TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE
AUGUST 19, 2017
BOWTIE BULLETS
LOCKED IN:
With only three races remaining until the 16 playoff drivers are decided, Chevrolet already has five drivers locking into the playoffs by virtue of their victories in 2017. Chevrolet SS drivers Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and Austin Dillon make up Chevrolet’s series leading nine wins this season. Chevrolet is on track to place two more drivers into the playoffs, Chase Elliott and Jamie McMurray, are currently the highest drivers in the point standings that do not have wins yet this year.
CHEVY OVER 40 CLUB:
Bristol Motor Speedway is one of only six tracks on the current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule where Chevrolet has more than 40 victories. Chevrolet has visited Winner’s Circle at the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’ 44 times, more than any other brand.
CLIMBING THE MANUFACTURER MOUNTAIN:
After the victory last weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Chevrolet regained the top spot in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer standings. Chevrolet continues its weekly quest to collect manufacturer points in order to claim an unprecedented 40th manufacturer title at year’s end.
LEADER OF THE PACK:
This weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, Chevrolet will serve as the official pace car during all three NASCAR events. A Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Camaro and a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will all serve as pace vehicles for their respective races.
RACE REWIND:
Last weekend at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), Kyle Larson earned his third consecutive victory at the 2-mile, ‘home track’ of Chevrolet. Larson brought home the prestigious Michigan Heritage Trophy, presented to the winning manufacturer at MIS, to Chevrolet for a record sixth time. Larson and Jimmie Johnson are now tied for the most Chevrolet wins this season with three each.
TUNE-IN:
The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled to begin on Saturday August 19th. Live coverage can be found on NBC, PRN, and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 at 7:30 p.m.
BY THE NUMBERS:
Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships
Team Chevy drivers have scored 774 wins and 693 poles in MENCS competition
Chevrolet drivers have won 45 of 113 races at Bristol Motor Speedway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, has made two trips to Winner’s Circle at BMS (’10 & ‘15)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 Axalta/Ducks Unlimited Chevrolet SS, has one victory at Bristol Motor Speedway (’04)
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Rated Red Chevrolet SS, has recorded one victory at BMS (’13)
A Chevrolet driver has won two of the last three races at Bristol Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway 37 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 202 top-five and 417 top-10 finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet has led laps 23,056 (41.8% of possible 54,977laps) at Bristol Motor Speedway
FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway Area at Bristol Motor Speedway
Fans can check out great a great assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Display including: Traverse, Equinox, Silverado Special Ops Edition, Impala, Corvette Stingray, Camaro Convertible, Cruze Hatchback, Tahoe, Colorado ZR2, Silverado 2500 HD and Silverado Crew Desert High Country
At the Chevrolet Display, fans can view the No. 48 Chevrolet SS and No. 3 DOW Chevrolet SS show cars
Also on display is a Chevrolet R07 racing engine complete with electronic fuel injection. Fans can also see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet Performance at their local Chevrolet dealer
Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids
TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Wednesday, August 16th
2:00 p.m. – John Hunter Nemechek
2:30 p.m. – Landon Huffman
2:45 p.m. – Kaz Grala
3:00 p.m. – Stewart Friesen
3:15 p.m. – Justin Haley & Johnny Sauter
Friday, August 18th
2:00 p.m. – Spencer Gallagher
2:30 p.m. – Ben Kennedy
2:45 p.m. – Brendan Gaughan, Brandon Jones & Daniel Hemric
Sunday, August 19th
4:05 p.m. – Austin Dillon
4:25 p.m. – Ty Dillon
4:45 p.m. – Chase Elliott
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: Wed. Aug. 16th – Noon – 8:30 p.m., Fri. Aug. 18th – 9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Sat. Aug. 19th – 9:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 HUGGIES LITTLE MOVERS CHEVROLET SS – 2ND IN STANDINGS
“They are both great races, but over the years the track to me has just gotten faster. With the grip that they put on the top and now they are putting grip on the bottom, so it’s as fast as it’s ever been I think. Throughout an entire run the cars don’t fall off like they used to. Probably some of your faster laps are later in the run than they are even at the start sometimes. Just trying to battle through those things, be able to pass cars and be in the right position like any other track, but yeah, Bristol is a good track to go to. Track position means a lot and then on the longer runs you can make moves it seems like. But yeah, I think the night race to me, in the past especially there is so much like the vibe and the excitement of it is so good. So, it’s neat to be part of that race and try to get a night win. We won during the day and that was really cool. I think I won at night in maybe Xfinity, but yeah, it’s a neat place to race, just a small track everybody is close together and top or bottom, wherever your car works the best or if there are cars in front of you, you go somewhere else. Yeah, it’s challenging for sure to try to get the speed and keep it throughout a whole run.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA CHEVROLET SS – 7TH IN STANDINGS
ON THE DIFFERENCES OF RACING AT BRISTOL DURING THE DAY VERSUS AT NIGHT:
“Just the atmosphere, such a cool atmosphere and one that we don’t see but one time a year and that is why we love it. We love what we can’t have and something that only happens once a year makes it that much more special and I think other places should take note of that.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S/CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN STANDINGS
“Bristol is an intense track that requires focus every lap. When the race car is good, you have a lot of fun, but if you aren’t very good it’s like you are in the way of everyone else all night. One of the things that makes Bristol so much fun is that it is a throwback to how most every driver started out, racing short-tracks around the country on a Saturday night. The night race is especially a crazy atmosphere when the stands are full to see how many people are crowded around that ½-mile track.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“To say I’m excited to get to Bristol is an understatement. I can’t say enough about the hard work my guys have been putting in lately. It’s been a frustrating summer to say the least. I’ve got confidence we can turn this around.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 15TH IN STANDINGS
“A lot of it has to do with keeping up with the demands of a 500-lap race. It doesn’t take much to get behind at Bristol and when you do, it’s tough to recover. It’s a place where you need to know when to give and take at the appropriate times. If you make a mistake, more than likely, it will make more of an impact resulting in a pretty banged up car, a significant loss of track position or even a lap. One bad run can change your entire race.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 RATED RED CHEVROLET SS – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“Over the years, Bristol has gotten faster throughout an entire run — the lap times don’t fall off like they used to. Track position means a lot, and on the longer runs you can make moves. It’s a small track and you can work the top and bottom, wherever your car is best. The excitement of the night race is so cool and it would be neat to get a night win. I’ve won during the day and that was cool.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW ENERGY & WATER CHEVROLET SS – 21ST IN STANDINGS
“There’s quite a bit of difference at Bristol Motor Speedway from the day time to the night. You gain grip and things happen a little bit differently. In the past, I feel like I’ve run better in the second race than I have during the first race. I don’t really know why. We’ll be working on our cars to make sure we’ve gotten better since the first race and see what we can do. I think we had a decent run at Bristol Motor Speedway in the first race. We were 13th or so. We were really good last year in the fall at Bristol Motor Speedway. We finished third or fourth so hopefully we can turn around and have another good run at Bristol. It’s one of my favorite tracks.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 AXALTA/DUCKS UNLIMITED CHEVROLET SS – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“The track itself is real unique. There’s not another one like it. It has always been a surprise to me that nobody has ever tried to emulate it somewhere else because it’s such an incredible place. Particularly when it was asphalt, it was quite the racetrack. And it’s surprising to me that nobody has tried to rebuild that sort of racetrack somewhere else to see how it would do. But maybe it’s best there’s only one. It’s still a lot of fun to race on even though it’s changed quite a bit. And, I always thought that was one of the coolest trophies. It was taller than me for quite a large part of my life. Until I graduated from high school I don’t think I was any taller than that trophy and Daddy had a bunch of them in the house. He had a lot of clocks. He had a lot of Bristol trophies. And I wanted one of each. So, I feel lucky to have those now.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“I think there is a little more grip. It’s a little faster, but the racing is still similar. It’s still about the same. I love racing at Bristol, and it’s been one of my better tracks over the past couple of years. I’m looking forward to going back and being under the lights with the GEICO Chevrolet SS.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 KNAUF/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 24TH IN STANDINGS
“The night race always seems to bring out something special at Bristol. We’re later in the season, the summer stretch is winding down, the fans are always pumped up and the drivers seem to get more aggressive under the lights. We’ll see how the surface reacts to the VHT at night. It should give us a few options, but we’ll have to keep up with it all weekend and hopefully have a strong run for Knauf.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 BUSH’S BAKED BEANS CHEVROLET SS – 25TH IN STANDINGS
“Bristol this weekend is one of my two favorite racetracks between there and Darlington. Really excited to have Bush’s Baked Beans on board, it is their home track close to their headquarters. We want to go put on a good show for them. They are very involved with this race weekend.
“It’s a track that has been really good to me in the past. We have had really good runs there, we have had some awesome speed earlier this season. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the finish we wanted, but we are going to work really hard to make that a little bit different outcome this time. I feel like Bristol is a place where we can go contend for a win and we have in the past, so we will go put on a show and have a good time. It’s short track racing, Saturday night, should be a really fun race.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER CLICKLIST CHEVROLET SS – 26TH IN STANDINGS
“Bristol – the coliseum a place where I made my Cup Series debut. I still get chills walking into it, but it’s also a place where you know you are going to spend 500 laps racing around cars, bouncing off each other and bouncing off the walls. A place that after I’m done my forearms are so worn out just because you are so tense. One of those places that you know it’s a grind, but if you can run in the top 10 or more importantly pull your car into Victory Lane it’s a very special place. It’s a love/hate relationship, but it’s the fastest, most crazy racetrack you have ever been to, so if you have been there you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, you have to come.”
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, NO. 95 WIPES.COM CHEVROLET SS – 27TH IN STANDINGS
Chevrolet NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships
Total (1949 – 2015): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-2015)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Drivers Championships
Total (1949 – 2016): 31
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, 2016
Event Victories
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – (in 2007)
2017 STATISTICS:
Wins: 9
Poles: 5
Laps Led: 1,283
Top-five finishes: 36
Top-10 finishes: 73
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 774 (1949 – to date)
Poles Won to Date: 693
Laps Lead to Date: 229,729
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,910
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 8,030
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,109
Chevrolet: 774
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 756
Ford: 656
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 101
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About Chevrolet:
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 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.