Notes from TNT NASCAR Summer Series Lenox Industrial Tools 301

TNT NASCAR: Countdown to Green delivered by Pizza Hut
Lindsay Czarniak (host), Kyle Petty (analyst) and Larry McReynolds (analyst)

McReynolds on why today’s New Hampshire 301 is so important: “It is a race and is worth 48 points if you can lead the most laps and walk away here with the trophy. More important, this is where we come back for the second race of the Chase. So even if you don’t win this race today you want to leave here with the feeling that ‘we got our arms around this one mile flat track.’"

Petty on teams having a playbook for the New Hampshire race: “It is important for some of these teams to stop the slide that has happened during the TNT Summer Series. Some of these teams have fallen off the face of the earth. It is important for other teams to get a win and it is important for others just to establish themselves here."

Petty on what he expects to see play out in the next eight races to the Chase: “It is hard to say. We have so many guys in the top 5 that just need to maintain. They got wins and are in pretty comfortable positions. Guys like (Dale Earnhardt) Jr. have to get a win. We have guys that are in the 11,12 and 13th spot and they have to get a win to consider themselves a championship contender."

Petty on teams making changes to qualify for the Playoffs: “I don’t think these guys are desperate yet, but they are almost there. They have one leg over the railing."

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch joins the Countdown to Green crew live on the set

Busch on finding consistency within his team and moving to the top five: “It has been an awesome change. I think communication is key and that has helped us bump up from being a 10th place car into the top 5."

Busch on the mindset of the team that are focused on qualifying for the top 10 in the Playoffs: “I think with me being a sports buff and enjoying all types of sports where you have a regular season, you have those genuine rivalries or tracks that are important in our program. When we come here (New Hampshire) in July, we know we are racing here (again) in September. You have the important races each week but some are more important than the others."

Busch on racing against his brother Kyle Busch: “That would be the ultimate dream. The fans would love to see it. The way the NASCAR sport embraced the family sport all these years. The battle of making it — to both of us on the same tires, the same tank of gas, racing each other hard for the win. Hopefully, that will come to fruition and we’ll see how it all plays out."

Petty on Cotton Owens being a NASCAR living legend: “You look at a guy like Cotton Owens. The sport was built on the backs of him, Bud Moor and Lee Petty. We are very blessed that he is still here and we can sit down and do these stories and he is an amazing man with an amazing family."

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TNT NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing: Lenox Industrial Tools 301 – New Hampshire Motor
Speedway:
Adam Alexander (host), Kyle Petty (analyst), Wally Dallenbach (analyst)
Pit Reporters: Chris Neville, Ralph Sheheen, Marty Snider, Matt Yocum

Petty on cars in the bottom ten fighting for higher spots when running single file: “So many times we focus on the leaders of these races, when they are running single file, these guys race their guts out for 12th and 13th."

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TNT NASCAR Summer Series – Post-race remarks

Interview with 2011 New Hampshire 301 Winner Ryan Newman

Newman on winning his first race of 2011: “We did what we had to do. We came home one, two, just as we started, a great weekend for Stewart House racing. A good points day. I couldn’t be more excited."

Newman on this race getting the team ready for the Chase: “It puts us in a lot better position that’s for sure, just in general points-wise. We knew we were capable of it, we’ve been so close so many times this year, we just hadn’t been to Victory Lane."

Interview with second place No. 14 Tony Stewart

Stewart on finishing one-two: “This is just an awesome day for Stewart House racing. We just needed one day where something stupid didn’t go wrong."

Interview with third place No. 11 Denny Hamlin

No.11 Denny Hamlin on finishing third after being last on the lead lap: “It was just one of those day where we had to battle back. We just fought this car all day long and at the end we made one adjustment and that really woke it up. Good day for our FedEx freight team."