. I think through all the experience of growing up made me ultimately just better all around.
Speaking of just racing, I think getting to race as much as I did last year and contend — I raced 96 times, something like that, and won 46. Probably was in position to chase a win in 80 races or more.
I think putting yourself in position like that, it makes me a much mentally stronger driver these days, much more experienced driver. Yeah, it’s definitely been a crazy couple years, but thankful that I’m in the opportunity I’m in now.

Q. Let’s talk about Bristol being part of the Playoffs. More importantly, that track being the cutoff race. How aggressive do you think that race could become?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, Bristol’s Bristol. It’s always really aggressive. Hopefully I’m not anywhere near the cutoff or whatever in points. But, yeah, it can get aggressive. You can use the bumper there a little bit in traffic and things. That track is just so difficult anyways, it’s a lot of fun.
I’m so looking forward to getting to Bristol. I love that place. I’ve been close to winning some races there. I’ve led a bunch of laps there. Would love to get my first win at Bristol.

Q. You’ve been in the Playoffs a number of times in the past. Now this year obviously circumstances are so much different. You’re at the top of the board. How do you compare your approach going into the Playoffs this year as in the past?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I’m not sure. I don’t know. I don’t really remember. I don’t remember my thoughts or feelings or my approach from when I was in the Playoffs last and stuff.
Yeah, I don’t know. I feel like I’ve been in a good kind of mindset leading up to the Playoffs, just trying to rack up as many points as you can for these last few months. I feel like that’s the kind of mindset you need to have for the Playoffs, too.
Still got to go out there and chase as many points as you can throughout the race. Obviously, you want to win the races. If you can’t, you don’t want to leave any points out on the table. That’s kind of where my head’s at right now. I think you can kind of go through each round with that mindset.

Q. With all the racing that you’re doing in the Cup Series and also on dirt tracks, do you ever worry about burnout, how much racing is too much racing?
KYLE LARSON: No, no, I don’t. No, this is what I do for a living. I want to be the best race car driver I can be. The only way to do that is to race, race a lot. No, I don’t worry about burnouts.
Like this year, I mean, during the two-week break I took a week to go on vacation. That was a good little recharge to get me back excited about powering through the rest of the year.
I think when you stay as busy as I do, you just get used to it. When I’m not racing during the week, when I have a week where I don’t race a dirt race, like, it feels forever until I race again. I like staying busy.

Q. You’re one of the five NASCAR Next graduates who are in this Playoff field. How do you feel that you and your peers from the program are battling for the championship?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I look back on that little era of drivers that I raced with in 2012 in the K&N East Series, look at how many of us are in the Cup Series now. It’s really cool.
So, yeah, it’s just neat to be a part of that, be one of the guys that they noticed early on that we had potential. Now we’re here chasing championships and stuff. Chase was able to win the championship last year. Blaney has won these last two races. It’s cool.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Kyle.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

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
PLAYOFF MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 31, 2021

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 CHIP GANASSI RACING CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

WHAT WAS THE TURNING POINT FOR YOUR TEAM THIS YEAR THAT REALLY GOT YOU GOING AND INTO THE PLAYOFFS?
“For us, on the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet race team, we had a really weird beginning of the season where points were a struggle and finishing races with oddball things happening. It was weird. We weren’t slow, it was just weird. At the (Coke-Cola) 600, we had an engine failure. And it was like, ‘this hast to be about it’, for strange things happening. Since June 1st, we have really put in a good run of consistency and the finishes really started to help our starting position build back up. The win at Atlanta, that really just spring boarded us right back to where we needed to be as a Playoff contender.”

THIS IS YOUR LAST PLAYOFF RUN WITH CHIP GANASSI. IS THERE ANY FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOURS WITH CGR AND DOES ANYTHING TOP WINNING AT VEGAS LAST YEAR?
“Vegas was a special win, but we have had some great memories all the way through like the win at Kentucky (Speedway) in the first time that the No. 1 car had been back to Victory Lane in so many years. Atlanta was one of those dominating cars and with GearWrench, a sponsor that has been with Chip Ganassi Racing for I believe six years – it was great to deliver that moment. The drafting at the superspeedways, there was a wreck at one of the short tracks where Chip was all over me, so, it’s been neat to have all these different emotions with such a cool, legendary owner in NASCAR.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW SURFACE IN AREAS AT DARLINGTON AND THE EFFECT ON THIS FIRST PLAYOFF RACE?
“Yeah, it has really going to improve the lap times with the grip level. Turn two is where your lap time is made and if you get through there good, its really going to help with that. Now with the extra grip, there is going to be a ton of speed down the back straightaway, into turn three, and there could be a question if we are up against the rev chip. So, you might have to back off the throttle to preserve the engine. With this being the second longest race of the year, that could be a huge factor at the end of the race as far as durability.”

WHAT ABOUT SLICKNESS IN THE TRACK?
“I think the tire is made for the older asphalt, so to me the fresher asphalt will be free grip. It’s a matter of slip sliding into the asphalt, grabbing it, and then having the car straight launch out of the asphalt and back onto the older stuff. A lot of eyeballs will be watching the preliminary races, because we will have no practice and we will just have to go for it.”

PAST EXPERIENCE IN THE PLAYOFFS. DOES IT MEAN ANYTHING AND IF SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
“It just means staying calm, staying cool and knowing how to use your points cushion. Where if you are behind, knowing how to get points over the other guys. It’s just where the driver and the crew chief, if they have been together for a while, they will know exactly what to do without saying a word and execute. It all comes down to teamwork, preparation, and staying a step ahead.”

IT SEEMS LIKE SONOMA MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TURNING POINT IN THE YEAR FOR YOU. WHAT CHANGED AFTER THAT RACE?
“This might be a pretty lame answer, but our luck changed. Things just started to happen in a normal fashion. Where at the beginning of the year, we had all these crazy things from all different directions and I feel like since the first of June, things have been on a nice, steady top 10-type effort. Then when you finish well, it helps with your starting position for the next week because we are not qualifying as much, so it just started to trend all in the right direction for us.”

REGARDING THE STATISTIC THAT YOU SHARE THE MOST PLAYOFF STARTS AS OTHER DRIVERS
“I just learned about that today and I didn’t know about it. It hasn’t really necessarily been a focus for me other than it is what I love to do. And that is to race, go after wins, and to be Playoff eligible. I start every year going to Daytona focused on that. I have been with some great teams, and we have made some big runs at the Playoffs to get to the Championship Four and winning it in the first year. Maybe my time in the sport has helped me add up to those 15.”

TALK ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS AT BRISTOL AND IT BEING A CUTOFF RACE AND IF IT COULD FORCE DRIVERS TO TAKE CHANCES THEY WOULDN’T NORMALLY TAKE THERE?
“Yeah, I think if you find yourself on the bubble and you need a spot or two, yeah things could get big. And that is for that 11th or 12th place guy in points. Most of the guys will be locked in and some will know they just don’t have a chance at it, and so it just comes down to that bubble opportunity. And Bristol is one of those short tracks where you can find somebody’s bumper real quick.”

DOES HAVING YOUR FUTURE SET IN THE SPORT HELP YOU RELAX FOR THIS PLAYOFF RUN?
“That is what I was hopeful for. It’s been one of those years that ebbs and flows with the emotions, the trajectory of the team, with Chip selling, with my sponsorship with Monster Energy, and how we can all make the future work together. So, really happy and grateful that the announcement has come out and now we can kind of close it and work for these ten weeks with a clear mind and a clear focus on a championship run.”

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
PLAYOFF MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 31, 2021

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

WITH THE HIGH DOWNFORCE PACKAGE, IT SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME A BIG TASK TO OVERTAKE THE RACE LEADER. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE THAT CLAIM THAT IT PUTS LESS EMPHASIS ON DRIVER SKILL AND MORE ON RANDOM LUCK?
“I don’t think that’s true at all. I feel like it’s just honestly just been the same race teams and drivers are kind of up at the front at the 550 tracks as they are at the other tracks. So, not a huge difference there. There are a couple of teams that are better at the 550’s than the 750’s, but really we approach it just like every other race.”

HOW MUCH DOES PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE HELP COMING INTO THE POST-SEASON AND HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT YOU CAN BRING FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR?
“The only thing I’d say is just the format not changing. Just kind of knowing what it takes to advance through the rounds. But as far as cars go and the race team itself, a lot has changed since last year on my race team alone. So, I don’t really compare it to previous years.”

BECAUSE BRISTOL IS NOW ONE OF THE CUTOFF RACES, IN THE FIRST THREE RACES, HOW AGGRESSIVE DO YOU THINK THAT RACE CAN BECOME?
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be aggressive. The thing about Bristol is that things happen really fast, so you just have to stay on your toes. You have to be mentally and physically prepared. It’s a really tough track, physically because you’re constantly loaded up in the bankings. So, not a lot of time to breathe and think. Things just happen fast. With it being an elimination race, it’s going to be challenging and you’re going to have to stay on your toes all day.”

THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME IN THE PLAYOFFS WITH RUDY FUGLE, HIS FIRST TIME AS A CUP CREW CHIEF. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS ALLOWED HIM AND YOU, TOGETHER, IN THIS FIRST-TIME SITUATION IN GOING FROM TRUCKS TO THIS HIGH LEVEL?
“I think it is. I think if you asked him, he would say that some things are different, and some things are the same. I definitely think it’s a big step for him, but he’s taking it in stride. I think we all knew that he had all the characteristics and traits that it takes to be a really good Cup crew chief. Those characteristics don’t change, whether you are setting up a truck or a car. But I feel like, for him, he’s done a great job handling the adversity and pressure of the season. I think he’s going to continue to do a really good job with that as we go on down the road in the Playoffs. I’m really confident in him as my crew chief and I feel like he’s going to do a great job kind of rallying the troops and getting us ready to go.”

THE FORDS WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY THINK THEY WILL BE A LOT MORE COMPETITIVE ON THE 750 TRACKS. WITH SEVEN OF THE 10 PLAYOFF RACES BEING 750, DOES THAT THROW ANOTHER ASPECT INTO THINGS? DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT MORE?
“I don’t know. I feel like we can be just as competitive on the 750 tracks. I think, if anything, we started the year with not as good a notebook on the 750’s as we needed. We’ve kind of slowly progressed into having more notes and a better idea of what we need to put in our race car for those tracks. Yeah, I think we can be just as competitive. We might not have shown it yet, but I feel like Darlington is a good track for us. We finished fourth there in the Spring, so I don’t see why we can’t be a little bit better than that.”

NOW THAT THE POINTS ARE RESET, DOES IT MOTIVATE YOU TO TURN IT UP ANOTHER NOTCH LIKE THE LEVEL YOUR TEAMMATE, KYLE LARSON, IS ON IN THESE NEXT 10 WEEKS?
“Yeah, I’ve been motivated all season. And I feel like we’ve put ourselves in good positions. We’ve prepared really hard for every weekend and every race. I’m really proud of how we’ve done that all year. I don’t think anything changes in that aspect, going into the Playoffs. But just make sure we cover all the boxes and make sure that we’re doing all the things that we need to do to get as prepared as possible.”

YOU WERE ABLE TO LOCK YOURSELF IN THE PLAYOFFS EARLY THIS SEASON. HOW MUCH OF A BENEFIT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS TO YOUR TEAM?
“It was huge. I think we didn’t start the first two races like we thought, or like we should have. We finished in the 30’s, I think. So, for us to win the third race of the season kind of got us up in the points. I think we were 13th after Homestead and then we just went on that stretch of really good finishes for ten weeks in a row, and that really kind of put us up in the top 5 in the points and we kind of stayed there the rest of the year. I think we’ve had really good moments and we’ve had some moments where we learned some things. But honestly, the consistent thing has been we’ve had the speed to win races. And we’ve had the ability to drive up there to the front and lead laps. So, I don’t see that changing.”

YOU JUST LEFT DAYTONA, AND THERE’S ALWAYS A ‘BIG ONE’ THERE. ON A SMALLER SCALE, AT BRISTOL, HOW EASY IS IT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN SOMEONE ELSE’S MESS?
“Yeah, I mean, especially with lapped cars, I feel like the pace of the lapped cars is so different than the pace of the leaders. At times, it can be 10 to 15 mph different. So, just try to avoid them and make efficient work of some of those lapped cars is really important. It’s also an opportunity to pass. I try to just stay heads-up, and my spotter spots a little bit more out of the front than normal, just to make sure I’m staying heads-up with what’s going on.”

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
Playoff Media Day | Tuesday, August 31, 2021

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — DO YOU USE LAST YEAR AS MOTIVATION WHEN YOU WERE ONE PLACE SHORT OF THE TITLE OR LOOK AT THIS AS A NEW YEAR AND AND A NEW CHALLENGE? I wouldn’t say I really have either of those approaches. I’m kind of going in and just trying to make the most of the opportunity we have with the speed and execution we have with our 2 team. You can’t really think too much about last year. It’s not particularly all that relevant to this year with different car rules and things of that nature, so I think my goal is just to make the most out of what we have.”

YOU SWITCHED SPOTTERS WITH JOEY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CHEMISTRY WITH TJ MAJORS AS YOU ENTER THE PLAYOFFS? “I think we’ve always worked very well together, TJ and I have, going back 12-13 years ago when we first started working together and the chemistry is outstanding and certainly I think that’s one of the strengths of our team.”

HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK TO THE SOUTHERN 500 THIS WEEKEND? “It’s a really tough, challenging racetrack and that’s what makes it so rewarding when you have success there. Winning in 2018 was one of the highlights of my career. Winning once is great and winning twice is even better, so hopefully we can do just that.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT BRISTOL BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS AS A CUTOFF RACE. WILL THINGS GET WILDER THIS TIME AROUND? “I think last year was a pretty compelling race. It was in the same position last year, being that last race of a round and I think going back and re-watching it, it certainly led to some exciting moments for sure accordingly, so, yeah, absolutely. I think it’s good for our sport.”

WHERE WERE YOU ON 911 AND HOW DID IT IMPACT YOU? “I was 17. I was a high school senior and it was a very interesting day to say the least, a sad day in a lot of ways. It was one I’ll never forget, that’s for sure. It’s hard to believe that was 20 years ago. When you first said that I said, ‘No, that’s wrong,’ but you’re right, it’s 20 years ago. It’s been a whirlwind for sure since then with all the different things that are going on worldwide, but it was a tough day for sure.”

WHEN YOU SEE THE SUCCESS BLANEY IS HAVING DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR TEAM? “No, it doesn’t particularly stand out to me. I’m happy for him. I think Ryan has done an excellent job of putting himself in good positions and then executing around that. He’s certainly riding a wave of momentum that I think everyone should be proud of. I’m happy for him, so I don’t know if it particularly impacts me at all.”

YOU SAID THE OTHER DAY YOU DIDN’T THINK A FORD COULD LEGITIMATELY WIN ON A 550 TRACK. CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT AND WHAT YOU THINK IS HOLDING THE FORDS BACK WITH THAT PACKAGE? “We just haven’t shown the speed. The combination of offseason rules enforcement changes and the parts freeze just kind of completely neutered us as a group and we just haven’t shown that speed all year long. I think the closest we’ve been was probably Ryan Blaney at Atlanta, which was more kind of that long run speed and smooth driving than anything else. He executed very very well, but outside of that I can’t recall a moment where I’ve seen the Fords be in a spot of dominance or a spot where they’ve controlled a race at a 550 track.”

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP CHANCES SIT RIGHT NOW? “I have no idea. I’ve entered this playoff deal before having won two races entering it just like Blaney has and been knocked out in the second round. I’ve entered it having won five races and gotten knocked out in the third round. I’ve entered it before having zero speed and not feeling very good about it and made it all the way to the final four, so no one really knows. I’ve got five or six years experience doing it and I don’t know, so with that in mind, you try not to think about it, to be quite honest. I try to just go out there and make the most out of what I have and not allow any of those connotations to either build overconfidence or to pull me down.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR TEAM IS CAPABLE OF A CHAMPIONSHIP GOING INTO DARLINGTON? “I think there are aspects of the team that have historically shown some strengths, but it’s really irrelevant to what actually happens in the future in my mind, so I have no idea. I know that I’m gonna do all that I can to execute it and to put ourselves in a position to make the most of whatever we have at the racetrack on any given day, but I can’t quantify that to say that we’re here or we’re there. There’s just too many pieces outside of my control.”

HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK A GOOD START IS IN THE ROUND OF 16 TO HAVING A SUCCESSFUL PLAYOFF RUN? “Outside of kind of getting to the Round of 12, the first round really is not super impactful in my mind. It’s really the third round that I think is super important.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THE HIGH DOWNFORCE PACKAGE PUTS LESS EMPHASIS ON DRIVER SKILL AND MORE ON RANDOM LUCK? “It’s hard to say. There’s always been a balance of random luck in this sport. That has been since the inception of motorsports versus talent and preparation. Now, you can make arguments that those scales have shifted a little bit over the years, but it’s not as though it’s never been at play or part of our sport. I do think that there are some arguments to be made that over time the driver has become less or more important depending on the racetrack and the position, so it’s another one of those things that I think is super hard to quantify, at least objectively. There were different rules packages where I felt like the driver made a bigger difference and then there are things that come into play that have nothing to do with the rules. Shoot, the weather or some kind of ambient track condition, so it’s hard to give a great answer to how big a difference a driver makes on any given weekend.”

DO YOU SEE RYAN AS POSSIBLY A NUMBER ONE GUY AT TEAM PENSKE NEXT SEASON? “I hesitate to say anybody is a number one guy. I think the results is what answers that. If he goes out and continues to do what he’s doing, then his results will pretty much answer that question. Right now, he’s won three races and Joey and I have won only one race, so he’s certainly making a good case for him being in a position of strength at Team Penske.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang — WHERE DO YOU FEEL YOUR STRENGTHS ARE AS YOU LOOK AT THIS FIRST ROUND? “I feel like our strengths are exactly that — the 750 package. That has been our strength this year. We ran really good at Nashville with a new car built for the 750 package and then we went to Loudon after qualifying on the pole and running top five at Nashville, we went to Loudon and started 22nd, I believe, and drove all the way up to the lead and won the race. So, I look at that 750 package as our best opportunity and we need to go into this first round and make the most of that.”

DO YOU THINK THE DRIVING COULD BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE AT BRISTOL WITH THAT BEING AN ELIMINATION RACE? “The playoffs always bring out the best in us. The intensity level ratchets way up and every spot matters, every point matters during the stages and every finishing position matters, so I don’t think it can get any more aggressive. It’s already really aggressive and it will continue to be that way.”

CAN YOU RESET YOUR MIND AND THROW OUT THE REGULAR SEASON WITH THIS PLAYOFF RESET? NONE OF YOUR STRUGGLES MATTER ANYMORE. DO YOU THINK THAT WAY? “Absolutely. The last 26 races no longer matter and now it’s about putting the best 10 weeks together that you possibly can. I relate it a lot to pro sports and football in general. You can be the wildcard team that squeaks into the playoffs and once the playoffs starts all that matters it the next week, winning the next week, and that’s how the playoffs are for us. The last 26 races do not matter anymore and all that really matters right now is Darlington and after Darlington all that will matter is Richmond and so on and so forth. So, yeah, we certainly are having that mentality.”

IS THERE ANYTHING TO BE LEARNED FROM BEING AT DARLINGTON AND RICHMOND EARLIER IN THE YEAR? “No, the slate is not blank. You certainly lean on your notebook, especially without practice and qualifying. You certainly lean on your notebook, so that will be important to go back and read those races and look at the speed in our cars and those things, but also feel like we’ve made our cars better since then. So, as I look forward to those races, I know that we’ll bring better race cars back than we had there earlier in the year.”

BRAD SAID HE FELT THE FORDS WERE NEUTERED WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES MADE OVER THE OFFSEASON IN REGARDS TO THE 550 PACKAGE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT FORD’S CHANCES ON THE 550 TRACKS GOING FORWARD? “I would say that there’s some truth to that. There’s some things about what we have with Ford that certainly has not been advantageous for us on the 550 racetracks, absolutely. And the other manufacturers have seemed to find a lot of speed on those tracks with the rules package going into this season and with the parts freeze and lack of development for this year and lack of windtunnel time and all those things has certainly piled up against us, I would say. The 500 tracks have been a daunting challenge for us this season, but I would say that there’s only three of them, if I’m correct, that’s in the playoffs — Vegas, Kansas and Texas. So while they are very important, every single race is important, we can still maximize our days.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THE HIGH DOWNFORCE PACKAGE PUTS LESS EMPHASIS ON DRIVER SKILL AND MORE ON RANDOM LUCK? “I would say that to get to this level it takes a tremendous amount of talent and driver skill, and to win at this level takes a tremendous amount of talent and driver skill and team, so, yeah, I wouldn’t say that much of our sport really adds up to luck. You certainly need things to go your way from time to time throughout the course of a race, make sure that you’re at the right place at the right time and not the wrong place at the wrong time, but it takes a great organization, a great team, a great driver and great pit crew. It’s a total team effort. I know the driver gets a lot of credit, but I wouldn’t discredit the fact that it is very much a team effort and you don’t really just fall into a win these days. It is certainly by design and talent and making the right choices and having a good day.”

HOW MUCH OF YOUR TEAM’S GAME PLAN AT DARLINGTON IS TRYING TO GET STAGE POINTS EARLY ON BECAUSE EVERY POINT MATTERS AS YOU’RE WELL AWARE HAVING ADVANCED ONCE ON A TIEBREAKER? “Yes, it’s of utmost importance. We think about that, for sure. You’ve got to score every point you can because I’m very aware that it can come down to the checkered flag at Bristol or the last race in the next rounds and you could be tied and it could go to your best finish or tiebreakers past that, so every point matters. We’re all very aware of that and that’s why the playoffs are so exciting and so intense because you’re constantly battling and fighting for track position and stage points throughout the course of the race and then when it comes down to the end you’re fighting for every spot on the racetrack.”

WHAT ARE YOUR TEAM’S BIGGEST STRENGTHS GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS? “I’ve talked about it a lot in the last couple of weeks, but I would say the 750 package. Our short track program is really strong right now, and I feel like going into this first round of the playoffs that sets up well for us, so I would say we’ve got to play to our strengths and I would say that the 750 package is certainly where we’re excelling right now.”

IS IT A NEW MINDSET WHEN YOU RETURN TO BRISTOL WITH THE CONCRETE THIS TIME AS OPPOSED TO THE DIRT? “Bristol on dirt does not correlate at all to Bristol when it’s its typical concrete self. One thing that I am interested in is the fact that they completely had to wash the racetrack and I believe or I’ve heard they had to spray like a solution on there to get all of the clay and stuff off and pressure wash the racetrack, so it’ll be interesting to see how different the track maybe is just without the rubber that’s laid down in the pores of the concrete and if that changes anything, and then how they apply the PJ1 to the bottom groove. That’s always a moving target for us on whether they apply it in a small strip or if they widen it out and make it to where it’s a whole car width wide. It’s always changing the dynamic of how the cars run around the racetrack.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang — YOU’RE ON THE COVER OF NASCAR IGNITION ‘21. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? “Yeah, it’s neat. As a kid, I played a lot of the NASCAR games growing up and you always like to see who is on the cover, and it’s really cool for me to be included in that. Hopefully people enjoy the game. It’s been pretty neat to watch the gaming technology come along, so it’s pretty cool. I’m the backmarker car on the cover, but, hey, I’m excited to be on it.”

WAS THERE ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE REST OF THE SEASON WOULD BE LIKE AFTER TODD ANNOUNCED HE WAS RETIRING AFTER THE SEASON? “When Todd announced he was gonna move on and step away from the crew chief role, I couldn’t be upset with him. He’s been part of racing for a long time and done some great things. It’s been a pleasure to work with him since the beginning of last year, so my mindset went from, I said, ‘OK, let’s just make it a memorable end of your run.’ So, just trying to do well for him, trying to get him another championship. That would be a heck of a way to go out for him, and at the same time trying to focus on this and then focus on the future for sure, but the main thought point right now is to get Todd to go out in a blaze of glory. That’s what everyone wants and hopefully we can give that to me. It’s been a good year so far. We’ve done some pretty cool stuff and you just hope to keep it going and send him out with a bang. That would be pretty neat.”

THERE WAS NO CONCERN ABOUT HIS MOTIVATION OR FOCUS TO END STRONG? “No. I mean, he’s not that kind of person. He’s gonna be motivated and driven to do the same. He wants to go out as a winner as well, so there was never a worry in my mind where like his mind was gonna be on different stuff or things like that. I never had that worry at all.”

DOES IT FEEL ANY DIFFERENT GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR BIGGEST OBSTACLE? “I think it’s been nice to finish out the regular season strong, especially with two wins back-to-back right before the start of the playoffs and get a lot of playoff points and be seeded second. That’s something I haven’t really had in my other playoff attempts is really a lot of bonus points, and not a lot to really have in your back pocket in case you have a bad race or just kind of an extra cushion, so that stuff is nice to have, that’s for sure. It really does help you out, but really the focus is the same, just trying to do our job the best we can, trying to perform just like we’ve been performing the past couple months here and you just try to keep that up. It’s definitely a better position to be in on our side than where we have been in year’s past and you just hope to utilize it.”

WHAT DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE THIS WAVE OF MOMENTUM? “It’s great. Momentum and confidence are something that we have right now in the 12 group because obviously, the last couple of weekends it really helps get that rolling. It’s good for everybody, not only for the driver but for the team as well when they have a lot of confidence in themselves and their abilities and you can believe that you can do it and make a strong run at the championship. That’s part of the game. You’ve got to believe you can do it and this team does believe in themselves and they have every right to. They’re a great group of guys. It’s been a pleasure to work with them, but it’s nice to end the regular season strong and have a good year. Three wins on the year and you hope to keep that going throughout the playoffs and keep transferring and try to make it to Phoenix and have a shot at a championship. So, it has been a fun year and it has been nice to end the regular season out this way and start off Darlington here this weekend with a bunch of momentum and our heads held high and we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

DO YOU STILL USE iRACING AT ALL AND HAVE YOU USED IT AS A SERIOUS FORM TO TRAIN FOR UPCOMING TRACKS? “The iRacing piece was something for all of us to do last year a lot obviously when we were shut down, and then we did some of it this year with that. Me personally, I’m not a big iRacing guy. We utilize the Ford simulator in Concord a lot. That’s something that we go to a good bit, especially going to new racetracks especially, go to road courses. We did Darlington this week just because there’s that new patch in one and two, not patch new racetrack through one and two to kind of get prepared for that and get and idea. So, that’s the most sim I’ll do is the Ford simulator because I feel like it’s a great tool to use, but the iRacing side was fun to do, but it’s not something I really do often.”

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC TRACK THIS FIRST ROUND? “RIchmond is not a place we’ve run spectacular at in the past, but something I really have my mind on is Richmond and Darlington. Earlier this year we ran the best we’ve ever run. We ran top five at Darlington most of the day and ended up eighth and at Richmond we ran top five in the first stage and kind of got away from the handling and ended up running 11th and having just a good solid day there, so the confidence for me is having a couple good races there earlier this year. Once you do have a solid race at a track you might not have had good runs at before, it gives you the mindset of, ‘OK, I haven’t run great here in the past, but we had a good race. Let’s work on that.’ Now I kind of have an idea of what I need to feel in the car, how I need to drive the racetrack, and what I need to work on throughout the race to try to stay up there and be competitive. That’s a great notebook we have from earlier this year at both of those racetracks and I’m looking forward to getting back there to build off of that because I think we can run as good there as anywhere else. It was just a matter of time and you hope to utilize what you learned previously and apply it.”

DO YOU SENSE ANY SORT OF RAMP UP IN HOW THE PLAYOFF DRIVERS GO ABOUT THINGS? IS IT MORE SERIOUS AND MORE INTENSE? DOES THAT CHANGE DURING THE PLAYOFFS? “Yeah, I think so. Everyone wants to say that you try to keep the same intensity and mindset the whole year. Why just wait until the playoffs to kind of be in that mode, but I feel like even subconsciously it might change a little bit even if you don’t know it. It’s playoff time. There is more intense things going on just because you know what you’re racing for right now and everyone wants to get it. Yeah, I feel like it does change. It is a lot more intense racing, I feel like, at some points for sure, so, yeah, it’s just different mindsets for not only the drivers but the teams as well to really perform under these type of situations. This is what everyone wants. Everyone wants to perform well under the pressure scenarios and when it comes down to the playoffs and championship time that’s when people rise to the occasion. So, yeah, I think that does ramp up and it’s something I think I can obviously see and it’s something I’m a part of as well and our group is doing that same thing. It ramps up, that’s for sure.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
PLAYOFF MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 31, 2021

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: We will get right into questions for Chase Elliott.

Q. A little bit off the beaten path, but this year is the 20th anniversary of the HANS device becoming mandatory equipment in NASCAR. It helped to usher in a period of incredible safety. I want to ask your opinion about what has that device meant to the sport, back to your dad’s era, what has it meant? Can you imagine racing without one?
CHASE ELLIOTT: I feel like it changed racing across the world. And, no, I don’t know that I would ever get in a car without one, to be honest. That’s an absolute must-have, a piece of safety innovation that, like I said, I think it changed really the world, to be honest.

Q. Since Kansas you finished eighth or better in 12 of 16 races, including two wins. From you and your team’s perspective, has this run been as steady as the box scores say and how much confidence does that run give you going deep again in the Playoffs?
CHASE ELLIOTT: Man, so hard to say. It’s really difficult to put a lot of emphasis on past races and expect that to equal future results.
But Kansas has been a solid track, a place we’ve been able to win at, a place we’ve had some really strong runs. I look forward to going out there. You just hope that your past history will translate, and you can have a good run.
I feel like we’re very capable of that. We just have to go put it all together.

Q. Now that you’ve got a championship under your belt, do you enter the Playoffs feeling less pressure, more relaxed, or because you are defending your title, do you feel more pressure?
CHASE ELLIOTT: To be real honest with you, I don’t really feel any different than I did going in last year. I mean, it’s nice to have seen some of those circumstances and to have gone through some of those things that you’re faced with mentally, just some of those challenges, as you step through that last round and get to Phoenix.
But to me the message is really no different than it was last year. To me it’s just about enjoying those big moments. If you don’t enjoy them, you’re never going to thrive in them. A big moment typically means it means something to you and it typically means there’s opportunity for something big at the end of it.
You have to like it. I mean, that’s to me the biggest piece of the whole puzzle. I don’t think that message will ever change whether you have zero championships, or you have 15. I feel like that’s the single most important piece of how this Playoff format works. It promotes winning, and winning in big situations.

Q. Your biggest competition for a championship may, indeed, be a teammate who you sit across from in team meetings. So few sportsfans or other athletes understand that. What is that like from a competitor’s standpoint?
CHASE ELLIOTT: It’s definitely unique, for sure. But I think we’ve all — a lot of us have been around racing long enough, have been doing it long enough, to kind of understand how that dynamic works.
At the end of the day, I feel like for Mr. Hendrick especially, he’s done a lot for the sport, he’s changed a lot of people’s lives in the sport, mine included. If his cars are racing against each other for a championship, I think he deserves that. I think at the end of the day it’s a good thing.
I’m for it. And it really doesn’t matter who you’re racing against, you just hope you’re around at the end of this thing and have a shot.

Q. Is it hard to support and root against a friend/teammate?
CHASE ELLIOTT: No, man, it’s just how it works. I feel like it’s easy to go down that road. The media likes to talk about it and stuff. It’s just how it works, man.
Like a lot of these teams have four cars. If you’re at a solid organization, there’s a good chance you’re going to be racing against your teammates for big moments, big opportunities. Ultimately, I think it’s a good thing. It means we’re at a great organization and you have a chance to win and have won some races.

Q. What are the biggest things that you feel like you learned about how to race in these Playoffs last year en route to the championship as well as what you learned about yourself in the midst of that run?
CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I honestly don’t feel like I did anything different last year than I had been doing the years before. But just taking some of those experiences and really, like I said a second ago, just enjoying those bigger moments more. I think that’s something I did a poor job of in the past, kind of letting those moments be bigger than what they should have been. I feel like last year we really just tried to boil things down to just the nuts and bolts of what mattered.
Ultimately as you go through these rounds, if it’s not going to make us go faster, I really don’t care about it. In doing that, I think it makes you enjoy those bigger moments more because you’re more focused on things that can make a difference at the end of the day and the results you get.
That’s where my head’s at again. I’m looking forward to getting going.

Q. Let’s move ahead to Bristol for a moment. Other than the obvious, how different will it be racing on the concrete for you guys since it’s the first time this year?
CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, kind of odd to be going there for the first time this year. The Bristol night race is always one of my favorite events. It’s an event that I will tell a close friend to go see, like you have to go see this race before I don’t have a chance to be there anymore or whatever. Even if I’m not there, go, enjoy a race.
But just a great event. A lot of energy. I’m glad it’s in the Playoffs. I’m glad it’s a cutoff race. Just glad to go to eastern Tennessee and enjoy hopefully a dry Saturday night in Bristol.

Q. Some stick-and-ball sports you have a regular season, a post-season, two different seasons. Intensity, aggression, things are different in the Playoffs. What is your philosophy in racing? Do you change your approach, or do you stick with what got you here, keep it through the final 10 races?
CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, it’s a fine line, right? I feel like you always want to grab that extra gear if you have it to pull. A lot of times you don’t. I think you can very easily reach too far and get yourself in more trouble than what you would if you really executed what you had to work with.
I think it’s recognizing those things. Hey, can we be better? Do we have that gear to pull? Can we step it up a notch? If the answer is yes, Okay, let’s do it somehow, some way.
If not, I do think it’s important not to reach too far and reach outside of what your reality is, where you are. If you start this thing and you’re an eighth-place car, that’s just where you’re at. You’re better off having a solid day and finishing eighth or maybe doing a really good job and finishing sixth than you are trying to reach for a win. I just think you can get yourself in a lot of trouble doing that. I’ve done that in the past.
I think you have to really, number one, recognize where you’re at, then adjust your expectations a little bit to buy you some more time because you never know. I mean, you could get hot in the last three weeks and have a shot to win, but you have to get there first. It’s a unique balance.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
PLAYOFF MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 31, 2021

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: We’re going to get right into questions here for Tyler Reddick.

Q. These first three tracks are ones where you’ve consistently fought for top 10s, top 5s. What is your confidence level heading into your first Playoffs?
TYLER REDDICK: It’s good. The nice thing is that we’re going back to a venue — well, let me think about this. I mean, in a way we’ve been to all three of these tracks already this year, the third Bristol. Obviously a little dustier for some reason the first time we were there earlier this year.
The speed we had early at this race at Darlington in the beginning of summer, if you will, was really promising to know we were that good and still have missed the mark on where our car needed to be by that much.
Yeah, I’m excited for sure going into that race. But even more excited, after all the chaos and everything kind of had passed at Daytona, we knew we were in, that night leading into the next morning, Bob is taking a guess at where everyone is going to start.
Oh, my gosh, this fifth-place finish was not only good to finally finish fifth, in the top 5 at Daytona, but it looks like it’s going to help our starting position at Darlington where there’s only I think 13 points between myself and sixth right now.
I think we’re going to see a lot of shake-up just right away in how tight everybody is, how it’s going to spread out just in this first race at Darlington. We’re going to try to take advantage of that.

Q. I know you weren’t in the Playoffs last year. Did you notice anything competitively or with intensity as a driver that maybe you can expect this time around, if there was something different?
TYLER REDDICK: Well, out of the competition or…

Q. Yeah. I mean, does the intensity level raise up? Do you feel that as a driver, something you actually experience that you can sense around you that can help you this year, if at all?
TYLER REDDICK: Yes and no. I think I experienced this for sure when we ran the Southern 500 last year. We at times were racing, especially the first round for sure, we were racing around a lot of Playoff cars all night long at Darlington, and Bristol especially once we were up in the top 5. We aren’t racing for what those guys are, but we’re still racing to try and have a good finish for our progress and everything like that.
So I think the intensity’s there whether you’re in the Playoffs or not. When you’re a Playoff driver, you’re racing really hard with those other Playoff drivers. It seemed like the guys outside of the Playoffs understand what is going on, but they’re still going to race hard for their season. The give-and-take, the mark has moved a little bit from where it is in the regular season up until that point.
But I’d say either way you have it, it’s just shaped a little bit differently whether you’re in the Playoffs or not. Last year when I wasn’t, I felt like the Playoff drivers – as they should – were racing hard for every single spot. Essentially this one or two points at the end of the year ultimately doesn’t dictate whether I make the next round or not.
So it is different, but I wouldn’t say it’s more intense. It’s just the intensity level is with a certain group of drivers on one side and another in the Playoffs.

Q. Entering Michigan you said you believed the No. 8 team was running well enough to potentially reach the Round of 8 if you got into the Playoffs. Now that you’re in, do you feel the consistency you’ve shown over the summer can get you that far or do you feel like you’re going to need a win somewhere in the first two rounds to reach the Round of 8 and go from there?
TYLER REDDICK: I would say at this moment looking at how everything’s seeded, if you will, only 13 points as of right now separate myself to I believe it’s sixth. I hope I got that number right. So it’s pretty tight. Again, that can change in one stage, one race, one part of these three-race rounds in this Playoff system.
We’re obviously going to see new winners. We’re going to see three winners this round of the Playoffs and three winners in the Round of 12. That can certainly shake up those numbers and where we’re at in comparison.
When you think about that 13-point gap right now over three races, I feel like we’ve been able to be consistent and gain a lot of points just over really a lot of the field over the course of the summer.
Yeah, you look at these three last races for myself, not exactly the most consistent, for sure. Michigan, flat out just made poor decisions. It happens from time to time. It’s a nice little reality check, if you will, before the Playoffs started of, Okay, this is why we need to really stay on the plan that we have.
So, yeah, I feel good about it still. I mean, everyone’s working really hard to set themselves up to really go out of the gates in the Playoffs. Obviously, everyone’s going to be probably a little bit faster or different than they’ve been the last two months. So, speed out of some cars, out of some drivers, may be different now.
I still feel good about it, but you never know until you’re in it for sure.

Q. The naysayers, I’m sure you’ve heard: Last man in, first man out. How would you respond to that? Is your strategy going to be to maximize points as much as you can or go all out for the win?
TYLER REDDICK: I mean, I would say to win races you need to be relevant all day long. The only places you can really pop in and steal wins, when fuel mileage has come into play in the past on superspeedways. To win those races, you before winning races you need to score a lot of points and be running up front.
For most of this year, especially once we got it rolling the way it needed to be, we were running inside the top 10 a lot, having shots, one pit stop or one decision here or there away from top 5s, which unfortunately haven’t had a lot of those this year. But we’ve been right there. Little details will either make or break this Playoff run for us.
But I like where we’ve been going. I still feel like we’re still just improving, but we’re right where we need to be for the right time at the start of this.
Certainly don’t feel like looking at how we’ve ran that we will be the first out. Again, it’s not just a race against 15 other competitors, you’re racing yourself.
Now that we’re in these Playoffs, certainly it will be a lot easier to allow the pressure to get to us. But I’m not going to lie, Saturday was one of the most pressure-packed nights of my life and I thought we handled it pretty well. Some may argue that I needed to just be out the back, let everything happen. But I can’t get so caught up in Austin that I forget there’s eight or nine drivers up there that could have won and knocked us out.
I thought we handled that situation as well as we could. It makes us even more prepared and ready for this first round, the rounds after, if we can do our part and get there.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Tyler.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

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.