16 car big one notes and quotes from Daytona

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Cargill/Winn-Dixie Ford Fusion

(INOVLVED IN WRECK ON LAP 19) – WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE? “I am not really sure. I haven’t seen anything yet. Our Cargill Ford was really fast. We had the outside lane working there and it seemed like some of the guys were struggling on the bottom and the middle and we got a little loose on the top. I save it and everything was good and then all of a sudden we got hit in the left rear. I am not real sure what happened. We are going to try to go back out there and see if we can make a few more laps and gain as many spots as we can and see what happens. It is a tough way to end our day though. I feel like we had a really fast race car.”  DID IT JUST BREAK LOOSE ON YOU? “Yeah, it just got loose. I really don’t know what happened.”

TREVOR BAYNE, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion – (INVOLVED IN WRECK ON LAP 19)

WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR VIEW? “I feel like we were just starting the race. The first thing I saw was the 17 coming across in front of us and I was already past the pit road entry and couldn’t turn down there. I slowed down enough but four or five cars hit us from behind and sent us up the race track and we hit the outside wall. That is about all I know. I don’t know who hit us or what happened behind us or what caused it in front of us. Everybody was getting pretty wild for there to be a competition caution in a few laps. I don’t know why there was so much urgency. I was in the middle lane and I saw it getting wild. The handling did not look great on a lot of cars as hot as it is today. I pulled to the bottom lane down the backstretch to try to get out of it. Coming off four it was too late. I was already in the middle of it. I don’t know how it started but it is a terrible way to end our day for the Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford when you feel like you have a shot to win these races and know you are really good here. It is disheartening for these guys. We will see if we can get back out there but we aren’t points racing. The only thing we come here for are the top-fives and wins and this is not what we wanted.”

Ford Racing PR

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/DUCKS UNLIMITED CHEVROLET SS – Involved in multi-car crash on lap 20:

WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

“The No. 17 car (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) got sideways on the lap that we’re all getting a competition caution. I don’t know. I guess Ricky thought it paid something to get to lap 20. I don’t know. It didn’t make much sense to me, but I’m not that smart either; so I don’t know. I don’t know that I’m the right person to ask.

“I guess is was just Stenhouse being an idiot. It didn’t make much sense when we’re coming to the caution, we’re like a quarter of a lap from getting to the caution and he does something stupid. It tore up a lot of people’s cars and a lot of people’s days. To get here on Wednesday night and sit here all day and run 19 and three-quarter laps and get wrecked by somebody who’s doing something stupid.”

WAS IT THE WEATHER COMING THAT HAD EVERYBODY UP?

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him and what he’s doing. Every week it’s something kind of with him. I love him like a little brother, but it makes me nervous to be around him on the race track.

“We’re a quarter lap away from getting a competition caution and Stenhouse is going to be a hero. I don’t know what happened to him there, but he took out a bunch of good cars. I don’t know what it is. No matter what I say right now, somebody is going to be mad and somebody is going to disagree with it. But, I think it’s a pretty dumb excuse to have the caution come out 500 yards too early.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PATRIOTIC CHEVROLET SS – Involved in multi-car crash on lap 20

WHAT HAPPENED?

“I don’t know. There were just cars spinning. I just feel so bad for my crew. They worked so hard to get a car ready to come down here and have a fast car. And then we make 15 laps four days later, or something like that? I’m certainly disappointed in that. But we’ll go get it fixed and go out and try to collect some points.

“I was kind of busy with my environment of three-wide and I just saw cars moving around and smoke in front of us. So I don’t know what triggered it or what happened. But I’m just thoroughly disappointed for everybody on the Lowe’s team. Those guys have been down here for four days in this heat, working on the car; not to mention all the time and effort put into this, to go 15 or 20 laps is just a really big bummer.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER FOLDS OF HONOR CHEVROLET SS – Involved in multi-car crash on lap 20

WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR VIEWPOINT?

“It’ looked like the No. 17 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) got squirrelly up there and then they all started wrecking. I had the wreck cleared but unfortunately with the splitters and everything out in front, the grass is what tears all the cars up. It was unfortunate for our Budweiser Chevy; but maybe one day they’ll make grass that’s not eight inches tall.”

Team Chevy Racing PR