Toyota Racing – Juan Pablo Montoya
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

WATKINS GLEN, NY (September 14, 2024) – 23XI Racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, No. 50 Mobil 1 50th Anniversary Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

What is it like to be back?

“It’s really good to be back – exciting. I have no idea what to expect – I don’t know. I think I should run pretty well, but that is all I can tell you right now. (laughter) It’s so difficult, because you come into a weekend where you get – I drove the car at VIR, and did about 40 laps, just to get comfortable – make sure the seat and everything was working. I felt pretty good with the car. I felt like it was easier to drive than the last car, and then, you talk to our teammates and the team and everyone is like, it is so difficult to drive, and you are like okay, and you talk to (Michael) McDowell, and he’s like it is much easier to drive – it is more like at GT3, and I’m like that’s what I thought, and then you talk to (Max) Papis and then you are like I don’t know. I’m just going to go out there and – it’s either going to be oh, it’s not too bad or I’m going to go, oh, shit – but we will see.”

What has it been like to adjust to who you are racing around?

“Honestly, being a one-off, it is kind of irrelevant. I want to have a clean day, a good day, and try to be competitive. If someone is quicker, they are quicker – if you are quicker, you are going to try to go by. Try to keep it as simple as possible, but you never know. If everybody races the hell out of you, then you are going to race the hell out of everybody. I have no issues with that either.”

Two years ago, could you have expected this? How did this come together?

“Honestly, the last few years I was racing P2 cars for a while. I ran WEC, ELMS, IMSA – I’ve done a bit of everything. The last year, the bronze that we raced with decided he wanted to stop for a little bit – honestly, for me it was fun, because it is like racing with no commitments, like we went to the track, we stay always in the same hotel, have dinner, go to the tracks when the bronzes wants to go to the track, so you get to the track 40 minutes before you run, and you still drive the hell out of it, and you still work but there is no sponsor commitments, there is no BS around the racing, you just go there and drive the car and go home. It is really nice. When we stopped that, I really wanted to focus on Sebastian. We did F3 this year, and we are trying to figure out next year, but hopefully the plan will be F2, and that is it. (Steve) Lauletta (23XI president) called me earlier this year, around the US GP in Miami, and a little before that, and he asked if you would be interested in doing that, and I said yeah, I would. I think it would be cool. It is kind of funny because you would ask me last year, and I would be like no, no way. Then the idea comes, and I’m like huh. I honestly think it is pretty cool. The idea behind it is pretty cool, and the cars are really competitive – so why not? I really don’t have a reason not to do it. I feel like I can still do a good job – this year, I wasn’t racing full time, but I was doing a lot of karting, a lot of shifter karts with my kid, and I’m still involved in racing fully. Will just drive the car. If the car is good, you will look good. If it’s bad, you are going to look bad. I don’t think the car is bad, but it is if I’m comfortable in it or not. I told the guys that I would be surprised if we qualified really well – like I should qualify pretty decent. When I won here, I didn’t even put it on the pole here. I finished in the top-five, I don’t know how many times in the Cup races here, and I used to qualify 12th to 15th, I don’t know. We will see.”

What do you feel like is going to be most different than the last time you drove a NASCAR car?

“I think the new thing and I’m glad there is two practices, but the hard thing is – you are going to go out and they are going to want to see the tires and you are going to go out and do a long run, you are never going make a qualifying sim – back in the day, you used to a qualifying sim and you would really prepare for qualifying, but now you go there and drive it and with the tire derogation that they are talking about – you are probably going to get a lap. It’s kind of tough because if you over-do it, you screw up and you under-do it, you screw up – so great. (laughter).”

How did you look back on your NASCAR career now?

“I thought it was pretty good honestly, for the cars that I was in and the equipment we were in, I think in a couple of years we were not great, but we made the Chase, we fought for the championship – we did a lot of things with a lot less than the other teams, personally thinking. I think our best run was with Brian (Pattie). When Brian was there, he was taking care of everything. When the new crew chief came in, and he stayed there until I left, it was a bit of a joke, but what can you do.”

Do you think it will open the doors to more one-offs?
“I don’t know. Let’s do this weekend and then we will see. Honestly, I probably some day – if someone comes to me one day and asks me if I want to do a one-off, I would probably say yes, but it is Saturday morning, so we will see.”

What was your workout routine now compared to what it was back when you were racing full-time?

“When I was driving, I didn’t do anything. I go to the gym now. That’s the truth. We were racing every week. I go to the gym every time that I’m home. I go – like an hour, hour-and-a-half in the gym. I do a lot of shifter karts – shifter karts are killer. That thing will tear you a part, and it is good fun. I play a lot of golf, walking – I do quite a bit. I’ve always been a big guy. When I was 25, everyone said I was big – what do you expect at 48 (laughter).”

What do you think is the next progression for these kids that want to take a F1 path?

“Connor (Zilisch) is interesting because Connor raced against Sebastian – in the last year or two of karting. We used to mainly race Europe in the Winter Series or whatever it was called in Florida – we would race against him, and they would always run together. He was good. I think Connor went a couple of times to Europe – Europe is a different animal. Europe, there is a very different driving style, so when you drive in the States in a go-kart, you struggle – because the engine is very different and the approach is very different and the grip level is very different, so it is just a different animal. (follow-up question) That is not FIA. If you go race Miami or go and race – that’s not it. That’s like saying you raced ARCA, and you call it you won in Cup. The kid is good. You see what he’s done. If he would have stayed in Europe, he probably would have had the progression to where Sebastian is. I think he is managed by (Kevin) Harvick, so they decided to come this route, and you see how good he is. The thing in Europe – most of the kids in Europe are that good. If you go to a F3 race, in a two-minute lap time, 70 percent of the grid is within three tenths. You look at qualifying in Xfinity – it is seven tenths between the top-five. Six tenths, you set 90 percent of the F3 grid at any type of race track. That is how close it is. That’s the reality of it. It is very difficult, and you get less running than here. Like F3, you get about four push laps in practice and two and three push laps in qualifying, and that is the weekend, so you need to come really well prepared. That is why everyone that comes from F2, F3 to INDYCAR performs well, because they are used to performing under pressure.”

How often do you and your son watch NASCAR racing?

“I’ll be honest with you. In my house, the person that watches the most racing is my wife. I watch some of the F1 races – I’m doing a podcast now in Columbia for racing, so I watch most – I need to watch the F1 races. I follow a little bit of the NASCAR races, but for this I focused more on this race. I focused more – the team did a tire test here, so I looked there. I did sim work. I did everything. Everyone I talk to says the give and take that there used to be back in the day is a lot less, people seem to race more for every position, but it is what it is. I think it will be hard with two, three seconds of tire derogation. If someone starts racing, they are going to blow the tires off.”

Have you noticed a difference in the people in the garage area since you left?

“Yes, I guess is the correct answer. Honestly, back in the day, you had plenty of diversity. From my eyes, it really hasn’t changed. I think what has really changed is that you are going to go and race in Mexico next year, and you are willing to explore more of that. I think it is good. I think where you can see more diversity – apart from the garage – will be the crowd watching the races. That is going to grow the sport to a brand-new market that is quite interesting, and I think the sponsors – as big as the Latino market is in the states now-a-days, is going to help a lot and bring new sponsors to the championship.”

Were there any other opportunities before this opportunity came out about with 23XI Racing?

“Not really. I think the two reasons that this opportunity came about – one is Steve Lauletta (23XI president) was the president at (Chip) Ganassi when I was there, for one, and two, I raced with Mobil 1. I raced with McLaren with Mobil 1, and actually my first sponsor in Columbia was Mobil 1 too.”

How will you be racing the Playoff guys?

“I will be nice and respectful of everyone that is nice and respectful for me (laughter). I don’t want to get in a pissing contest with anyone. I want to run well. If I get to you, and I’m quicker than you – I’m going to try to pass you. If you get to me, and you are quicker than me, there is reason – the race is long enough. Like always, you wait for the adjustment and make the car better – if you make someone miserable at the start of the race, they are going to return the favor later. I know I’m doing one-off. I will be respectful of everyone that is respectful of me. It is not that hard.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th 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 29 electrified options.

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

NASCAR CUP SERIES
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

 WILLIAM BYRON, DRIVER OF THE NO. 24 LIBERITY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 AND THE NO. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO SS, met with the media in advance of racing double duty in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen International.

Media Availability Quotes:

Do you have any idea what the changes in the track will be like now that you’ve had a chance to look at them and how it could impact how you drive the track?

“Yeah, I mean it looks like, from the ARCA race; it looked like they used kind of that six feet of excess, between the curb and the rumbles. So I feel like that’s probably what it will do, especially starting out, and then we’ll kind of see from there. It looked pretty dirty within the rumbles that they cut in the track. It looked like there was a lot of residual dirt and dust. I mean yeah, we’ll just see. I think we’ll be still using some runoff, but obviously not to the level we were, probably.”

Today, Connor Zilisch will make his Xfinity Series debut. Is there a lot of interest about him from the Cup guys, or are you not worried about someone like him yet until he starts running Cup?

“Well, no – I mean I think he’s been really impressive. He’s doing all the right things and making a lot of speed out there. It’s hard to judge when you’re in an ARCA race, per say. But yeah, I feel like he’ll get out there today and I’ll be up against him, so I’m excited to see how he does.”

I think you were the first one a few years ago to note that you can only get 40 points at a road course race with the stages the way they are, and now that there are two of those situations in the playoffs this year. With the situation you’re in, are you thinking more stage points or are you thinking more about going for the win? Do you know how you’re going to play it yet?

“Yeah, I mean I hope there’s kind of a combination of both that works. I feel like for us, if we’re in position to win, we’re probably going to go for that because that’s going to mean more for us hopefully down the road. But yeah, hopefully with this tire, there could be a position where you can get Stage One points and still compete for the win, like we saw maybe way back when the stages kind of first came along. You could pit and then still get seventh or eighth place stage points and still kind of tally them up that way. Hopefully it’s not like a 40-point max day because that would be tough, for sure.”

What is it about Bristol and you that you’re either hit or miss.. podium finishes or wrecking out? Is it simply because it’s racing and unpredictable, and what can you do to help your odds when we go there next weekend?

“Yeah, I mean I don’t really feel like we’ve ever been the dominant car there. So that’s the goal; try to inch up on that and figure out what we need to be more competitive there. But yeah, we’ve had some really good runs.. like top-three’s, but never like leading laps. So yeah, I think going to Bristol, there’s definitely going to be a lot of studying this week to figure out what it is that we need to be a little bit better yet. And then you have the tire, so you’re not really sure what that’s going to do. For us, it would be nice to be under less pressure going there and hopefully have a buffer and cushion of who knows how many points or a win. So it would be nice just to race freely there. The spring was just a fluke situation. We got put into the wall there and broke the toe link. That was tough. But yeah, I think we’re usually pretty solid there. We’re usually like a top-10 car, we just have to figure out what it takes to have winning speed.”

Hendrick Motorsports has won the last five races here. Why do you feel like it’s such a good track for the organization?

“Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, I think we’ve had pretty good road course stuff for like a little less than a decade, and I feel like it just builds on itself, even though there was a car change. We actually did struggle with this car on the road courses initially.. like quite a bit. And then once we figured out what it needed; we have smart drivers and smart crew chiefs and we all contribute and get a package that we like, and then we go from there. I think that’s what it took with this car. And then yeah, Watkins Glen is just a faster place, so it takes a little bit of everything. The engine is really important, and we always have great engines. So I feel like we’ve been able to make the straightaways good; get through the braking zones and everything.”

Being a little bit more seasoned now in the playoffs, do you find yourself approaching the 10 weeks any differently? Approaching each race any differently? Is it truly just business-as-usual, like the first 26 weeks?

“Yeah, I’ve really just learned not to expect or let my guard now. I think last year, with all the bonus points that we had, I think we had 36.. I guess 41 by the time we got to the Round of Eight. But it was easy to feel like – man, we can kind of just point our way through this deal. And then you get to the Round of Eight and guys start to win, and it all really goes out the window. So I feel like for me, it’s learning from that; not letting my guard down and just really trying to show up each week and have winning speed.”

This is Rudy’s (Fugle) home race. Do you notice anything different, in terms of his preparation, his attention, stuff like that, or is it also business-as-usual?

“No, I mean it was a little bit last year. He had more family and things here. But this year, I feel like he’s just locked-in on what we need to do for the playoffs. So it’s probably, I don’t know his routine or anything like that, but he’s just focused on what we need to do, especially today. Try to qualify well.. that’s going to be important. And then see what the strategy is; see what the falloff is.”

Years ago, when we showed up at Watkins Glen, there were maybe four drivers that were going to win the race. Now, it’s so much deeper. Did you start focusing on becoming a good road course racer at the beginning of career, or is that something you’ve seen in recent years?

“Yeah, I feel like it was kind of engrained in me from early on, K&N Series level. Like we’d go do tests with that, and then go race my cart at GoPro Motorplex, and I feel like it was just engrained in me pretty early on. I don’t really feel like at the time that there were that many road courses, but by the time I got to the Cup Series, it was two. And then like the next year, it was three with the ROVAL. No.. it was three the first year, and then yeah, it just kind of kept going and expanding. So it just fit the fact that I was ready for it, but I don’t think I really did it from a young age or anything, but definitely started to up my game when I was 16 or 17 years old.”

You haven’t been on track yet, but how have you and your team been preparing for this weekend, knowing that you have a new tire that could have three seconds of falloff per lap? Are you expecting some chaos from that? Are you expecting what we saw at Bristol in the spring, or more like a Richmond situation?

“Yeah, I think the tire is going to definitely falloff more, but we’re interested to see if that curb from the test flattens out a little bit because typically it does when you get rubber on the race track.. more cars get the right tire pressures, all those things. So yeah, I think there will still be a lot of falloff and it’ll just be interesting to see if that effects qualifying, if we’re not able to re-run. Or if in the race, like I said, maybe flip the stages because you need tires. It could shakeup the way that you strategize the race, for sure, because typically you’re just trying to strategize based on fuel.”

This is the last race for Hendrick Motorsports’ Xfinity Series program. How important for you is it to run that race today, given the track adjustments for tomorrow’s Cup race? Is it going to be beneficial for you to run this race?

“Yeah, I mean I love running here, so it was just really a place where I wanted to come run. And also, more laps on a road course are always great. The last one we had was Chicago, which is very unique, so it’s just nice to have 20 minutes of practice and a full race going into tomorrow. Hopefully it’s fun and hopefully we can compete for the win and be up there with Shane (van Gisbergen) and whoever else is upfront.”

Talking about last year, Martinsville Speedway was such a struggle. We saw at Darlington, another driver have a struggle, with Tyler Reddick staying in the car with his situation. I think we can all relate to a sense of feeling uncomfortable when we’re on a drive, but we can pull off. What is that like? When you look back at Martinsville, was that the hardest day in your career and how does somebody get through that?

“Yeah, I mean you just have to distract yourself with what the task is. Tyler (Reddick) and I’s situations were different, for sure. But for me personally, as hot as I was, I was just thinking about – how do I get the next spot on the race track. If I could do that, I felt like I was going to advance. I think I had to get like seven or eight spots in the last stage, and I was running 22nd. I think we ended up finishing 13th because a couple guys pitted. It was just about getting the next position and trying to distract myself with that and not think about how I’m feeling. If I thought about how I was feeling, I was probably going to slow down.”

No mic..

“Not since maybe like late models, when I was like out of shape (laughs).”

Juan Pablo Montoya is coming back to race this weekend. Are you looking forward to being on the same track with someone as successful as he has been in his racing career?

“Yeah, I mean he was the man when I was growing up. He was really good here. He was good everywhere, just didn’t maybe win the oval races that he could have or should have. But yeah, it’ll be nice to be on the track with him. Hopefully he’s nice and respectful of the playoff guys (laughs).”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. 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
Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Media Availability| Watkins Glen International
Friday, September 13, 2024

Joey Logano, driver of the number 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske, met with media members Friday afternoon at Watkins Glen International. Logano spoke about his win last week at Atlanta and what that means for his mindset heading into this weekend’s race, among other things.

DID YOU SLEEP EASY THIS WEEK?

“Yes, I slept better than I was going to, for sure. I probably was a little bit more comfortable than most. You know, it gave us the advantage to start looking towards Kansas already, which is nice to do. But we still were looking at some Watkins stuff. I mean, there’s still playoff points to grab in the next two weeks. So we’ll hit the next two as hard as we can and try to get stage wins and race wins. It’s still pretty valuable, right? I mean, just like any regular season race, it’s just as valuable as it was then.”

THE EXTENDED PRACTICE TOMORROW, WILL THAT BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOU AND THE TEAM THIS WEEKEND?

“It is. It’s just as beneficial for the rest of the teams out there, though. So you don’t gain an advantage but I think these days, any time you can make more laps it’s just kind of nice. As a racecar driver these days you don’t get to make many laps anymore so it will be a little bit of fun and this isn’t the most technical road course that we have, just because there’s not a whole bunch of corners really compared to some of the others. I think you’re still making some laps and having the opportunity to work on your car a little bit. You still don’t get to change much to your car like the old days, but you still have the opportunity to at least think about things in between those 20-minute practices.”

DO YOU HOPE THE XFINITY RACE GIVES YOU A BETTER IDEA OF THE CHANGES TO THE TRACK AND OR ARE YOU WORRIED THAT THE CARS ARE SO DIFFERENT THAT WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE XFINITY CAR YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IN THE CUP CAR?

“My thoughts were to try to get more seat time because the track changed. The questions that everyone has is what are the rumble strips like off of one in the carousel and is that still going to be in play or not. So at least I’ll know a little bit before everybody else. I don’t think we can change anything to the cars or really combat that, but we can at least have a little bit more experience of that piece during the race. The cars are very different from each other, more than ever, but I’d say if an Xfinity car can go over the rumble strips the Next-gen Cup car definitely will with the wider tire so we’ll kind of wait and see how that that looks. One step at a time, and then obviously, the bus stop with the different curbs, but the cars are way different through there so it was kind of harder to say.”

LAST WEEK SHOOK UP THE POINTS AND THEN YOU COME TO A ROAD COURSE WHERE THAT’S TYPICALLY HOW THINGS ARE TOO. WHAT DO YOU PROJECT TO YOURSELF THIS RACE IS GONNA BE LIKE FOR PEOPLE?

“It’s interesting these days, the road courses don’t shuffle up the running order a whole bunch compared to what you see every other track. It seems like it’s the same teams that run good almost everywhere these days, with the exception of a couple, right? There might be two or three that are a little bit different than others, but for the most part, it seems like if you run 10th to 15th, you run 10th to 15th here too. It’s kind of weird how, at least at Watkins Glen, it seems like that. But I think the speed and downforce still matters. If your bodies aren’t great, then they’re not going to be great here either. And you’re going so fast. Any time the points are so close, you go into the first race of any round, things are going to shuffle up because the points are so close. You have a couple guys with issues like they did last week in Atlanta, it’s going to change stuff up quickly. We’ll be saying the same thing when we leave Watkins Glen, like, wow, man, there’s going to be a crazy storyline. And the points battle going into Bristol will definitely be tight. No matter what, it’s going to be tight. There’s just not enough races to create distance.

THE THREE RACES ARE ALL SO DIFFERENT AND SO POTENTIALLY DRAMATIC, ATLANTA FOR WHAT IT IS, AND THEN A ROAD COURSE, AND THEN CERTAINLY BRISTOL. THIS IS A HECK OF A ROUND. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU TO HAVE THAT WIN, CONSIDERING HOW, YOU KNOW, THIS ROUND SETS UP?

“Anything can happen, and we see with next generation now, these days too, you can’t just bank on speed in your car anymore because you’re not that much faster than everybody anymore. When you think about the old car, if your car has top five speed, you can finish 10th pretty easy. Something can go wrong and you can recover. Now if you have 5th to 10th speed, 20th is only like a tenth behind you. It’s really close. So if you have a mistake, if something goes wrong, you never make it up. You finish 20th. So to try to stack in as many wins or top fives as you used to get all the time is a lot more challenging now because the field is just closer. You’re not racing against 10 cars that can win every week. You’re racing against 20-something cars that can win every week. So to stack up those big numbers like we used to, seven, eight wins and half the races being top fives or whatever, it’s not happening anymore. So it keeps the points tighter too. You don’t get that big separation because everyone was up there. So it just keeps everything tighter than ever. So yeah, it’s nice to get the win last week because you just don’t know how it’s going to play out.”

WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE SEASON, IN THE FIRST 12 RACES, EVERYBODY WAS ASKING WHERE THE HELL IS FORD, RIGHT? AND IN THE LAST 15, EIGHT WINS FROM SIX DIFFERENT DRIVERS FROM FOUR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. CLEARLY THE BLUE OVAL HAS SPREAD THE WEALTH, BUT THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE JUST KIND OF DOMINATED THE SECOND HALF OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND INTO THE PLAYOFFS, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?

“Yeah, I feel like we’ve executed good races. Some of the tracks may have fallen into some of our hands where some of our strengths may be. Do I think we’re strong at every track or the best at every track? I can’t say that. I think there’s still a lot of work to be done, but that’s probably just who I am in general. I always look at the things we can be better at but I’ll say the teams have done a good job at maximizing what they got and and learning a lot from the beginning of the year. Ford’s done a good job at trying to make up the deficit that we were at and trying to catch these guys. There are a lot of different factors that go into all of that. A lot. A lot in the sport as well. And it’s how things change around, the cycle, the flow, the momentum, and all those types of things. But I’m glad to see that we seem to be on the right track right now. But there’s still a long ways to go in this season, for sure.”

WAS THERE PANIC AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR?

“Yeah, the panic set in, I think, within the first eight weeks. The panic set in. You know, over the off season, you know, new car and all the numbers look great, but then you get on the racetrack and the numbers don’t translate, there’s a lot of different variables on the reasons why that is and learning that, we got a lot of work to do like this isn’t everything it was cracked up to be. There’s a lot to do here. I think everyone had done a good job at accepting that and going to work to fix it. Everyone has done a good job at moving the needle and getting us closer.”

WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING WITH A NEW TIRE THIS WEEKEND? GOODYEAR SAID THREE SECONDS OF FALL-OFF OVER A RUN, SO ARE YOU EXPECTING IT TO BE THAT, AND HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL AFFECT SHORT PITTING BEFORE THE STAGE BREAKS?

“Yeah, possibly. It’s hard to say what the tire fall-off is going to be. If you look at the tire test here, it was more than three seconds. You look at the wheel force test, it’s about three seconds. When you come here with all the cars and the teams that have adjusted to it, what’s it gonna look like? Is it two seconds? Is it one second? Is it six seconds? Like, it’s kind of hard to say. I would think it’s going to be less than what it was, just going off of experience of what I kind of predict. But yeah, it’s just going to be — which is still a lot more than what we used to have. So I think that’s exciting, and it will adjust the strategy kind of depending on what we see for fall-off tomorrow in practice. It’s too hard to call the race right now and saying that this is gonna be the fastest way to run the race but you know we’ll see. That three seconds of fall-off is kind of back to old Sonoma numbers with three or four seconds of fall-off. That’s great. I think that’s fun. It’ll be exciting to see who’s got the fall off and who doesn’t and comers and goers and the strategy of it. It won’t just be about fuel mileage like it was last year or would have been this year if we didn’t have any falloff so it definitely adds another layer to the race.”

YOUR LAST COUPLE OF FINISHES HERE HAVE BEEN PRETTY SOLID, WHAT’S IT GOING TO TAKE TO CARRY YOUR MOMENTUM INTO A TRACK LIKE WATKINS GLEN NOW WGI IS IN THE PLAYOFFS?

“We’ve been okay here, like you say, I’ve been decent with top tens, but we haven’t won here since I think 2015. So it’s been a while since we’ve been to Victory Lane here. We’d like to to change that. This would be a great weekend to try that. I can be aggressive We talked about it earlier about getting a win last weekend, and how there’s only something to gain there’s nothing to lose so you can be more aggressive behind the wheel with how you just drive the car and not worrying about locking up tires as much or cutting curbs too tight or going for it and making more aggressive passes and more aggressive strategy more aggressive setup. We can do all those things and be a little bit more all or nothing to try to make up that gap for where we’ve been here lately in the seventh the tenth position and try to get us in the first to fifth positions.”

WE’VE ALWAYS HEARD THAT WINNING THE FIRST RACE OF THE THIRD ROUND WAS ALWAYS SUCH AN ADVANTAGE AND YOU’VE EXPERIENCED THAT FOR PHOENIX. HOW DOES WINNING THE FIRST RACE IN A FIRST OR THE SECOND ROUND CORRELATE TO THAT, OR IS PHOENIX MORE VALUABLE JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT ANY POINTS, WHEREAS YOU KIND OF REFERENCE YOU’VE STILL GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SCORE SOME PLAYOFF POINTS THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS?

“Yeah you kind of answered it there. The second part. It’s an advantage for some of the reasons I said. You can be more aggressive for the race and you have nothing to lose. There is still something to gain, so you still have to prep. When you win the first race in the round of eight, and you’re locked in the Championship Four, the next two races don’t matter at all. You can’t gain an advantage. You can’t do any more. So you don’t even look at anything else. It’s just like you go through the motions. You’re at the racetrack, you run the race, you’re there, you try still, but 80% of your effort is already towards Phoenix. It’s just like, oh, what do we want to do for this race real quick, just to get by. It’s funny how your focus can just be all the way a couple of weeks ahead, which that’s the advantage you earn by winning that. So you have to take advantage of that opportunity. Whereas right now, winning the first race in the first round, like I said last week, it was a long ways to go. It helps some, but it’s not like game-changing by any means, I don’t believe.”

IS THERE LESS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP A TEAMMATE IN THIS ERA BECAUSE, AS YOU MENTIONED, ONE MISTAKE CAN DROP YOU BACK TO 20TH? ONE THING CAN DROP YOU BACK AND AGAIN THERE’S STILL POINTS TO BE RACING FOR.

“I don’t know if it’s changed a whole bunch and it probably depends on each team and how they do things and those type of things and the track. It’s one thing being in Atlanta or Talladega versus being at Watkins Glen. What are you gonna do to help here? What can you do? You still gotta race you still got to try to go out there and win like we talked about. Getting five playoff points would be huge for us. So there’s no reason for us to lay up here. The biggest thing you can do a lot of times is maybe set up stuff and just be an open book and talking about, you know, even drivers, just lines and the things that you do. Blaney and I sit next to each other on the airplane and we were talking about a lot of things today on the way here, just going over how can we be better, both of us, as drivers. I think just having a teammate that you work together with and have those good relationships with, it goes back and forth and ends up being a good ally to have. What you don’t want is a teammate where it’s just one-sided. Where you just give all the time and you don’t ever get anything in return. Well, what happens is eventually you just stop giving because you’re not getting anything back. But I feel like a Team Penske it’s not like that at all. I feel like we do a really good job of working together. We showed that last week how well we all work together?

QUESTION INAUDIBLE

“I don’t know if push is the right word. I think we work together. What we do to push each other is, honestly, lap time on the racetrack. Who’s faster? I mean, there is still competition there. We still want to be the fastest one. But we realized from years ago and honestly I gotta give a lot of credit to Brad (Keselowski) because I think he did a good job at helping start this theory that you would rather finish second to your teammates than beat him and finish 19th. Having that in your head is pretty key. I think that has just kind of continued over the years and when you have a teammate long enough, it goes both ways back and forth enough to where you understand, okay, he’s gonna help me back, too I can trust him and you know, he goes back and forth.”

SO WITH THE WIN LAST WEEK, YOU NOW HAVE SIX MORE VICTORIES IN EVEN YEARS THAN ODD YEARS SINCE 2018. YOU’VE ALSO MADE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR EACH EVEN YEAR SINCE 2014. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU’VE NOTICED THE EVEN YEAR SUCCESS AND IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN POINT TO SAY OH THAT’S WHY I DO BETTER IN EVEN YEARS THAN ODD?

“I’ve been told that a lot here recently. To be honest with you I don’t know what it is. I don’t know. Even is good though. I don’t know why it ends up being like that. I’d really like to just win a lot every year. It’s really the goal. I promise you I don’t get comfortable and just lay up the next year and then I get mad and go hard again and win and get comfortable and lay up and go hard again. It just happens. I don’t know. If I can fix the odd year thing, I would. I just don’t know what it is. It doesn’t make you look forward to next year too much. We’ll break the trend next year.”

DO YOU START FEELING PRETTY CONFIDENT IN YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP CHANCES WHEN YOU COME OUT AND WIN THE FIRST PLAYOFF RACE? I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD CHARACTERIZE YOUR SEASON UP TO THAT POINT, BUT HOW DOES THIS CHANGE YOUR VIGOR IN TERMS OF GOING FORWARD WHEN YOU COME RIGHT OUT AND WIN THAT?

“We’ve been here before where we’ve not had the best regular season, and then the playoffs start, and you’re like, where did all that come from? It happens a lot. So I’d say we’ve always felt pretty confident that we can go win the championship on any year no matter how you get into playoffs. You hear a lot of drivers say you just got to stay in it, survive and advance. That’s important to keep in mind because if you can survive long enough — and we talked about how close the field is these days — you have a couple good races and boom you’re in the next round. You have another good race where you win one and next thing you know you’re in a Championship Four and you’ve got a shot to win this whole thing. So it doesn’t take much to be to go from mediocre through the regular season to being a threat to win the championship. It’s the smallest little detail. So to ever think you’re out of it is kind of crazy to think. Even with not having the most playoff points or having the most wins on the season, whatever it may be, you’re never really out of this thing. Until you’re out. Then you’re out. You can quote that. (laughter)”

I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE STUFF ABOUT HOW MUCH THESE RACES MATTER TO YOU. SOMETIMES SOME DRIVERS SAY, WELL, IF YOU EVENTUALLY GET ELIMINATED, YOU CAN FINISH ANYWHERE FROM FIFTH TO 16TH IN THE POINTS, SO THE POINTS IN THE RACE MATTER BY A SPOT OR TWO POTENTIALLY IN THE STANDINGS. I’M CURIOUS, DOES THAT MATTER? DOES IT MATTER TO YOU WHETHER YOU FINISH NINTH, 10TH, 11TH, OR 12TH IN POINTS?

“That’s the mindset when you get knocked out. Like, the immediate moment when you get knocked out, it’s, okay, how do we finish fifth in points? How do we get to that? But when you’re still in the playoffs, it’s just, how do we win the championship? That’s all that matters. It’s about winning. You don’t remember the years where you finished seventh or eighth in points or 10th or 12th. It just goes away. Now, there’s a financial impact that does matter, but at this point of the season, in the playoffs, it’s really about how do we look at it at the end of the day, saying, positioning the 22 in Victory Lane in Phoenix. That’s really what matters right now.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International… Richard Childress Racing has two NASCAR Cup Series victories at Watkins Glen International. Robby Gordon won the 2003 event, leading the final 30 laps and scoring his third victory with RCR over the span of three seasons. Kevin Harvick captured the 2006 race at the New York road course, edging Tony Stewart for the victory, and claiming his first win at Watkins Glen. The victory was Harvick’s first on a road course and came in his 200th career Cup start. Dale Earnhardt won three poles (1990, 1992, 1996) for the Welcome, N.C.-based organization. RCR drivers have racked up eight top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in 81 starts at the New York road course.

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen International… RCR has captured one victory in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Watkins Glen: Kevin Harvick (2007). Harvick dominated the race, leading 49 of 82 laps and led a one-two finish with Jeff Burton scoring a second-place finish. RCR owns 10 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes at the 2.45-mile road course including a runner up result by Sheldon Creed in 2023.

Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International will be televised live Saturday, September 14, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International will be televised live on Sunday, September 15 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International… Austin Dillon has made nine career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International, posting a career-best 15th-place finish in August 2021. The North Carolina native has made four appearances at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, securing his best finish of 12th in 2013. Dillon also finished 12th in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Division race at the New York facility in 2008.

Road Course Experience… Dillon has racked up 37 Cup Series starts on road courses with a pair of top 10 finishes at Circuit of the Americas and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in 2022.

Going the Distance… Dating back to 2014, Dillon has completed 806 of a possible 810 laps in Cup Series competition at Watkins Glen International. This marks a 99.5 overall completion percentage at the 11-turn road course.

Number 400… Dillon will make his 400th career Cup Series start this weekend at Watkins Glen International. The veteran racer made his Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 9th, 2011, finishing 26th. Dillon’s five wins in premier series competition include some of the sport’s most prestigious events, including the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2018 Daytona 500. Dillon has 23 top-fives, 78 top-10s, and six pole awards overall.

Delivering Performance on the Track and For the Planet… Dillon will race the Get Bioethanol Chevy at Watkins Glen International showcasing the performance benefits of racing with earth kind and engine-smart bioethanol blended fuel, Sunoco Green E15. Whether it’s delivering cleaner and cooler high-octane on the racetrack or a more affordable option for summer road trips, plant-based bioethanol makes a positive impact on our planet. NASCAR drivers have now officially raced 23 million NASCAR miles driven on Sunoco Green E15, a notable milestone for the environment as NASCAR’s partnership with Get Bioethanol has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent across its three national touring series while also increasing horsepower on the track. Learn more about bioethanol at getbioethanol.com.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

What are your thoughts heading into Watkins Glen International?

“Watkins Glen International is a fast road course. Each lap requires you to be at your best and to give your all. We have had good races at Watkins Glen in the past, and I am confident that our No. 3 team will continue to do so. We’ve been working hard on our road course program for the last few years. You can gain a lot by getting after it in the braking zones and it’s just a high-speed place with all of the grip on the pavement. This is going to be one of those races where if you stay on track, you’re going to have a pretty good run.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone™ Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International… Kyle Busch will make his 19th NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International this weekend, which will tie him for most Cup Series starts among active drivers at the 2.45-mile road course. The driver of the zone Chevrolet has two wins at Watkins Glen, scoring victories in 2008 and 2013. His first victory at The Glen came in dominating fashion, where Busch led the most laps (52 of 90) and finished with an average running position of 2.84, best of all drivers. The Las Vegas native added another victory in 2013, leading the final 29 laps. Among active drivers, Busch is tied for most wins (2), most top-fives (7) and most poles (2) at Watkins Glen. He leads all drivers in top-10 finishes (13) and laps led (249). Busch has been running at the finish in all 18 previous Cup starts, best among active drivers, completing 98.6 percent of the possible laps (1,602 of 1,624).

Late-Season Surge… In the five races since the Olympic break (Richmond through Atlanta), Busch has scored more NASCAR Cup Series points than any other driver (177).

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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

“Our goal is to get to Victory Lane – pure and simple – and try to build off what we’ve done over the last few weeks. We want to keep that going through the rest of this year and into next season. It seems like we’ve found a little bit of a path towards what works. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the result from Darlington, with what we were able to do there.”

Do you enjoy going competing at Watkins Glen International?

“I enjoy going to Watkins Glen. I think it’s a really fun road course. I’ve had good success there with a lot of top-10s. It’s just a neat racetrack. I always enjoyed going to Sonoma and to Watkins Glen when we only had two road races on the schedule. It was always felt like off weeks where you did something different. You turn right, you turn left, you didn’t really have to take it too seriously and be pretty good at it. Now there are seven road courses on the schedule, so everybody is getting better at it.”

What makes Watkins Glen International unique from other road courses?

“I think what makes Watkins Glen unique from other road courses is that it feels like a superspeedway because you’re going so fast. Through the esses is pretty fast and it’s 190 miles per hour down the backstretch. Your minimum speed drops a little bit into Turn 1, Turn 11 and through the Bus Stop. It’s just a really cool place with good braking zones to make some passes. It’s a fun course.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International… Jesse Love will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International on Saturday. The 19-year-old has completed two ARCA Menards Series races at the New York road course, earning a win and third place result, respectively. In 2023, Love started from the fourth position, led only one lap, and captured the victory.

Pole Position, Again… Continuing his impressive Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign, Love secured his fourth Xfinity Series pole position last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Three of Love’s four poles have come on drafting tracks – one at Daytona International Speedway and two at Atlanta Motor Speedway – and one has come on an intermediate circuit – at Texas Motor Speedway.

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

Meet Love… On Saturday, September 14 at 12:15 p.m. ET, Love and his RCR teammate Austin Hill are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Watkins Glen International. Stop by to get your Whelen gear and meet Love before the green flag waves.

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

Overall, the No. 2 team has found success on road courses this season. What is the outlook heading into Watkins Glen International?

“I’m very excited to be heading back to Watkins Glen International. I won the ARCA Menards Series race there last season, by only leading the last lap but it was the one that mattered most. The track itself is a fast road course compared to others, and we have been successful so far this year on road courses. The only one that we didn’t hit the balance and speed was Portland International Raceway. If you take that one race out, our runs have been top five efforts. I expect our Whelen crew to continue that path again this weekend.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International… Austin Hill has made two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen International, posting a best finish of 14th in 2023 after the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet received contact in the closing laps while battling for the win. In addition, Hill has competed in one NASCAR Truck Series race and one ARCA Menards Series event (started third, finished second) at the New York road course. Both in 2021, the Winston, Georgia native started from the pole, led 35 laps, and captured the checkered flag in his lone Truck Series start at the 2.45-mile circuit.

Three and Counting… Last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hill and the No. 21 team secured their third victory of the 2024 Xfinity Series season. Hill, driving a special 50th Anniversary scheme for Bennett Transportation & Logistics, battled a loose handling Chevrolet but was able to strategically maneuver his way to the front. The 30-year-old now holds seven Xfinity Series wins at drafting tracks – three at Daytona International Speedway and four at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This accomplishment ties Dale Earnhardt Jr. and places Hill one win behind current record holders, Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart.

About Global Industrial Company… Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC), is a value-added distributor. For 75 years, Global Industrial has gone the extra mile for its customers, currently offering hundreds of thousands of industrial and MRO products needed to run businesses and facilities. Global Industrial is committed to its customer-centric strategy, and utilizes a team of subject matter experts, Global Industrial Exclusive Brands™ products and national vendor relationships to help customers succeed. Global Industrial. “We Can Supply That®”.

Meet Hill… On Saturday, September 14 at 12:15 p.m. ET, Hill and his RCR teammate Jesse Love are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Watkins Glen International. Stop by to get your No. 21 gear and have Hill sign the items purchased.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

You have said in the past that Watkins Glen International is your favorite road course. Is this true and if so, why?

“Watkins Glen International is by far my favorite road course that we go to, because of the high speed that we carry around the track. I’ve won there in the Truck Series in 2021, which always gives you more confidence heading into the weekend. The track is such a high-speed circuit that makes it a lot of fun. It doesn’t really have any technical corners like other road courses. When you go into Turn 1, you go down to second gear and get on the brakes hard. But when you throttle up coming out of the hill and through the esses, if your car is good, you are really close to wide open. You carry a lot of speed down the backstretch and through the bus stop. If you hit it right, there is so much time you can make there. If you can get through the bus stop and carousel really well, you can put the rest of the racetrack together. The guys who typically win at Watkins Glen can get through that section the best.”

After coming just a half a straightaway shy of leaving Atlanta Motor Speedway with a much-needed good points day, Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Freightliner team are headed to Watkins Glen International hoping to battle their way back into a position to advance to Round Two of the Cup Series Playoffs.

This weekend’s Go Bowling at the Glen on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y., is the second of three races in the Round of 16, and Burton and the Wood Brothers are 14th in the standings, 16 points behind 12th place. After the race at Bristol the following week, the bottom four drivers in the Playoff standings will be eliminated from championship contention.

“We had ourselves in a good spot to have a decent points day right up until the last corner,” crew chief Jeremy Bullins said of this past Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Burton was swept up in a last-lap crash and finished 31st after running most of the rest of the race in the top 15 or better. “That’s how it goes with the speedway-style racing.

“There’s only so much you can control in those situations.”

But Atlanta is in the rear-view mirror, and the team’s focus is on the upcoming race on the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course in upstate New York.

“We will try to rebound this week with our Freightliner Mustang at Watkins Glen,” Bullins said.

“We will do our best to score some much-needed Stage points and get back above the cutline before the cutoff race at Bristol.”

Practice for the Go Bowling at the Glen is set for Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time to be followed by qualifying at 1 p.m.

Sunday’s 90-lap, 220.5-mile race is expected to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 20 and 40.

USA Network will carry the TV coverage all weekend.

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