Cup / Nationwide / Truck Press Releases

Bowyer Wins Pennzoil Victory Burnout Challenge

MICHAEL WALTRIP, DRIVE AROUND AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY,

THE AUTO CLUB 400 TROPHY, ALL PART OF NASCAR DAY!

~ All proceeds to benefit Auto Club Speedway Foundation and The NASCAR Foundation ~

~ Buy an INDYCAR ticket or give a little more and meet NASCAR’s Michael Waltrip. ~

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. -- Celebrate“2012 NASCAR DAY” at Auto Club Speedway on Wednesday, May 23 from 1:30pm – 6pm by drivingaround Southern California’s premier motorsports facility, a photo opportunity with theAuto Club 400 Trophy and for a little extra, meet NASCAR superstar owner/driverMichael Waltrip.

Paced by the Speedway’s iconic 1948 Woody and the 2012 Pace Car, participants thatmake a $20 donation will get to drivearound the 2-mile track, the very same track that NASCAR and INDYCAR stars battle side-by-side on, receive a NASCAR Unites wristbandand get aphoto opportunitywith the Auto Club 400 trophy in our temporary “Gatorade Victory Lane.”

Will compete in 2013 NASCAR and arrive in showrooms as 2014 model
 

All-New 2013 Ford Escape Set to Pace NASCAR Stable of Races at Kentucky Speedway

LOUISVILLE, KY (May 15, 2012) – Ford Motor Company rolled out its latest NASCAR pace vehicle today – the all-new 2013 Ford Escape – which will make its pace vehicle debut during the NASCAR Sprint Cup race weekend at nearby Kentucky Speedway June 28-30.

The Escape pace car was unveiled at the Louisville Assembly Plant by two-time Daytona 500 champ and Ford NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth, who was on hand to drive the vehicle for the first time as part of a media program outside the plant where the new vehicle is built.

RICK HENDRICK, TEAM OWNER, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

ON 200TH WIN FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS: "My first thought...I just left the wedding of my best friend, Steve Limentani, my doctor. Congratulations to him. I want to thank all of the drivers, all of the crew chiefs, and you (Jeff Hammond) and Darrell (Waltrip) and Geoff Bodine and everybody else. I can't believe we won 200 of these things. I can't believe it took this long after 199. I want to remember all those folks we lost. And everybody that helped this thing happen. Brad Paisley is in his bus on the way here and we'll have a big party."

MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Zest Ford Fusion – “We were pretty reasonable at the beginning of the race and then the track turned really loose on us and we got way off and was the last car on the lead lap.  We made some good adjustments and got it pretty good there at the end.  I wish it would have gone green at the end and we probably would have had fourth or fifth, but on that last restart the outside lane just got going better.  We didn’t need that last caution, but it was still a good finish for us.  We’ve really struggled here, so it was a good run.”

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Finished 15th

HOW DID YOU MAKE UP TWO LAPS AND FINISH IN 15TH-PLACE?  “I don’t know yet (laughs).  I’m going to go watch a tape of that.  I think we had a top 15 Dodge; I just tore it up early in the run.  I got loose and hit the wall pretty good.  Felt pretty lucky to get 15th out of the day.  We kept working on it and had great strategy and between the two got a great run out of it.  This is what great teams do, they rally from adversity and we were able to do it tonight.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position:  2nd

How was your car in the race?

"It was a good day for our Sport Clips Toyota.  We just didn't have quite the winning car today.  Darian (Grubb, crew

chief) did a great all right there keeping us out and give us some track position.  My pit crew kept gaining me spots on pit

road and that really helped.  We wanted to win the Southern 500, but second isn't too bad."

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Joey Logano won Friday night's NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at South Carolina's Darlington Raceway.

Brad Keselowski (No. 22 Snap-on Dodge Challenger) Finished 3rd “Well, you know this is a short race here at Darlington so you know at the end you’ve got to really fight hard.  You don’t have a lot of laps to get it done earlier than that.  I'm proud of our effort with the Snap-on Discount Tire Dodge to get a solid finish out of it.  We want to win these races so we’re going to keep pushing but this is still my best finish at Darlington and that’s progress and thankful for the hard work by everybody on my team.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – No. 6 Cargill Beef Ford Mustang – “It was frustrating.  It was a good points night because they had a bad night and not because we had a good one.  We’ve got to do a little bit

The following statement is attributable to Edsel B. Ford II, member of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company and great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company.

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Qualified 15th “This is a hell of a place to go qualify at, that’s for damn sure, but I think our Dodge was respectable.  Probably not a pole winning car but definitely strong enough to qualify in the top 15 and we ended up 15th.  I think it had a little bit more in it than what I was able to get out of it, a tenth or better, but all in all it’s something we can go race from.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Wrigley Doublemint Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

DARLINGTON, SC – May 11, 2011 – Jimmie Johnson led the way for Team Chevy in today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying session at Darlington Raceway by putting his No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet on the outside front row, in second position, missing the pole by a scant one-tenth of a second. The five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion posted a lap of 27.386 seconds and 179.566 mph.

Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown will deliver tire-smoking Memorial Day salutes on behalf of Don Schumacher Racing and its sponsors on May 27 before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Albemarle Fire Department Wins  LiftMaster Skills Competition At Charlotte Motor Speedway

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Race Winner WAS PATIENCE THE KEY TO WINNING HERE TODAY?  “At Talladega, patience is a bit of an oxymoron ‘cause you know you’ve got to go hard to win this race.  I went hard a little bit early there with Kurt (Busch) and got with him.  I want to start by saying I’m sorry Kurt if you’re watching.  Been a great friend and great teammate when I worked with you, that was the last thing I wanted to see happen, just a miscommunication on our part.  Sorry about that, but great at the end.  Great racing.  It was awesome.  I think it was a perfect combination of the tandem and the pack racing.  It just fit our Miller Lite Dodge perfect.  It was just really strong with that combo.  My guys did a great job all weekend.”

TALLADEGA, AL – (May 6, 2012) – It was a wild Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, which extended six laps beyond it’s scheduled 188, and featured five cautions. In the final quarter, three of those cautions came within 17 laps of the checkered flag, and each involved multiple cars.

KYLE BUSCH:

What happened on the final lap of the race?

"I don't know. We had a great M&M's car all day. Just a phenomenal job by this JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) bunch, they gave me a good piece and we were running up front there. I didn't think we got connected soon enough and they got away from us and then we did get connected to the 2 (Brad Keselowski) and I, drove by them and then it was just a race between him and I and somehow getting into turn three and just got disconnected from him. Once that happened, the race was over, it was all his. I'm not sure he did anything, if he did, he's pretty smart, but I think our stuff just came unplugged."

MATT KENSETH POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

TAKE US THROUGH THE FINAL FEW LAPS. “I think we had the winning car we just didn’t have the winning driver. That last restart Greg and I got together like we did at Daytona and of all the cars I raced around all day Greg was really pushing me fast. We got in front of the 2 and Kyle and as soon as we became clear it wasn’t long after that that I looked back and we were separated and those guys were outside of him. With nobody behind him he lost his speed and with me not paying enough attention during that to keep us hooked up it cost us a shot at the win, it cost Greg a shot at the win. I didn’t do a good job of managing that they way he was.”

GREG BIFFLE, No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (Finished 3rd)

“It was tough. The car ran hot a lot of the day and we had to manage the water temperature and the fuel. It was close at the end but I just wish I could have stayed on Matt’s bumper. He pulled away from me a little bit. If we could have stayed locked together it would have come down to him and me at the end but we just couldn’t stay locked up with him there at the end.”

CARL EDWARDS, No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion

PETE RONDEAU, CREW CHIEF, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/FARM AMERICAN CHEVROLET, sidelined with engine failure on lap 15: WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE? "We had an engine failure and are not sure at this point what caused it. The folks at ECR (Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines) are going through an analysis process. All was going well -- Regan started in the back, moved up to the front and then was settling in when the engine started to smoke. Very disappointing since we had high expectations today."

As race fans across North Carolina and around the world set their sights on Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 10 greatest days in racing, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman and CEO Bruton Smith outlined a program Friday that will spur friendly competition in North Carolina cities and further educational programs across the state.

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 6 Cargill/Blackwell Angus Beef Ford Mustang (Finished 3rd)

WALK ME THROUGH THAT LAST RESTART THERE. “Our plan was to just go with the 88 there. It looked like our best option. I didn’t want to be getting pushed at the line. I feel like our car was pretty fast pushing somebody it just seemed to struggle a little bit by itself. All in all it was a good day. It was cool working with Cole Whitt there, we used to race sprint cars together. He was doing everything he could to stay in line with them and we just couldn’t quite get enough there. Coming to the line I tried to swing out to get third. It was the best day for us here at Talladega and the Cargill Beef guys are here and everyone that helps us out. It was a fun race. I think the fans should have enjoyed that one.” 

Camry driver Joey Logano won Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Alabama's Talladega

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET – POLE WINNER

“Thank you. That’s quite an accomplishment. I’m just so proud of this DuPont Chevrolet team. We needed something to boost our morale and something positive because we’ve had a rough year so far. This is a surprise. We did not expect to be sitting here right now talking to you about a pole. I think it’s so ironic that we’ve got the DuPont paint scheme, which is celebrating 20 years together this year and here we sit on the pole for 20 straight years. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of and it wouldn’t happen without Hendrick Motorsports and everybody on this DuPont Chevrolet team.

MICHAEL WALTRIP, No. 55 Aaron's Color Your Way Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing

MARCOS AMBROSE, No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion (Qualified 3rd)

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

Richard Petty Motorsports made news this week with the announcement of a crew chief change on the famed No. 43 car. Mike Ford, who was most recently with the 11 car and Denny Hamlin, replaces Greg Erwin beginning this weekend in Talladega. Ford joined driver Aric Almirola in the Talladega Superspeedway media center Friday to discuss the change.

MATT KENSETH, No. 17 Best Buy Ford Fusion – TALK ABOUT COMING TO TALLADEGA.  “It is probably the most I have ever looked forward to coming to Talladega other than the first time I came here. Obviously we liked the rules package in Daytona and made it work pretty good company wide with Greg and Carl on the front row and our car seemed real fast in the race. Anything can happen here, so who knows. You can get wrecked on lap one and you never know. Knowing that our cars were fast at Daytona it makes you look forward to coming here a little bit more.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/OLD SPICE CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed the first practice, car temperatures and handling and other topics. Full transcript:

Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion, met with media members at Talladega Superspeedway after the first practice session Friday afternoon. Edwards talked about the weekend ahead and other topics.

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, met with media and discussed his season to-date, how the current point system affords everyone a chance, race conditions and weather conditions for this weekend’s Talladega race, the Kentucky Derby, and more. Full transcript:

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed racing at Talladega, his season to-date, the Earnhardt legacy at Talladega, Danica Patrick and other topics.  Full transcript:

The 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, scheduled for May 19, marks the 20th anniversary of the historic 'One Hot Night' race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.