TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
CROWN ROYAL PRESENTS JEFF KYLE 400 AT THE BRICKYARD
JULY 26, 2015
CHEVROLET – THE UNDISPUTED LEADER AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
The Bowtie Brand Goes For Their 13th Consecutive Win at ‘The Brickyard’
DETROIT – (July 21, 2015) – Domination is defined as occupying a commanding or elevated position. At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chevrolet drivers have towered high above the competition for the last 12 consecutive seasons; standing atop the high platform podium in the shadows of the iconic Pagoda and lifting the trophy into the air. No other manufacturer in NASCAR competition has been more dominate at one race track than Chevrolet has been at Indy. Overall Chevrolet has earned 16 wins in 21 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and this week will try for an unprecedented 13th straight win.
Native Hoosier and veteran Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon proudly holds the honor as the all-time winner at the 2.5-mile track. Gordon has ‘kissed the bricks’ five times in his illustrious NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. This weekend he will work to make it six wins and become the second driver in series history to earn back-to-back Brickyard 400’s. The only driver in the history of the sport to earn consecutive victories at Indianapolis is Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jimmie Johnson.
The challenge of winning one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races is always difficult. Indy is well known for bizarre mechanical failures, mishaps on pit road and Cinderella storybook winners. But this weekend there is added uncertainty as the sanctioning body assesses a new high-drag, high-downforce aerodynamics package. The package is being implemented to increase the opportunity for passing by creating drafting opportunities on the low 12-degree banked corners and long straightaways.
Crew chiefs have to throw away their notebooks for Indianapolis Motor Speedway and start from scratch this weekend. No one has tested the proposed configuration, and the first look that anyone will get at how their car reacts will be the first laps of practice on the hallowed yard of bricks on Friday morning. One thing is for sure, the Chevrolet engineering staff has spent countless hours working with various simulation tools to give every single Bowtie Branded team the best technical support and tools to go out and win a 13th race at Indy for Team Chevy.
As fans wait to take their seats to watch 400 miles of racing at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Team Chevy has lots of festivities happening they can enjoy. The Team Chevy stage will be bustle of activity starting when the display opens on Friday at 9 a.m.
Friday has been deemed Chevy Day at the Brickyard. Beginning at 9 a.m. fan can come into the Team Chevy stage and receive a wristband to attend one of the two Chevy autograph sessions happening Friday from 11 a.m. – Noon. Fans will receive an initial wristband when entering the display and can register for their official autograph wristband in the display. Fans will choose between Autograph Session A featuring drivers Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon or Autograph Session B featuring drivers Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray.
Throughout the weekend fans are encouraged to visit the Team Chevy display to check out the great lineup of Chevrolet cars, trucks and SUVs on exhibit in the midway. While at the display on Saturday and Sunday they can ask questions to some of their favorite Team Chevy drivers. Saturday Ty Dillon, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Austin Dillon and Tony Stewart will be answering fans questions. On race day Ryan Newman, Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr. and Kasey Kahne will be taking fans questions at the Team Chevy Stage.
The 160-lap/400-mile Crown Royal Presents Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday July 26. Live coverage will be available on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), IMS Radio Network, 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 749 wins and 675 poles in NSCS competition
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
Chevrolet drivers have won 16 of 21 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS, has five wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (’94,’98, ’01, ’04 & ‘14)
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 KOBALT Tools Chevrolet SS, has visited Victory Lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway four times (’06, ’08, ’09 & ‘12)
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS, has kissed the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway twice (’05 & ‘07)
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet SS, has one trophy from Indianapolis Motor Speedway (’03)
Jamie McMurray, No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet SS, has one win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (’10)
Paul Menard, No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet SS, has one victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (’11)
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet SS, has one win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (’13)
A Chevrolet driver has won 12 of the last 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 10 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 45 top-five and 89 top-10 finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet has led 1,886 laps (56.0% of possible 3,361 laps) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
TEAM CHEVY FOR THE FANS AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
· Chevy Day at the Brickyard – Friday July 24
o Team Chevy Driver Autograph Sessions – Fans can obtain a wristband for one of two Team Chevy driver autograph sessions. Wristbands will be distributed on Friday at 9:00 a.m. in the Team Chevy Display. 200 wristbands will be distributed for each autograph session group. Participants will receive a wristband when they enter the display and then register for their official autograph session wristband. Only official wrist banded individuals will be able to attend the autograph session.
o The autograph session will happen from 11:00 a.m. – 12: 00 p.m.
§ Autograph Group A: Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon
§ Autograph Group B: Danica Patrick, Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch
· Fans can check out great Chevrolet vehicles including: Cruze, Corvette Stingray Convertible, Traverse, Tahoe, Trax, Silverado 2500, Silverado High Country, Spark and 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year – Colorado Z71
· At the display fans can see a variety of show cars including: Native Hoosier’s Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet SS and Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS. Four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS will also be on display
· Lots of special edition Chevrolet vehicles will be on display at the Team Chevy display this weekend at the Brickyard. Fans can get an up close look at the Silverado Midnight edition, Silverado Rally, Impala Midnight, Corvette Stingray Z06 Coupe, Colorado Diesel and City Express Van. Fans can also check-out all the all-new 2016 Malibu, Camaro, Volt and Equinox
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 ON THE TEAM CHEVY STAGE:
· Saturday July 25th:
o 10:45 a.m. – Ty Dillon
o 11:15 a.m. – Kurt Busch
o 11:30 a.m. – Jeff Gordon
o 12:00 p.m. – Austin Dillon
o 12:30 p.m. – Tony Stewart
· Sunday July 26th:
o 11:45 a.m. – Ryan Newman
o 12:00 p.m. – Danica Patrick
o 12:15 p.m. – Jimmie Johnson
o 12:25 p.m. – Kevin Harvick
o 12:45 p.m. – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Martin Truex, Jr.
o 1:00 p.m. – Kasey Kahne
· Hours of operation: Fri. July 24th – 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Sat. July 25th – 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sun. July 26th – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
DID YOU KNOW? While occasional smartphone overheating is normal, it can be disconcerting as it saps the phone’s battery life and slows processing speeds. Industry-first technology coming soon to some Chevrolet models can help cool down this problem.
Chevrolet is addressing this with a system called Active Phone Cooling in several vehicles, including the 2016 Impala and Malibu equipped with available wireless charging. No other automotive manufacturer offers a similar solution for in-vehicle smartphone cooling.
An air vent connected directly to the car’s air conditioning and ventilation system is directed to the charging bin where the phone rests for wireless charging, sending cool air to help lower the phone’s temperature. Active Phone Cooling operates only when the HVAC system is turned on by the driver.
ENGINEER EXPERTISE FROM THE GARAGE AREA – PAT SUHY, MANAGER, NASCAR COMPETITION:
“With a little more than half of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is now behind us, a quick look back shows what an awesome season it has been for Chevrolet to this point. We’ve collected 11 wins in the first 19 races and have had more top 5 finishes and led more laps than all of our competitors combined. As impressive as that is, our historic performance at Indianapolis is even more impressive with wins in the last 12 races at the historic track.
“A quick look back is all we get though because every team and manufacturer is working as hard as possible to improve every week; and we understand that past success is no guarantee of future performance. NASCAR has provided a new challenge this time around with a revised set of rules aimed at increasing drag significantly. We expect a slight reduction in overall downforce, an increase in single car drag, which will impact qualifying speeds, and a significant reduction in ‘trailing car’ drag. That reduction in ‘trailing car’ drag adds the potential for superspeedway-like drafting around the two and a half mile circuit. Since there wasn’t a track test of this package, we won’t find out what’s really going to happen until the first practice session of the weekend at the earliest.
“Team Chevy has a long standing tradition of success in the Sprint Cup Series, which is the result of a combination of great teams and a strong foundation of parts and technical support for those teams from our engineering group. That technical support is a combination of tools like simulation and analysis packages, various test rigs, along with reduced and full-scale wind tunnel testing processes. The combination of simulation and physical testing goes a long way to help predict the on-track behavior we expect to see when the cars hit the track with this new package on Friday. We, and our teams, embrace the opportunity to react to changes like these; and everyone has been working hard since NASCAR made the decision on this a few weeks ago.
“I’m confident in our approach and am looking forward to seeing it play out in the race on Sunday, when we’re sure to see at least one Chevy fighting for the win on the final lap. Another trip to Indy’s winner circle would be a great way to cap off the weekend.”
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S/BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – POINTS LEADER
“The history itself at Indianapolis is what makes Indy what it is. It’s a racetrack that has 100 years of history before we even get started about talking about anything else. For me, growing up and wanting to race in the Indianapolis 500 and being able to win the Brickyard 400, and going there each and every year is something that is a little bit of a childhood dream. To be able to go there and be a part of what we do each year at the Brickyard is pretty neat.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS – 4TH IN STANDINGS
“Indianapolis is going to be a challenge for us. We are starting from scratch. The downforce package should make it more comfortable for us, but passing is tough there – it’s a narrow track. Its lots of fun there and would love to get another win.”
MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/VISSER PRECISION CHEVROLET SS – 5TH IN STANDINGS
“Indy is a super prestigious race. It’s the one that everybody wants to win. It’s obviously an honor to race at Indy and I look forward to going there every year. Indy is a super challenging track and really different from any other track we go to. However, after winning at Pocono I feel like we’ll have a little bit of an edge going there because of some of the similarities. I feel that we can apply a lot of the things we did at Pocono to Indy. The big curve ball this weekend will be the new rules package. We did a Goodyear tire test at Indy and felt good about what we had. But now we go back there with a totally different package. There’s going to be a learning curve but our guys have been really good about figuring out things quickly.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN STANDINGS
“From what I understand about the rules package is that it’s an extreme gain in drag. So, when you have a lot of drag introduced to a car it creates more throttle on time for that car. What we hope it does is creates the ability for the car from behind to get into that wake. To get into that dirty air and have the ability to make a move and pass the car in front of it. What is tough about a stock car versus an Indy car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is it is a flat track and a stock car is so heavy it chews up the tires and it doesn’t corner all that well. We are hoping that the drag will create a big wake going down the straightaways for cars to make big bold moves going into the corners.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S/CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – 9TH IN STANDINGS
“I like the idea of having a rules package that might be track specific, so I am interested to see how the changes for this weekend will work. I don’t think that recently the Indy race has been a great race from a fans perspective, so hopefully the changes will make the racing action more exciting for the fans. Obviously going back to Indy I have great memories from 2010 and I know that this is an important race on the schedule as a team with Chip’s (Ganassi) history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS – 10TH IN STANDINGS
“The Brickyard 400 sticks out so much to me because I am from California via Indiana, and the first big race I remember watching on TV was the Indianapolis 500. For me to be able to compete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was something I dreamed of. And the inaugural Brickyard 400 may have been more meaningful because we went there with a chance to win – not just to compete. To win that race and go on to win four more is just incredible to me. To me, personally, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is just the ultimate track that I get to compete on.”
KASEY KANE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN STANDINGS
“To me the Brickyard means so much. I lived in Indianapolis for three years. I grew up watching the Indy 500 races and watching the Brickyard 400s once they started. The times that I have raced there I’ve felt really competitive each time. I came close in ’04 and closer in ’06 to winning the Brickyard 400 and last year we led the most laps and came close again. I look forward to going there and I hope that eventually we can win a Brickyard 400 and get a trophy from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 GRAINGER CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS
“I commend NASCAR for their recent efforts to work with the teams to improve the product, especially at places like Kentucky Speedway. Any time you can improve the product sooner than later is good for everyone in the sport. I’m not sure a change at Indy is needed in my opinion. It is one of our crown jewels so I’m not sure if it’s a place we should be experimenting. I think we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. We’ll certainly know more at the end of day on Friday.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 DURACELL/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“Indy has a special meaning to me for sure. It’s the greatest race track in the world. It’s the one I circle every year, even before I won there. I spent a lot of time there as a kid watching IndyCar races. I was at the inaugural Brickyard 400. At one point I could name every Indy 500 winner from 1911 through probably the mid-90’s. I’ve forgotten most of them now but could still probably name quite a few. I was, and still am, a big history geek. I love history, especially at Indianapolis.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/MYCOGEN CHEVROLET SS – 19TH IN STANDINGS
“I think a lot. I learned a lot of driving style stuff last year. We’re changing up a lot of packages right now with NASCAR, so we just have to be able to adjust and use all of our tools with engineers to find a happy medium for what we want in the race. We just need to go out there, have fun and race. I think we do so much better when we go out and have fun and enjoy ourselves at the track.”
CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“We have tested the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS at Indy this year, but, the rules have changed since that test. I think the high-drag package at Indianapolis this weekend presents the largest unknown for us as far as the tracks coming up with the various packages. Indianapolis is such a difficult race track. I think when we go to Michigan it’s going to achieve what we hope to achieve with bunching the cars up closer. We have a good idea of what we think it’s going to do, based on the wind tunnel, but it’s going to be interesting to see how it applies at Indy. Indianapolis is such a one-groove race track. You need all the downforce you can to suck up to the cars in front of you and you also need to be able to clear once you pull out to make the pass. It’s going to be interesting with this high drag package, with the less horse power that we have this year, to see how it applies. I think that when we are by our self, it’s all going to be real similar except we’ll probably be running more throttle and less brake. But, when we get in a pack, it’ll be interesting to see because aero has always been a big issue at Indy. The field usually gets single file just because the groove is so tight. I don’t know if this package is going to allow us to race closer or get more strung out. It’ll be interesting to see.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 21ST IN STANDINGS
“Indy’s a fun place to go to because of all the history at that track. There’s just something about that place. I actually got to go there a few weeks ago and drive the Chevy Monte Carlo pace car from the inaugural Brickyard race and tour the museum with my Target teammate Scott Dixon. It’s a big track, and I prefer those mile-and-a-half to two mile tracks. Even though it can be tough to pass there, I feel like my team does a good job of calling races and maximizing track position. We ran well there last season, but with the new package I’m not sure what to expect. In Kentucky, our car was fast off the truck, and I’m confident the guys will have the Target Chevy ready to go in Indy.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“I think the best thing about coming back is that it feels familiar and it feels comfortable. I like seeing it. It feels very comfortable, very familiar. I just feel like I’ve had a lot of different experiences here that can help me and, again, it’s just a special place where I feel like, from the beginning, I’ve always really believed that you have to show this track respect and it will hopefully show you the respect back. I’ve always thought that and, especially in IndyCar, this place can bite you pretty big. I don’t think it’s too much different in a stock car, to be honest. It’s just a very familiar place. We spent so much time there during the month of May that it becomes like a second home, almost. It’s not like the Indy 500 was a three-day show. You spent just about the entire month there. My parents live outside of Indy, as do my sister and her family, so it’s nice to come back.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER/KINGSFORD CHARCOAL CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“Every time I drive into Indianapolis Motor Speedway, whether it is for The Brickyard or the Indy 500, it makes me think back to the history of the place. I mean no matter what kind of race it puts on or how the previous year’s race went, it’s a place with so much history behind it. I love driving into there. It is just an awesome place.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1/BASS PRO SHOPS CHEVROLET SS – 26TH IN STANDINGS
“You always want to win it. Every driver has a home race. Some of the tracks we go to twice, and Indy is one we get to go to once, and this is our trip to it. If you can only win one race a year, I’m still going to pick the Daytona 500. But if you can’t win Daytona as that one race a year, I want to win the Brickyard. It’s always big when you come home. It’s always big when you have friends and family that don’t get the opportunity to go see you race anywhere else, but can be there in person to watch and experience it. So, you always want to run well.
JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 BRANDT CHEVROLET SS – 29TH IN STANDINGS
“I like going to Indianapolis [Motor Speedway]. It’s not that far from my hometown in Illinois, so a lot of family and friends make the driver over. The Brickyard is one of those races everyone has on their list of prestigious races to win. Not only is the Brickyard a well-known race, it’s also a big weekend for Chevy. They have the golf tournament on Thursday, and I’m going to play in that along with my crew chief. It should be a very interesting weekend on the track with the rules changes, but I think we’ll see that the new package will improve the racing. At the end of the day we want to put on a good show for the fans, and I think that’ll be the case on Sunday.”
BRIAN SCOTT, NO. 33 CHEVROLET SS:
“The guys that work on the car week-in and week-out have done a great job adapting to different drivers and different circumstances. It’s been fun. We’ve been able to have strong runs and have finishes capable of the top 10; with our best finish of 13th at Las Vegas. It’s been a good situation and it’s been a tremendous asset for me to be able to get in there and drive that car and have some fun with it.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET SS:
“It will be an honor to race at the Brickyard this weekend and I could not be more thankful of NAPA AUTO PARTS and the Hendrick Motorsports organization for giving me the chance. Growing up, this was one of my favorites to watch and follow. There’s something about Indy that is hard to put into words. It’s the atmosphere when you arrive at the track that feels so powerful. We have to qualify to make the show on Sunday, but I couldn’t be more prepared and ready to go than I am right now.”
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)
2015 STATISTICS:
Wins: 11
Poles: 9
Laps led: 3545
Top-five finishes: 58
Top-10 finishes: 120
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 749 (1949 – to date); (2,436 possible = 30.0%)
Poles Won to Date: 675
Laps Lead to Date: 223,365
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,767
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 7,696
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,084
Chevrolet: 749
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 734
Ford: 634
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 71
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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 115 countries and selling around 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 and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
