Cut Tire Derails Paul Menard’s Strong Run at Darlington Raceway

“We had a really loose Richmond/Menards Chevy today. The team did a great job on pit road all day and Justin (Alexander, crew chief) kept making adjustments to make gains where we needed them. The caution falling while we were on pit road hurt us. And we couldn’t really recover our position. We over adjusted there at the end and were too tight. With five laps to go, we cut a right-side tire and had to pit. I’m looking forward to our final XFINITY Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.”

– Paul Menard

Dillon Clinches Spot in Inaugural XFINITY Series Chase Playoff by Finishing 12th at Darlington Raceway

“The guys on pit road today were solid. I think we picked up four or five positions from fast stops which is always key to a good race. We caught a little bad luck there at the end with the caution coming out right after I got off of pit road. Overall, our No. 3 Ruud Chevrolet was pretty fast. We’re happy to be locked into the Chase and it sort of puts us in a cool position for next weekend at Richmond where we can hopefully race for just the win and not have to worry about points.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones Earns 10th Top-10 Finish of Rookie Year in His First Darlington Start

“That was a solid day. Going into the weekend, I was thinking that a top-10 finish would be a good day for not seeing this place and coming to Darlington Raceway for the first time. It is good to get back in the swing of things and get another top-10 finish. I pancaked the right side of the No. 33 Project: Time Off/visitmyrtlebeach.com Chevrolet a couple times and got my Darlington Stripe. I usually say that my favorite tracks are the ones I’ve won at, but Darlington has certainly been added to the list. It was cool to see a Chevrolet get the win. I wish it was a RCR Chevy, but it is good to see the manufacturer back in Victory Lane.”

– Brandon Jones

Gaughan Battles Loose Handling Royal Inn Casino Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway to Finish 16th

“It was just a rough day all in all. Practice went well, however I thought we would be better in the race. The track kept changing in the heat of the day, and Shane (Wilson, crew chief) made changes trying to keep up with the ‘Lady in Black.’ I got caught speeding on pit road, which cost us the wave around. The team did an excellent job on stops keeping the Royal Inn Casino Chevrolet moving forward. I can only blame myself for the track position hole we were in. We should have been a seventh- or eighth-place car today. This throwback weekend is the coolest thing that NASCAR does. I really enjoyed having my father’s throwback paint scheme, as well as his name on the car. It’s a great thing how everyone gets involved, from the sponsors, to the guys in the garage with mustaches and mutton chops. Darlington is a special place and it’s always fun here. We will lick our wounds and move on to Richmond International Raceway under the lights.”

– Brendan Gaughan