GEICO 500 Talladega SuperspeedwayTalladega, AlabamaApril 23, 2023

DOUBLE AT ‘DEGAShifting gears from a short-track to NASCAR’s longest oval, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will head to Talladega Superspeedway for a doubleheader race weekend. The 2.66-mile Alabama venue will be the first trip to a superspeedway since the series opened the 2023 season at Daytona International Speedway in February.
Chevrolet was the only manufacturer to find victory lane at Talladega last season across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. The NCS and NXS made two appearances at the Alabama superspeedway in 2022. Team Chevy’s Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson swept the April race weekend, with Chase Elliott and AJ Allmendinger following up with victories in the series’ return in October. Rackley W.A.R.’s Matt DiBenedetto added to Chevrolet’s victory count when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) took on the track in October, driving his No. 25 Silverado RST to the victory in the Chevrolet Silverado 250.

Matt DiBenedetto, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Silverado RSTOctober 1, 2022

WINNING WAYS AT TALLADEGAOn top of Chevrolet’s recent success at Talladega Superspeedway, the NASCAR Cup Series’ winningest manufacturer also has a rich history at the track, collecting a series-best 43 victories in NASCAR’s premier series. Darrell Waltrip is credited with Chevrolet’s first trip to victory lane at Talladega in May 1977, leading the Bowtie brand to a one-two-three-four finish in the event. Chevrolet went on a notable run from April 1999 to October 2007 when the manufacturer collected wins in 17 of the 18 NCS races held at the track in that time span.

FOUR WINS, FOUR DRIVERS, FOUR DIFFERENT CHEVY TEAMSNASCAR’s trip to Talladega Superspeedway one year ago started a streak of superspeedway victories for the Bowtie brand. Heading into Sunday’s GEICO 500, Chevrolet is riding the momentum of four consecutive superspeedway victories in NASCAR’s premier series – a feat accomplished by four drivers from four different Chevrolet teams. Chevrolet’s superspeedway streak began in April 2022 when Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 collected their second win of the season. NASCAR’s top series next visited a superspeedway in August when Daytona International Speedway hosted the series’ regular-season finale. Entering the race in a must-win situation to make the playoffs, Austin Dillon did just that by powering his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 team to the victory. Returning to Talladega in October, it was Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team that prevailed with a win that advanced the team to the series’ Playoffs Round of Eight. Most recently, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. captured his first crown jewel event when he drove his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1 to the win in the 2023 Daytona 500.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER MILESTONEOnly a few days after being named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list, Kyle Larson scored a career-first by capturing the win in Sunday’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway. The victory – Larson’s second in the series’ past three races – brought Hendrick Motorsports one step closer to a milestone triumph with the organization now sitting at 295 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins. The winningest organization in series’ history tallied its first NCS win at Martinsville Speedway in April 1984 with Geoff Bodine. To-date, 20 different drivers have contributed to the organization’s series-leading win count, all of which have been behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.

TWO-YEAR MARK FOR CONSECUTIVE NXS SUPERSPEEDWAY WINSDating back to Jeb Burton and Kaulig Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2021, Chevrolet has been triumphant in every NXS superspeedway race to-date. Approaching the two-year mark since the Bowtie brand’s NXS superspeedway streak began, seven different Chevrolet drivers have recorded a combined eight-straight superspeedway victories:

April 24, 2021 (Talladega) – Jeb Burton, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SSAugust 28, 2021 (Daytona) – Justin Haley, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS October 2, 2021 (Talladega) – Brandon Brown, No. 68 Brandonbilt Motorsports Camaro SSFebruary 19, 2022 (Daytona) – Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SSApril 23, 2022 (Talladega) – Noah Gragson, No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SSAugust 26, 2022 (Daytona) – Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Camaro SSOctober 1, 2022 (Talladega) – AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SSFebruary 19, 2023 (Daytona) – Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS

Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 will mark the NXS’ 35th appearance at Talladega. Chevrolet has recorded a series-best 22 NXS wins at the track, including a streak of the past eight – dating back to Spencer Gallagher and GMS Racing’s victory in April 2018. Chevrolet earned the win in the series’ inaugural race at Talladega with Ernie Irvan in 1992, with the Bowtie brand going on to win the next two with Dale Earnhardt (1993) and Ken Schrader (1994).

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway: Chase Elliott – 2 (2022 & 2019)Ross Chastain – 1 (2022) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – (2017)Kyle Busch – 1 (2008)
·       In 107 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in race wins (43) and pole wins (37). Of those wins includes a record streak of 13 consecutive trips to victory lane captured by five different drivers from April 1999 to May 2005.
·       Chevrolet was the only manufacturer to win at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022 across all three NASCAR national touring series with NASCAR Cup Series wins by Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott; NASCAR Xfinity Series wins by Noah Gragson and AJ Allmendinger; and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win by Matt DiBenedetto.
·       The NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2022 started Chevrolet’s streak of superspeedway victories with the Bowtie brand taking the win in the series’ last four races on a superspeedway – recorded by four drivers from four different Chevrolet teams.
·       Kyle Larson’s win at Martinsville Speedway brought Hendrick Motorsports to 295 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins – all of which have been with Chevrolet.
·       Only two drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are repeat winners this season, both coming from Team Chevy (William Byron – Las Vegas & Phoenix; and Kyle Larson – Richmond & Martinsville).
·       Heading into the 10th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race of the season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (six), top-fives (22), top-10s (39), stage wins (10) and laps led (1,147). Chevrolet’s win count, top-five finishes and stage wins thus far this season is double its manufacturer competitors.
·       Chevrolet’s series-leading six NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from three different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports).
·       Chevrolet drivers have recorded 10 of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (five; series-leading), Ross Chastain (three) and Kyle Larson (two).
·       Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman continues to lead the series with an average finish of 10.0. The Chevrolet driver is also tied at the top of the leaderboard for top-10 finishes this season with six.
·       Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 29 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 13 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and four points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 839 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS:·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway.
·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Tahoe Premier, Trailblazer RS, Traverse Premier, Silverado 1500 Crew ZR2, Silverado 2500HD, Crew Carhartt Diesel, Corvette Coupe 3LT Z51, Camaro ZL1, Blazer RS.
·       Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car at the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Midway.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Saturday, April 22·       Gray Gaulding: 11:30 a.m. ·       Sam Mayer: 11:45 a.m. ·       Brandon Jones: 12 p.m. ·       Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. ·       Josh Berry: 12:30 p.m. ·       Sheldon Creed: 12:45 p.m. ·       Derek Kraus: 1 p.m.  Sunday, April 23·       Erik Jones: 9:45 a.m. ·       Austin Hill: 10 a.m. ·       Austin Dillon: 11 a.m. ·       Alex Bowman: 11:15 a.m.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: ·       Saturday, April 22: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. ·       Sunday, April 23: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tune In: NASCAR Cup Series – GEICO 500; 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 23(FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series – Ag-Pro 300; 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 22(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1Do you like racing at superspeedways like Talladega?“Superspeedways are such wild cards and we see that time and time again. In the April race last year, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I held the wheel straight and people wrecked around me and we won the race. That doesn’t always happen at superspeedway tracks though. You have so many things out of your control that you have to have a little bit of luck at them.”
This weekend at Talladega will be a year since you’ve won a race. You’ve had a lot of success since then with running well, finishing runner up in the Championship, does it feel like you haven’t won in a year to you?“I don’t really think a whole lot about the timelines and things like that. I’m so far ahead of where I ever thought I would be in my career, and this sport. I don’t get caught up in the timelines. I just wake up every day and try and put forth the effort to be the best racecar driver I can be. I have a lot of support from Trackhouse and Chevrolet and I certainly work on my race craft, but I don’t focus a lot on timelines.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Larson on superspeedway racing: “We had a good race there (at Talladega Superspeedway in April of 2022) and thought that maybe we figured something out, or at least for me. I feel like I’ve always struggled on superspeedways and that race I just never left the bottom lane. That’s kind of what I would love to do every time. It seems like superspeedway stuff changes a little bit every time you go back, at least a little bit, and makes the style different.”
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on racing at Talladega Superspeedway: “(I’m) looking forward to Talladega (Superspeedway). I think it was an okay race for us at Daytona (International Speedway) with the way our cars performed. Obviously, we pressure ourselves to qualify up front. (We) did that in Daytona and raced reasonably. Our car hung around in the top 10 for most of the day. We are still trying to find a little bit to some of those other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) that are a little bit stronger at the plate races than we are. Folks at Hendrick Motorsports have been hard at work trying to find that and hopefully we’ll see it show up on Sunday.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MCLAREN CUSTOM GRILLS CAMARO ZL1Are you optimistic entering Talladega considering how well you ran at Daytona?“You know considering how well we ran at Daytona I would say that there is optimism going into Talladega. We definitely had some fast race cars in Daytona but I’ve also found over the years that Daytona cars aren’t the same as Talladega cars and it doesn’t correlate. You can take the same car from Daytona and go straight to Talladega with it and be slow. I’m optimistic and certainly looking forward to going to Talladega, although I’ve been known to get myself caught up in crashes there. I think the only three or four times I’ve ever finished a race there with a clean race car I’ve finished in the top three, top four including winning once. It just goes to show you that if you can stay clean then you can have a good day.”
Why were you and your RCR teammate Austin Dillon able to work so well together at Daytona?“Austin and I were really able to work together well at Daytona, I think, because we both had fast race cars. We were both able to find each other and continue to work together and help each other. Austin was my wingman there towards the later stages of the race and really gave me a good push to get to the lead and then we were riding there together to finish it out strong before that late caution came. Overall, it’s been really fun to work with Austin. I think he’s been a great piece to the puzzle of our success early on in the year and I want to continue that at Talladega.”
You won the 2008 spring race at Talladega and didn’t lead a lap until late in the race. How special was that win?“Winning that race in 2008 was super-cool. Being up front and having a fast car and dicing through traffic was cool. We got pushed by Juan Pablo Montoya there, got some really big pushes that got us to the lead. Once we got the lead, we were able to control it there the last couple of laps. The race was actually cut short while we were out front and we were able to win. Winning at Talladega in 2008 was pretty special because it gave me a win at Talladega, although I haven’t been able to back it up since then. I feel like there’s been plenty of other opportunities to win a race there that haven’t come to fruition. There’s a lot of other guys who are a lot more aggressive in restrictor plate racing and the draft and pushing the issue at times and putting themselves in some sticky situations.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Elliott on racing at Talladega: “It’s a bit of a mystery every time you go there. I mean, you kind of know what you’re going to have, but certainly it seems like when you show up to a race for the first time, a lot of times they’re the same players. It does seem like sometimes when you go back you can have a manufacturer that has found a little something that might be improved that trip to that specific style of track. So, a lot of times we kind of have to wait until we get there, see where we stack up and kind of address the weekend after that.”
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Gustafson talks about making his 650th start this weekend and reflecting on his career: “For this to be my 19th season and just to survive this long in this sport and continue to be competitive, it’s a big deal to me. There’s been a lot of great people I’ve met over the years that have had a major impact on my career here at Hendrick (Motorsports), from Mr. Hendrick himself to Terry Labonte and Gary DeHart to both Jeffs (Jeff Gordon and Jeff Andrews). I really appreciate those relationships. To me, having the success and accomplishments is great, but really, it’s the people and the relationships I’ve made that make me enjoy my job the most. So, yeah, this weekend will be really cool. I’m looking forward to it.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1Byron on his thoughts about Talladega: “I feel like we’re pretty good on superspeedways but there’s more to it than just being fast. I feel like we have a good handle on Daytona (International Speedway), but Talladega (Superspeedway) has still been a bit of a challenge results-wise. Obviously, you can only control so much in that style of racing, but Talladega really does depend more on handling and how well you can push or receive a push. That’s where I think we need to focus on for this weekend. If we can do either of those things well, we should be in a good position at the end.”
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1Fugle on his approach to superspeedway racing: “It’s not necessarily about having the fastest car at a superspeedway. It’s about having a car that can push better, run as a group better, make good decisions and out execute them. That’s our goal to work on this week. It’s always fun to go speedway racing when you have Hendrick (Motorsports) power but we want to work together better as a group to out run the others.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1“Talladega is always a fun racetrack. I’ve won there a few times in other series, and it’s a style of racing I always enjoy. We had a good finish as a team last year in the spring at Talladega, so I know there’s an opportunity for us to excel. My teammate, AJ (Allmendinger), is always great to work with at the superspeedways. It’s definitely helped having him at these types of tracks.”

NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 WENDY’S BIGGIE BAG CAMARO ZL1“Wendy’s is such a fun brand – I love the new paint scheme of the No. 42 Biggie Bag Chevrolet and they have some fun stuff planned for the fans of Talladega. Talladega is such a party – it’s always one of the most fun races of the year for me and a good show for the fans – I’m really excited.
To pass at Talladega is tricky, I try to use the air, but you can’t side draft with this Next Gen car, so it’s pretty hard to pass. We are really optimistic for our speedway program and had a great race in Daytona and a strong car at Atlanta. You have to stay out of trouble, pick a good line and race your race. Being there at the end with a shot is what we want to do in the No. 42 Wendy’s Chevrolet. I have a ‘biggie’ paint scheme and Talladega is just going to be a good show all around.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1“Talladega this weekend is going to be a good one for us to try and get a win. Our speed has been a little off here in some places this season, so I am hoping Talladega is somewhere in which we can have some good speed in the No. 43 US Air Force Chevy and get out front to contend. I am definitely looking forward to that.”
Jones on track position at the end: “It is tough to be the leader at the end sometimes, but the race at Talladega is a long one and you just have to put yourself in a position where you have a chance at the end. So hopefully this time if we are up there at the end it will be our turn. When you have a fast car and don’t win, it is frustrating because wins are hard to come by especially at speedway races. Just trying to make it to the end of them is hard, but if you have a car that is capable of winning you want to take advantage of that.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Bowman on heading to Talladega this weekend: “Our team always brings really fast race cars. I have just figured out every way to get caught up in something at superspeedways, so hopefully this weekend we can keep our car clean and contend for a win. Blake’s (Harris, crew chief) guy did pretty good here last year and I think we have a good foundation, so I am optimistic about what we can accomplish.”
BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Harris on how his first year as a crew chief will help him this Sunday: “Statistically, last year we had some really good superspeedway runs. Michael (McDowell) did a really good job in those races. Alex (Bowman) did a really good job at staying clean this year at the DAYTONA 500 and got our first top five in our first race – that was big. Then, we go to Atlanta (Motor Speedway) and we ran basically inside the top 10 all day and got shuffled there at the end. There is a big part of just surviving these races and to be able to be there at the end, you have to be aggressive enough during the race to know what you need to get through the field. That approach stays the same for this weekend. We need a little luck on our side to get through all the wrecks, but at the same time we have to make sure we have ourselves in a position to win at the end of the race. Hopefully we can continue what we started in Daytona (International Speedway).”

AUSTIN HILL, NO. 62 REALTREE CAMARO ZL1Talladega and Daytona are both superspeedways but tend to produce different races in that it seems cars can get really strung out at Talladega. What has been your experience with racing at Talladega versus Daytona?“I’ve had success and have found myself up front at both Talladega and Daytona. I’m a firm believer that every superspeedway race races a little bit different than the last. You have to go into superspeedway weekends with a clear mindset. The things that maybe worked for you in Talladega last year, may not work for you this year. A lot has to do with the temperature outside, track temperature, the wind. There are a lot of different factors that play into the superspeedways with how the draft is that day. Every time we go to a superspeedway, it feels like I have to do something a little different inside the car to still get the performance out of the car that I’m looking for. When you get behind someone, the bubble is a lot different in each race that you run. I led laps and had a shot at winning at Talladega last season in the Xfinity car and it’s not a guarantee that what I did last year will work going into this weekend.”
You are making your second career Cup Series start this weekend at Talladega, but you have found success so far this season in the Xfinity Series. Does this affect your confidence getting in the Cup car? What are your overall expectations for this weekend?“With it being a superspeedway, my confidence level is probably as high as it’s going to get on a Cup race. The Cup and Xfinity cars are going to draft different – just the way that the energy is going to work on a superspeedway track in each car. But in saying that, it’s still a superspeedway. You are still drafting, still need to take the runs and pull out of line when you get the chance – you just have to do it differently in the two cars. My philosophy hasn’t changed though. I’m going to learn as much as I can in Stage 1, and then by the time we get to Stage 2 and 3, I can take a lot of the stuff that I’ve learned from the first stage and use it to our advantage. We may work on our Realtree Chevrolet during the first stage to get the car driving where I want it, and then be aggressive when we get to the final stage. I think we can win just as good as anybody can. The way these superspeedway races play out, you have to miss the big one and be aggressive all day. If you are there at the end, anything can happen.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1Do you like racing at Talladega and Daytona?“At the beginning of my career I really didn’t but the more I have raced at those two tracks the more I have enjoyed it and I the better I have become. We have been really close a few times and I think we will win one of these soon.”
What is your Talladega strategy?“Talladega is very unpredictable and a lot of things can happen as we all know. As a driver you can put yourself in good positions and bad positions. You just have to be smart and keep yourself in good positions all day. Of course there is a lot of luck in that.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2022): 41First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007) 2023 STATISTICS: Wins: 6Poles: 3Laps Led: 1,147Top-five finishes: 22Top-10 finishes: 39Stage wins: 10· Ross Chastain – 3 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2)· William Byron – 5 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond)· Kyle Larson – 2 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt) CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 839 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 737Laps led to date: 246,691Top-five finishes to date: 4,243Top-10 finishes to date: 8,751
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,173 Chevrolet: 839 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 821 Ford: 721 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 172

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GEICO 500 Talladega SuperspeedwayTalladega, AlabamaApril 23, 2023

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