Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race: Pennzoil 400
Date: February 23, 2020

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No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 8th
Stage 1: 17th
Stage 2: 13th
Finish: 7th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 267/267
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (behind first): 19th (-47)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski scored a seventh-place finish in the Pennzoil 400 Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Keselowski claimed his first top-10 finish of the 2020 season and his 10th in 14 Cup races at Las Vegas. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang gained 11 positions in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings to move up to 19th.

Rain washed out Cup qualifying on Saturday Las Vegas, which gave Keselowski the eighth starting position for the 267-lap, 400-mile event. Stage 1 for Keselowski had a consistent theme: a loose handling No. 2 Mustang. He was too loose to run the preferred line up against the outside wall early in the race. Keselowski pitted for four tires and adjustments during the competition caution on lap 27 and restarted sixth on lap 30. Initially the adjustments seemed to work but by lap 54 the loose condition returned, and he was struggling to turn on corner entry. He slipped back through the field and was credited with a 17th-place finish when the stage ended on lap 80. Keselowski pitted on lap 83 during the stage caution for four tires, track bar and air pressure adjustments and restarted 17th when the race went green on lap 87.

During the first run of Stage 2, Keselowski said the balance on the Discount Tire Mustang improving but still building loose and that he was struggling to get the back of the car to stick. He was running 15th when scheduled green flag pit stops began on lap 118 and pitted under green for four tires and a wedge adjustment on lap 122. The No. 2 Mustang initially took off strong after the stops but began to free back up after a handful of laps. Keselowski said the balance was improving but he was still lifting in both ends of the track. He finished 13th when Stage 2 concluded on lap 160. Crew chief Jeremy Bullins called for four tires, wedge and air pressure adjustments during a round of pit stops during the stage caution on lap 163 and Keselowski restarted 13th when the green flag waved on lap 166.

The final segment began with cautions on lap 169 and 177. Keselowski pitted for four tires under yellow on lap 178 and restarted 18th on lap 181. He picked up a handful of positions on the chaotic restart climbed back inside the top-10 on lap 193 thanks to the improved balance on the Discount Tire Ford Mustang. He was up to sixth position when a cycle of green flag stops began on lap 210. Bullins called his driver to pit road on lap 218 for a four-tire stop and two laps later Chase Elliott spun in Turn 1. The timing of the caution dropped Keselowski a lap down, but he took the wave around back to the lead lap and restarted 10th on lap 226.

Keselowski again showed speed early in the run, moving up to fifth position by lap 230. He was sixth when Ross Chastain spun on lap 263 bringing out the eighth caution on lap 263. Bullins and Keselowski decided to pit for right-side tires for the final three-lap dash to the checkered flag. He restarted eight on lap 265 and gained one position before a four-car accident on the final lap forced the race to end under yellow.

Quotes: “We had a decent run today with the Discount Tire Ford. There were times where I felt like we were the best car and then there were times where I felt like we struggled. We just didn’t quite have the long run speed all race long but we were good in the middle of the runs. I’m confident we were close to being a winning car today. I just wish I could re-run the weekend a little bit and work through a few things, but certainly learned a lot and very confident we can win races.”

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No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 7th
Stage 1: 4th
Stage 2: 2nd
Finish: 11th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 267/267
Laps Led: 19
Point Standings (Behind First): 1st (+3)

Notes:

The official box score following the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will list Ryan Blaney with an 11th-place finish but that doesn’t capture the story of how well the young driver performed on Sunday afternoon. The driver of the Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang was leading on lap 262 of the 267-lap race when the eighth caution came out. Blaney pitted during the caution for four tires but a mix of pit strategies among the leaders shuffled him back to 11th for the three-lap dash to the finish but received damage making his way back through the field, forcing the young driver to settle for an 11th-place finish. The good news is that Blaney takes over the lead in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings by three points over teammate Joey Logano.

Blaney started seventh after qualifying was rained out on Saturday and the field was set per the NASCAR rulebook. He would quickly make his way into the top-five, but soon reported to crew chief Todd Gordon the Menards/Pennzoil Ford was too loose. A competition caution on lap 25 gave Blaney the chance to pit on lap 27 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustment. He restarted fifth when racing resumed on lap 30.
Shortly after going back green, Blaney reported to crew chief Todd Gordon that the Menards Ford was on the splitter at the beginning of the run and lacked rear security as run progressed. He passed teammate Logano for fourth on lap 50 and remain there until the stage end on lap 80. Blaney pitted during the stage caution and the Menards team made significant changes including track bar and air pressure. He restarted sixth when the race went green to begin Stage 2 on lap 87.

By lap 120 Blaney was up to third as the No. 12 Menards Ford’s handling improved greatly from his first run of the day. He pitted on lap 123 for four tires, fuel and an additional air pressure adjustment. Excellent work by the No. 12 crew propelled Blaney to third during the pit cycle and then a few laps later he passed Martin Truex Jr. for second. Stage 2 would finish under caution with Blaney coming home second just behind Chase Elliott. When Blaney pitted during the stage break, Gordon continued to make track bar and air pressure adjustments along with a piece of tape on the nose to aid Blaney’s run to the finish. Great pit work by the Menards crew gave their driver the lead on lap 163.

When the race went green on lap 166, Blaney diced for the lead with Logano, Elliott and Kevin Harvick for next 51 laps. Elliott slipped by the No. 12 Mustang on lap 205 when Blaney said his Menards/Pennzoil Ford was losing front turn. He made a scheduled green flag pit stops on lap 218 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Four laps later the seventh caution of the race came out for an accident involving Elliott, giving Blaney the free pass back to the lead lap. Gordon called his driver to pit road on lap 224 for four tires. Blaney restarted third and made his charge to the front, passing Harvick for second and finding a way around Logano for the lead on lap 255.

He was steadily pulling away when the eighth caution came out on lap 263 for a spin by Ross Chastain. Gordon made the call to pit for four tires and different pit strategies among the leaders shuffled Blaney back to 11th for the final restart of the race on lap 265. Armed with fresher tires, Blaney immediately went to work moving through the field but unfortunately received damage in the process.

Quote: “It was just a tough situation for our Menards/Pennzoil team. I thought we had it once we were in clean air. The caution came out and we pitted; some guys didn’t, some guys took two tires and we just ended up getting torn up trying to drive back though the field. It’s easy to look back on it and say we should have stayed out. That’s a tough call for Todd Gordon, but I’ve got to thank him for giving me a great Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang. We were so good on long runs and that’s something to hold our heads up high about. It just stinks about the finish.”

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No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 5th
Stage 1: 5th
Stage 2: 5th
Finish: 1st – 24th career NASCAR Cup Series Victory
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 267/267
Laps Led: 54
Point Standings (Behind First): 2nd (-3)

Notes:

Joey Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe rolled the dice and hit the jackpot, winning the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon in the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Logano won for the second time in 14 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and claimed his first victory of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The driver of the Pennzoil Ford Mustang started fifth and ran inside the top-five for most of the afternoon, leading five times for 54 laps. The eighth caution with five laps to go provided an opportunity for the Pennzoil team to remain on the track and cycle to the lead. Logano survived the final restart, holding off cars with fresher tires, and was leading Matt DiBenedetto when a caution waved on the final lap, ending the race and giving Logano his 24th career victory and second consecutive win in the Pennzoil 400.

Logano started third in the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang, powering to second position before the field reached Turn 3 and was slowed by the first yellow flag. On the restart, Logano grabbed the lead powered to the lead as the field completed the fifth lap of the race. He relinquished the lead on lap 12 and reported that the Pennzoil Mustang was loose during the opening run. He dropped to the third position before the competition caution on lap 25. The Pennzoil crew made track bar and air pressure adjustments on the stop, sending Logano back out in the fourth position.

He moved back to third position before losing rear grip in the No. 22 Pennzoil Mustang. Logano was passed by teammate Ryan Blaney before falling in line in fifth position. The No. 22 Ford Mustang remained loose through the entire second run of the race with Logano finishing fifth in Stage 1. He pitted during the stage caution on lap 83 for air pressure and wedge adjustments, also adding tape to the nose of the Pennzoil Ford. Logano restarted fourth on lap 87 and ran there during the opening laps of Stage 2.

As the Logano began closing in on the third pit stop of the race, he was running in fifth position behind teammate Ryan Blaney and still searching for rear grip around the 1.5-mile Nevada speedway. Wolfe made the call to adjust the handling on the Pennzoil Mustang with air pressure. Logano pitted on lap 123 for four tires plus fuel and air pressure changes. Late in the run Logano reported that the Pennzoil Mustang had improved, with the Mustang only building slightly loose towards the end of the run. A caution with two laps remaining in the second stage locked Logano into a second fifth-place stage result of the afternoon. The team elected to make additional air pressure adjustments during the stage caution on lap 163.

Logano restarted third when Stage 3 began on lap 166, pushing Blaney to the race lead on lap 173 then battling to take the lead down the backstretch. A quick caution on lap 177 setup another restart with Logano getting a push to the lead from Ford Performance teammate Kevin Harvick and setup an opportunity for teams to invoke alternate strategies. The No. 22 Pennzoil team elected not to pit, opting to not surrender track position with only five green flag laps on the Goodyear Racing Eagles.

On the ensuing restart, Logano got shuffled to the middle lane, dropping to the sixth position and being forced to go on the offensive to regain lost track position. He rallied back to the third position in three laps, setting his sights on teammate Ryan Blaney and race leader Kevin Harvick. Logano slipped to the fourth position, reporting that the handling had progressed to the loose side again. Logano passed Harvick for third on lap 212 at the start of a cycle of green flag pit stops. Logano pitted on lap 216 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment.

As the pit cycle continued, Logano found himself side-by-side with Chase Elliott just before Elliott cut a tire entering Turn 1. Logano was trapped a lap down as other cars had remained on the track. He would take the wave around and be the third car in line for the restart on lap 226. On the drop of the flag, Logano powered the Pennzoil Ford to the lead off Turn 2, holding off Kevin Harvick.

The next challenge for Logano was facing a late charge from Blaney, who had the advantage of fresher tires. With 12 laps remaining, Blaney took the lead from Logano at the entrance to Turn 1 on lap 255 and was pulling away when the eighth caution slowed the pace on lap 263. Several lead lap cars pitted but half the others, including Logano, remaining on the track.
The decision to remain on the track put Logano in position to win the race and the driver took full advantage. Logano pulled away at the drop of the green flag and was leading when a four-car accident caused the ninth and final caution to wave on the final lap, ending the race and sealing the win for Logano.

Quote: “Winning the Pennzoil 400 with our Pennzoil Ford is so huge. It means a lot to be able to do it two years in a row winning this race. I’m proud of the effort everybody here behind me did today. They prepared a great Ford Mustang and executed the race perfectly and that’s what we wanted. We fought hard and tried to keep every spot we possibly could and then ultimately, oh man, being able to pull it into Victory Lane here.”

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 23, 2020) – Making his second start behind the wheel of Roush Fenway’s No. 17, Chris Buescher drove his Fastenal Ford Mustang to a 14th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Buescher lined up 15th on a late restart with two laps to go in the 267-lap event and was able to pick up one position during a frenzied run to the finish that saw the race end with a multi-car accident just after taking the white flag.

“We had a pretty good day,” said Buescher. “The cautions didn’t really fall our way late in the race. Several cars that we ran ahead of most of the race were able to finish ahead of us on track position there at the end and we were not able to use our tires like we would have liked. We definitely learned some things today and we’re looking forward to get back on track next week at Fontana.”

Buescher started the race 23rd – based on last year’s owner points – after Saturday’s qualifying session was rained out. He quickly moved through the field and was running 18th when the competition caution came out on lap 25. He was scored in 16th at the end of stage one and 19th after stage two. He continued to run between 15th and 20th during the race, before moving inside the top 15 during the third and final stage of the race.

Buescher and the No. 17 Fastenal team return to action next week at Auto Club Speedway (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90).

LAS VEGAS (February 23, 2020) – Ross Chastain came out of the gate strong in his debut with Roush Fenway Racing. Serving as the fill-in driver for Ryan Newman, the young driver powered his No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford inside the top-10 early, earning first round stage points. He appeared poised for a strong finish before being caught-up in a pair of late incidents and setting for a 27th-place finish.

“The car deserved a lot better finish,” Chastain said following the race. “Obviously, we showed a lot of speed early on. These guys kind of ate me alive on the restarts at times and I’d lose three or four spots. The guys gave me a really good car and we had some solid moments. I just have to be better.”

After qualifying was rained out on Saturday, the field was set per the rule book, reverting back to 2019 points which put Chastain 15th on the grid. Towards the end of the opening stage, the Alva, Florida, native moved his way forward, eventually working up to 10th by the conclusion of stage one.

He rolled off eighth for the second stage, but quickly reported he was too tight and needed more front turn in his No. 6 Ford. After the yellow came out just prior to the second stage end, Chastain completed the 80-lap segment in 15th.

Green flag stops began to cycle just after lap 210, before Chastain hit pit road at the 217-lap mark from the 15th spot. Just after his stop, the yellow came out catching a majority of the field on or leaving pit road, which resulted in the team taking a wave around to get back on the lead lap.

On the ensuing restart, Chastain fired off 21st but made contact with the No. 1 car coming to the green, which led to a tire rub and an eventual two-tire stop under green flag conditions. Chastain brought out the yellow with three to go after spinning out, before going on to finish 27th.

The No. 6 team continues the West Coast swing next weekend in California, when the NASCAR Cup Series hits Auto Club Speedway Sunday afternoon (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90).

In his second ride in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, Matt DiBenedetto finished second in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, tying his best career Cup finish and posting his first-ever top-10 on an intermediate track.

“This is all just too surreal,” a beaming DiBenedetto said in a televised post-race interview.

“Tough to be that close, but, hey, this is only the second race of the season.”

“It was the strength of this team. It’s so cool to have the backing of all the people that allow me to drive this thing. It took so many people, Motorcraft, Quick Lane.”

DiBenedetto also gave a shout out to Paul Menard, who drove the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 for the past two seasons and selected DiBenedetto to be his replacement when he decided to retire.

“Paul, I know you’re watching at home and proud and I can’t thank everyone in that whole family for this opportunity.”

DiBenedetto also expressed his appreciation to the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew and to the people who supply his horsepower.

“I’m proud to have that Roush Yates power under the hood,” he said. “This whole team, [crew chief] Greg Erwin, all of them, we were covered. It wasn’t pretty at the start, but, man, they did an excellent job.

“So happy to be working with this team, the fans. Thank you all so much. The journey has been pretty cool.”

DiBenedetto started 19th, with the line-up set by 2019 car owner points after qualifying was rained out Saturday afternoon. He steadily worked his way forward, his No. 21 Mustang driving progressively better after each adjustment on pit road.

He broke into the top 10 for the first time with 87 laps remaining, and steadily moved forward.

DiBenedetto made his final pit stop on Lap 163, but a caution flag before the cycle of pit stops could be concluded put him a lap down. Running in 11th place, he took the wave-around to rejoin the leaders and then resumed his march forward.

He took seventh place with 35 laps remaining and was running there when the caution flag flew for a spin by Ross Chastain.

Erwin elected to stay on the track when most of the leaders pitted, a decision that put the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang in third place when the green flag flew with two laps remaining.

DiBenedetto, despite having older tires than many of the drivers behind him, moved into second place and was running there when the caution flag flew just after the leaders took the white flag, freezing the field at that point. He said his team’s speed and improvement as the race went along came as no surprise.

“I knew the team has every bit of that capability,” he said. “They’re so good with Greg Erwin leading these guys. This team is phenomenal. There’s no doubt about that.”

DiBenedetto did acknowledge having a few worries early in the 400.

“It wasn’t a picture-perfect day,” he said. “We had to make huge adjustments and our communication was great from me screaming really loose and us being off to start and then dialing it in little by little every pit stop, and then getting it there at the end where I was comfortable staying out because I knew the car had great speed.”

“It was best on the long runs and we just needed a little track position because we were a little stuck in the dirty air.”

He said the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team’s performance at Las Vegas gives him optimism moving forward.

“We didn’t start off great,” he said. “But it’s good to know that we can close, make the right adjustments, do all the right things, my pit crew can do an excellent job – all the things that tie a race together.”

DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team now move to Auto Club Speedway in California for next Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

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About Motorcraft:

Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft:

Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visitwww.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
PENNZOIL 400 PRESENTED BY JIFFY LUBE
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 23, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
3rd Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL1 1LE
4th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE
5th Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE
6th Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Coke Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
9th Kyle Larson, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Joey Logano (Ford)
2nd Matt Dibenedetto (Ford)
3rd Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Chevrolet)
4th Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)
5th Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Auto Club Speedway with the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 1 at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 3rd
TAKE US THROUGH THAT CRAZY STRATEGY.
“I’m not really sure. We had all different kinds of strategy today. One of them back-fired on us and the other one paid off for us when the caution came out. All-in-all, I’m really happy with the way it turned out for our guys. We got track position, we lost it and we got it back there at the end with that caution, and stayed up there, which was nice. It wasn’t perfect, but we got some good points out of it, got a top-five finish out of it, and we’ll continue to learn what we need to work on with these cars to get better each week.”

NEW TEAM, NEW SEASON. WHAT DOES A RUN LIKE THIS DO FOR A TEAM’S MORALE EARLY ON IN THE YEAR?
“It’s good. Daytona 500 week, with qualifying and the way everything happened, I thought that was really good for us and the team. To come here, not have the best car but still finish it off with a top-five is key to keep that momentum going. We’re going to go back to the shop, make some adjustments going into Fontana and see if we can’t get our Kroger Camaro even better. We know what we need, we just need to keep working.”

WITH THAT OPTION TO STAY THERE, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
“You know, Brian (Pattie, crew chief) is just really good at calling races and he apologized for that one. That one backfired on us, that second run. We got good track position and then we stayed out a little too long and gave up that track position. So, then we were fighting, kind of all race, to get it back up and he went long again and it paid off with the caution. Our Kroger Camaro was good. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but we know what we need to work on now and it was cool to get a good, solid run in this Camaro for everybody at JTG Daugherty racing. I’ve got to thank everybody that works hard on this car. So far, so good. In two weeks, we’ve been fast last week. We weren’t bad this week and we know what we need to work on and I know Brian and the boys will tune it up.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER OFFROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th
“We just needed some track position. Everybody is just really close. You can tell by how many cars are on the lead lap at the end of these races; it’s nuts. NASCAR did a great job to get these cars where they are. It is crazy racing out there. We saw those guys hit pit road. We were running the same lap times at the beginning of the tires to the end, so that was our best move. Luckily, we got the outside. Our teammate was doomed on the bottom. The bottom just seemed to lose spots all day unless you were the leader. I just want to thank all of our sponsors; American Ethanol, Bass Pro Shop, Dow, everyone that helps this team. It’s been a lot of fun.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 5th
“It was a strong day. With about 15 to go or so, I got into the outside wall and lost some spots. But we didn’t have a strong enough tire rub to cause any problems. We put rights on before that final restart. Chaos was happening in front of me and I was able to sneak through to get a top-five finish.”

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU OVERCAME TODAY?
“We’re trying to just understand this new Camaro body and the setup that needs to go with it. We’re close, but there’s still a little bit more work for us to do on our car to get the balance between the clean air and the traffic closer. But for the first try on a downforce track, the guys did a really nice job.”

“Behind the scenes, I could just see how things were coming together. Largely, the effort Chevrolet put in to this Camaro body. The fact that three big Chevrolet teams worked so closely together to get the smartest people in the room to get the best body on this race car. Also, the other piece is Cliff Daniels. He didn’t have much time last year to get up to speed. Watching him through the off season, seeing where his mindset was, I knew we were going to start the year strong. It’s going to be a good year.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE STRONG FINISH BY THE CHEVROLET’S?
“It’s really rewarding to see. Last year when we left here, we had quite the opposite feeling and were pretty worried about what the year was going to hold for us. So, it’s really nice to have that change of perspective now. There’s a lot of Chevy’s up front, one of our Hendrick cars led for a while. So, we’re going the right way.”

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 COKE ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 6th
“We had a shot at a good finish and we capitalized on that. All-in-all, it was a good day and a win for us. It was just a good gamble call. We were terrible on restarts. It would take us ten or fifteen laps just to get going and get the car underneath us. Then, we could start fighting our way up there. There were frustrating moments over the radio, just trying to make this Coke Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE better. I know how I lose my cool a little bit, but one of the main reasons I brought Jerry Baxter in was to calm me down and show that light at the end of the tunnel. Every time I fired back, he said ‘I get it, you’re fine, we’re going to be fine’ and he was right. It was a good call by the team and everyone involved. Coke Energy, I appreciate them coming on board for this race. It was a great outing and it shows like we were running on some Coke Energy out there.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9th
“I fought the balance a lot early in the race. It got better, but then we had some cautions there at the end, I would be on cycled tires and the balance would get really tight. All-in-all, it was a top-ten here and I feel good about that.”

TALK ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CHEVROLET’S.
“It’s still early, but I think the Hendrick cars were really good. I felt about the same as last year. So, we just have to continue to get better.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 10th
“I’m just really happy with our GEICO Camaro. We got pretty tight through the middle of the race, so we started freeing it up and freeing it up. We just needed an opportunity to get some track position back there. Things went our way on that restart. I was able to find some holes and finally got aggressive there at the end. We got our first top-10 of the year, so that feels good. We ran really, really strong at Daytona, but didn’t get the result that we deserved. For our team to run the way we did today is a really exciting thing for our team.”

WAS THE TRACK REALLY GREEN STARTING OUT TODAY?
“It was green to start, which always throws you a curveball. You don’t really know how the track is going to transition and what you’re going to battle. For us, it was free to start, it got tight again and then we kind of freed it up there at the end. You’re always chasing the track; that’s what makes NASCAR fun. Nobody just dominates everything anymore. It was a really fun race and I hope the fans enjoyed it.”

TALK ABOUT THOSE RESTARTS.
“It was nuts. It was three or four-wide every single restart and you just had to find the lane that had a little bit of momentum. It was crazy, it was never the same. I think I restarted 19th and went through the middle, and we ended up 10th. I don’t really know what happened, but we just started passing cars. You just had to find the lane and you’re to process things at such a high rate of speed. You just had to be committed to where you were going.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 13th
“We had such a good car there at the end. Obviously, running down the 12 (Ryan Blaney) pretty quickly. At least looking at a second-place finish, if not, battling for a win there. Our car was so good. The caution came out and we read it just a little bit wrong. Bummer that we didn’t get the finish that we probably deserved. But at the same time, I’m so proud of my guys. We had such a good race car today. We made it better all day. Obviously, we had it rolling there at the end.

“We were really tight over the bumps and kind of free everywhere else, so that kind of hindered me from being able to move around. This places frees up as you move up lanes, so I had to run the bottom and really couldn’t move up. We made good adjustments all day and by the end, I was able to run the bottom or the top. I was able to run down the leader there pretty quick. It was just one of those untimely cautions and just read it a little wrong there. It’s unfortunate to not end up with a top-10, but I’m really proud of my guys. Having a shot at winning these things is really all you can ask for and this one just didn’t work out for us.”

“It sucks to at least be looking at second, probably a win with as fast as we were. That’s a big bummer, but at the same time, I’ll take that over running fourteenth all day. I’m just really positive on the new Camaro and obviously Greg (Ives), as usual, made some really good changes from on top of the pit box. I’m appreciative of all the guys. We had really good pit stops, it just didn’t work out for us.”

THOUGHTS ON THE NEW CAMARO.
“This new Camaro, for its first time on a downforce track, I’m just really pleased with it so far. I think it’s going to be really good for us. Obviously, I’m bummed out to finish thirteenth after starring at a second-place or a win. But it’s part of it; it’s how racing goes. We win as a team and lose as a team. It just didn’t go our way there at the end.”

THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL PIT STOP CALL.
“Who knows. It’s easy to say we should have stayed out, we would have won. Yeah, we probably would have, but if the 12 (Ryan Blaney) would have stayed out, he could have one too. It’s just one of those deals that can go either way. Having to make those calls from on top of the pit box is a tough call to make. I was all on board; I thought we were making the right one.

THE HENDRICK CARS, AS A WHOLE, YOU HAVE TO FEEL OPTIMISTIC.
“Compared to how we started the last two seasons, I think we’ve got something for them this year. This is the first place we’ve taken the new Camaro and obviously they’re really strong.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with 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.

LAS VEGAS NASCAR CUP RACE ENDS UNDER CAUTION
Three Toyota Drivers Earn Top-20 Finishes

LAS VEGAS (February 23, 2020) – Kyle Busch finished 15th as the highest finishing Toyota driver in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which ended under caution.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 2 of 36 – 400 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Joey Logano*
2nd, Matt DiBenedetto*
3rd, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.*
4th, Austin Dillon*
5th, Jimmie Johnson*
15th, KYLE BUSCH
17th, DENNY HAMLIN
19th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
23rd, ERIK JONES
30th, DANIEL SUÁREZ
33rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
38th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 19th

What happened when you made contact with the wall?
“He (Kurt Busch) kept blocking until I hit the fence. Then it was tire rub, blew the tire and hit the fence. That was it.”

How are things with your new crew chief?
“Everything is fine. We just need to quit having mistakes on pit road.”

How trying of a race was this?
“Just unfortunate this early in the season. It’s nice to have a fast race car. Our Bass Pro Shops Toyota was really good. We were top two or three early in the first half and then the pit stop issue. We got back in traffic. I had a role on the 1 (Kurt Busch) car and he just moving up until I hit the fence on the front stretch. I thought we were going to be okay after that. Then just cut our right front tire down and pretty much ended our day. It is what it is, but luckily we got some good stage points the first two stages. We have a fast race car we can move forward with. The guys did a good job, just have to clean up pit road.”

DANIEL SUÁREZ, No. 96 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota Camry, Gaunt Brothers Racing
Finishing Position: 30th

What happened at the start of the race?
“Obviously, this is just a learning process. We had an issue with the ECU box in the beginning. We couldn’t figure out what was going on, but it put us into a hole and it was difficult to get out of the hole. I feel like we could have finished somewhere in the top-25, maybe even better than that. We had to fight hard. We learned a lot of different things that we can improve for next week. It feels to get that first race in. We now know what we have to work on. We just have to go out there and keep digging.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, February 23, 2020
EVENT: Pennzoil 400

Ford Finishing Order:
1st – Joey Logano
2nd – Matt DiBenedetto
7th – Brad Keselowski
8th – Kevin Harvick
11th – Ryan Blaney
12th – Clint Bowyer
14th – Chris Buescher
16th – Corey LaJoie
19th – Cole Custer
21st – Aric Almirola
24th – John Hunter Nemechek
27th – Ross Chastain
28th – JJ Yeley
31st – Joey Gase
36th – Michael McDowell

JOEY LOGANO REPEATS LAS VEGAS CUP VICTORY

• Joey Logano won his first race of the season with today’s victory.
• The win today is the 24th of his Cup Series career.
• The win is Mustang’s first of the season.
• Today’s win is Ford’s 687th all-time in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition.
• Of Team Penske’s 72 MENCS wins with Ford, 45 have come since rejoining Ford in 2013.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – WHAT ABOUT THE LAST PART OF THE RACE, WHETHER TO PIT OR NOT. “There was a little confusion, but it worked out really well. A lot of cars stayed out and that was key to that move. Winning the Pennzoil 400 with the Pennzoil car, this is huge. It means a lot to be able to do this two years in a row winning this race. I’m proud of the effort everybody here behind me did today. They prepared a great car and executed the race perfectly and that’s what we wanted. We fought hard and tried to keep every spot we possibly could and then ultimately, oh man, being able to pull it into Victory Lane here.”

YOUR SPOTTER WAS ON THE RADIO A LOT THE LAST 20 LAPS. HOW DID YOU STAY FOCUSED? WERE YOU LOOKING IN YOUR MIRROR OR JUST RELYING ON HIM? “Both. T.J. does a great job up there being able to just call the lanes and where the runs are coming from, so trying to block those and then also just staring in the mirror trying to watch a run come along, so between all of that I had my hands full in there. I think everyone had their hands full out there. It was a fun race. The track was wide and made it hard to maintain the lead when you got it.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – “We had a decent run today. There were times where I felt like we were the best car and then there were times where I felt like we struggled. We just didn’t quite have the long run speed all race long and we got to where we were really good in the middle of the runs and just learned a lot. This is a little different car than I’ve ever raced before, so I’m learning how to adapt to that. There are a lot of takeaways and I’m confident we were really close to being a winning car today. I just wish I could re-run the weekend a little bit and work through a few things, but certainly learned a lot and very confident we can win races.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE KIND OF RACING WE SAW OUT THERE? “The tire and the cars were really free. There was a big change there and without having a test nobody really knew that was coming, and then having limited practice as well, so that was a handful to work through and we did the best we could.”

YOUR TEAMMATE ENDS UP IN VICTORY LANE. “Yeah, it came down to that green-white-checkered at the end and it was exactly what you would expect in a green-white-checkered, a crashfest, but it would have been interesting to see if it would have stayed green and the cars with tires could have had a shot at it, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang – “The caution really decided that. I think there would have been some of us that got back close to the lead by the time we got off of turn four. I don’t even know where we restarted, but we were seventh or so going into turn one on the last lap with a big head of steam and the caution came out. Our Busch Light Ford was really good on the short runs. We just kind of lost the handling as we would get deep in those runs and that kind of hurt us, but it came down to what we wanted there at the end, but we just got too far back.”

WERE THE RESTARTS WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING? “It was the same as last year, so that’s kind of what this package creates.”

A STRONG PERFORMANCE FOR YOU. “Yeah, it really was. Everybody on our Busch Light Ford did a great job, just battled. That was kind of the same thing we battled on this particular race track last year, just fell off at the end of the runs, but it came down to a late caution there, we just wound up too deep.”

ROSS CHASTAIN, No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang – “I was just overdriving there at the end for sure. It just got away from me there and got loose. There were a lot of small mistakes on my end, but I learned a ton.”

YOU LOOKED COMFORTABLE IN THE CAR. “Yeah, the car deserved a lot better finish. Obviously, we showed that early and I just didn’t have great restarts. These guys kind of ate me alive on the restarts and I’d lose three or four spots every time, and picked the wrong lines through one and two, and then three and four again I just kept making silly mistakes that I should learn from after I make the mistake once. I just have to be better.”

YOU DON’T SEEM LIKE YOU’RE TAKING ANY POSITIVES AWAY FROM TODAY. “It’s hard to get out of the car after you have a top 10 car and you go and run into people and pick the wrong lanes on restarts and then spin it out at the end. That’s pretty silly. Just a lot of mistakes on my end and then at the end just overdriving and for one position to be the first car a lap down, coming to less than 10 laps to go in a Cup race and I spin out in the middle of one and two. That’s unacceptable.”

DO YOU BEAT YOURSELF UP OVER THAT? “Yes, absolutely. RFR and everybody puts so much into these cars and ultimately I’m the one holding the wheel. We had such a good first stage and had so much confidence and from there I just started making mistakes.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – “It was just a crappy situation. We fight our butts off to get the lead there from third and get it. I had a good shot of holding the 88 off. I thought we could have once we got in clean air I thought our car was pretty decent. The caution came out and we pitted, some guys didn’t, some guys took two and we just end up getting absolutely destroyed with people not knowing how many cars were to the outside of them. It’s easy to look back on it and say we should have stayed out. That’s a tough call for Todd Gordon in his position, but I’ve got to thank him for giving me a really good car. We were great on long runs. We were so good on long runs and that’s something to hold our heads up high about, it just stinks about the finish.”

MATT DIBENEDETTO, No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Mustang – “This one was an encouraging second-place finish for sure. It’s so cool. It’s too dang surreal to be driving this thing in the first place, the legendary Motorcraft/Quick Lane No. 21. It’s so cool to have the support of them and Menards and Ford and this whole team. It took so many people and it’s so cool to be driving for the Wood Brothers. It took so many people to get me this thing and we’re close – the second race of the season and we’re already starting off with a second-place finish. That’s great. I’m happy for Joey. Those Penske cars were really fast and I can’t thank them enough for their help of our team as well. We were close. I made a real aggressive move there. Greg Erwin, my crew chief, made great calls and that’s what it took to get us up there and inch up there all day.”

A LITTLE LUCK STAYING OUT, BUT YOU WERE UP THERE ALL DAY. DID YOU EXPECT TO BE THIS STRONG SO EARLY? “Yeah, I knew the team has every bit of that capability. They’re so good with Greg Erwin leading these guys. This team is phenomenal. There’s no doubt about that. I was a little worried about our car, though. It wasn’t a picture-perfect day. We had to make huge adjustments and our communication was great from me screaming really loose and us being off to start and then dialing it in little by little every pit stop, and then getting it there at the end where I was comfortable staying out because I knew the car had great speed. It was best on the long runs and we just needed a little track position because we were a little stuck in the dirty air.”

WHAT DO YOU TAKE OUT OF THIS RACE? “How strong this team is and it’s encouraging. That’s what makes a great team. We didn’t start off great, but to know that we can close, make the right adjustments, do all the right things, my pit crew can do an excellent job – all the things that tie a race together.”

Toyota Racing – Kyle Busch & Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LAS VEGAS (February 22, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. were made available to media at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after qualifying was cancelled:

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Snickers White Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Are you concerned with how you ran in practice?

“It is kind of concerning. We rolled out there first in final practice and I was wide open for 15, 16 straight laps. Kevin Harvick started probably a half straightaway behind me, and he ran me down and he ran the fastest lap average in those laps he was running me down. My laps were only 15th on average and he was first, but then he couldn’t pass me – he couldn’t do anything to pass me. I don’t know what that says for the race and what’s going to happen in the race. We were definitely not as fast as we wanted to be and the car was not driving near what it needed to when we got back in traffic, it was a real handful. We’re going to have our work cut out for us, too. If (Bob) Pockrass gets out in the garage, he’ll find some more news.”

Will you be starting from the back?

“I think I am, buddy. I think we’re one of those guys, too. I’m not sure. Rumors going around, you know how those fly.”

If you have to start from the back, how big of a challenge will the race be?

“Yeah, I think I knocked the wall down about lap 11 last time here starting in the middle of the pack. Maybe I’ll just start half a lap down and be clean air and run the pack down and catch them and blow by them one at a time, I don’t know. I’ll strategize that overnight.”

Why was happy hour practice so intense yesterday?

“Everybody is trying to get a sense of how these cars drive in traffic. It’s smart, actually. The Trucks kind of do the same thing sometimes where they’ll all practice single-file and get their stuff tuned in and where it feels good and then you’ll try to get back out there and try to get into a pack of trucks – two, three or however many you can get into and see how your stuff drives in traffic. That’s what a lot of guys were doing. We did the same thing. We were out front for the start of final practice by ourselves, car drove pretty good, came in and made a couple changes to it and went back out and tried to find a group of traffic every time after that and just found out how bad traffic was for us. It’s a good sense of what do you need to do to work on to make your car good for the race because when you’re by yourself, it’s not even close to the situations you’ll have for most of the race.”

Do you have any impressions of any other competitors?

“There’s a couple guys out there that looked really good. Ones that were most notable to me, which were also guys who were fast on the mile-and-a-half last year were the 24 (William Byron) and the 88 (Alex Bowman). I was around both of them and they were really good. They were able to hold good throttle and have good handling cars where they could work the bottom and not get too messed up with guys on the outside. I could not do that.”

What do you need to do to get the car ready for the race?

“I wasn’t in the meeting last night, but Adam (Stevens, crew chief) was so he has written some notes and taken some of the comments from the other guys. The 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) was pretty happy with his and the 95, Christopher (Bell) had opposite issues of us. It’s kind of like, okay what can you take from him and look at his setup on the sheet and determine what makes his characteristics opposite of mine and try to find what those are and try to pick and choose to make your setup closer to his. Again, you take the 19 stuff and try to get as close as you can to him being with as happy as he was.”

Do you feel you’re not going to be able to continue to throw Brexton up after wins at some point?

“I was fine. Actually, I thought I got him higher every time. Overall, it’s something that he enjoys doing and if he ever comes to me and is like, ‘Dad that’s not cool, let’s not do that anymore.’ Which, I’m sure will happen then that will be over. He’s four right now and he enjoys it and I don’t mind it. I think the only reason I work out is so I can have that part with him in victory lane. Keeps me fit, so it’s good to have fun with him that way.”

Does humidity affect the setup of the car?

“I’m not a meteorologist or anything, but I think it does a little bit. It does certainly with the engine. The way the engines run, obviously air, water, fuel and all that sort of stuff with how that mixture is with the ECU. The ECU kind of tunes that for you because we have sensors in the exhaust that tells what the fume is that’s coming out and whether it needs more fuel or more air, but you can’t change the humidity. Different tracks tend to run different ways. For our cars, the Toyotas, we always typically feel our stuff runs better out west than it does in the hot, humid, muggy situation. As far as cars go, the more humid it is, the more heavy the air and the downforce the cars are going to have and drag they’re going to have. Just some of that stuff plays into it. Where we’re at with the air here, it’s thinner. Remember we’re at 2800- or 3200-feet elevation, so we’re higher than most places we go to.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How was it to see Ryan Newman after he was released from the hospital this week?

“It was cool to just go down there and see him (Ryan Newman) and make sure he was okay. Really, Sherry (Pollex) and I just wanted him to know we were there for him if he needed anything. It was cool. It was good to see the good shape he was in. It was a little surprising as well. We’re planning fishing trips already, so it was a fun visit to hang out. I’ve been talking to him throughout the week, obviously. He’s doing real good. I feel like he’ll be back before anybody thinks he could. He’s a tough son of a gun. He’s in good spirits and hanging out with his family, so he’s doing well.”

What was Sherry’s reaction when Ryan Newman walked out of the hospital?

“Just happy, you know. Surprised, happy – I think everyone was shocked just how quick he got out of the hospital. Just relieved to be honest. Anytime any competitor is in a situation like that, it hits close to home because you know it could be you at any time. That’s kind of the sentiment throughout the garage. For us, it was a little more so because he is such a close friend. Just good to see he’s okay, honestly.”

How has the adjustment been with your new crew chief?

“I was really happy with the way things went. I feel like we really picked up where we left off. James (Small, crew chief) is doing a great job. He’s just calm, cool and collected, prepared. I feel like yesterday was one of the best practices we’ve ever had. Just ready to go. The car was close off the trailer and we didn’t have to do a whole lot to it. I feel like he’s doing a great job. He’s working hard in the shop. Our whole team looks up to him, and that’s a big part of this deal. Things are going as usual and hopefully we can continue that throughout the weekend.”

How lucky do you think Ryan Newman was to basically walk away from that accident?

“I say part of it is NASCAR safety and the things in these race cars that we’re able to help them get through it. He’s got no neck and a big hard head, so that helps for sure. I told him this week he’s lucky he’s such a hard-headed son of a gun. All those things, and God was riding with him. What else can you say. It was a scary wreck for sure. Hopefully we don’t have to worry about things like that for sure. We just have to figure out ways to keep the cars on the ground.”

Does this leave you shaken or rattled the next time you visit a superspeedway?

“It’s just part of the job. I think everyone who steps in a race car understands there’s a potential risk of injury. That’s just part of the deal. I feel like a lot of people have gotten numb to it over the years because the cars have gotten so safe, but they are still – you have potential for danger. I think that’s why we sign waivers when we get in these things.”

Do you feel there should be fewer overtime opportunities?

“Yeah, I don’t know. I think the race distance rules are what they are. As drivers, I think there’s a lot of guys that kind of drive beyond the limits. I feel like sometimes we go out on the superspeedways and guys think it’s a video game. And, if you crash you hit reset and that’s really not the case as we saw Monday night. We could literally go all day without crashing if everyone said I’m not going to wreck. If somebody makes a bad move, I’m going to lift. I’m not going to push harder than I think I can. I don’t know. Rules are what they are. We’re going to go race and see what happens. Hopefully, like I said, I feel like in the case of Ryan’s (Newman) crash, it was not something that normally happens. Just the way he got hit was real lucky. It was the worst possible scenario that you could possibly get hit in when you’re upside down. Hopefully we never see that again. I definitely think we can do a better job as drivers not crashing the whole field. It’s really not that difficult to not cause a crash.”

What was the issue with the Toyotas during inspection on Friday and will you start from the back?

“No, we will not be. We’ll be starting second. We had a little issue with the rear tow going through the first time and then passed the second. We should be good to go. I’m not sure what the issues are, no.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Toyota Racing – Daniel Suárez
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LAS VEGAS (February 21, 2020) – Gaunt Brothers Racing driver Daniel Suárez was made available to media at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

DANIEL SUÁREZ, No. 96 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota Camry, Gaunt Brothers Racing

Do you come to this race with something to prove after missing the Daytona 500?

“We have a lot of work to do. We are pretty much a brand-new team. We’re still building. It’s kind of funny because every time I go to the shop, I see somebody new. I showed up early this morning with the guys and I said nice to meet you to a couple guys. We’re still building the team and I have a lot of confidence in Marty Gaunt and Toyota Racing. Some of these sponsors have been with me for a while now – Coca-Cola, Commscope. I feel like we have everything is up to the people. I feel we have very good people around us. We just have to be patient and work hard, keep our head up and try to improve every weekend.”

How do you approach Las Vegas this weekend?

“I have to take it step by step. I am very used to specific lap times and seeing myself in the top 10 and right now it’s not that. I have to start building that. It’s going to be a process, but I feel like I’m with the right people to do it. Toyota has played a huge role. Marty Gaunt and all of the rest of the sponsors. I feel like we have a lot of great people around us, but that’s what it’s all about. Having good people around us to make it happen.”

How do you approach qualifying here?

“Qualifying is going to be kind of simple, if it doesn’t rain, right. Most of the cars are going to be able to go wide open for one lap. We’re still working hard to be able to go just as fast as some other guys. I feel good about it, honestly. I’m not even concerned about qualifying. I feel like tomorrow is going to rain, so I don’t want to think about that. All my energy is into the race.”

What was it like sitting on the sidelines for the Daytona 500, what did you do?

“It was not fun. It doesn’t really hit you all the way until Sunday. It’s kind of weird. I told the guys, ‘This is no fun, I hope I never have to do it again.’ I had a lot of sponsor obligations and friends coming to the race so I tried to do the same thing I would do if I was racing.”

Do you get fueled to move forward?

“I felt like every single time you hit bottom, there’s one way to go. I feel like we have a long way to go. We have to keep working hard and hopefully with baby steps in the right direction.”

Is this the chapter to restart your career?

“I think so. Especially for the people that help me. Many people might think I’m crazy but having Toyota and having somebody – maybe you don’t really know him – but Marty Gaunt is a class act person. Having him as an owner and the vision that he has and myself, we know where we are at. We know how fast we are moving forward, and we know where we want to go. If you have all these key people moving in the same direction, there’s no reason why it won’t happen.”

Would you take another opportunity if it became available, like filling in for an injured driver?

“It never even crossed my mind. I can guarantee you something, I won’t drive anything that is not Toyota from now on. I’m very married to them. They have worked with me and the class act they are. When all this went down last year, I was talking to them the next day. They put the bar extremely high and I’m extremely loyal to them. I feel very, very lucky to be with such an amazing group.”

Would you fill in for another Toyota team?

“You never know, but right now my focus is on Gaunt Brothers Racing and Marty Gaunt, Toyota, CommScope, Coca-Cola and to make this team better every single weekend. We’re still building, we’re still hiring people and trying to get new cars. We’re still building everything. My goal is in six months from now we’ll talk about the team that nobody knew and wasn’t even making races. Talking about that team that is going to be competing up front.”

How did you approach practice knowing qualifying may get rained out?

“I don’t think position really matters. These are very long races. You just have to be good in traffic, good in clean air. Good in the short run, good in the long run. If you can have a good package, it doesn’t really matter if you are in the back or the front. To avoid going a lap down is extremely important. That doesn’t really bother me much. I’m just trying to focus on making my car drive better and make my car last longer. If I can do that, I feel like we can be in good shape.”

When you look back on 2020, what defines a successful season?

“To improve every single weekend. If we start racing 30th, the

n 25th and we can improve every weekend, I feel like we can be good. I feel like we have everything to be able to do that. A lot of things are going to change through the year, especially with all the changes we’re going to have for next year. We just have to be smart and hopefully by the end of the year we can be more in the top 10.”

Do you have a favorite Ryan Newman moment?

“He’s a good guy, a good friend. (Ryan Newman) is a car guy, I’m a car guy. We always make fun of each other a lot. He’s a tough racer – he’s very well known for that. I like Ryan and I’m very happy he’s going to be around for a long time.”

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 I n the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.