Notable Friday quotes from Richmond

AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 17: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 17, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson had just lost a heartbreaker to Kyle Busch last Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch got to the bumper of Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet on Lap 495 of 500, pushed Larson up the track and made the winning pass.

Larson, who led a race-high 200 laps, returned to his motor home, prepared to put the close loss behind him. No such luck. His son Owen made sure of that.

“The last thing I wanted to hear but the first thing I heard when I walked in the bus was Owen (saying) ‘Did you get me some Skittles?’ So, I couldn’t help but laugh at that, so that wasn’t what I wanted to hear but it kind of lightened the mood, so it helps to get over it a little bit.”

Busch’s winning Toyota was sponsored by the Skittles brand at Bristol.

Kyle Busch

After the race, Kyle Larson sent Kyle Busch a text, congratulating him on the victory and relating Owen Larson’s request for Skittles.

“It’s cool that many of these drivers’ kids like the candy man,” said Busch, whose cars sport paint schemes that feature a variety of products from candy maker Mars, Inc. “So they certainly know what’s up, and whether it’s the paint scheme or it’s the personality – I’m not sure which – but certainly Cash (Clint Bowyer’s son) is one of those guys, and Owen is one of those guys, so pretty neat that that those guys were wondering where the Skittles were.

“I was wondering where the McDonalds (Larson’s sponsor) was there during the rain delay (at Bristol), to be honest with you, so we can certainly work out together on that front and maybe work some B-to-B deals, but it’s cool that these kids are interested in the candy aspect, so they know where to come.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

In the past six years, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has seen three veteran teammates—Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle—leave the Roush Fenway Racing organization. Edwards subsequently stepped away from NASCAR racing in 2016, after two seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Stenhouse says he stays in touch with Edwards, who has taken up farming in his native Missouri.

“Carl, I guess he just wanted to go sit on a tractor and hang out, which I don’t blame him,” Stenhouse said. “I like sitting on my tractor and being on my John Deere throughout the week and hanging out and enjoying that. I talk to Carl every now and then, and he’s definitely enjoying that.”

It’s doubtful, however, that either driver could get much of an adrenaline rush from a tractor race.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.