Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LOUDON, NH (June 22, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you feel more relaxed now that you’ve made your decision?
“I feel like I’m pretty relaxed generally? (laughter) I don’t know. I guess. If it comes off that way, sure. I feel relieved after I finally made a decision after thinking about it for two years. I guess, yeah.”

Would a win this weekend mean anything more?

“I think winning here in general is a really big deal. Last year was just huge for me personally. My family – what this place has meant to us over the years, so to finally – it was a frustrating thing to come here year after year after year – and feel like it got away again, so many times we were in position to win, or we were right there leading laps and things. It has always been a really good track for me and just not having that win for so long was really, really frustrating, so yeah, it was a really, really big one last year and I think to be able to go back-to-back would be awesome. That is what we are looking to do, and we are excited to be here. The guys are fired up and I feel good about it. I’m looking forward to going out there in practice and seeing what we’ve got.”

What did the first win at Furniture Row at Pocono mean?

“At that point, we were still a young team and things were feeling like they were coming together. We had been in position to have a chance to win a few races that season, up to that point, so it was really good to get to get our first win together. It was a big deal for all of us. I think it just kind of got the ball rolling for us, and in 2014, everybody knows how bad we struggled. It was a huge deal for all of us, and for Barney (Visser) – being his second win. The first time that we were competitive each and every week and we were up front a lot, leading laps and doing a lot of good things, so it was cool to check that off the list and who would have thought how the next few of years would have gone. It was an incredible run and the start of a really special group.”

When you look back at Nashville last year, what do you remember?

“It was a good race. We had a really strong car at times, at times, I just remember being really free and losing the lead and getting the car better at the end and tracking down Ross (Chastain), and I just couldn’t find a way around him, so that was a little bit of a frustrating race, because I felt like we had the car to beat – we just didn’t put it all together at the right time. I’m looking forward to going back. It is a fun track. It has been really good the last few years.”

Is there any changes from last season and the win here that can give you some momentum?

“I think it is going to be different. The tires are a little different from what I hear. The short track package is different, so I think for us, we have still kind of been searching a little bit, I think, to figure out the package and to get the feel in the car that I’m looking for. Last year, at Iowa, we never quite got it where we needed it, and then, of course, I sped on pit road, but in general, for us, the short track package – we’ve been off a little, and we’ve been kind of searching for that. The 20 (Christopher Bell) has been really good on the short tracks with this package, so we’ve kind of been looking at that and kind of trying to figure out what we are not quite doing right, but the last two years coming here, we’ve been really, really strong, so I have a lot of optimism that we will be able to do that again, but it is going to be different for sure, but weather today, compared to tomorrow is different for sure. We need to have a good day today for a pit selection and a good starting position, so hopefully, it goes well.”

What is your favorite thing about the track surface here at New Hampshire and do you have any advice for any new drivers coming into this race?

“Well, this place is tough. There is no doubt about it. It has changed a lot over the years, since they redid it. I think it was 2002-ish, when they did the progressive banking, new pavement in the corners – all of that stuff. It has just changed so much since then. It has gotten really bumpy. It has lost a lot of grip. Last year, we saw lane three and lane four come in with the old pavement, way up high, which was quite the shock. It is going to be different again this year. I think that is the biggest challenge. It is really bumpy. It is very slick. It is a technical track, all of those seams between each lane is probably the biggest obstacle to deal with. It can really mess up a lap. It is a hit your marks kind of track. You have got to be spot on, so I always look forward to that challenge, but memory wise – a lot, a lot of good memories. One of my first ones was watching my dad win his first Busch North race on TV. I was at home. I was madder than hell that I wasn’t here. My dad just won a race on TV. It was the coolest thing ever – I’m just a kid. Just a lot of memories coming up here and trying to make my way into higher levels and whatnot. Just a lot of good memories. A lot of wins and a lot of fun times.”

Would you target racing here again?

“Yeah, probably. We will see. I haven’t really looked into all of that and started the scheduling process. I’m just kind of focused on what we are doing here, but eventually, we will figure it out and it is definitely a place I would like to come back to.”

Would it definitely be for 23XI Racing?

“We just kind of started talking because he threw it out there in the media center and we’ve chatted a few times this week. A few things to figure out, but it seems like we will be able to do some races if we want, which will be awesome. Excited about that. It is really cool that Denny (Hamlin) did that and reached out this week. It means a lot to me.”

How important to do you think New Hampshire Motor Speedway is for growing talent in this area?

“It is huge. I think going back to my early days and watching a guy like Steve Park get an opportunity with Dale Earnhardt, and Mike Stefanik, who was a legend up here, getting to race in the Truck Series – things like that. It is really special. This place has really put a lot of people on the map, not just drivers, crew chiefs, crew members – you name it. We used to come here four times a year, back in the early days. It was the Daytona for the Busch North and Modified guys, and everything else. It is a special place, and it has done a lot for a lot of people.”

Have you heard from anyone this week that was really special to you?

“I’ve heard from a lot of people. This week was really kind of humbling to see the comments and it means so much to me just to hear what people think. A lot of people that I really respect and look up to have sent messages or said something in interviews, just whatever. It is really special to know that you’ve represented yourself well, your family well, your teams – all of the people I’ve worked with over the years. Really, really humbling to see that. I’m sure there will be more down the line, but it means a lot. It’s really special. It reminds you of how lucky we are to be able to do this.”

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 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th 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 26 electrified options.

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
NCS Qualifying | Saturday, June 22, 2024

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang Dark Horse met with media members at New Hampshire Motor Speedway ahead of Cup Series on-track action Saturday afternoon.

Joey Logano, No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang Dark Horse — COULD I ASK YOU TO LOOK BACK AND REFLECT ON YOUR FIRST START UP HERE AS A NEW ENGLAND GUY COMING UP TO THIS TRACK TO GET YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY? “Yeah, there are so many memories for me any time I pull into Loudoun here. Some of my first ones are just coming up here to watch, watching the Bush North Series and going camping out here with my parents. I think it was like 1996 when I came out here to watch my first time. I was 6 or 7 years old. It was a fun race to watch. I remember I was hooked after that. I was racing quarter midgets at the time, but the first time you see a professional sport as a kid, it’s magic. It’s the magic mile. It was a really special thing. And then starting my first Cup race here, it went really hard. But then getting my first Cup win here was great. I think it was back in 14 or 15 when we won here last. So yeah, definitely a lot of great memories here. And they all come rushing back as soon as we drive back into this place. Yesterday, we landed and driving in they all come back as you see the sign driving down the road and pulling into the infield.”

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE NEW DARKNESS POLICY WHERE THEY’RE GONNA SET A TIME, THEY’RE GONNA TELL YOU WHAT TIME THE RACE IS GONNA END RATHER THAN A LAP AND THEN ONCE THEY SET THAT TIME ONCE THAT CLOCK HITS THAT TIME, LEADER CROSSES START FINISH, THEN THE NEXT TIME THEY TAKE THE WHITE AND THE NEXT TIME THEY TAKE THE CHECKER. RATHER THAN GIVING YOU, SAYING LIKE, THE LAP IS GONNA END AT LAP 75. “I like that. At what point are they gonna tell us that?”

I THINK EARLIER THAN LATER, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. I’M CURIOUS, AS A GUY WHO’S ON THIS BUBBLE DOES THAT MAKE THINGS ANY EASIER AS FAR AS STRATEGY POTENTIALLY? “Yeah, I mean, the last thing you want as a competitor is to be competing and the strategy of the race dictated by the unknown. That is the last thing you want, right? But if you know, hey, the race is going to end at 8.30, whatever it is. OK, we know that. And we can play the strategy off of that. Instead of it being, well, hey, we’re going to run another 50 laps. You’re like, oh, jeez, we ought to change our strategy completely if that was the case. So if that’s something that they can broadcast, even going into the weekend, if we kind of have a general idea of when the sun’s going to go down. I’m sure if the skies are overcast and all those types of things it probably changes that number some, but I think having a ballpark idea, if there’s weather in the area and it seems like we’re going to be pushed late, what that’s going to look like is, I think, a great idea. I like it.”

NOW THAT YOU HAVE A FAMILY AND THE KIDS ARE GROWING UP, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO RETURN TO NEW ENGLAND WITH THEM? AND HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CREATE ANY MORE MEMORIES WITH THEM HERE AND I’M SURE THE GREATER NEW ENGLAND AREA? “Well, I’m hoping to create one this weekend. That would be great. But there’s still a lot of memories being made for sure. I’ve got Hudson up here with me this weekend and yeah we have fun anytime we go to racetrack it’s just more enjoyable when your kids are there especially when you win and those pictures and all that. I don’t know how much he’ll remember when he gets older anyway but I know he’s about the same age that I was when I came here for the first time now so definitely it’s a pretty sentimental thing. It’s kind of a special thing for sure.”

HOW DO YOU HANDLE THESE NEXT FEW RACES TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS? “I mean, it doesn’t really change much. It just kind of puts you, honestly, in playoff mode a little bit sooner because you’re racing as if you’re in the playoffs, right? You’re not kind of clicked in to where you’re already in. You’re just racing to get playoff points anywhere you can, right? You can’t take as big of risks on certain things because you can’t afford last week to blow a tire. Can’t afford to do it. So it definitely adjusts some of your setup choices, some of the way you drive, some of the way you call the race in general. I mean it goes through your mind, it has to go through your mind. At the same time you still know what a win’s worth, so you gotta go out there and win the race. You don’t just stay on points racing and just lay up, right? You can’t do that. But you definitely got to play it smart and not be caution to the wind type of situation. Whereas if you were locked in, you maybe go for that, right? If there was an opportunity to win the race or finish 20th versus the call that may be a solid fifth-place finish, you probably can’t afford to finish 20th right now. Some of those things have got to go through your mind. And it may change just on the speed you have in your car and stuff like that. It can go back and forth. And emotions can probably get in the middle of that when you’re making decisions on the racetrack. It’s one thing to say it here. It’s another thing to say it when your helmet’s on. But that’s just our sport. That’s the position that we’re in right now. I feel good about our chances of getting in. But it’s not as comfortable as we want it to be, that’s for sure.”

WE’RE COMING UP ON THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE SEASON. HOW DO YOU GRADE YOUR TEAM’S PERFORMANCE THROUGH THE FIRST 18 RACES? AND THEN DO YOU HAVE A HIGHLIGHT JUST FOR NASCAR AS A WHOLE THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON, YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT’S GOING ON AS A WHOLE? “Yeah I’d say for us obviously not where we want to be. We just talked about not being locked in the playoffs. At this point you kind of expect to be locked in the playoffs for the 22 team right? But you know to put a grade on it I don’t know it’s kind of hard to do sometimes because it depends on the weekends and honestly it depends on the type of track. You look at the short tracks here recently it’s hard to not say it, we’re pretty comfortable with it, feel good about our chances of winning on short tracks. The mile and a half’s don’t quite feel that way yet. A lot of work to do there, so probably depends on the track that we grade differently. And then, highlights in the season, boy, I mean, quite a few really close finishes, you know, if you look at the sport as a whole, I mean, that’s some really cool things that have happened there. I’d probably have to say the finishes, the way these things have gone, have been pretty exhilarating.”

IS IT ALMOST BENEFICIAL TO THE 22 TEAM TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND HAVING TO CLEAN EVERYTHING UP AND KIND OF FOCUS ON JUST MAKING THE PLAYOFFS? “I mean I think the team does a good job being under pressure right our team knows how to handle it because we’ve been in the playoffs so many times. We put ourselves in the Championship Four so many times that we know how to handle these situations and your backs up against the wall. It’s not ever comfortable, to your point. It’s not where you want to be. It’s not fun but it’s not out of the norm for us either to know how to handle these type of scenarios.”

DO YOU THINK THAT SHANE VAN GISBERGEN WILL HAVE AS MUCH OF AN ADVANTAGE ON YOU ALL IF IT’S DRY IN CHICAGO WHEN WE GET THERE IN TWO WEEKS? “I don’t think it will be as much of an advantage, but there’s no doubt that street courses seem to be his wheelhouse. There’s no doubt he’s good on road courses as well, like the typical road courses. He’s great at those as well, but it did seem like a street course he felt way more at home when we all felt like a fish out of water going around that racetrack. Then you added rain. It was perfect for him and he capitalized as he should. For 99% of the field that was the first time for any of us to do anything like that and we all have very limited experience of racing in the rain. We also had a lot to lose where he had nothing to lose. We’re getting another lose right like though you look at those walls. You’re like a lot of points in those walls. You look at those walls and it is like, whoa, there are a lot of points in those walls. For him, who cared? I think all those things weighed into it for sure. I think this year, now that we all have a general idea of what we’re going into, we can prepare for it. It’s hard to prepare for something when you’re blind and you don’t know what it’s going to be like. I’m sure he’s still going to have a lot more experience with this stuff than we do, but I think we’ll close the gap a lot.“

YOU MENTIONED HOW TEAM PENSKE IS AMONG THE FAVORITES ON SHORT TRACKS. WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS AT PLACES LIKE HERE, PHOENIX, GATEWAY, LAST WEEK? “I can’t tell you why. I have some pretty solid theories on why that is, but I don’t think I need to say exactly what those are. It definitely seems like it fits our package better. Whether it’s aero, engine, or setups, you can put it all together and just have a better package on these short tracks. Also the aero package is different as well. The short track rules package is quite a bit different. Somewhere in all that, we’re putting together much better than we are on mile and a half’s.”

IN REGARDS TO THE MILE AND A HALF TRACKS THIS YEAR, WHAT CAUGHT YOU OFF GUARD ABOUT THE NEW FORD DARK HORSE MUSTANG DESIGN THAT MAYBE YOU DIDN’T ANTICIPATE IN RACING ON THOSE TRACKS? “I think anytime you have a new car there’s going to be a learning curve. It’s easy to get excited because you have this new car and oh man this is going to be great, but you also have to be a little realistic and say, boy we still have to learn what this car wants. We don’t get enough practice these days or tests to go and figure out what it wants. We’re going purely off of wind tunnel numbers on how to set this car up where it wants to be. We don’t have the opportunity to really go out and A-B things over and over again to get the perfect ride height. So, how much do you trust the aero numbers that are coming in? As much as you say the wind tunnel is the wind tunnel, but there’s a lot of different things that happen there that is different than the racetrack. It’s a perfect environment. They don’t have dirty air at the wind tunnel. You can’t get the cars as low as we do here at the racetrack. So things change from the wind tunnel to real life. I think trying to understand what those differences are and how to maximize it just takes time.”

IS IT MORE IMPORTANT SINCE YOU GUYS ARE KIND OF LEADING THE CHARGE FOR FORD TO ENSURE WHOEVER GETS IN THAT 21 CAR IS THE TYPE OF DRIVER THAT CAN GIVE YOU AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE JUST LIKE BLANEY AND CINDRIC SO YOU GUYS HAVE MORE INFORMATION? Absolutely. Teamwork means more now than it ever has, back to the point that we don’t get to go testing very often or practice with any substance of where we can change things. It’s more important than ever that we work together knowing that, knowing whatever everybody’s set ups are, we all set up our cars, the process at least is the same. We go to a racetrack, we have a plan, we can talk about it after our practices here and actually learn from each other. Working together means way more now than it ever did in my past in this sport because of the way the schedules are, how the weekend schedule is, and how similar the cars are, right? Before, sometimes a lot of teams built cars differently from their shop so they weren’t even the same to start as far as bodies being hung and those type of things. Now everything is pretty much the same. You have to be able to trust your teammates feedback when you’re making your adjustments or learning from the post-race week meetings that after you go through everything. It’s just the little things that matter more than ever. The field’s closer than ever and we need that. You you need to understand that if you want to win races you have to have teammates that are going to push you and you have to understand that it is much better to finish second or third to your teammate than beat him and finish 20th. It’s just the facts of where we’re at these days. If we get into one of those grudge matches, none of us will win until it falls apart. It’s different today than it’s ever been for sure, but that’s an important key role for sure.”

CAN EXPLAIN HOW IMPORTANT QUALIFYING IS TODAY WITH THIS FLAT TRACK AND THE RAIN OF COURSE? “Qualifying is important everywhere we go. We talk about how close all the cars are. If you’re only a tenth faster than the car in front of you, you’re probably not going to get around them. So if you can start up in front of those cars, it just changes your whole day. It helps your strategy, helps your pit stall selection. So many great things happen from it, and obviously being towards the front is just safer in general. So yeah, we want to qualify good.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
New Hampshire Media Availability | Friday, June 21, 2024

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Hass Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, met with media members Friday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway prior to practice and qualifying sessions for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse — IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE YOUR FIRST NATIONAL SERIES WIN HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. WHY DON’T YOU GET TO START US AND TELL US WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU TO BE BACK HERE TODAY? “It’s always been really special for me going to New Hampshire. You know, I won a K&N race here, and then next year won that truck race here and it’s always been a fun place to go. It means a lot to win here just because of how hard it is for the teams to get the cars right around these flat corners and for the drivers to try and manage that. It’s always a place, the fans are so awesome here, it’s awesome to come back here and I think reliving that day when I first won, you know, ten years ago now, which is hard to think, is definitely pretty cool and pretty special.”

WITH GENE’S ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK, I GUESS THERE WAS ALREADY SOME PLANS WITH THE XFINITY TEAM, BUT KEEPING A CUP TEAM WAS A SURPRISE. ARE YOU HOPEFUL OR ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE PROGRAMS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE FOR NEXT YEAR? “I think for me, whenever I went back to the Xfinity Series, my goal was always to go back to Cup. So, I’ve been trying to work on what I can do to get myself better over the past year and a half. At the end of the day, you try and do as best you can and you hope it all sorts itself out. But I really don’t have much to say or anything right now that’s solidified or anything. So we’re just kind of focused on New Hampshire and trying to win here.”

I ASKED YOUR DAD IF YOU WERE A CANDIDATE FOR THAT CUP CAR AND HE TOLD ME TO ASK YOU. SO HE PUT THE ONUS ON YOU ON THIS. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A CANDIDATE FOR THAT CUP CAR OR SOME PEOPLE PREFER NOT TO RUN FOR FAMILY? “Yeah, I’d love to. At the end of the day, that’s what my career’s been, I guess. It’s always tied to that relationship. At the end of the day, I think what Gene Haas has done in this sport, it would be a dream come true to get to run that Cup car. I’m focused on this weekend and trying to figure out how to win here. But obviously for me, I’ve tried to go back to the Xfinity series, prove what I can do and try and make the most of it. And you just kind of try and hope it all sorts itself out from there.”

DOES IT BLOW YOUR MIND, THINKING BEING A 16 YEAR OLD WINNING A TRUCK RACE AND WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED AND WHAT THAT’S LIKE NOW THAT YOU HAVE 10 YEARS ON IT? “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy to think. I mean, at that time, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I was just trying to go out there and hit the gas and go fast. Hopefully you had a car underneath you that could do it. But now I think you just have so much more knowledge of what goes into it. On the bad days, you’re able to make more than most of it. So before I feel like when you’re that young it’s like if you get thrown a curveball and your truck’s not very good that weekend, you’re overall just struggling, it’s harder to know what to do to make the most of it. As a veteran you just kind of know how to grind away and make the most of a day. But that was one of those magical days where you have everything work out right, you have a great truck, and it all works out.”

I TALKED TO TY GIBBS ABOUT THIS, AND IT’S KIND OF AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC WHEN YOUR FAMILY’S INVOLVED WITH THE RACE TEAM, RIGHT? BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT IF HE’S RACING AGAINST SOMEBODY THAT HE THINKS SHOULD GET A SHOT, HE WILL SAY SOMETHING TO HIS DAD OR HIS GRANDDAD OR HIS MOM. WITH THE TWO XFINITY OPPORTUNITIES OPENING OVER THERE, DO YOU HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF INPUT BECAUSE YOU’RE THE GUY THAT’S ACTUALLY RACING AGAINST THESE GUYS IN XFINITY. “I can’t say that there’s been a huge dynamic with that, but he’ll at times ask me about some guys, you know, about who’s a good candidate for whatever it is, I guess. He’s got a lot of experience, he can handle it, you know, but I think it is a good thing where I can kind of maybe give him a little bit of feedback on things.”

AS YOU LOOK TO HOPEFULLY FILL THAT OPPORTUNITY AT THE CUP LEVEL, BACK TO BACK XFINITY CHAMPIONSHIPS WOULD BE A PRETTY BIG FEATHER IN YOUR CAP. I KNOW IT’S EARLY TO REALLY THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT, BUT COULD YOU USE A TRACK LIKE THIS WHERE YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS TO KIND OF SPRINGBOARD YOURSELF TOWARD ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP? “For sure. I always look forward to coming to New Hampshire and this is a place that’s always special coming back to. So I always look forward to it and you just hope that you have everything underneath you to go and compete for a win. I think at the end of the day we should have a shot at this weekend. Our guys are doing a great job. We just have to break through. I feel like we’re top five or so every single weekend and it’s very strange to be leading the points but also a little bit frustrated that you haven’t won yet. I think it’s coming. We just have to keep knocking on the door.”

THE PATH SEEMS TO BE LEADING YOU BACK TO THE CUP SERIES EVENTUALLY. WHAT WOULD THE APPROACH BE DIFFERENTLY NOW THAT YOU’VE HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS OF DIGEST AND LEARNED FROM WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN XFINITY? “I think at the end of the day the biggest thing is just how you communicate with your team. I think at the Cup level, the top 30 guys, you give them something underneath them that they can go fast with, give them a good car, a fast car, they’re going to go fast. The top 30 guys all have talent. It’s just how you communicate with your team to get that consistently. How you work with your team to fix problems and really be able to hone in on getting the car exactly how you want it every single weekend and consistently. So you just have to really be able to communicate with your team to try and fix those problems and I’ve tried to do that over the last year or so and really try and gain knowledge in that area.”

ARE YOU A TOP 30 TALENT IN THE SPORT? “I hope so. Yeah, I think I can definitely do it. I think when you look at what I’ve done at the Xfinity level, I think the guys that I’ve raced against that are in the Cup level now, I think there’s no reason why you can’t.”

FOR SOME ATHLETES TO HAVE MOVED FROM CUP BACK OVER TO XFINITY, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN. YOU PROSPERED. YOU WENT OVER THERE. YOU WON A TITLE. WHAT ADVICE WERE YOU GIVEN OR WHAT DID YOU SAY TO YOURSELF TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL IN THAT TRANSITION? “I think the biggest thing is you’ve got to look yourself in the mirror. You’ve got to figure out the ways that you can be better. You just can’t put it all off to the side and say that you’re good enough and that you don’t need to work on anything. You got to try and work on yourself and try and keep making gains in those areas. Cause at the end of the day, like it’s never always a perfect situation. You got to try and make the most of it and work with your team and try and fix problems. There’s very few weekends except for maybe the weekend when I showed up here 10 years ago, the truck’s just perfect. You’ve got to go out there and really work at it to make it how you want it to be. So you just got to work on those areas to keep that getting better and better.”

WHEN YOU WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT YOU WEREN’T GOING TO STAY IN CUP AND GO TO XFINITY, I’M SURE MOST PEOPLE IN SUCH SITUATIONS WOULD THINK, WELL, I SHOULD STAY HERE, RIGHT? BUT ONCE YOU GOT BACK INTO XFINITY LAST YEAR, WON A CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH TONY STEWART SAID THIS WAS THE REASON WHY WE DID THIS, DID YOU FIND ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU THOUGHT YOU HAVE SHOWN SINCE YOU GOT BACK IN XFINITY THAT WILL MAYBE HELP YOU IN A RETURN TO CUP? “I think the great thing about our Xfinity season last year, and even this year a little bit, is that it’s not easy. You know, it’s not like we go out there and win every single race just because our cars are way better than everybody’s, or I’m way better than everybody, or whatever it is. It’s not easy. The Xfinity series has 15 guys out there that can go out there and win and if you’re off, you’re gonna run 15th. So, having to really work at it and try to work with your team to get the cars better and better and better throughout the year, and have it all come together in the playoffs last year I think just showed a lot of, I think just some more maturity and being able to really work through problems and make the most of things.”

WHAT IS THAT LIKE, KNOWING THAT THERE’S FOUR, FIVE, SIX, YOU SAY 15 GUYS THAT CAN WIN ANY WEEK AND HOW ARE YOU APPROACHING THAT? “I think it’s just great for the XFINITY series. There were a lot of years when Kyle Busch would win 10 races or 12 races. I think in 2019, my last year before moving to Cup, it was me, Tyler, and Christopher Bell that won a lot of races. That doesn’t really happen anymore, I feel like. You have so many guys that the package has really stayed really similar with the cars. So I think a lot of teams have honed in on how to make their cars better and it’s equalled the field out. But I think it just makes it more competitive and I think it’s good for the series.”

IS IT ENJOYABLE? “I think so. You want to be the guy who wins 10 races a year. That would be way more enjoyable. But I think it is cool to get to go and grind it out with a bunch of guys and not have it be easy. You’ve got to go out there and really work for it.”

WOULD YOU HAVE RATHER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAD A TEAM THAT YOU COULD COMPETE IN THE TOP 15 ALL THE TIME AND KIND OF SHOW WHAT YOUR POTENTIAL WAS IN YOUR FIRST CUP STINT? IS IT A GAME CHANGER WHEN YOU’RE NOT, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO BACK, AND PROVE YOURSELF? AND MY FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS, IF INDEED, WHO ARE THE GUYS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN XFINITY RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ONE DAY BE SUNDAY DRIVERS? “I think the hard part about Cup is it’s not like there’s just a ton of them, so you take them when you can get them. It’s not like you’re going to get one every single year, an opportunity to go Cup racing. A lot of guys, you’ve got to take that shot, no matter what the car is a lot of the time. You see a lot of guys, like, say, Truex, he didn’t get to Gibbs until later in his career. Different guys that have gone that path, but at the end of the day, if you can go Cup racing, you go Cup racing. It’s definitely, it’s the place every driver wants to be and compete against the best.”

SO WHO ARE THE DRIVERS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AS THE NEW DRIVERS TO BE RACING NEXT YEAR? “You know, I think Chandler Smith does a good job. I think Carson Kvapil, obviously, he was really impressive at Martinsville and Dover. I’d have to really look at the list but that definitely kind of top of my mind, I guess.”

WHEN YOU WERE SAYING YOU NEEDED TO LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND EVALUATE EVERYTHING, LOOKING BACK AND ANALYZING WHEN YOU WERE IN CUP, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS MISTAKES THAT YOU MADE THAT YOU WOULD GIVE ADVICE TO ANOTHER YOUNGER DRIVER COMING ALONG? “I think just knowing how you need to communicate with your people. If that isn’t right, it’s just not going to work and you just have to make sure that you can go out there and really work with your team and try and fix problems the best you can. And if you’re not able to talk with your team openly and really fix those problems that’s where it gets tough. So I think that would be the biggest thing that I’d probably learn from.”

SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE?

“I guess whenever you get that feeling. That is all I can really say.”

Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LOUDON, NH (June 21, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you attribute all of the success at New Hampshire to?
“It is a very special stat, and a special opportunity I have in front of me to make it four-for-four. What I attribute it to is great cars, great teams, great pit crews, great crew chiefs. In NASCAR racing, in general, it is extremely hard because of how many people that have influence on the result. If one guy makes a mistake on your team, then you are not going to win the race and three times, it has happened where all of us pulled the rope in the same direction, and nobody made a mistake. I understand doing it for a fourth time is a tall ask, but I’m excited as a challenge.”

Would you consider this a pretty big accomplishment?

“It is awesome. I don’t think about it outside of one week a year – but it is certainly something that I’m proud of.”

Are you good to go without practice and qualifying?

“Yeah, I think I would be probably in favor of that. I know the metric has us lining up fourth, and with how the flat tracks and the short track package has been for our team, I feel like we would be really competitive right off the bat. We would have a great starting spot, more importantly, a great pit selection if it rains out, but if not, I will go out there and try to qualify for the pole. Either way, I’m completely content with.”

Are you comfortable with the new procedure if we are approaching darkness?

“I’m very, very glad that it is black and white now. There is a rule in place. It is just ironic – at Chicago and at Loudon – both times, I think those are the only two times in recent times that darkness has hindered the race, and I’ve been one of the prime culprits of it. I’m very, very happy that there is a black and white rule now, and it is nice to not have a guessing game. It is what it is.”

It’s better to race to a time versus a lap?

“I think either way is fine, as long as you know it ahead of time. Specifically, at Chicago, the race strategy was heavily dictated on the race end lap, and guys in the back half of the field just took a 100% gamble on what NASCAR was going to do, and it rewarded them because they won on the gamble, and the guys that were trying to race the race properly – to the full distance – got bit by it. Now, at least, if that situation comes up, we will all know that the race is getting white flagged at X time on the clock. I think having a black and white rule is always good.”

Does your success here make you more excited to come here?

“It definitely has me excited about the opportunity to continue my Xfinity streak and get another Cup win, but I can’t stress enough how hard it is to win any NASCAR race – with everything that goes on during the event, everyone has to do their job on the entire team, while I do have confidence that we are going to show up and we are going to have speed, and I’m going to be able to get around the race track at a good pace, that doesn’t mean success by any means. I’m confident that we are going to be in contention, and have a shot at it, but everything has to go right in order to win.”

Do you feel like you will need to take a bigger leadership role at Joe Gibbs Racing next year with Martin’s retirement from full-time competition?

“That is a good question, and honestly, I don’t really know if there is any leadership from the driver’s standpoint. Certainly, from when we get into our competition meetings, the more guys with experience will, I guess, take the role of steering the ship as far as what we need in the race cars and stuff like that. I have definitely grown in confidence telling the team what we need inside of our cars, with experience, but week-in and week-out, a different guy may lead the discussion. Every time we go into our Monday meetings, it could be whoever has a good race that week. Plenty of times it has been Ty (Gibbs), plenty of times it has been Martin (Truex) or me or Denny (Hamlin). I don’t think there really is a leadership role in that aspect, and whenever we have a new driver into the 19 car, whoever that is, their experience level will dictate how much input they will have in the team.”

Is this the time of year where you expect the racing to get more intense with people racing for the last few Playoff berths?

“This is definitely the time of year where people start thinking about the Playoff positions. If you look outside the cutline, it is very, very intense. There is a lot of talented cars and teams that are on the outside looking in, and it is going to be a battle. It is going to be a battle all of the way to the end, and the more guys that win outside the cutline, is going to make it even tighter and tighter.”

Is there any real benefit in racing on Saturday and Sunday now or are the cars too different?

“I think the advantage from Saturday to Sunday is pretty much gone. The cars are completely different, the shift patterns are completely different and the way that they react in corner – it is almost completely irrelevant from Saturday to Sunday. It is just about enjoyment and track time and it is very hard to take anything from Saturday to Sunday.”

About Toyota

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