TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
DARLINGTON, SC
SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

DARLINGTON: RACE #27
With the end of the regular season in the books, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) makes their Labor Day weekend visit to Darlington Raceway for the 71st running of the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, at 6:00 p.m. ET. This will be the third appearance at the 1.366-mile venue dubbed the track “Too Tough to Tame” and “The Lady in Black” for NASCAR’s premier this series as the track previously hosted NASCAR’s ‘return to racing’ after the halt in season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The holiday weekend event marks the 27th race on the NCS schedule and the first of the 10-race Playoff stretch as drivers compete to be crowned the title of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. This is the first time in history that the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has started at Darlington Raceway.

Joining the NASCAR Cup Series in the popular ‘throwback theme’ race weekend, Darlington Raceway will also host the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 on Saturday September 5, at 12:30 P.M ET and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series South Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Sunday, September 6, at 2:00 p.m. ET. A limited number of fans will be in attendance for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, complying to all safety measures and protocols in place.

BOWTIE BULLETS
· Of the 118 appearances made by NASCAR’s premier series at Darlington Raceway, a Chevrolet has sat on the pole 22 times. The most recent Chevrolet pole winner was William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE, who led the field to the green at the 2019 Southern 500, also making him the youngest polesitter at the track to-date (09/01/2019 – 21 years, 9 months, 3 days).

· Other Chevrolet statistics of note at the 1.366-mile track includes 188 top-five finishes, 395 top-10’s and 13,581 laps led.

· Current Chevrolet drivers that have recorded wins at Darlington Raceway include:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE, with 3 wins (2004 sweep, 2012)
Matt Kenseth, No. 42 McDelivery Camaro ZL1 1LE, with 1 win (May 2013)

· Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Darlington Raceway with 14 victories among six drivers: Tim Richmond (1986), Ricky Rudd (1991), Jeff Gordon (1995, ’96 sweep, ’97, ’98, ’02, ’07), Terry Labonte (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep and 2012) and Mark Martin (2009).

· Prior to the 2020 season, Darlington Raceway has held only one race during the Playoffs, which dates back to the start of Playoffs in 2004. The event was won by Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson.

BACK IN TIME
The famed “Too Tough to Tame” racetrack has been staple event on the NCS schedule since its inaugural race on September 5, 1955, in which Herb Thomas, piloting a Chevrolet Bel Air, took the Bowtie Brand to victory lane. Of the 118 races held at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped racetrack, Chevrolet has scored 41 wins, more than any other manufacturer. Twenty different Chevrolet drivers and teams have added their names to the win history book. Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active drivers at “The Lady in Black” with three (2004 sweep, 2012), making him only one of three active drivers to be a multiple race winner at the track.

PLAYOFF FIELD IS SET
Following the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, round 26 of 36 races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, 16 drivers have now qualified to compete in the 10-race NCS Playoffs that will ultimately determine the 2020 NCS champion. Five of the 16 Playoff contenders are Team Chevy Drivers.

There are three rounds of Playoffs (3 races per round) in the 2020 format, plus one final championship-crowning season finale. Four drivers will be eliminated following each round of three.
Sept. 6 at Darlington, Sept. 12 at Richmond, and Sept. 19 at Bristol – 16 drivers
Sept. 27 at Las Vegas, Oct. 4 at Talladega, and Oct. 11 at Charlotte Road Course – 12 drivers
Oct. 18 at Kansas, Oct. 25 at Texas, and Nov. 1 at Martinsville – 8 drivers
Nov. 8 Championship race at Phoenix – 4 drivers

Heading into the Darlington race weekend, here are where the Team Chevy drivers rank to kick off the 2020 NCS Playoffs:

Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE – 5th in Standings (2,020 points)
Victories: 2 (Charlotte Motor Speedway and Daytona Road Course)
Top-Fives: 10; Top-10’s: 15; Laps Led: 530; Average Finish: 12.8
Stage Wins: 6; Stage Top-Five’s: 18; Stage Top-10’s: 35

Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Truck Hero Camaro ZL1 1LE – 8th in Standings (2,009 points)
Victories: 1 (Auto Club Speedway)
Top-Fives: 3; Top-10’s: 8; Laps Led: 388; Average Finish: 17.0
Stage Wins: 4; Stage Top-Five’s: 13; Stage Top-10’s: 28

William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE – 9th in Standings (2,007 points)
Victories: 1 (Daytona International Speedway)
Top-Fives: 2; Top-10’s: 9; Laps Led: 97; Average Finish: 16.1
Stage Wins: 2; Stage Top-Five’s 8; Stage Top-10’s: 23

Austin Dillon, No. 3 American Ethanol Camaro ZL1 1LE – 10th in Standings (2,005 points)
Victories: 1 (Texas Motor Speedway)
Top-Fives: 2; Top-10’s 7; Laps Led: 80; Average Finish: 16.9
Stage Top-Five’s: 3; Stage Top-10’s: 13

Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE – 15th in Standings (2,001 points)
Top-Fives: 4; Top-10’s: 14; Laps Led: 91; Average Finish: 13.4
Stage Wins: 1; Stage Top-Five’s: 5; Stage Top-10’s: 21

STARTING LINEUP
For the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the race weekend format will consist of no practice or qualifying. The starting lineup for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 will be set by a combination of the following metrics from the previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position. Chase Elliott will lead the field to the green from the pole position in his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE.

Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:
1st Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE
3rd William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE
4th Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Truck Hero Camaro ZL1 1LE
12th Austin Dillon, No. 3 American Ethanol Camaro ZL1 1LE
16th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Cash App Camaro ZL1 1LE

TUNE-IN
NBCSN will telecast the 367-lap, 501.3-mile Cook Out Southern 500 live at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6th. Live coverage can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS
“I am looking forward to the playoffs. I think these last 10 races are going to be super interesting and I look forward to the challenges myself and the NAPA team have ahead of us. It’s going to be a tough 10 for sure. We will have to bring our best to compete and I think we can do that. We just have to be consistent and be up front every week.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/TRUCK HERO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 8th IN STANDINGS
BOWMAN ON THE 2020 PLAYOFFS:
“Everything resets this weekend. As a team, we have to regroup and use the momentum from the last two races to start the playoffs strong. We have shown that we are capable of wins and we have shown we can move on in the playoffs. This No. 88 team and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports has been preparing for the playoffs since our win in California, so I am ready to get underway this weekend in Darlington.”

BOWMAN ON CAPITALIZING AT DARLINGTON:
“Earlier this year we had some good runs at Darlington. The first race back from the brief pause, was really good for us as a team. We finished second and really capitalized on stage points. Our goal for Sunday is to do the same thing. We need to have a solid race, earn stage points and get a good finish at the end of the night to start these playoffs off right.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 9th IN STANDINGS
BRYON ON RACING AT DARLINGTON:
“Hopefully, we can have a good race and execute really well. Darlington is a really tough racetrack but luckily we’ve been there twice already this year. I have a pretty good idea of what the track is going to feel like and how it’s going to drive and handle. It definitely is a very temperature-sensitive track and it’s going to be warmer than when we were there in May. It rubbers up a lot, especially up by the wall. You have to move your line around and try to avoid the rubber at times until it covers the full track. Once it does, you can run wherever your car handles the best. It’s a balancing act of trying to chase clean track and trying to find good racetrack to run on.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 10th IN STANDINGS
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ADVANCE TO EACH ROUND OF THE NASCAR PLAYOFFS AND VIE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR?
“Over the years, running in the NASCAR Playoffs I’ve figured out that every point does matter, so I think you have to attack from the opening green flag. Stage points are important. In 2016, I missed advancing to the Round of 8 by one point over Denny Hamlin. That really makes you realize how important every single point is. It does help that the Playoff drivers will all be starting the races towards the front of the field together, but as a team we need to do a good job of starting up front and keeping that track position. Throughout the season so far, we have done a good job of adjusting our car throughout the race and finishing well but we need to start our races with our Chevys just a little better so that we can put ourselves in the next round.”

HOW DOES DARLINGTON SUIT YOUR RACING STYLE?
“I think long races in the past have fit my racing style. There is plenty of time to make the car better during a long race, and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So, I think that bodes well for Darlington. We like the long-distance races and it’s a place that falls off. RCR has always been known for a long run speed. Short run speed is something that we’ve struggled with, but we’re trying to change. It’s nice that we’re going to place that long run speed matters a bit.”

TALK ABOUT HOW SPECIAL IT IS TO RUN A JUNIOR JOHNSON TRIBUTE SCHEME THIS WEEKEND AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY.
“This Junior Johnson car means so much to me and I’m grateful to American Ethanol to be able to work with them to honor a NASCAR Hall of Famer this weekend. It’s a beautiful car. I grew up going to school with Junior’s kids and Junior came to our school and spoke to us when I was in middle school. He was a hero to me and when he came and spoke to us, he took me aside and talked to me because he knew my grandfather, obviously. He was nice and always a great person to be around. My mom and Lisa Johnson are very close friends. They talk all the time, so to do this throwback for Junior is very special. My grandfather is pumped about it, too. Darlington Raceway would be a great place to grab a win to honor Junior, solidify our place in the NASCAR Playoffs and earn our third Crown Jewel race. It would be special.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGS
“The first race in the Playoffs! I love the excitement and the focus from all of our team members. The car that we are bringing to Darlington went to the wind tunnel an extra time and our setup will be what we had from last year’s race. That car ran up front and led a bunch of laps, that is what we’ll have underneath the Monster Energy Camaro again this Sunday. it’s just a matter of executing as a team and having smooth day on pit road. Pit stops are a huge part of Darlington with all the tire wear and the abrasive surface of that track. Each pit stop is that important towards the end of the race; if we have that, a good set-up and make smart decisions we should be in good shape. The racetrack it just old school Darlington, which means we just have to race the track as much as the other cars. Darlington is a great place to kick-off the Playoffs!”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT POWER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 19th IN STANDINGS
WE’RE HEADED BACK TO DARLINGTON RACEWAY THIS WEEK, BUT IT’LL BE A MUCH LONGER RACE FOR YOU THIS TIME AROUND. HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THAT?
“Well, based on the two races we had at Darlington earlier this year, I need to avoid hitting both the wall and things that come off the wall. That sponsor banner that came off the wall and got stuck on the grill of my Caterpillar Chevrolet during the first race there back in May completely messed up the handling of it. The handling got so bad that I got into the wall too, and that didn’t help things either. So, I need to avoid both those things. 360-plus laps at Darlington is a long time with lots of opportunity to have success, but also a lot of opportunities to receive a Darlington stripe. Everything will be important on Sunday, and we’ll need to run a perfect race. Adapting to the changing track conditions as the rubber comes in throughout the night will be key to being successful.”

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR THROWBACK SCHEME YOU’LL BE RUNNING THIS WEEKEND?
“We’re running a scheme on our No. 8 Cat Power Chevrolet that honors longtime Caterpillar driver, Jeff Burton, and his rookie season. Jeff also ran the No. 8 during his rookie year and captured Rookie of the Year honors, so our scheme highlights the Raybestos scheme that he accepted the trophy with. I love participating in NASCAR’s Throwback weekend and really appreciate all the history in our sport, so I’m looking forward to having a good run with our scheme on Sunday.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016

Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2020 STATISTICS:
Wins: 5
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 1,421
Top-five finishes: 33
Top-10 finishes: 87

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 791 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 717
Laps led to date: 235,727
Top-five finishes to date: 4,047
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,369

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

General Motors: 1,125
Chevrolet: 791
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 800
Ford: 700
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 150
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with 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.

Toyota Racing – Kyle Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

CHARLOTTE (September 3, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to media via videoconference during the NASCAR Playoffs Media Day:

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

How important is your consecutive winning season streak?

“It’s really important. Think about it, it’s a 16-year investment that we’ve placed on that being able to win a race in 16 consecutive seasons so hopefully we can keep that going and get it to 17 and then to 18 or however many that I’m here. It would be nice if I’m able to keep winning races all the way through my career each and every single year that I’m out there. This year has just not lent itself to our favor so far, but the Playoffs start now and we’re still in this thing. We’ve got an opportunity to go out here, obviously being on the bottom side of the spectrum rather than the top side of the spectrum during the Playoffs so it’s going to be a different Playoff for us that what we’re used to. Looking forward to the challenge and if we can win it this year then there’s no reason why any year we should ever not have an opportunity to win it.”

How has this year tested and challenged you more than previous seasons?

“This year has definitely been one of the biggest tests I feel like I’ve been through. 2015, I was injured and I was on the sideline and I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to come back and I was able to come back and then struggled for five weeks just getting a footing and then finally being able to win again at Sonoma. Right there just lit a fire under us and that was all it took for the rest of the year to be a championship contender and a guy to go out there to compete with his team and be the best of all of them. This year, it’s been nothing but something else that’s in the back of your mind like, what’s going to happen next and what’s the next thing that’s going to test your patience. Just seems like we can’t shake this monkey off our back. Wherever he is, whatever he looks like, somebody tell me and we’re going to go for a few roll-arounds here and get him off my back in order go out here and have a solid, successful, productive final 10 weeks.”

Do you consider yourself a dark horse?

“With the way this year has gone, you just never know. Certainly we’re not a title frontrunner, we’re not a favorite. We are on the bottom of the spectrum and we’re on the outside looking in. I guess that would categorize us as being a dark horse or definitely being one that is not in the talks or included in the discussions of making it to the round of 12 or for that matter, the round of eight. Realistically now, all you have to do is win a race in each of these rounds and you do that and you put yourself right into the championship four. Now, all of the sudden, a crappy 2020 season is all of the sudden a championship year or can be or have the potential to be given everything goes right in Phoenix. Everything is wide open and you’re still in it until you’re not.”

How difficult is it to get sponsorship or keep sponsorship as a team owner during these COVID-19 times with limited access into the race tracks?

“Yes. The fact of the matter is that it’s definitely hurting us. One of the best sponsors we have at Kyle Busch Motorsports with Safelite Autoglass is they’re opportunity and ability to be able to bring their customers and their worker that do all the safety glass fixing and repairing to the race track. They don’t have that opportunity to do that right now and available to them. We’ve certainly had some discussions with those guys about what’s going on with their business and also Toyota/TRD, they’ve been a huge benefit in that relationship too where they’ve been able to offer them some assistance on some projects and some work with stuff like that. No question, there’s definitely been partners that have come to the table and asked for some concessions on this season in not being able to promote as well and also to be able to bring guests and consumers to the track.”

How different is the atmosphere at the track with the infield so empty?

“It’s quiet. You roll in on race morning and there’s nobody around. It’s just really quiet. It just seems like every track we’ve gone to has pretty much been a ghost town. We know how well these tracks flourish and how successful they’ve been and we get good crowd counts and I’m sure all the people that want to come to the races are just itching at the opportunity to be able to do so once everybody gets that release that it’s safe enough for everybody to come back to the track. We’re hoping that’s sooner rather than later.”

Who is another dark horse besides yourself in the Playoffs?

“I don’t know where the dark horse line is. (Martin) Truex Jr. obviously has gotten seven second or third-place finishes in a row here lately, but he doesn’t have a whole lot of Playoff points. He’s only got one win. He’s not on the outside looking in obviously, but he’s definitely a guy, him and myself included, aren’t up there with the likes of Kevin (Harvick) or Denny (Hamlin) with the amount of Playoff points. He could be a guy, but if you look further down the totem pole, who could be one? I guess Aric Almirola probably. He’s one that could pop up anytime being with the SHR (Stewart Haas Racing) guys and being as fast as they’ve been each week. Having an opportunity where he’s shown glimpses of speed throughout the season.”

Do you think you can get a run like Tony Stewart did in 2011 and upset the favorites?

“I don’t know what changed in his year or what happened, but anything is possible for sure. We’ve seen it done before. Maybe there’s another way of being able to do it again, but this time it will certainly be different than his time was or any time that I’ve ever been in the Playoffs under this structure being on the outside looking in to try to get through each round. The opportunity is there. That is certainly where we’re at is a Tony Stewart-type performance here and in the final 10 weeks we’ll certainly get it done and the last time I checked, we’re still last year’s reigning champions so we’ve got that opportunity to be able to do that. We’ve got the team behind us – the crew chief, the sponsors, everybody that we can make anything happen. We just have to go out there and do it.”

Does seeing what Tony Stewart did in 2011 or this format give you more positivity or hope for the next 10 weeks?

“Certainly it does. Definitely the first round for sure. I look at Darlington as a place we can go to and we can run top-five pretty good there. Richmond, Bristol – those are great opportunities for us to score a victory. You get two stage wins and a win at Richmond and Bristol both and boom, you’re right back in the Playoff picture. That should put us up to fourth or fifth I believe on the Playoff points structure. That would give us a good opportunity to be right back in the ballpark. Obviously, coming into that second round, we struggle at Vegas, Talladega is an unknown, we struggle at the Roval so that is definitely a round that we look towards as being a possible hiccup.”

What was your reaction when you heard the championship would be decided at Phoenix?

“I was obviously kind of not shocked, but understanding of it I guess. It’s another NASCAR track, it’s a flourishing market for us. The last few years they’ve been doing renovations at that place, it really made it very fan-friendly so it makes sense for them to have as much opportunity to be able to sell tickets and to sell infield tickets and passes to the fan zone and all that sort. Obviously, this year not being able to have much of that, it kind of takes the wind out of the sails if you will for what would or could have been this year. Obviously it will get back in the future and it will be a place of success for the fans. The on-track action, the racing aspect of it, it was a bit shocking to me just because Homestead is such a racey place and you can kind of run all over that track and there’s really good racing on restarts and such. There also is at Phoenix on restarts so that argument can go both ways. People would say that Phoenix, once you get strung out, it gets strung out, but when I’ve seen it get strung out, I’ve also seen the likes of (Joey) Logano be fast and Chase Elliott be fast. The 18 be fast, the 11 (Denny Hamlin), the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.), the 4 (Kevin Harvick) and somebody else in there too – the 12 (Ryan Blaney) – that have shown glimpses of speed. Any opportunity for any of those guys to get out front and that would certainly be a good thing for any of them to be able to win a championship I guess.”

Do you prefer being an underdog or the guy with a target on his back?

“I don’t know. Certainly I guess I look back to 2015 and we were kind of the underdog in 2015 also because people just didn’t think we should be there and didn’t think we should be eligible because I had to miss 11 weeks because of my injuries, but then was able to win our way into the Playoffs and be in the top-30 in points and all that so we met all the requirements. We went into that last race with the underdog mentality like, ‘Hey, however we come out of this, it’s great. We were here, we were in the final four, that’s cool.’ Then last year kind of the same thing. We weren’t on a winning streak or anything and we kind of flew under the radar. We were an underdog if you will at the final race and we won again. If that’s what it takes to win these things then sure, sign me up. Put me in that underdog spot and let’s go get it done.”

How important is it going to be to unload perfect in this first round?

“It’s really going to be important because starting the race off strong, you’re starting the race with all the rest of your championship contenders that you’re racing against so to be able to get those points right out of the gate, it’s going to be hard to do because you’re all starting right around each other. There’s really not a lot of opportunity at some of these places for pit stops or chances to work on your car in the first stage to get those points. That’s probably been our biggest detriment this year is even if we did have an opportunity to start up front, we would fall out of the top-10 to get any of those points to have an opportunity to get points, not even stage wins, but to get points that matter. Right now, you can still point your way through this first round, but you’re going to need some wins also. Being able to have success racing against the rest of your title contenders is certainly going to be a big challenge.”

How much did you learn from the eight Playoff tracks earlier this season?

“Darlington, we were going to finish probably third or fourth in the first race before we had a loose wheel at the end. That relegated us to I think 21st or 22nd or maybe even worse than that. Then the second race we were going to run probably second or third in that one and we finished second with the rain that came there at the end obviously. I feel like Darlington is an okay place. What I’m looking at there is just how we were, how we unloaded in the first one, how we were able to achieve on the second one and then now going back there a third time. Everybody has had the same time on the track and the same opportunity to work on their setups and kind of tweak everything so we’re not the only ones. Everybody else is going to be making improvements as well too so we definitely have to be good at what we’re reading and the simulation and what that’s telling us and understanding that sometimes the sim will lie to you. You have to know when it’s telling you a lie, it’s not going to tell you that it’s telling you a lie. You can’t read it in the eyes and listen to it’s mouth, but you have to read the squiggly lines.”

How important is Bristol as a cutoff race for you?

“It’s just a personal vendetta. You go to Bristol and it’s like, ‘Damn, that’s my track, I’m going to go there and I’m going to win that thing.’ I look at Richmond a little bit the same way. We just always run well at Richmond and we always, well not always, but we typically run top-five there and we have shots for wins. I’d like to think with the lower downforce package, that suits us, but there’s also been other guys that have been fast in that package as well this year. If we can win two stages and win the race at Richmond and Bristol, damn we’re back in the thick of things for the second round. That’s certainly obtainable and would love for that to happen. There’s a lot of other competitors out there that are going to say otherwise so we just have to work for it.”

How do you feel about less 500-mile races moving forward?

“As I’ve seen it this year, we’ve run some of these doubleheader weekends with shorter races and to be honest with you, for us being a little bit off at the start of these races, it’s like right at the end, right on that last set of tires, it’s like damn we finally just got it. So it’s like, man, I wish I had one more run. These races to me, even if they’re 311 or 330 miles or whatever some of them have been this year, to me, it’s kind of like that’s almost too short. I don’t think 400 miles is too long, but certainly the 500-mile races, we don’t need to be adding more 500-mile races. If we are adding races, they do need to be more towards the 400 range, 350 or 400 range and that’s just my opinion, but that’s how I look at it. The upper echelon races like Darlington, the Coke 600, the Daytona 500 – those races should stay those lengths, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a few of those.”

What are you emotions right now – stress, motivation, frustration?

“Yep. Keep going, there’s plenty more adjectives, keep going. It’s all those things. It’s frustrating, it’s aggravating, it’s kind of a let-down. You’re wondering what’s wrong, you’re wondering where to look or what rock to look under to turn things around. It’s just crazy the way this year has gone for us and unforeseen circumstances really. Being one of the fastest cars at Daytona, leading the race, being up front when the time matters and in this last race we just ran, we blew up in the first one and got crashed out in this one so anything can happen. That’s racing and it’s a part of life. The fact of trying to be able to come out of this year with a victory is certainly high on my list, that might be number one on the list actually even more so than winning the championship just with the way this year has gone. Anything can happen, we just have to keep working through it and myself and Adam (Stevens, crew chief), we can get down on each other or down on our team or whatever as much as possible, but in all reality, we’re last year’s champions. We know how to do this. We’ve done it. We’ve been there and we’ve lived through the stresses and everything that it takes week in and week out to be top performers at this level. There’s nothing to say that it can’t turn back up in the right direction for us.”

How would you assess where Christian Eckes is currently?

“He (Christian Eckes) was doing really good the last few weeks of getting some good runs in and running up front, being consistent and being in contention. That’s where you have to be, you just have to be in contention each week and with our equipment and our opportunities that I feel like our stuff is capable of, that was a good stretch he was one. He was running second or third at Gateway before we had a driveshaft problem. Obviously, there was an equipment malfunction on that one, not his doing. They have no Playoff points, like myself so they’re going to start the Playoffs behind and they’re going to have to be successful and run up front to be able to transfer through their rounds as well. He’s been a good competitor. I ran with him at Texas when I was in the truck so I hope that he’s ready and prepared and can go get one this weekend at Darlington.”

How challenging do you feel it is for a rookie to get into the Cup Series?

“it’s hard. It’s really hard. The Cup level is such a step beyond what the Xfinity level is and even what the truck level is. There’s a lot there that these guys just haven’t been accustomed to or ready for so that’s definitely a big step. I feel like Cole (Custer) obviously getting a win, that cemented him in the Playoffs, which was good for him and his team. Christopher (Bell), I feel like has had moments of speed and brightness and has shown good speed, same with (Tyler) Reddick. It’s a matter of learning and learning these cars without practice and that’s tough. You get out there and you race with the competitors and you do the best you can with what you’ve got and hopefully we can get back to normal here soon. I guess next year. The sooner the better for all of that to be able to work on your chemistry with your team. Your crew chief and even though they’ve all moved up with their Xfinity crew chief, this is a different level and a different talk that you have to speak. That’s kind of got them more behind the eight-ball.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Toyota Racing – Kyle Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

CHARLOTTE (September 3, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to media via videoconference during the NASCAR Playoffs Media Day:

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

How important is your consecutive winning season streak?

“It’s really important. Think about it, it’s a 16-year investment that we’ve placed on that being able to win a race in 16 consecutive seasons so hopefully we can keep that going and get it to 17 and then to 18 or however many that I’m here. It would be nice if I’m able to keep winning races all the way through my career each and every single year that I’m out there. This year has just not lent itself to our favor so far, but the Playoffs start now and we’re still in this thing. We’ve got an opportunity to go out here, obviously being on the bottom side of the spectrum rather than the top side of the spectrum during the Playoffs so it’s going to be a different Playoff for us that what we’re used to. Looking forward to the challenge and if we can win it this year then there’s no reason why any year we should ever not have an opportunity to win it.”

How has this year tested and challenged you more than previous seasons?

“This year has definitely been one of the biggest tests I feel like I’ve been through. 2015, I was injured and I was on the sideline and I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to come back and I was able to come back and then struggled for five weeks just getting a footing and then finally being able to win again at Sonoma. Right there just lit a fire under us and that was all it took for the rest of the year to be a championship contender and a guy to go out there to compete with his team and be the best of all of them. This year, it’s been nothing but something else that’s in the back of your mind like, what’s going to happen next and what’s the next thing that’s going to test your patience. Just seems like we can’t shake this monkey off our back. Wherever he is, whatever he looks like, somebody tell me and we’re going to go for a few roll-arounds here and get him off my back in order go out here and have a solid, successful, productive final 10 weeks.”

Do you consider yourself a dark horse?

“With the way this year has gone, you just never know. Certainly we’re not a title frontrunner, we’re not a favorite. We are on the bottom of the spectrum and we’re on the outside looking in. I guess that would categorize us as being a dark horse or definitely being one that is not in the talks or included in the discussions of making it to the round of 12 or for that matter, the round of eight. Realistically now, all you have to do is win a race in each of these rounds and you do that and you put yourself right into the championship four. Now, all of the sudden, a crappy 2020 season is all of the sudden a championship year or can be or have the potential to be given everything goes right in Phoenix. Everything is wide open and you’re still in it until you’re not.”

How difficult is it to get sponsorship or keep sponsorship as a team owner during these COVID-19 times with limited access into the race tracks?

“Yes. The fact of the matter is that it’s definitely hurting us. One of the best sponsors we have at Kyle Busch Motorsports with Safelite Autoglass is they’re opportunity and ability to be able to bring their customers and their worker that do all the safety glass fixing and repairing to the race track. They don’t have that opportunity to do that right now and available to them. We’ve certainly had some discussions with those guys about what’s going on with their business and also Toyota/TRD, they’ve been a huge benefit in that relationship too where they’ve been able to offer them some assistance on some projects and some work with stuff like that. No question, there’s definitely been partners that have come to the table and asked for some concessions on this season in not being able to promote as well and also to be able to bring guests and consumers to the track.”

How different is the atmosphere at the track with the infield so empty?

“It’s quiet. You roll in on race morning and there’s nobody around. It’s just really quiet. It just seems like every track we’ve gone to has pretty much been a ghost town. We know how well these tracks flourish and how successful they’ve been and we get good crowd counts and I’m sure all the people that want to come to the races are just itching at the opportunity to be able to do so once everybody gets that release that it’s safe enough for everybody to come back to the track. We’re hoping that’s sooner rather than later.”

Who is another dark horse besides yourself in the Playoffs?

“I don’t know where the dark horse line is. (Martin) Truex Jr. obviously has gotten seven second or third-place finishes in a row here lately, but he doesn’t have a whole lot of Playoff points. He’s only got one win. He’s not on the outside looking in obviously, but he’s definitely a guy, him and myself included, aren’t up there with the likes of Kevin (Harvick) or Denny (Hamlin) with the amount of Playoff points. He could be a guy, but if you look further down the totem pole, who could be one? I guess Aric Almirola probably. He’s one that could pop up anytime being with the SHR (Stewart Haas Racing) guys and being as fast as they’ve been each week. Having an opportunity where he’s shown glimpses of speed throughout the season.”

Do you think you can get a run like Tony Stewart did in 2011 and upset the favorites?

“I don’t know what changed in his year or what happened, but anything is possible for sure. We’ve seen it done before. Maybe there’s another way of being able to do it again, but this time it will certainly be different than his time was or any time that I’ve ever been in the Playoffs under this structure being on the outside looking in to try to get through each round. The opportunity is there. That is certainly where we’re at is a Tony Stewart-type performance here and in the final 10 weeks we’ll certainly get it done and the last time I checked, we’re still last year’s reigning champions so we’ve got that opportunity to be able to do that. We’ve got the team behind us – the crew chief, the sponsors, everybody that we can make anything happen. We just have to go out there and do it.”

Does seeing what Tony Stewart did in 2011 or this format give you more positivity or hope for the next 10 weeks?

“Certainly it does. Definitely the first round for sure. I look at Darlington as a place we can go to and we can run top-five pretty good there. Richmond, Bristol – those are great opportunities for us to score a victory. You get two stage wins and a win at Richmond and Bristol both and boom, you’re right back in the Playoff picture. That should put us up to fourth or fifth I believe on the Playoff points structure. That would give us a good opportunity to be right back in the ballpark. Obviously, coming into that second round, we struggle at Vegas, Talladega is an unknown, we struggle at the Roval so that is definitely a round that we look towards as being a possible hiccup.”

What was your reaction when you heard the championship would be decided at Phoenix?

“I was obviously kind of not shocked, but understanding of it I guess. It’s another NASCAR track, it’s a flourishing market for us. The last few years they’ve been doing renovations at that place, it really made it very fan-friendly so it makes sense for them to have as much opportunity to be able to sell tickets and to sell infield tickets and passes to the fan zone and all that sort. Obviously, this year not being able to have much of that, it kind of takes the wind out of the sails if you will for what would or could have been this year. Obviously it will get back in the future and it will be a place of success for the fans. The on-track action, the racing aspect of it, it was a bit shocking to me just because Homestead is such a racey place and you can kind of run all over that track and there’s really good racing on restarts and such. There also is at Phoenix on restarts so that argument can go both ways. People would say that Phoenix, once you get strung out, it gets strung out, but when I’ve seen it get strung out, I’ve also seen the likes of (Joey) Logano be fast and Chase Elliott be fast. The 18 be fast, the 11 (Denny Hamlin), the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.), the 4 (Kevin Harvick) and somebody else in there too – the 12 (Ryan Blaney) – that have shown glimpses of speed. Any opportunity for any of those guys to get out front and that would certainly be a good thing for any of them to be able to win a championship I guess.”

Do you prefer being an underdog or the guy with a target on his back?

“I don’t know. Certainly I guess I look back to 2015 and we were kind of the underdog in 2015 also because people just didn’t think we should be there and didn’t think we should be eligible because I had to miss 11 weeks because of my injuries, but then was able to win our way into the Playoffs and be in the top-30 in points and all that so we met all the requirements. We went into that last race with the underdog mentality like, ‘Hey, however we come out of this, it’s great. We were here, we were in the final four, that’s cool.’ Then last year kind of the same thing. We weren’t on a winning streak or anything and we kind of flew under the radar. We were an underdog if you will at the final race and we won again. If that’s what it takes to win these things then sure, sign me up. Put me in that underdog spot and let’s go get it done.”

How important is it going to be to unload perfect in this first round?

“It’s really going to be important because starting the race off strong, you’re starting the race with all the rest of your championship contenders that you’re racing against so to be able to get those points right out of the gate, it’s going to be hard to do because you’re all starting right around each other. There’s really not a lot of opportunity at some of these places for pit stops or chances to work on your car in the first stage to get those points. That’s probably been our biggest detriment this year is even if we did have an opportunity to start up front, we would fall out of the top-10 to get any of those points to have an opportunity to get points, not even stage wins, but to get points that matter. Right now, you can still point your way through this first round, but you’re going to need some wins also. Being able to have success racing against the rest of your title contenders is certainly going to be a big challenge.”

How much did you learn from the eight Playoff tracks earlier this season?

“Darlington, we were going to finish probably third or fourth in the first race before we had a loose wheel at the end. That relegated us to I think 21st or 22nd or maybe even worse than that. Then the second race we were going to run probably second or third in that one and we finished second with the rain that came there at the end obviously. I feel like Darlington is an okay place. What I’m looking at there is just how we were, how we unloaded in the first one, how we were able to achieve on the second one and then now going back there a third time. Everybody has had the same time on the track and the same opportunity to work on their setups and kind of tweak everything so we’re not the only ones. Everybody else is going to be making improvements as well too so we definitely have to be good at what we’re reading and the simulation and what that’s telling us and understanding that sometimes the sim will lie to you. You have to know when it’s telling you a lie, it’s not going to tell you that it’s telling you a lie. You can’t read it in the eyes and listen to it’s mouth, but you have to read the squiggly lines.”

How important is Bristol as a cutoff race for you?

“It’s just a personal vendetta. You go to Bristol and it’s like, ‘Damn, that’s my track, I’m going to go there and I’m going to win that thing.’ I look at Richmond a little bit the same way. We just always run well at Richmond and we always, well not always, but we typically run top-five there and we have shots for wins. I’d like to think with the lower downforce package, that suits us, but there’s also been other guys that have been fast in that package as well this year. If we can win two stages and win the race at Richmond and Bristol, damn we’re back in the thick of things for the second round. That’s certainly obtainable and would love for that to happen. There’s a lot of other competitors out there that are going to say otherwise so we just have to work for it.”

How do you feel about less 500-mile races moving forward?

“As I’ve seen it this year, we’ve run some of these doubleheader weekends with shorter races and to be honest with you, for us being a little bit off at the start of these races, it’s like right at the end, right on that last set of tires, it’s like damn we finally just got it. So it’s like, man, I wish I had one more run. These races to me, even if they’re 311 or 330 miles or whatever some of them have been this year, to me, it’s kind of like that’s almost too short. I don’t think 400 miles is too long, but certainly the 500-mile races, we don’t need to be adding more 500-mile races. If we are adding races, they do need to be more towards the 400 range, 350 or 400 range and that’s just my opinion, but that’s how I look at it. The upper echelon races like Darlington, the Coke 600, the Daytona 500 – those races should stay those lengths, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a few of those.”

What are you emotions right now – stress, motivation, frustration?

“Yep. Keep going, there’s plenty more adjectives, keep going. It’s all those things. It’s frustrating, it’s aggravating, it’s kind of a let-down. You’re wondering what’s wrong, you’re wondering where to look or what rock to look under to turn things around. It’s just crazy the way this year has gone for us and unforeseen circumstances really. Being one of the fastest cars at Daytona, leading the race, being up front when the time matters and in this last race we just ran, we blew up in the first one and got crashed out in this one so anything can happen. That’s racing and it’s a part of life. The fact of trying to be able to come out of this year with a victory is certainly high on my list, that might be number one on the list actually even more so than winning the championship just with the way this year has gone. Anything can happen, we just have to keep working through it and myself and Adam (Stevens, crew chief), we can get down on each other or down on our team or whatever as much as possible, but in all reality, we’re last year’s champions. We know how to do this. We’ve done it. We’ve been there and we’ve lived through the stresses and everything that it takes week in and week out to be top performers at this level. There’s nothing to say that it can’t turn back up in the right direction for us.”

How would you assess where Christian Eckes is currently?

“He (Christian Eckes) was doing really good the last few weeks of getting some good runs in and running up front, being consistent and being in contention. That’s where you have to be, you just have to be in contention each week and with our equipment and our opportunities that I feel like our stuff is capable of, that was a good stretch he was one. He was running second or third at Gateway before we had a driveshaft problem. Obviously, there was an equipment malfunction on that one, not his doing. They have no Playoff points, like myself so they’re going to start the Playoffs behind and they’re going to have to be successful and run up front to be able to transfer through their rounds as well. He’s been a good competitor. I ran with him at Texas when I was in the truck so I hope that he’s ready and prepared and can go get one this weekend at Darlington.”

How challenging do you feel it is for a rookie to get into the Cup Series?

“it’s hard. It’s really hard. The Cup level is such a step beyond what the Xfinity level is and even what the truck level is. There’s a lot there that these guys just haven’t been accustomed to or ready for so that’s definitely a big step. I feel like Cole (Custer) obviously getting a win, that cemented him in the Playoffs, which was good for him and his team. Christopher (Bell), I feel like has had moments of speed and brightness and has shown good speed, same with (Tyler) Reddick. It’s a matter of learning and learning these cars without practice and that’s tough. You get out there and you race with the competitors and you do the best you can with what you’ve got and hopefully we can get back to normal here soon. I guess next year. The sooner the better for all of that to be able to work on your chemistry with your team. Your crew chief and even though they’ve all moved up with their Xfinity crew chief, this is a different level and a different talk that you have to speak. That’s kind of got them more behind the eight-ball.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY PLAYOFFS MEDIA DAY
SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – ROTATION TRANSCRIPT:

WITH THE REGULAR SEASON THAT KEVIN HARVICK AND DENNY HAMLIN HAVE PUT TOGETHER AND THE BONUS POINTS THAT THEY HAVE OVER EVERYBODY ELSE, DOES IT FEEL LIKE IT’S ALMOST A BATTLE TO GET TWO SPOTS IN THE FINAL FOUR INSTEAD OF ALL FOUR BEING WIDE-OPEN?
“Not necessarily. Those guys have certainly had a phenomenal year for sure. They’re very deserving of their bonus points and all the things they’ve acquired. But yeah we race for a reason and heck, who knows? There are so many variables and things that can happen. They have an abundance of points, for sure. And, are they likely to go to Phoenix? Absolutely. Do I think they deserve to be in the final four? Yes, I do. I think they definitely deserve to be. But the way this points deal is, you can have a bad couple of races or a bad few stages and the next thing you know, guys have made up 30 or 40 points on you pretty quick. So, it can certainly shift gears in a hurry.”

WHO IS A ‘DARK HORSE’ OR A ‘SURPRISE TEAM’ THAT YOU THINK COULD MAKE A RUN THAT PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH FOR IN THESE PLAYOFFS?
“That’s a good question. Man, I really don’t know. I’m not sure on that. I think if you make the final 16 and you hit on something at the right time, that could care you an awful long way. So, I don’t know who to tell you. But I think that there’s a lot of very talented drivers and teams who, if you get on the right thing at the right time, you can make a serious run.”

DID YOU EVER THING WE WOULD GET TO THIS POINT AFTER THE RE-START, AND WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES SURROUNDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?
“I was for sure skeptical that we were going to even have a season when all this started. So, yeah, I’m super happy that we have a change to race and are able to do what we’re doing. I know it’s a little bit different, but we’re still able to put on races each week and still able to compete and put a good product on TV. So yeah, I think for the most part, all’s been good, and I’m encouraged that we’ve had a chance. I felt like NASCAR was good at getting back going, which was encouraging to be a part of, too.”

YOU’RE WELL INTO YOUR CAREER AT THIS POINT AND YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH THE PLAYOFFS BEFORE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WITH ALL THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE NOW, THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHATEVER IS THROWN YOUR WAY?
“I’d like to think so, for sure. We’ve never made the Round of 4. So that’s an area that we’ve never been in. So, some of that stuff, until you get there, it’s really hard to know what to expect. So yeah, I would love to get to be a part of that last race and that last event, and really make a run at it and do that. That’s the thing we haven’t been able to accomplish is making that last race. That’s the goal.”

IN LAST YEAR’S PLAYOFFS YOU WERE IN THE SECOND ROUND, MORE THAN 20 POINTS BEHIND THE CUTOFF, AND HAD THE REALLY STRONG RUN AT KANSAS TO ADVANCE. WHAT DID YOU LEARN OUT OF THAT?
“It was certainly encouraging. It was a combination of a couple of things. Our competitor that we were racing there, happened to have a bad restart at the end of the race and we happened to have a good one. And that was the point-difference that it took to get through. To me, it just kind of shows you that it’s not over until it’s over in a lot of those cases. And points can swing one way or another, especially with these stages and giving out stage points throughout all these races throughout the whole year. Just knowing how fast it can swing, a stage or two can boost you head and shoulders above somebody else; or, to catch up if you need to. So, I just look at it as not being done until you’re out.”

OF THE UPCOMING THREE RACES, DARLINGTON, RICHMOND, AND BRISTOL, WHICH ONE ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR AND NERVOUS ABOUT ~ BASED ON AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND MORE SUCCESS OR IMPROVEMENT WHERE YOU NEED IT?
“I’m excited about all of them. This is an exciting part of the year in my opinion. I really enjoy this time of the year. It’s fun. Its pressure packed, I feel like, in a lot of ways. It’s an exciting product for people to watch with the way these rounds eliminate people. I look forward to all of them, like I said. Richmond to me, has been a big time struggle since I’ve been in Cup, so I would really like to get better there. That one has been a problem. So hopefully we’re a little better there than we have been in the past because it’s not been pretty.”

YOU’VE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR DRIVERS IN NASCAR RECENTLY. LAST TIME, THERE WERE NO FANS IN DARLINGTON. HOW NICE IS IT GOING TO BE TO HAVE FANS THIS TIME AROUND?
“Yeah, it was super-weird not having fans; but obviously, that was the first one back. It was a very odd environment to be in. As we’ve gone on this year, things have become a little more normal in that sense, as much as I hate to say that. But we’ve been kind of getting used to not seeing many people at the track. But, I’m happy to have folks back in a small capacity this weekend and hope that we can put on a really good race for them.”

HOW FORTUNATE IT IS THAT YOU GUYS WILL HAVE THE POLE FOR THE RACE THIS WEEKEND, LEADING THE FIELD TO THE GREEN, ESPECIALLY IN A CAR WITH A THROWBACK SCHEME THAT’S A TRIBUTE TO JIMMIE JOHNSON?
“I’m excited about it and the car looks great. What a cool opportunity to drive one of Jimmie’s paint schemes; one of my favorites, too, that I remember watching him in. So, I think that’s really cool. The starting spot is great. It’s great to get the pole. It’s always an encouraging thing; I think even a bigger deal to have that first pit box, which is super valuable. Hopefully we’re fast enough for it to matter and we can put that thing to use.”

WE MAY BE MONTHS AWAY FROM THE FINAL PLAYOFF RACE OF THE SEASON AT PHOENIX, BUT WHAT TO YOU THINK MAKES PHOENIX RACEWAY A UNIQUE RACING EXPERIENCE?
“Phoenix is a unique track in general. We don’t really go anywhere else that’s shaped like that; and has the two different corners be like they are. It’s kind of an awkward-shaped track. But yeah, it’s made for exciting races over the years and I expect it will do that again this year.”

YOU’VE WON FOUR OUT OF THE LAST SIX ROAD RACES, INCLUDING THIS YEAR AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE. LAST YEAR YOU WON AT THE ROVAL. THIS YEAR, THE ROVAL WILL BE IN THE ROUND OF 12. HOW DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS ON THE ROAD COURSES? WITH CHARLOTTE IN THE ROUND OF 12, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADVANTAGE HEADING INTO THIS YEAR’S PLAYOFFS?
“I’m not sure that I feel like it gives us an advantage but, I’ve been fortunate to have some really good runs there. I think that the Daytona deal went really good, which was nice. But I’m sure everybody is going to be getting better, as they always are. So, I hope we’re improved from what we were last year, and we can step up our game and have a good run.”

STATS-WISE, THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN ONE OF YOUR BEST SEASONS TO DATE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE THE MOST CONFIDENT YOU’VE BEEN HEADING INTO THE PLAYOFFS?
“That’s a good question. Somebody told me that earlier, which I was kind of surprised by that. I feel like we’ve had some really good runs at the beginning of the year and then got into a little bit of a dip there over the last couple of months. And then I thought Dover was back competitive again. So, I think for me, I just look at a little bit of the inconsistency. I think we need to be more consistent across the board. I’m encouraged by the fact that when I feel like we have things going, we can compete for wins at a lot of different style race tracks, which is awesome. So that definitely give me confidence. But this deal is all about what has happened lately, what your performance has been up to this date, and what you have ahead to try to improve on and how much you need to improve. So right now, I’m just thinking about having had a good run at Dover, I thought a fast car, and that was a style race track that I felt like is more of the direction of a 1.5-miles. So, I look at that and I’m encouraged. And I have confidence, like I said, that when things are good, I think we can compete with whomever. So, I think from that side, it’s a good thing.”

REGARDING THE PLAYOFFS QUALIFYING FORMAT, AND WITH TRACK POSITION BEING ALL THAT IMPORTANT, HOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IS IT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A STRONG FINISH AT THE END OF THE RACE AND NOT NECESSARILY AT THE START? YOUR QUALIFYING POSITION WILL BE BASED ON THE TOP 16 WITH NO REAL INVOLVEMENT WITH THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD EARLY IN THE RACE.
“At the end of the day, the qualifying thing and the way that formula works, it just rewards people for performing. So, performing is basically just helping you at the next event, which I think is a very fair way to do it. If you run well, you run fast, and you have a good finish, you’re going to have a good starting spot the next week and that’s as fair of a thing we can do without qualifying.”

DOES IT, AND IF SO, HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH ON YOU THAT YOU HAVEN’T MADE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR? IS THAT ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU THINK ABOUT ALL YEAR, OR JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IT’S THE PLAYOFFS, AND THINGS HAPPEN?
“Well, it’s the goal, right? I mean you can’t win the championship without making that final four; and that’s been that point of the Playoffs that we haven’t been able to bust through yet. So, I feel like we’ve been really close at times, to doing it. I think we’re very capable of making the final four. So, at the end of the day, if me being confident and knowing that we can do it, and my team knowing that (too), is the case and it is, then I think that’s really all that matters to me. But it’s certainly the goal. Certainly, if you want to win a championship, you don’t have an option. You’ve got to make it. We know that and look forward to the challenge.”

HISTORICALLY YOU’VE RUN REALLY WELL AT PHOENIX. YOU HAD ONE OF THE BEST CARS IN THE SPRING THIS YEAR. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHANCES TO MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR AND HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE MOVED FROM HOMESTEAD TO PHOENIX?
“I think it’s a good thing that it’s moving around. I think that’s a big plus and I think just for our sport and moving from track to track. So, I’m excited that it moved. And luckily, we had a good run there at the beginning of the year. A lot has changed since then though too, and people being better and competitors improving, so I think we’ll have some work to do when we go back. But I hope we’re a part of the final four for it to matter and hope we can take what we had there in the Spring and make it better for that last race, if so.”

YOU’VE RUN WELL AT DARLINGTON BEFORE, INCLUDING THIS SPRING. HOW MUCH DOES THAT ADD TO YOUR CONFIDENCE? WHAT’S THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE OF DARLINGTON?
“We had a couple of good runs there in those first two races back, which was nice. Again, like I said, I think a lot has changed since then. So, I’m really curious to see how we stack-up this go-round. But Darlington is always kind of one of those things where the two ends of the race track are just so different, that it’s hard to get them both perfect. But it happens. And people do it all the time. And I look forward to trying again.”

WHEN IT COMES TO PLAYOFF POINTS EVERY YEAR, YOU SEEM TO BE IMPROVING. YOU’VE GOT 20 COMING IN, THE MOST YOU’VE HAD SINCE STAGE RACE WAS INVENTED. DO YOU THINK YOU’LL HAVE ENOUGH PLAYOFF POINTS TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR, OR DO YOU THINK YOU’LL NEED SOME MORE STAGE WINS AND MAYBE A RACE WIN OR TWO?
“I think that it all kind of depends on who does what right. If we were starting the Round of 8 right now, and we were advanced that far and the points were just like they were, I think that we have enough to make it if we run well. But, starting here fresh, there’s still a lot of opportunities for race wins and for guys to earn bonus points. So, the way that I’m going to view it is that we’re going to need more. And frankly, if you’re not contending for wins regularly, it doesn’t really matter anyway. So, I think for us, we need to get some more stage wins and more race wins and keep stacking it on.”

WITH NASCAR HAVING THE RULE WHERE IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, YOU’RE GOING TO MISS A RACE AND THAT’S NOT CHANGING FROM THE REGULAR SEASON. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD TO LIVE IN A BUBBLE. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE YOU HAVE TO DO IN TERMS OF PROTECTING YOURSELF OVER THE NEXT 10 WEEKS BECAUSE OF WHAT’S AT STAKE AT THIS POINT?
“I’ve thought about that some, for sure. And just being smart. And trying to wash your hands and do all the things that we’re supposed to be doing from that standpoint. That’s really all we can do, right, are the things that they’ve put out there for us and try to be smart about who you’re around and the environment you are in. So, from my end, I’m going to certainly try to think about some of that stuff some more and try to be as smart as possible and hope for the best. I mean, that’s really all we can do.”
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