TOYOTA: Post Chicagoland Notes & Quotes
08-28-2010 1:41 pm
Kyle Busch won his second straight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Chicagoland Speedway
on Friday night.
Busch led three times for 121 (of 154) laps en route to his fifth victory of the season.
It marked the 10th NCWTS victory for a Tundra in 17 races this year, and the 75th series win for Toyota since joining
the series in 2004.
Todd Bodine (second), Justin Lofton (fifth) and Aric Almirola (sixth) also scored top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile tri-oval.
Tundra drivers Brad Sweet (16th), Steve Park (18th), Johanna Long (20th), Timothy Peters (21st) and Mike Skinner
(23rd) were also in the field.
Bodine continues to lead the unofficial NCWTS standings following Chicagoland, leading Almirola by 236 points.
Peters (fourth), Skinner (eighth) and Starr (ninth) are also in the top-10 in points after 17 of 25 races.
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Traxxas Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 1st
Did you enjoy racing out there tonight?
"It was really fun out there tonight. This Toyota Tundra was awesome tonight. It was so fun racing Todd (Bodine) like that.
He had enough to hang with us, he just didn't have enough to get by us there. It was awesome to race with those guys. Eric
(Phillips, crew chief) and Rick Ren did a great job for us tonight as well. It's just real fun to drive these trucks. I love coming
to Chicago. It's kind of like a second home for me. I look forward to coming back here next year."
How concerned were you when the last caution came out?
"I was concerned. I remember last year it was real tough to get away from side-by-side. This year, I got clear on him (Todd
Bodine) just going down the front straightaway getting into turn one there. From there on out I was worried that he would get
a draft on me. These trucks, man, they draft so easy. That's how I ran him down and got to him the first time. He just didn't
quite have enough to pass us. He had enough to hang with us all night and it was fun man. Really cool to be out here. I've
got to thank the fans, thank Camping World and of course I don't have my Electric sunglasses on but I'd like to thank those
guys too. We're going for five in Kentucky next week so watch out."
What is your explanation for winning all of these races?
"It comes down to a great team and great equipment and stuff like that. I've really been fortunate to be put in some of these
situations and it's a lot of fun to do it. I can't thank Traxxas, the fastest name in radio control, this weekend for coming
onboard this weekend and helping us with our program. I'm really proud of the effort to be able to come out here for their
first race and put them in victory lane. Unfortunately, I had some bad luck at the dirt track the past couple of nights. But,
here on our side with Kyle Busch Motorsports we got everything put together thanks to a great crew led by Eric Phillips (crew
chief) and Rick Ren and those guys. They do a phenomenal job. It was a fun night racing with Todd (Bodine). I was a little
worried there a couple of times he got to me and we got racing down the backstretch into turn three and I was like, 'Man, I've
just got to get a big run through three and four and try to hold him off here.' I guess he slipped or something like that, but my
truck really went good through the outside. I probably should've stayed there, but when you hold the inside lane open like
that they can just close right back up on you. So, you've kind of got to take their air a little bit. We played a little bit of that
game tonight, but all in all it was a good, fun race."
What is your confidence level when you lose spots on pit road?
"You never know what can really happen ultimately in a race. When we got back in traffic there a little bit I was just kind of
playing it out where alright who is starting in front of me and where are they starting. I started on the inside, I think it was
fifth, and so I just wanted to make sure I didn't get sucked around or somebody in front of me didn't spin or get loose or
anything. You're always kind of worried about guys getting a little bit loose and kind of bottling up and then getting hit from
behind. There's always something that can happen, but fortunately for us everything turned out alright. On the next caution
and pit stop period, some guys took two and forced us back all the way to sixth and I was like, 'Well, hopefully track position
isn't that big of a deal and tires will prevail for us, in which they did. Todd (Bodine) and I got right to the front. Fun racing
out there with those guys."
Is it nice to keep the momentum going after last week's sweep at Bristol?
"It certainly is. Especially with my own team. It's great to go out and win in your own equipment. It just makes you feel a
little bit better. The hard work and the blood, sweat and tears you pour into it with all of your guys. And how much
dedication they have for myself and for this race team. We're really looking hard at next year at what we're doing and trying
to sell something sponsorships for that in order to keep this program continuing. I feel like these guys are really, really good at
what they do. They deserve to be here and to race in this series. For myself to carry the momentum from last week means a
lot, but now we'd like to carry it on into next weekend going to Kentucky. We know that will be a tough race for us. (Ron)
Hornaday (Jr.) is really, really strong there. I know (Mike) Skinner has been fast there before with Eric (Phillips) being his
crew chief. I'm sure (Todd) Bodine will be tough to beat. It should be fun and hopefully we can go for five in a row before
we head to Atlanta."
ERIC PHILLIPS, crew chief, No. 18 Traxxas Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
What made you decide to take four tires on the final pit stop?
"Me and Rick (Ren) talked about it and if it stayed green that last run we may have put on two (tires). We had a big enough
lead. We knew everybody was probably going to try to do what we didn't do. So, if we took four they were going to take
two or if we took two they would probably take four. Todd (Bodine) was really the only one that we were racing there at the
end. We had such a big lead on third and fourth. We knew they were going to do what we didn't do. Once the caution came
out it was a pretty easy decision to take four tires. Our truck had been really good all night on four. We lost a little bit of
track position, but knew there was enough laps left to get it back."
What happened on a previous pit stop with the gas can?
"We use a different fueling system than the Nationwide and the Cup cars do and it's a lot harder to engage. You have to be
absolutely perfect when it engages. He got a little cocked and panic sets in a little bit and he just panicked a little bit and we
recovered so we'll go on to next week."
TODD BODINE, No. 30 Germain.com Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
How was your race tonight?
"It was a pretty good race. We would start the runs a little loose and then a little tight. Right there on that run we were
really good. They adjusted the tires and got it really good. The one time I got outside of Kyle (Busch) he pinched us up in
the wall and then I got under him going into three and got loose. That's just the function of the way the aero package is.
We had a great Tundra. Second stinks, but we'll take it. It's another good points night and another good run. It shows how
solid this team is every week and what kind of trucks that they bring to the race tracks. It was just another good night."
Did you have fun racing with Kyle Busch?
"It was good racing with him. It's fun to race with a guy you can trust. Of course, he was having to trust me because I was
one the behind. It was a good night. I can't complain. I built the points lead back up to where it was before Bristol.
Another good run. You hate to run second, especially to Kyle (Busch), but we'll take it and we'll go to the next one."
How do you feel about your current lead in the points?
"Our philosophy is, if you can't win the race just do the best that you can. And tonight that was second. We'll take the
points. Aric (Almirola) was sixth and that's kind of flip flop from last week so we gained back what we lost last week at
Bristol. We're proud of our team and how consistent we are and how well we run every week and that's the mark of
champions and a championship team. We've just got to keep doing what we're doing and hopefully a pot of gold will be
sitting at the end of the rainbow."
Does the way you raced Kyle Busch tonight prove that you are not 'points' racing?
"I would hope so. I actually had a guy say that to me outside. He said, 'You didn't look like you were points racing when
you stuck it on the outside of Kyle (Busch). And we're not. We're here to win. That's what we're paid to do. That's what
burns in each one of us. Every guy that walks through that garage area wants to win and we're no different. We come here
every week we unload that truck and our goal is to win the race. If we can't win then we evaluate the situation and do the
best we can with what we've got and get the most points that we can. That's points racing. Our first goal is to get to
victory lane and get the checkered flag."
JUSTIN LOFTON, No. 7 VisitPit.com Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
Are you happy with your finish tonight?
"I'm really excited. This is a great place to race here and I'm just really proud of all of the guys on the VisitPit.com No. 7
Toyota Tundra. They did a great job all weekend. This is really what we needed to keep going into Kentucky and the rest of
the year."
Did you have to make adjustments as the night went on to get your truck to handle better?
"Not really. It really was going to play right into our hands and it really did. Very minimal changes. Mark Rette (crew chief)
did a great job like he always does. I'm just really excited to be here."
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 51 Zyclara/Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports
Finishing Position: 6th
How was your race tonight?
"We were just really loose on that long run in the middle of the race. We slipped back and we really needed a caution to come
out. But, Richie (Wauters, crew chief) and the guys made some great adjustments that put us back in a great position on the
final restart. We were fifth, and I felt like we had a third-place truck, or even an opportunity to pull something out for the
win. On that final restart, the bottom just didn't work for me. I got pinned down there and lost speed. We got back to sixth,
but I think we were actually better than that. I'm proud of the guys for sticking in there and getting this Graceway
Pharmaceuticals Toyota another top-10 finish."
BRAD SWEET, No. 90 Great Clips/Intercontinental Chicago O'Hare Toyota Tundra, Stringer Motorsports
Finishing Position: 16th
STEVE PARK, No. 41 Bollegraaf Toyota Tundra, Sharp Hartman Racing
Finishing Position: 18th
JOHANNA LONG, No. 15 Panhandle Paving & Grading Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports
Finishing Position: 20th
TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
Finishing Position: 21st
MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 International Trucks/Monaco RV's Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports
Finishing Position: 23rd