Category: XFINITY Series

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – Wypall 200 Advance

Team:           No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang

Crew Chief:  Mike Kelley

Chassis:       RK-748 – primary – New Nationwide Chassis

RK–644 – backup – last ran at Richmond – finished third.

Stenhouse, Jr – Phoenix International Raceway:

QUOTES

Stenhouse, Jr. on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:

“I feel like Phoenix will be a strong race track for our team and, really, Roush Fenway as a whole.  The new racing surface causes some unknown but NASCAR is giving us an extra day of practice on Thursday. Talking with my teammates, the big concern is that there is only one racing groove right now. My goal this weekend is to get this No. 6 Ford Mustang into victory lane and gain some more points in our championship hunt.”

Crew chief Mike Kelley on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:

“With the new surface, we are faced with some unknowns. Luckily we have an extra day of practice to get our No. 6 Ford Mustang dialed in. Our Sprint Cup teams participated in a tire test earlier this year so we will rely on their information as well. As of right now there is only one racing grove so track position will be crucial.  If we execute on pit-road, we are confident that we can get this No. 6 Mustang in Victory Lane.”

FAST FACTS

So far in 2011, Stenhouse Jr. has two wins, 14 top-five, 24 top-10, and three poles. Stenhouse Jr. is the current Nationwide Series point leader with a 17 point advantage over Elliot Sadler. Stenhouse’s average finish at PIR is 8.3; he has completed a 100% of the laps.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and three in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact John Bauersfeld at 704.720.4621.

Joey Logano / No. 18 GameStop Toyota Preview

Wypall 200 at Phoenix International Raceway

No. 18 GameStop Toyota News, Notes & Paint Scheme:

·     LOGANO BACK IN No. 18, LOOKING FOR POINTS:  Joey Logano will be back in the GameStop Toyota this weekend at Phoenix International Speedway.  However, he won’t be in his familiar No. 20.  Instead, for the fourth time this year, Logano will be back behind the wheel of the No. 18 in an effort to help the Joe Gibbs Racing organization win their fourth-straight NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship and third-straight for the No. 18 group.  The hunt for the Owner’s Championship is down to two teams, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team and the No. 60 Roush Fenway team.  The No. 18 team holds a slim two-point lead over the No. 60 with just two races remaining on the schedule.  While Logano takes the reins of the No. 18 this weekend, Ryan Truex will be making his final start of the year in the No. 20 Toyota.

·     CALL OF DUTY®: MODERN WARFARE 3 MAKES A RARE “SECOND APPEARANCE”:  Proving that Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the most highly-anticipated video games of the year, the franchise’s most recent entry will make a rare “second” appearance on the GameStop Toyota this weekend.  The best-selling first person action series of all-time returns with the epic sequel to multiple Game of the Year award winner, Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 2. Prepare yourself for a cinematic thrill-ride as only Call of Duty can deliver. Engage enemy forces in New York, Paris, Berlin and other attack sites across the globe. Special Ops returns with a bevy of additions, including 16 new objective-based missions and the all-new Survival Mode. Team up online, locally, or play solo and face endless waves of attacking enemies throughout every multiplayer map.  Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3 hit store shelves Nov. 8 and is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.  Only two other games have ever been featured on the GameStop Toyota for more than one race: Red Dead Redemption and NASCAR 2011.

·     PHOENIX A FAVORITE FOR LOGANO:  While victory has eluded Logano at Phoenix International Raceway over the years in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, it’s been a good track for the 21-year-old.  In five career starts at the track, Logano has never finished outside of the top-10, including a near-race win in the spring race of 2010 when Logano found himself leading late, but contact with another car damaged the right front of his Toyota and forced him to slide through the field on a final race to the checkers.  Logano won the pole for the fall Phoenix event last year and led 23 laps before coming home in third. Not counting his rookie season of 2008, Logano has not qualified outside of the top-six at Phoenix.  Logano also has two top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix and was en route to a third in the spring race before his engine let go midway through the event.

·     RETURN TO RATCLIFF:  Jason Ratcliff and the regular team will welcome Logano back to the No. 18 Toyota this weekend in Phoenix.  The weekend will mark the third time Ratcliff and Logano have worked together as crew chief/driver pairing.  The first came at Michigan International Speedway during Logano’s rookie season of 2008.  The two then worked together earlier this season at Kansas, where Logano finished seventh. Ratcliff has a strong history at Phoenix, earning three wins and six top 10s at the track as a crew chief.

·     CHASSIS:  The JGR team will bring proven race-winning chassis #109 to Phoenix this weekend.  That chassis has raced three times this season and won all three events, all with Busch behind the wheel.  The chassis ran at the first Phoenix event and both Bristol events.

·     STAT OF THE WEEK:  3 Million. With Logano’s eighth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway and his $18,195 payday, Logano earned his way into the $3 million career-earnings club in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

·     THE RACE:  The Wypall 200 at Phoenix International Raceway (Avondale, AZ; 1-mile tri-oval) is set for Saturday afternoon, November 12, 2011.  The race will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. ET, with radio coverage on MRN starting at 3 p.m. ET.

Joey Logano Quotes:

“I’m pretty excited about Phoenix.  I’ve always been fortunate enough to run strong there, and I’ve always felt like whenever I’ve been there, I’ve been in contention to fight for the win.  There are a lot of tracks that for one reason or another drivers say owe them a win. I don’t always think that, but I can think of a couple of times at Phoenix where I think we had the best car and were able to lead laps and things went down and we weren’t able to win the race.  But, I’ve never finished outside of the top 10 there, so I’m pretty fortunate for that.  I’m also excited to get another chance to work with Jason (Ratcliff) this weekend.  I know he’s got a ton of experience, and he’s got a good track record at Phoenix.  I have a pretty good feeling going into this weekend.

“Phoenix is going to be a lot different this time.  No one really knows what the track will be like since they redid it earlier this year.  Thankfully, I was one of the drivers who got the opportunity to go out there and test during the open test and got to make some laps. While the layout is similar with the dogleg on the backstretch though, the way it’s been moved back does change your entry and exit a little bit.  I think the biggest thing for us to deal with though will be whether a second groove will come in.  When we get on the track the first time, the track will be one groove like it was during the test. Hopefully though, during the weekend, with all of the laps the Nationwide and Cup cars will put on the track, we can get a second groove in.  If we can, I think the track will be a lot of fun and put on some pretty good racing.  It’s always been a fun track to drive; probably one of the best on the schedule.

“It will be cool to run the Call of Duty car again this weekend as well.  GameStop always has some great games featured on the car and some really cool paint schemes, and I love the black and green car and suits we have for the weekend.  It looks sick.  I’m pretty excited to get a chance to play the game as well. I know there are a lot of people excited for that game to come out this week and they’ve got a bunch of midnight openings all around the country.  Hopefully everyone can take a break from playing to watch us race on Saturday at least.”

No. 18 GameStop Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Driver – Joey Logano                                             Crew Chief – Jason Ratcliff                     Car Chief – Charlie Brock

Race Engineer – Matt Lucas                                  Shock Specialist – Brad Rothlin            Front-end Mechanic – Todd Brewer

Rear-end Mechanic – Jason Clements                  Tire Specialist – Matt Sauer                  Setup Specialist – Kevin Kelley

Engine Tuner – Chris Woodward                          Truck Driver – Dennis Valverde

CHINA GROVE, N.C. (November 8, 2011) – Robert Richardson, Jr. and the No. 23 North Texas Pipe Chevrolet team of R3 Motorsports are hoping for good things this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

Despite incidents like burnt plug wires, batteries losing their charge and other factors that have hindered their finishes – the cars themselves have been racing better and better each week. This weekend, the team is hoping the one-mile oval PIR might be the answer for their good finish.

Right after the Spring race, heavy equipment rolled out onto the track to begin tearing up the asphalt surface. One total re-paving, slight track reconfiguration, pit wall and some new outer walls later – everyone is starting out on a fresh slate.

While the driver and crew chief are going to be busy figuring out what to do to be good on the new track, the car chief and crew will be working just as hard to keep up with the changes. Good thing there’s an extra practice in the schedule.

Adding to the already busy schedule of R3 Motorsports is the Scott Riggs will be attempting to make the 43-car Sprint Cup Series race. To date, 46 cars are entered meaning he has to beat three others to make that show.

Fast Facts: This will be Richardson’s 22nd NNS start of the year and 91st of his career. During those previous 21, he’s completed 3,308 of 4,140 laps contested and led one. His best finish of 20th took place at Richmond in May.

Track Facts: There have only been two previous PIR starts made by Richardson during his career. His first was in 2008 and his last was the Spring event. In that one, he finished 24th after starting 31st. He’s completed 96.7 percent (388 of 402) laps contested.

Tune in for the Win: There will be two practice sessions on Thursday afternoon before the final one takes place on Friday 3:40 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. ET. Qualifying takes place on Saturday morning at Noon on SPEED TV. Race time is 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2 TV and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 for 200 laps of action.

Zona with R3 Motorsports: Zona Hotel and Suites of Scottsdale, Ariz. is the host resort for the team this weekend. Formerly Xona Resort Suites, this North Scottsdale hotel brings exceptional quality, style, comfort, pampering, amenity and value -in spacious one-, two-, three-, or four-bedroom suite living that provides the comforts of home. Nestled in the heart of Scottsdale, Zona Hotel and Suites blends all of the amenities and comforts of a luxury resort with the intimacy of a bed and breakfast. Discover this hidden gem among Scottsdale hotels, spread over 14 acres of lushly landscaped gardens and sparkling pools. Relax in spacious guestrooms and suites, featuring fully equipped kitchens and dining areas – perfectly suited for unforgettable family vacations. Robert Richardson, Jr. Quotes: “If we can just get the stupid stuff to go away for a few races, we’d probably be able to get the finishes we deserve for this team. Just when you get comfortable with your car and start to move forward, something goes wrong to take it away. “But, that’s kind of what you have to deal with in this sport. Our cars have been good in the handling and how we’re qualifying right now. It’s going to be interesting to see how all of this plays on out with the new track there in Phoenix. “I know Greg (Conner, crew chief) and Scott Riggs did the Cup test out there recently. So, we’ll be able to use some of their notes to help our Nationwide car. Either way, I’m gunning for that good finish this team needs – and deserves.”

BUESCHER QUICK FACTS

No. 30 Exide Chevrolet Impala

WYPALL 200

Phoenix International Raceway

November 12, 2011

No. 30 Exide Chevrolet News and Notes

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) notes… James Buescher is having a career-year in his full-time pursuit for the NCWTS championship. He has collected 10 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes in 23 starts, finishing outside the top-10 on only four occasions. He has captured two pole awards and led 208 laps. He is currently third in the championship point standings, 28 points behind leader Austin Dillon with one race left on the schedule.

Calling the shots… For his limited run in the Nationwide Series, Buescher will work with veteran crew chief Stewart Cooper. Cooper has worked with several drivers in 2011 including, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Boris Said and Ricky Carmichael.

Turner Motorsports: In the Hunt… In 32 NationwideSeries events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 61 top-10 finishes. Both of Turner Motorsports’ championship-contending drivers are inside the top-10 in the driver point standings with Justin Allgaier tied for third and Jason Leffler in sixth.

By the numbers – NNS… This weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) will mark Buescher’s 10th NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start of the 2011 season. In his previous nine starts he is credited with one top-five and three top-10 finishes. In 32 total series starts, he has claimed two pole awards, one top-five and five top-10 finishes.

This week’s Impala… The No. 30 Exide team will hit the track with chassis TMS-124 this weekend at PIR. This chassis last saw track action at Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.

James Buescher on heading to PIR

“It’s going to be great to get out on the ‘new’ Phoenix International Raceway. This will be the first time I’ve been on the track since it has been repaved, and I am excited to get out there and experience it. With all the changes to the track, we won’t be able to rely on notes from previous races. The extended practice day on Thursday will be very beneficial. We can perfect the handling on the car and I will have a chance to get seat time and get acclimated to the track. I’m excited to get more time in the Nationwide car this weekend, and I am looking forward to bringing home a strong finish in this Exide Batteries Chevrolet.”

Follow the No. 30 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No30TurnerNNS

Follow James Buescher on Twitter! Twitter.com/JamesBuescher

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

Ricky Carmichael

No. 34 Monster Energy Chevrolet Impala

Event Preview Fact Sheet

 

Event/Date:          WYPALL 200 Powered by Kimberly-Clark Professional 200 – Nov. 12, 2011

Venue:                   Phoenix International Raceway – Avondale, Ariz.

 

Ricky Carmichael’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Performance History at Phoenix International Raceway

DATE	START	FINISH	LAPS	TOTAL	EARNINGS	STATUS
			COMPLETED	LAPS
11/13/10	41	21	199	200	$      26,013	Running
TOTAL	AVERAGE	AVERAGE	LAPS	TOTAL	EARNINGS
STARTS	START	FINISH	COMPLETED	LAPS
1	41.0	21.0	199	200	$       26,013

 

 

Ricky Carmichael’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Performance History at Phoenix International Raceway

DATE	START	FINISH	LAPS	TOTAL	EARNINGS	STATUS
			COMPLETED	LAPS
02.25/11	28	31	132	150	$       8,175	Accident
11/12/10	22	27	137	150	$       8,500	Running
11/13/09	13	18	150	151	$       8,830	Running
TOTAL	AVERAGE	AVERAGE	LAPS	TOTAL	EARNINGS
STARTS	START	FINISH	COMPLETED	LAPS
3	21.0	25.3	419	451	$       25,505

• This Week’s Monster Energy Chevrolet Impala … Ricky Carmichael will pilot Chassis TMS-311 from the Turner Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) stable in Saturday’s WYPALL 200 Powered by Kimberly-Clark Professional at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). This a brand-new Chevrolet Impala that will be put through its first paces this weekend in Phoenix.
• Phoenix Facts … Carmichael will attempt to make his second NNS start at PIR in Saturday’s WYPALL 200. In his lone NNS start at the newly reconfigured one-mile desert oval, the 15-time American Motorcycle Association (AMA) National Champion started 41st and finished 21st, one lap down to the leaders. In NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) action, the 31-year old driver has made three starts, where he’s logged a 21.0 starting average, a 25.3 average finish, completed 419 of 451 laps (93 percent) and earned just over $25,500 in purse money.
• A Look Back at Last Week … After being forced to start at the rear of the field following a pre-race engine change, Carmichael, a regular competitor in the NCWTS, and his Monster Energy Team bounced back to post a resilient and impressive eighth-place finish in last Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 350K at Texas Motor Speedway. The solid effort was Carmichael’s seventh top-10 finish of 2011 and bumped him up one spot, from 16th to 15th, in the NCWTS championship point standings.
• In a Nutshell … The 2011 season marks Carmichael’s second year competing on a full-time basis and third overall in the NCWTS. Since making his series debut 67 races ago, he has gone on to earn four top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. Over those same 67 races, the motocross legend has logged a 14.8 average start, a 16.9 average finish, led 40 laps, completed 90.3 percent of the laps run and earned just over of $862,000 in purse money. In Nationwide Series competition, he’s made seven starts spanning the last two years and logged a career-best ninth-place finish earlier this season at Road America.

• Calling the Shots … Veteran NASCAR crew chief Doug George, Carmichael’s crew chief in the NCWTS, will call the shots for the No. 34 team this weekend in Phoenix. Additionally, Carmichael’s entire Truck Series road crew will prepare the Monster Energy Chevy at PIR.
• Nationwide Notes … In 32 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011, TMS-fielded teams have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 61 top-10 finishes. TMS’s No. 32 Dollar General team maintained seventh in owner’s points after Brian Vickers finished 10th last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, was 14th in the final rundown after Texas and jumped from fourth to third in the driver point standings. Jason Leffler was credited with 15th at Texas and held on to sixth in points. NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series veteran Ron Hornaday Jr. will take over the reins of the Dollar General Chevy this weekend at PIR and make his 184th career NNS start. Hornaday boasts one pole, four wins, 32 top-five and 70 top-10 finishes spanning 13 seasons.
• Welcome Aboard … Turner Motorsports and Monster Energy are pleased to welcome QuikTrip to the rear quarter panels, deck lid and TV panel of the No. 34 Monster Energy Impala this weekend in Phoenix. QuikTrip Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1958, QuikTrip has grown to a $9 billion company with 580+ stores in nine major metropolitan areas. Those revenues place QuikTrip high on the Forbes listing of largest privately held companies. QuikTrip’s strategy is to be the dominant convenience/gasoline retailer in each market, and to reach that level not through sheer numbers of stores, but through key, high-volume locations. With over 10,000 employees, Fortune magazine has ranked QuikTrip high on the list of Best Companies To Work for the last nine years. QuikTrip also gives back to the communities it serves, donating five percent of net profits to charitable organizations.
• Up to Speed … Live coverage of the WYPALL 200 Powered by Kimberly-Clark Professional will take the green flag Saturday, Nov. 11 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The race will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Qualifying for Carmichael’s fourth and final Nationwide Series start of 2011 will be televised live on SPEED the same day at noon EST.

 

RICKY CARMICHAEL QUOTES

You’re making your last Nationwide Series start of 2011. You’re a big fan of one-mile race tracks, Phoenix has a new configuration and you’ve got your buddy Ron Hornaday Jr., as a teammate this weekend. You’ve got to be excited about going to Phoenix.

“Life is good. Turner Motorsports and Monster Energy have given me a great opportunity to run some Nationwide Series races this year. I can’t wait to get out on the track Thursday and see what we’ve got. It’s a clean slate for everyone. The track has new pavement and I know the kink on the backstretch is a little different now so it’s going to be a new challenge for everyone. I’m really going to have to rely on the depth of our team so I’m excited to have my crew chief Doug George and my whole team from the Truck Series preparing the car. There will definitely be some synergies from that standpoint. It’s a great opportunity. I can’t wait.”

 

Have you had a chance to talk to anyone who has had the opportunity to go out to Phoenix and test so you know what to expect?

“I talked to (Kevin) Harvick about it and I saw Dale Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) out at the SEMA show in Las Vegas last week. Both of them had a chance to go test out there so they gave me some insight. The track is good in the main groove but you definitely have to err on the side of caution if you get out of the groove. I’ve heard the track has had some other cars out there to try and lay down some rubber. We get a couple of extra practices on Thursday so that will give us some more time to get out there and get a feel for the track. That’s going to help out a lot. My main focus is going to be paying close attention and giving good feedback. We’re not locked into the field so we’ll have to qualify on time. We’ll definitely have our work cut out for us. We’re all going to have to be on our toes this weekend – me especially when it comes to cutting a fast lap.”

 

You’ve also got a lot going on in Phoenix away from the race track.

“I always like going to Phoenix. My wife’s family is from out there and my kids will be out there, too so it’s going to be a fun weekend. On Wednesday, I’ll go to 2XL, which is the company that designed the Ricky Carmichael Motocross Matchup video game and record some voice-overs. I’ve got a dinner with the folks from QuikTrip on Friday and that’s always a great time. I’m just looking forward to the weekend. It’s a great opportunity and I want to make the best of it.”

 

                               RICKY CARMICHAEL 2011 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES RACE RESULTS

DATE	TRACK	START	FINISH	LAPS	TOTAL	EARNINGS	STATUS
				COMPLETED	LAPS
June 25	Road America	15	9	57	57	$         19,343	Running
July 1	Daytona	20	39	34	100	$         19,963	Accident
September 9	Richmond	27	26	245	250	$         19,968	Running
TOTALS	STARTS	AVERAGE	AVERAGE	LAPS	TOTAL	EARNINGS
		START	FINISH	COMPLETED	LAPS
	3	20.6	24.7	336	407	$      59,274

Wins – 0

Poles – 0

Top Fives – 0

Top 10s – 1

Laps Led – 0

336 of 407 Laps Completed – 82.6 percent

Clint Bowyer

Elliott Sadler

FORT WORTH, Texas – Steve Wallace fought an ill-handling 5-Hour Energy Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway, but was able to persevere to record an 18th-place finish.

Joey Logano Drives GameStop Toyota to a Top-10 Finish at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday

The Finish: Joey Logano and the No. 20 GameStop/Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Toyota had a solid day at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, coming home with an eighth-place finish. The team spent all afternoon fighting a loose condition but rallied back from 13th to eighth over the race’s final 25 laps to grab another top-10 result.

The Race Recap: Logano and the GameStop/Call of Duty: MW3 Toyota struggled in practice on Friday but got it all back in the rare Friday night time trial session, coming home with a third-place qualifying effort, just .02-seconds off the pole. When the green flag dropped for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge on Saturday afternoon, Logano and the GameStop team quickly realized that their current setup was too loose. Logano began to fall through the field, eventually settling into the 10th position. All afternoon, the GameStop pit crew had solid stops on pit road, consistently gaining several spots under caution. At various times during the day, Crew Chief Adam Stevens made track bar, air and wedge adjustments, as well as taking the time to add rubbers to the left rear spring on two different occasions. Despite the various and frequent adjustments, the pit crew continued to get Logano out two or more spots ahead of where he came in. Through the middle portion of the race, Logano found himself running inside the top-five early in runs before eventually fading into the back-half of the top-10. Finally near the end of the race, Stevens hit on something with the No. 20 and Logano was able to race from the last car on the lead lap in 13th position all the way into the top 10. Over the last 25 laps, Logano was one of the fastest cars on the track and drove from 13th to eighth when the checkers flew.

Joey’s Quotes: “We really struggled with the GameStop Toyota today here at Texas. I don’t know what the problem was, but we could never just get the car to handle like we wanted it too. I was really pumped after qualifying but the car was just way too loose when we started the race. That first run I could hardly drive it and really was just hanging on. We lost so much time and so much track position there because of the long green-flag run. When we finally got to come in and make an adjustment, I think we were running 10th and we made a quite a few major adjustments. Our first few adjustments helped early in the runs, but then the car would get just as loose as it was as the runs went on. In the end, I think we ended up going the wrong way and we had to spend the rest of the day adjusting back out of that. Finally at the end, we got it better and I feel like we were fast, but we still had lost a lot of track position. We still needed to make some more changes to get it to where we needed to be, but we ran out of laps. We were able to get up to eighth there at the end, which is better than I felt like we were going to be early in the race, but I know we are all a little disappointed in our run. It’s a good thing though when you can be disappointed with an eighth-place finish I guess.

“This was a brand new car and I don’t know if that was part of our problem or what. We’ve been working on building some new cars and I think it is going to take some time to figure them out. I think once we get the kinks worked out, we’ll be fine. Like anything though, you always have a few bugs to work out when you are working with new stuff. I really think the direction we are going is great though. I was really pumped after how well we ran at Charlotte and coming here with this track being pretty similar. I think we just missed it on the setup a little bit I guess, but eighth isn’t too bad.”

What’s Next: The GameStop/Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Toyota and Logano will return to action next weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. However, next weekend, Logano and GameStop will ride on the side of the No. 18 Toyota.