Team Chevy Clinched Four Poles and Won Three Races During Speedweeks
DETROIT—Chevrolet is looking for more fun in the sun this weekend when it shifts its focus from the beaches near Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to the valley of the sun surrounding Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway, where Team Chevy has 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories, more than any manufacturer, and has won 13 of the last 17 series events held at the 1-mile track.
“Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Daytona 500 victory capped a successful Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway for Chevrolet,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “It was great to see Chevrolet drivers and teams clinch four poles and secure three wins in major sports-car and stock-car races to kick off the 2014 season.”
When Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag late Sunday night to win the prestigious Daytona 500, it marked Chevrolet’s 23rd victory in The Great American Race and capped a very successful Speedweeks in Daytona for Chevrolet:
§ Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS, won the Daytona 500 for the second time in his career after runner-up finishes at the event three of the past four seasons
§ The Chevrolet SS, which made its points-race debut in last year’s season opener, made it two-for-two in the Daytona 500 (Jimmie Johnson, in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, won in ’13)
§ Austin Dillon, driver of the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Dow Chevrolet SS, won the pole for The Great American Race in the return of the iconic No. 3 to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the first time in 13 years. It also made the Chevrolet SS two-for-two in Daytona 500 poles (Danica Patrick, driver of the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS earned the pole in ’13)
§ Regan Smith, driver of the JR Motorsports No. 7 Ragu Chevrolet Camaro, won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, making the Chevrolet Camaro two-for-two in victories at the season-opening Daytona event
§ Dylan Kwasniewski, driver of the Turner Scott Motorsports No. 31 Rock Star Energy Chevrolet Camaro, clinched the pole for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race
§ Ben Kennedy, driver of the Turner Scott Motorsports No. 31 Florida Lottery/Whelen Chevrolet Silverado, secured the pole for the NASCAR Camping World Series race (based on practice times after qualifying was rained out)
§ A trio of Corvette Daytona Prototypes—led by the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP driven by Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais—swept the overall podium as Chevrolet finished 1-2-3-4 en route to its first overall victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona since 2001
§ Alex Gurney drove the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP to the overall pole for the Rolex 24 at Daytona
“It is a long season ahead, but it was good to see the preparation by the teams and engineers pay off during Speedweeks,” Campbell said. “But, now that’s done. At this point, we’re focused on the races in Phoenix, and the season kicks off for the other series in which we compete.”
The victory for Earnhardt Jr., who led a race-high 54 of the 200 laps, was the 20th of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career.
“It’s the greatest feeling you can have as a driver in NASCAR at a single event in a single day,” said Earnhardt Jr., who also won the Daytona 500 in 2004. “What makes this special is the people you’re with when it happens.”
Chevrolet’s Speedweeks began in January when Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP paced the entire 67-car field in the Rolex 24, the first race of the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
“The guys were prepared,” said Bourdais, following his first win at the Rolex 24. “Everybody was on top of things. Everybody knew exactly what to do and how to do it, and the execution was perfect. The car was reliable. The Chevy engine in the car; what can I say? It’s a dream come true.”
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About Chevrolet:
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
