AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CAMARO ZL1 – Fastest Chevrolet in the final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practiceYOU HAVE A REALLY FAST CAR THIS WEEKEND. HOW DO YOU FEEL AFTER THAT PRACTICE SESSION?“Well, the car has got speed we’ve just got to do a better job of making it hold on right now."
The fastest Ford in final Cup series practice was Clint Bowyer. The driver of the No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, has shown speed all weekend and met with media members after the final practice to assess his team's chances for victory on Sunday.
At a track known for making history, Aric Almirola did something on Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway that he hadn’t done in nearly seven years: win the pole for a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.
RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway and discussed his JTG team and their outlook for the season, tendencies of the new aero package, racing this weekend for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity series and many other topics. Highlights from media scrum session:
The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, February 24 at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang -- Qualified 1st - HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO POST A 30:55 IN THE THIRD ROUND AFTER TWO LAPS ON TIRES? “Sneaky. You know, we knew our car had a lot of raw speed in it and through the rounds the adjustments that Johnny was making kept making our car a little bit better."
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Little Hug Fruit Barrels Ford Mustang - Qualified 2nd “We made some big improvements the first run. We were 18th but our engineers really made a lot of adjustments to get us to where we needed to "
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Little Hug Ford Mustang -- ANY FALLOUT FROM THE INCIDENTS ON TRACK LAST WEEK? “I haven’t really talked to anybody. I think there were a lot of people mad or saying things on the radio that we saw this week. I don't really appreciate it. I feel like I do everything that I have to do to make sure our car stays in the front. We led the most laps of any of the other Ford drivers and yet they all want to run their mouths. I feel like we did what we had to do to stay up front and keep good track position. Читать дальше...
Leavine Family Racing driver Matt DiBenedetto was made available to the media in Atlanta:
MARTIN TRUEX JR, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Will qualifying be different at a track that has more grip than Atlanta does?
Talk about how the week has gone as a two-time Daytona 500 winner.“It was good. It was definitely busy right up until practice to be honest with you. It seemed like this time was a lot fuller week than the previous one. That or I was just sober for it, one of the two.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway and discussed racing at his home track, the new rules package, his new interest in photography and many other topics. Highlights from media scrum session:
Defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano hasn’t won a Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but Logano has plenty of memories at the storied 1.5-mile oval.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed the new rules package and his expectations at Atlanta Motor Speedway and other tracks, how Daytona Speedweeks went with his new crew chief, Kevin Meendering, the Boston Marathon, and more. Full Transcript:
DAVID RAGAN, No. 38 FireAde Ford Mustang -- THE LOCAL FAVORITE. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE HOME? “I thought you were going to ask how many speeding tickets I got down here. I love coming home to Georgia. It is still home to me. To be here is a great feeling. I love the race track. If you would pick this place up and move it in the middle of the country I would still enjoy racing here."
Kevin Harvick isn’t sure how to tackle Atlanta Motor Speedway in his bid for a second consecutive Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 victory. The 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion led a race-high 181 laps in winning last year’s event, but Harvick faces a different challenge this year.
KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Mustang -- WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR WINNING BACK-TO-BACK AT THIS TRACK? “I don't really know other than the fact that it is obviously a lot different than what it has been in the past. We didn't practice any. We had some steering issues, so I don't really have a lot of answers for direction. We will be able to tell more tomorrow.”