Hornish Jr, and Dodge drivers talk about Las Vegas race

Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished 9th

Victory lane: race winner Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

“On the short run we were able to make up some spots. Our guys did a good job of sticking with it in the pits. Our long run we’d just continue to get freer and freer most of the time, not the way we wanted to head for sure. We got through here with the Challenger in one piece and we’ll move on from it.”

WHEN YOU CHANGED FOUR TIRES OR TWO, YOU SEEMED TO END UP ABOUT NINTH IN LINE. “We were just not good enough. We got lucky to end up where we did. Man, we couldn’t go. We didn’t have enough grip in the car. The first couple of laps when everybody was in traffic we could make up spots and then when everything got shuffled out and you just had to have that max amount of speed, we didn’t have it. And then after that we’d start to settle in a little bit but it was like from lap five to lap ten, we just got ran over.”

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO WORK ON TO BE BETTER AT THESE MILE-AND-A-HALF TRACKS? “For sure we’ve got to be better. Brad (Keselowski) is pretty good and we’re not right now on that part of the run. We just have to look at it and get some good changes made and we’ll figure out a way to be better.”

Brad Keselowski (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished 23rd

“We just had a problem there. I had a car I felt could win the race and it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s kind of been the tale of the tape for me here at Vegas. I’m so excited to have a fast car. That’s where it all starts, just got to execute from there. It wasn’t meant to be.”

BEFORE YOU RAN OUT OF FUEL, DID YOU SENSE THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THAT AREA? “Jeremy (Bullins), the crew chief, and the engineers, they all knew something was wrong but there’s nothing you can do about it.”