NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
IRWIN TOOLS NIGHT RACE
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 22, 2014
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
YOU ARE THE TRACK RECORD HOLDER AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY HOW DOES THAT FEEL?
“It feels great. Just have to thank everybody on our Jimmy John’s team for really everything they do every week for qualifying and race cars that they bring to the race track are just incredibly fast. They have helped improve my qualifying record a tremendous amount. Today was no different.”
HOW ABOUT A WIN TOMORROW NIGHT?
“Track position is definitely as important as it is anywhere here with the current groove and where you are running. I felt good about our car during practice and just have to stay in there all night and do the best we can.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 2ND
“Gosh I’m still excited. In practice we were pretty good, but we needed a little bit more and again just a great team effort and communication by this Drive To End Hunger Chevy SS team. We are just so thrilled to get a front row start here at Bristol. That means a lot. I know it wasn’t a pole, Kevin (Harvick) put up a great lap. I thought I had a really good lap that first run out. I came on the radio and I said ‘that is all I got.’ When you go do that and the car is well balanced and you get a good lap you know that it’s up to somebody else to just take a little more risk and maybe get it and Kevin did. Hats off to them and another great start to a weekend for this team. To go to Watkins Glen, Michigan and then back to Bristol and be this competitive is just a real testament to how great this team is and that No. 24 Chevrolet.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 4TH
“It’s not bad at all. We usually struggle a lot on Friday and then qualifying is normally difficult. We had a great practice session, great qualifying effort. Of course we want to be better, but I think my strength is racing and come race time we are going to be in a lot better shape.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 7TH
“I felt like qualifying was a good session for us. We picked up time on the second outing to get into the top 12. We were struggling a little bit with a tight car that might not have got us in that top 12. It was nice to go back out on hot tires because the car was continuously fast on its second lap. Where our teammate (Kevin) Harvick got his fast lap on the first lap out each time our cars are a little different ours is a little tighter. That is a good spot to start the race from we just have to make sure we are not too tight on exit when the track rubbers in after a Nationwide race.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – SPUN IN FIRST QUALIFYING SESSION AND SUSTAINED COSMETIC DAMAGE
TELL US WHAT HAPPENED THERE IN QUALIFYING AFTER YOU WERE SO FAST IN PRACTICE:
“Yeah, we were really good in practice. I just got loose through the corner and thought I could save it, and probably should have just bailed. We got the wall and are probably going to a back-up car, so it sucks. Normally we would have practice the next day, but on Saturday night races we don’t so we kind of have to guess on everything and hope it’s good.”
HOW MUCH WERE YOU ON THE EDGE AND HOW HARD IS IT TO PREDICT THAT EDGE?
“I definitely was over the edge. So I don’t know. It’s frustrating because we had a really, really good Target Chevy in practice with definitely top five speeds. Now I don’t know what we have.”
WHEN YOU GO OVER THE EDGE HERE DOES IT APPLY THE NEXT TIME AROUND OR IS IT A ONE TIME DEAL?
“Yes, I am sure it will apply or I will think about it next time. Hopefully it doesn’t hurt me and I go slower. I don’t know, it’s just really frustrating.”