Comments from the eliminated Playoff drivers

 

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Joey Logano claimed his first ever Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday evening. With that being said, four more drivers were eliminated from the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs.

After the conclusion of the Ford EcoBoost 400, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Kevin Harvick had their 2018 Championship hopes swiped away after 400 grueling miles around the 1.5-mile speedway.

Below is a list of what the eliminated Championship 4 drivers said after the event.

Martin Truex Jr.

“It’s a tough night.  You know, it’s a tough way to lose.  You know, kind of reversed the tale from last year.  Last year we did the same thing they did tonight.  That’s the way it goes.

“Just didn’t play out the way we needed it to.  We were terrible for 10, 15 laps on new tires and was able to get a good restart there at the end luckily and get out front, just I had nothing for him at the end.  I needed 15, 20 more laps, and that’s just the way it goes.  I’m not sure what else to say.”

“Really proud of everybody on our team, you know, for fighting hard this year to get to where we were, and without that last caution it was in the bag maybe, I think.  We’ll see.  But hurts a little and going to miss all the guys, and had a hell of a five years with this team.  So just proud of them, and we’re going to celebrate no matter what tonight.”

Kevin Harvick

“We had a daytime race car.  As soon as it got dark we never could get our car tightened up there at the end, and then they made a great call to put us in position to win the race, and then the caution came out when the 2 car spun the 19 out and came off pit road fourth, and just our strong point was not the restarts tonight, and wound up on the wrong side of it.”

Kyle Busch

“I don’t know where we missed it, just I thought we were way closer than that yesterday, and felt pretty decent about things, plus Happy Hour and the changes we were going to take overnight to get into the race, and today we weren’t even close.

“Just no grip all night long, just sideways and no front grip, along that, to go with it.  Just on the long runs just couldn’t enter the corner and we were getting smoked entering the corners and not being able to turn the steering wheel.

“Overall just a frustrating night.  Adam called a great race, got us in position there when we long ran and caught that caution luckily, and everything came to fruition, just when you’re half a second off, you’re not going to hold anybody back.”