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 Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway:
“That was a really good racecar. To win here, it means a lot. My first trip here was with Tony Roper. That was the weekend that he got killed here [in 2000]. He was a great guy, and it always means a lot to come back here; to run well and to win these races is very special to me.” – Carl Edwards, race winner
“We didn’t wreck, so that’s OK. We battled our car all day long, and couldn’t really ever get it right. Was it fun to drive? No. Was it hard to drive? Yes. Did it survive the day? Yes. So, was it a good day? Sure. I knew the No. 99 [Carl Edwards] was holding back and waiting, not showing everything that he had.” – Kyle Busch, finished third
“Clint [Bowyer] just pinched me up there on the final lap. I had to turn left or I’d have gone into the wall. There was really no place to go.” – Denny Hamlin, finished fifth
“I hate that the day had to end like that. The Jack Daniel’s Chevy was in position for a top-five finish but, when we were coming off turn 4, the No. 11 [Denny Hamlin] clipped us in the right-rear and that was it. We got back into the top 10, though, so it wasn’t all bad.” – Clint Bowyer, finished 10th
“Green-white-checkers, man. I mean, go back and watch ’em. They’re just terrible. You tear up more freakin’ cars in that stupid crap than is needed. It’s asinine. It’s not racin’. It turns into complete gambles and guys drive like idiots.” – Mike Ford, crew chief for Denny Hamlin
“We had a good car today; however, we got a hole in the right front grill which turned the car to junk, so tight I could barely turn it. We were able to salvage a good points finish and we’ll just head on down the road to Phoenix next week. That is one of my favorite tracks.” – Kevin Harvick, finished 11th
“We just chased the handling of the car the entire day. We had it too tight at the end there. It’s frustrating. Just a thousandth of an inch adjustment can just mess things up. We went back and forth all day long.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished 12th
“I think that I hit the wall about nine times today. We just completely missed the setup on our Jim Beam Dodge Charger. And as tricky as the track was today, you had to be spot-on to get your car to run well. We’ve got some work to do, that’s for sure.” – Robby Gordon, finished 30th
“We were actually pretty decent to begin with. We made some changes and kept getting the car a little better and better. I got too loose off of turn 2. I tried to save it. I thought it would be better off to lock it up, but it was a bad move. It’s just definitely not what we wanted to happen for our hometown sponsor.” – JJ Yeley, finished 42nd
“Today was about trying to find a problem we’ve been dealing with all weekend long with just not having the handling and comfort there for me. We are just really, really bad; I lost control of the car, and I was hanging on just every single lap. I mean, I haven’t felt this lost since my rookie year at a racetrack.” – Jeff Gordon, finished 43rd
“I feel upset for the Aaron’s Dream Machine guys. I came off of [turn] 4 on the first lap and I just felt a little bit off, like something wasn’t right. It just makes that much more work for the guys back at the shop, and just fortunately I’m OK, Thank God. That’s one of the worst wrecks I’ve seen for sure in awhile. I’m not excited that I had to participate in it.” – Michael McDowell on his qualifying accident
“I’ve never won here. I proved that, because I didn’t know where victory lane was at. I got lost on the way here. For me, it’s extra special to bring DLP their first NASCAR victory, and to bring Toyota here to victory lane at Texas.” – Kyle Busch on his Nationwide Series win Saturday
