NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOOD SAM 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 11, 2016

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PRO SERVICES CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the new rules package, the tire, his opinion following last week’s race in Las Vegas, athletes on pit crews, and more. FULL TRANSCRIPT:

ON THE NEW RACE PACKAGE, WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW GOING INTO THE START OF THE SEASON?
“From inside the car, I feel like I can get closer to cars around me and not have my car kinda bug-out in traffic; and I feel like this is going to create more passing opportunities. I think some tracks might show that a little bit easier than others, but I feel like riding in traffic the car is a lot more in control deep in the pack and I can get closer to cars in front of me. From the rules package standpoint, that’s what we’re trying to create. And I think we’re on the right track.”

NEXT WEEK, YOU’RE RUNNING THE SUPERMAN PAINT SCHEME, WHILE DALE EARNHARDT JR. IS RUNNING THE BATMAN. HOW DID YOU GUYS DETERMINE WHO WAS GOING TO DO WHICH ONE, AND WERE YOU A BATMAN-GUY OR A SUPERMAN-GUY GROWING UP?
“I didn’t have a say, but I was very happy to end up with Superman. I think Mark Martin called me that years ago, and some have used that reference in a nickname from time to time. I feel like it was much more fitting than Batman. Superman is going to kick Batman’s butt, bottom line.”

YOU TALKED IN JANUARY AT THE LAS VEGAS TEST ABOUT THE SPEEDS THAT YOU FOUND AND WONDERED WHETHER IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT. WAS THERE MUCH CHANGE BASED ON THE TIRE SELECTION, THAT YOU SAW LAST WEEK? AND, DO YOU THINK MORE STEPS NEED TO BE TAKEN BASED ON WHAT YOU SAW LAST WEEK?
“I really feel it’s a learning process. The conversations that myself and the drivers’ council and the drivers in general had with NASCAR and Goodyear, we all understand that every surface creates a different challenge. At the test session, I commended Goodyear for coming in with the softest tire, the highest wear tires that they have kind of built in the last period of time. It worked fantastic at Kansas and I still think it worked well at Las Vegas. Just as a reference point, I think we were maybe at least a second, if not closer to a second and a half slower in the race weekend than we were in the test. So, temperature has a big impact on the top speed of the cars and the tire fall-off. I guess we all kind of knew, but it was one of those moments for me that I had to remind myself of. So, it’s a moving target. This tire and downforce package is new. I think as we get into the summer months, this package is really going to shine and the soft tire is really going to create the racing that we want. At the same time, Goodyear and NASCAR and the drivers’ council and everybody involved is continuing to make it better and better. All the drivers that I spoke to following the Vegas race, sure the speeds were a little high; they weren’t as high as the test, which was a great step in the right direction. But everybody loved driving the race cars. There was a lot of positive feedback from the competitors.”

THERE WAS A STRETCH A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN NOBODY COULD BEAT YOU AT THIS PLACE. HOW HARD IS IT TO BEAT KEVIN HARVICK RIGHT NOW?
“It’s tough. There’s no way around it. I was probably one of the few that was screaming and yelling, don’t change this place, don’t repave it, don’t reconfigure it. I feel like we’ve had some good showings here. But coming to this track, I definitely put that No. 4 car as my number-one pick. I think we’re closing the gap some. The Penske cars usually shine here, so I expect those two to be pretty good. I just heard the tail end of Kevin’s conversation and you start thinking it through and you look at Kyle (Busch) and his success here, which then opens up the JGR cars. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I guess if I’m forced to, the No. 4 car is the one that we’ll all be paying close attention to.”

A GROWING TREND IN NASCAR IS HIRING DIVISION ONE ATHLETES ON YOUR PIT CREW. DO YOU HAVE ANY? AND, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT’S SUCH A GROWING TREND IN NASCAR?
“To find speed, agility, strength in individuals isn’t the hardest thing to do. There’s lots of fit people around the country. The hard part is when you take somebody that’s so physically talented and put them in pit stop practice, they usually perform well. And we’ve learned that when you pull down pit lane and you’re crewing Dale (Earnhardt) Junior’s car or Jimmie Johnson’s car, the pressure that comes with that is pretty high. And what we’re finding is these athletes that are coming out of college that have been there in those pressure moments can’t handle that situation better. And, they also bring a lot of other assets to the team. Racing in general has really been a group of people that kind of liked each other and all loved racing, but found a way to work with one another. And the locker-room environment that I know our No. 48 team is bringing and that our over-the-wall guys bring is something special. And they’re creating a bond and a relationship internally that I don’t think would have existed otherwise. So, sure, the pressure and the physical fitness that they have and their ability to perform is one major role. But the locker-room affect is really big, too.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GOOD SAM 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 11, 2016

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and discussed his success at PIR, his plans to go home to Bakersfield, California next weekend, his plans for 2017 and many other topics. Full Transcript:

WHAT MAKES YOU SO GOOD HERE AT PHOENIX?
“It’s obviously been a great race track for me personally, but really for the last two years at Stewart-Haas Racing it’s been phenomenal. We have won three of the four races and got beat by the rain in the last one. All-in-all it’s been a lot of fun to come here. For me personally, this is a fun place to come just for the fact that I started racing here in the mid-90’s and you still see a lot of the same fans and people that followed your career up through the ranks. I love coming out here and look forward to getting another weekend started.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix–Kevin Harvick →

Chevrolet Ready for 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Season-Opening Event on the Streets of St. Petersburg

· 2016 marks second season for the Chevrolet-specific Aero Kit powered by the Chevy 2.2-liter V6 twin-turbo direct injected engine
· Chevrolet capped 2015 season by winning fourth consecutive Verizon IndyCar Series Manufacturer Championship as Scott Dixon was crowned Series’ champion and Juan Pablo Montoya put the Gold Bowtie in Victory Lane for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500
· Montoya is defending race winner of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, race one of 16-race Verizon IndyCar Series season
· Chevrolet has four consecutive victories in season-opening event Continue reading Chevrolet Ready for 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Season-Opening Event on the Streets of St. Petersburg →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
KOBALT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
MARCH 6, 2016

JIMMIE JOHNSON LEADS TEAM CHEVY WITH THIRD PLACE FINISH IN LAS VEGAS
Six Chevy SS Drivers in Top 10

LAS VEGAS – (Mar. 6, 2016) – Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, led a group of six Team Chevy drivers to the finish in his No. 48 Kobalt Chevrolet SS at the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the third round of the 2016 season. The start of the 400-mile race was delayed 26 minutes by a passing rain shower; and weather continued to be a challenge with gusty winds and sandstorms.

“It was gusty and problematic, but I expected it to be a lot worse,” said Johnson, who led 76 of the 267-lap event. “I guess when you are going 200 mph a 30 or 40 mph wind doesn’t bother it too much. It was exciting. The trash was probably the biggest problem, trying to keep the trash off the grille.”

Austin Dillon, pilot of the No. 3 Dow Energy & Water Intellifresh Chevy SS, rallied back from a speeding violation on pit road to take a solid fifth place finish, giving Team Chevy two of the top five in the final order.

Kevin Harvick was seventh in his No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevy SS, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., earned an eighth place finish in his No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS. Kurt Busch, who won the Kobalt 400 pole position and led 32 laps in front of his hometown Las Vegas crowd, brought home a ninth place finish in his No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevy SS. Kasey Kahne rounded out the Top-10 in his No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS.

Brad Keselowski (Ford) was the race winner, Joey Logano (Ford) was second, and Kyle Busch (Toyota) finished fourth.

The Series continues its West Coast Swing at Phoenix International Raceway next Sunday, March 13.

# # #

POST RACE NOTES & QUOTES:

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 KOBALT CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 3RD
WHAT DID YOU NEED DURING THAT LAST RUN TO MAYBE WIN THIS THING?
“Track position was pretty important. The series of events leading up to that last restart kind of had us deeper in track position than we needed to be for the win. We still got a third, which is good, but those top three or four cars were pretty equal. It was just real hard to get there and get inside of somebody. I was impressed the No. 2 was able to sit behind the No. 22 that long and finally get by and not wear his stuff out in the process. But, decent day for us all-in-all.”

WAS THE WIND MUCH OF A FACTOR?
“Yeah, it was less than I expected. It was gusty and problematic, but I expected it to be a lot worse. I guess when you are going 200 mph a 30 or 40 mph wind doesn’t bother it too much. It was exciting. The trash was probably the biggest problem, trying to keep the trash off the grille.”

WAS THE WIND THE BIGGEST GAME CHANGER?
“At least with my race car the wind, sure I felt it and I knew kind of what was going on and trying to play into it a little bit. But, it was far better driving than I expected it to be. I’m not sure if everybody else can say that, but my KOBALT race team gave me a fantastic race car, a fast race car and just a series of events there at the end, we lost a little track position and the top three or four cars were pretty equal on speed and I just couldn’t get there.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW – ENERGY & WATER/INTELLIFRESH CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 5TH
MAYBE A LITTLE MORE TIME AND YOU WOULD HAVE HAD THEM:
“Yeah, I know there at the end I was trying to save a little fuel, but we were really coming on strong. We killed ourselves today. To comeback to a fifth, I’m blessed and the good Lord was looking out for us. The cautions fell right. We really have to pick it up as a group, me included, on pit road. It was disappointing because we had such a fast race car. At one point in time we were way faster than the leader. We just put ourselves behind. But, we had a shot there at the end and if we were good enough to win we would have done it. We have a little more work to do. I think a win is in the future though.”

HOW DID YOU FIGHT BACK TO FINISH FIFTH?
“Just never giving up. It takes a lot of effort and these guys built such a fast race car I did all I could there to get ourselves back into a position to get back on the lead lap. The caution fell perfect for us. We took a gusty call there to take the wave around and get back on the lead lap to see if the caution would come out. It did right in our window. Things fell our way there for sure. What a fast race car we were running some lap times faster than the leader at one point in the middle of the race when we were laps down that we were really proud of. I wish the wind wouldn’t have been so bad today. I think it would have been an even better day for us. Just proud of the Dow/Intellifresh team we have something to work with. I think you will see us in Victory Lane before the season is over.”
RODNEY CHILDERS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 7TH
“We had a good car overall. Everybody did a good job most of the day. We had a bad pit stop and got us behind and then kind of turned our whole day around from there. Everybody did a good job. We couldn’t come close to making it on fuel there at the end like the No. 2 and No. 22, so we didn’t have any option, but to come down and top it off again and put tires on it. Just got to get better. We have given them away the past two weeks and just have to do a better job.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 8TH
ON THE WINDSTORM AND THE SANDSTORM, HOW DID THAT AFFECT YOU?
“Yeah, I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. I think that affected all the cars and made the cars much harder to drive. We had a huge wind blowing across the race track up into the wall off of (Turn) 2 and that made it difficult getting down into the bottom of Turn 3. It was a challenge. And you could definitely tell when the gusts were picking up.”

WAS IT LIKE HARD OR DANGEROUS OR ANYTHING?
“No, no, no, not at all. Visibility, maybe, is the only thing you get a little nervous about when the sandstorm come through, but the winds wasn’t too windy. I thought it was before we got in the car, but I was just as intrigued as anybody to see how it would go and how the race would go with these kinds of winds. It’s definitely a factor that makes it another challenge. All the drivers want is more challenges; more hoops to jump through.”

ON THE NEW DOWNFORCE PACKAGE
“The one thing that I really like is I can drive up to guys with that little spoiler on the back, I’m not really stuck behind people like we used to be. I lot of the drivers are wanting to keep going in this direction and even further. I wasn’t really so sure about that but now I feel like that might be a good move to go even less downforce. I don’t know if the blade needs to get shorter, but these things are sealed off on the ground. There’s a lot we could do to the bodies and stuff to take some downforce out of them. I’m sure NASCAR is looking at that. We can’t just keep taking the blade off, but we could probably take a little of an inch off and not really tell the difference.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 MONSTER ENERGY/HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 9TH
“We fought hard. Driver made a couple of mistakes on a restart and speeding on pit road. We just had to battle, battle, battle and just never got into a good rhythm. We just felt like we were battling from behind.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 SMITH’S/KINGSFORD CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 14TH
“Hard fought day. I’ve been working on getting on pit road. I thought I got on really good and I will be interested to see the number, just sped a little bit. That got us behind, but we worked the strategy back to keep trying to get back on the lead lap. The pit crew was really good today. Randall (Burnett, crew chief) did a good job. I couldn’t figure out exactly, I knew I needed the front to turn better; we were just a little free in. From there just made small adjustments all day. We made it better each run. At the end there I thought we were decent, the best we had been all day, just nowhere to go. We took what could have been a really bad day and really put us way behind to start the year and salvaged a decent day out of it. Not totally happy, but I think we are making gains. The car has speed in it, just a little bit off. Randall and the guys give most of the credit to them because I … it’s just frustrating. I just got us behind. I didn’t want to get us behind early in the race. We weren’t great, but we had gotten the gap to kind of get in that safe zone where we could make our own day out of it and I put us behind. Randall kept me calm. Some of those runs weren’t very fun but he kept his head in and made me better.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET SS – Involved in a multi-car crash on lap 225

WHAT WAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THAT UNFOLDED?
“Just disappointed, what a fast race car, I appreciate everybody working hard. I feel like we made a lot of gains this weekend. Just a terrible job on my behalf. That is pitiful. We have run three races and finished one. Just a bad job on my end. I ought to know better to miss a wreck like that.”

WHAT COULD YOU HAVE DONE?
“Yeah, got off the brake and missed it.”

WHAT DID YOU SEE FROM YOUR VIEW?
“Matt (Kenseth) spin out and I just did a bad job missing him. Just locked up the brakes and ran right into the back of him.”

HOW TOUGH IS THAT WIND?
“I didn’t really notice it too bad today.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
KOBALT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 4, 2016

KURT BUSCH CLAIMS POLE FOR CHEVROLET AT LAS VEGAS
Team Chevy Takes Four of First Eight Starting Positions

LAS VEGAS – (Mar. 4, 2016) Kurt Busch captured the pole for Sunday’s Kobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) by posting a new track record of 196.328 mph in his No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS. It was Busch’s second consecutive pole for 2016, the 21st of his career, and second at his hometown track.

“It was insanely fast,” said Busch following his performance in the knockout-style qualifying format. “It’s amazing all the detail that goes into qualifying with finding that perfect lap three times out there. My second outing we were way tight, and I didn’t know where it came from. (Tony) Gibson, (crew chief) and crew went to town. They just adjusted on it. We gambled and we made that last session, which was great. That was icing on the cake to be able to go out into the third round. Two poles in a row is a reason to celebrate.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Las Vegas II →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
KOBALT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 4, 2016

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 MONSTER ENERGY/HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – Pole Winner
WAS THAT FAST LAP A LUDICROUS SPEED LAP?
“It was insanely fast. It’s amazing all the detail that goes into qualifying with finding that perfect lap three times out there. My second outing we were way tight and I didn’t know where it came from. (Tony) Gibson, (crew chief) and crew went to town. They just adjusted on it. We gambled and we made that last session, which was great. That was icing on the cake to be able to go out into the third round. I was first or 12th it didn’t matter. Thanks to Haas Automation, Monster Energy, two poles in a row, this is great. This is how you work through an off season and show up to qualify, now we just need to find that speed on the long run. Really proud of everybody at SHR.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Las Vegas →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
KOBALT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 4, 2016

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS held a press conference with media at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Full Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: I think you all know this gentleman here, three-time champion, Tony Stewart.
We have an exciting initiative to talk to you about today, then we’ll answer some questions. We’ll try to knock out a couple of birds with one stone.
Mobil 1 has been a cornerstone partner with Stewart-Haas Racing since 2011. In addition to their activation with their consumers and employees, they’ve made a series of videos that are about as good as there are in racing between ‘Smokey The Bandit’ and the ‘Soda Cookie’ commercial. I think those are as good as any in racing. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Tony Stewart →

CHEVROLET EARNS PRO STOCK VICTORY, REACHES FINALS IN ALL THREE CLASSES
Jason Line captures 38th victory in all-Chevrolet Pro Stock semifinals field
· Brittany Force advances to Top Fuel final, comes up short on holeshot
· John Force reaches Funny Car final to pace John Force Racing contingent
· Robert Hight sets Funny Car track records for elapsed time and speed

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 28, 2016) – For the second consecutive event of the young National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Chevrolet was the class of the Pro Stock category by sweeping into the semifinals and coming away with the victory at the 32nd CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.
Also, Chevrolet teams reached the final round in Top Fuel (Brittany Force) and Funny Car (John Force) at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Jason Line, the No. 2 qualifier in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS, earned his 38th Pro Stock victory with a pass of 6.666 seconds/205.16 mph in the final against Chris McGaha (Harlow Sammons of Odessa Chevrolet Camaro SS). Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Phoenix Post Race →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 28, 2016

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER
THE GUTSY CALL BY CREW CHIEF, CHAD KNAUS, WAS THE GAME WINNER
‘Yeah, definitely a gutsy call. It was just a great team effort. The No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) car was awfully tough and it was going to take some strategy to get by him. When he told me to whip it as hard as I could there, I just felt like I was going to take too much life out of the tires. But, it worked. And I got rolling around the top and got to where I got this Lowe’s Chevy in Victory Lane. I’m so happy for Hendrick Motorsports and for everybody at Chevrolet.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Atlanta–Post Race →

Chevrolet Well-Positioned Heading into Eliminations at Wild Horse Pass

· Butner secures first Pro Stock No. 1 qualifier position of career
· Chevrolet drivers claim five of the top seven Pro Stock qualifying spots
· John Force Racing drivers qualify second, third and fourth in Funny Car

DETROIT (Feb. 27, 2016) – Chevrolet swept the top three qualifying positions Pro Stock and John Force Racing drivers earned the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 qualifying spots in Funny Car at the 32nd CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

Bo Butner (Butner Auto Sales Chevrolet Camaro SS) earned his inaugural National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock No. 1 qualifying position in his 19th start and became the 61st driver to achieve the distinction. His pass of 6.618 seconds at 208.88 mph in the opening round held up throughout the succeeding three rounds of qualifying in the Mellow Yello NHRA Drag Racing Series event.

“It’s a dream. I grew up in Super Stock, Stock and Comp and I always wanted to be able to drive a Pro Stock car,” said the longtime sportsman racer, who leases the car from KB Racing. “It’s an honor and cool to have a green hat.”

Butner, a semifinalist at the season-opening Winternationals two weeks ago, will face V. Gaines in a first-round matchup, with the winner earning a bye into the semifinals.

“I’d like to get past V., get to the finals and win. That’s our goal every time when we leave the house,” Butner added.

Courtney Force, who set a track record for elapsed time in her Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car with a run of 3.930 seconds in the first round of qualifications, matched her 2015 qualifying effort of second at Wild Horse Pass. Ron Capps vaulted to the No. 1 qualifying position in the fourth round, bumping Force by 0.005 of a second.
John Force, who has a record eight victories at the venue in the desert, moved from eighth to third in the fourth round of qualifying with a blistering pass of 3.938/323.81 in the PEAK Antifreeze/Republic Services Chevrolet Camaro SS. Robert Hight had a best run of 3.945/319.14 in the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS to qualify fourth.

In Top Fuel, Brittany Force recorded her best pass of the weekend in Round 4 at 3.769/321.04 in the Monster Energy Chevrolet Dragster for John Force Racing to move up one position to fifth. She was the event runner-up in Top Fuel in 2014.

Chevrolet drivers occupy five of the seven positions that constitute the top half of the Pro Stock field heading into eliminations. Jason Line (Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS) faced Butner in Round 4 and remained the No. 2 qualifier with a best run of 6.622/208.17. KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson, who beat Line in the final of the Winternationals, qualified third in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS. He recorded a pass of 6.623/207.72, which was the quickest of the session.

Chris McGaha (Harlow Sammons of Odessa Chevrolet Camaro SS) qualified fifth and Drew Skillman, who qualified second and reached the semifinals last year at Wild Horse Pass in his second Pro Stock event, qualified sixth in the Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro SS. Alex Laughlin (Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro SS), another second-year Pro Stock driver, qualified seventh.

Laughlin is being coached this weekend by 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice, a friend who has been working with the team.

“He told me, ‘You’re the quarterback, and you need to keep your guys in a good mood and keep morale up when times are hard. You have two more shots today. We’ll get it,’ ’’ Laughlin said.

Joey Grose (Skyler Electric/Big Chief Chevrolet Camaro SS) qualified 10th, while Vincent Nobile (Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro SS) qualified 12th and Matt Hartford (Total Seal/CIP1/Nitro Fish Chevrolet Camaro SS) qualified 13th.

In Stock Eliminator, Dan Fletcher (PEAK/K&N/ATI Chevrolet COPO Camaro) qualified 34th (of 57). Fletcher won the class in the opener at Pomona. In Super Stock, Rodger Comstock (MTS/Hoosier/Lucas Oil/MCNX WR Chevrolet COPO Camaro) qualified 50th and Bryan Broaddus (DNB ENGINEERING Chevrolet COPO Camaro) qualified 53rd.

FOX Sports 1 will telecast live coverage of eliminations and finals at 5 p.m. ET Feb. 28.

COURTNEY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, TRAXXAS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Our Traxxas team came into today the top qualifier and we were trying hard to hold onto that spot. One of the great things about coming out here to Phoenix is we’ve done pretty well I the past and we have qualified well, so we have had some really good data to build on. We pushed too hard on that last pass because it was really all or nothing at that point. We were trying to run in the 3.80s because that’s what we were running in testing.”

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE/REPUBLIC SERVICES CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We have four good race cars now and we will see what we can do tomorrow. I am most excited about feeling like we have turned the corner. Our hot rods will run with all the teams now. We still aren’t the quickest but we are excited about the direction we are going. I have no complaints.”

“ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “I am proud of this Auto Club team and really all our John Force Racing Funny Cars. We are 2-3-4 in qualifying and we all got qualifying bonus points. That kind of consistency will help us on race day I hope. I am looking forward to racing Cruz Pedregon (in first round of eliminations) tomorrow. He is a tough competitor and I know I will have my hands full.”

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: “That last run was another great run by this Monster Energy team. I have a lot of confidence in this team and I am pumped to go into race day. I will have a tough first round against Shawn Langdon, but we’ll be ready. We are No. 5 in a tough Top Fuel field and I am excited to get back to the track.”

JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We were definitely OK being second (to Bo Butner). We’re excited for tomorrow and really happy for Bo to get his first No. 1 qualifier. That’s a big deal.”

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We got after it today versus the pack so I think we’re ready to go tomorrow. I think we’re in great shape. We have a good product for tomorrow again. At Pomona we had great cars, and this weekend we have great cars. I’m excited going into race day.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
TEST IN THE WEST PROMOTER TEST
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, AVONDALE, ARIZ.
SATURDAY FEB. 27, 2016

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 11 HYDROXYCUT CHEVROLET, JIMMY VASSER AND JAMES SULLIVAN – KVSH RACING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
THE MODERATOR: We are pleased to be joined by several members of KVSH Racing and KV Racing Technologies. We’re joined by Jimmy Vasser, co-owner of KVSH Racing Technologies, James Sullivan and driver Sebastien Bourdais.
Jimmy, we’ll start with you, a very exciting announcement this morning that Hydroxycut will be the co-primary sponsor for your season and that you’d be returning Sebastien to the team. How did this relationship continue, and what can we expect from 2016?
JIMMY VASSER: Well, it’s probably the worst-kept secret, really. It’s not a surprise to us that we were going to contest the series with Sebastien, particularly after the last couple of years. We really feel that we’re in a position to fight for the championship. We had one win two years ago, two wins last year, in the championship going into the mid-Ohio race and it kind of all went downhill from a yellow flag there that ruined our track position, and it really didn’t finish the season strong. Even running fifth in the points up until the penalty at Sonoma that I thought was a bit shady, Graham was not — wasn’t innocent from any of that. So I really do feel we’re in a position to fight for the championship. Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Test in the West →

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
TEST IN THE WEST PROMOTER TEST
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, AVONDALE, ARIZ.
SATURDAY FEB. 27, 2016

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, press conference transcript:

THE MODERATOR: What are your thoughts of how an IndyCar reacts here on the track?
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA: So far it’s been good. We came here and tested before, so yesterday was a really good day for us for what we wanted to do. Today we had a couple… did a little bit of qualifying simulations, nothing too extreme. Just figured out an idea of what we need to do. I think it’s going to be interesting because NASCAR is going to be here about two weeks before we race, two, three weeks, so I think it’s going to change the track a lot with all that rubber they’re going to lay down and everything, so we’ll see how the track changes.
You know, you’ve got to be careful because we’re doing two days of running, cleaning the track, sludging the tires, and the truck it just rubbers up and it’s going to feel great. When you come back here to qualify, you’re going to have, what, one one-hour session and then qualify. I think people — we’re all kind of surprised ourselves.
It’s going to be fun. I think it’s going to be challenging to get to up to speed because you’ve got to really get out all the way to Turn 3 by the time you get into the track. You come by once, and because you run flat, they get up to speed, momentum is going to be key. Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Phoenix →

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
TEST IN THE WEST PROMOTER TEST
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, AVONDALE, ARIZ.
FRIDAY FEB. 26, 2016
TONY KANAAN, NO. 10 NTT DATA CHIP GANASSI RACING CHEVROLET, press conference transcript:
THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by Tony Kanaan.
Tony, a back-to-back winner here in 2003 and 2004, another second-place finish in 2005, a track you’ve seen a lot of success at. What does it feel like to be back here at Phoenix International Raceway?
TONY KANAAN: When you have a record like that, it’s obviously nice to be back. A slightly different configuration, but it’s still one of my favorite racetracks.
One of my best recollections, I gave Michael Andretti’s team their first win when they got back to IndyCar. It was here in 2003. A lot of good memories about this racetrack.
So happy to be back and enjoying the Phoenix weather, for sure. Continue reading CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES →

Chevrolet Off to Fast Start in the Desert

· Force sets elapsed time Funny Car record at Wild Horse Pass
· Butner leads Chevrolet drivers to top four in Pro Stock
· Drivers look for more success in second-day qualifying

DETROIT (Feb. 26, 2016) – Courtney Force set a track record for elapsed time in her Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car with a run of 3.930 seconds in the first round of qualifications for the 32nd CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

The John Force Racing driver is the provisional No. 1 qualifier for the second event of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The first round time held on to the top spot for her at the conclusion of round two. Continue reading Chevrolet Off to Fast Start in the Desert →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST-QUALIFYING TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 26, 2016

FRONT-ROW SWEEP FOR CHEVROLET SS AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Kurt Busch takes first career Atlanta pole position in Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS

· Team Chevy drivers take three of first four starting positions
· Chevrolet going for 40th victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway
· Jamie McMurray on outside front row in McDonald’s Chevrolet SS

HAMPTON, Ga. (Feb. 26, 2016) – Chevrolets will fill the front row for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway as Kurt Busch drove his No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS to the pole position for the second race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Atlanta Qualifying Transcript →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST QUALIFYING QUOTE
FEBRUARY 26, 2016

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 MONSTER ENERGY/HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER
ON BEING THE POLE SITTER AND POST QUALIFYING INSPECTION:
“It’s an awesome run that the car had in it. The team did a good job to dial it in for the three rounds. I was just trying to make sure I didn’t slip a tire any extra. It’s really easy to overdrive Atlanta Motor Speedway. The track challenges the driver, the car and the tires. It’s a fun place to come and try to lay down a lap.

“Overall with the way the developments came up from tech inspection this shows the amount of enforcement that NASCAR is ready to imply to their technical procedures on what a car has to do to comply to all specs.”

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 26, 2016

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 MONSTER ENERGY/HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – Qualified 2nd
“It was a good, consistent car and I hope that translates into race speed, as well. But thanks to Tony Gibson and everybody at Stewart-Haas, it’s a matter of preparing the best car during the off-season to come to these 1.5-mile tracks and seeing what you’ve got. Monster Energy is on the hood and Haas Automation. It’s just great to feel this right away with the speed and the energy from the car.”

IS TODAY A GREAT BUILDING BLOCK FOR SUNDAY’S RACE?
“That’s what I was congratulating the guys on. When we go through Daytona, and that’s 10 days of trying to find a little bit of speed here and there, and then boom, today you’ve got to do everything in 80 minutes. So, it’s great to see our team in a nice rhythm already and we’ll just try to capitalize on beating that No. 18 (Kyle Busch). He got us just by a little bit and I know I was a little bit tight out there on both ends of the race track, and so I’ll ask Gibson and the guys what we can do to fix that and dial her in for 500 miles.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Atlanta Qualifying →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 26, 2016

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway and discussed what he expects from Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, his expectations of the new low-downforce package and many other topics. Full Transcript:

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST HERE AT ATLANTA. TALK ABOUT COMING BACK TO THE TRACK AND EXPECTATIONS THIS WEEKEND:
“Expectations are high. We are very excited to get to a 1.5-mile track. I’m excited about the new rules package. I think these cooler temperatures are going to add a lot of grip and maybe not show the real potential. The drivers are so excited about the rules package. I’ve always had great success here. It’s been a lot of fun. I think this track with the high tire wear and the bumpy conditions and the fact that you have to search around for lines really suits my style, and suits my upbringing racing on the dirt. It’s been a great race track for me. Looking forward to a strong performance.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Atlanta–Jimmie Johnson →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 26, 2016

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway and discussed the pressure of performing in front of the hometown crowd, rebounding from Daytona and many other topics. Full transcript:

THIS IS YOUR FIRST NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE AT YOUR HOME TRACK. TALK ABOUT BEING HERE THIS WEEKEND AND RACING IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME CROWD.
“I’m excited, first off. We want to try and get things going and have a little better week than last week. We’re all excited about it. I know Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and everybody has been working hard in the offseason to improve our mile-and-a-half program. I think they feel really confident in it with some things they’ve been working on. I’m excited to get out there today in practice and see how we stack up.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Atlanta–Chase Elliott →

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 26, 2016

TY DILLON, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS TRACKER BOATS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Full transcript:

TY, YOU’RE RUNNING DOUBLE-DUTY THIS WEEKEND IN THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AND THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES. TALK ABOUT EXPECTATIONS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND.
“It’s a huge weekend. First of all, I have to thank Stewart-Haas Racing for the opportunity to be in the 14 car. I think everyone wants to see Tony (Stewart) in this car. With those unfortunate circumstances, I was able to be in the car this weekend, which is good for me to get the experience in such great equipment. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity. It’s an honor to drive the 14 for Tony. I have high expectations for this weekend. I said it earlier in the week that I always set my goals high. I want to run good in this car. I want to do good for Tony and Stewart-Haas Racing. I don’t see why we shouldn’t be able to run in the top-10 or top-15. I’m going to give it all I have. I’ve been talking with (crew chief) Mike (Bugarewicz) all week. I want to go out there and impress a lot of people and show people what I’m made of and what I can do in these race cars. Going back and forth will help me a lot, especially in my Xfinity car. It would be nice to get two good finishes here in Atlanta.” Continue reading TY DILLON, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS TRACKER BOATS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway. →