By Staff Report | Thursday, November 4, 2021

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Three days out from crowning a 2021 champion, the contenders gathered at NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 Media Day in Phoenix to sound off on their chances in Sunday’s finale. After sorting through the laughs, nerves and excitement, we compiled the top quotes from each driver. See what they said.

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Kyle LarsonBest quote: I mean, it’s been a long time since I’ve truly, like, raced for a championship. I don’t really remember how I felt then. I won a sprint car championship in 2010. I won the K&N championship in 2012. It’s been almost a decade since I’ve been in this position to win a championship.I feel like, though, if I was nervous then, I don’t feel nervous now.

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Denny HamlinBest quote: I really wanted to make a pretty strong statement at Martinsville, starting in the back, going back to the back again, driving all the way to the front. Winning that race would be like the old foot on the throat heading into this weekend, right?I feel like that momentum was taken away, taken from us. Again, the momentum then in my head swings back around into now I’m ultra-motivated. I love the feeling of, like, just proving people wrong.

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Martin Truex Jr.Best quote: I always tell people, you need a million things to go right to win a race. Just one race, a million things. One of those goes wrong you’re probably not going to win or there’s a good chance you won’t win. We deal with that on a regular basis.But as it comes down to the championship, to your point, you don’t get to do this every year. There’s no guarantee that anybody is ever going to win a championship, let alone have the opportunity.

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Chase ElliottBest quote: I felt like we learned a lot about ourselves last year and really what we were capable of and how we could focus on the right things and go and ultimately get the job done, and I feel like our group has exemplified that that weekend and since.I think just making sure you’re focusing on the right things is really the most important piece of the weekend, and I feel like our group is very capable of doing that.

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Kyle LarsonShort and sweet: I get a lot of times fans, especially the dirt racers, will come up to me and say I’m the reason why they’re watching NASCAR again. That makes me feel really good.

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Denny HamlinShort and sweet: You would rather be booed than ignored. The moment you get ignored, it’s bad news, you’re on your way out.

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Martin Truex Jr.Short and sweet: Every year in the championship — obviously we want Joe Gibbs Racing to win it, but our focus is not on the 11 car. Our focus is on us. Yeah, it’s every man for himself.

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Chase ElliottShort and sweet: The Dawgs and the Braves are kind of my two teams that I always pull for, and to see them having success is really cool. And then on our end, to have a great opportunity this weekend, that’s the most important thing to me.

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