By Roy J. Akers — www.skyviewsports.net
Indianapolis, Indiana —
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
A little bit different look for your car this weekend, right?
“One thing for sure about the Busch Light Lime car this weekend is my spotters won’t have any issues finding it on the track. It’s a nice, bright car and Busch Light Lime is a very refreshing flavor to have here in the hot summer. It has been fun driving the different fruit themed cars. The fans are very vocal about their thoughts regarding Busch Light Apple which is fun. I think they’re really going to like Busch Light Lime.”
How do you like racing on the oval at Indy?
“I like racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway no matter if the track layout is a road course or the oval. Obviously, the oval is more traditional there versus the road course. But whatever the layout is, I just want to run well there and get the opportunity to kiss the bricks.”
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What are your expectations going back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
“Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been good for our No. 3 Get Bioethanol team. We’ve been able to have solid races in the past. Last year, we had a pretty good qualifying effort starting 11th. I’m excited to get there. Speed is something I like. That track is very line-sensitive to trying to hit your marks as precisely as you can. You’re looking for those white lines and just trying to put the car in the perfect place. From our standpoint, we should have a good Chevrolet going from Richard Childress Racing, and ECR engines always run well on those types of tracks. It’s always good to have straightaway speed on a track that’s tough to pass at.”
You’ve won two out of the four Crown Jewel races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. How special would it be to get another one in the Brickyard 400?
“It would be huge for me and everyone at Richard Childress Racing to win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s been a few years since Paul Menard won in 2011. I think only four or five drivers have won all four in the past, and it would be special to add one more to that list.”
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Larson on pulling double duty at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend:
“[The Xfinity Series] still produces exciting racing, and I love to get in there and race with those younger guys. Hopefully give them a glimpse of what it might take once you get to the Cup Series because a lot of them are very well capable of being Cup Series drivers. I look forward to getting back out there again this weekend, thanks to Rick Hendrick and HendrickCars.com for adding this race to the schedule and asking me to be a part of it. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is full of prestige and it was cool to win the Brickyard 400 there last year and I would love to have a good run with the Xfinity Series team this weekend and hopefully cap it off with a win on Sunday.”
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What makes racing at Indianapolis so meaningful to you?
“I’m looking forward to racing in my home state this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s always great going back to Indianapolis. Track position is always at a premium at Indianapolis because it’s so tough to pass. We’ve got a really cool paint scheme so that’s another piece I’m looking forward to. It’s always fun when our partners do something unique and explore non-traditional ways to activate their sponsorships. Gainbridge and Group 1001 are always on the leading edge when it comes to thinking outside the box and innovating across multiple sports platforms. Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is always special but, for a kid from Indiana, being able to represent Gainbridge and TEDSports Indianapolis is a big deal. Our entire team is looking forward to the weekend and eager for the opportunity to make everyone proud.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What expectations do you have of going into the Brickyard 400 this weekend?
“I love coming to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I’ve had a lot of success over the years and have won the Brickyard 400 twice. We should have won it in 2017 and got wrecked out on a late restart. The Chevrolet camp has been really fast over the years. I think we should be pretty close heading into Sunday. We had a fast No. 8 Chevrolet last year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We were right there in the top 5 coming down on the closing laps, and Kyle Larson stole the win, so we want to improve this weekend and get a win.”
How would you assess your season so far?
“It is not due to a lack of effort. Everybody at Richard Childress Racing is working as hard as they can to figure it out, looking at all the notes to find out where the speed is at. The balance and drivability of the cars have been good this year, and we’ve had good improvements over the last couple months.”
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Elliott on what winning at Indianapolis would mean to him:
“This race has always been important because it was one of the few races that I was old enough to be around that dad (Bill Elliott) had won. So I think because of that, it’s always been just a little more special than the rest. And certainly, one of the few wins that I was around for. But more than that, it was the only marquee, major if you will, win that I was around for. So, it’s always been really special. I always knew how much that race meant to him. And you know because of that, I’ve always had a lot of admiration for the event. It’s always been something in my mind that I would love to match and be able to share that moment with the shoe on the other foot. I feel like that would be really, really cool.”
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Byron on moving on from Dover Motor Speedway to Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“Last weekend is a tough one. We ran basically in the top five all day just to get involved in someone else’s mess at the end. It sucks but we have to move on and focus on Indy now. We obviously have the speed, just need the finishes at this point. I think we’ve shown how strong we are with having no practice in Dover and running up front all day. We have a long practice this weekend since we’re back on the oval which will be nice to really get the car dialed in.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
“We’re headed to Indy this weekend and I’m excited to get on track with the Rate Chevrolet. My guys have been working hard in the shop all week and we’re focused on qualifying better to give us a good shot at a win on Sunday.”
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Bowman on riding a hot streak into Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“We’ve had a good stretch lately, and Dover (Motor Speedway) was another step in the right direction for our team. Indy hasn’t been our strongest track, but with the way we’ve been running, I feel like we’re in a position to keep building on this momentum and have a solid weekend at The Brickyard.”
Jesse Love, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet
The Brickyard 400 is one of the marquee events for the NASCAR Cup Series. What will it mean to be a part of the starting field for this race?
“I have been to Indy a few times and I have watched the Indy 500. I always thought that was the coolest race in the world. I always loved going to Indy. It’s not my favorite racetrack to drive, but it’s the coolest race track I think there is because of the history and because of the Indy 500.”
Roy J. Akers covers NASCAR and Indy Car for www.skyviewsports.net
