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How is your car handling?

“We have a pretty good race car. To be within a few tenths of where we practiced is a good accomplishment. It’s very, very tough to come from one car to another. And it’s also very tough to back up your lap from practice because you’ve been running and you’ve been running. It’s such a momentum race track and you kind of get a feel for it that to be able to do it in one lap is very tough.”

Do you think you need two qualifying laps at this track?

“I think it’s a little bit tougher to back up your time when it’s just one lap. This isn’t like an oval track where you can just kind of knock off that one great lap. This one is more about rhythm than it is anything. That’s why it’s going to be tough for people to back up their lap or even make it quicker. For us to be within three-tenths I’ll take it.”

Why do you feel you’ve been successful in the past on the road course at Watkins Glen?

“It’s nothing but a short track with left and right hand turns and that’s about it.”

How important is track position here?

“It’s really important. We actually only made one run today and that was that 71.30 that we ran. Our car just had the speed in it. It was good during Sonoma. I think we led just as much of the Sonoma race as Kasey (Kahne) did and we were battling for a win there. I didn’t expect anything different here. This is actually our better of the two road course race tracks. When I come here I’m pretty confident that we can contend for a win.”

MARCOS AMBROSE, No. 47 Little Debbie/Kingsford/Clorox Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing
Starting Position: 4th

Were you satisfied with your qualifying lap?

“We just didn’t have enough practice time here. We started off a little slower than what we wanted to, but it was a good lap for us. We’ll start somewhere in the front half of the field and we can try to win the race from there. We have to stay out of trouble and have to run fast here and try to make some good choices on pit strategy and we’ll be fine.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Starting Position: 8th

How was your qualifying lap?

“Horrible. It was the worst lap I’ve had all day. It was just horrendous. Unfortunately, I don’t think it will be a good enough starting spot for us and we’ll just have to battle from wherever we get to start and have to race up through there and pass all of the guys. I’m sorry to all of the M&M’s guys and everybody at Toyota. I don’t know if it’s me or what.”

MAX PAPIS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing
Starting Position: 16th

Are you happy with your qualifying lap?

“We did a great job all day today with the GEICO crew. They gave me a great car and being out of the top-35 is definitely something that requires all of the mental effort. You can’t really go out and push it super hard because there is too much to risk. I pushed myself and I said, ‘Go, go hard. It doesn’t matter.’ Even if it comes back in a ball of fire, it’s better like that than not making the show. It’s still not easy to push yourself when you know that a slip of a half of a second can cost you the race and end the weekend. So far I’m really pleased and we got a fast car in the GEICO Toyota.”

PATRICK CARPENTIER, No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Starting Position: 17th

Are you happy with your qualifying lap in the backup car?

“I’m pretty happy. The guys tried to get a car together this morning and I went off the track. I ran through some of that oil dry and crashed pretty badly. We did a couple of runs on this car and didn’t like this morning. We changed everything — the engine, the gear box, setup and the whole deal and it was a lot better this afternoon. They built me a great car to get here. I like the road racer deal but I love ovals so don’t label me as a road racer. I want to do more ovals”

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team
Starting Position: 20th

ROBBY GORDON, No. 7 Jim Beam Toyota Camry, Robby Gordon Motorsports
Starting Position: 22nd

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Starting Position: 25th

How was your qualifying run?

“The car was really good. I slowed up a little bit in qualifying hoping at least we’d run as fast as we did in practice. We slowed up a little bit but overall we’re a whole lot better than we have been in the past here.”

SCOTT SPEED, No. 82 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team
Starting Position: 26th

How was your qualifying lap?

“I think before going in there we knew we didn’t have good pace. We’ve been struggling with the braking since we got here. For us, it was a good lap. It was really clean and did everything I wanted to do so I’m really happy with that. We got into the show and we have all day tomorrow to make it better for the race.”

What does your car need to do to pass cars on this track?

“Stop. If it stops good and it comes off the corner good we’re going to have a good day.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Starting Position: 35th

P.J. JONES, No. 04 Jim Beam/Menards Toyota Camry, Robby Gordon Motorsports
Starting Position: 39th

DAVE BLANEY, No. 66 Prism Motorsports Toyota Camry, Prism Motorsports
Starting Position: 41st

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports
Starting Position: DNQ

BRIAN SIMO, No. 36 Toyota Camry, Tommy Baldwin Racing
Starting Position: DNQ

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release