Each week, we’ll go through media reports, interviews, PR and all our own stuff to find the best quotes from the Sprint Cup race, capturing the story of how the weekend unfolded. It’s the most original commentary you’ll ever find: the truth, coming straight out of the mouths of the drivers, crew members and the car owners themselves. This week, here’s a sneak peek at what a select few were thinking following the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway:
“It feels good to get to victory lane here. This team won this race; I was just lucky to be driving it. We just kept ourselves in position, drove real smart. This win at Bristol is real special. My guys have worked seven days a week, really, really hard. The pit crew guys have worked really hard, too. I am just really proud for them. The effort going in to this program is unbelievable and I really appreciate it.” – Jeff Burton, race winner
“It was a great day for my Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, and for all the guys at Richard Childress Racing, to have a one-two-three finish was quite a day.” – Kevin Harvick, finished second
“Man, I was hoping it would turn out like it did for RCR, us all there in the top five. It was a good day for us, good points day, good big picture day. Won last night and third today, what a great weekend.” – Clint Bowyer, finished third
“We had a good day. It’s unfortunate that the caution came out at the end, because I think we could have got those other guys that stayed out on tires, but oh, well. It was a great day for us. The car was real good. I kind of waited to long to get to the front.” – Greg Biffle, finished fourth
“Well, we needed to start the race a little bit better than we did. We worked really hard today. I am pretty proud of my team. I have to give it to Tony [Eury] Jr. and the guys for working so hard and dialing this car in. I give those guys a lot of credit, they built me a good racecar and I am real proud to drive it. ” – Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished fifth
“Another really frustrating day for us – I know I could have held those guys off there at the end, but we were either out of fuel or it was a fuel pickup problem like we had here last year. By all of our calculations, we were good on fuel to the end, including a green/white/checkered, but we just couldn’t seem to pick all of it up.” – Denny Hamlin, finished sixth
“That’s where we should run. It feels awesome. To go out and knock the cobwebs off and finish eighth makes my job easy when the car runs as good as it did. I am really proud of Tony Gibson and all the guys on this U.S. Army Chevrolet. They rallied behind me all day.” – Aric Almirola, finished eighth
“I’m just really, really excited. This is a big confidence booster for everyone at Yates Racing. This is just what we needed to try and bring sponsorship in to both of our race teams. Travis [Kvapil] showed the potential he and his team have with the way the finished at Las Vegas, and we did the same today. There were some close calls in front of us, but we survived it all and came out of it with a top-10 finish.” – David Gilliland, finished ninth
“Well, it wasn’t the finish I would have liked. I’m able to go out with the best sponsor in the business in UPS and I would have liked to have had a better day for them, but I really can’t be too upset when you take into consideration the kind of career I have been fortunate to have.” – Dale Jarrett, finished 37th
“I just lost it. I got up on the inside there and just flat out lost the thing. I was trying to win the race, and I hate it. The part that ticks you off is the spotters up there (bad-mouthing) you and making you think it’s coming from Tony; Tony and I can work it out. We don’t need some idiot up there stirring things up. But I just lost it.” – Harvick on contact with Tony Stewart with two laps remaining
“I thought I left him [Harvick] plenty of room, but I don’t know. I was far enough ahead of him that I didn’t see where he hit me or when he hit me. I’m sure somehow it was my fault. I’m just sorry I got in his way.” – Stewart on contact with Harvick, finished 14th
“Boy, Monday is going to be exciting at Harvick’s house with whatever he and Stewart have goin’ on over there [Operation Wax Smoke]. I might just have to go check it out and bring some boxing gloves for them.” – Bowyer on the Harvick-Stewart incident
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