TEAM CHEVY NASCAR: RACE ADVANCE

Homestead-Miami SpeedwayHomestead, FloridaOctober 21-22, 2023

ROUND OF EIGHT TRIPLEHEADERThe Round of Eight will continue on as all three NASCAR national series will convene at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. The 1.5-mile South Florida oval has a history of being a staple fixture on NASCAR’s postseason schedule with the track holding the championship-deciding race from 2004-2019. Making its return to the playoffs in 2022, the track will again host the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) for the second race of the Round of Eight, while holding the position of the Round of Eight elimination race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS).

· Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami SpeedwayFor the past two seasons, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to win at Homestead-Miami Speedway in two of NASCAR’s top series. In the NASCAR Cup Series, a pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates took the Bowtie brand to back-to-back triumphs at the South Florida oval with a triumph by William Byron in 2021 and, most recently, with Kyle Larson in 2022 – bringing the manufacturer to its seventh all-time NCS victory at the track. In Homestead-Miami Speedway’s tenure as the host for the series’ season finale event, three of Chevrolet’s wins at the track also led to a driver’s championship with Tony Stewart (2011), Kevin Harvick (2014) and Jimmie Johnson (2016).

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Chevrolet has amassed 13 victories in 29 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Four of those wins have come in the series’ past six appearances at the track, including back-to-back wins by Tyler Reddick – taking JR Motorsports to the win and a championship title in 2018, and reciprocating the success with Richard Childress Racing in 2019. The Bowtie brand also found victory lane in 2021 with Myatt Snider behind the wheel of a Richard Childress Racing-prepared Camaro SS and, most recently, with Noah Gragson in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SS in 2022.

IN COMMAND OF THE STANDINGSTeam Chevy’s Kyle Larson clinched the first bid into the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four following a masterful performance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend – leading a race-high 133 laps and a sweep of the stage wins to collect his fourth win of the season. One of only two former series champions left in title contention, the 31-year-old California native solidified his chance at becoming a repeat champion in NASCAR’s premier series – now reaching the Championship Four for the second time in his three-year tenure with Hendrick Motorsports. Larson last took the win in the Round of Eight opening race in 2021 – the year that ended with his first championship title. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron nabbed his series-leading 19th top-10 finish of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after driving his No. 24 Camaro ZL1 home to a seventh-place result. The 25-year-old North Carolina native put on yet another strong postseason performance in the Round of Eight opener with the finish putting Byron second in the standings with a nine-point advantage over the playoff cutline – giving Chevrolet the top-two positions in the standings. The Team Chevy driver is trending towards having one of the most consistent runs of the postseason – earning one win, four top-fives, six top-10s and an average finish of 5.71 with seven races complete. A look at Team Chevy’s playoff contenders heading into Race Two of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

ALLGAIER, HILL CONTINUE IN THE TOP-FOURWith a non-playoff driver taking the NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of Eight opener win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, each of the Championship Four positions remain unclaimed as the series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend.
Chevrolet drivers accounted for seven of the top-10 positions on the final leaderboard at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – four of which are still in the championship title hunt. Kaulig Racing’s Chandler Smith led the Bowtie brigade to the finish at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval in the fourth position, but remains the first driver below the playoff cutline by 15-points. Each fighting their own battles throughout the race, Team Chevy’s Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill still managed to record stage points and top-10 finishes – putting both drivers above the playoff cutline. Despite sustaining nose damage early in the race and struggling with the overall balance of his No. 7 JR Motorsports Camaro SS, Allgaier was able to collect valuable points in both stages en route to a sixth-place finish – moving the 37-year-old Illinois native to second in the standings and 21-points above the playoff cutline. Hill took his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS to a top-10 finish in Stage One, but a loose wheel resulted in no points earned in Stage Two. The regular-season champion managed to drive back to a seventh-place finish – putting him third in the standings with a 19-point advantage over the playoff cutline.

ONE LAST CHANCE TO ADVANCEComing off a two-week break from on-track competition, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns with major playoff implications on the line as the series has reached the Round of Eight elimination race. Saturday’s Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 will mark the final opportunity for Team Chevy’s four remaining playoff contenders to either win or point their way into the Championship Four. Chevrolet has maintained 50 percent of the NCTS playoff field through the duration of its postseason competition with the manufacturer heading into the elimination race with three drivers in the top-four positions of the standings. Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar is coming off an 11th-place finish in the series’ last event at Talladega Superspeedway. Earning top-three points in both stages of the race, Hocevar finds himself second in the standings with a 23-point cushion over the playoff cutline. Poised to have a shot at the victory at the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway, McAnally-Hilgemann’s Christian Eckes led the field to the white-flag in his No. 19 Silverado RST, but the shuffling of positions on the final lap saw the Team Chevy driver ultimately take the checkered-flag in the 19th position. Thankfully entering Talladega Superspeedway with a 29-point cushion, Eckes still remains above the playoff cutline in the third position and nine-points above the playoff cutline. For the first time in the Round of Eight, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez has found himself above the playoff cutline as the series rookie heads to his home track. Heading into Talladega Superspeedway, the 22-year-old Florida native was seventh in the standings with a 22-point deficit to the playoff cutline. After driving his No. 2 Silverado RST to the Stage One win and a runner-up finish in Stage Two, Sanchez ended the race in the seventh position, but a strong points day moved the Team Chevy driver up to fourth in the standings and three-points above the playoff cutline. GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 Silverado RST team had to muddle through a challenging race to salvage a 13th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Despite no stage points earned in the race, the series veteran still finds himself within reach of his second career appearance in the Championship Four – entering the weekend fifth in the standings and only three-points below the playoff cutline. The 38-year-old Alabama native has added confidence when it comes to intermediate-style tracks this season with two of his three victories this season coming at Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile oval) and World Wide Technology Raceway (1.25-mile oval).

BOWTIE BULLETS: ·       Chevrolet will pace the field in the tripleheader race weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Silverado RST will lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in Saturday’s Baptist Health Cancer Care 200; the Camaro SS will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Contender Boats 300; and the specially-themed pink ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobile 1.
·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Homestead-Miami Speedway: Kyle Busch – 2 wins (2015, 2019)Kyle Larson – 1 win (2022)William Byron – 1 win (2021)
·       In 24 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded seven victories, including the series’ past two appearances at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval (Kyle Larson – 2022; William Byron – 2021)
·       In 33 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (17), top-fives (72), top-10s (142), stage wins (24) and laps led (3,172).
·       Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 17 victories in 33 NASCAR Cup Series races, 15 victories in 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 12 wins in 21 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a winning percentage of at least 50 percent.
·       Chevrolet’s series-leading 17 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by seven drivers from five different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports), Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing) and AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing).
·       Chevrolet drivers have recorded 24 of the 66 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight; series-leading), Kyle Larson (seven), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (two).
·       Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 81 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 79 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 60 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
·       Chevrolet has swept the Manufacturer Championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996).
·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 850 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 Homestead-Miami Speedway. ·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: 2024 1500 ZR2, 2024 2500HD Crew High Country Diesel, 2024 Equinox Premier,Tahoe RST, Traverse High Country, Colorado Crew Z71 2.7L, Corvette Coupe 3LT Z51, Camaro ZL1. ·       Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car.
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Friday, October 20 ·       Nick Sanchez: 6:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, October 21·       Christian Eckes & Jake Garcia: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. ·       Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth & Daniel Dye: 9:45 a.m. – 10 a.m. ·       Justin Allgaier: 12:10 p.m. – 12:25 p.m. ·       Sam Mayer: 1 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. ·       Brandon Jones: 1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ·       Josh Berry: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Sunday, October 22·       Erik Jones: 10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. ·       Austin Dillon: 11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. ·       Carson Hocevar: 12 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: ·       Friday, October 20: 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ·       Saturday, October 21: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ·       Sunday, October 22: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

TUNE IN: NASCAR Cup Series: 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1Race Two of the Round of Eight Sunday, October 22, at 2:30 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Contender Boats 300Race Two of the Round of EightSaturday, October 21, at 3 p.m. ET(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Baptist Health Cancer Care 200Round of Eight Elimination RaceSaturday, October 21, at 12 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1What are your goals for the rest of the season?“Winning and running well are still very important even though we are not in the playoffs. Finding speed in our car is important. Just because we aren’t in the playoffs doesn’t mean that we take a step back. We’re still grinding because we want to do well and it’s important for our team, our partners and everyone involved. I still want to collect wins and end the season on a high note.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1“I look forward to returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last year was a great race for our No. 3 Chevrolet team, finishing fourth. We were two spots away from winning the race and I feel like we can improve and race for the win this weekend. Homestead-Miami Speedway is a driver’s racetrack. We can move around in the corners to find the best line and it’s a track that’s been good to me in my career with winning a NASCAR Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. The Miami atmosphere is just one of the things I love about this time of year. There is nice weather and fans always show up to support NASCAR racing.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Larson on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway: “It’s nice to be locked in (to the Championship 4), the points are really close. It’s nice to not have to worry about points and go there and race our own race. I aim to race up front and try to make good decisions on the racetrack. Knowing that I’m locked in, I’m not going into these next two races thinking that they are throw aways. I want to go there (Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Raceway) and have some good runs and potentially have a couple more wins to roll into Phoenix (Raceway) with a lot of confidence and momentum chasing a second Championship.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway: “We are certainly glad to have the momentum (from Las Vegas Motor Speedway), but being realistic we know that there is still an uphill battle ahead of us. There are still two more races we need to go run good at. Plus, making sure we are doing everything right to have our mind set- including our processes and everything about how we execute our days while getting ready for Phoenix (Raceway). That’s kind of our focus and we need to make sure that we do all the right things right at Homestead (Miami Speedway) to execute a good race. Same thing at Martinsville (Speedway). The momentum is nice to have, but we are going to keep our blinders on and stay as grounded as we can while continuing to push forward.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1Is Homestead-Miami Speedway the ideal design with its size, shape, and progressive banking?“Homestead is a really cool racetrack. I feel like its design, its shape and everything with the progressive banking is really neat. It lends itself to some really good racing, from the bottom, middle and top and trying different lines, going in low and exiting high or going in high and exiting low. There are all kinds of opportunities for crisscross moves and some other cool stuff and that’s always pretty fun.”
Is the preferred groove at Homestead right up against the wall or can you make another line (middle of the track or at the bottom) work effectively?“The preferred groove is right up against the wall. That’s the fastest way around. You can do that every lap an inch away from the wall and not hit it but it takes so much focus, attention, and skill to be so perfect to do that. There are only a couple of guys that can really do that and do it comfortably all day long. I’ve always been the best around the bottom and have been really good at entering high and bringing the car down and exiting low or in the middle. Those were my favorite lines to run when we won championships in 2015 and 2019 but those races ended at night.”
Do you consider the 2015 and 2019 Homestead races two of the best that you’ve ever driven in the Cup Series? “Obviously 2015 and 2019 were very rewarding years. I would just say that we kind of let the race play out naturally and let it kind of come to us and we were fortunate enough to be out front when it mattered and we won. The best one was 2017. That year we came up just short of Truex. We were fast, had a dominate car and were ahead of him on a pit cycle and then a caution came out and they were able to get ahead of us. It just took me too many laps in traffic to get back up to ‘em and by the time I got there I had my tires burned up.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1Elliott on how he approaches the remainder of the Round of 8 in the owner playoffs: “Last weekend was tough for sure, but right now we’re focused on Homestead (Miami Speedway) and I’m looking forward to getting there. Obviously, we’re in a position where we need to win one of the next two to get into the Championship 4 on the owner side and I do think we’re a team that’s capable of doing that. I feel like, other than Vegas, we’ve really been making gains and, overall, have just enjoyed the challenge of trying to advance through these rounds. I’m going to continue doing what I can to improve where I need to. This team deserves a win and I want to get them one.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 CAMPERS INN RV CAMARO ZL1“We have really good memories from last year at Homestead-Miami; it was probably one of the most fun races in the Cup car. I think with this car, you don’t necessarily have to rip the fence the whole time. You’re able to maneuver to use the bottom, middle, and top of the racetrack. It was really cool to have a shot at the win last year and get my best mile and a half finish. I’m looking forward to going back. I gained a lot of confidence last year at this track and I think we can have a solid run again this year.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1“Homestead is a good place. It’s a track that we struggled at a bit last year, but I feel like our 1.5-mile stuff has gotten a good chunk better than our last trip. It is a tricky place. It is tough. It is slick and worn out, and you run against the fence, so there are a lot of things that you must do right in order to have a good day there. I like racing there, and I am hoping we can put together a good day to keep our momentum going.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RSTHaving limited experience at Homestead-Miami, how will you prepare for this race?“I’ll approach this one just like any other weekend, watching film and going to the simulator. Being that it is a track that I don’t have as much experience at, I’m being diligent with watching film and constantly making notes for myself and talking to guys that are really good there. We’ve had fast trucks all season long and watching what KBM has been able to do there in years past, I think we should have another fast Bama Buggies Silverado. Just as long as I do my job and we all execute we’ll be fine.”
Do you feel like that speed that you showed at Kansas will translate over to this race at Homestead-Miami since it’s another multi-groove mile-and-a-half race track?“Certainly — I don’t see why it shouldn’t. We’re bringing the same Bama Buggies Silverado we raced at Kansas, and we all saw how fast it was there. The only reason we didn’t get the result we deserved at Kansas was because of some mishaps that were out of our control. I’m looking forward to it, the ability to run multiple grooves makes it an exciting race. It will be fun for the drivers and for the fans.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RSTHomestead-Miami is one of the more unique intermediate tracks on the schedule, so what is the key to making speed here?“I feel like everything at Homestead revolves around tire management. You have to have a vehicle that can still be aggressive though. All of our truck races, you have to push it hard on restarts, but the harder you push it early on in a run, the more you’re going to pay the price at the end of the run. It’s still a place where you’ve got to have track position, but there are multiple grooves there. There’s guys that have had a lot of success running up against the wall, but there’s also guys that have been able to win the race by just wrapping the bottom. But normally, the truck that’s able to win the race is one that can move around a little bit.”
What will it take to move onto Phoenix this weekend?“For our team in the situation that we’re in, I think we have to be a little bit more on the aggressive side. A little more aggressive than smart. I think we’ve got four of us within 12 or so points there. It’s going to be critical that we all get some stage points, and hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to win. We’re racing the same truck that we won Kansas with earlier this year, and Jeff and I like Homestead. I feel like it’s been good to us in the past. We’ve never won there; but we’ve had good trucks in the past. We had a good truck there last year, maybe not one that could contend for the win with, but definitely a solid truck nonetheless. We’re going to try to build off of last year and make it even better this year.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RSTYou’ve been looking forward to racing at Homestead-Miami for a while now, so what about this track excites you?“I’m pretty excited for Homestead because I’ve put a lot of emphasis on being able to run the fence this year – not only in a truck, but also in my Xfinity starts this year and even for the races that I’ve ran at Millbridge Speedway in a non-wing micro sprint car. I’d say that it’s safe to say that my confidence is high going to Homestead for sure, especially because we will take our same truck that we raced with earlier at Darlington, and we will also be on the same tire compound. With this facility known for having very low grip, I think that should fall into my wheelhouse. The expectations for our No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation team are high, and hopefully we can capitalize on this opportunity to run well on Saturday.”

DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 BULL & BOAR BARBECUE SHOP SILVERADO RSTHow much of a weight off your shoulders did you feel when you were able to score your first top-10 finish last race, and how eager are you to return to Florida?“I’m really looking forward to getting to Homestead. First and foremost, to race in front of my friends and family, as well as having Danny from Bull & Boar Barbecue Shop bringing along his family will be super cool. But yeah, finally being able to get a top-10 was definitely a weight off my shoulders. It was good to finally get that out of the way, and we’ve also been having some good runs in the Xfinity Series car the last few weeks. So, it will be nice to carry some added momentum from Talladega as well as the two Xfinity races I’ve made now into Homestead. On that note, I think that the Xfinity races that I’ve had will make me a better driver when I’m in the truck, so I’m looking forward to see what I can do now that I’ve ran a couple of mile-and-a-half tracks in a different car to see how it translates to our truck.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 51 HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION SILVERADO RSTHomestead is unique for a mile-and-a-half track. Talk about how you will prepare for this weekend?“I feel like this is the track I struggled at the most last year. As far as my preparation, I have done film study, iRacing, and talked to as many people as I can — much like I’ve done for other races in the past. We’ve had multiple sim sessions for this race which is something that we normally don’t get. Hopefully, that means I have a better feel for what I need and I’m sure the truck will be fast. It will just be about getting me to where I need to be to execute the right way. It will be a lot of work going into it, but I think the uniqueness of this racetrack will make it fun. I always like a new challenge.”

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: 17Poles: 8Laps Led: 3,172Top-five finishes: 72Top-10 finishes: 142Stage wins: 24· Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)· William Byron – 8 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte), (Watkins Glen)· Kyle Larson – 7 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono), (Kansas), (Texas), (Las Vegas x2)· Chase Elliott – 2 (Talladega), (Charlotte RC)· Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 850 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 742Laps led to date: 248,716Top-five finishes to date: 4,293Top-10 finishes to date: 8,854 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,184 Chevrolet: 850 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 827 Ford: 727 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 179

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TEAM CHEVY NASCAR: RACE ADVANCE

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