Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

ATLANTA (March 17, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Atlanta event today:

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Did NASCAR allow you to have a team photo in Victory Lane as long as you were masked?

“I don’t know. It sort of happened that way. The guys were coming to get the car and they snapped a photo. I’m not really sure what’s happening with that.”

Was that any different than what you experience in Martinsville?

“I think Martinsville, I took a picture and they basically made me leave right away, so it was a little strange. I’m not sure if anything has really changed there, just the way it panned out.”

How excited were you to be able to go to Atlanta twice this year?

“Atlanta has always been a track that I’ve enjoyed. I feel like – we haven’t won there yet – but we’ve been very successful there and led a lot of laps and always seem to be around the front. Very, very fun racetrack, being able to run all over the track, the tire wear and all of those things are things that I enjoy behind the wheel and been fortunate to have some really good cars there as well. Going there with some momentum this time, and hopefully we can take advantage of that. I’m looking forward to racing twice there this year.”

How has the chemistry changed between you and James Small from last year to this year?

“Honestly, I don’t know that it’s changed a whole lot. James (Small) and I have had a lot of experience together in the past even before last year, but I would say overall, just having a notebook on everything we’ve been working on, we’ve been doing and really just getting better at not having practice and qualifying. I think that’s been the biggest change. Between us, we just continue to work on all of the small details together. I don’t know if a lot has changed besides having more experience together.”

How have you prepared for your Xfinity start?

“There’s not a whole lot you can do to prepare. I went and set in the car on Monday. Really, I feel like it’s going to be similar to what we race there with the Cup cars with low downforce. Talking to Chris Gayle, who is the crew chief on the 54, he’s going to get me up to speed on some things leading up to the race, but honestly, there’s not a whole lot you can do to get prepared. Just get in there and wing it and have some fun. The car will be fast, and I’m looking forward to racing with STANLEY on board, and hopefully do a good job for them. It would be nice to win that race on Saturday.”

What kinds of things are you doing to get ready to run on Bristol dirt?

“I talked to C. Bell (Christopher Bell) on Monday a little bit and kind of got his thoughts on what it might be like and I asked if there was anything that I really needed to pay attention to or to think about. I got a little insight from him, but honestly, it’s like anything else, until you actually do it, it’s hard to really know. It’s another instance where it’s really hard to prepare. That’s why I wanted to race the truck race – to help with the Cup car, and also, I haven’t been in a truck since 2005, so I look forward to that opportunity. Auto Owners came on board and we put that together, so really excited about that. Thanks to Kyle (Busch) and everyone at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) for putting it all together. I’m just really using it for a learning experience, and hopefully, have some success at the same time. I’ll do some iRacing, I guess, this week, and hopefully that helps a little, but I doubt it will.”

How do you prepare to run a stock car on the dirt?

“I really don’t know to be honest with you; that is why I’m racing in the trucks. James (Small, crew chief) and I talked about trying to get into a modified or something at Bristol, but at the end of the day, we felt like it was going to be so different to running a truck or a Cup car. I feel like all of the other vehicles that race on dirt are so different. We felt like this was the best way to go. Honestly, I think if you look at the field, there’s a small handful of guys that have a lot of dirt experience and are very talented on dirt, but I think for the most part, most of the field is going to be trying to figure it out. It’s going to be interesting for sure. I look forward to trying it out and doing something different. It’s always fun to learn new things.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

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Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sunday, March 21, 2021
1.5-Mile Oval
3:00 PM ET
Location: Hampton. Georgia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (6 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM logo PRN logo

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 28 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 5th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

STRONG START: Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, rallied from two pit road speeding penalties to finish seventh at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday. The 2014 NASCAR rookie of the year is one of only three drivers to post four top-10 finishes in the first five events of 2021. Larson is also one of only three drivers to complete all 1,116 laps this season.

HOT ‘LANTA: Larson has nine top-10 finishes in 12 NASCAR national series appearances at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In six previous Cup Series starts there, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has three top-10s including a second-place finish in 2017. Larson has also scored top-10 results in each of his NASCAR Xfinity Series starts (five) and his only NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the Georgia venue.

FIRST IN LAST: In his most recent start at a 1.5-mile track, Larson led a race-high 103 laps to capture the victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 7. Prior to the win, he had scored nine runner-up finishes – the most all-time without a Cup Series victory – in 71 career starts on 1.5-mile tracks.

PLAYOFF POINTS: Courtesy of a stage win (one playoff point) and victory (five playoff points) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month, Larson has amassed six playoff points in 2021. He is currently tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for most NASCAR Cup Series playoff points accumulated through five races.

BRISTOL DIRT NATIONALS: Ahead of the March 28 Cup Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Larson will compete in the Bristol Dirt Nationals this Saturday in the Super Late Model class. Practice is Thursday with a preliminary event Friday and the main event scheduled for Saturday. The Elk Grove, California, native will pilot the No. 6 entry for K&L Rumley Enterprises.

CLIFF’S NOTES: No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet crew chief Cliff Daniels was atop the pit box for Jimmie Johnson during the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s final full-time season in 2020. In Johnson’s final Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June, Daniels helped guide him to a seventh-place finish.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will again drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 6th

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion and Georgia native Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Thursday, March 18, at 9:30 a.m. ET. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.

FIRST FIVE: In the first five events of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has garnered two top-five finishes – tied for the third-most among all drivers – and led a total of 73 laps. He holds the seventh-best average running position (11.1) and has spent 262 laps inside the top five and 576 laps running in the top 10.

PEACH STATE PERFORMANCE: Elliott has made nine total starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway across NASCAR’s top-three levels – five in the Cup Series, two in the Xfinity Series and two in the Camping World Truck Series – and only finished outside the top 10 twice. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE currently holds a 10th-place average finish at Atlanta in the Cup Series, the best among active drivers at the 1.5-mile venue.

1.5-MILE TRACK STATS: Elliott will make his 59th NASCAR Cup Series start on a 1.5-mile track this Sunday in the Peach State. In his previous 58 races, Elliott has led 764 laps. Last season, he scored his second career 1.5-mile track win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28. Along with two victories, Elliott has collected 18 top-five finishes – five of which are runner-up results – and 29 top-10s on 1.5-milers.

FIRE UP THE SI-REEN: On Sunday, Elliott could become just the second Georgia-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, joining his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who won five times at the track.

ENGINE, ENGINE NO. 9: This weekend, Elliott has the chance to become the third driver to win at AMS with the No. 9 car number. The five victories for the No. 9 have come with two drivers: Elliott’s father, Bill Elliott (three), and Kasey Kahne (two). Kahne collected the most recent Atlanta win for the No. 9 in June 2008.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND: In addition to Elliott hailing from Dawsonville, Georgia, which is just 83 miles north of AMS, No. 9 team partners NAPA AUTO PARTS, Hooters and Kelley Blue Book all have major presences in Atlanta. NAPA is Elliott’s primary sponsor this weekend, and Hooters will make its season debut in May at Darlington Raceway. Cox Automotive, the parent company of team partner Kelley Blue Book, will have its first appearance as the No. 9’s primary sponsor later this year at Richmond Raceway in September.

CHECK OUT THOSE HATS: During the month of March, the No. 9 team will wear special limited-edition NAPA hats at the track. The hats are part of NAPA AUTO PARTS’ March in-store promotion. Throughout the month when customers spend $25 in store, they will receive the No. 9 NAPA Racing/Chase Elliott hat while supplies last.

HITTIN’ THE DIRT: Last week, Elliott announced that he will participate in the Bristol Dirt Nationals this week prior to returning to compete at his home track in Georgia. Adrenaline Shoc, which is also a sponsor of the No. 9 team, will serve as the primary sponsor on his car.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 9th

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

FRONT RUNNER: Five races into his fourth NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron is off to the best start of his career. So far, the 23-year-old driver has spent 759 laps running inside the top 10 – the fifth-highest amount in the Cup field. Of those 759 laps, 317 were inside the top-five running order, which is the seventh-most by a driver at NASCAR’s highest level this season. Currently, Byron has led laps in two races and ranks third for most laps led by a driver this year with 127. Only Joey Logano (198) and Denny Hamlin (183) have led more laps. Byron has the eighth-best average running position of the 2021 season at 11.16.

TOP-10 TAKES: Having to overcome issues in the first two races of the season, Byron has turned things around and is now on a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes. His run of top-10 results ranks the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet fourth for the most top-10s in 2021. In fact, the streak of three consecutive top-10s is tied for the longest of the Charlotte, North Carolina, native’s Cup career. It’s something he has done only two other times, both in 2020.

1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: With the Cup Series racing at two 1.5-mile tracks so far this year, Byron is one of four drivers who have finished inside the top 10 for both events, including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.

THE ATL ARCHIVE: With three previous Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Byron has a track-best finish of 17th from the 2019 spring race. Other than his three Cup Series appearances, Byron has two other NASCAR starts at the 1.5-mile track: One in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he finished seventh, and one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he was running second before losing an engine, leaving him with a 32nd-place finish.

RUDY RUNS THE ATL: While Sunday marks another track where crew chief Rudy Fugle will call the shots for the first time in the NASCAR Cup Series, the Livonia, New York, native is no stranger to success at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts as a crew chief, Fugle has two pole awards and two wins at the 1.5-mile track. In six events, his drivers have collected four top-three finishes and five top-10s. Fugle only has one finish worse than seventh, coming with Byron in 2016 when the duo was running second before suffering an engine failure.

LIBERTY U IS BACK: This Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Byron will sport the new Liberty University paint scheme for the second time this season. Now featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in communications, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s new Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 27 (April 15, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 18th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

ATLANTA STATS: Alex Bowman has five previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway with his personal-best finish of 12th coming in last year’s event at the 1.5-mile facility. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has one start there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series where he qualified 18th in 2013. In 2017, Bowman ran in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event and finished sixth after qualifying fifth.

1.5-MILE ROLL: Bowman’s last six outings at 1.5-mile tracks resulted in three top-five finishes, five top-10s and 54 laps led. The 27-year-old driver has 62 Cup starts at intermediate tracks, which include one win, six top-five finishes and 16 top-10s. Bowman’s first Cup win came in 2019 at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway after leading 88 laps. He captured three stage wins at 1.5-mile tracks in 2020, the third-most behind Denny Hamlin and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott.

SAVING THEM ALL IN PHX: Last weekend, Bowman piloted the No. 48 Ally/Best Friends Animal Society Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway to a 13th-place finish. Early into the 312-lap event, he made contact with another competitor and sustained damage to the left side. After two trips down pit road for repairs and adjustments, Bowman was back on track with his eyes set out front. Coming up one spot shy of receiving stage points in stage two, the Tucson, Arizona, native ran inside the top 15 through the remainder of the event. When the checkered flag waved, Bowman was scored 13th and captured his fourth top-15 finish at the 1-mile venue. Bowman and sponsor Ally donated $2,000 to Halo Animal Rescue in Avondale, Arizona, to help #SaveThemAll and end kill shelters by 2025.

IVES IN ATL: No. 48 crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the seventh time on Sunday. The Bark River, Michigan, native has two top-five finishes at the track, which include a runner-up result with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2016. At the 1.5-mile facility, Ives has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts as a crew chief. Back in 2014, his driver sat on the pole for the 195-lap event and led 36 laps en route to a fifth-place finish. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. During that time, he was a part of two wins and one pole award at Atlanta Motor Speedway with driver Jimmie Johnson.

SPEEDY ON PIT ROAD: The No. 48 Ally pit crew ranks first among all teams in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire pit stop of 13.62 seconds. Bowman’s crew has turned in three of the 10 fastest four-tire stops of 2021 thus far, all coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month. On lap 163 of the Vegas event, the team had a 12.51-second stop, on lap 48 it was 12.58 seconds and on lap 223 it was 12.61 seconds. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.
PEACHY PERFORMANCE: Hendrick Motorsports will roll into Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race as the track’s all-time leader in wins (14), top-five finishes (59) and top-10s (92). The team has won with drivers Jeff Gordon (five victories), Jimmie Johnson (five), Kasey Kahne, Jerry Nadeau, Ken Schrader and Darrell Waltrip.

THREE IN A ROW: Hendrick Motorsports has won both races held at 1.5-mile tracks in 2021 – Homestead and Las Vegas – and will seek a third this weekend at Atlanta. The organization holds the NASCAR Cup Series record with 62 points victories on 1.5-mile tracks. Thirteen different drivers have won at least one event at a 1.5-mile venue for Hendrick Motorsports, including all four of its current drivers.

ATL RECORD: If Hendrick Motorsports locks in a win Sunday, the team will break a tie with Wood Brothers Racing for the most different drivers to win a Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Both organizations have sent six drivers to victory lane there, one more than Junior Johnson and Associates and two more than Bud Moore Engineering and Joe Gibbs Racing. All four current Hendrick Motorsports drivers are seeking their first career Atlanta win.

NUMBERS GAME: The four championship-winning car numbers fielded by Hendrick Motorsports have combined for 17 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Atlanta. The Nos. 24 and 48 Chevrolets have five wins apiece at the venue, all with Hendrick Motorsports. The No. 5 has two all-time Atlanta victories: one via Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne in 2014 and another courtesy of Bobby Johns, who won for car owner Cotton Owens in 1960. The No. 9 car has earned five Atlanta Motor Speedway trophies, but none to date with Hendrick Motorsports. Three of those wins were delivered by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, father of current No. 9 driver and defending Cup Series champion Chase Elliott.
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QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Atlanta: “Atlanta is a fun place to race that many of us enjoy. The surface is so worn out that you have to manage your tires. The preferred line is the ‘Harvick’ line – on the bottom – and I’ve worked hard in the past to really get that line working in turns three and four. In turns one and two, you can run the top but it’s really hard on the tires. I’m looking forward to it because I think we’ll have a really fast car there.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenges at Atlanta: “Our focus is on setting up the car so that Kyle can run the line he wants to run – whether that is low or high or wherever in the turns. Another challenge there is tire wear and fall off. If you go one lap under green and then the caution comes out, everybody is probably putting on new tires. Hopefully, we don’t have so many cautions that you run out of tires. I don’t believe that will happen.”

Daniels on preparing for late-race pit stops: “Calling a race is a little bit difficult under green, especially if the run goes long at the end of the race. Do you try to short pit which will guarantee you gain track position? Late in the run with 10 to go or less, newer tires with fewer laps, even if just a couple, can show speed. While you may leapfrog some early in the run, they can get you back at the end of that run. The challenge is defending against the opposite decision you made.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenging Atlanta track: “Atlanta is definitely a tough place. The racetrack has a lot of wear to it – the surface is one of the oldest that we go to – so finding grip is a challenge. The track has a lot of character and is very line sensitive to where you can and can’t run to find that. You really have to hit your marks well in Atlanta to have success. I think the track conditions this weekend will be pretty similar to last year in a lot of ways. The No. 9 team and I have talked a lot about last year’s event. That’s how we are going about the set up for Sunday is from last year and taking things away from how we did, what we did good and what we can improve on.”

Elliott on returning to Atlanta: “It’s always nice to race in Atlanta. I’ve been racing here for a long time, raced a lot of legend cars and bandolero races here, so it’s a special place to me. Atlanta is just a fun track to come to. I think anywhere that you run three or four laps and the lap times have fallen off significantly like they are here all the time, I think that makes it fun. It makes it fun from a strategy standpoint.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on what the team has learned at intermediate tracks in 2021: “As we head to another 1.5-mile track, we learned some deficiencies we had at Homestead and are certainly going to improve on that. At Las Vegas our NAPA Chevy was really fast, but we just had some execution issues so we need to clean those up. I really like Atlanta, it has always been a fun track and super difficult to get a hold of. I think we can take some things from those first two intermediate tracks and some of our past experience at Atlanta and try to put our best foot forward on Sunday.”

Gustafson on racing at Atlanta: “We were at Atlanta in June last year and it was fairly sunny, it wasn’t a terribly hot day so I think that the hotter it is the less grip the track is going to have. I still think it will be a place that is difficult even though it is projected to be in the 60s when we are there. I think the truth is that it’s never the same no matter what you do. We could go race there a week later and it’s just never the same. You just have to piece together all the little experiences you have and ultimately try to hit on it.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on how difficult it is to race at Atlanta: “Atlanta is just a tough track. It’s a little bit easier at this time of the year because it’s a bit cooler, but it’s not easy to run there ever by any means. You’re going to need to have a car that can do all the right things throughout the entire race. Luckily, I feel like this Sunday’s race will be similar to Homestead, and it gives us a good idea of what we need in our car. We can use past Atlanta notes and pair them with our Homestead notes from this year to, hopefully, continue this stretch of good runs we have going.”

Byron on the tire fall-off at Atlanta: “You notice the tire fall-off really every corner at Atlanta. You may have a couple laps that the tires feel good, but after that with every corner you can feel the tires fall off and lose grip. It’s a challenge to keep the car straight at times. Add to that that you’re racing against other guys and if they take your lane away it becomes really hard to find another lane to be as fast in. It’s all really difficult to manage for that long of a period of time consistently.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the No. 24 team’s start to 2021: “I’m proud of what this team has accomplished so far this year. While we started off with a couple of hard races, we still had small victories along the way. This group never got down and worked on righting the ship to put together good solid races. Phoenix last week was a good example of that. It was just a solid mistake-free day all the way around. We need to continue to have more of those races and keep our foot on the gas.”

Fugle on racing Atlanta: “Atlanta is a track that I have a lot of laps at. It’s a track that we use to test at with rookie drivers in the truck series, which has been the majority of my career. I feel like I have a really good idea of what we can expect the track to do, not only at this time of year, but also throughout the entirety of the race. With Atlanta having such an old, worn out surface, consistency will be key Sunday. We need to make sure not to abuse the tires early on and maintain track position at the same time. If you can manage the track and your tires throughout the run, you’ll pick up positions when other cars begin to struggle. We were able to do that at Homestead, so hopefully that carries over to this weekend’s race as well.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Atlanta: “Atlanta is a fun track. We haven’t had the results there that we should have, but it is a track where I think we can be really strong. The track is one that you can move around a lot and tire management is going to be key on Sunday. Our intermediate program at Hendrick Motorsports is definitely a strong one and I think we have a good notebook going into this weekend’s race.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on bouncing back after a difficult race: “You always wish there was something that would invert the field or something like that following a tough week. Ultimately, it is up to us to perform and to get those finishes and move up in the points. It is a gift that you definitely don’t want to open every week if it is on the bad side. You look at Daytona and getting wrecked while running second, having a flat left-rear at Vegas and then getting wrecked on whatever lap last week (at Phoenix). Some of those things are in our control and some of them aren’t. We have to stay focused on the positives, work on the negatives and move forward.”

The last time Atlanta Motor Speedway got a new coat of asphalt was during the middle of the 1997 season.

Bill Clinton was President at that time. Gasoline was $1.23 a gallon, “Titanic” was playing in theaters and “Candle in the Wind” was the top song. In the NASCAR world, Michael Waltrip was driving the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Taurus, North Wilkesboro Speedway has been dropped from the Cup Series schedule, and inaugural races were held at Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway.

There have been lots of changes since – in America, in NASCAR and at the Atlanta track. The old Weaver grandstands, named for one of the track’s first presidents, Nelson Weaver, have been removed as have the Elliott Family Grandstand in Turn Three. The track lost and then regained its second Cup race, which will be run in July.

But through it all, the original pavement, laid down when the track was reconfigured from a true oval to the current quad-oval, has remained. The surface has faded from black to a light gray, and multiple cracks have been sealed with ribbons of tar.

Plans to repave have been nixed, largely due to pleas from drivers like Matt DiBenedetto, who will start the No. 21 Menards/Maytag Mustang from 20th place in Sunday’s Folds of Honor/QuikTrip 500.

Despite the excessive tire wear and other issues that arise from the work surface, drivers love it.

“The old pavement gives the track character,” DiBenedetto said. “It’s fun to race on, and it has multiple grooves. Tracks get better with age, and Atlanta is definitely an old one. It’s extremely fun.”

Last year, in his first Atlanta drive in the Menards Mustang, DiBenedetto showed top-10 speed and was poised to finish well until an unscheduled pit stop forced the team to try to make a set of tires last through a long-green flag run. The track chewed them up, and DiBenedetto was forced to pit in the closing laps.

Still, he’s optimistic headed into Sunday’s race.

“This could be a pretty good place for our Menards/Maytag team,” he said. “Last year, we started out really loose, got it fixed and had a top-10 car.”

There are other reasons for his optimism.

“The mile-and-a-half tracks are a strong point for us,” he said. “I feel pretty good.”

There will be no practice or qualifying prior to Sunday’s 500-miler, which is set to start just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on FOX.

Menards

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Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen 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. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR Zoom Media Availability | Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series, participated in a NASCAR Zoom call from Martinsville Speedway earlier this afternoon.

RYAN NEWMAN, No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang — YOU ARE TESTING A MODIFIED AT MARTINSVILLE TODAY. HOW IS IT GOING? “It felt pretty good. We had a little bit of an engine problem in the first run this morning and got it adjusted and fixed, and then been working on the car and just getting some laps, some knowledge and practice of things that we haven’t done. I’ve never run a modified at Martinsville, obviously, but secondly it’s been so long since I’ve practiced anything, just getting back in the routine of things there.”

WHAT MAKES MODIFIED RACING AT MARTINSVILLE SPECIAL FOR YOU AND HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR THE APRIL SHOW? “If you look at the big picture of it, the modified is just an amazing race car. If you as an engineer had to draw up a car to design to make it go fast, turn left and accelerate, you’d draw a Whelan modified, so that’s the one part of it. So whenever I can fit it into my schedule and it makes sense geographically and time-wise, obviously, I do it. This year, I plan on doing the Martinsville race, which obviously I’ve got a ton of laps at Martinsville, it’s close to home and it’s Cup weekend, and then plan on doing the Richmond race when we can and the Loudon race that weekend, so just trying to fit things in when it makes sense. Gary Putnam and Bono Manion have put together a great modified as they usually do and it’s just fun racing against these guys. They do it for a living. We’re all hobby racing, but they do it for a living. They’re the best and it’s fun to come out and race against them.”

WHAT CAN YOU TAKE FROM THE MODIFIED TO ANY OTHER FORM OF RACING? “I’m definitely not here to learn things that are gonna apply to my Cup car or Cup team, but I am here because it’s a way to stay sharp. It’s just more laps, more experience. We’re here focusing on the Whelan modified, no doubt, but it’s like anything else, the guy that flies an F-16 can go back and fly a Piper Cub real easy, at least that’s the way I take it, so driving something that goes fast or turns better and has more acceleration just makes you better when you get to those bigger, slower stock cars.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY SORT OF ADVANTAGE AS A PROFESSIONAL STOCK CAR DRIVER RACING THE MODIFIEDS? “No, I think everybody that races when they come here has a good shot. I mean, obviously, guys with more experience, whether it’s in the car or at the racetrack, have a small advantage, but, realistically, anybody that shows up, in my opinion, has a shot. It’s such tight racing here at Martinsville that you can be caught up in somebody else’s mess real easy, and have the best car, the best practice, feel like you’re gonna win the race and lap the field and never get that chance. We’ve seen that at Martinsville and places like Bristol. So, just here to have fun and get some laps and experience.”

BRAD MEANS IS GOING TO FIELD A TRUCK FOR YOU AT BRISTOL. WHAT IS THE LURE OF RUNNING THE TRUCK RACE NEXT WEEK AT BRISTOL AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO LEARN? “I definitely want to learn for the Cup race on the Cup weekend, no doubt, but we wouldn’t go there without the mindset of winning and focusing on that. I’m really proud to announce that Coca-Cola and Aggressive Hydraulics, both been long-term sponsors of mine, are on board the truck. It is a Ford. The number is 39, so it’s kind of a retro throwback for me personally. It’s his first go-round in ownership and the dirt race at Bristol has a lot of opportunity, at least in my eyes and obviously his to have some experience and start what potentially could be something bigger for him. I have met Brad several years ago when he worked at RCR and kept in contact and our goals aligned and we have the opportunity with Aggressive Hydraulics and Coke to go out there and get some laps and have fun and the end goal is no different than any other weekend. It’s to win.”

WILL HE BE ABLE TO USE HIS DAD’S CREW FROM THE XFINITY TEAM OR IS IT JUST A GROUP OF GUYS HE’S BROUGHT TOGETHER? “Yeah, I would say the latter, mostly because there’s no necessity of a pit crew. There will be a group of guys, I’m sure, that meet the criteria for a team, but I’m sure they’re just a group of guys that he’s put together and I think in the grand scheme of things it’s no different than what we’re doing here for the modified race. It’s a group of guys that have experience in either a garage, a Cup garage, XFINITY garage or a Truck garage and you trust those people and you work hard together. That’s how you build something and I know Brad is working on building something.”

WILL THE BRISTOL DIRT RACE BE A RACE OF THROTTLE CONTROL? DANIEL SUAREZ THE OTHER DAY SAID IT COULD BE LIKE RACING IN THE RAIN AND WHERE DRIVERS WISHED THEY HAD LESS HORSEPOWER. “I think it’s gonna be a situation where there will be times the track has a lot of grip and there will be times where it slicks off, and there’s a chance that it might rubber up. I’ve seen that in the past at the truck race at Eldora, so not knowing what the track prep is gonna be like, how the track is gonna take rubber, our conditions for sunlight and stuff like that that contribute to it taking rubber on Sunday are all factors. I don’t think there’s any divine knowledge of what it’s gonna be like, but I can guarantee you one thing, it’s go through some significant transitions compared to what we’re normally experiencing on pavement.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT QUALIFYING AT ATLANTA BACK WHEN YOU WERE WITH PENSKE AND RACKING UP ALL THOSE POLES? “That was me feeling in Buddy Baker’s seat. I’m tied with Buddy Baker at Atlanta for most poles and I’ve been close. I don’t know if I get the tiebreaker on seconds and it doesn’t really matter to me, but the reality is those were some great times and if it wasn’t for Buddy Baker and obviously a great car and great crew and team, I wouldn’t have had that success and experience. I attribute most of it to the things that Buddy Baker taught me in a rental car driving around the racetrack.”

ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH ROUSH FENWAY ABOUT NEXT YEAR AND YOU RETURNING? “No conversations yet, and I really don’t want there to be any conversations yet until we get some performance on the racetrack. Otherwise, we’re just having conversation. The reality is I want to perform, they want to perform. The better performance we have together, the more it makes sense to carry on and I would say that no matter what team or organization in reference to continuing a responsibility of your job, I guess you could call it.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE A MODIFIED AT MARTINSVILLE? “My quickest lap time this morning in our session was an 18.80, so I guess that’s three-quarters of a second quicker — at least a half-second quicker than the Cup pole, and we’re not even in qualifying trim with a modified. And that was basically our third run on the racetrack on tires, so my point is it’s faster. Every aspect of a Whelen modified makes it go faster and the end result is it doesn’t necessarily go faster at the end of the straightaway, it goes faster in lap time and that’s what matters, but it’s a lower center of gravity, offset to the left, bigger, fatter, wider tires that have more gumminess to them, I guess you could say, and that makes it a whole lot of fun to hustle the car around, and the tires fall off a little bit more, at least I think that they will because of they’re gumminess and we won’t see that until we get a whole bunch of cars out on the racetrack in race conditions.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE START TO THE CUP SEASON WITH FIVE DIFFERENT WINNERS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED? “I don’t know that you could say it’s what you expected or what you didn’t expect. In the grand scheme of things that’s why we come and do what we do when there’s 36 to 40 cars on the racetrack, whatever that number is on a given week. The parity that we have with all the cars it’s not out of the question to have some first-time winners and whatever the number is in however many races. We want to be that guy. I mean, everybody does, but I don’t think it’s anything really atypical. Maybe different from last year? Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s different from the way it’s been ever, so it’s just racing and it’ll continue to be. We might not see another winner for the next five races. It could repeat winners from here on out for five races, you just never know. We’ll see.”

YOU BECAME THE FIRST CARBON NEUTRAL TEAM IN NASCAR AND NOW LEBRON JAMES HAS BEEN ADDED AS A PARTNER FOR FENWAY SPORTS GROUP. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT AND WOULD YOU WELCOME HIS PRESENCE AT MORE NASCAR RACES IN THE FUTURE? “I just read about it myself yesterday. I had no clue of what was happening or why it was happening or how it affects our team on the Roush Fenway Cup side, but obviously from a global perspective it does have an influence, so, yes, as a teammate we want to include and be a part of everybody that’s invested in our program. That’s on the racetrack and off the racetrack. I’m not sure what advice he would have because I don’t know what advice I would have about dunking a basketball or shooting a free throw, but in the grand scheme of things we’re somehow related in business and that’s new to me, I’m sure it’s new to him. We haven’t had any kind of conversation, so I don’t know what would be the next step.”

ALMIROLA SAID YESTERDAY THAT A BAD WEEK AFFECTS THE FOLLOWING RACE BECAUSE YOU START IN THE BACK AND GET A BAD PIT SELECTION. DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY? “Yeah, there’s no doubt the qualifying procedure, in other words, the starting procedure is a big hindrance if you have a bad last week or are mired back after a couple bad races in points. That system, it is what it is and everybody’s got an opportunity, but I’d much rather personally prefer if it was a random draw. You’ve got a random draw for a starting position because in the grand scheme of things that’s what I think it really should be, but, again, it is what it is. We haven’t done a good enough job. We need to continue to do a better job and move up. When we had a good finish at Homestead, we didn’t make the best of it the following week and that’s on us, so we’ve got to sharpen up our pencils with respect to making our cars better, so that we can capitalize on the starting procedure, but it is no fun when you have a bad weekend and you have to start in the back, depending especially on certain racetracks where it is a challenge more so to pass and you’re sometimes counting on your pit crew to pass more cars than what you’re able to do on the racetrack.”

IS IT HARDER TO GO OFF-SEQUENCE AT A PLACE LIKE ATLANTA NOW BECAUSE OTHER TEAMS WILL LIKELY FOLLOW WHAT YOU DO? “It’s still an option, but it’s not the option it used to be, mostly because of the stage racing and the way that it’s broke up and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out when your tires are falling off three or four seconds over a run that you’re gonna split it up and it’s monkey-see, monkey-do at times. When the first guy comes in, the next guy is ready, everybody is ready when you’re three or four seconds slower compared to how you fired off to put new tires on. There’s different aspects of it. Because of the stage racing we see many fewer opportunities to have a fuel mileage race. That’s good and bad, in my opinion. It leads to some drama and some different strategy situations, but, again, it is what it is. The decisions have been made to be the program that we take and the entertainment package that we take to the racetrack and we’ve got to make the best of it as a team.”

FIVE DIFFERENT WINNERS IN FIVE RACES. DO YOU SEE THAT TREND CONTINUING THE REST OF THE SEASON? “I hope so. I definitely want to be one of those guys up until the point that we win and I don’t want anybody else to win, but that’s not my decision. That’s just what sounds good to me and I think, from what I’ve seen, the guys that have won have deserved to win. Nobody has had one land in their lap. I don’t think that it was expected based off of the season we had last year with if you want to call it the Kevin Harvick-Denny Hamlin Show of a big number of race winners, but that was last year and this is this year, and who knows what next year is gonna be like. Just keep watching.”

WHERE DO YOU FEEL RFR NEEDS TO IMPROVE? “I feel like we’ve made some pretty big gains for us on the 550 package. I think our 750 package needs a lot of work, based off of what I experienced in Phoenix and then a little bit of a combination of the road courses, so what I was fighting with my race car in Phoenix is very similar to what I was fighting with it at the road course in Daytona, as well as some races last year. I think that is one of the things, especially based off of our schedule with the number of road courses and the number of 750 low downforce package races that we have that we need to put a lot of emphasis on that.”