FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, November 13th, 2016

NOTES AND QUOTES FROM NASCAR SPRINT CUP COVERAGE FROM PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ON NBC

Race Winner Joey Logano to Marty Snider: “Man this feels so good, I’ve never felt this good about a win before.”

 

Jeff Burton on the contact between Alex Bowman and Matt Kenseth that ended Kenseth’s Chase hopes: “We can point the finger and we can blame everybody but the bottom line is everyone is trying to win the race.”

 

AVONDALE, Ariz. — November 13, 2016 – NBC presented the penultimate race in the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this afternoon from Phoenix International Raceway. The action-packed race, which reached overtime, saw Joey Logano secure the checkered flag and punch his Chase ticket after 324 grueling laps. Logano and Kyle Busch join Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards to race for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship next Sunday in Miami. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch fell below the cut line and saw their dreams of a Championship slip away.

 

RACE RESULTS

 

Position Driver Car #
1 Joey Logano 22
2 Kyle Busch 18
3 Kyle Larson 42
4 Kevin Harvick 4
5 Kurt Busch 41

 

2016 CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR CHASE DRIVERS

 

Jimmie Johnson
Carl Edwards
Joey Logano
Kyle Busch

 

Inside the NASCAR on NBC broadcast booth, race announcer Rick Allen and analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte called the action. Working the pits were reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Mike Massaro and Dave Burns.

 

The following are highlights from today’s Sprint Cup coverage from Phoenix International Raceway.

 

Letarte on current race leader Alex Bowman after 46 laps: “This young man, Alex Bowman, not only has he shown he can be competitive in the No. 88, running well, sitting on the pole and leading laps, but his decision-making through lap traffic has really been impressive.”

 

Burton added: “This kid is making himself known among car owners. Somebody is going to find a way to sign this guy…He has shown so much talent and so much ability.”

 

Burton after the penalty suffered by both Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson for passing the pace car before entering pit road: “If anyone else makes this mistake today, shame on them. The shape of the race track and how much shorter the radius is onto pit road creates this opportunity.  The crew chiefs and spotters need to be conveying this to the leader of the race and saying ‘Do not make this mistake, it has happened twice already.’”

 

Burton on Kyle Busch’s performance at lap 190: “Kyle Busch in the 12th spot, that has him eight points out of making the Championship Four in Miami, I didn’t see this coming. When I watched him in practice yesterday I thought the No. 18 car had a much better car then what he has shown us today. There is still time to make some adjustments and make the car better, but I’m very surprised they are sitting here 16 seconds back from the leader.”

 

Letarte on Denny Hamlin staying out during the sixth caution: “This is the biggest call of the year I’ve seen by any crew chief. Mike Wheeler, on top of the pit box for Denny Hamlin, feels this is their best chance and leaves his driver on the race track.”

 

Burton on Joe Gibbs, the owner of three of the cars fighting for two spots, with 23 laps to go: “Somebody is going to be disappointed. That is the life of a car owner.”

 

Letarte added: “This has been the conversation all week. How long can the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates race as teammates? I think they are not teammates anymore. They will be teammates when the race is over.”

 

Letarte on the contact between Alex Bowman and Matt Kenseth during the first overtime attempt, that ended Kenseth’s Championship dreams: “Bowman is blocking Kyle Busch and being aggressive. He has to protect that position. He successfully blocks and is as low as he could be. The No. 20 definitely comes down the track.”

 

Burton added: “I think that Matt Kenseth thought, because of the launch that he got on the front straight away, that he had Bowman cleared.”

 

A link of the crash is available here.

 

Letarte on the intensity of the Chase: “It is not just the Chase cars on the race track. There are 40 cars that start every race. Part of what makes the NASCAR Playoffs so difficult is that you have to race against the Chase competitors and the other competitors.”

 

Burton added: “This is racing. We can point the finger and we can blame everybody but the bottom line is everyone is trying to win the race.”

 

Race winner Joey Logano to Snider: “Man this feels so good, I’ve never felt this good about a win before. There is so much on the line and everyone brings their “A” game when it comes to winning Championships.”

 

– NBC SPORTS GROUP –