A lot of the talk with drivers this week was about lessons they were taught the hard way on the track. Apparently Kevin Harvick tried to teach something to Joey Logano on the final lap of the Scotts Turf Builder 300 as Harvick spun Logano battling for fifth in the Nationwide Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“He kept chopping down on me … and it just worked out the way it did,” Harvick said after his fifth-place finish. “I don’t feel like he gave me any room.” Continue reading ‘Joey Logano wondering why Kevin Harvick spun him for fifth in Nationwide race at Bristol’

Justin Allgaier held off Penske teammate Brad Keselowski at the end of Saturday’s Scotts Turf Builder 300 to earn his first career Nationwide Series win in his 43rd start.

“That battle with Brad at the end was awesome, and I couldn’t have been happier at the end to see two Penske cars up there running for the win,” Allgaier said in his first visit to Victory Lane. Continue reading ‘Justin Allgaier wins Nationwide race at Bristol’

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL COME OUT OF THE MEETING TOMORROW BETWEEN CARL (EDWARDS) AND BRAD (KESELOWSKI)? “There are a lot of things that could come out of it. Obviously there is a pretty deep history it seems like between the two of them. Hopefully they can get things squared away and not get everybody else involved in what is going on.”

HOW CLOSE DO YOU THINK EVERYONE WILL BE WATCHED ON SUNDAY? “I think most everybody is tired of hearing about it from our standpoint. I mean, that is what I think about it.” Continue reading ‘Bristol interview with Kevin Harvick’

WHEN NASCAR SAID ‘HAVE AT IT’, WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU? “I didn’t really think much about it to be honest. I pretty much have been doing what I’ve been doing for 11 years and I really wasn’t going to change what I’ve been doing anyway.”

IF A DRIVER IS 100 LAPS DOWN, SHOULD HE BE PARKED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY? “No, because they’re out trying to get points too and every point counts whether it’s trying to make the Chase or stay in the top 35 in points, and for visibility for the sponsors. That’s an important part. Plus, fans want to see race cars on the race tracks. So no, they shouldn’t be parked.”

DID THE WING LOOK GOOD ON A STOCK CAR AND DO YOU THINK IT’S GOING TO LOOK BETTER WITH THE SPOILER? “Who cares? We’re not going to have it next week. It doesn’t matter. I didn’t really think much about it. It’s a race car and not a show car. So I didn’t think much about it. Continue reading ‘Bristol interview with Tony Stewart’

HAVE YOU HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH BRAD KESELOWSKI: “He’s a great driver; he’s a great talent and he’s going to do great in the Penske cars. He’s got to stand up for what he feels is right for himself and his race team. But you just don’t turn off a garage area as fast as he has for no reason. So he’s got to work on that in my eyes. Continue reading ‘Bristol interview with Jimmie Johnson’

YOU’RE COMING OFF AN IMPRESSIVE WIN TWO WEEKS AGO IN ATLANTA. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS COMING INTO BRISTOL? “It feels good to be back at the track, especially on an oval track. I spent my off week at a straight race track down at the Gator Nationals (Gainesville, Fla.). I had a lot of fun with our Dodge Challenger. To win at Atlanta on an off week the week before, you get to carry that all the way through for an extra week. It’s neat for the guys and our sponsors, for everybody to enjoy. Not only winning on an off-week, but winning early in the season does a lot for us to bump the whole atmosphere at Penske Racing. To know that we’ve done good things during the offseason and then of course, to quiet some of the critics knowing that we were going to be the only Dodge team out there, that felt great to get them to victory lane. Continue reading ‘Bristol interview with Kurt Busch’

AT THE END OF THE RACE YOU WON’T SEE THAT WING ANYMORE. ARE YOU GOING TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP TAKE THE WING OFF, OR DID YOU KIND OF GET ADAPTED TO USING THE WING? “I never had a big issue with the wing. I guess it wasn’t mounted on the car the way that wings on racecars should be mounted, but that wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m looking forward to the spoiler and using that on the car because I think we’re going to have more down force. It helps with our valence, as well–that’s good. The fans like it–that’s good. I see a lot of positives, so I am looking forward to that.” Continue reading ‘Bristol interview with Jeff Gordon’

TALK ABOUT RACING HERE AT BRISTOL THIS WEEKEND: “First of all, I would like to say something about Jeff Byrd. His absence this week is certainly being felt. He is one of those people that when you come to his race track, it is like coming to his house. He always wants to make you feel like you are welcome, like a guest at his house is honestly how I always felt whenever I talked to Jeff. He has done an incredible job with the fans here and his presence will be missed this weekend. I know he will be back strong in the future and it will be good to have him back.” Continue reading ‘Bristol interview with Jeff Burton’

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO COME OUT OF THE MEETING WITH CARL AND BRAD TOMORROW (TODAY)? HOW WILL THEY RACE EACH OTHER? “I think they’ll race each other fine. I think Carl showed he didn’t like the way Brad has raced him in the past, and I think they’re probably good to go now.”

DO YOU THINK NASCAR WILL WATCH ALL OF YOU GUYS ANY CLOSER AS A RESULT? “I don’t think so. I think the neat spot NASCAR is in, and they actually do look at it seems like, is individuals and how they actually race each other and how they race other people. In that situation, you can look at the two guys and what’s gone on in the past, and maybe what one of the guys has done to other cars, and that’s just kind of the way it is. I think they made the right call there, and I think they look at other people the way they need to look at them.” Continue reading ‘Bristol interview with Kasey Kahne’

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion

HOW DID THINGS GO IN THE MEETING? “Everything went really well. I think the biggest thing coming out of that meeting is that now, I think, Brad and I understand one another a little better. I think we’re gonna be able to just go forward and go racing, and that’s what this is all about. It was really cool to be able to talk with Jack and Roger and Brad all at once. We laughed. We cried. In the end, I think it’s gonna be good.”

WHAT HAS THIS WEEK BEEN LIKE FOR YOU? “This last week was really good, actually, for me. I got to spend a lot of time at home, but I guess this is just part of life and part of the way things go, especially with the way the media works. Sometimes people don’t understand everything that’s going on. It’s interesting, I’ll say that.”

WHAT DON’T PEOPLE UNDERSTAND? “Well, for instance, with what happened at Atlanta. It’s very hard for people to understand that the result is far different from the intent. Things can be presented in a lot of ways, but I guess that’s just part of it. What’s most interesting to me is that sometimes it’s about selling ad time or newspapers and it’s not about explaining the story.” Continue reading ‘Quotes from Edwards, Keselowski, Penske, Roush’

The big meeting between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski ended with both drivers smiling as they left NASCAR’s office. Edwards, Keselowski and their car owners met for about 40 minutes Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway with top NASCAR officials. Edwards intentionally wrecked Keselowski two weeks ago at Atlanta as retaliation for earlier contact. Continue reading ‘NASCAR-Edwards-Kelesowski meeting – all smiles’

STARTING LINEUP:

POS CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR SPEED TIME BEHIND
1 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot 124.630 15.396 Leader
2 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 123.857 15.492 -0.096
3 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 123.850 15.493 -0.097
4 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 123.817 15.497 -0.101
5 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 123.698 15.512 -0.116 Continue reading ‘Logano wins pole at Bristol’