Best quotes from 2018 NASCAR Media Tour

By | Published: January 23, 2018 26

Zack Albert | NASCAR.com

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Zack Albert | NASCAR.com

“I know Kyle (Busch), I raced with him and I know how he is … I don’t know how old he is, 30-something, right? 32? Getting up there, bud. He was in the same kind of spot we were, they had the Gillette young guns back then. He’s still got the baby face now. So, not really sure what he’s trying to say, but he had kind of the same treatment we’re going through. And I will say, certain drivers – and if I ever get to this level, you guys can pinch me and try to bring me back down – but, when they get to this certain level, they stop doing stuff. Drivers stop doing stuff.' -- Darrell Wallace Jr. on Kyle Busch's comments

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(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

“I feel more pressure because I want to defend it properly. I want to go back to back. I want to bring it home again for Monster, Ford and everybody at Stewart-Haas (Racing.) You give it that same attention to detail that you give Daytona every year. If you have won it or you haven't you still go after it hard.” -- Kurt Busch on defending his Daytona crown

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(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

'I actually think we were a little better than (the No. 78 team of Martin Truex Jr.) at Homestead, and that’s what makes Homestead so painful. We weren't able to pull it all off. … I think if we would have reversed situations where we were out front where the 78 was, we would have driven away. We would have won by 4-5 seconds.' -- Kyle Busch on falling just short in the 2017 season finale

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Robert Laberge/Getty Images

'It’s going to be tough for sure with (Chevrolet) having their new bodies and kind of built to fit the new rule specs, with the spoiler and splitter and all the stuff since Ford had come out with their body. It will be tough, but we just got to work in the gaps as much as we can, refine what we have. ... I thought Kevin Harvick did a great job making it to the final round last year with a Ford. It can be done, and hopefully we can do that.' -- Trevor Bayne on whether Ford can keep up

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Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

“He’s kind of the grandpa of the organization.' -- William Byron on the age discrepancy between Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates

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Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

'I don’t know, that’s a good question. I feel like I’m young, but I feel old when I look around sometimes. I’ve always been the young guy. But if you ask Jeff Gordon, he might still think of himself as the young guy because that’s what he was when he came in. It’s kind of weird, I feel like I’m in the middle. I came in right around the Austin Dillon time. Joey Logano, Austin Dillon and myself are right around the same age. Our group is really small.' -- Trevor Bayne on where he fits among the young guns and veterans:

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Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

'I've been doing this, what, 12 years and now it's a make-or-break year? Every year is a make-or-break year.' -- Clint Bowyer

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

'I have no advice for Jimmie Johnson. No, none.' -- Jamie McMurray on how Johnson should handle being the elder statesman at Hendrick Motorsports

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Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

'These kids change your life in an offseason. No more vacations, no more gallivanting around, it’s dad duty. I was home probably, I think, five weeks. I think the most I’ve ever been home since I moved to North Carolina has been three weeks. So I was like champing at the bit. I had a friend call and say, 'Hey you want to go to Nashville,' and I was like, 'I can start walking now.' ' -- Clint Bowyer on the offseason

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Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

'Always. Been there the last, what is it, two out of three? The last two, I guess. I just want to keep knocking it down. I would pick me. I like me.' -- Austin Dillon on picking himself as a contender for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

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Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

'That manufacturer change was the best thing they've done in a long time. You're going to have growing pains. ... It was pretty chaotic last year, but we weathered the storm. We're ready.' -- Clint Bowyer on Year 2 with Ford at Stewart-Haas Racing

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Jared C. Tilton/Stewart-Haas Racing via Getty Images

'Don’t screw up. The King will put his finger in your chest. He has very high expectations and wants the best. While he has been incredible for me and my family, it is sometimes hard to measure up because everywhere you go, Richard Petty has done something extraordinary at that race track or venue.' -- Aric Almirola on his advice for Bubba Wallace, who is replacing him in Richard Petty's No. 43

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Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

'I'm looking forward to driving my F-150.' -- A smiling Matt Crafton, several times, in his own 'Everything is great' moment

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

'I think results show that the most. ... If you can produce results people are going to start to look at who you are as a person, and that personality is going to develop and grow as you get in more situations. The biggest thing I'm going to do is try to produce results. If that gets more fans and more excitement around the 24, that'll be good. Also, Jeff is kind of working behind the scenes to try to transition those fans to our car.' -- William Byron on trying to garner new fans (from Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon)

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

'I feel like it's all relative. When new guys come in, it's a fresh thing to talk about. We are going to ultimately prove ourselves on the race track and show that we are capable of being part of this sport. I think that's going to show over time.' -- William Byron on veteran drivers getting cheeky

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Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

“I think my wife likes bling, so she just wants everyone to know I’m married. You can see it from a long way away. It is kind of my style; I’m out there on a lot of things.” -- Austin Dillon on his wedding ring

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Chris Graythen/Getty Images

'I don’t really know how Kyle (Larson, teammate) views me right? Like in his mind if he views me as Jamie or old Jamie. … I don’t look at Kyle as a kid. I just look at Kyle as Kyle. Sometimes he does things – not racing-related – and I’m like 'man.' Then I’m like, ‘He’s 25, I might have done the same thing when I was 25.’ I’m sure I do things and he’s like, ‘Oh, he’s 41; when, when I’m 41 I’ll probably be doing (expletive) like that, too.’ ” -- Jamie McMurray

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Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

“I guess I’m going to have to put them in timeout.” -- Jimmie Johnson on his young teammates calling him 'grandpa' and 'Uncle Jimmie'

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Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

'Stop eating. I need your full attention. I have a lot to say.' -- Ty Dillon

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Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

'I’d rather make other people happy than myself. And if I have to sacrifice time, it’s just time. It really doesn’t mean much to me personally. I’d rather go do something meaningful to the sport than just sit on my couch because than I just don’t feel like I’m doing anything.

“There’s always more you can do. You are never maxed out on your potential to make somebody’s day.” -- Ryan Blaney on his relationship with fans

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

“It’s hard for me to look at, not that Dale, Jr. is not down to earth, but it’s hard for me to look at him and relate to him as far as his status. I mean, he is so popular everywhere he goes, he is followed by a huge crowd of people and everybody wants to talk to him, wants an autograph, wants a picture, he is so popular. I can’t really look at myself and see that in anyway. I’m so thankful to hopefully get some of those fans and have some of that carry over.” -- Alex Bowman

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

'A lot of smiling with her around. She always brings so much positive energy into all situations. I really look forward to watching her role define. I know with her background, she can help in a lot of different areas. Having Jeff Andrews and Brian Whitesell where they are, Alba in there, Marshall Carlson, our executive leadership group, is very well-balanced, ready to lead everybody else below. So I'm excited about her coming onboard.' -- Jimmie Johnson on Hendrick Motorsports' hiring of Alba Colon

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

'I just think there kind of comes a point in time where … I think there were times, not just in that situation, that I was a little taken advantage of in how I race people and maybe with too much respect at times and I think that’s what he was getting at with that comment. And I do think there was probably some truth to that. So, at some point, you either stand up for yourself or you continue to get taken advantage of. I’d rather choose Option A over B.' -- Chase Elliott on Alan Gustafson's comments on Denny Hamlin incident last year

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“The feather in our cap is the Camaro ZL1.” -- Ryan Newman

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“You can tell he is genuinely excited about what is his next chapter in life, but on the flip side of that, he’s very much in tune that he is a great ambassador for this sport.” -- Justin Allgaier on Dale Jr.

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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

'He better not get anywhere near me. That’s all I got to say.' -- Elliott Sadler on Ryan Preece