Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse, stopped by the Talladega infield media center before today’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session and answered questions from the media. Blaney goes into tomorrow’s race in second place, 28 points above the cut line.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET COMING TO TALLADEGA? “I think we’ve had some success here as a group for a long time and there are a number of factors that go into it. I don’t know, I think we see these races as big opportunities for us. We’ve come to look forward to these events. I know some people come out and say, ‘We don’t look forward to these events.’ That’s not a good mindset to have, so I think how do we maximize the weekend, whether it’s here or Daytona or Atlanta. How do we work together as a team between Joey, Austin and myself and Harrison? How do we try to support each other and try to do the best we can for our groups? I feel like we do a better job at teamwork here than anybody else. I feel like we constantly look for each other. We constantly have each other’s backs, and that’s what you need here. That’s what we’ve done to be successful at these racetracks. We don’t look at it like, ‘Oh, Talladega.’ You know that things aren’t fully in your control and that’s just a given, and you just put that out of the way and say, ‘Hey, how do we execute this race as good as we can,’ and understand that if things do happen to us that isn’t in our control, well, that’s just the way it is. It stinks, but it’s just not anything you can really stew over, so I think our group has a really good mindset when it comes to these places – good or bad – and you never know what the outcome is gonna be.”

ONLY ONE NON-PLAYOFF DRIVER HAS WON THIS RACE SINCE 2014. DO YOU VIEW THIS RACE AS A CRAPSHOOT OR AS ONLY A SELECT FEW WHO CAN WIN? “I think the opportunity for a potential surprise winner is higher here than other places. That’s just how it is. I don’t see it as a complete crapshoot. You have your guys who run really well at these racetracks, and you have your guys that maybe struggle a little bit as far as decision-making and all that stuff. I don’t think it’s a secret that some folks excel at this type of racing. I think Denny is great. Brad is great. Joey is awesome. For years and years those guys have found themselves at the front of these things at the end of them and that’s just not all by chance. I feel like if they stay clean and don’t get tore up, they’re always at the front of these things at the end. It’s just how they strategize their race. A small percentage of it is a crapshoot, just because you could be riding around – like, I look at Daytona has been a crapshoot for me for the last three years. I don’t think I’ve finished a race at Daytona in two years, just getting tore up in someone else’s mess, but when we do stay out of the trouble, we run pretty good. I think you have your folks that are comfortable with it and they do well, and then you have others that might struggle a little bit more.”

WHAT’S THE MENTALITY THIS YEAR IN THE PLAYOFFS? “I go into every weekend, our whole group goes into every weekend wanting to win, obviously, and expecting to win. I think our group is capable of that and I think we’ve done a great job up to this point. I think we as a company and as the 12 team are way stronger than what we were at this point last year. Our cars are faster. We’re gelling as a team better. We don’t come to these places expecting to win, we just come and try to do our job the best we can do our job. Do you execute well on pit road? Do you try to make more good decisions than bad decisions out there? You’re obviously going to have some moves that don’t work for you and that’s just the way it is, but you just have confidence going to these places and it’s the same every week. I don’t go to a certain place looking forward to it more than others. I look forward to every weekend and just trying to see what we can bring to the track and how we can utilize our efforts and skills the best that we can and that’s really all I ask for. Kind of a big thing on our team is do your job to the best of your ability and if you do the best to your ability, you can at least hold your head high and whatever happens happens. If you win, great. If not, you did the best job you could and I think that’s just something we’ve thought about through the last year and a half, two years and I think everyone is just kind of taking that in a good way – like I want to give all of myself on this weekend and this day and see what happens to it.”

HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE ROVAL AND THE CHANGES THEY’VE MADE THERE? “I haven’t walked the track. I have done sim work. It’s a little different. The frontstretch chicane is a little bit tighter. I don’t think that’s the biggest change. Obviously, five, six, seven are the biggest changes. I think you opened up a passing zone in seven. It’s gonna be kind of a dive bomb central corner, for sure, just the way it’s shaped, so that will be interesting to see how it races. You’re gonna have to drive that corner very differently if you have pressure or not behind you, and, honestly, I think the frontstretch chicane is gonna be a slower corner, so I feel like you might have some more out-braking potential there, so I think it’s good. I think it’s good they changed it up. Whenever you add passing zones, that’s good for a race. It’s the same for everybody. It’s gonna be different for everyone and just who can adapt to it the quickest. I’ve done some sim work. I’ve got another session this week and we’ll see where it goes.”

YOU ARE SOLID IN THE POINTS. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE DURING THAT RACE NEXT WEEK? “Yeah, I look at the points before the weekend. ‘OK, this is where I’m at.’ I don’t really look at the points again and then through the race they kind of give me updates. Where is it looking after stage one, after stage two, and then after stage two you have an idea of, ‘OK, I’m racing these guys. These folks have gotten this amount of points.’ I’m here to the cut line. This is kind of what I need to do.’ We did the same thing at Bristol. After the first two stages they said, ‘Hey, OK, you have to finish ahead of this guy or X amount of positions.’ And then we’re done talking about it. I don’t want constant updates, but I like a little bit of feedback after every break in the race with points and stuff, and the Roval always kind of gets funky with people flipping stages and stuff. Hopefully, we’re in a good spot leaving tomorrow to where we can just go have a solid race at the Roval and not have to hit a home run, but if we have to hit a home run, I’m sure we’ll do everything we can to do that.”

WHERE DID THIS EVOLUTION OF FUEL MILEAGE IN THESE RACES START? HOW HAVE WE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT? “That’s a great question. I’d love to tell you how or why it’s gotten this way, it just has. Do I like it? No. I don’t know if anyone really likes it. It’s kind of just turned into a gas game the first run of the stages to where, ‘hey, I can take a second less gas or a second and a half, two seconds less gas than this guy and I’m gonna jump him on a caution or a green flag stop.’ And I think it’s just gotten this way mainly because it’s hard to make up spots anymore. This car is so draggy that the third lane, especially here, Daytona is better because it’s more handling, but here handling is not a big thing so the third lane just kind of hurts. The bottom lane isn’t lifting like you have at turn four of Daytona to where the top can kind of get rolling late in a run. I feel like you’ve got to take drag off of these cars at these places to just where handling becomes a little bit more of an issue. The top can go a little bit better, so now if you’re mired back in 20th, I’m not going to the front, so I might as well just try to be more efficient with fuel save than the next guy and I’m gonna jump him on the stop, so that’s the strategy and that’s the easiest way to make positions and that’s just the constant thing is I’d say the last year everyone has gotten smartened up and now everyone is doing it. I feel like we were one of the first groups to kind of like, ‘OK, this is a good strategy. Let’s do this,’ and now everyone has a good idea about it, so, ‘OK, how do you still do it better than the rest of the folks?’ That’s hard to do. The cars are draggy. It’s hard to make up positions on the track and they almost drive too good here to do that, so it’s just the game we’re playing now. It’s just can you do it a little bit better than the next guy.”

YOU SAID THIS TEAM IS STRONGER AND IN A BETTER POSITION THAN LAST YEAR. AFTER FOUR RACES HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW? “I feel great about our group. It was hard to see how good we were because we got wrecked in the last 40 percent of races, like the Glen we didn’t even get a run. Darlington, we were great and got wrecked on lap two. Daytona, I got wrecked at the end of that race Our speed has been great. I look at the other races from Atlanta and Bristol and Kansas and we’ve been running top five every week, so I think our speed is great. We had a little bit of execution issues on pit road last week, but you hope to clean all of that stuff up and they work hard to try to get that better, but I feel great about where our group is at. It’s just a matter of staying out of trouble and just controlling the things we can control, but I love where we’re at right now pace-wise. I think for us to run as good as we did at Kansas last week really showed, that’s a place where we’ve struggled as a company ever since this new car and for us to run as good as we did, myself was fast. Joey and Austin were great before they had their issues as well and luckily we were able to have a good finish out of it. I feel good about it and we’ll just try to keep going. We’ll see.”

HOW DOES YOUR OFFSEASON LOOK COMPARED TO WHAT YOU DO DURING THE SEASON? “I don’t know. I’m lazier in the winter, for sure. I drink a little bit more (laughing), but I enjoy the offseason. It’s a long year. I just like to relax and just kind of unwind. Your mindset is just so different in the competing months during the year of you’re constantly on kill mode and as a competitor you’re trying to figure out ways to better yourself or outsmart the competition. The fire in you is lit all the time and in the offseason I try to turn that off. I have no reason to be competitive in the winter. I’m not competing with anybody, so I just try to mellow out a little bit in the winter and enjoy things that maybe you can’t enjoy through the year. I don’t know if I’ll be able to relax too much. I’m getting married, so it’ll be full blow. I’ll be focused on that when Phoenix is over, but I just turn the competitive nature off and just let your mind kind of rest a little bit. Your mind is pretty tense through the year, so I think it’s nice to get that breath and relaxation even if it’s a month, it’s still nice. It’s better than nothing.”

WHY DO YOU THINK IT HAS BEEN SO HARD FOR SOMEONE TO REPEAT AS CHAMPION OF LATE? “I don’t know why you haven’t seen a repeat champion back-to-back since Jimmie when he won five in a row. I don’t know why. That was just one of those rare instances, Jimmie winning five. Who was the person before Jimmie to win back-to-back? Was it Jeff? I don’t know. It’s tough to do. Teams are always getting smarter. It takes everything kind of perfect to go your way. The team has to execute the best they can and you have to have a little bit of fortune on your side to not be in any unfortunate circumstances through the playoffs, so I don’t know why. I look back and there have been plenty of teams good enough to win back-to-back and it just hasn’t happened. I think that just shows you how hard it is to do. It’s a lot easier, I feel like, to win back-to-back in other sports because you’re one v one pretty much when these games and racing there are so many other competitors it’s like trying to win the Master’s back-to-back. You’re competing against so many other people that it’s just hard to do it perfectly two years in a row. I’m confident with our group and that’s not from a cocky or arrogant standpoint. I have faith in our group that we can do it and we’re good enough to where we can do it again, and I just have so much faith in our team and our guys. I’d like to, obviously. I think we’re in a good position. We just have to keep doing what we can and keep staying hungry. It’s funny, I think we’re all even hungrier for a second one than we were the first. I said it in an interview somewhere, but it’s like you taste the forbidden fruit and you want another bite of it. You want that feeling again. You want to share that moment with all your folks that work hard with you week in and week out and through the year. Hopefully, we can break that trend. We’ll see.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
ROUND OF 12: RACE TWO
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
OCTOBER 5, 2024

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

Media Availability Quotes:

I KNOW YOU CONSIDER ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY AS YOUR HOMETRACK, BUT IT’S JUST ABOUT EQUAL DISTANCE HERE TO TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO COME TO THIS TRACK WITH THE HISTORY YOUR FAMILY HAS HERE?

“Yeah, this track has always kind of been, to me, a second home track in a lot of ways.. because of the distance and I feel like the fans here have always been really good to us and good to me. I’ve always recognized that and appreciated that, and it’s one of the reasons why I always look forward to coming here. I’ve always enjoyed coming over here. It’s close to home, like you said. We’ve had a couple of good days, so that’s good, and we’ll try to have another good one on Sunday.”

WITH THE EXTENSION ON THE ROOF RAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND THE ROCKER PANEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA IF IT’S GOING TO DO ANYTHING?

“I don’t. I don’t know any more than you guys do, from that standpoint. I think it’s certainly an effort to try and keep the cars on the ground, as we’re all aware of. I also know it’s got to be extremely difficult to test those things; put cars in the same circumstances that they’re going to see during a crash. I think that’s almost impossible to simulate every little detail that happens in a wreck. I think there’s always going to be that perfect storm, that a car can get upside down or whatever it may be, just because we’re going really fast. You make tire contact and you get any air up underneath it – the whole bottom is just a flat plate, right, basically. So air finds its way underneath there and if you’re going fast enough, it’s probably not going to stay on the ground. Unfortunately, it’s been a part of our sport for a long time. While I don’t think you can necessarily completely eliminate that, hopefully there are ways to make it better, and hopefully this is a step in the right direction. I hate that it’s an afterthought… it kind of looks silly. But outside of that, hopefully it’s an improvement. I hope we don’t find out. I hope nobody finds out, whether it works or it doesn’t work. I’m sure there will be a circumstance at some point down the road that it’s tested and we’ll all see for ourselves, and hopefully there’s just a better process of implementing these things or finding a better way to do it than kind of tacking on these little pieces here and there in the middle of the season.”

HOW SOON AFTER KANSAS DID YOU LOOK AT POINTS, KNOWING YOU HAD TALLADEGA AND THE ROVAL THAT ARE SO CRAZY? DO YOU EVEN BOTHER WITH LOOKING HOW CLOSE IT WAS?

“Yeah, I mean I knew right there after the race. I did an interview when they told me where we were at basically.. they had it up on the screen there. I was aware very quickly. I knew based on just how the day went, that it probably wasn’t very good. All things considered; we thought our performance was pretty solid. I was happy with our pace. We fought an uphill battle all day, with circumstances on pit road and so on and so forth. That was challenging. But I think the biggest miss of the day for me was not scoring more points in that second stage. We had an opportunity to get five or six (points), and I think we only got two or three. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but anything can happen here on Sunday, and that can put you in a position to where those two or three might have meant a lot. It could potentially mean if you get through to the next round or not. Overall, based on Saturday and starting behind the eight ball and trying to claw our way out of that; I thought a top-10 was OK. But again, I would have liked to have seen some more stage points there when we had the opportunity.”

YOU’VE WON TWICE AT THE ROVAL, BUT WITH THE CHANGES TO TURNS SIX AND SEVEN, IT’S GOING TO BE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT, AND HOW ARE YOU PREPARING?

“Yeah, to me, I kind of look at it like it’s a new race track, truthfully. That section of the track is going to change the entire flow of the lap there, so I’ve been kind of approaching it as a new track with my preparation. I’ve spent some time in the simulator, just trying to really memorize the track and where the little bumps are. Typically those track scans are pretty good. I think that’s probably one of the best things about the simulator is that a driver can go and get familiar with the track layout; surface content, roughness, so on and so forth. It’s really about all I feel like I can do until we get some time on-track. Obviously, we have extra practice next week, so hopefully that’s enough to find a good rhythm and get a good flow for qualifying and then obviously for the race.”

DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU END UP ON SUNDAY WITH THE POINTS, HOW MIGHT YOUR APPROACH CHANGE, AS FAR AS YOU WANTING TO KNOW WHAT YOUR POSITION IS IN THE STANDINGS?

“Yeah, I mean we have to get through this week first. Whatever it is next week, I’ll certainly be aware throughout the day, and I’ll be aware going into it, as far as what the situation is and what the circumstances are; what’s required for us to move on or not. I think it puts a lot of emphasis on this weekend. It would be really nice to win this race for a lot of reasons. But another big one that I think can sometimes be overlooked is that whoever wins this race or the people that are up in the points and have a really good cushion or whatever, can put themselves in a position, if they have the pace, to short the stages next weekend. I think shorting the stages at the ROVAL is going to significantly increase your chances of winning that race. When I look at this weekend and the opportunities ahead, I think that’s really kind of the underlying positive of having a good week here because it really significantly helps your chances of getting five more bonus points next week, as well.”

YOU HAVEN’T HAD A WIN SINCE APRIL. OBVIOUSLY ANYONE CAN WIN ON ANY GIVEN DAY, FROM A DRIVER’S PERSPECTIVE, HOW FRUSTRATING IS THAT?

“I don’t necessarily find it frustrating. It does seem like we have a more consistent widespread number of winners yearly since we’ve had this car, so that’s been interesting to watch. And I think a lot of that has come down to just the aero-platform that we have to work with, and just how much defense can be played by the lead car; restarts shaking out, how fast your pit stop is, all those little details throughout the day can put you in a good position at the end of those races. And a lot of guys are good enough to hold on for short stints. We see a lot of green-white-checkered finishes.. all those things are really just recipes for more winners. Races that go green, the cream will eventually rise to the top, and I don’t think you see that quite as much. But when you have those short stints and guys having opportunities to get leads that might not necessarily be the best car, it puts those things into perspective and can certainly make it happen. And the fact that we have four plate races in a year now.. all these things are just promoting more and more winners, and you’ll probably continue to see that as we go down the road that we’re trucking along on.”

DOES QUALIFYING LATER TODAY DETERMINE WHETHER YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A CONSERVATIVE OR AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO TOMORROW’S RACE?

“I don’t think so. It would be nice to not qualify terrible, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a make-or-break. I think if you can be somewhere inside the top-15 or so, maybe just outside the top-10, I think that would be really solid and put yourself in a plenty good enough position to have a shot. I think that everybody is obviously out to try and achieve that, but I think that overall, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t qualify well. All the games that get played with manufacturers and so on and so forth, you’re going to be pitting with those guys anyways, so it’s not like it’s a standard race week, where the pit pick is quite as crucial as you would see last weekend at Kansas.”

AS STEWART-HAAS RACING’S TENURE COMES TO AN END IN THE CUP SERIES, OBVIOUSLY THEY’RE GOING TO REBRAND AND DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERNETLY, BUT STEWART-HAAS RACING, WHAT DO YOU THINK THERE LEGACY IS OR HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER KIND OF WHAT THAT COMPANY DID OVER THE YEARS?

“Yeah, that’s a good question. You know, my respect and admiration for Tony (Stewart) I think kind of raises my thought of that company and just what they did. I’ve always gotten along really well with him; looked up to him as a kid when I was watching him race. So I think that kind of skews my opinion a little bit. I’m not sure what his level of involvement is nowadays.. it kind of seems like there isn’t any, but I don’t really know that for sure. But when I look at what they did through the course of however many years it’s been.. I know Gene (Haas) was around long before Tony joined there, and when Tony joined, it seemed like that was when things really ramped up and improved. It was really impressive to watch because at that point in time, there wasn’t a lot of driver-owners that had had success in the sport.. very few. And I thought it was really cool to see a guy come in; kind of stick his neck out in certain areas, whether it be financially or just from a sheer time standpoint and being spread thin. I think being an owner and a driver can probably do that to you. I’ve never experienced it, but I would imagine that is a factor, and I always thought it was really cool that he went out and did that; had success with it and made it work. So yeah, you hate to see him go, just because I think the overall health of our sport wants and needs healthy race teams. They’ve been a healthy race team and I hate to see that. But I think they’ve had a solid legacy. Anytime you have something end like that, it’s really easy to forget all the good that went on and just look at what’s happened in the past year or whatever. But I still admire their efforts to go and be what they’ve become. Being a top tier team in NASCAR, that’s a hard thing to do and they did that.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 5, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you go out and win a championship with all that’s going on off track?

“I think it’s pretty simple. Just need to prepare the best you can and do the best you can on Sunday. I think, you know, it’s more of a question for my team and I would ask them ‘has your driver never not been prepared? Has he never given 100%?’ Never. I’ve certainly talked about it, probably a year or so ago when it came down to this and I became more comfortable with what the result was. No matter what, whether I win a championship or not, I’m going to make sure I can sleep at night knowing that I gave it my all for my team. Certainly, there’s been some circumstances over time that I haven’t been able to control, but to not let those situations affect me. Certainly, this is a situation I can control and I give the team the proper preparation and make sure that when I get in the race car on Sunday, they know through my actions on the track that I’m 100% in it and focused.”

Were you part of the group that walked the new ROVAL layout and how different is the new section and your strategy for those corners?

“Yes, I was there. I think it’s set up for chaos, truthfully. I think that they were very strategic, making sure to put us to a decision what might be fast, the normal racing line will be fast, but there will be an option to short cut it and just wipe out whoever’s in front of you. Whatever reason would we have changed it, other than to create more chaos and things like that. And I certainly think it’ll be that way.”

What has been the reaction with the current lawsuit of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports v. NASCAR?

“You know, I feel like the reaction has been positive on our end. Of course, I think that (pause). My Jordan (Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing) sent me an awesome clip from ‘The Moneyball,’ where John Henry was saying ‘the first one through the wall always gets bloodied.’ But, in the end, it’s because you’re threatening the status quo and threatening people’s jobs and things like that. I hope it’s not seen that way, just seeing that this is certainly an opportunity for us to try to promote change in the sport that’s positive for everyone. And that’s teams, drivers, fans, everyone. I feel like, certainly on our end, that’s actually been good for me. This is not like just one day, we woke up and said ‘this is going to happen.’ This has been on the plate for a while. And certainly, from my standpoint, it’s provided more relief for me to put more focus on the No. 11 car and everything I have to do there since it’s out, done and now there’s other people out to speak on it, from the legality standpoint.”

Do you know what the recent bad finishes of the No. 45 team could be attributed to?

“Yeah, they’re just in a little slump right now and I can’t emphasize enough how much the sport has ebbs and flows of that. We (No. 11 team), in the spring, we were knocking good finishes down, leading laps and winning races. And then all of a sudden, in the summer, nothing changed from a speed standpoint, our results were just horrendous and for various reasons. And during that time, the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) had very, very good results. They were getting, and you can see it from a statistical and analytical point of view, they were getting finishes that were better than their speed at times. Now, again this sport, you have these ebbs and flows and you’re not always going to be the fastest, but it just seems like the averages are now working themselves out. And, certainly, some of it too is the schedule and certainly these tracks that we’ve run. Four races in the Playoffs, it’s just hard to get results. That’s why you’ve seen people and some of the underdogs in the Playoffs being some of the top point scorers as this format itself creates chaos. And then when you throw in tracks like you have, you’re just going to see a random lottery ball come out at times. Some time, it may call your number, maybe it doesn’t.”

How does this week/weekend compare to chaotic situations you’ve dealt with in the past?

“Yeah, I would say Dustin (Long, NBC Sports), that they’re pretty similar. If it was personal issues in the past or rivalries with other drivers, that always takes a certain amount of time of focus, right? But I’ve also always been one of those that doesn’t want to be consumed with this 24 hours a day, like the driving aspect. I would get burnt out if I raced as much as Kyle Larson or Kyle Busch. That’s just not my style of coming out here and competing. Make no mistake, the competitor in me, you don’t think I don’t want to come out here and win this weekend more than any? That’s what I fuel myself on, making the 18-foot on hole 18 to win the match. Like, I live for those moments. So, certainly, anyone that knows me personally will tell you that these moments, you’ll typically get more out of Denny because I hate to lose and certainly will not justify any excuses to losing. And so, I’m going to give it all I can, and to answer your question directly, it’s very similar and a big thing, when you think about it. But this isn’t a responsibility I’m taking all myself, right? We have a team that handles this now and they’re now speaking upon it and acting upon it. Really, the work’s been done on my standpoint, you just let them do their work and things will work themselves out.”

Is there anything else you must do for your team this weekend?

“Of course. I think Chirs (Gabehart, crew chief) is a great leader for our team. He makes sure that I’m prepared and no matter what, I’ve had many things conflicting on my schedule for quite some time. But always, if a request comes for the No. 11 team, it supersedes anything else. Chris will tell you I’ll cancel anything I need to cancel to make sure the No. 11 team gets what they need from me first. And like this week, going to Charlotte (Motor Speedway) and checking out the track (ROVAL), hours before a big moment, it doesn’t matter. That’s what they needed from me, getting my eyes on it and processing it. What do I need? What are we going to fight here? That’s part of the process of being good in this sport, and I’m going to make sure I give that.”

How do you go about the lawsuit situation where it doesn’t become a lose-lose situation for all sides?

“Yeah, I’m not really sure and can’t speak to that part of it. I think it’s been stated in statements by Michael Jordan that he loves NASCAR. We’ve obviously invested heavily in NASCAR and reinvested what I got out of this sport as a driver back into it as an owner. Certainly, we love the sport, just would love to see change as well.”

With all the financial commitment 23XI Racing has made to the sport, do you think it’s been appreciated by the other side?

“Probably not.”

Does your strategy tomorrow depend on where you start?

“I don’t think so. No. From the No. 11 team’s approach, certainly, we feel we’re in a spot where we’re going to do like most teams and go out there and race and try to race upfront and live with the result. If we have a bad result and get crashed, that’s part of superspeedway racing. Certainly, you would see from the outside, they learned their lesson from Atlanta, but Atlanta was very unique in the sense I had the ability to go up there and race without being crashing myself and others, so I stayed out of there until that time came at the very end. Here, at Talladega, handling is not going to be as big of an issue. So, I think, certainly, my strategy is going to be put the gas down. Again, there’s going to be situations where fuel mileage is going to be a thing and what not. But yeah, I think my strategy, whether I qualify first or last, will be the same.”

How does your driving style here change in this car vs the old car?

“Not even close. I wish that I felt like I had a bigger role in what our result would be this weekend. Obviously, all the things I’ve learned from Dale Earnhardt Jr. And Tony Stewart, some of the greats I’ve watched make moves and make runs, it’s just a different world today and more about where the spotter tells you to go, as they can see the bigger picture and make sure you’re staying in the right line. And at that point, yeah it does come down to some good techniques if you’re in those first three or four cars, but the days driving from the back to the front are over. You just have to do the best you can to execute and it’s just the biggest name of the game on this track now.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

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

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway… Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in the inaugural Talladega 500 on September 14, 1969. As an owner, Childress has won 13 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Talladega. Kyle Busch became the latest RCR driver to win in the Cup Series at the Alabama speedway when he captured the GEICO 500 at Talladega in 2023. Clint Bowyer won twice for RCR (fall races in 2010 and 2011) while Kevin Harvick won the 2010 spring event. Dale Earnhardt earned nine Talladega wins under the RCR banner, his first coming in 1984. Earnhardt scored his 76th and final Cup win in the 2000 fall race at Talladega which earned the team and a lucky fan each a $1 million bonus from the series sponsor. Other victories by Earnhardt include a sweep of both races in 1990 and 1999, plus 1991 (July), 1993 (July) and 1994 (spring).

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway… Richard Childress Racing has two Xfinity Series wins at Talladega, most recently by Jesse Love in April. Two-time Xfinity Series Champion Tyler Reddick gave RCR its first Xfinity Series victory at Talladega in 2019 when he drove his No. 2 Chevrolet to Victory Lane. RCR has won four consecutive pole positions at Talladega, three by Austin Hill (fall 2022, 2023, and spring 2024) and one by Jeffrey Earnhardt (spring 2022).

Big Power on the Drafting Tracks… ECR has been dominant at the drafting tracks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Talladega Superspeedway). In the five races entering Talladega, ECR teams have four wins, four pole positions and have led 425 laps (62.68 percent) and 843.14 miles (60.39 percent) in those races. ECR powered a sweep of the top-three finishers in the most recent drafting track event in Atlanta last month (Austin Hill-Parker Kligerman-AJ Allmendinger).

Catch the Action… The United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on Saturday, October 5, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on Sunday, October 6 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. The race will be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… In the 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, Austin Dillon has two top-five and five top-10 finishes with a career-best finish of second in the spring of 2022. The 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion has made four starts at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning one pole (2015) and a career-best finish of third among three top-10 finishes. In two NASCAR Truck Series races at Talladega, Dillon has two top-10 finishes.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

You’ve won on superspeedways. What kind of race do you expect we will see at Talladega Superspeedway?

“I have Talladega Superspeedway circled on my calendar. I love racing there and can’t wait to get on track in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off-Road Chevrolet. At Talladega, there’s a lot of movement in the draft, the packs are big and wide, and with the way this package works, there is more two-lane racing around the bottom. You can do certain things throughout that race to put yourself in a better position, but it’s one of those tracks you go into knowing that there’s probably a 75 percent chance that you could be in a wreck. You have got to be in the right place at the right time for the right run. A lot goes into it. Depending on what people pull out, you can get too far forward on that last lap and that will put you in the position to black lanes, and sometimes that turns into a mess.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… Kyle Busch will make his 39th NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. Busch won the 2023 spring event at the Alabama track, after stretching his fuel mileage to perfection and scoring the victory in NASCAR Overtime. The driver of the Lucas Oil Chevrolet claimed his first win at Talladega in 2008, when he paced the field for 12 of the final 15 laps to secure the victory in his seventh Cup Series start at the 2.66-mile facility. Busch has two NASCAR Truck Series wins at Talladega (2009, 2010) and one win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2011).

Drafting Track Performance… Busch has performed well on drafting tracks during the 2024 season. The Las Vegas native is tied for the most top-10 finishes (three), led a lap in all five races, and piled up the fourth-most points (162) in those events.

Stat of the Week… Busch has led a lap in 30 of 38 – including the last seven consecutive – Cup Series events at Talladega Superspeedway.

Lucas Oil’s Role as a Technical and Development Powerhouse in Motorsports at RCR and ECR… Lucas Oil has contributed first-hand to the many on-track successes of one of NASCAR’s legendary race teams since 2014. Lucas Oil’s resources and expertise, including R&D, technical development and support, have provided a competitive on-track advantage that has equated to RCR’s more than 20 trips to Victory Lane over the past decade. All RCR NASCAR Cup and ECR engines rely on the best performance motor oil in NASCAR: a direct result of joint research and development. The same success that Lucas Oil and RCR/ECR have found at the highest levels of motorsports, has been successfully transferred to grassroots racing efforts throughout the country. And all team operations rely on the full line of Lucas Slick Mist appearance products – from metal polish to speed wax and detailers – to keep all types of vehicles looking their best. To learn more about Lucas Oil, visit lucasoil.com.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

Would you like to see NASCAR add a practice session at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway? Are you okay with the current format?

“I am perfectly okay with the current format of going straight into qualifying and then to the race at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway. I do, however, think that a practice session at Atlanta Motor Speedway would be beneficial to everyone to make sure they have their heights correct and their car balanced because there’s not really any simulator work for Atlanta.”

How mentally draining is the racing at Talladega Superspeedway for a driver?

“I would say the racing at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway is more mentally taxing than physically demanding. The mental aspect comes in with riding in line, saving fuel, and paying attention to everything going on around you while you’re trying to make the right moves, while getting yourself in position to strategically get stage points and a great finish on the day.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… Jesse Love has made one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, claiming his first series victory at the Alabama track earlier this season. Love started from the second position, led a total of 28 laps, and secured Whelen’s first primary victory. In addition, the Menlo Park, California native has participated in one ARCA Menards Series event in April 2023. During that race, Love qualified in the second position, before leading 35 of 74 laps and claiming victory.

Defending Race Winner… For the first time in his career, Love enters Talladega Superspeedway as the most recent Xfinity Series race winner.

Top-10 Streaking… With a ninth-place result at Kansas Speedway, Love extended his top-10 streak to five consecutive races. The 19-year-old accomplished this same feat earlier this season, capping off the five consecutive top-10 finishes with a win at Talladega Superspeedway.

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

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

Did winning at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this season help or hurt your season?

“Winning the race earlier this season at Talladega Superspeedway was huge for not only myself, but for our entire No. 2 team and everyone at Whelen. That group had been so close so many times, so I knew winning a race was something I needed to do this year. To win so early in the season was a boost for our team, but it also hurt me a bit too. I had all this confidence that I was going to win four more races this season and make a run at the regular season championship. I stopped focusing on the execution and started focusing solely on the results. With that came making mistakes and not maximizing our day, which probably played a role in our downward trajectory in the middle portion of the season. About a month ago though, I reset myself and got focused for the Playoffs. I told myself to go run 10th today and take what the car will give you. Once I did, we got back on the path, and I feel like we have a shot to make it to Phoenix Raceway.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… Austin Hill has made five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, but never captured the checkered flag at the Alabama track. The Winston, Georgia native has claimed three poles and led a total of 182 laps in the last four events, all while piloting the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Hill has also participated in five NASCAR Truck Series events, securing a best finish of sixth in 2019.

Four in a Row? Hill has earned the last three pole positions (fall 2022, spring 2023, spring 2024) at Talladega Superspeedway and on Saturday, the 30-year-old will look to make it four in a row.

Superspeedway Dominance… Hill has captured the victory in three – February at Daytona International Speedway and twice at Atlanta Motor Speedway – of the five Xfinity Series drafting races in 2024.

Women in the Driver’s Seat… In celebration of female truck drivers, the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet will proudly carry a special pink tribute to the ladies who succeed in a male-dominated industry. As a woman-owned company since 1974, founder and CEO, Marcia G. Taylor, started the Women in the Driver’s Seat program to advance women in trucking and logistics careers. The four pillars of the program are to Be Resilient, Be Steadfast, Be Courageous, and Be Fierce. Over 40 guests, including the Women Drivers of Excellence honorees, will be on site at Talladega Superspeedway to support Hill. Visit womendrivebennett.com to learn more and apply today.

About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

What is it about superspeedway racing that suits your driving style?

“Superspeedway racing in general has treated me very well. It starts with having a great team and engine with everyone at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines. Our Chevrolets are really good, but even with having a fast car, you, as the driver, have to know what to do with it. The more I think about it, I really think it stems from the relationship that my spotter, Derek Kneeland, and I have. We know when to make the moves and when not to make the moves. We try to learn early in the race of what moves may work for when the pay window opens up at the end. At a place like Talladega Superspeedway, the track will race differently depending on the weather. It is still superspeedway racing at the end of the day, but the way that runs are generated are always different. You have to have an open mindset of the things that have worked in the past may not work this time around, and if it doesn’t work, we are going to try something different.”