Toyota NCS Charlotte Quotes -- Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch 5.28.21

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Red, White, Blue Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing--What has it been like having new tracks on the schedule and how focused are you on success at those tracks?--“If you look at it, none of these tracks are in the Playoffs so I’m not sure that it really matters a whole lot. I think it’s going to be all about trying to gain bonus points and get wins. It’s certainly going to be a new challenge any time you go to a new race track, limited practice, you name it the way we’ve been doing things and it’s a big challenge. Then throwing new road courses into the mix that the field has never been to and it’s a big learning curve. It’s always a challenge through the summer when things heat up and the tracks are slick and we typically do well that time of the year so I’m looking forward to it, but we’ll see, should be fun.”

What makes you so good at Charlotte?

“This place here, we’ve found some things that work for us and we’ve been able to ride that horse for five, six years now. It’s getting more challenging, the track is getting rougher and the teams are all getting closer together setup-wise and what everybody knows about these cars these days. Things have really come together in a smaller box. It’s going to be tough. Had a strong run here last year and hopefully we can improve on that. The car was pretty decent in practice. I feel like we can make it better and if we can make it better, I think we’ll be really good. Just a matter of making the right adjustments from here.”

How nice was it to have a practice session?

“Yes and no. It was nice, but we’re not going to do a whole lot different. I’d say we didn’t really come here with an experiment in the car. I think the guys that really needed to find something are probably happier that we did have practice because maybe they tried some things they really wanted to. We really didn’t go down that path. We weren’t too far out on a limb. From that standpoint, I would have been fine without practice.”

What did you think of Kevin Harvick’s comments after CoTA?

“I would say that I totally agree with his statement when he said that was the most unsafe he’s ever felt. Right decision, wrong decision, I don’t know. I don’t make those. I think at some point it was too hard, the rain was too much. Visibility was too low. When we crashed, I couldn’t see the side of the race track. I couldn’t see the curbs on the edges of the race track to even know if I was on the track. I could have been in the grass for all I knew. It was pretty extreme and definitely, obviously something we need to look at.”

What needs to change if we get rain at another road course?

“I think if you look at it, they’re called wet weather tires, they’re not called racing in a torrential downpour tires. If there’s standing water on the track, that’s a problem. I will say that we had restarts, we had a lot more cars on the race track than other series that run in the rain. I’m sure everybody knows what I’m talking about here. More cars, more cautions, more restarts, more side-by-side, stage breaks, we’re always just in a clump. We never get spread out unless 10 laps into the run or 15 laps into the run. We can’t race in standing water because we cannot see. It’s a different circumstance for us. You have to look at the drainage of the race track, that’s going to play a big role. I think everybody thought that CoTA, with it being a F1 track before that it was going to have some great drainage, well that turned out to be wrong. There were puddles everywhere. It’s going to depend on the race track and how much water is on it. And just how much room there is for us to get out of line so we can see where we’re at.”

What is the most challenging aspect of this 600-mile race?

“Definitely used to be that it changed so much with the old cars and old setups. These days, these cars are so scienced out with what you have, it doesn’t change as much as it used to. I think the hardest part now is that you’re literally running 100 percent every single lap, 400 laps, 600 miles. That’s the hardest part. There is no, let’s get through the first half of the race and see where we’re at. Take it easy, stay on the lead lap. You talk to guys that raced here 15 years ago and they were like, ‘we stay on the lead lap for the first 300 laps, we’re happy and we have a chance.’ Now, you don’t. You have to stay up front, you have to keep your track position. You have to have that thing on 100 percent all day long and it’s tough.”

How hard is it now to lead and win this race like you did when you led all but eight laps?

“It’s very difficult. I would say it’s harder now than it was then. With those cars with low downforce, there was more opportunity to really nail the setup and hit it right. Now, with this 550 package, everybody is so limited on horsepower and lap times are so close together throughout the field, there’s less opportunity to really get your car dialed in and drive away from the field. Big difference today from that aspect of it.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Red, White & Blue Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How did you feel about today and getting some practice?

“Yeah, I mean it was good, we felt like we had a pretty good practice overall, just tried a couple different adjustments and changes in order to work on our balance and just trying to get right for tomorrow. Kind of a typical practice I guess you know, back to having one at least. So, you know, good to see what we could learn and pick up on and work on.”

What’s the best prank somebody pulled on you and what's the best one that you got on somebody?

“I don't know I wish a few of the scenarios that went down over time, were pranks, but they weren't. I can't really recall. I don't know that there's really been a very good one.”

How important though was the timing of this practice knowing that every year in the 600 the transition from day to night is so critical?

“This practice was perfect. You couldn't have picked a better time to do it. We're always used to coming in on Friday and practicing at 12 to two o'clock exactly when you don't want to be on the race track and then we qualify at night. This was perfect for us anyways and you know we unloaded, we were close but, we definitely made some adjustments on it just to kind of pick at the car a little bit and try to work on it. We've got a few more things that we need to be able to do to the car in order to get a race ready for 400 laps.”

Do you have a different strategy for this race compared to shorter races?

“This race is very cut and dry on pit strategy and that sort of thing, with just your pit halfway between each stage and you pit at the stage. It’s pretty simple besides cautions flying and other things kind of happening that might disrupt that but, over the past few years, that's kind of how it's looked.”

How do you feel about practice being back from an owner’s perspective on the truck side?

“It was expensive today, that sucked today. I wish that the track knew how to put PJ1 down the same every single time, but they don't and cost us a little bit there early on and hopefully it's good for the start of the race. We didn't really get in it much because we were kind of tiptoeing through what we saw earlier today and not trying to mess with it too much, waiting on those guys to groom it in.”

How do you feel about fans being back in the stands and does that matter to the drivers?

“Yeah, absolutely, it's definitely good to have fans back in the stands. When we first got back to some of these races that fans were at and we had driver intros, the boos were back and everything felt like it was getting back to normal, you know. So that's certainly just a part of it and part of our sport and nice having them and they enjoy coming out, and being on the big screen and waving and supporting their favorite driver.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

In terms of races you haven’t won, where does the 600 rank for you?

“It’s the highest one left on the list – the Brickyard is no longer the Brickyard so that one got marked off the list for us so just this one left.”

Where is 23XI Racing in terms of a second car for 2022?

“Still working on some things. Obviously, there’s a lot of moving pieces that has to go into it. I think we’re still progressing. Just don’t have a timetable for it.”

If you have a second car next year, is there a certain type of driver you’re targeting?

“A good one.”

Do you feel you need a second driver with more experience?

“I don’t know. I think that I’m teammates with Bubba (Wallace) so he’s already got that. I don’t think that we necessarily have to have that because he’s got me, Martin (Truex Jr.) and Kyle (Busch) that work very, very close with him. We’re in the same meetings. I don’t know if there’s a benefit or detriment either way, but certainly I look at a lot of different things when it comes to who a prospective person could be.”

As a driver, do you think about the addition of having fans back in the grandstands?

“Yeah, its exciting just seeing them here on practice day to have a few hundred fans out here. I know they’re coming for the Truck race, but it’s great to be back and have somewhat of a normal weekend. It’s good. I like the process. I don’t know if it suits us or not to have practice. It seemed like we were doing really well without it, but I think I’m the type of driver that learns really good overnight. Hopefully, we can take advantage of it.”

Do you feel good about where you were as a team in practice today?

“There’s more I want out of my car personally, but I haven’t dived into the organizations to see whose fast or not. That’s something ultimately that I can’t control. All I can do is try to get my car to handle as fast as it can around the corners and if we have enough speed, we’ll be good and if not then we won’t.”

Did you feel a need to speak to NASCAR about last week or are you all letting Kevin Harvick speak for the group with his comments?

“It sums things up in a nutshell I think. I think everyone had a lot to learn from last week. NASCAR especially about making the decision and putting safety first beyond any kind of show that you want to put on. Those discussions were good and I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Will there be something done that can reduce the spray?

“Spray comes from the tires and we needed the grip of those treaded tires, that’s what it’s supposed to do is disperse all that water so we have rubber contacting the roads. If you put on slicks, there will be no spray and there will be no grip. It’s just a fine balance of where they want to be.”

How did the meeting with NASCAR go?

“It was good. A lot of questions got answered and I feel like certainly more informed leaving there than we were going in.”

Was the meeting primarily about Next Gen?

“We just really, normal safety update meeting that we have, especially with a new car coming in. There’s a lot of questions that drivers have about the safety components and things that are different from the old car to the new car coming in that we want answers to and I think we got those.”

What does it mean to honor a fallen service member on your race car this weekend?

“It’s important and NASCAR does such a great job honoring the military anyway, but to have these names on here for people who have made the ultimate sacrifice is very important. To get to understand the story a little bit more through the weekend with the family is really special from our standpoint. Really great with everything NASCAR Salutes has done to pay tribute on the windshields and hopefully we can take ours to victory lane.”

What is a piece of advice you would give another driver looking to become a team owner?

“It’s tough to say. I think everyone is different, everyone has different agendas, different amount of time that they have to spend on it. There’s just a lot of working elements to a race team and way more than just finding a sponsor, getting a driver and putting a car on track. There’s so many different things, myself as an owner is getting educated day in and day out of the business and how it works.”

What is the best prank you’ve ever pulled or had pulled on you?

“I don’t know. Tony (Stewart) was kind of that guy back in the day when we were first teammates. A lot of things, I don’t know if they were pranks or just harsh and cruel. Little brake cleaner in the driver’s seat to set your ass on fire. He was not afraid to go all out when it came to roasting you.”

Do pranks still happen now?

“It’s different now. It’s just different, everyone is so serious now and it’s just different. Everyone is so focused and we have more information now than we’ve ever had. Normally, maybe between runs we’d be out of the car and tell the team what’s going on and we’ve got nothing to do until they fix the car so we’ll be standing next to each other in the pit box and talking to each other. Now, it’s just so much information that you have to dive into that everyone is so hyper-focused on that information that no one ever wants to give any secrets away. No one is really asking questions like the young guys used to do to the veterans, they just look it up in data now.”

What modifications would you like implemented at Charlotte Motor Speedway?

“You can go back years and years, I’ve always said these tracks are the ones that need to step up and invest the money in their facilities. People just want different things nowadays. They’re not okay sitting in old, aluminum bleachers and having terrible food. People want a nicer thing. While that’s great the state is pitching in, it’s still, when you look at the bottom line of the tracks and some of the profit had been gotten by the tracks, I wish they would spend more money upgrading their facilities.”

What specifically would you change?

“Everything from hospitality, the suites. I remember driving in here thinking, in my rookie season I remember Bruton (Smith) threatening to leave this race track if he didn’t get money from the state or something like that to upgrade it and it’s the same. They put some money in, they put the Roval in and a few million bucks here and there. Some of these tracks really need a face lift and we’ve seen ISC really spend a lot of money at Richmond, Phoenix, Daytona, Talladega. I just wish everyone was held to that super high standard.”

For 23XI Racing, do you need to have a charter to start a second team?

“I think we have to weigh our risk in that. I think people have charters that can’t even afford to race the charters they have and they really require a safety net from people leasing them and things like that. I think charters can be held hostage if they wanted to and people trying to drive the prices up on them and what not. My philosophy is, okay, go fill the car and have fun. You get a guaranteed amount of money, but the charter agreement is up at the end of 2024 and there could be so many changes that changes the business model after 2024 that I don’t know how much I want to invest in a charter right now. It would take me years to get that money back and then once I maybe get it back, the whole agreement could be different. I’m okay being patient with that. I think the short answer is no, I don’t have to have a charter.”

 

 

 

Ron Fleshman

RIS NASCAR Editor.  Has been with RIS since the middle 90's. Writes on each of the three main series of NASCAR.

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Volume 2021, Issue 5, Posted 10:47 PM, 05.28.2021