TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
MARCH 1, 2015
CHEVROLET SS – THE LEADER OF THE PACK
Chevrolet Pace Vehicles to lead all three races at AMS
DETROIT – (February 24, 2015) – Last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Chevrolet’s Jeff Gordon piloted his Chevy SS to the pole position and led the field to the green flag. This week at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) another Chevrolet SS will lead the field – a white Chevrolet SS pace car. In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Chevy SS is the most authentic tie from the showroom to the race track. Complete with a fuel injected V8 engine, manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, the SS will lead a contingent of its race car cousins to the start of 325 laps/500.5 miles around the 1.5-mile track.
Chevrolet has a long and successful history at AMS. During its 55-years, Team Chevy has visited Victory Lane 38 times, which is more than any other manufacturer. The brand has won three of the last five races.
This season there will be a few new twists that Team Chevy drivers, crew chiefs and crews will have to take into consideration in order to find Victory Lane. Over the last five seasons, the race weekend at AMS has been held in September. This year it is the second race on the tour. Teams will have to adjust to stark temperature changes. Last year when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visited AMS the temperature on race day was 84 degrees. In 2015 the predicted high on race day is only 55 degrees.
Not only will drivers and teams be dealing with a radical temperature changes, but they will also be faced with several rule modifications. AMS will be the first chance for teams to see how their cars react to the new guidelines.
Manager of NASCAR Engineering and Program Management, Pat Suhy, and his team went to work during the brief off-season to prepare for the first 1.5-mile contest of the year at AMS.
“Atlanta Motor Speedway will be the first time for everyone to experience the 2015 non-restrictor aerodynamic package along with the new engine package, under race conditions,” said Suhy. “The aero package consists of a two-inch reduction in spoiler height and a five-inch narrower radiator pan. Those two items combine to yield approximately 25 percent less total downforce, seven percent less up front and 17 percent less in the rear, and a 12 percent reduction in drag. The engine package includes a tapered spacer that’s used to offset the drag reduction. Rear end gear ratios have been adjusted to target a maximum of 9000 rpm vs. the 9500 rpm target that was used in 2014. The result is about 14 percent less power at the rear wheels than the 2014 package.
“All of those changes are significant, and have required teams to dig deep into their toolboxes, and into Chevrolet’s toolboxes, in order to adapt accordingly,” Suhy continued. “Our full size and reduced scale model wind tunnel schedules have been packed. Teams use them, along with a combination of Chevrolet’s computational fluid dynamics package and their own resources, to find ways to regain as much of the lost downforce as possible and to optimize aero balance. Chevrolet and team chassis engineers have been using various simulation tools and tire data analyses to work on ways to maximize grip around Atlanta’s worn track surface.”
As the Chevrolet SS race cars and pace car prepare to complete their tasks on track at AMS, fans can check out the great line-up of Chevrolet cars, trucks and SUV’s on display at the Team Chevy exhibit in the midway. Fans can see a variety of vehicles including: Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Camaro, Corvette Stingray, Equinox, Traverse, Colorado Z71 Crew, Colorado Double Cab, Silverado Crew, Silverado HD and Tahoe. They can also check out a number of show cars including the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet SS, the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro. Fans can also ask questions of their favorite Team Chevy driver. Ty Dillon, Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon will all make appearances at the Team Chevy stage during the race weekend.
The 325-lap/500.5 mile Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway is scheduled to begin on Sunday March 1st at 1:00 pm ET. Live coverage will be available on FOX, PRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.
TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:
· Chevrolet has won 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
· Team Chevy drivers have scored 738 wins and 667 poles in NSCS competition
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
Chevrolet drivers have won 38 of 107 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS, has five (5) victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) (’95, ’98, ’99, ’03 & ’11)
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, has three (3) wins at AMS (’04 & ’07 – TWICE)
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, has visited Victory Lane three times (3) at AMS (’06 , ’09 & ‘14)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet SS, has made one (1) trip to Victory Lane at AMS (’04)
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet SS, has one (1) win at AMS (’01)
A Chevrolet driver has won three (3) of the last five (5) races at Atlanta Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway 24 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 180 top-five and 359 top-10 finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet has led 12,007 laps (35.0% of possible 34,066 laps) at Atlanta Motor Speedway
TEAM CHEVY FOR THE FANS AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
· Fans can check out great Chevrolet vehicles including: Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Camaro, Corvette Stingray, Equinox, Traverse, Colorado Z71 Crew, Colorado Double Cab, Silverado Crew, Silverado HD and Tahoe
· At the display fans can see a variety of show cars including: Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS, Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS and Ty Dillon’s No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro.
Fans can see a sample of engines, parts and accessories in the Team Chevy Display available for purchase from Chevrolet at their local Chevrolet dealer
· Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids
DRIVER FAN Q/A APPEARANCES:
· Friday, February 27th – Ty Dillon will stop by the Team Chevy stage at 1:30 p.m.
· Sunday, March 1st– Three-time Atlanta Motor Speedway winner Jimmie Johnson will stop by the Team Chevy stage at 9:30 a.m. followed by Austin Dillon at 9:50 a.m.
· Hours of operation: Fri. Feb. 27th – 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Sat. Feb. 28th – 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sun. March 1st – 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
CHEVROLET SPOTLIGHT: Nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta led by Chevrolet with 38 victories.
ENGINEER EXPERTISE FROM THE GARAGE AREA – PAT SUHY, MANAGER, CHEVROLET RACING – MANAGER OF NASCAR ENGINEERING AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:
“Congratulations to Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on their pole, outside pole and wins in the Budweiser Duels last week at Daytona. It was great to see Team Chevy hit the track for the first time in 2015. With that said, I’m looking forward to a season of great racing.
“The next stop is Atlanta Motor Speedway, which will be the first time for everyone to experience the 2015 non-restrictor aerodynamic package along with the new engine package, under race conditions. The aero package consists of a two-inch reduction in spoiler height and a five-inch narrower radiator pan. Those two items combine to yield approximately 25 percent less total downforce, seven percent less up front and seventeen percent less in the rear, and a 12 percent reduction in drag. The engine package includes a tapered spacer that’s used to offset the drag reduction. Rear end gear ratios have been adjusted to target a maximum of 9000 rpm vs. the 9500 rpm target that was used in 2014. The result is about 14 percent less power at the rear wheels than the 2014 package.
“All of those changes are significant, and have required teams to dig deep into their toolboxes, and into Chevrolet’s toolboxes, in order to adapt accordingly. Our full size and reduced scale model wind tunnel schedules have been packed. Teams use them, along with a combination of Chevrolet’s computational fluid dynamics package and their own resources, to find ways to regain as much of the lost downforce as possible and to optimize aero balance. Chevrolet and team chassis engineers have been using various simulation tools and tire data analyses to work on ways to maximize grip around Atlanta’s worn track surface.
“I’m confident that our teams will arrive better prepared than the competition; and am looking forward to seeing them fight it out for the win on Sunday.”
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S/BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – 2ND IN STANDINGS
“Well I guess I’m going to show my age a little bit. When I first started you went to Rockingham (North Carolina) after Daytona and then the third race of the season was Atlanta, but to come back here early in the season again is better for the crew guys more than anything. It allows them to really get their stuff together. You spend so much time and effort going to Daytona and it’s really like its own animal. To have to load those cars up and send those trucks off to the west coast on Monday morning was always a pretty big burden on the race shops, so I think if you look at being able to come to Atlanta, which is close to home, and really catch your breath after Daytona is good for those guys. So to now come to Atlanta the second race is better for the teams and we can have all the logistics of what it takes to race three weeks in a row on the west coast in order.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CHEVROLET SS – 3RD IN STANDINGS
(On his top-five finish at Daytona) “We had a really fast car — maybe the best car here. So I had a lot of confidence to keep digging and we got some of those spots back. Just a little disappointed I let the guys down. We should have won the race.”
“We are ready to go to Atlanta. It’s going to be a fun year.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 5TH IN STANDINGS
“Running fifth at Daytona was a great way to start the season for this Lowe’s team. It was a great effort from everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for all of Speedweeks. I hate we didn’t come out of there with a trophy but we put on a good show. We’re looking forward to the test session on Thursday at Atlanta and seeing what we have for the 2015 season.”
CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 6TH IN STANDINGS
“It’s been a busy couple of weeks, so it’ll be nice to get home for a few days and get some rest before heading to Atlanta. We’re coming off of a strong trip to Daytona where we were 4th in the Sprint Unlimited and 6th in the 500. Atlanta is a fast racetrack and we’re looking forward to getting the no. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS on-track and hopefully see our work over the winter pay off. The guys on this Germain Racing team have worked really hard, so everyone is excited to get things rolling.”
MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW RACING CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN STANDINGS
“The Daytona performance isn’t a guarantee that we’ll run real good all season long. But with the things we did over the winter, the testing we did towards the end of last year, the momentum we gained and the team changes we made, I feel really good about our stuff and what we’re going to do. We’ll have to see how we do at Atlanta. We’re looking forward to going there. It’s one of my favorite tracks and we’ll see if we can’t come out of there about seven spots better. We all know that one eighth-place finish doesn’t make a season. We had the worst possible start last year, finishing dead last (43rd) in the Daytona 500. So coming into a race knowing that we’re on target to accomplish our goal of making the Chase has me feeling so much better than last year at this time. I am definitely excited to get to Atlanta and to a track where it’s a little more in your hands. We’ll have a good idea where we stand during Thursday’s test session. I am feeling positive about the team and about the 2015 season.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“I think Atlanta Motor Speedway is definitely going to be a different race this year with the race occurring much earlier in the year. The temperatures are lower and you’ll see more grip to the track. The new package will be interesting. The first few days we are there testing and getting used to it. It will be the first time that anybody has really ran it, so I am hoping all the work we put into our program at RCR in the off season really pays off.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 BETTER THAN BOUILLON CHEVROLET SS – 17TH IN STANDINGS
“Testing at Atlanta will be big for us. We’re lucky to have had the Las Vegas Motor Speedway test although Atlanta Motor Speedway is different than Vegas. It’s important that we have those few hours on Thursday to get back in the rhythm and see where we are these first five or six races. They are so important because it really shows you where you are at as a team. Hopefully, we will get a good start at it and kind of keep rolling from there. It would be nice to have a good race at Atlanta to give us momentum going into the West Coast swing.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS – 18TH IN STANDINGS
“I feel like the team did a great job with the car there last year. I think grip is a premium, obviously, as the tires fall off there maybe more than anywhere else we go. I think that’s where you really rely on the downforce of the car and having a car that does what you want it to do consistently through the tire life as well.
“By the time we got to Atlanta last season, we had worked on the car a lot throughout the year and got it to a point where it was how I liked it. I think the team did a great job with the car itself, giving me the most amount of downforce possible to deal with no grip left.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 DURACELL/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“Yeah, Daytona is so unique that the true season is really at the downforce tracks whether it is the one-mile at Phoenix, the 1.5-mile at Vegas or a 1.5-mile at Atlanta. That’s when the season truly starts taking shape. Atlanta is one of my favorite race tracks and I’m excited to see it as the second race of the season. It’s going to be a little cooler than we’ve gotten accustomed to the last couple of years, which means the grip will be up high and it’ll be a fast track.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET SS – 24TH IN STANDINGS
“Atlanta is pretty unique compared to most of the 1.5-mile tracks that we race. The track surface is pretty old and rough; it uses up tires pretty quick. I think that makes it a lot of fun for the driver to have to really work the car to be consistent on long-runs. With the new open-test format we will have a couple of practices on Thursday for some extra track time. We had a pretty good finish there last year, hopefully we can build on that this weekend.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS – 28TH IN STANDINGS
“I love racing at Atlanta. I won my first ever Busch (now XFINITY) Series race there and it was also the site of my very first Sprint Cup Series start more than 22 years ago. We’ve won races and clinched championships there.
“Atlanta Motor Speedway holds a special place in my heart.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 ENERGIZER CHEVROLET SS – 30TH IN STANDINGS
“Last weekend in Daytona didn’t end up how we had hoped. We were able to overcome some early setbacks and get our lap back late to be in a position for a good finish on the final restart before getting spun off turn two on the last lap. Everyone was racing hard, and that stuff happens. I’m looking forward to racing Atlanta this weekend and getting on the type of track where we’ll spend most of our time. I had the chance to test the new rules package a little last year, but am looking forward to seeing how the car handles with everyone else on track. I thought last year we were pretty good at Atlanta in the Target Chevy. The team has spent a lot of time working on our mile and a half program, so I’m excited to see how we are, especially at a track where I enjoy racing.”
JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 BRANDT CHEVROLET SS – 33RD IN STANDINGS
“After the race at Daytona [International Speedway], I’m ready to get to Atlanta [Motor Speedway] and the intermediate tracks. We race at a lot of 1.5-mile tracks during the season, so it’s important to start off on the right foot at Atlanta. The weather will play a pretty big factor this weekend. It has been several years since Atlanta has been this early on the schedule. I’m used to a very hot and slick track at Atlanta, so it should interesting to have a cooler surface. We will test on Thursday and I think that will really set the tone for the weekend.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 34TH IN STANDINGS
“We are at the limit of speed at Daytona, not because of grip, but because of terminal velocity. At Atlanta, it’s more of a matter of grip than it is terminal velocity. We can go a lot faster if I could keep it wide open. At Atlanta it is still really fast, but it’s a mile-and-a-half instead of a two-and-a-half-mile track. It’s a lot tighter radius and really grippy on new tires.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – 36TH IN STANDINGS
“I like racing there. It’s definitely a driver’s track. That’s why we love coming to Atlanta. I hope they never repave it. If they have to repave it, it will be out of necessity, not because of desire from us. That’s what makes this place fun is the fact that you’re going to move around from the bottom to the top every segment of the race. You are, at some point, going to have to move around and try to find a spot to make your car better.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships
Total (1949 – 2014): 38
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 12 (2003-2014)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Drivers Championships
Total (1949 – 2014): 30
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005 – ’11)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
Event Victories
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – (in 2007)
2014 STATISTICS:
Wins: 20
Poles: 18
Laps led: 6122
Top-five finishes: 94
Top-10 finishes: 194
2015 STATISTICS:
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Laps led: 162
Top-five finishes: 3
Top-10 finishes: 6
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 738 (1949 – to date); (2,424 possible = 30.0%)
Poles Won to Date: 667
Laps Lead to Date: 219,973
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,712
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 7,582
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,073
Chevrolet: 738
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 733
Ford: 633
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 65
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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 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive & active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
