BROOKLYN, Mich. — Here is what drivers had to say after Tyler Reddick’s victory in Monday’s race at Michigan International Speedway.
Tyler Reddick — Winner: “We went into Sunday night kind of scratching our heads on our McDonald’s Toyota Camry. Everyone at 23XI did a really good job. We had a good mindset coming into today on what we need. I love running high, and I couldn’t yesterday. I knew that it was important for us to work on that coming into the race today. The group did a really good job at that, and we made great adjustments. Honestly, going into stage three we had a tough go of it on pit road, but they had a great catch. Great way to get redemption from one year ago here.”
William Byron — Finished 2nd: “(Tyler Reddick) was really fast, and his car was really good. He did a good job on the long runs, so he had us beat. The restarts gave us a chance, but we weren’t able to make the right choice and have the right push and all that. So, I’ll always look back at that, but proud of the effort today. It was good.”
Ty Gibbs — Finished 3rd: “I feel like we definitely were in contention for sure. I needed to get up sooner off of two to clear the 24. Just missed it by a little bit. After that, it takes a lap to get momentum.”
Kyle Busch — Finished 4th: “It was a good day overall for our No. 8 team. Maybe needed a tick more speed, but it was a good top-eight car, so we got a little bit more out of that with the Lucas Oil Chevrolet. It was a good pit strategy by Randall (Burnett) and the guys to keep our track position and keep us upfront there. We took two tires there at the end and it wasn’t going to be ideal on those short restarts. We hung on OK and got a top-five out of it.”
Brad Keselowski — Finished 5th: “We just had a couple of issues today with the engine shutting off. It was frustrating, but it was just part of our day. We were probably that fourth or fifth-place car, and the way the race played out, (Tyler Reddick) got by us, and he was really fast. He deserved to win the race. We were in position, but we just really couldn’t make anything count. I am really proud of our effort. It was really good execution today and a little more speed than we have had. We just need one more step to be able to win these races.”
Chris Buescher — Finished 6th: “It was a good strategy call and a good move to pit there and do something different for us. Ultimately our chance at winning this thing had gone away. I had been caught up in whatever happened in that early accident, and we have damage on all four corners of this Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang. We were still fast but the balance was not near as good. It was a lot of fun before that. We had a chance to win this race. So it was a good call to do something different and take the right side tires and we were able to pass a ton of cars. It was wild but a heck of a way to salvage a day that should have been better.”
Zane Smith — Finished 7th: “It was definitely a good recovery. I’m still mad at myself after we sped on pit road once we finally had some good track position. I knew that we were making gains on our Chevy. Once we had to start at the back, I was able to get through a lot of them right away. I felt like we learned a lot there getting back through the field, and we made our car even better. That last restart, I kind of learned something from being back there earlier in the race and was able to apply that to that last restart. I was able to get a few rows and maintain. And then obviously had help from the No. 99 (Daniel Suarez) with a push to get us to seventh there at the line. That was much appreciated.
Daniel Suarez — Finished 8th: “It was an OK day for the No. 99 Jockey Infinite Cool Chevy team. I don’t feel like I did a great job today. For some reason I feel like the car was actually very different from yesterday to today. I struggled a lot on the short runs for a while, but we got it better there at the end. I thought we had decent speed, just not quite good enough. Overall, I think the team did a good job; good calls on tires at the end and we were able to be on offense and it was a decent top-10. I feel like we deserved a top-10 today. I am happy with a top-10, but I don’t feel like I did a good job today.”
Denny Hamlin — Finished 9th: “(The underside of the car) was torn up (from his spin Sunday). (Crew chief Chris Gabehart) sent me some pictures overnight that just did not look good. It’s unfortunate. I hate that I did that to the team. I certainly set us back. I still was optimistic because Chris is going to make sure he gives me total Denny downer information before the race starts, but he said, ‘Listen, we’re not going to get it back where it was, but we feel we can get it somewhat close. After we started there, obviously, we were not close. So we then just had to make adjustments to the car itself handling wise.”
Carson Hocevar — Finished 10th: “We were able to get a top 10 after falling to 35th on Sunday. We had a few mechanical problems that were kind of a freak deal, but we were able to really reset and get our No. 77 Premier Security / Zeigler Chevy handling good today. We put together a really strong run for the No. 77 team. Really great to finish good at home, but also to have two top-10s, back-to-back. That’s no small feat. We were able to do it at home with a lot of friends and family. We just had a super strong car and it’s great to have good momentum heading into Daytona, where anything can happen.”
Ryan Preece — Finished 11th: “That was a good ending. I didn’t think we were going to finish 11th today. I thought if everything went our way we would finish maybe 16th or 17th, so that was a net gain for us. Certainly, we have some strengths and have made gains. We need to make gains on those weak areas. I feel like we are getting closer, so hopefully these final 12 we can finish out on a positive note.”
Noah Gragson — Finished 12th: “I got kind of lucky there with that caution at the end and put tires on. It was a good rebound. We just struggled with the balance all day. It was super tight, and then we got on the other side of it and it started getting loose. Yeah, we kind of struggled all weekend. We’ll go back to the shop and look over everything and see where we can make gains and figure out how to be better for the future.”
Justin Haley — Finished 20th: “I’m really happy we were able to get a top 20 today. I felt like we could’ve maybe been a top-10 car. We just got behind early and didn’t quite get a chance to get back on the lead lap and fight to get up front until right at the end. Still, best finish for RWR at a track again. Everyone at the organization has done a great job working hard to improve and keep things on track, we just have to keep it up during this final stretch.”
Cody Ware — Finished 21st: “Overall, I’m pretty happy with how today went. Our Parts Plus Ford Mustang Dark Horse was quick from Sunday to Monday. To run up front and get stage points and walk away with my best Michigan finish is encouraging. We are continuing to build on our momentum with the No. 15 team this year. Happy for the RWR organization, as a whole, to have another solid day. Looking forward to getting after it at Daytona.”
Josh Berry — Finished 22nd: “This weekend was tough. We just missed it on the setup and had to work on it to try to get better. We started really loose and struggled to get tightened up, but Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and the team did a good job trying to get the No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse in a better spot. It just didn’t work out this weekend. We will fight hard in Daytona.”
Daniel Hemric — Finished 23rd: “We showed a lot of speed and potential throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, after avoiding a wreck at the end of stage two and driving through the grass, the splitter got messed up and grass got into the air box, so we just didn’t have the speed or power we had in the first two stages of the race.”
Bubba Wallace — Finished 26th: Two races left, we’re still in the game, so throw Michigan away and on to Daytona. Our guys did a good job … to show up here with speed and made it better from practice. Had good track position all day and it just didn’t work out.”
AJ Allmendinger — Finished 30th: “We had a really good No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy this weekend. That was a lot of fun to drive, until we cut a tire. Proud of my guys for all their effort. We’re going to keep working hard to bring competitive cars to the track every weekend.”
Chase Briscoe — Finished 31st: “I don’t know, we were kind of ripping around the very top and then all of a sudden everybody just started spinning out up ahead of us. I don’t know what happened, to be honest with you.”
Corey LaJoie — Finished 32nd: “That’s just about how the year has gone. We have a good car and I find a way to flip it upside down. Twice this year, we’ve been upside down and I hadn’t been upside down my whole career. That’s just unfortunately how the year for the No. 7 team has been all year. We’ve had speed, just haven’t been able to put it together. The No. 10 (Noah Gragson) chopped me a couple of times, especially off (Turn) 2 when I’d have a run. I hadn’t seen a replay yet … if he pulled it off the wall when I was trying to get to his left rear to slow him down. But it was a ride, buddy. There were sparks, dirt and all sorts of stuff coming in. I just hate that our Garner Trucking Camaro got a little beat and banged up. I think we had a top-10 to 12 car today, but we ended up on our roof.”
Joey Logano — Finished 33rd: “We had that right rear tire go flat right before that, which put us back there down a lap and then I think (Kyle Larson) just spun out in front of me and kind of caused a big wad and a Daytona-type crash. There was nowhere to really go. I couldn’t steer it left, so I just committed to maybe if I could slow it down enough, I could center punch it, and it wouldn’t be that bad. That was my only option there. Unfortunately, we got knocked out a little early. We were fighting for probably a top 10. We weren’t that great, if there were more wrecks we could maybe have ended up with a top-five but we will move on.”
Kyle Larson — Finished 34th: “Yeah, I just messed up. You try to get all you can on restarts. I was just trying to funnel myself up the racetrack. I didn’t want to get stuck on the bottom three-wide. Just got myself in an awkward aero spot and lost it. It’s unfortunate. I made a mistake and cost ourselves a lot of points today.”
Christopher Bell — Finished 35th: “I saw him (Kyle Larson) spin, and we were so bunched up that once one car gets sideways, there is not much that you can do. I started slowing up, and if I remember right, someone else got turned from behind me, and slid into me. Just a product of restarts.”
Todd Gilliland — Finished 36th: “We were fighting for the Lucky Dog and I thought we were in a pretty good position. I ran to the bottom into Turn 3 and I was trying to get up all the way back to the wall. I am pretty sure I was just looking in my rearview camera, and everybody wrecked. I am not too sure. I was trying to get up into a hole, and the next thing I knew, we were all in a wreck. It is unfortunate. I thought we were clicking away.”