Denny Hamlin — Winner: “This victory means a lot to me. Normally, I give the fans a hard time, but today, I’m just grateful. I’d like to acknowledge my dad, family, and friends who came out to support, hoping for number 60. I didn’t think we could do it, but I pushed hard in the last 10 laps. My crew chief, Chris Gayle, did an outstanding job with the final pit stop, which set up the car perfectly. I just had to push forward; I felt like I had nothing to lose, so I went for it. I’m incredibly proud of this team for their adjustments and the pit crew for their great performance. This win was unexpected, and during the last 15 laps, I honestly didn’t think we’d succeed, but I gave it my all.”
Kyle Larson — Second Place: “I thought I had a solid lead and could move to the top for momentum, but Denny’s car, along with the Toyotas, was astonishingly fast on short runs. He must have executed his corner perfectly because he managed to overtake me. I tried to defend my line but he did a fantastic job. I’m proud of my team too; we had great races today. We started strong and were leading, but some unexpected issues changed the race’s dynamics. Still, it’s a good points day. Next week’s superspeedway races seem promising; we just need to keep executing our strategy.”
Christopher Bell — Third Place: “This feels repetitive compared to last year. The race started slow, but I felt strong in the second half. Unfortunately, I struggled on the restarts and couldn’t capitalize on my position. Missing the crash incident was purely luck. I had limited visibility through the smoke, but I managed to navigate it. I’m proud of the Rheem team; we came close to a victory. We’ll just have to take our chances at Talladega.”
Chase Briscoe — Fourth Place: “I thought I was in a good position initially; the car felt great. However, it became very loose toward the end. I was hopeful as the race intensified, thinking I might sneak ahead, but I couldn’t maintain pace. It’s disappointing that a JGR car won, but we need to focus on the upcoming race at Talladega, where opportunities for points are significant. We still have our ‘mulligan’ for another chance at victory.”
Tyler Reddick — Fifth Place: “Today was solid for us and our Camry, which was really fast. Unfortunately, we didn’t secure the win, but we maintained a competitive speed throughout the race, which is a positive takeaway.”
Joey Logano — Sixth Place: “There were moments when I thought we were competitive, but gaining track position was tough. We struggled with balance and lost some prime positioning after losing grip. My crew chief made a crucial strategy call that put us in a better position toward the end. While we were battling hard, I recognize the uphill battle ahead in points. Winning next week is crucial.”
Kyle Busch — Eighth Place: “I’m proud of our No. 8 Chevrolet for improving from a 32nd starting position to eighth by the end of the race. It was tough working through grip issues, but consistency is key moving forward in this season, and we aim to get back to victory lane soon.”
