NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

The Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. What is the difference between the two of them?“Where do you start? When it comes to the Daytona 500, just that pack racing. You’re constantly side by side. The Indy 500, the year I ran it, the way the aero was you’d make big runs and stuff, but you’re not side by side constantly. So, I think that to me is the bigger difference of the way you race those races. To me, you still have to be pinpoint accurate in either car. The consequences are really high in both cars if you make a mistake. I think the stress to a certain degree of not having to be side by side at the Indy 500 constantly is a little bit easier. But you’re also running 50 mph quicker.” Is the atmosphere similar?“It is. To me, we all love motorsports but there are a handful of races that you can say to somebody that’s not a motorsports person they know exactly what it is. These two races you could argue the four biggest races in the world you can put up Monaco, you could put up Le Mans maybe. The energy of this race is you build up to it and as you walk out and they announce you, at least for me, is the same emotion.” Were you Helio’s teammate?“I was.” How do you think he’s going to do here?“Helio is all time, right? He’s a legend. I know it’s bene a long time ago, but it’s not like he hasn’t done this before in IROC cars. I think the biggest thing is he’ll have to get used to the draft in the sense of how these cars move around, the runs you get, just trying to get up to speed in that sense. But driving around the racetrack and all that he’s completely fine. But you’re not going to really know that until you get in the Duel and especially in the 500 when you get 40-41 cars together.” Are you annoyed he’s shown up and you’re going head-to-head for best hair?“I can just tell you mine is not colored, so I don’t know who has more product in it but mine’s got less coloring in it.” What’s something that you’ve seen the team doing to try to rebound and get back to race-winning form?“There were certain reasons last year the Cup program had to take a step back. I don’t say that in the sense that we didn’t care about it or didn’t try. Everybody was still working as hard as they could, but there weren’t as many resources being put into to. The biggest difficulty I thought was for Daniel because he didn’t have a constant teammate every weekend. We were switching guys in the car, so it really hurt Daniel and that’s what I was most disappointed in to not be in the car. I felt that every time I got in the car, he ran a lot better, and we were able to work well off each other. More resources being put into it, Mike Cook is our technical director. It’s the first time we’ve had the competition technical director not be a crew chief. Just adding resources and Ty being here, I think it’s his best opportunity. He brings a lot of experience. I think it allows us to work with RCR even closer, which as a group – not just on our end but on RCR’s end – we have to do that to go against the big teams. We’ll find out 10 races in if it helps, but it’s definitely the most effort and most prepared I’ve seen our Cup program be.” Was that part of the agreement you got to bring resources to be running full time in a Cup car?“I’ve said it from day one, whatever Matt and Chris want me to do that’s what I’m going to do. I made it clear last year I wanted to be in the Cup car full time, but they wanted me in the Xfinity side of it. I said if we’re doing this, we’re doing this real and Matt and Chris have done a lot. The effort’s there, the resources, everything. We still have a lot of work to do. The ultimate goal is you’re going out to win every race, but I think there are certain racetracks that running inside the top 20 is a good run for us. You just have to make more good races than bad. I have to be better to keep making us better. It’s a group effort but I take pride in the sense of like Phoenix in the Xfinity race last year. I was so disappointed in myself because I didn’t know what to do to make us better, so I’m always going to put it on me.” How important is it to get off to a good start?“I think it’s important, but here and Atlanta are somewhat out of your control. I’m still in the racecar making the decisions of being aggressive, not be aggressive, things like that. You can get through the first races inside the top 10, top five in points, win a race. But with that said, even if you do well it doesn’t mean your season is going to be great. If it goes bad and you get caught up in wrecks, it doesn’t mean the rest of your season is going to go bad or you’re going to run bad every race. It’s the nature of the way the season starts off with two superspeedway races in a row.”

It’s time to fire up the engines and kick off another exciting season of racing! The 2025 NASCAR season is here, and all eyes are on Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16th. Cited as one of Nielsen’s top-10 “can’t miss” American sporting events along with the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and the Olympics, the Daytona 500 is an iconic and distinctly different race that brings together millions of fans from all over the globe.

The 2025 NASCAR schedule is set to explore both new and familiar territories, highlighted by the Cup Series’ return to Mexico City at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on June 15th, marking the first international points race since 1958. For the first time in over a decade, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is making its highly anticipated return to Rockingham Speedway, bringing back the thrill of high-speed competition to one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks. Known for its rich history and unique one-mile oval racing surface, “The Rock” has long been a favorite among drivers and fans alike.

Among the exciting changes this year, the schedule introduces a five-race streaming-only package on Prime Video, while TNT Sports makes its return to NASCAR coverage. FOX Sports and NBC Sports will continue to carry the majority of NASCAR Cup Series races with 14 events each. The FOX Sports portion of the Cup Series schedule kicks off the season while the NBC Sports’ coverage of the Cup Series will encompass the final 14 events of the season, including the Playoffs and Championship race. Both networks will feature a mix of broadcast and cable events, with five Cup events airing on FOX and four on NBC annually. The remaining events will air on FS1 and USA Network, respectively. In addition, the CW will provide network coverage for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

This season, the Cup Series will see its inaugural in-season tournament — a new five-race, 32-driver contest with $1 million up for grabs. The tournament begins on June 28th at Atlanta Motor Speedway and concludes on July 27th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Brickyard 400, with stops at the Chicago Street Course, Sonoma Raceway and Dover Motor Speedway. Drivers will compete head-to-head throughout the tournament, with the field narrowing from 32 to 16, then eight, four, and finally two drivers battling for the grand prize.

Below are the NASCAR Cup Series teams that Roush Yates Engines is powering this season: •    RFK Racing  •    Team Penske •    Wood Brothers •    Haas Factory Team •    Front Row Motorsports •    Rick Ware Racing Below are the NASCAR Xfinity Series teams that Roush Yates Engines is powering this season: •    Haas Factory Team •    RSS Racing •    AM Racing

Below is the full-time driver lineup for this season:

At Roush Yates Engines, we’ve spent the off-season maximizing power, performance, and reliability. The competition will be fierce, but we’re ready to take on the challenge and chase another Championship! The green flag is about to drop, and we want YOU to be part of the excitement. We invite you to tune in as the green flag drops at Daytona on Saturday, February 15th for the Xfinity Series’ United Rentals 300 and on Sunday, February 16th for the Cup Series’ Daytona 500.  Let’s make this season one to remember!

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

QUALIFYING ALL THE WAY THROUGH RACE DAY, IS THERE EXTRA PRESSURE GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE SEASON KNOWING THE PAST SUCCESS THAT RICK HENDRICK AND HIS CARS HAVE HAD HERE? “I feel like there is extra pressure for the 500 because it’s the Daytona 500. It’s not an internal thing, it’s not from Mr. H or Jeff Gordon or anybody. Obviously, they want to win the race as well, but it’s just the Daytona 500. The magnitude of this race creates pressure more than anything.” “Its just a huge event and everybody knows what the Daytona 500 is and the amount of people here is insane. Gosh, I can remember there have been Sunday mornings here when we turn into zoo animals and kind of get carted around to our appearances and there have been so many people that we have been late to all our appearances because we can’t physically get to and from places quickly enough just from the amount of people. So, its just a crazy event and its our Super Bowl. We have been close, and maybe we can make it happen this year.” WHAT WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN WINNING AND BEING OH SO CLOSE? “A button push. I mean for me honestly it doesn’t change much, but I have continued to improve my racing stuff on the superspeedways. I feel like we have done a better job lately, our race cars have gotten better, so looking forward to another 500.” HOW MUCH SLEEP DID YOU LOSE OVER A BUTTON PUSH? “Not a lot. It’s kind one of those things where you can’t do anything about it situations and yeah, it was what it was. Like unfortunately we didn’t win, but at least a teammate won. 1-2 in the 500 is really cool for Hendrick Motorsports and hopefully this year we can be on the other side of it.” DOES IT KEEP YOUR CONFIDENCE UP THAT EVERY YEAR YOU HAVE BEEN THERE AND YOUR CAR HAS HAD THE SPEED IN IT? “Yeah, for sure. I don’t know what we do or don’t have for qualifying tonight, but we have definitely had a lot of good race cars for sure. So just trying to capitalize on that.” GOING INTO THIS ONE, WHAT IS YOUR GOAL AS FAR AS IF WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS, WE CAN AVOID THE WRECKS AND BE IN POSITION? “Capitalizing on the things you can control and maintaining track position has certainly changed with the fuel saving stuff.  With the Next Gen car, you can’t really go from the back to the front like you used to be able to. Lot of things have changed in how the race plays out, but yeah, we will just have to wait and see how the race flows. I think it is important to get stage points obviously, because it’s highly likely you are going to crash in the final stage. So, if you have zero stage points and you crash, it’s pretty sad. So hopefully we can avoid that.” DO YOU THINK IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO QUALIFY NEAR THE FRONT GIVEN YOU SAID ITS HARDER TO GO FROM THE BACK TO THE FRONT? “I do. For whatever reason, like when the pace gets wicked up, the third lane dies and its too far around for the Cup cars now.  So, for the bottom two lanes, they move around a little bit, but you don’t have that when it gets fast the three wide stuff. So that kind of eliminates opportunity for the most part.  There is a lot of opportunity at other times like when you are out there saving fuel and stuff like that. Its just different than it used to be and having track position is certainly key.” REGARDING GREG IVES WORKING WITH JUNIOR MOTORSPORTS AND SEEING THAT CAR COMPETE “Yeah, its super cool. Obviously with Greg, he was a big part of my career and so was Dale (Earnhardt Jr.).  Excited for Justin (Allgaier), and I know it’s not his first 500, but seeing him back in a Cup car at the Daytona 500 and Dale and Kelly having a Cup car, its pretty cool. Greg is going to bring a lot to that program, a lot of knowledge, experience and a lot of front rows at the Daytona 500. So, we know that thing will go fast.” LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR WITH TRIPS TO VICTORY LANE AND THE UPSWING, HOW DO YOU LOOK AHEAD TO THIS YEAR? “Yeah, we just need to keep that going. I feel like we are in a good spot, and I have a good group around me. Looking forward to the challenge this year and seeing where we stack up really. It’s how you get going and its really hard to say because this sport ebbs and flows so much. You never know who is going to have what when a season starts, but I am looking forward to seeing where we are at and going from there.” HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET OFF TO A GOOD START IN THE FIRST THREE, FOUR, FIVE RACES? “It’s definitely important.  You know last year we were obviously good in the 500 and then we went to Atlanta, and I don’t think we made a whole lap and crashed on lap one. We will just have to wait and see how things go and obviously focus on the things we can control and kind of go from there.” A COUPLE OF DRIVERS SAID YOU WERE ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED DRIVERS. HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT? “I certainly appreciate people saying that and I think for me, I have had a lot of success, but I have also had down years where things haven’t gone how I want them to, and the team wants them to. So, I think I have been on both sides of it for sure and we ended it at a good point last year obviously through a lot of B.S.  Hopefully we are on the good side of that. I don’t want to call myself underrated, I just want to go out and win races and I would rather prove it than say it. But, yeah, just got to go do that.” WHAT IMPROVEMENTS DO YOU THINK THE 48 TEAM MADE IN THE OFFSEASON TO MAKE A DEEPER RUN IN THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR? “You know, honestly, I think we were streaky.  To start the year we had streaks of really good runs and then we fell off early summer and then we won. But when the Playoffs hit, we were able to step up and find another level and execute at another level for the rest of the year.  The last couple probably don’t look like it because we had a couple of issues. We were really as good as anybody in the Playoffs.  We were in contention to win right after that penalty which would have put us into the final round if we would have made that happen. We are capable of running at that level and I think we showed that. We need to continue to step up and we need to continue to evolve. We need to continue to run like that all year instead of the last ten. I thought we were definitely in a good place.” HOW LONG TILL YOU THINK TILL PEOPLE ASK ABOUT YOUR FUTURE? “It has started two months ago. It never ended. When is it going to end? That is never going to end and that has been my entire career. Yeah, just got to go win some races.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Q. Can you tell me the difference between you, A.J. and Jimmie Johnson, the three guys in this race that have raced both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500? What are the differences between the two? KYLE LARSON: The car. Yeah, I think the car. I don’t know. Both atmospheres are really good, for sure. I don’t know. They’re still, like, very different.   I don’t know. I don’t really know. Like, it’s hard to answer that because they’re both the peak of the sport. They just have their differences.   The infield at Indy has the snake pit, but the infield here has all the campers, and that’s really cool. Driver intros sort of similar. The crowd feels closer to you at Indy, at least the grandstand crowd.  The frontstretch at Indy is swarmed with people. But pit road is also similar to that here. But it’s more race fans.   I don’t know. I feel like maybe Indy just has like a little bit more of the kind of history feel to it than the 500, Daytona 500. Other than that, I mean, they’re both great. The atmospheres at both of them were great.  Q. You were the rookie at Indy last year. Helio is the rookie at the Daytona 500 this year. Doesn’t have a week of practice like you did. What are going to be the biggest challenges for him? KYLE LARSON: I really don’t think he’s going to find it that challenging just because Daytona is Daytona. It’s not hard to make a lap at Daytona. When you’re in the draft, you’re kind of just stuck in the draft. You’re not making moves, getting your way to the front.   It turns into a lot of strategy, which I think he’s very used to in INDYCAR stuff, saving fuel, trying to manage that side of your race.   I think the challenging part potentially is just probably the weaker brakes. You don’t slow down as good as you would in INDYCAR for like a green-flag pit cycle. Maximizing time for the green-flag ins-and-outs, that’s where it’s going to be probably a challenge.   Too, at Indy, it’s so narrow, y’all just follow each other. Here it’s like you’re trying to pass people, braking and stuff. That’s probably where he’ll get a little bit maybe overwhelmed at times. But he’ll get the hang of it. It’s not a big deal. He’ll be fine.  Q. What does the Daytona 500 mean to you?  KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, it’s cool. It’s a big, big race. Everybody in here wants to win the big one.   I think this is like the last of the big ones that I have left. I think that adds a little bit more to it. Yeah, I’m not sure. Just get your season started, too, so it’s a lot of fun.   Q. You’ve had one of the most successful winters that you’ve ever had. You’ve been one to race as much as you can. Do you feel it’s an advantage that helps you stay sharp coming into the start of the NASCAR season? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, I’ve done it both ways. Last couple years I haven’t done much dirt racing in the off-season. Well, yeah, a couple years ago I didn’t do any really besides Turkey Night I think. Then I’ve had years where I raced a lot, even more than I ran this time.   I don’t know. I think it keeps me sharp, for sure. It’s not a big deal no matter one way or the other. I just like to race. I kind of like to stay in the rhythm of racing.   Obviously I wish the off-season was still longer so I could squeeze in some other racing, but also more time not at the racetrack.   Yeah, it’s fun. I feel like I’m just trying to continue to better my abilities.   Q. With Volusia, is there a fun factor for you here, too? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I’ve never gone to Volusia and qualified well. We’ve qualified decent, but you can’t win from the seventh or eighth row. It was more fun to qualify good, giving ourselves an opportunity to win.   It was a fun week there, the best we’ve ever had at Volusia. Hopefully it can carry over to this week.  Q. Does not having won at Daytona mean the same thing to you it does for other drivers? KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I’m not really sure. I don’t know how it feels to them. I would imagine Tony Stewart or Kyle Busch is still racing, but I imagine Tony Stewart who doesn’t have it doesn’t loose sleep.  I think when you look at the style of racing, especially nowadays, how it’s difficult to win because you do have a lot of good fortune where there’s a lot out of your control. I think that helps you sleep at night if you don’t win.   So I don’t think it does anything to Tony’s legacy whether he’s won the Daytona 500 or not. He’s in every Hall of Fame that he’s deserving of being in. I don’t think it does anything to his career.  Obviously he would love to have it. That’s probably the same as me. Like, I’m not going to lose sleep if I don’t ever win this race, but I still want to win the race and have that ring and that trophy and be a part of the names that have won it.   But again, I think there’s a lot else, a lot more that goes into winning and a lot of luck. It’s not a big deal.   Q. Is it frustrating as a driver that there is so much that is out of your control? KYLE LARSON: No, I mean, because it just kind of is what it is. It’s going to be on the schedule every year. We all show up with the same opportunity to win, so…  No, I mean, it’s not frustrating. I think obviously all of us drivers would want to be able to make our own moves, get to the front, there not be a wreck with 25 cars in it.  But it’s just also the style of racing. Like I said, it kind of is what it is. We all understand that when we come to places like Daytona or Talladega.  Q. (No microphone.) KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I mean, I think it’s easy to agree with that because I haven’t won. But then I think if you go talk to the guys who consistently run up front at these, they would probably have a different opinion.   I don’t know. I think there’s a lot of strategy that goes into these races now in the Next Gen era that I do enjoy, fuel savings, the green-flag pit stops, working together with your teammates and others, I enjoy that.   I do think, like I said, there’s a group of drivers that are always up front at the ends of these races, so… There is skill, for sure. Whether that’s the driver or it’s just the team or manufacturer as a whole, yeah, I don’t know.   Q. (No microphone.) KYLE LARSON: I mean, I think it’s definitely a response to that, for sure, to protect them. But I don’t really think you’re ever going to see it come into play in that same exact scenario.   I think it’s definitely going to come into play more when drivers get suspended for making a mistake – not a mistake, but intentionally wrecking somebody or something like that. That’s where you’re going to see the rule come into place.   I’m sure they thought about that, as well. Maybe that’s what they wanted to have, to keep drivers from doing, like right hooking somebody.   But yeah, I don’t think you’re going to see that scenario kind of come into play as what happened last year.  Q. (No microphone.) KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I guess. I don’t know. It’s whatever. Try not to run into any of those issues.   Q. (Question about qualifying importance.)  KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I mean, I don’t necessarily think that it’s that important. It’s always important to qualify good. I’m not saying it’s not important. I think it’s way more important at a short track to qualify good or an intermediate to qualify good.   When you come here, sure, you qualify bad, you sacrifice some stage one points, but you save enough fuel, then you cycle your way to the front to start the next stage or whenever the case may be. You just kind of chip your way at it. You can get big chunks if you’re saving fuel and executing your green-flag stops. Yeah, you’re probably in position. I’ve seen the Toyota guys do it. They never qualify good. They’re always in contention in the second stage.   Yeah, I don’t think it’s that important.   Q. Is it good to get back into the seat of a Cup car? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it is. It’s just good to be back into, like, the normal routine or what I feel like is the normal routine of the racing season, getting to your scheduled Monday meetings, Thursday meetings, I know I’m flying out on this day, stuff like that. Being around my teammates, that’s all the stuff that you miss in the off-season. Even though I’m racing, I still just miss the routine of all that.   Yeah, glad to be back going again with all that. Yeah, just look forward to hopefully another successful season.  Q. (Question about Atlanta.) KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it’s definitely its own unique style. Different even than Daytona or Talladega. It’s just really, like, high intensity. It’s like a hybrid in a way of Daytona and Talladega, as well as maybe an intermediate style track.   Yeah, it’s intense, for sure. It’s unique. Your heart rate gets up.  Q. What makes it intense? KYLE LARSON: I mean, you’re drafting, you’re on top of each other. You feel like you’re on edge. The lap happens really quick. There’s some bumps. It’s really edgy.   Yeah, I think that’s what makes it feel intense.  Q. This is the first time since ’96 there hasn’t been a major NASCAR event in southern California. How important is it to be in California? How do you get back? KYLE LARSON: Yes, I do think it’s very important that we get out to that region. I think there’s some of the best race fans, very passionate race fans, in southern California and on the west coast in general.  As far as how you get back? I don’t know. Irwindale just shut down. We don’t go to the Coliseum anymore. They say Fontana is still going to convert. I don’t believe that. I don’t know.   I would love it. I don’t even know what tracks are out there. I would love for us to get back out to southern California.  Q. (No microphone.) KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I wish we could race in every state, but we can’t, so…   Yeah, I mean, times change. I don’t know. I don’t run the schedule. I don’t run the sport, so… It’s not like NASCAR has forgotten about southern California. I’m sure they’re trying to figure out ways to get back there.   Yeah, I think hopefully in the future we can get back to southern California.  Q. (Question about the Clash.) KYLE LARSON: Where I set on that? Well, I love that it has moved around. I love that we’re not here racing the Clash. I love that we’ve built a track at the Coliseum. That was awesome, in a market that didn’t know what NASCAR might have been. I also loved going to Bowman Gray and getting back to the roots of our sport.   Yeah, I mean, I think you could say the L.A. sort of idea and move around to different markets and stuff, or I feel like it would be cool if you can revive some other grassroots style tracks that are close to the roots of NASCAR.   I think they’ve done a really great job with the Clash over the last four years or so.  Q. Denny Hamlin was talking about irrational confidence. I talked to him about Chris Gabehart not being his crew chief anymore. He said all drivers have irrational confidence, thinking that you can move and making it, if you didn’t have that, you wouldn’t be able to do that. Do you understand what he’s saying? We think of you guys as having a ton of confidence all the time.  KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know.   Q. Have you always been the kind that little things like a change in a crew chief, losing something on track, does it not affect your confidence? I mean, you’re Kyle Larson.  KYLE LARSON: Yeah, your confidence is always affected whether good results, bad results, changes in teams or personnel. Just uncertainty on that kind of thing.   Chris Gabehart is a phenomenal leader. When you lose a guy like that… I view it as like if Cliff was tomorrow to leave his role, for sure I would be devastated and very worried about my future. But you kind of have to get back after it and also use it as motivation probably.   I think, yeah, Denny is going to have a great year still. JGR has awesome stuff. Yeah, maybe Gabehart in his new role will be able to touch on the team organization as a group and make it overall better than it already was.   Yeah, change is change. There’s always uncertainty until you get racing.  Q. Is it more than the decisions on the track with a talented crew chief? You learn to lean on him, you’re so used to him, it makes you confident because you don’t have to try to figure out things, and that’s the hard part?  KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what Denny thinks. Like I said, I can only try to put myself in his shoes.   I feel like Gabehart and Cliff are very similar people, very similar leaders, very similar crew chiefs, especially like how Gabehart leads Denny or led Denny and how Cliff leads me.   Yeah, if I was to lose that, it would be super awkward at first. I’m sure it was just out of nowhere probably to him, as well.   Yeah, but he’s still got a great team. He was super fast at the Clash. He’s going to be just fine. Q. What about your confidence on superspeedways? Seems like you’re in the mix more frequently.  KYLE LARSON: Yeah, no, I do feel pretty confident when we come to these races. I feel like we have a great feel for the race and kind of how it works out, the strategy. I do feel like we’re up front quite often at the end of them.   We’ve not made it through some of the wrecks or I’ve made a bad move and got shuffled back real late, stuff like that. Talladega we missed a wreck finally, finished third or fourth.   I feel like we have a good understanding of these races. Just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing and hopefully things will work out.  Q. What do you think makes Denny so great here?  KYLE LARSON: He’s just a very calculated racer. I feel like it takes less of that now with the style of racing. I think his ability doesn’t shine maybe quite as much as it used to.   Yeah, he’s just a super smart racer. He stays calm. I feel like it’s not hard for him to stay focused.  Q. Was Jeff Gordon kind of a pioneer, his dirt track background? Are you aware? KYLE LARSON: Oh, yeah.  Q. What has been his impact? KYLE LARSON: Well, as far as like yeah, he’s being a pioneer. He was the first real dirt racer I feel like, young too, to make it to NASCAR. Yeah, he definitely paved the way for guys like myself. Especially coming from northern California, my career path really modeled his. Moving from northern California to Indiana, doing USAC stuff, coming to Charlotte. He kind of showed you the way to do it. A lot of people still try to do it that way.   Yeah, very thankful for that even from a long time ago. Now that he’s my boss, it’s really cool.   Q. What kind of respect do you have for Helio Castroneves? KYLE LARSON: Tons of respect for Helio. He’s won the Indy 500 four times. That’s pretty amazing to put yourself in contention to win four. He’s probably been close to winning a lot of others.   Yeah, he’s just a huge personality. He’s a really big name. So to have him here racing the Daytona 500 in a totally different car and series, it’s pretty awesome.   I hope he does well. I know he will do well. I don’t think it’s going to be too challenging for him. It’s not a big deal racing around here. The strategy is very similar to Indy 500. He’ll be just fine.   Q. Running so much in marquee dirt races as you do, what is the approach like for the Daytona 500 compared to these other races that you’ve won? KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I mean, those are all shorter races, so… That’s a lot different.  I don’t know. Your mindset is similar probably in all of them. I feel like as I’ve gained more experience in racing in a lot of races, winning other big races. Your nerves aren’t they very high anymore. You’re pretty focused throughout the whole time.   Yeah, I think age and experience helps more than anything.  Q. (Question about bonus points.) KYLE LARSON: I don’t even know what you’re talking about.   Q. (No microphone.) KYLE LARSON: I have no clue. We get extra points now for fastest lap?   Q. Yes.  KYLE LARSON: Sorry, I had no idea. I literally had no idea. I don’t care. Whatever.   Q. (No microphone.) KYLE LARSON: How it’s going to affect it? I don’t know. I think it’s going to be — I’m not really sure. I’m not like a road racer, so I don’t know how it’s going to affect it.  I think you definitely lose one passing zone. I’m not sure if you gain any with this new section. I haven’t seen it, at least at ground level I haven’t seen it. Then you’re probably losing a heavy braking zone into whatever that is, 12.   But you get to go through turn one more often, stuff like that. So I think you do gain some. But I don’t know. I think it’s better for the crowd. They get to see us more. That’s important.   Q. Season opener at Las Vegas, are you looking forward to increasing the level of Cup drivers that might be interested in joining you? KYLE LARSON: I haven’t heard of any Cup guys running. Regardless, I think ticket sales sound like they’re really good. I think there’s going to be a big field of cars, too, which I’m pumped about because I wasn’t sure how that would be. I think a lot of California teams, west coast teams are coming, even teams from the Midwest.   Should be really good. Hopefully the track prep is right and we can put on some good racing for dirt fans and hopefully some NASCAR fans coming over, as well.   Q. Christopher Bell…  KYLE LARSON: Yeah, he’ll be fast. If he is in the 69K, he will be really fast. He should win a lot of races in that thing. That car is really fast.

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Shane van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Q. Are race car drivers athletes?  SHANE van GISBERGEN: I guess so. I don’t really know how to answer that.   Q. Aren’t you strong and built like an ox? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, but not compared to others.   Q. What do you have to work on specifically to be good at racing? SHANE van GISBERGEN: It’s probably like mental strength, I guess, focusing on something for a long period of time, consistency. We are in the car for a long period of time, but you don’t have to be particularly fit to do it or strong.   Yeah, again, I don’t…   Q. What about the endurance part? SHANE van GISBERGEN: It’s more mental. Some tracks are physical, but most aren’t. It’s normally just the heat, yeah.   Q. How fast do you drive on an interstate? SHANE van GISBERGEN: The speed limit.   Q. I feel like you guys aren’t telling the truth when you answer that way.  SHANE van GISBERGEN: Speed limit, yeah (laughter).   Q. Helio said you have been working with him. Do you feel comfortable he’s going to understand this style of racing? SHANE van GISBERGEN: I guess he’ll be good. He gets that practice in the Duels and he doesn’t have the pressure. He still wants to qualify in probably. He’s got that fallback plan I guess.  The hardest thing we talked about is the pit lane limiter. In other series we a press button, hold our foot flat, the speed works it out. Here you really have to concentrate on your braking on pit road, then you got to find the speed. It’s so hard to hold the speed. Then you’re looking for your pit box. That’s probably the most difficult part.   Yeah, I’m sure in the racing stuff he’ll be fine. It’s just all the procedures here are very, very different.  Q. You ran a lot of seasons in Supercars. What is it like preparing for a NASCAR Cup Series season full-time? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, it’s pretty similar, I guess. The pre-season buildup is kind of the same. Yeah, now that we’re going be racing every week, I’ve never done 36 weeks in the same series. I’ve done it in other series.   Yeah, it’s going to be full on, yeah.  Q. Compared to your rookie year in Supercars, how does your rookie year in Cup feel emotionally-wise? SHANE van GISBERGEN: That was a long time ago, man. It was 2007 that I did that. I don’t really know.  Yeah, I feel like a rookie. I feel like everything is new. I feel like I have a lot to learn and improve on and prove myself there. Probably similar to what I thought back then, yeah.  Q. Is it pretty cool to think about you’re going to be in the Daytona 500? Is that still a special thing for you? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, for sure. I found it difficult to answer that question today. The race is obviously still massive, but it’s not massive where I’m from. I guess it’s like the Bathurst, Le Mans 24. Watching the pre-race stuff last year, being here to spectate the race was awesome. You see the scale of it.   Yeah, I try mentally to treat it like another race, prepare like I would every other race. Try not to get too hyped and focus on doing my thing Sunday.  Q. The difference between the Supercars schedule and NASCAR schedule, how has it been adjusting to Speedweeks, six or seven days? SHANE van GISBERGEN: That’s what we do every week in Supercars. Wouldn’t be as big as this, the media, but so much more to do. It would be spread out. You’d end up pissed off at the world.  NASCAR, you turn up, a little bit of media, go racing. It’s all about the racing stuff. I personally enjoy that much more.   I guess you kind of have to, racing every week. You’re only there for two or three days. All about the racing, yeah.   Q. In a recent interview you compared speedway racing almost as being out like a lamb for slaughter. How do you prepare for something like this? SHANE van GISBERGEN: That was in reference I think the first Talladega I did. I was running good, then four or five laps to go got shuffled to the back. I was coming 30th or whatever. It doesn’t matter. Came around the last corner, and I was at the back with Kyle Busch. There was a crash out of four. Saw it happening. Backed down. He just stayed flat out, just drove into the crash carelessly. I’m like, What are you doing?   But they treat the cars here like they’re disposable. There’s another one back at the shop. Every point matters. I kind of slowed down, second, third gear, wabbled through the shunt, then came across the line. He’s still crashing and spinning. The car is completely destroyed. My thing is brand-new, ready to race next week. He gained three or four spots. Just the mentality for these races is so, so different to anything there is.   Yeah, I guess I just have to pull my belts tighter and get amongst it.  Q. Have you had enough time doing the full season in Xfinity to decide you like superspeedways or short tracks or road courses? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Again, it comes back to like this week. I don’t try and get caught up in the races that are good and bad. You don’t want to be, Oh, I’m excited for Daytona. Oh, we’re going to Dover. Something like that.   I try to be excited for every race, try and approach them with all the same amount of prep and focus.  Q. Do you feel like you’re used to this type of racing yet? SHANE van GISBERGEN: No, no.   Q. Do you think you ever will be used to it? SHANE van GISBERGEN: I certainly enjoyed it more. I used to watch it on TV. Did my first one, This is a bit boring. Just flat out the whole way. When you’re in the race, there’s so much going on.   Xfinity was pretty flat out and strung out. In this you’re jockeying for position, fuel saving, trying to place yourself in the right spots. There’s so much more to it. It’s fascinating as a driver learning these different skills, placing yourself right for the green-flag starts. Pretty cool learning.   I certainly feel like I can be in it now. I remember my first Talladega, I’d get in the battles, then people would put me four-wide on purpose just to single me out and send me to the back because they didn’t want me in there. I guess I was driving like an idiot. Now I feel like I can flow with the guys, have the right momentum, judge the runs a bit better.   The last Talladega I was pushed to the lead and held the lead for a while. Definitely feel like I’m part of it now. Happy that I don’t have yellow stripes on my car. I feel like I’m better at it now.  Q. You’ve been at this racetrack before. How are the emotions different coming here knowing this is the first of 36 as a full-time Cup driver? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, again, I don’t have that excitement. I just try and stay calm throughout the week and save it for the race.   Again, I remember first time at Rolex coming through the tunnel. The second time I come through I tried to get air off the top of it. It was pretty fun (laughter). That was Cooper MacNeil. A bad influence.  Yeah, it’s always cool flying into this track, coming and seeing how massive it is. Yeah, just staying calm, ready for Sunday.  Q. You talked in the past about learning the car, how it’s so much different. How does that compare with trying to understand the draft? Helio will try to do this without experience. Is this drafting harder?  SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, like driving out just then, the car is on the stops basically to try and get speed for a single car, it’s like driving a go-kart.   I was also driving one-handed easy flat. I hadn’t seen the track for a while. Grandma could jump in and do it, it feels like it’s so easy. We are doing 49s or 50s then. Then we get in the draft later on, we’ll be doing 47s.   Especially when you’re at the back and in the middle, hate being in the middle, there’s no air lift, the car feels like it’s out of the track, you’re basically drifting on corner entries. You got 35 other maniacs flat out as well pushing you around. It’s a rush. I think my heart rate barely got up on the single cars. I’m like at 150 in the pack. It’s a rush.   Q. Anybody else in the Supercars world you would like to see come out and try this race? SHANE van GISBERGEN: There’s a few of them. Cam Waters wants to do some more this year. He was pretty decent in the tracks. Will Brown. Brodie Kostecki. There are a few guys.  The Xfinity race I’m trying to get one of them to drive in the (indiscernible) car. It would be awesome. I’d love for more guys to come over afterward try it. There’s some good, talented drivers there. Love to see them come out here.  Q. Anybody from this side of the world in NASCAR you’d like to see try Supercars? SHANE van GISBERGEN: I would have loved to see how Kyle Busch went last year in the Supercar. It would have been very difficult, but I’m sure if he took it seriously, he would have done really well. Hopefully that happens this year. There’s talks actually Kyle Larson might go and do it.  Love to help them if they have any questions. I’d be really interested to see how they went.  Q. How important is it to get off to a good start this year? SHANE van GISBERGEN: It would be amazing. If you can just get ahead of the points, settle in. I always love to start championships being an accumulator sort of. That was my sort of strategy. Even in the weeks where you can’t be up front, get the best results you can, minimize mistakes.   If we start well, get in a good rhythm, everyone stays positive, that really gets you off to a good start for the year.   Q. Any difference in preparation for this year knowing you have every weekend? Different than a part-time stint? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, last year I’d never done it before. This year I wanted to have a routine, know what I’m doing every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, prep for the week, have my Thursday off as a day to do my own stuff outside of racing.   Yeah, it’s been pretty full on, especially with a whole new team. The 88 guys at Trackhouse, just learning them. Yeah, just trying to get in a routine, every week try and be refreshed for it.  Q. Ross said you guys kind of bounce things off each other in terms of learning. How has that worked for you? Do you feel like the communication has gotten stronger? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, for sure. I think that dynamic in Trackhouse has changed a little bit, which for me is good. Everyone works a lot closer together. The crew chiefs. It’s got to be a good thing.   But yeah, at the sim, all our driving notes are open now. Yeah, I obviously learn and lean on those guys as much as I can. Daniel and Ross are very, very different in the way they go about it, the way they think and describe things. Of course, I’ll be different again.   It’s paying back at the moment because I help them for road course stuff. Yeah, it’s a pretty cool dynamic at the moment. I’m enjoying that.  Q. With four drivers from four different countries for this race, the same team, does it add some importance in terms of having maybe some more worldwide attention on this race? SHANE van GISBERGEN: It’s just amazing what Justin and Trackhouse have achieved. Have such a diverse lineup at a race like this, it’s epic. Four different nationalities, we’re probably going to be talking about loose, tight, oversteer and understeer in different languages but probably meaning the same thing.  It’s been really cool having all four cars lined up at the shop on Monday. The workers, the mechanics, they all signed the cars. It’s a really cool moment.  Q. Are you a guys that sets goals for what you want to achieve, a successful season if we do X, Y and Z? SHANE van GISBERGEN: No, no, never. You always have ambitions. But I never really set goals and targets. I just try to prepare, do my best every week. As long as I keep moving forward, I’ll be happy.  Q. You raced the short course at COTA.  SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, but we’re doing a different one now. The one we did at Supercars was terrible. Had a really big bump in it. These cars wouldn’t be able to handle it. Would have been worse. What we had at the Roval last year, got taken out the last chicane. They’ve used another layout, so it should be better.  Q. (No microphone.) SHANE van GISBERGEN: It’s more passing zones. You only lose that back hairpin. Gain another passing zone out of it. I think it will be better for racing.  Q. If you can’t win, who is your pick for the 500? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Ross or Daniel or Helio. Trackhouse guys (smiling).   Q. You go 200 miles an hour. You’re not afraid of speed. Is there anything you are afraid of? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Snakes and spiders. Don’t really have them here, which is good. Australia wasn’t fun (smiling).   Q. If you could have a celebrity spotter for a race, who would it be and why? SHANE van GISBERGEN: I would not want a celebrity on my radio.   Q. How about the Daytona 500? Event when you think about making decisions in the Daytona 500, you’re an analytical guy, raced a lot, how do you balance being analytical versus committed and knowing that you have it without overthinking?  SHANE van GISBERGEN: I don’t know. I guess that’s what I’ve done all my life.   Q. Overthink? SHANE van GISBERGEN: No. It’s all in preparation, right? You got to have that clear mind when you’re racing, things become instinct. Obviously there’s a lot of teamwork, too, with the spotter. Spotter is going to be guiding me.   Spotters are probably the most important thing of the superspeedway racing. I just kind of trust his guidance or my crew chief will be telling me when we don’t need to save fuel, so…   Yeah, it’s very different this kind of racing.  Q. When you make the move, you have to be in your head 100% committed.  SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, but then you have to make sure you have friends in this kind of racing, make sure you got the right kind of cars behind you. I never really had to do that before. You have to make sure it’s a teammate or a Chevy. If you go three-wide, a Toyota is not going to push you.  Q. You’ve had to worry about that? SHANE van GISBERGEN: No, no. You just race in every other series in the world. It’s very, very different how it works here.  Q. How do you know who is in Chevys and who is not? SHANE van GISBERGEN: I’m still figuring that out, yeah (laughter). I don’t know who’s who yet.   Q. Are you old enough to remember the actual Thunderdome in Australia? SHANE van GISBERGEN: No.   Q. Did you ever watch any videos of that? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, yeah, I watched videos there. The old HQs they used to race.  I’ve driven at that track, the circuit next door. I also competed in drifting on the oval. It was pretty cool. But never saw the cars racing there.  Q. What is drifting on an oval like? SHANE van GISBERGEN: We kind of started on the tri-oval and ended up in the pit lane sort of area. Used the small oval.  Q. (Question about ice drifting.)  SHANE van GISBERGEN: I’ve always wanted to do that. My father-in-law, he was on snow drifting this week. Yeah, I was pretty jealous the pictures he was sending.  Q. Would it be hard? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, it would be difficult, but it would be so much fun.  Q. You would have an advantage.  SHANE van GISBERGEN: I hope so.   Q. You’re a pretty tall guy. What kind of adjustments do they have to make inside the car for you? SHANE van GISBERGEN: This is like one of the roomiest cars I’ve ever driven. I could get enough leg room. There’s a lot of head height in these cars. Actually, yeah, feel pretty good in these.  Q. More so than other cars? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, yeah. A single seater is obviously tight. The newest edition Supercar was terrible. It was really small. All the big guys struggled.   Yeah, this car is really comfortable for almost everyone.  Q. Do you like it like that? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, yeah. I could set this car up how I wanted. You can personalize it so much, so… It was really cool.   Q. If you need a relief driver, probably going to need some extra pillows.  SHANE van GISBERGEN: Need a baby seat for them, yeah (laughter).   Q. Is there any one track that’s going to provide a challenge that maybe you didn’t get a good enough taste on in the Xfinity ranks? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Probably Bristol will be tough, yeah.   Q. Why is that? SHANE van GISBERGEN: It’s just such an intense track. We only went there once. That’s pretty early on this calendar. It’s going to be difficult.   Q. What do you think about the changes to COTA? Is that going to change how you approach that track? SHANE van GISBERGEN: No. But I reckon it’s a good adjustment, shorter track, more laps, more times past the fans. We don’t lose any passing spots. I think it’s going to make good racing, the new corner.  Q. What about braking zones? Will it remove some you depend on? SHANE van GISBERGEN: Only one real braking zone, then it really shortens the other one off the back straight. I think there’s still going to be passing zones, yeah.  Q. They’re still going to have to catch you.  SHANE van GISBERGEN: Yeah, that would be nice.

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Last year, the front-row for the DAYTONA 500 was swept by Ford. Was there a concern with the speed of the Chevrolet’s this year, or how did you feel after practice? “No concern, at least from my perspective. I’m not worried about it.. whether we qualify on the pole or not. The practice thing is really hard to know, just because – like I can look at the timing sheet, but I’m not sitting there watching who’s drafting and who’s not. I can’t keep up with all of that at one time. I don’t know.. I think until you get into qualifying tonight and everyone is on a level playing field with the cars being cold, going out for the first time and all that, you really just don’t know. I think it’s a hard thing to guess.” No Mic.. “It’s so frustrating sometimes because like we’re sitting down there in line, you know, and some people were trying to get a nice gap and then there were other people trying to fill the gap and are rushing. So there’s always that element to making single-car runs. Just getting impatient sitting down there and wanting to go. I understand that, but that’s the most confusing element. Outside of that, I think it’s pretty standard ops, really.” President Trump was at the Super Bowl last weekend. You were there and saw it. There’s rumors he’s going to be here on Sunday. How would you feel about having him in attendance? “Yeah, I wasn’t sitting next to him, but I saw that he was there at the game the other day. Yeah, I think having a sitting President come and be a part of one of our biggest days of the year – certainly what I would call our biggest event of the year, I think is special. It certainly brings a lot of eyes and a different perspective to what we do down here for this race. I always thought it was really cool — I remember, a long time ago now, the sitting president used to call the winner. I don’t know if you all remember that or not, but there was some stories of that happening. I’ve never won, so I don’t know if that still happens or not. But I just think that — it just goes to show you that it’s a big deal, right? I don’t care who the President is at that point.. that’s just a cool thing. I had heard stories of that happening and I hope that still goes on..” So you’d like to get a call from President Trump on Sunday?“That sounds like we would have won the race at that point, so that sounds like a good thing.” If you could redo a race from 2024, which race would that be? “Hmm.. that’s tough. There’s a lot of races that I would redo. You know, probably Indy, I would say sticks out to me the most. We had our violation there early in the race, which I kind of thought was our death sentence that day. And then the next thing you know, the way the race cycled out, we ended up being — we were actually the first car on the winning strategy at the end of that race. I just didn’t get through traffic very well. Kyle (Larson) and Tyler (Reddick) knifed their way up through there and both had a shot to win the race. I just felt like that was on me. I didn’t do a good job. We had a great car that weekend, and I needed to take better advantage of a good opportunity.” Christopher Bell said earlier today that he felt like the practice session this morning was unnecessary. Where do you stand on practice before qualifying here? “Yeah, I think that’s a fair statement for someone like him, or someone like me, who’s been here and who’s done it. But I look at it like this — from a weekly standpoint.. do we need practice at length, like we had in years past? Absolutely not. But for a race like this — we’re down here all week anyway. We have Media Day today. We qualify tonight. It’s not a big deal. It’s an hour practice and gives guys who have maybe not driven a Cup car before, rookies, people coming in to make at least a lap or two.. I don’t think that’s hurting anything. It’s not like we’re here extra early to do that.. days in advance or anything. I agree with him.. not necessary for people that have been here for a little while. But I could certainly see the argument for guys who haven’t, you know, so I get that. I don’t want it to be taken the wrong way, like it needs to be that way all the time, but just to be clear.” What does the DAYTONA 500 mean to you? “It means a great opportunity to submit your name into the history books of the sport, is kind of how I look at it. This race has always been, in my view, been kind of it’s own event. I understand it’s part of the season, the winner gets locked-in or kind of locked-in.. however you all want to say it. They’re locked-in when they leave here, right? And then it gets close to the playoffs and we’re promoting how many winners we have, right? It’s always important to remember that a win does not lock you in, if you get more winners than you have spots. I kind of don’t like that narrative, but I do think that — it’s just it’s own thing. It’s an opportunity to put your name on that big trophy over there; to finish your career and say you’ve won the DAYTONA 500. That’s what it is. It’s an opportunity to do that, which is a really big deal.”  It’s been 10 years since your first DAYTONA 500 start… (inaudible). “Yeah, it’s just honestly crazy that it’s been that long, to be honest. It’s just gone by so fast. Every year has felt so different to me. I think people look at careers and they think of just this one big storybook, with every year being a different chapter. And to me, it’s almost like every year is its own book. That’s how different the seasons feel to me. Just so much changes.. I mean, I was 20 or 21 years old my first year, and now I’m almost 30 and just like — for everyone standing here that is almost 30 years old or older than 30, how much did your life change from 20 to 30? How much different did you look at things from 20 to 30? That’s just a huge chunk of your life that just makes things feel different, you know? Every year has its own story and it’s own feel. I’ve enjoyed that ride. Some of its been really good.. some of it’s not been so good. But there’s a lot of experiences in all of that that I think can help shape you and mold you to be better, and the only thing you can control is today moving forward.” Was this off-season any different than past off-seasons. If that’s how seasons feel, did this one feel any different? “The off-season in particular? Not really. You know, I enjoy being around home; spending the holidays with family and all that sort of thing. And that’s pretty standard, I would say. But certainly from a competition standpoint and just kind of how we finished last year, the things we were focused on going into this year — the way I was looking at things at the end of last year versus how I was looking at things the year before are different. You hope that that they’re better, or I hope that it’s better. But from that standpoint, absolutely. From the off-season side of things, not really.” Good things on the horizon for your foundation this year? “We’re still working through that, but it will likely be more of a program that we’ve done with the ‘DESI9N TO DRIVE’. And we’re looking at kind of adjusting and changing things a little bit moving forward. I think this year will probably stay the same, and maybe after this year, we’ll kind of look at trying to find some other unique way to do something cool.” As you start getting older, do you start thinking about the future and what you’re going to do post-driving career? “I really haven’t. I don’t know what I would want to do. It’s a hard thing to — It’s kind of one of those things, I feel like.. I’ve watched other guys go through that. I’ve watched other guys leave and come back. I’ve kind of seen it all, I guess, depending upon who it is. But I think those feelings, those emotions, that timing or whatever’s next — you have to kind of assess those things when that time comes. As I said a second ago, so much can change. You could look at things a little differently. Your interest might be a little different or something. When those moments come, you’ll address them. You’ll assess it, address it and make those decisions and you’ll know that’s the right time to make those decisions I think. I think it’s just kind of a feeling thing, from what I’ve gathered. I don’t know.. I don’t want to go anywhere yet, so I hope I can stick around for a few more years.”  On Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports attempting to make the DAYTONA 500 as a former JRM driver: “I know it’s a big deal to him, and I hope that they’re successful and are able to get into the show and all that. I think to have a guy like him involved in any capacity I think is a good thing. He’s just passionate about it. He’s been very vocal about how much it means to him and to field a Cup car, especially here at the DAYTONA 500. I just think it’s healthy and it’s good. I’m glad that the system isn’t so complicated or has gotten so outrageously expensive that that couldn’t happen because it almost kind of felt that way, you know, there for a little while that he was kind of scared to get in a little bit was the vibe I got.. or kind of scared to make that commitment. So I’m just glad that it makes sense, you know, and he can come in and field a car and have fun with it and live a dream that he’s had.” From a team perspective, how much confidence did the Clash win give you?“Yeah, it was great. And really not just that, but the end of last year was really encouraging for us. I thought we ended on a really good note. We were just a little late to the party, you know, I think really and truly. We started to run better and lead some laps there at the end of the year, and we had a great shot there to win a couple of races in the last month. I thought all of that was really encouraging. To be able to build on those things; to come out and perform the way we did on Saturday. Yes, the race went well, but all of that start over the off-season, and the things we were focused on, talking about and thinking about and trying to make sure we executed properly. And then to go do that, I thought that was a nice boost for us. I don’t think it’s one of those things where it will make your year or even break your year if it didn’t go well, but certainly nice to know that the things we’ve been zoned in on and pushing were also reality at Bowman Gray, too.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Anthony Alfredo, driver of the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

YOU HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE, BUT WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS IN COMING BACK HERE AGAIN BECAUSE THESE OPPORTUNITIES CAN BE SO FLEETING? “Obviously just being here at Daytona and having a shot to run in the Great American Race is a blessing. I have been talking to a few people today about how many people would do anything to have an opportunity to be here and just say that they attempted it, let alone race. I have been blessed enough to run the race twice now and hope that third time is a charm. But its going to be pretty intense tonight and tomorrow, either way, but I look forward to it because its going to be that much more rewarding qualifying into the race just knowing the field of open cars that are here this time around.” DO YOU VIEW THESE OPPORTUNITIES AS SORT OF A PROVE IT SITUATION TO SEE YOURSELF IN THE CUP SERIES? “One hundred percent. Making this race isn’t just about being in it, to me it’s about winning it because that could be career defining.  And I am a young driver trying to make my way and I have been very fortunate to make it this far, but my ultimate goal would be to be the Cup Series champion one day. Maximizing the most out of these limited starts and a partial schedule is really important for that.  So, I am just really thankful to have these opportunities because of Beard Motorsports, our partners Fortified Building Solutions. Quite honestly, it has gone really well. The cars are really fast and we had a sixth place finish last year, and we are the fastest open car qualifying here for the Daytona 500. So, there are just a lot of great things to build on from last season and that momentum should help us execute at a higher level this year.” HOW MUCH DOES THE SPEED FROM LAST YEAR EASE THE MIND FOR TONIGHT? “That is a great question and honestly, I feel very confident because of it and I think we are even better than we were last year, but so does everybody else and there are a few more open cars than there were last year. More competitive ones at that. It’s going to be tougher and its going to be really tight. So, we will just do all we can as far as putting the speed in the car and its going to be up to me behind the wheel.  After that, it’s superspeedway qualifying and once you are up to speed you just have to hang on and hope the thing runs.  We have got a good power plant from ECR Engines and everyone at Beard Motorsports has done a great job in preparing the car. This is the same car we brought here last year. It didn’t run any of the other three races that we did, so this is our Daytona 500 piece, and our pride and joy. So, I hope it pays off.” IT’S AN EVEN BUSIER WEEK FOR YOU BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO ALL THE DAYTONA 500 OBLIGATIONS, YOU DO HAVE A FULL TIME XFINITY SEAT WITH TYLER YOUNG AND HIS FAMILY. DOES THE EXTRA TRACK TIME IN THE XFINITY CAR KEEP YOU SHARP? “I am really excited about it and Tyler Young is an awesome guy and everyone on his team takes a lot of pride in what they do. I think the small teams deserve respect, especially for how long he has been in the sport, whether the Truck Series and now the Xfinity Series. They have a vision that I want to help realize and that is to be in victory lane this season with that 42 car.  My goal is to win the season opener at Daytona and make the Playoffs. Maybe another regular season win would be great. That seems like a tall order to most, but that is what my mindset is on. I think not only is running the Cup race giving me confidence, but like you said, just being in and out of the car this week has given me some experience, especially racing on Saturday and trying to learn some things for Sunday.  It’s kind of weird. I had practice today, qualifying tonight, the Duels tomorrow night, so I will have a lot more seat time in the Cup car than anything and I think that is going to help me more with the Xfinity car than the Cup car will the Xfinity car if that makes sense.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Helio Castroneves, driver of the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Q. Can you give us a timeline on what you were first contacted, how long it took you to make a decision to do this? A month? Two months? A week?  HELIO CASTRONEVES: We’ve been kind of, like, seeing each other, me, Justin and Don Hawk for quite some time.  It wasn’t just six months ago, it was probably like a year and a half ago. We had an opportunity to come here with a team, Conor Daly ended up driving. We didn’t think it was going to be a good opportunity, so we decided not to do it.   Because of the whole scenario that Don was working with Justin, finally came through the whole deal with Project 91 and Wendy’s. We just follow through.   It was interesting. It wasn’t like that. I’m glad it did. The program, as you guys noticed, I’m not the only one doing this. It’s been very well-made, it takes a lot of, a lot of effort from a lot of people. I’m glad that everything fit perfect.   To be in the biggest race, one of the biggest races of the world obviously, Indy 500 and Daytona 500 are the biggest. What an opportunity to be here and do that.   Q. Do you race tomorrow or do you sit back knowing you’re already in? HELIO CASTRONEVES: No, I need practice. I need to run. I don’t have any experience at all. Today is my second time in the car, so…   I think every moment that I’m actually jump in the car, I will learn something. And I need it. I’ll be honest with you, it’s a different beast. It’s an amazing car. It’s completely different rules.   I think the competition also different around what I’m used to. Every time in the car, I’m going to learn. No matter what happen, I’ll be running.  Q. You’ve been a part of a lot of big races. How are the emotions coming here to the Daytona 500 compare to your first Indy 500? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Right. It’s interesting. I don’t know what to expect because this is the first time for everything. Definitely the butterflies in the stomach are flying right now.   Information… I trust my guys. I’m seeing a lot of good friends, old friends, from over the years give me some tips. Some give me a hard time, which is okay. I can take it (laughter).   Look, this is incredible. This is an amazing opportunity. I believe only two guys in the planet were able to win the Daytona 500 and Indy 500. I know it’s very hard. I know it’s tough, like I said, different style racing that I’m used to.   You’ve got to be there. Whatever it is, at the end of the day it could be great. As of right now, I’m taking step by steps so I get every time more familiar and better.   Today I’m not even knew how to get out of the garage. Normally with INDYCAR, you just go to the pits and that’s it. Every step has been a learning process. Q. You did the ARCA test.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Yeah, but it was in a different building. I’m finding roads here in Daytona that I’ve never been to.   Q. You were on the track? HELIO CASTRONEVES: On the track I was, yes. Only five laps until people start crashing (laughter). I didn’t have much of a time of practicing in the pack.   It’s okay. Like I said, I’ll have plenty of time.  Q. What do you remember about IROC racing? HELIO CASTRONEVES: A lot. Oh, my God. Special racing with those incredible drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman. It was incredible to race with all those.   I learned a lot, to be honest. I don’t know if it will be familiar. I don’t know yet. I’ll tell you after the first race.   Q. You don’t make the rules. There’s controversy that you’re locked in. Guys like Jimmie Johnson are not. Have you heard about that? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Yeah, I didn’t hear much about it except last night one comment.  I said, Look, in the end of the day, I understand. I didn’t write the rules, by the way. I didn’t know actually these rules exist.   When we accepted this opportunity, we accept to go and race, race to race. However, obviously if whatever happens in the Duel, whatever happens there, if I have to take it, I’ll take it.   You’ve got to remember, Indy 500 is the same similarity rules: you have to race for it, but you have a week to adapt to the car, understanding, get into it. Here, I only have 50 minutes.   At the end of the day I didn’t know the rules exist. If I have to take it, I won’t deny that I will take it.  Q. You’re new to NASCAR. Why do you never correct people when they call your name wrong? HELIO CASTRONEVES: They call me Julio, Hello. As long as they call my name, it’s okay. It’s definitely unique, I’ll get used to it.   Q. Four Indy 500s, Dancing with the Stars, personally blessed by a Pope. What is left on your bucket list?  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Hopefully we’ll be celebrating the Daytona 500 win (laughter).  I know it’s a tough deal, don’t get me wrong. Obviously if I didn’t trust the people behind me, obviously the team… My team, I have experienced guys that know what to do and they give me the right rules. I got to go with the mentality like I’ve always been to a race.   What left? I don’t know. As long as I still have the fire like I have right now, I going to keep it going?  Q. (Question about the ARCA race.)  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Great question. I don’t know. It will be a unique. From the practice, I see it’s going to be very interesting.   Speaking with drivers that did the experience between the NASCAR and the ARCA, the Cup and the ARCA, they seem to be very different.   I will learn a lot.   Q. You have a bright personality. When it comes to racing, you take this very seriously. Talk about what your preparation has been.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: I’ve been watching a lot of in-car cameras, a lot of the rules to understand the rules. I been in touch with the guys, as well, to make sure that we are on the same…   The lingo is different. Face it, when you come out of the pits, in INDYCAR they say, Go, go, go. Here it’s, Dig, dig, dig. I know it sounds interesting or different. It’s completely the opposite that I’m used to. I have to adapt. Pit stops here, for example, you have to stop a little bit away from the wall because you have to have the jack guy have space for them to raise the car. INDYCAR you get close so the fuel gets as quick as possible.   All these little details, even it’s a race car, it’s very different. To be in a big race like this, every detail matters. That’s why I’m trying to study all of these details to make sure that at least I’ll take out of the way and know what to do.   Looking forward, for sure. Every time I said I’m in the car, I’m going to take the learning.  Q. Have you gotten any advice from Juan? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Not Juan. Dale Jr., we spoke quite a lot. I got to find my friend Jimmie Johnson. Not sure he’s going to give me any tips, but I’m definitely going to talk with him about.  I talk with Austin Cindric, Blaney, Joey Logano. I’ve known those guys for a long time. Now I’m in their world. I would have done the same thing if they were in my world.  Q. Does 195 feel slow compared to what you’re used to? HELIO CASTRONEVES: In terms of speed you’re talking about?   Q. Yes.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: You don’t see it. Even 240 and 190 or 200. You only see when things go bad. I don’t want to see that.   Q. There’s going to be a lot of eyeballs watching from around the world. Very few international drivers have had the opportunity to run Daytona. What would it mean to you knowing there’s going to be a lot of people walking, the second Brazilian to ever compete in the Daytona 500? HELIO CASTRONEVES: This is a great exposure. This is one of the biggest race in the world. You want to have as much exposure as possible.  It’s very smart that Trackhouse are doing that. Not many people able to see it. When I was testing Talladega, people in Talladega were exciting. I’ll be watching for you, I’ll be cheering for you. It gives opportunity for foreign people, Brazilian people, people from other series to watch it. I’m just happy to help this scenario.   But in the end of the day, I’m not here just to call attention. I want to do everything I can to do a good job.   Q. (Question about helmet.) HELIO CASTRONEVES: You should see. The helmet, I think the camera cannot see the smile behind my helmet. It was so cool. I’m like, Oh, man, this is tough. Oh, no, I actually got this stuff. Here we go.  It was really fun. Yeah, super, super excited. Can’t wait to go back out there again.  Q. What other road course drivers would you suggest do this? Give us three or four names.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Oh, my God. That’s a great one.  From friends that I know, Scott Dixon is one of the guys that in my time, it’s incredible driver. Montoya already did that, so… I check that out of the list.   Q. Any Formula 1 guys? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I think Formula 1, Lewis tried once. Was it Hamilton?   Q. Kimi.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Who drove in Watkins Glen?   Q. Jensen.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Was it Jensen? Okay. Fernando Alonso would be great. I think he would like it.   Q. You said Cup drivers have been giving you some inside tips. If the shoe was on the other foot, if they were coming over, how much would you divulge to those guys? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I would have done the same, even more. I know how difficult when you go to a different series to another, how tough it is. I just don’t want to be on the way.   You don’t want that, as well. Sometimes you see it takes time to adapt. These guys been doing this for years. You jump in the first time, it takes a little time. Some drivers are quicker learners than the other. I’m probably slower. I’m getting there.   My team, the Project 91, are experienced people. They’ve done this before. They really give me the right tools to adapt fast.  Q. Did you bring any Indy 500 rings? HELIO CASTRONEVES: It’s in my shoes in my locker right now.   Q. (No microphone.) HELIO CASTRONEVES: I think it’s great. First of all, Jay Frye has been incredible for the series. Doug also has been doing an amazing job with the speedway. I feel the speedway automatically is going to be on autopilot. So many years, running in an incredible way, he has a lot to offer. Great job for INDYCAR to also have someone that knows the sport, knows the racing, and can bring a lot to elevate the series.   Q. Were you surprised at the change? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I was. Nobody mentioned anything the last year. A little bit was surprised.  Q. Do you have a place in your mind that you’d like to qualify, where you might like to start the race?  HELIO CASTRONEVES: I would love to be in the top 15. That would be great. Able to do speed-wise, that’s great. Give me at least understanding I’m not so much farther back. I understand if you lose the draft here, it’s a big deal.   Yeah, that’s the goal. Nothing’s going to change if that doesn’t happen. That will be my goal.   Q. Have you spoken to Justin Marks about driving any additional entries? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I think one step at a time. A lot’s going to be determined after this race. Yeah, we have all our focus on the big one.  Q. (No microphone.) HELIO CASTRONEVES: I have not. I heard about it. I want to see him (laughter). Love to meet him, for sure.   Q. How important was practice today? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I mean, huge. I mean, just my first out hitting a little bit of the limiter, things like that. If you’re thinking about it, that would hurt the lap time in qualifying. So all of these details, it’s important for you to get out of the way, learn what it is.   Honestly, even if the guys are here for many years, they were happy to have practice, which you should. You can’t just go out there and go straight. Those cars are fine machines, they got to be on top of it.   Q. (Question about the differences in cars.)  HELIO CASTRONEVES: The stock car moves a little bit different. You have a power steering wheel. The car, when it turns, it’s a little delay. Speed difference, you don’t feel it.  INDYCAR, because of no power steering wheel, it turns a little quicker. It’s heavier, you feel more everything into the steering wheel.   Now, when you’re talking about AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti, you’re talking about the gods of racing, right? Wow, in this time of era, winning both, it would mean a lot to history in racing. I would be very blessed to be in this position.   Q. Do you have a little bit of race fan in you when you walk through this garage and see some of these names?  HELIO CASTRONEVES: I mean, Jimmie Johnson is one of them. We became friends.   Q. You raced against him.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: But Jeff Gordon is another one. He’s not as a driver anymore, but he’s a team owner or president.   I mean, I raced with Kyle Busch at SRX, which was super cool. Kevin Harvick is not here anymore.  You’re talking about old-timers here. There’s so young guys now. They probably looking at me… I was actually talking to Byron, and he’s 27. I’m like, Man, you were probably five years old. Not even, thank you (laughter).  Look, in the end of the day, it’s super cool to be in this environment. My teammates are great. Daniel Suarez and Ross and Shane. Shane actually I raced a long time ago in V8 Supercar in Australia. He still gave me great tips. I’ll follow him because his tips seem to be working, not only for him but for me, too.   Q. There is something to be said for people that feel comfortable racing with you, and you feel comfortable racing with them.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Right.   Q. How do you develop that? How do you earn the trust of somebody? HELIO CASTRONEVES: You got four hours to trust. I’m sure I’m going to be dropped down if I’m pushing someone, helping them, which is part of this game I guess. Until I prove that I can run with everyone and gain their trust, nothing that I can do.   I’m sure I will get there. That will be the time for me to take advantage of it.  Q. Do you have to race Thursday to prove to them you can race? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Absolutely. And I will race as of right now, I need experience. I need to run. I haven’t run with anybody in the pack. I understand it’s a big difference. So that’s why I’m doing ARCA, too. Different cars. At least give me a little bit more knowledge when I come to the Sunday what to do.  Q. You belong to a professional driving club. How fast do you go on an interstate? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I respect the rules (laughter). Let’s put it this way. Q. Are you saying that or are you doing that? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I am saying that (laughter).  Q. Do you get adrenaline when you go out? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Absolutely, absolutely. Unless I’m a little late (laughter). Did I say that out loud?   Q. Are race car drivers athletes? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Absolutely. I don’t care what kind of car you do, it takes a lot of effort to turn the car. The speeds that we go, especially the time that we stay. They are.  Q. Open-wheel guys…  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Still practice a lot. Still train a lot, very hard. In the ovals not so much because you have the headrest. In the road course, huge.   Q. What did you think about the Daytona 500 having watched it but never been in it? What were your thoughts about it? HELIO CASTRONEVES: It’s a big race. It’s an historic race, right? Just to be in it…  I had the opportunity because when I used to work with Team Penske, when I drove for IROC, I had opportunity to see the race. I’m like, I wish I be there. Unfortunately RP never allow me to do it, which is okay. I understand wasn’t my time.   I’m so glad that this opportunity right now, it’s just came through because this is huge. Probably is the right time for me, too. I’m more experienced driver, so I understand what I need to be.   Yeah, this is huge.   Q. NASCAR asked you or told you what you think you need to learn or what they want you to learn or do or show? Do you know exactly what you have to show? HELIO CASTRONEVES: No, they never told me what to do. We did have meeting before so I understand the rules. They don’t want me to get caught in very simple rules, crossing over the yellow line, the back straight, things like that.   All those details, I mean, look, I feel that everybody wants me to do well, right? Again, it’s a big race. It’s a lot of attention from everybody. I want to do well, too.   I can’t thank enough for everyone with arms wide open to receive me. I’ll do everything I can to own that.   Q. (No microphone.) HELIO CASTRONEVES: They’re innovating. This project, I would say I don’t think a Team Penske or MSR or any other big team would be able to do it. They are thinking outside the box, which I like that.  In terms of organization, the people that Justin also have the past and hire, wow, it’s incredible. As I said, my crew chief is a Daytona 500 winner. It’s not like a B team when you’re thinking about. This is a real deal and I’m glad they put this group together.  Q. What do you think of Justin? He’s a big-picture guy? HELIO CASTRONEVES: You said it, a big-picture guy, thinking of the future. Sort of like I would say, it’s not his style, but I feel the team is more like this new upcoming TikTok guys that push forward. Not TikTok, but you know what I mean. Social media, you know?   Q. Influencers.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: Thank you. And they are. And they are. And I like it. Not only that, they’re getting the results and I’m so glad to be part of it.  Q. If you have a good experience, if you enjoy this, if it goes well, is there the desire to not have this be a one-and-done sort of thing? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I’ll let you know after the last lap (smiling).   Q. You’re running the other 500, too? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Yes. I’m running both 500s.  Q. That’s a big deal.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: It’s huge. In fact, the helmet I’m using will be the same colors from here to there. I want to create both 500s in the same year, which is unique.  Q. Did you steal that design from Rahal? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I had nothing to do with the marketing with Wendy’s. But I tell you what, it works.   Q. He had the bowtie.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: The little bowtie. I agree with you (laughter).   Q. (No microphone.) HELIO CASTRONEVES: Very close. We text each other. Nothing big ’cause the car changed anyway. Different style. As well, the racing.   I feel right now it’s a much closer pack than when Christian 20 years ago ran.   In the end of the day I’m having a great group behind me from Trackhouse and Project 91 to give me the right tools to adapt as quick as I can.   Q. What do you think of your teammate over here from New Zealand? HELIO CASTRONEVES: I know, he’s pretty darn good, I telling you. Like I said, takes a lot of advice. He went through this last year. He was able to give me a great picture of what’s happening.  Not to talk about, like I said, I met him a long, long time ago, 15 years ago, when I did the V8 Supercars. It’s cool to see him doing well.   Q. He won his first race.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: All right. He put me in the spot now. No pressure. I’ll do everything I can to repeat what I did (laughter).  Q. And Scottie Rutherford.  HELIO CASTRONEVES: See, that’s great. I’m just having an amazing opportunity here to do something huge.  Q. You’re here as a driver, but what has it been like since you stepped into the ownership waters? HELIO CASTRONEVES: Look, it’s been amazing. Mike and Jim, I’m learning so much with them on the other side of the helmet, the cockpit I would call. They’re able to really show me a lot of things that I never understood ’cause when you’re a driver, you’re focusing obviously go fast, whatever it takes to be in that number one spot.   Here, the performance, the employees, the sponsor, the whole dynamic, it’s been just absolutely incredible. I’m just glad I was able to help, just switch from Andretti technical alliance to Ganassi. Yeah, we looking forward to the beginning of the season, for sure.   Q. The first time in the ARCA car, first time in the Cup car…  HELIO CASTRONEVES: It’s fun. It was awesome. The car’s different. The braking is much better on the Cup car. I feel that the driving, as well. The car seems to be responding a little bit quicker than the ARCA car. I’m not sure if it’s style, the tires, what it was.   Wind was a similar scenario. Same push I had before, which is great. Now I can read a little bit better for what the car is doing.   It’s much more comfortable. You’re shifting the sequential gearbox rather than an H pattern.

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Is this the year for your Daytona 500 win?“You’d certainly like to hope so. Twenty years of trying. There was another storied racer of the past that won on his 20th try and that was a pretty big deal. He was a former RCR driver as well so it’d certainly be nice to win that race and do it with RCR in the No. 8 Zone Chevrolet. So that would be pretty cool.” You’ve been good on superspeedways since you got to RCR. How has that changed your mindset preparing for the 500?“We’ve had really good speed being down here. These guys build great restrictor-plate program racecars, so when we go to Daytona, Atlanta, Talladega, we feel like those places are really good for us. We’ve got really good speed. I just told someone that it’s 80 percent luck/20 percent skill race. Others would disagree but I feel like you have to have a lot of things go your way and you have to have the stars align. Being able to lead off the final pit stop is certainly going to put yourself in a really good position.” Does the 2015 crash in this race still impact your mentality?“I don’t feel like it does anything. You have to go out there, race and run hard, and try as best you can to make the best decisions. It’s a lot like a chess match in trying to make sure you put yourself in the right positions to get yourself up front when it matters most. Two years ago we led mile-marker 500 but unfortunately we were coming to the yellow. Been there, been right and there and been close… finished second, finished third, finished fourth and all the top-five spots. So there’s definitely some angst over trying to win this one.” There was great improvement in the RCR after the summer break last year and you added new people in the offseason. How effective will that be for 2025?“Certainly any time you add more people or new people, you hope it’s for the betterment of your team and organization. I’m excited for it and looking forward to it. I wouldn’t say revamping but definitely changing some personnel in some places and being able to put some better cars on the racetrack. For myself and Austin Dillon, we want to go out and win races for RCR, for RC, ECR and of course Team Chevy. We have some great partners and some people there that get us to the racetrack each and every week. It’s all about winning, and the time is now to get that done.” How important is it to get off to a good start this year?“It’s really important. The biggest thing is that I always love it when we are able to start strong and have good strong starts to the year. It helps your mojo a little bit, helps you build a foundation and gets you a good points start. But you have to keep that momentum going also. Two years ago when I joined RCR in ’23, we had a really good first 16 races. I think we won three of the first 16 but then kind of (fell off) after that. You’ve got to keep that strength all year long. You can’t blunder, fumble, whatever it is. That’s when these other guys will take advantage of you, and obviously stage points in this era are very important.” When do you get a feel for that with the first two races being speedways and then a road course…“I feel like Daytona and Atlanta are some really good shots for us to win races. So the first two weeks are good with our RCR speedway program. From there I enjoy the road-course stuff. Of course being able to get back out to Vegas… we ran strong there last year and we were probably one of the only cars that could keep up with the 5 car in that race. It’d be nice to get that momentum rolling at the start of the season and really try to run stronger each week and score those stage points, get ourselves in running sixth to 10th each week, pick up some spots on pit road and put ourselves in position to get good finishes.” As a veteran, what’s it like to have practice and qualifying back again, and did it help your team out?“Here I think it’s nice to get out there and shake it down. There were a couple of other guys that had oil leaks and whatnot, so certainly they benefited from it and were able to get on the racetrack… I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Just a short 20 to 30-minute thing to shake your car down. Here it’s good for qualifying for later, and at Atlanta I feel like it’s important to get a couple of laps in because the balance at that place is going to change the most over the next few races because of the asphalt wearing and whatnot. As you get into the races, it doesn’t really matter where you start. It’s a matter of how you get through traffic.” That 80/20 ratio, is that consistent or was it different years ago?“I feel it’s probably more 80/20 now than what it was. I feel like it’s gotten more luck-induced. We’re all dealing with the same Legos. You see it sometimes when you get later in the going when you’re in the middle of the race or early in the race and you’re fuel-mileage racing and you can run three-wide and you’re side-by-side. But then when it gets down to the end and the bottom picks up and everybody is running wide-open, that top lane just falls. You can’t keep up up there so you have to be in those first two lanes to make sure you’re toward the front. Trying to make a move and you’re trying to hang somebody out… that’s just a part of what we’ve got right now. It’s tough to make headway.” On contending at Atlanta this year after a close finish last year.“You have to be in position. I felt like we were pretty fast there both races last year. I had a big run down the backstretch and knew I needed to make it three-wide. I should have cut my speed going into Three when I was three-wide because I told myself before the race do not be leading getting into Three coming to the checkered. I messed that up. When I saw that hole, I jumped to the middle and my momentum carried me through to the lead. Those two cars side-by-side will just pull you back through the middle. So messed up on that a little bit but all in all, it’s circumstantial. You have to be right all the time.”

CONCORD, NC (Feb. 12, 2025) — Terry Easum checked off a bucket list item during his rookie campaign with the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) National Tour last year — win a Series race. This year, he’s determined to further make his name known nationally during his sophomore year with the Series.

“We raced a lot locally for several years here, and we just enjoy getting to go to a lot of new racetracks and see new places,” Easum said. “Really, we just want to be better, and the only way you’re going to get better is racing guys like that.”

The 32-year-old from Broken Arrow, OK, is set for his sophomore season of competition with ASCS behind the wheel of the Premier Self-Storage, Don Ott Racing Engines-powered Triple X Chassis No. 88.

His rookie season started with quick success, winning the second race of the season at Red Dirt Raceway in Meeker, OK — less than 90 minutes from his house. From seventh on the starting grid, Easum raced his way to the lead in 13 laps, using the bottom lane around the 1/4-mile track to hold off all challengers for the win.

“Really, it was a dream come true,” he said. “It was something I had always dreamed of doing, and I was able to do it there with so many people there that we knew. It was kind of unreal for a few days the number of people that called.

“But that was one race. We’ve got to move on and get better.”

Despite the early success, struggles in various areas slowed Easum’s progress, garnering only two more top-10 finishes through the remainder of the season to rank him 10th in the final points standings. The winter break bought him time to fix those issues, and he’s ready to return to the track.

“We’ve made a lot of big changes in our team, switching our engines over to Don Ott,” Easum said. “We had some issues with Qualifying and it just kinda hindered the middle to the end part of the year; we never could get them running where we needed to. We’ve corrected that, and hopefully, that’ll help to start off the night better and put ourselves in position to win races.”

In addition to the equipment upgrades, Easum has recruited the help of veteran crew chief Jimmy Jones to lead his operation at the track and in the shop going forward. Jones, an experienced wrench who won three World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championships as a mechanic for Steve Kinser, has also worked with open-wheel standouts Mark Kinser, Aaron Berryhill, Robert Ballou, and most recently Ryan Timms.

“Having Jimmy Jones there in the shop during the week is going to be a huge help with him going over everything and taking some weight off of Kacee [Frazier] and I’s shoulders,” Easum said. “We raced together years ago, and it was a lot of fun. We’re kinda like a family; he’s kinda like a second dad to me.”

Easum and Jones have their goals set for 2025 — ones that aim to land the team a higher championship points standing at season’s end.

“Mainly get more aggressive; we need to get in the top 10 and top five every night,” Easum said. “Last year, we were just all over the map, really. But we just need to get more consistent.”

Easum begins his second season on the ASCS National Tour full-time roster at the next event — Saturday, April 12 at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, OK.

Tickets for this event will be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t be there to watch, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

REGARDING MICHAEL MCDOWELL JOINING THE TEAM AND HIS IMPACT “I think he has been big, especially for here. That is the biggest thing, especially for the race because he runs good. I think Travis has played more of a role personally because he knows what was on the cars. I like to do my own thing, and my strategy was to always ride in the back at superspeedways anyway. We haven’t really got enough races for me to pick Michael’s brain or him to pick mine. I normally like to go out there and just run and don’t like to talk about anything anyways. I like to just go see if I am any good or not.  But having Michael just adds depth and adds to our allotment that if I struggle, or if I can lean on him if he is running good, and that type deal. He is going to fill our gaps and as a team owner, you are trying to run first-second-third.  But if your cars struggle and they have their strong suits, like Michael’s is superspeedways and road courses is hopefully where he is going to elevate our program.” SO WHEN YOU ARE GOING MORE OFF THE FEEL OF THE TRACK THAN THE DATA, DOES THAT PLAY AT OTHER TRACKS MORE THAN LIKE DAYTONA? “Yeah, for me I almost look at these two, especially more now, that I look at them more as an off week. Just hang out and be like, ‘man, I am just going to enjoy the week’. There is not a whole lot more you can prepare for….the last couple of years it was super draggy, but now we are trying to be fast everywhere.  I think we are a lot closer to the Hendrick cars based on the lap time there with the single car alone. It was like a second difference from last year to this year, so I am super pumped about that. So, the biggest thing they want to do right is to try and get my head ready if we are up front and give me all the info that we have. But yes, for me it is like so much more laid back. There are about two instances that I study for here and I just hang out the rest of the time. I have an iRacing rig on my hauler so you probably won’t see me much until race time and I will be driving on superspeedways and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. HOW MUCH CAN IRACING HELP YOU IN REACTIONARY MOVES AND MAKING THE RIGHT MOVES AT THE RIGHT TIME? “I think iRacing on superspeedways is more 1 to 1 and is light years ahead of any other (track). I don’t learn a lot doing anything else, but for superspeedways its huge. I had to leave the race with five to go, I was leading, and had to go practice. All my guys were having fun. We were maintaining lanes in a truck, manipulating lanes and its fun. But yeah, I am going to take advantage of it before the Duel and try a bunch of stuff, hit people, have them hit me, and change lanes. I am more than happy to wreck over there than out here.” REGARDING GETTING ANOTHER SHOT AT THIS RACE AFTER WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR “I mean I am not a superspeedway guy, and I don’t want to say I have been so anxious, but it would be cool to finish, right? But we ran good and we finished 11th in July. So at least I finished. Regarding last year, I haven’t got it out of my system, but I kind of want to finish all the laps and be there at the end. I am excited to go, but at the same time I do not love these superspeedways, so I don’t get too excited. You know what I mean?  If I win the race and we figure out how to maintain lanes and we run really good, then I am going to be really excited to come back next year. But for me, I need a little bit more superspeedway racing to get excited.” HOW ARE THE EMOTIONS COMING BACK FOR YOUR SECOND YEAR AS OPPOSED TO YOUR FIRST LAST YEAR? “I think its more about being more confident and being a lot more decisive about the decisions you are making and decisive on how our cars are being developed. I think it adds……there’s not really any pressure and as Dan Campbell said one time, there is no weight, he just felt the wind underneath him. That is the motto we have been going with.” HOW ABOUT THE CONFIDENCE IN HAVING JUSTIN AND MICHAEL OUT THERE? “Yeah, it definitely helps to have friends out there for sure. But I don’t know. I will let you know after the Duels and Daytona 500 go for sure. At the same time, we have a lot of Chevy friends that hopefully we will work closely with. So, there is a lot of depth out there already.” WHAT HAS THE TEAM ENVIRONMENT BEEN LIKE THIS YEAR AND HOW BIG ITS GOING TO BE? “It’s been good and all the teams have been working very closely and there is a lot of depth. For me, there are more researches than excuses in my mind. There is a lot more brainpower, there is a lot more depth, and I think the biggest hire we got was Matt McCall. I think it’s super important that we are racing with him and not racing against him.  We have two crew chiefs that are super talented sitting on the sideline too.” A BIG STORY LAST YEAR WAS THAT YOU WERE OUTPERFORMING YOUR SPIRE TEAMMATES. DOES THAT ADD PRESSURE GOING INTO THIS YEAR?  “No, not really. I don’t know why we were so good last year, I just drive. I don’t know why I was good in the 42 car when I first got in it, and I don’t know why I was good in the 7 when I first got in it. I just drive and we were either fast or we were slow. For me, it was about less excuses and more brain power. We were fast in The Clash, which I didn’t expect to be in the Clash. Just because that is not our forte and I thought we would be like, ‘let’s get through the Clash and we will be okay’. I thought we would make it, but I didn’t think we would be the third fastest car on lap times. We were super-fast which makes me excited to go to places like Martinsville and other places where we struggled. The Clash was the race for me that told me we were headed in the right direction.” HAVE YOU SEEN A DIFFERENCE IN SPIRE SINCE RODNEY CAME OVER?  “Well, when Rodney walked in, so did four other crew chiefs too.  So, I think it’s just the combination and everybody. I mean Rodney is great, but for me it’s Matt McCall, Travis Peterson, Nick Case and Ryan Sparks getting off the box. In my mind, we have five crew chiefs for three cars that are super talented. We have way more smarter people for their specific roles to make these cars go fast.  You know, Mr. H and Hendrick Motorsports continue to help us through their programs.  With Jeff Dickerson and that whole group, they are just rocking. I think it’s just the whirlwind of people that came in and not anyone specific. That is why I think we are going to be successful, and Spire is going to be successful. We are not relying on one person, we are relying on the whole group. I think that is what is really cool, they work super well together.” HOW HIGH HAVE YOU SET YOUR GOALS THIS YEAR? “Well, our boss wants all three of us in the Playoffs this year and I know how high that one is.  But you have to have tip top goals. For me it’s that I want to run good, and I want to run top 15 every race and if you keep doing that, you are going to win a race.” WHAT IS THE CRAZINESS FACTOR IN GOING FROM SOMEWHERE LIKE DAYTONA TO ATLANTA NEXT WEEK? “I think this place is more unpredictable in my mind because the wrecks don’t happen from back blocks anymore, they happen from back pushes. At Atlanta, you are more chaotic, and you can see wrecks happening but here you are just sitting in line and saving fuel and then somebody wants to hit somebody a little too hard and they spin. For me, I think its more unpredictable for something to happen here.” DOES IT GIVE YOU ANYMORE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU ARE GOING INTO YOUR SECOND FULL TIME SEASON WITH HOW COMPETITIVE THE CUP SERIES IS AND YOU ARE GOING IN WITH A GROWING TEAM? “For me, I like to finish well. I like to maximize my finish. So, for me, I don’t have a lofty goal like let’s go make the Playoffs. Theoretically you can be third in points and miss it, right? So, it worked well for me saying last year our goal was 20th in points and my goal for this year is 15th in points. You might be close in points, you might not be, depending on who wins and who doesn’t. But if we can be there and finish around 15th every race, then we are going to be exactly where we want to be.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

With this particular car, what is the strategy to survive the draft coming from behind or get the lead being in the draft from behind?“I live and believe that you are safest out front. We were living proof of that last year in that we got clipped in the rear bumper but it didn’t spin us. There were a lot of cars behind us that got taken out in that final wreck before I spun. I think the safest spot is up front but I can’t figure out how to live up front in the beginning of the stage and end of the stage. At some point you have to be in the pack.” With four drivers from a diverse set of backgrounds on the team, does it make it harder to coordinate how you work the draft?“Not with Daniel (Suarez) and Shane (van Gisbergen) because we’ve been around each other now for… Daniel for a couple of years and Shane for a little over a year. A couple of months of knowing we would be doing this together, us three, all year. Shane and I made some big steps through last summer for our preparation, and Daniel is part of that now, as well. Helio (Castroneves) is a bit of an anomaly. This is it for him that I know of. It was hard to talk to him about drafting when he hadn’t even driven the car. Now we can talk ahead of the Duals. But the Duals will be where he’s going to learn the most. Whatever I can talk to him now about, I’ll be able to talk to him 10 times more after he feels tight, loose, side drafting, getting pushes… we can talk through the real granular details of what it takes to be successful or successful in moving our line forward. Not saying we can’t talk about how to win. We think we can but how to move the line forward.” What do you think about his personality?“He’s a hero, first of all, of mine. I’ve almost watched him my entire life race professionally. He won the first (Indy) 500 in 2001 and I was born in ’92. I was still waddling around with a four-wheeler in the yard. It’s incredible. I got to meet him at Homestead last year, so that was cool. He blended right in with the team. I didn’t even know why he was there at the time, and they told us right after. So that was cool to have that experience of shaking his hand and getting to know him, not knowing why he was there. He used a lot of my seat and cockpit stuff… parts and pieces inside. We’re similar size and build so I was happy to lend him some stuff.” How do you think SVG has progressed on ovals?“With the Clash and All-Star, he’s got 38 at-bats to show up at the racetrack and prepare. The way we do it at Trackhouse we’ve evolved. The 1 and 99 used to do it a certain way but now with three teams every week we’ve evolved that, and I like it a lot better. It’s more driver-focused. Shane and I are literally from opposite sides of the world, but we think about things in a similar way but we’re just different enough where he can all me out on my issues and I can call him out on his. The early-morning sim sessions together is the name of the game for us. I don’t know what the end results will be each week. It’s easy to look at and see it – he’s helping on road courses and I hope to help him on ovals.” More on the diverse background on the four Trackhouse drivers.“It’s a cool thing that we’re all from our different countries. That’s what Justin (Marks) wanted when he did this. He wanted to be different. This is a way to do that. Just look worldwide and see what’s out there. Helio was in Miami, so America is home for him. South Florida guy so we have that in common. How to look at it from a bigger picture – that will probably hit me on Sunday when I realize that little old Trackhouse that I remember was a one-car team. I remember when Justin was just a driver – not just – but when he was a driver and an owner. Then when he hired me to be the second driver, I remember how big of a deal that felt. And now we’ve doubled that size. It’s going to be a cool moment on Sunday.” With NASCAR racing in Mexico City and being exposed to the international side, is there any other place you’d be interested in racing?“Take us back to Road America. Worldwide, I don’t know. I don’t know tracks anywhere else. I’ve never flown east or west of North America.” On the Daytona 500 vibe.“It’s never felt the same. I remember the first time that I crossed from the grandstand side across the fence, that was on a bicycle and I was sneaking across. The first time I drove through it was I believe for a New Smyrna banquet. Then I remember first time I came through as a competitor, being around the Truck Series in 2012. Every time it’s a great feeling. Yesterday we landed and went straight over to the hauler parade coming in at One Daytona, so I got to see Mike Helton and Frank Kelleher, the track president, and talked to them a little bit and see some friends. The biggest thing I took away from it is that the 22 was pulled up to the front of the line. That’s one of those little motivating things… that I want the 1 truck  to pull up front. I want the 1 truck to be the first one to pull into the garage for the Daytona 500 the next year. That means you did something really special the last year. That’s the goal and what I took away from it. Then I drove around into the infield after that… incorrectly! I went to the wrong spot to be honest. Drove through the Turn Four tunnel, and that’s a special feeling. It’s something I think to myself driving through and hope that special feeling never goes away.” How much are you a different driver than when you first came here?“The way all these media days and production days, they’ve definitely evolved. The pre-Daytona 500 weekend kind of was a chance for Trucks and Xfinity drivers to be in front of media used to be something that my team never signed us up for. We didn’t know. I’d come down early for it, and there would be Xfinity drivers in it – this is the Daytona 500 media day now, so it’s a different thing – but I’d walk into the production day but I’d put my suit on and walk in and tell the girl at the front table that I was driving the 4 car all years. She’d look down and I’d ask where do you want me to go first and she’d point me in a direction and I’d hit the whole room. Now I don’t have to sneak in any more. Yes, I’ve definitely changed and I’m not the same driver I was last year, let alone 10 years ago.” Is the track as rough and bumpy as it looked on your on-board camera?“Our car is rough. Our Busch Light Chevy is finding all the bumps. It’s a fine line here having the car as low as you can. We’re dealing with thousandths of an inch to get it down on the rear stops and shocks, and  get the spoiler out of the air  and all that and still have it drive OK. We’re going to raise it up for qualifying. We can’t be that rough. I can drive it but only by myself, and I don’t think it’s as fast when it’s bouncing like that. The track’s not where it was when I watched back to pre-repave, which I think was in 2011. So I’ve only driven on the repave. It’s not that rough. When I watch it back and understanding how those cars were built and setup, the track was a lot rougher. By now means is it what it was in 2010 and before. So this was a one-car special.” On fastest race lap getting an extra point in 2025.“If it’s there for us to take, we’ll take it. You can’t give up a position to do it, but if you can’t gain or lose positions, we’ll go for it. We’ll do it on the road course and here if you’re playing the game where you’re a lap down you’ll play the game at the back of the end trying to time it right and get big runs. Do I think it’s necessary? No I don’t think it’s necessary. But hey… if Xfinity’s happy then I’m happy.” It’s been four years in the Gen-Seven car. General thoughts on the first three years?“So much progress. Coming into it, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. It was like the wild west. You saw us spinning out and crashing. I don’t think that’s always a terrible thing, to be honest. Some of those early practice sessions and early races were just crazy to watch. Nobody could keep up with it because there was so much happening. You had champions the year before and race-winners in the back at the beginning of ’22. You’ve definitely seen them figured it out, and we all figured it out. I’m glad I got to be a part of that because that’s a time in my career in the sport that I’ll always look back on and remember.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 12, 2025

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes

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Is the drive to win the Daytona 500 the same motivation, same desire now that you already have one?“Yeah, I do. I have more joy coming down here than I did before. I have more passion and excitement for this race than I did before. I feel like having experienced it the way it was last year really changed my perspective on the race as a whole in a good way, obviously. I feel that’s created some more motivation to get another one. This race, it’s a lifetime achievement. It’s something people reference everywhere you go. It’s something that the first time in my career I’ve had something like that. It makes it cool, it makes it more special, because you can tell people care about the race.” What are the things at Daytona as a driver you can control?“I think there is so many aspects. The way that you position yourself at the end of the race. It starts tonight. You can get yourself on the front row, and that gives you a great opportunity to not have to stress about the Duels. And then if you’re not locked in on the front row, you have to race the Duels and understand what your car has and try to keep it in one piece. It’s a process throughout the week, then obviously, Sunday is about positioning yourself as the stages go along and really like the last 20 laps of the race essentially. It’s just a process. You really can’t think too far ahead. I’m not thinking about Sunday at all yet. Just trying to get through tonight and check the boxes that I need to to have a good qualifying lap.” As the track surface gets older, has handling become more of a premium since you started at the Cup level?“Yes and no. This car has a lot of drag, so with that comes lower speeds and more downforce. This car doesn’t really require as much handling, but it’s still going to matter. If we were back on the old surface or with the old Gen 6 car, yeah, we’d be slipping around quite a bit. This car is pretty stuck to the track here. It’s all relative, though. I think that the cars are going to get more and more trimmed out as the teams get smarter, so we’re probably going to have something a bit more unique here than we’ve seen in years past with the way it handles.” How does the lack of practice here affect you?“It doesn’t affect us at all. Practice here is like such a façade, really. You’re not around enough cars There’s not enough energy in the pack to really know what the car is going to do. The Duels are your best practice. That’s when everyone is at ten-tenths. The thing about practice at a speedway is like, especially if you’re going out drafting, guys are pulling on and off the track, so the energy is changing every lap. That’s not really conducive to what the race is like. The Duels are our best chance to learn, and then really like maybe some laps on Friday, you might learn here or there. But you’re going to learn mostly in the Duels and obviously, in the race on Sunday.” Is it kind of cool to race against a four-time Indy 500 champion (in Helio Castroneves)?“It is sweet. The funniest thing about that is I look over next to my bus right when I got back from practice, and it’s Helio’s bus. I didn’t even realize that when I got here, but that’s pretty neat to have an Indy 500 champion like that next to you in the bus lot, and then obviously, racing on the racetrack. Yeah, it’s awesome.” Talk about the entry list and the wide variety of drivers…“Yeah, it shows kind of the momentum of the sport really. We went through a dip where we didn’t really have a lot of open drivers or people trying to make the race, and now we’re back to having a few more. It’s awesome. It’s good that it’s quality cars, and I’ll be excited to look and see what’s going on. I’ve got to understand the system and how it all works, because apparently one guy is locked in but I’ve got to understand who is on the bubble to watch that race when I’m not racing myself.” Depending on where you qualifying, how much will you be aware of other open cars trying to qualify?“I don’t have any awareness of that. For me, if I’m on the racetrack, I’m just going to try and win. If they’re racing in the other Duel or if I get out of the car, I’ll look at it.” Having such a marathon week to start the season, does that help with the suddenness of the grueling schedule?“It does. I honestly look forward to this week. It’s kind of like a little bit of a Spring Break. You’re down here forever, and you have obviously a lot of obligations, but I enjoy it because it’s a nice lead in versus The Clash. It’s so sudden, and you’re in such a different environment. You don’t have the garages or your hauler. This race gives you a chance to kind of settle in, get all of your stuff acclimated, and then you hit the road after that.” Is there anything cool you get now rather than before you won the Daytona 500?“I think just the trophy itself is probably the coolest thing. The side effect I always thought about was all the media you had to do and what that would feel like, but it’s honestly been great. It’s not bad, but just the trophy itself is such a historic trophy and it’s unlike any other one I’ve had.” Is there anything you can learn from this race and take to Atlanta?“I don’t know. I don’t feel like the answer for me is no because I feel like here, you really have to… it’s a totally different positioning race. Atlanta has that hybrid effect where you have a little bit of drafting but you also have lifting, and it’s kind of that five-fifty style mile-and-a-half race.” Does your confidence go up on speedways after winning this race?“Not exactly, no. I feel like for me, it was honestly the success we had after that throughout the year on drafting tracks where I felt like we were constantly up to the front. It wasn’t instant, perse, but as soon as we continued to have a good year on drafting tracks, I felt like that built some confidence.” Talk about the case of NASCAR athletes being athletes…“That’s a great question. I think with the way tech is now, like having my Whoop band on when I’m in the racecar, it’s one of the hardest workouts that I do throughout my week. Your heartrate is elevated, you’re in this kind of iso-position, which nowadays with yoga and everything people are doing, they understand how difficult that is to kind of fight the g-forces and hold yourself in that position. You’re making micro-adjustments all the time. I think that ten years ago, it was ‘Oh, drivers aren’t athletes,’ but if you’re not an athlete nowadays, you’re going to have a tough time. It’s just the nature of these cars and how rigid they’ve got, and how close the racing gets.” What does it feel like coming back here after August?“I feel like in the summer, it’s just kind of weird because you’re so in the middle of your season, you’re focused on that. Coming back here, being back for the (Daytona) 500 definitely feels special. Just have that excitement and genuine joy for the race. I think I’m just excited for the week.” How much has the racing changed in the last three years here at Daytona?“The racing has just got really tight and competitive, and everybody is sort of in a really tight gridlock. So it’s really hard to make moves. Three-wide is tough to make. I feel like you’ve got to be up towards the front. Track position is really important, and you have to be towards the front side coming down to the end. I think in the past, that was the case, but you could see a guy win from 10th on the last lap. I just don’t think that’ll happen in this package anymore.” How do you approach the “Big One?”“It’s just the nature of the race. I think, for me, I don’t really focus on that aspect. It’s just the nature of the event and I feel like it makes it exciting.” With being close to the championship the past few years, how big of a deal is it to you to get started off right?“It’s not a huge deal. I think that this season is really long. I would like for us to continue to improve. I think that’s the biggest thing. Yeah, you want to get a win in early. It takes some pressure off from the outside, but really you continue to strive for more. Sometimes you don’t see the champion get really hot until the second half of the year. Not saying that’s the right formula, but I’m just saying you’ve got to be consistent throughout the year and try to win every week. That’s our goal. We’re not really thinking about trying to make a statement or anything like that, it’s just trying to go out there and execute every week.” How much does a really good paint scheme affect you walking up to your car? Does it affect your psyche?“It does. You know when you’re stepping into a really nice looking racecar and something that you’re proud of. Also, the attention and the craft with my guys and how much effort they put into the racecar. It does. For me personally, it affects how I feel getting into the racecar. Obviously, once I put the helmet on, it is what it is, but I think having a good-looking racecar, having a car that your guys have put a lot of effort into, that means a lot.” Have you thought about what a back-to-back Daytona 500 would mean to you?“No, I don’t really think about the history. There are so many things, so many boxes to check as this week goes. Obviously, that’d be a great footnote after the race is over, but right now, there are so many things to get to that point. It’s just thinking about all of my processes to get to the end on Sunday.” One more win gives Hendrick Motorsports the most all time. You’re known to win some big races. Where would that factor in if winning another one?“Hendrick Motorsports has so much history as it is, and I feel like they just add in another win would be more to that. I’m excited for the week. I’m really ready to get going. I feel like all of our teams are really prepared and we’re just ready to go.”

BARBERVILLE, FL – What a difference three weeks makes.

Ricky Thornton Jr. got his 2025 season rolling with a DNQ and a 19th-place run at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals, and looked lost in the woods after winning 26 Late Model races a year ago.

But when the calendar turned to February and the Koehler Motorsports No. 20RT team returned to Barberville for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, “RTJ” once again looked like one of the top dirt Late Model drivers in the nation. Following a runner-up to open the week on Monday, Thornton put on a masterclass in Tuesday’s DIRTcar Late Model Feature.

“I feel like we’ve been really good,” Thornton said. “We changed our program up a lot after we were here earlier this year and I feel like we’ve gotten a lot better. My boys aren’t going to shy away from work, we’ve destroyed two race cars and they put them back together and we’ve been just as good.”

Thornton won Heat 1 earlier in the night to claim the pole for the main event alongside reigning DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion Tyler Erb. “Terbo” was able to rip the cushion around Turns 1 and 2 to take the early lead and force Thornton to settle into second.

While Erb worked to build a gap, Thornton came under fire from fourth-place starter Bobby Pierce, who threw a slider on Thornton to steal second before a slowing Brenden Smith brought out the caution with four laps complete.

That gave Thornton the chance to get the second spot back on the restart, and from there he set his sights on the leader. With 11 laps down in the 25-lap affair, Thornton dove to Erb’s inside entering Turn 3, raced side-by-side with the No. 1 down the frontstretch and cleared Erb in the next set of corners to take command of the race.

“Really, [Erb] lasted way longer than I thought he was going to,” Thornton said regarding Erb’s decision to opt for a softer tire for the Feature. “I started moving around, Bobby got by but the yellow came out, lucklily. I knew the top was going to get a better restart and luckily Bobby picked the bottom for me. Got a good start, got back to second, tried to keep pace with Terbo so whenever he did slow down, I was able to capitalize on it.”

From that point forward, Thornton was off like a rocket. The gap to Erb was already over a second two laps after Thornton completed the pass and grew as large as 3.5 seconds before Thornton caught thick lap traffic. The slower cars didn’t deter him though, as Thornton went unchallenged for the remainder of the race on his drive to victory.

Thornton said he still isn’t entirely comfortable racing around Volusia despite the fact that Tuesday’s win netted him his third Gator in the past four years. However, his speed so far this week has him feeling optimistic about his progress.

“I just struggle here as a driver,” Thornton said. “I feel like we finally got the package that we need. I can qualify well, and that puts you so much further ahead later in the night. Had a couple good Heat Races, winning both of them put us up front for the Feature. I just feel like our overall balance is getting better and better every time we come here.”

After falling back to third on the only restart of the night, Pierce spent most of the race riding behind Thornton and Erb until the final circuit, when he snuck by Erb to take the runner-up spot.

“I wasn’t wanting to settle for third, I was either going to jump the cushion or we were going to get second,” Pierce said. “It ended up turning good, I didn’t really lift much and I got around him. I wish I could have figured it out a little earlier, but my air kind of got spoiled a couple times. All in all, a great night for us.”

While Erb was frustrated to fall back to third in the waning moments of the race, his fourth podium of the season had him excited about the speed his Best Performance Motorsports machine has shown so far in 2025.

“Got nipped on the last lap there by Bobby,” Erb said. “Nothing to hang our heads about. Got a lot of speed, actually am enjoying racing here at Volusia. We had good runs at Sunshine Nationals and to get a third here tonight is pretty good. Excited for the rest of the week.”

Jonathan Davenport finished fourth to stay perfect in Volusia top fives on the year between Sunshine Nationals and DIRTcar Nationals, while Brandon Overton picked up his first top five at Volusia this season in fifth.

Thanks to his back-to-back top-two finishes, Thornton now leads the Late Model Big Gator standings by 20 points over Davenport with four more nights of racing to go.

RACE NOTES:

Tyler Bruening set the overall fastest lap in Hot Laps.

Ryan Gustin laid down the quickest lap of the night in Qualifying.

The six Heat Race wins went to Ricky Thornton Jr., Tyler Erb, Jonathan Davenport, Bobby Pierce, Brandon Overton and Cade Dillard.

Brandon Sheppard, Chase Junghans and Ashton Winger won the three Last Chance Showdowns.

Brian Shirley drove from 16th to sixth in the Feature to claim the Hard Charger Award.

UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Late Model portion of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals wraps up on Wednesday with a trio of 20-lap Features. Get your tickets by clicking here.

If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

BARBERVILLE, FL – Many drivers who make the trek south to Barberville, FL each February dream of hoisting just one Gator Trophy.

And then there’s Nick Hoffman, who snagged the reptilian award for the 25th time in his career in Monday’s DIRTcar Late Model Feature at Volusia Speedway Park.

“It’s awesome, especially to start the week this way,” Hoffman said. “It’s so tough to come down here, this is one of the toughest fields we see all year. To stand on the top step of the podium is pretty cool.”

Hoffman started the race on the outside of polesitter Cade Dillard and fell in line behind the No. 97 for the opening circuits.

As the race progressed, the bottom of the track became the preferred groove, with Dillard and most of the field opting to hug the inside wall around the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.” That opened the door for Hoffman to ride the cushion and get side-by-side with Dillard for the top spot.

“I let Cade get out front there and control the pace for a little bit,” Hoffman said. “Once we got close to lap traffic, it was time for me to go. Felt like our car was really good, very maneuverable where I could kind of go anywhere and make speed.”

After taking the crossed flags in the 25-lap affair, Hoffman cleared Dillard entering Turn 1 and never let go of the top spot. The win was his second Late Model win during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in as many years to go along with 23 DIRTcar UMP Modified victories in the event, expanding his Gator collection that was already the largest of any driver in any division.

“I feel like I just know what to expect out of my car here,” Hoffman said regarding the reasons behind his Volusia success. “I know what it should feel like to be good, and I feel like that’s translated from the Modified to the Late Model. Knowing what I need to do to make raw speed, I’m just good at big, sweeping ½-miles. It’s something that I’ve always been good at. Finally got this thing where it steers and I can maneuver wherever I want, I feel like that’s the most important thing about this place.”

“The Thrill From Mooresville” didn’t go unchallenged in the late stages of the race though, as Ricky Thornton Jr. got within a car length of the No. 9 but was unable to make the pass in traffic. His runner-up effort was still a stark contrast from his Sunshine Nationals results, as Thornton missed the Feature on Friday night before finishing 19th on Saturday.

“I feel like there’s a little bit of an area where we can be a little bit better, but I feel like we’ve gained a lot of speed since we were here last month,” Thornton said. “I thought I had a shot for a minute in traffic, I kind of figured whoever got past the two lap cars and got out was just going to take off, and I couldn’t even see him at the checkers.”

Coming home in third was Jonathan Davenport, who is now three-for-three in Volusia podiums in 2025 after finishing second on both nights of Sunshine Nationals.

“We got to second one time, and as soon as we got to second, I pushed out of the bottom there and let two more back by me,” Davenport said. “We were definitely going back and forth through the lap cars there. Every time I’d get a good run, I’d run up right behind a lap car and have to maneuver around them. But I’m sure that’s what everyone else was doing too.”

Max Blair drove from ninth to fourth to collect the Hard Charger Award, while Ryan Gustin completed the top five.

RACE NOTES:

Austin Smith laid down the overall fastest lap in Hot Laps.

Cade Dillard collected the Quick Time Award for going fastest overall in Qualifying.

Cade Dillard, Nick Hoffman, Mike Marlar, Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport and Ryan Gustin won the six Heat Races.

Three Last Chance Showdowns were won by Brent Larson, Mark Whitener and Tyler Erb.

UP NEXT: Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals continues on Tuesday night with another full program for the DIRTcar Late Models. Get your tickets by clicking here.

If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 9-Nick Hoffman[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 3. 49D-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 4. 111-Max Blair[9]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[6]; 6. 76-Brandon Overton[10]; 7. 97-Cade Dillard[1]; 8. 1-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 9. 32-Bobby Pierce[11]; 10. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 11. 99-Devin Moran[16]; 12. 16-Tyler Bruening[12]; 13. 58-Garrett Alberson[14]; 14. 96-Tanner English[13]; 15. 44-Chris Madden[18]; 16. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 17. 18-Chase Junghans[17]; 18. 1T-Tyler Erb[21]; 19. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[15]; 20. 12-Ashton Winger[24]; 21. 49-Jake Timm[23]; 22. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[22]; 23. 5-Mark Whitener[20]; 24. B1-Brent Larson[19]

Tennessee racer begins championship chase April 12 at Salina Highbanks Speedway

CONCORD, NC (Feb. 10, 2025) — Since the turn of the decade, Landon Britt has turned Sprint Car racing into his primary passion. He’s staying dedicated in 2025 with his commitment to a fourth season chasing the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) National Tour championship.

The former rugby player from Memphis, TN, rekindled his own racing roots in the late 2010s, racing Sprint Cars regionally before embarking on his first campaign with the Tour in 2022. Britt broke through for his first career Tour victory in 2023 and garnered a seventh-place finish in the championship standings last year.

“In the 360 scene, if you want upper-caliber racing, the National Tour is just the way to go,” Britt said.

The 27-year-old totaled five top-fives last season, compared to the eight he had in 2023, but posted more top 10s — 19 of them. That was the result of some experimentation he hopes will benefit him in the new year.

“We spent a lot of 2024 kinda changing some things around and getting out of our comfort zone a little bit more,” Britt said. “I think 2024 was a really good testing season for us, and I think what we’ve learned along the way will greatly benefit us in 2025.”

Not only did he learn more about his LB Motorsports, Moss Racing Engines-powered J&J Chassis No. 10, he’s set new goals for the new year in his efforts to become a more regular contender for Feature wins.

“I’d like to see myself get more aggressive in traffic,” Britt said. “I think last year, I could have made better positioning just being more aggressive to lapped cars and hitting those tight holes that would get me by them, but it’s a higher risk factor. So, I guess just taking the more higher-risk moves and pushing myself as a driver to the edge of it.”

Like several of the veteran ASCS rivals he competes against, Britt has been around to see the transition of the National Tour as it continues to evolve into 2025, and he takes pride in his allegiance to the brand.

“I think it’s great that we’re being looked out more for than just letting it die out,” Britt said. “I think it will take time to get back to what ASCS used to be. It all just takes time, it takes support of World Racing Group, the support of racers, fans — pretty much anything anyone can do to get it out there just builds it bigger.”

Britt begins his fourth season on the ASCS National Tour full-time roster at the next event — Saturday, April 12 at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, OK.

Tickets for this event will be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t be there to watch, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 10, 2025) – With two weeks of Sprint Car and DIRTcar UMP Modified action in the books, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will thunder back into Volusia Speedway Park to put a bow on the 54th annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.

The week will open with three nights of DIRTcar Late Model competition Monday-Wednesday, Feb. 10-12, before the World of Outlaws Late Models take over for the final three nights of the event, Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 13-15. Thursday and Friday’s programs will both wrap up with 35-lap, $12,000-to-win Features, while the weekend culminates with a 50-lap, $20,000-to-win main event and the crowning of a Big Gator champion on Saturday night.

Drivers will collect points from all DIRTcar and World of Outlaws Features for the DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator championship, awarded at the end of the week. Wednesday’s DIRTcar Late Model event will see the field split into three Features for the night.

The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds will join the Outlaws on all three nights to make for a high-horsepower doubleheader at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.”

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WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION

Here are the top storylines entering the weekend:

FIRST PITCH HOMER: Out of all the new driver-crew chief combinations in the pits this season, none have gelled quicker than Ryan Gustin and Cody Mallory.

Less than three weeks after Mallory officially joined the Todd Cooney Racing squad, he guided Gustin to his first World of Outlaws win at Volusia on the first night of the new season at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals.

“The Reaper” may have been unable to replicate that performance on Saturday with an 18th-place finish, but he still finds himself fourth in the standings entering DIRTcar Nationals, eight points behind leader Cody Overton. And since a competitor’s three best finishes between Sunshine Nationals and DIRTcar Nationals are the only ones that count toward the season-long points, some strong runs this week could allow Gustin to discard his Saturday finish and further improve his position in the championship chase.

SOPHOMORE STAR: Following a 13th-place points finish in his rookie season with the Outlaws, Cody Overton expected to make major improvements in his second year on tour. What he didn’t expect, though, was to be leading the points after two races.

The Thomson, GA driver had his picture taken on the podium for the first time after finishing third on Friday before barely missing the top 10 on Saturday in 11th, enough to claim the top spot among all signed World of Outlaws drivers.

However, it wasn’t the first time Volusia was kind to Overton, as he won a Crate Late Model Feature during Sunshine Nationals in 2020, his first of five top 10s in the event prior to making the jump to the Super Late Model division.

Overton has kept his hot streak going in the weeks since, as he piloted the Big Frog Motorsports Crate Late Model to Victory Lane at All-Tech Raceway on Feb. 1 before scoring his first Super Late Model win in three years at Screven Motor Speedway last weekend against many of the same drivers he’ll face again this week at Volusia.

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME?: If there was anyone at Sunshine Nationals who had race-winning speed on both nights but walked away with little to show for it, it would be Nick Hoffman.

The Tye Twarog Motorsports gasser picked up a Heat Race win on Friday and drew the pole for the main event, setting up a fierce battle with Gustin for the top spot. But just past halfway, Hoffman got loose on Gustin’s inside entering Turn 1 and his car snapped around. After going to the tail of the field for the restart, Hoffman made his way back up to ninth by the checkers.

When Saturday rolled around, Hoffman’s speed early in the night was still there as he claimed the Simpson Quick Time Award in Qualifying and led every lap of his Heat Race. Misfortune struck once again in the Feature though, as Hoffman’s right-rear tire gave out while running fourth, forcing him to come from the back for the second night in a row. Hoffman climbed up to 10th at the end of 50 laps, leaving him fifth in the standings with two nights in the books.

“The Thrill From Mooresville” may not have strapped a helmet on since the Sunshine Nationals finale, but he’s stayed plenty busy in the Volusia pits assisting his Elite Chassis customers during nine nights of DIRTcar UMP Modified competition. There’s a reason so many competitors turn to Hoffman for advice at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” as his incredible resume at the track includes seven-straight Big Gator championships between 2016 and 2022, two Reutimann Memorials and more than a dozen other Feature wins.

The most recent of those came last year when Hoffman picked up his first World of Outlaws trophy from Volusia, and he’ll look to further expand his Gator collection this week.

BOUNCING BACK: When Brian Shirley’s engine expired while he was running fifth with four laps to go in the Saturday Feature at Sunshine Nationals, he was hopeful that would be the end of his bad luck during Speedweeks. As it turned out, it was only the beginning.

While leading his Heat Race in a Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series event at Needmore Speedway, Shirley’s powerplant once again began to smoke. Once he brought the car to a stop, the smoke turned to fire and the No. 3S became completely engulfed in flames. Thankfully, Shirley emerged from the car uninjured.

The two weeks since the incident have brought even more attrition, as Shirley has battled through more engine problems, tire failures, crashes and more. Multiple trips have been made up Interstate 95 to Longhorn Chassis and Durham Racing Engines in North Carolina to keep Shirley’s trailer stocked. With a return to World of Outlaws competition on the horizon, Shirley would love nothing more than an uneventful DIRTcar Nationals to get his season back on track.

GATOR HUNTERS: While plenty of teams are rolling into DIRTcar Nationals looking for a turnaround, several others are ready to let the good times keep rolling in the “Sunshine State.”

Eleven years removed from his World of Outlaws debut at I-30 Speedway in 2014, Garrett Alberson finally won with the Series for the first time three weeks ago. It was his second win of the season after getting his first in New Mexico at the Wild West Shootout, placing him alongside Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton Jr., Devin Moran and Jonathan Davenport as the only drivers with multiple Super Late Model wins in 2025.

All five drivers are expected to be in attendance this week aiming to add to their totals. Pierce leads the way with four wins so far this year, but he failed to crack the top five in two attempts at Volusia. The record books show that those runs were the exception rather than the norm, as the 2023 Series champion is a four-time Feature winner at Volusia between World of Outlaws and DIRTcar competition.

For Moran, Sunshine Nationals was a tale of two nights, as he missed the Feature on Friday before finishing fourth on Saturday. “The Mailman” has won five times with the Outlaws at Volusia since 2021, more than any other driver in that span.

Thornton’s first trip to Volusia last month was nothing short of a nightmare, as he was a DNQ on Friday and finished 19th on Saturday. However, his Koehler Motorsports teammate Jimmy Owens led the first 41 laps of Saturday’s Sunshine Nationals Feature.

Davenport will return to Volusia this week after doing everything but win a race at Sunshine Nationals. Not only did he pick up a pair of runner-ups in his first trip to the event, he was the only member of the field to finish in the top five on both nights. “Superman” finally found the top step of the podium at Ocala Speedway twice last week after four second-place finishes on the year, and he’s looking to carry that momentum into DIRTcar Nationals as he chases his first Volusia win since 2018.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 13-15 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Cody Overton (572 points)
2. Ethan Dotson (-4)
3. Brandon Sheppard (-4)
4. Ryan Gustin (-8)
5. Nick Hoffman (-10)
6. Bobby Pierce (-12)
7. Drake Troutman (-14)
8. Kyle Bronson (-20)
9. Cade Dillard (-20)
10. Max Blair (-24)

FEATURE WINNERS (2):
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (10):
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 2
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 1
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1

LANDA PRESSURE WASHERS LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (5):
Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 2
Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 1
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 1
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 1
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1

PODIUM FINISHERS (5):
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 2
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1
Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1

FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGERS (2):
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1

SIMPSON RACING PRODUCTS QUICK TIMES (2):
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1

BILSTEIN POLE AWARD (2):
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 1

FEATURE LAP LEADERS (4):
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 41
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 19
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 16
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 9

2025 WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODELS SCHEDULE & WINNERS
Friday, Jan. 24 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Ryan Gustin (1)
Saturday, Jan. 25 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Garrett Alberson (1)
Thursday, Feb. 13 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Friday, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Saturday, Feb. 15 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL
Friday, Mar. 14 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN
Saturday, Mar. 15 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN
Friday, Mar. 21 / Swainsboro Raceway / Swainsboro, GA
Saturday, Mar. 22 / Swainsboro Raceway / Swainsboro, GA
Friday, Apr. 4 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH
Saturday, Apr. 5 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH
Thursday, Apr. 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, Apr. 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL
Saturday, Apr. 12 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL
Friday, Apr. 25 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL
Saturday, Apr. 26 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL
Thursday, May 1 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Friday, May 2 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Saturday, May 3 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Thursday, May 15 / Raceway 7 / Conneaut, OH
Friday, May 16 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Saturday, May 17 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Sunday, May 18 / Bedford Speedway / Bedford, PA
Friday, June 20 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
Saturday, June 21 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO
Monday, June 23 / Independence Motor Speedway / Independence, IA
Thursday, June 26 / I-94 EMR Speedway / Fergus Falls, MN
Friday, June 27 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Saturday, June 28 / Norman County Raceway / Ada, MN
Sunday, June 29 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Thursday, July 3 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 4 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Saturday, July 5 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 11 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Saturday, July 12 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Friday, July 25 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Saturday, July 26 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Monday, July 28 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Thursday, July 31 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Friday, Aug. 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Saturday, Aug. 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Wednesday, Aug. 13 / Highland Speedway / Highland, IL
Thursday, Aug. 14 / Spoon River Speedway / Lewistown, IL
Friday, Aug. 15 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Saturday, Aug. 16 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Friday, Aug. 22 / Arrowhead Speedway / Colcord, OK
Saturday, Aug. 23 / Arrowhead Speedway / Colcord, OK
Friday, Sept. 12 / Needmore Speedway / Norman Park, GA
Saturday, Sept. 13 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA
Friday, Sept. 26 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL
Saturday, Sept. 27 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL
Friday, Oct. 3 / Humboldt Speedway / Humboldt, KS
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 81 Speedway / Wichita, KS
Friday, Oct. 10 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Saturday, Oct. 11 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Wednesday, Nov. 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thursday, Nov. 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Friday, Nov. 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Saturday, Nov. 8 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

DETROIT – The 2025 Blazer EV SS – the quickest SS model Chevrolet has ever produced1 – will pace the 67th DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The Blazer EV SS, set to go on sale later this quarter, is equipped with Wide Open Watts (WOW), which propels the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds2, and produces 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft torque. The pace car set for the DAYTONA 500 is a production vehicle with no performance upgrades and features custom graphics and embedded strobe lighting.“Chevrolet has a long history with racing – it’s in our DNA – and the Blazer EV SS is a testament to that,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet. “We’re excited for customers to watch the Blazer EV SS — the quickest SS we’ve ever produced — pace such an iconic race this weekend.” The Blazer EV SS also features front Brembo brakes, a sport-tuned chassis, a best-in-class317.7-inch-diagonal color touchscreen4, standard Super Cruise driver assistance technology5 and offers an EPA-estimated 303 miles of range.6“We’re honored to have Chevrolet as a founding partner of Daytona International Speedway, and that the iconic brand chose to feature the all-new Blazer EV SS at the DAYTONA 500,” said DIS track president Frank Kelleher. “The Blazer EV SS is surely going to set the pace for another exciting race.” This marks the first time a Blazer has paced “The Great American Race,” the first time an EV has paced the race and the 16th time Chevrolet has led the DAYTONA 500 field to green. Another Electrifying Surprise Planned for Daytona

Chevrolet will also debut its Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype ahead of the DAYTONA 500. The prototype represents a joint effort between NASCAR and OEM partners, with the intent of exploring new and emerging automotive technologies.  “Our Chevrolet V8 engines continue to be an important part of NASCAR. Racing has always been an important platform for Chevrolet to test, learn and explore new technologies,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president – GM Performance & Motorsports.  Chevrolet will also pace the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck races at DIS that weekend. Corvette Stingray will be the pace car for the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 on Saturday, February 15.Chevrolet Silverado RST will be the pace vehicle for the Craftsman Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 on Friday, February 14.  “Chevrolet is extremely proud to be a part of NASCAR’s season openers by pacing all of the events this year at the famed World Center of Racing,” said Campbell. “We are privileged to continue our relationship with Daytona International Speedway again in 2025.” Race fans can get a close-up look at all four models – Blazer EV SS, Blazer EV.R, Corvette Stingray and Silverado RST – at various Chevrolet display properties at DIS. Chevrolet swept all three NASCAR Manufacturers’ Championships in 2024 for the second year in a row. Across the three NASCAR series, Chevrolet has 102 wins at Daytona International Speedway including winning the DAYTONA 500 26 times – more than any other manufacturer.  William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is the defending DAYTONA 500 champion.

After struggling at Volusia in the past, the Californian conquered the Florida half mile this week

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 8, 2025) – Volusia Speedway Park can elude Kyle Larson and Paul Silva no more.

The potent pairing rolled into Federated DIRTcar Nationals week with no trips to Volusia Victory Lane. Larson had tried and tried and come close but fallen short. He’d been on the podium but not the top step. In a couple short days, “Yung Money” completely changed his narrative at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.”

After a third and second on Wednesday and Thursday, Larson finally broke through on Friday to wave his first Volusia checkered flag. But he wasn’t done there.

Larson and the Silva Motorsports crew returned just as strong for Saturday. They entered the night needing to finish third or better to secure the coveted Big Gator. They opted for the better option to get the job done. Winning.

The Elk Grove, CA native was unstoppable in the event finale. David Gravel got the initial jump and took the lead from the second starting spot, but it only took Larson five laps to wheel his way from fourth to the top spot. He ripped the cushion around Gravel to claim the lead and drive. Logan Schuchart looked to challenge him late but ultimately couldn’t make the move. Larson grabbed the win, a $20,000 payday, and the Big Gator.

“This has just been a track that’s historically and statistically been probably our weakest,” Larson admitted. “It’s been great to come here and have speed every time we hit the track, and to cap off the week with a Big Gator is something I’ve honestly dreamt about for a long time just because of how bad we’ve been here. Great to get the win there.”

All it took for Larson to get the advantage was Gravel leaving the door open once. When Gravel chose not to use the top in the early laps, Larson knew he couldn’t be stopped. Once he got the lead, it was simply a matter of taking care of business in lapped traffic.

“I don’t know if he could hear me or maybe thought I was down there, but he peeled down and I was like, ‘You’re done,’” Larson said. “Then I felt like I did a decent job in traffic there. But it got so single file, and the air becomes so bad and your tires are getting hot and losing grip. It’s just tough.”

Larson upped his total to 37 career victories with the World of Outlaws. A day after he added Volusia to his list, he made it the eighth track in which he’s won at multiple times with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s also the 12^th driver to top at least two World of Outlaws Feature at Volusia. Larson is just the sixth competitor to claim two straight at Volusia, joining Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Brad Sweet, Daryn Pittman, and David Gravel.

After passing Gravel late, Logan Schuchart brought the Shark Racing No. 1S home second. He continues an encouraging start to 2025 after a discouraging 2024. The Hanover, PA native leaves Volusia with finishes of fourth, third, eighth, and second. He had only three podiums last season, and he’s already up to a pair with only four races in the books. Schuchart thought he might’ve been the one standing in Victory Lane if not for a late caution.

“I kind of wanted to push the issue there at the end,” Schuchart said. “I was kind of hoping the caution wouldn’t come out because I felt like we were really closing. Kyle was still kind of searching around a little bit, and I felt like maybe I could capitalize. But after the restart, I just wanted to play the tire game. I knew it was important to finish the race. Right there at the end he tried to go around a lapped car on the outside, and I thought I might be able to stick my nose in there, but I wasn’t quite close enough to make that happen.”

Rounding out the podium was David Gravel as he and Big Game Motorsports continue the strong start to their title defense. The Watertown, CT native finished no worse than fourth all week in Florida. He’ll leave as the de facto points leader. While he found himself wishing he could’ve found a way to win once, Gravel left the week happy with his team’s consistency.

“Being the leader there under the red Cody (Jacobs) told me he was kind of running below me and I was running the middle,” Gravel explained. “And on that restart, Kyle started pounding the top and drove around me. Sometimes it’s better running second. I’m kind of disappointed I lost second place there to Logan. I didn’t really have a shot to win the race after that. We had the track position tonight and couldn’t capitalize. Sometimes that’s the way racing goes, but I’m very proud of the week we had.”

Carson Macedo and Tyler Courtney completed the top five.

Ryan Timms claimed his second KSE Racing Hard Charger of the week with a drive from 19^th to sixth.

Logan Schuchart claimed his 37^th career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Two, and Four belonged to Logan Schuchart, Kyle Larson, and Bill Balog. WIX Filters Heat Three went to David Gravel.

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Tyler Courtney.

Courtney also topped the Toyota Racing Dash.

Garet Williamson won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take three weeks off before returning to Barberville, FL’s Volusia Speedway Park for the Bike Week Jamboree on March 2-3. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, watch every lap all season long on DIRTVision.

For the entire 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car schedule, CLICK HERE.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[4]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[5]; 3. 2-David Gravel[2]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]; 6. 10-Ryan Timms[19]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz[12]; 8. 83-Michael Kofoid[6]; 9. 71-Parker Price Miller[8]; 10. 26-Justin Peck[11]; 11. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[9]; 12. 24D-Danny Sams III[16]; 13. 48-Danny Dietrich[20]; 14. 49-Brad Sweet[14]; 15. 21-Brian Brown[7]; 16. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[25]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen[17]; 18. 88-Austin McCarl[24]; 19. 5-Brenham Crouch[15]; 20. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[18]; 21. 7S-Chris Windom[23]; 22. 6-Zach Hampton[26]; 23. 23-Garet Williamson[21]; 24. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[27]; 25. 39M-Anthony Macri[13]; 26. 28-Conner Morrell[22]; 27. 17B-Bill Balog[3]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

OCALA, FL (February 8, 2025) – Devin Moran outdueled Jonathan Davenport to claim victory in the 50-lap Wieland Winter Nationals finale on Saturday night at Ocala Speedway after starting from the inside of the fourth row. This event marked the largest payout in track history, with Moran taking home $25,000 for his third series win of the season. Davenport crossed the line in second, followed by Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Overton, and Garrett Alberson. Davenport seemed to control the race until Moran went to the top side of turns one and two, successfully tracking down Davenport to take the race lead for good with about 12 laps remaining after the two had exchanged the lead several times. Moran had claimed the second position from Thornton following a caution at the halfway point and then aggressively pursued Davenport after the last caution occurred with 20 laps left. Moran, in Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 18th time in his career, came from the seventh starting spot to claim the win. It was Moran’s third career win at Ocala. “I just gassed on it. This is why we come to Florida for Speedweeks. Everybody has been talking about this or that, and obviously, we aren’t at East Bay. We all love East Bay, but this is my favorite time of year. We just put on one hell of a show for the crowd here and everyone watching home,” said the Dresden, Ohio native. “My the biggest problem was that I just couldn’t restart well all week; however, I finally found the track that could help me restart better. I went wherever they were, and JD was turning down just enough for me to get a run. That last one was really good, but I needed the long runs. We kept having caution after caution, and I was worried about Ricky underneath me. I didn’t expect to finish seventh to win tonight. Last night had the best track conditions, but they still needed to work on it a little, and they did that. They provided us with an amazing experience racetrack.” Davenport, who led the most laps during the race, came home with his third runner-up finish during Speedweeks. “We I went with a soft tire there, and I think we were the only car in the field to do so. I don’t know if that played a role, but I probably wouldn’t have gotten the lead without the soft tire. Devin did a great job; I knew it was going to be moving around. I just got slower and slower on the bottom, and I was kind of stuck there with that tire, so I couldn’t really move around a lot. Once I moved all the way to the top, I was okay, but it was a long way around and pretty treacherous. What a cool racetrack to be that wide! It actually raced a lot better than I thought it would there.” Thornton, the defending series champion, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “The the racetrack was awesome! Bubba told us he was going to get us to where we were running the wall, and I literally think I was on the wall. It was probably the best racetrack we had all week. In the end, I think I made the wrong tire call; we went hard, and the track didn’t slow down as much as I needed it to. Congrats to Devin and JD; they each drove a great race. I almost wish I had in-car camera because it was pretty fun watching those two race it out out.” The winner’s Double Down Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Lazyday’s RV, C&W Trucking, Bomag, Millwood Plumbing, Refuel Wellness, Phillips CPA, Bilstein Shocks, Red Oak Pub, Pee Wee’s Wrecker Service,CarSourceAuto.com, McHugh Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, Haulin’ Haskell’s, Phillips CPA, Eibach Springs, Smoky Mountain Speedway, and Anthony’s Pizza. Completing the top ten were Drake Troutman, Hudson O’Neal, Max Blair, Mark Whitener, and Tanner English. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 5Saturday, February 8, 2025Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Garrett Alberson | 14.398 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport | 14.497 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. 5-Mark Whitener[4]; 5. 96-Tanner English[3]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 7. 15K-Wil Herrington[9]; 8. 8-Dillon McCowan[8]; 9. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 10. 81J-Jack Riggs[10]; 11. 81-Jason Riggs[11]; 12. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[12] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 17SS-Brenden Smith[4]; 4. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 5. 111-Max Blair[5]; 6. 19R-Ryan Gustin[7]; 7. 32-Bobby Pierce[8]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[9]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[6]; 10. 57-Matt Tifft[11]; 11. 09-Michael Leach[10]; 12. (DNS) 000-Matt Nailor Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 3. 9-Tim McCreadie[5]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[9]; 5. 79-Donald McIntosh[7]; 6. 24-Tyler Wyant[10]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 10. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 11. (DNS) 11-Austin Smith; 12. (DNS) 18-Chase Junghans Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 22*-Drake Troutman[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 7. 19M-Spencer Hughes[7]; 8. 28B-Carson Brown[10]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[8]; 10. 43-Derrick Stewart[6]; 11. (DNS) 32J-Jason Jack Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 96-Tanner English[1]; 2. 111-Max Blair[2]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[3]; 4. 15K-Wil Herrington[5]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[9]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[8]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin[4]; 8. 57-Matt Tifft[12]; 9. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[15]; 10. 99B-Boom Briggs[10]; 11. (DNS) 32-Bobby Pierce; 12. (DNS) 8-Dillon McCowan; 13. (DNS) 81J-Jack Riggs; 14. (DNS) 81-Jason Riggs; 15. (DNS) 09-Michael Leach; 16. (DNS) 000-Matt Nailor UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 4. 28B-Carson Brown[8]; 5. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 6. 19M-Spencer Hughes[6]; 7. 24-Tyler Wyant[3]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[11]; 9. 43-Derrick Stewart[12]; 10. 7-Ross Robinson[5]; 11. (DNS) C4-Freddie Carpenter; 12. (DNS) 3S-Brian Shirley; 13. (DNS) 11-Austin Smith; 14. (DNS) 32J-Jason Jack; 15. (DNS) 18-Chase Junghans Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 5 Feature Finish (50 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 7 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $26,0002 – 2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $11,2003 – 1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $7,0004 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $4,0005 – 5 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $4,2006 – 4 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $3,4007 – 12 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,3008 – 19 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $3,0009 – 13 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $2,20010 – 17 – 96 – Tanner English – Benton, KY – $2,10011 – 23 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $2,70012 – 16 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,90013 – 14 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $1,80014 – 21 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,40015 – 9 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,60016 – 15 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $2,20017 – 3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,20018 – 11 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $2,20019 – 18 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $1,50020 – 20 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $1,50021 – 25 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $10022 – 22 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $2,30023 – 10 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $2,60024 – 8 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,20025 – 24 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – $2,200 Race Statistics  Entrants: 47Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.MD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-37); Devin Moran (Laps 38-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Devin MoranColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Carson Ferguson (Lap 16); Brandon Sheppard (Lap 17); Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 25); Dan Ebert (Lap 27); Tyler Erb (Lap 29); Tim McCreadie (Lap 30)Series Provisionals: Ross Robinson; Boom BriggsFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: Spencer HughesTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Penske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Brandon Overton, Garrett AlbersonPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Hudson O’NealWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Ross RobinsonDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Dennis Erb, Jr.MD3 24th Place Feature: Carson FergusonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Ross Robinson (Advanced 12 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (37 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard (Lap 16 | 15.434 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Devin MoranHard Luck Award: Brandon SheppardOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chuck KimbleARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tim McCreadie (14.526 seconds)Time of Race: 35 minutes 27 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1165 – $51,4002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1160 – $64,5003 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1150 – $48,3004 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1055 – $24,3505 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 1020 – $22,4756 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 980 – $18,4507 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 970 – $17,9008 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 965 – $21,2259 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 965 – $20,95010 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 965 – $16,70011 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 900 – $12,00012 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 895 – $20,00013 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 875 – $9,80014 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 850 – $16,75015 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 820 – $12,80016 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 805 – $12,37517 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 800 – $16,15018 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 785 – $6,40019 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 780 – $6,70020 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 765 – $11,10021 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 740 – $8,82522 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 685 – $6,35023 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 680 – $5,72524 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 680 – $3,80025 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 670 – $4,27526 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 660 – $4,05027 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 635 – $5,92528 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 635 – $3,97529 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 615 – $5,60030 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 540 – $4,800