MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
ISM CONNECT 300
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – Finished 2nd
YOU HAD A HECK OF A RESTART THERE WITH 25 LAPS TO GO, BUT WHERE DID THE NO. 18 (KYLE BUSCH, RACE WINNER) ULTIMATELY HAVE YOU BEAT?
“I felt like on really long runs I was fairly equal to those guys in front of me. But, on the short run there, I could get pointed to the exit, but I couldn’t get the throttle down. I’d get loose. So, he just was really good. I think the No. 78 (Martin Truex, Jr.) was also really good, but he had his trouble. The No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) was also good. We were next best. So, we finished second again with our Target Chevy. That’s a lot of second-place finishes this year, but I’m fine with second. Top 5’s will get us to Homestead, so hats off to everybody on our Target team. The pit crew was great all day. I think we gained spots every time. Normally I’m struggling on short tracks, but this year we were pretty good.”
DO THE SECOND PLACE FINISHES GET FRUSTRATING? OR, COMPARED TO HOW YOU STARTED THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR, WILL YOU TAKE THIS?
“Yeah, I mean, obviously you want to win. And, second is the first loser. But, second is also not bad; especially when you get to the Playoffs. Winning is very important, but also consistency is just as important. We got a fifth last week and a second today with even better Stage points, so that was pretty much the day that we needed. Obviously, a win would have been great, but second was just as good.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – Finished 14th
WHAT HAPPENED THERE AT THE END?
“We had a lugnut not on our last pit stop on the left-front, so when I went to leave the box I had to stop and back up and put a lugnut on, so I feel from fifth to 15th or something and then just stuck in traffic and couldn’t go anywhere.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 CHEVROLET ACCESSORIES CHEVROLET SS – Finished 19th
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CONTACT WITH KEVIN HARVICK?
“I don’t know. I think you can look at the replay. He kept coming left and I was in the gas and he bobbled and when he bobbled I tapped him and it spun him out.”
YOU ARE 13TH IN POINTS WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO NEXT WEEK IN ORDER TO MOVE ON?
“Just have a good race. We’ve got to go get ‘em next week and have a good race and we will see where we end up.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – Finished 22nd
“We have had some hurdles this weekend in New Hampshire but we were able to make the most of what we had. The backup rolled off the trailer pretty decent especially considering we had no practice laps in it. The GEICO pit crew took a big swing at it under the first stage break caution and we didn’t have to do a lot more to it. It was still a bit too tight but we were able to work with it and learn a lot today.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 ROAD TO RACE DAY CHEVROLET SS – Finished 35th
ON WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END:
“Something broke. I think they said trackbar, but that is all I know I didn’t talk to Darien (Grubb, crew chief). But, that is what he had said while we were in the garage. We were working hard. We got really loose that first run and then got control of the car. And then it was really tough to pass, but we worked our way back up and were passing for 12th when that happened. Who knows how the final restarts go and all that, but we were making gains. I think we had a top-10 car if the restarts went the right way otherwise a top 15 and we move on to Dover.”