KYLE BUSCH AND MATT KENSETH AIM FOR CHASE BERTH AT BRISTOL

Kyle Busch

March 13, 2014 – He’s led two of the first three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, eclipsed the 100 driver rating figure in all three, tallied fastest laps run in all three – and has only one top-10 finish to show for it. And barely –his ninth place run at Phoenix is his best thus far.

Those frustrating finishes could end this weekend. Statistically, at Bristol, a strong Busch run usually culminates with a likewise strong finish. He has 15 wins there across NASCAR’s three national series – more than any other driver in national series history at Bristol. Five of those wins came in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the last coming in March of 2011.

Busch is approaching a major series milestone, one that could come this Sunday at Bristol. With 140 laps led – something he’s done four times at Bristol – Busch will become the 15th driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history with 10,000 laps led.

Speaking of milestones – at Las Vegas last Sunday, Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth scored his 250th career top 10, becoming the 22nd driver to accomplish that feat.

Kenseth has scored top 10s in two of the first three races. After a series-high seven victories last year, Kenseth could nab his first this season – as well as the likely Chase berth that comes with it – with another strong run at Bristol. He has three wins overall, the last coming in a thrilling end-of-race battle with Kasey Kahne last August. Kenseth has led laps in each of the last five Bristol races – combining for 414 laps led, the most of any driver during that span.

NASCAR

DANIEL SUAREZ GOES FOR FIVE AT THE NEXT STOP: BRISTOL

Daniel Suarez

March13, 2014 – Daniel Suárez will put his four-race win streak on the line Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. The track hasn’t been kind to the Monterrey, Mexico driver. Suárez, who swept the first two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races of the season, heads into the PittLite 125 with a 15th and 26th in his last two starts on the high-banked half-mile.

Suárez, 22, has also won his last two NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series starts.

His main challenge may come from his Rev Racing teammate, Ryan Gifford. Gifford, who scored his first NASCAR win last year at Richmond, has a pair of third-place finishes in two career starts at Bristol. In addition, Cole Custer will be making his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start of the season. The 16-year-old Custer is coming off a win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West opener at Phoenix and has excelled at the national series tracks – he won at Iowa and New Hampshire last year and contended for victories at Richmond and Dover.

Rookie Lee Pulliam will be among a possible 20 drivers who would be making their first start at Bristol. The two-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion has started the season with a pair of top-five finishes and is second in points. While Pulliam trails Suárez by 18 points, just 10 points separate second-place from 11th, making Bristol a key stop on the 16-race schedule.

The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour returns to the track at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C. Andy Seuss led wire-to-wire in the season opener last weekend at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C.

 

 

KELLY ADMIRAAL AND SWAN RENTALS JOINS RAB RACING AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Kelly Admiraal

Concord, N.C. March 12, 2014 – NASCAR K&N West standout Kelly Admiraal will make his first start with RAB Racing for 2014 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 15th driving the No. 29 Swan Rentals Toyota Camry. 18 year-old Admiraal, a native of Edmonton, Alberta Canada will make just his second NASCAR Nationwide Series start, the first coming at Phoenix International Raceway in November of 2013. Admiraal plans to compete in multiple races in the No. 29 Swan Rentals Toyota Camry for RAB Racing throughout the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

Swan Rentals is a premier provider of equipment rental solutions to the Energy and Commercial Construction Industries in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. They supply rental equipment such as matting, tank farms, oilfield equipment, construction and rig mats.

Admiraal, who most recently competed in the K&N West race at Phoenix International Raceway, was running in the third position with just a small handful of laps remaining until a flat right-front tire relegated the Canadian native to a 19th place finish. In just seven starts in the NASCAR K&N West Series, Admiraal has two top-ten finishes, coming at Phoenix and Sonoma in 2013.

“I’m really excited to have this opportunity with RAB Racing along with the support of Swan Rentals,” said driver Kelly Admiraal. “Swan came on board for 2014 and I’m honored to be able to represent them this weekend in Bristol. Having this opportunity to race at the famed Bristol Motor Speedway is a dream come true! Over the past couple of months I’ve been able to spend some time in Concord at the RAB Racing facility and get to know crew chief Matt Lucas. Lucas is definitely a huge asset to me and this team, they are definitely top-notch and highly competitive. I’m really looking forward to working with them.”

Bristol Motor Speedway will also mark the second event for crew chief Matt Lucas at RAB Racing. Lucas recorded two wins in 2013, and to date has 21 top-5 finishes, and 35 top-10 finishes in 49 starts as a crew chief, along with 36 NNS wins as an engineer.

“Everyone here at RAB Racing is really looking forward to having Kelly Admiraal in one of our Toyota Camry’s at Bristol Motor Speedway,” said crew chief Matt Lucas. “Our first goal is to get him comfortable running around the high banks at Bristol with the different lines and characteristics of a race track that he’s never seen before. Once he’s comfortable we’ll work on getting the No. 29 Swan Rentals Toyota Camry faster and getting Kelly to the checkered flag. A track like Bristol will be great experience for Kelly moving forward in his career.”

Western Camp Services will also continue their involvement and support of Kelly Admiraal in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2014 beginning at Bristol Motor Speedway. Western Camp Services has been a partner with Admiraal since the beginning of his NASCAR racing career in 2012. And has supported his racing endeavors since 2003.

 

 

 

TEAM CHEVY IN THE GARAGE AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY– ALBA COLON, PROGRAM MANAGER, NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – CHEVROLET RACING:

Alba Colon

March 12, 2014 – “This weekend the circuit heads to Bristol Motor Speedway.  We will be celebrating the first short track race of the season, a race that is always full of a lot of excitement.

“Bristol Motor Speedway is a very demanding place on drivers, teams and equipment.  This high-speed half-mile track offers its own unique set of challenges.  Having a well-balanced car and staying out of trouble are the keys for success at Bristol.   A lot of work goes on behind the scenes between the teams and Chevrolet racing engineers in looking for ways to make our race cars handle better.  A good handling car is for sure a factor to a strong performance at this track.

“With three races under our belt this year and with the new NASCAR Sprint Cup rules package, we have been pleased with the performance of our Gen-6 Chevrolet SS Race Cars.  There is still a lot of work to do, but we have developed a good base to work with.

“We are looking forward to some great racing at Bristol and to celebrating a great win on Sunday afternoon.”

TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – POINT’S LEADER

(ON THE TEAM’S STRONG START TO THE SEASON.): “This is a good start to the season for sure.  Yeah, the confidence is up there. When we first got together we’d run our guts out to run in the top 15. Then the next year we’d run our guts out to run in the top 10, and you wondered when you’d get up to fifth and start running in the top 5 regularly. We started doing that last year, and so our team keeps stepping up this ladder. It just makes total sense to me how that process has went, having lived it and having seen the progression. So the sky’s the limit for us, and if we are smart and keep our composure and don’t get foolish and don’t get too proud of ourselves, just keep it in perspective, we’ve got a great opportunity this year to be this competitive every week.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – 3RD IN STANDINGS

“We had a rough race last time at Bristol and got caught up in a wreck. Bristol is going to be interesting for sure. Everyone is still trying to dial in their cars with the new rule packages.  We’ve had a decent start to the year – as well as our teammates on the No. 88 – I’m really proud of the entire shop.  It hasn’t been easy this year – we’ve been working really hard on these cars.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – 5TH IN STANDINGS

“The groove at Bristol has changed the last few years. It used to be right around the bottom, then it moved to the middle and now it’s at the top of the track. I think it makes for some of the most spectacular racing that we have on the circuit. That’s what makes Bristol so special.”

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS

“I am really looking forward to Bristol.  This is one of the tracks that I really enjoy racing at and we have had some good runs there.  With the new qualifying format it will be interesting and crucial to have a good starting spot for Sunday.  It is pretty tough to pass at Bristol so track position will be important.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BAD BOY BUGGIES/REALTREE CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS

“I enjoy Bristol Motor Speedway. I enjoyed the last NASCAR Nationwide Series race there. I don’t know what to expect for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars because there is so much horsepower in that little bullring. In the Nationwide cars I felt like it took me about two years to get the hang of it. During my fourth race I felt like that was the best race I have had, so experience will be big at Bristol Motor Speedway. We’ll just have to learn. We have those rookie stripes on the back and it will be one of those places where you just have to stay in the race the whole time and fight until the end.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS

“Bristol is a track where I’ve had a lot of good results in the past. We’ve run well so far this year, other than a parts failure last weekend, but we’re still getting established as a team. Every week is a new page in the notebook for us and I’m looking forward to getting on the track Friday and seeing exactly where we are speed-wise, how the car feels and all of that.”

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS- 15TH IN STANDINGS

On winning at Bristol in March 2013: “It was pretty awesome to win a Cup race at Bristol. We were close for a while and to finally pull it off last year was pretty neat. We were really solid in both races last season so I look forward to going back there this weekend. I’m excited because it is a track that suits us pretty well, and it’s a track we can get some more wins at.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS

“I’m really looking forward to the race at Bristol this weekend. Our Target Chevy has been really fast the past couple weeks, and the crew has done a great job setting up the car. I had really good finishes last year in two Nationwide races, so I’m excited for my first time at Bristol in a Cup car.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – 27TH IN STANDINGS

“Bristol is one of those places where you’ve got to have everything kind of go your way. If you have one hiccup, it’s hard to recover from it. We’ve only won one race there and we’ve kind of been all over the board. It’s been feast or famine for us. It’s like if you have one problem in the first half of the race, it’s hard to recover from it. It makes for a very long day. We’ve had more long days than good days.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – 28TH IN STANDINGS

“Bristol is one of those tracks that when you hit the right set-up it will work for a little while.  Some tracks you hit the set-up and you only get the one win out of it.  Bristol to me is all about how you get the car to carve through Turn 4.  If you are good in Turn 4, then Turn 2 the exit there should handle itself.  Now (after the repave) Bristol is not that mean, tough and ugly track. It’s a very generous track now and doesn’t have the sharp banking transitions and it seems like the outside groove is the preferred groove.”

DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS – 33RD IN STANDINGS

“It was huge. When things go bad, it can snowball quickly, but everyone kept their head up and kept working hard. And that can be hard to do when things get tough. The biggest thing I kept reminding myself was that we had really good cars; we just got taken out in accidents that we didn’t start. Our cars have been awesome all year and that’s a product of a lot of hard work by Tony Gibson and all the guys. I’m proud of their effort and I think we’ve got a lot of good days ahead. I’m excited for the next few races.”

 

 

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 BUSH’S® GRILLIN’ BEANS® CHEVROLET SS / BRISTOL

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY QUOTEBOOK

Track: Bristol Motor Speedway

Event: Food City 500

Race Date: Sunday, March 16, 2014

Coverage Begins/Race Start: 12:30 PM / 1 PM Eastern

TV/Radio: FOX / PRN, SIRIUSXM

TEAM QUOTES:

A different look: “Keeping with the grilling theme, we have BUSH’S Grillin’ Beans front and center on our No. 47 Chevrolet SS at Bristol Motor Speedway,” AJ Allmendinger said. “I like nothing better than to get together with family and friends, hang out and grill out. We grill some chicken and I have the hookup to bring some BUSH’S Grillin’ Beans.

AJ Allmendinger

“My family means a lot to me,” continued Allmendinger. “I am an only child and when I was growing up, my parents were at every race. In fact, they mortgaged their house three times so I could do what I wanted to do. That’s why I’m proud to have the BUSH’S name on the No. 47 car. As a family owned company, they understand how important family really is.”

Reflecting first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start: “Bristol will always be a little bit special to me because it is the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race I made,” Allmendinger said. “I enjoy it, but like I have said before it is just a tough place. You fight for 500 laps around there. You can do everything right and still have something go wrong. It’s tough, but enjoyable. I did the first race there last year and had a decent run. Hopefully, we can keep building and learning going into that race and start off pretty good and have a good weekend.”

Feast or famine: “I just enjoy it – – it’s Bristol (Motor Speedway),” Allmendinger said. “You walk into it and every time you walk down the banking and look down into the coliseum you think ‘This is an amazing place.’ At the same time, for a driver it’s a tough place. I have had some decent runs at Bristol and I have had some runs there that kicked my butt.”

Developing a baseline: “Having an alliance helps when you have someone test there (Bristol Motor Speedway),” Allmendinger said. “Obviously, you would like to be the person to test every track. I think it is just about getting a baseline of where we are in general and that’s what these first six to seven races are. It will be good. Hopefully, we have some momentum going into Bristol. We are definitely making the cars faster each weekend. We have a long way to go too.”

Learning step-by-step:  “I will be the first one to say I’m not the best at taking things step-by-step,” Allmendinger said. “I do know that we are getting better and we are learning. We are right there with the RCR (Richard Childress Racing) cars. We did not get the finish we wanted at Phoenix International Raceway, but we had one of the best speeds out of all the cars. And, we were right there this past weekend at Vegas (Las Vegas Motor Speedway). We’ll see what we’ve got this weekend at Bristol.”

Got speed:  “We will rule Daytona out because it is a different race, but the last two weeks we have had speed in the car, which is positive for sure,” JTG Daugherty Racing competition director Bobby Hutchens said. “We have not capitalized on it yet. We feel like we had an eighth to 12th place car at Phoenix International Raceway a couple weeks ago and had an unfortunate thing happen in the pits with the clutch. At the end of the day, I think our raw speed is quite better this year compared to last. We just have to figure out how to put a car under AJ that will stay with him and also not make the small mistakes we have made on the mechanical side.”

Climbing the charts:  “I was talking to the guys yesterday,” Hutchens said. “In the years I’ve been here, we have not traditionally been at the top of the board. We were seventh on the test day at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then on practice Friday we ended up ninth and then we backed it up by qualifying and finishing 18th. I think those are all positives things we can take moving forward into Bristol Motor Speedway. At the end of the day, I think we have improved in a lot of areas. We have still got a lot of room to work.”

Maximizing positives: “We have not done any testing for Bristol Motor Speedway, but one of our alliance partners went there and tested,” Hutchens said. “They felt like they had a really good test. All of us will be feeding off of that data. That is something we did not have last year. We are growing accustomed to looking at the data and understanding the differences between the drivers, crew chiefs and engineers and how things are set up and done. We are sifting through all of that and so far our guys have done a good job. They started working on some of that last week to get us ready for Bristol. Hopefully, by utilizing the alliance program we will be able to unload a lot closer than what we have in the past. We did not have the luxury of having a teammate or anybody to talk to before. I feel like that is going to be a pretty big positive for us when we start practice on Friday at Bristol.”

East bound and down: “From Las Vegas to Harrisburg, N.C., it is about 2,200 miles,” said JTG Daugherty Racing transport driver Paul Icenhour. “I arrived at the race shop this morning. We have a second driver for the transporter so we drove straight through without stopping. I will be able to spend a little time at my house sometime today and then come into the shop on Wednesday to get everything turned around to head back out this time for Bristol, Tennessee. Hopefully, we will be loaded up that day and I can leave early Thursday morning to park haulers at 7:30 p.m at Bristol Motor Speedway.”

 

 

 

 

SEM TO SPONSOR HScott MOTORSPORTS AND JUSTIN ALLGAIER AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Justin Allgaier

SPARTANBURG, S.C. March 11, 2014 – HScott Motorsports announced today that SEM Products, Inc. will sponsor the No. 51 Chevrolet SS driven by Justin Allgaier in this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). SEM Products, Inc., whose partnership with HScott Motorsports began this season, provides adhesives, sealers and paint products to the organization.      

SEM Products is a leading manufacturer of innovative paint, adhesive and coating products. The employee owned company, which was founded in 1948, manufactures a wide array of automotive repair and refinishing products including materials such as adhesives, fillers and sealers; flexible coatings; custom paints; rust and corrosion solutions; trim paint and truck bed liners.

“The employee owners at SEM Products are thrilled to be on the No. 51 entry at Bristol,” said Brian Joyner, SEM Products Business Development Manager. “We value our relationship with HScott Motorsports and NASCAR, and we’re looking forward to watching a great race at Bristol.”

Justin Allgaier, who is running for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award in the NSCS this season, will be making his first career NSCS start at BMS. He has participated in 10 Nationwide Series events at BMS, earning one win and one Coors Light Pole Award.

“I’m really excited to have SEM on the car at Bristol,” said Allgaier. “I enjoy short-track racing, and Bristol is one of my favorite tracks we go to all season. I’ve toured SEM’s headquarters in Rock Hill, S.C. and learned a lot about their products over the years. I’m looking forward to putting on a good show at Bristol for everyone at SEM.”

The Food City 500 at BMS will take place on Sunday, March 16 at 1:00 p.m. EST. The race will air live on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, channel 90.

 

PENSKE RACING’S No. 22 CLAIMS TOP SPOT

AJ Allmendinger

August 22, 2013 – For most of the summer only one team has held the top spot in the NASCAR Nationwide Series owners’ championship points standings – the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. That was until last Saturday at Mid-Ohio when the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford claimed the position with a 22-point cushion.

The No. 54 JGR team took its first owners’ lead after the season’s sixth race at Texas, which Kyle Busch won. The point margin reached its zenith of 51 points in mid-July at New Hampshire.

Since then, the drivers of the No. 22 Ford have gradually chipped away at the No. 54’s lead knocking it down to five points entering Mid-Ohio’s road race. AJ Allmendinger’s win in the inaugural NNS event at the Lexington, Ohio, road course, propelled the No. 22 into the top spot in the owners’ points standings.

When the series travels to Bristol for Saturday’s Food City 250, Penske Racing and the No. 22 will arrive on a hot streak having won four of the last five events. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Allmendinger and Sam Hornish Jr. have combined for eight wins in 2013, seven of them coming in the No. 22.

Source: NASCAR 

 

THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES MIGHT BE DETERMINE BY EXPERIENCE

Regan Smith

August 22, 2013 – assume that the NASCAR Nationwide Series points battle has narrowed to only five contenders: Sam Hornish Jr., Elliott Sadler, Regan Smith, Austin Dillon and Brian Vickers. With only 18 points separating them, all five drivers have a very realistic shot at capturing the title.

The determining factor in this year’s championship battle could come down to one thing – championship-hunt experience.

As the series heads to Bristol for Friday night’s Food City 250, four of the five drivers in the top five have some type of championship battle experience.

The odd man out is Smith, currently tied for third (-15), who returned to the series fulltime after six years of giving it a go in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In seven years in the top series, seven previous years in the NNS (of which only one was fulltime before this season) and five years in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he had never been in the title conversation. His best points finish in one of NASCAR’s three national series was 20th in 2006.

Austin Dillon

Although Hornish, the current points leader, has never really been embroiled in a battle for the points lead during his tenure in NASCAR (he finished fourth in 2012, but never made it higher than third in points during the season), he won the IZOD IndyCar Series title three times – 2001, 2002 and 2006.

Sadler gained a lot of experience dueling for the title the last two seasons. Unfortunately, his efforts fell short both years, finishing runner-up to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the final standings.

Austin Dillon was in the thick of the NNS championship hunt last season up until the very end, ultimately finishing third. The year before, he held off a hard-charging Johnny Sauter to capture the 2011 NCWTS title.

Vickers, who will be pulling double-duty for most of the remaining weekends, won the NNS championship in 2003. This could be his last chance at another NNS crown since he’ll be returning to the NSCS fulltime in 2014.

The points battle is so close that one poor performance could shake things up among those in contention, as evident by Dillon dropping from first to fourth at Mid-Ohio. With two shorts tracks (Bristol and Richmond) remaining on the schedule, no lead is safe. Schedule for the NNS race: 7:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250, ESPN on air at 7.

Source: NASCAR

 

CHASE CLINCHES: ONE DOWN, 11 TO GO AND A BUNCH MIGHT COME AT BRISTOL

In terms of Chase clinches, expect a few drivers to join Johnson this weekend at Bristol

August 21, 2013 – Jimmie Johnson has stood alone for two weeks as the only driver to clinch a spot in the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Already guaranteed a top-10 spot – and the three bonus points per win that go with it – Johnson will enter the Chase with at least 2,012 points. After race No. 26 at Richmond, all 12 Chase drivers will have their points reset to 2,000, but only the top 10 will have three points added to their total for each victory over the first 26 races. Johnson currently has four victories (both Daytona events, Martinsville and Pocono).

In terms of Chase clinches, expect a few drivers to join Johnson this weekend at Bristol.

Three drivers can clinch a top-10 spot: Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick. The magic number for a top-10 clinch is 97 points; leaving Bristol, anyone 97 points ahead of 11th will clinch a top-10 spot.

Bowyer is currently 113 points ahead of 11th. He is guaranteed to clinch a top-10 spot by finishing 12th or better, or 13th and at least one lap led, or 14th and most laps led. Edwards is currently 103 points ahead of 11th. He is guaranteed a top-10 clinch with a win or runner up; or third and at least one lap led, or fourth and most laps led. Harvick is currently 90 points ahead of 11th. He’ll clinch by improving upon his current cushion by seven points.

A number of drivers can clinch at least a Wild Card spot this weekend. Because they own multiple wins this season, after this weekend, a few drivers could fall out of the top 10 yet still be guaranteed a Wild Card spot after race No. 26. The Wild Card spots go to the two drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20.

Matt Kenseth, who has four wins but has yet to clinch a top-20 spot, can clinch at least a Wild Card this weekend (a win would guarantee it). The same goes for Kyle Busch (three wins) and Kasey Kahne (two wins).

Source: NASCAR

 

MARTIN TRUEX JR. No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS TOYOTA BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY PREVIEW

CORNELIUS, N.C. – August 21, 2013 – No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. plans to continue Michael Waltrip Racing’s success at Bristol Motor Speedway when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on Saturday night. MWR’s three drivers own the best average finish in the last three races.

The MWR surge began in March 2012 when Truex, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers finished third, fourth and fifth — a first for the organization co-owned by Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman.

There’s a lot on the line Saturday night. Truex is 12th in the standings with three races remaining before the start of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. Truex holds the second and final provisional wild card (653 points, one win) as he seeks his second consecutive Chase berth. Kasey Kahne has the first transfer spot with 659 points and two victories. Only 14 points separate positions eight through 12 and 10 points separate Truex from 10th place in the standings.

TRUEX ON BRISTOL: “It’s just insane — it’s out of control. Bristol is like having a boxing match in an elevator. Everything is so right there and so packed together. The fans are on top of the action. When you’re driving the car, you’re always in the middle of something.  You’re always busy and you don’t get any time to rest. It’s just an exciting place and it keeps you amped up and keeps you on the edge of your seat all night long.”

WINNING AT BRISTOL: “The NAPA team has been close to winning there. We’ve been second there a few times and third — we’ve been really good there. It would be a fun one to win. I won there in Nationwide and it sure would be great to win. We want to win everywhere, but there are certain tracks that are really cool to win at and Bristol is definitely one of them with that night race and getting to drive on top of the building with the fireworks shooting off. Yeah, that is one I want to get especially considering how close the points are with three races to go. A second win would certainly help us if we need a wild card to make it into the Chase.”

RACING WITH VICKERS: “He’s been a great part-time teammate. He fits in so well with our group that Monday’s announcement to put Vickers in the seat for 12 of the 13 races left makes the most sense. It gives us all a head start and allows for a seamless transition into 2014. I think with the few races he’s run with us this year — obviously it includes a win, he’s done an incredible job. Now, he’s going to be able to help us even more as we try to lock up two of our three cars into the Chase with just three races to go.”