Dale Jarrett on the final regular season race: “There isn’t a more perfect race track than this three-quarter mile short track to finish up the ‘Race for the Chase.’”
Steve Letarte on the “Race for the Chase”: “Anyone in the top 30 can punch their Chase ticket tonight.”
Richmond, Va. — September 12, 2015 — NBCSN presents “The Last Race to Make the Chase” from Richmond International Raceway this evening. With 11 drivers already locked into the Chase by virtue of a win, bubble drivers will battle it out to secure a coveted spot in the top 16. NBCSN’s pre-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing coverage began with NASCAR America Sunday presented by DraftKings, followed by Countdown to Green, Served by Sonic.
Krista Voda hosted the pre-race action alongside NASCAR on NBCSN analyst Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett. Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns, Mike Massaro and Marty Snider reported from pit road leading up to today’s green flag. Inside the NBCSN broadcast booth, race announcer Rick Allen, 21-time Sprint Cup winning driver Jeff Burton, and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte offered their perspectives.
The following are highlights from this evening’s NASCAR Sprint Cup pre-race coverage on NBCSN.
Jarrett on the Chase format: “This playoff format is the best thing that NASCAR has done in many years. We saw great things last year when this format was put in place, and I think this year has only ramped up more.”
Petty on the Chase: “This is it, this is the night we have been talking about since February, the end of the regular season and the beginning of the Chase.”
Chase bubble driver Clint Bowyer to Wood: “The only thing that I can do is go out there and try to run down that No. 27 car (Paul Menard) and get ahead of him. Anything that happens behind me is out of my control.”
Kasey Kahne to Stavast on the pressure to get into the Chase: “I’m in this position a lot. It seems like every year it comes down to being fairly close at this point in the season. For whatever reason, it is kind of normal.”
Brad Keselowski to Snider on his competitiveness this evening having already secured his position in the Chase: “You still want to win, it is a race, and as a race car driver that is what we do.”
Jarrett on the pressure of racing for the Chase: “As much as drivers try to deflect it, pressure makes you make mistakes.”
Jarrett on the final regular season race: “There isn’t a more perfect race track than this three-quarter mile short track to finish up the ‘Race for the Chase.’”
Aric Almirola to Burns on what he needs to do to secure a position in the Chase: “We just have to go race our race. There are a lot of different scenarios which could play out, but the easiest way for us would be to go win.”
Letarte on the “Race for the Chase”: “What makes the NASCAR playoffs special is that it’s not just defense, it is offense…anyone in the top 30 can punch their Chase ticket tonight.”
Bowyer to Burton during the pace lap on Richmond International Raceway: “I love racing at this place. It is fun to be in this situation, just to be in the mix of a Championship…Whoever built this baby had their thinking cap on.”
Burton on driving defensively at Richmond: “As a driver, you race your whole life being aggressive. You race to go earn position, and then all of a sudden you come to a racetrack and they tell you to play defense. It knocks you off your rhythm.”
– NBC SPORTS GROUP –
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