TOYOTA NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Post-Race Notes & Quotes Phoenix International Raceway – March 3, 2012
Joey Logano (eighth) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Phoenix International Raceway Denny Hamlin (ninth) started on the pole position and led four times for 56 laps at the one-mile race track. Other Toyota drivers in the field included Kyle Busch (11th), Brian Scott (14th), Mike Bliss (16th), Tayler Malsam (20th), Joe Nemechek (24th), Eric McClure (28th), Kenny Wallace (36th) and Jeff Green (43rd).
JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 8th Was it hard to find a balance between loose and tight during the race? “We struggled a little bit. I thought we were going to be a lot better than that. We started off tight in the center and would get loose in and tried to fix it. We never get more front grip in the car and we tried to loosen the back up to try to help the front and just never really found any speed. We had what we had from the beginning. It’s a disappointment.”
How was your race? “It just wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be. We thought we were going to be really fast after practice yesterday when we ran and our car was good. Just tuning to a different track is some of it. We started the race and were pretty decent and drove up towards the front towards third or fourth and then everyone was able to get their cars better and we didn’t get any better. We just kind of stayed right at that part. We tried to get the car to turn. We took the back out, so we were looser into the corner. We didn’t really gain anything there. We just need to get up front and turn a little bit better.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 18 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 9th Did you take just left side tires on the final pit stop? “Yeah, it wasn’t the right thing I don’t believe. I think the 12 (Sam Hornish Jr.) did it last year and won the race. It was not for our car. We had a good car, it was just a bad two tires.”
How tough was this race? “It gives us information for tomorrow. That’s one thing, we at least know it wasn’t effective. The only thing is, I wish we would have made the same play, I think a little bit back on that. We should have just gone with what we knew because I want to take risks and try to win these Nationwide races, but we had a car that was capable of winning but we just didn’t have the right strategy there at the end.”
Do you think Saturday’s race is an indication of how Sunday’s race will be? “I think it’s going to be so tough. For whatever reason, these tires are not adhering to this race track very good. In my opinion, I think the tires are entirely too stiff and we were just all fighting it. We can’t get around each other because it’s so loose right now on the early run.”
KYLE BUSCH, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry, Kyle Busch Motorsports Finishing Position: 11th After the Nationwide race — Were you talking to Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin about today’s race or tomorrow’s race? “A little bit of both. Looking at everything. What they kind of felt. How their cars drove. What ours was doing. Seeing how we can make something better.”
How was your race today? “Unfortunately, we just didn’t have the day we were looking for today. We got up as high as third, but just way too tight. We couldn’t hold the race track with the front tires.”
Will you have some new cars in the near future? “Brand new car next week. This one might run again. And then another brand new one at California. Hopefully, some better stuff.”
BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 14th MIKE BLISS, No. 44 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 16th
TAYLER MALSAM, No. 19 G-Oil Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 20th
JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 D.A.B. Constructors Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Finishing Position: 24th
ERIC MCCLURE, No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 28th
KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 RAB Racing Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard Finishing Position: 36th What happened to put you out of the race? “Man, I tell you what — the right front tire blew out like a bomb. It started pushing about four laps before that and I was telling my guys it was starting to push bad. I was trying to get underneath Sam Hornish — but there was no reason for it. I don’t know really what happened and why. Went down into turn three — it shocked me. It below out so big it blew the hood off and went right in the wall.”
JEFF GREEN, No. 10 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 43rd
