TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FT. WORTH, TEXAS
NOVEMBER 5, 2017
BOWTIE BULLETS
LEADER OF THE PACK:
Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) champion and career-long Chevrolet driver, Jimmie Johnson, is the leader of the pack at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). Johnson has seven wins, 15 top-fives and 21 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver in the series.
PACING THE FIELD:
Since the first ounce of rubber hit the pavement at TMS when the track hosted its first race in 1997, Chevrolet has been there; not only competition-wise, but as the official pace car and truck of the speedway. 2017 marks the 20th year Chevy and TMS have been in partnership. As the AAA Texas 500, the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 and the JAG Metals 350 commence; the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Chevrolet Silverado will pace their respective fields to the green flag.
Additionally, this weekend the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 pace car for the MENCS race will carry a special hood decal in support of the JR Nation Appreci88on tour. It features 88 words chosen by Chevy race fans at the Team Chevy displays to show their appreciation for career-long Chevrolet driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
TIEBREAKER:
Earlier this season Chevrolet broke the tie with a competing manufacturer to now lead all brands as the most successful at TMS with 13 trips to Victory Lane to its credit. Chevrolet now has the most wins at 19 of the 23 unique tracks that the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits annually.
Terry Labonte, a Texas native, earned the first victory for Team Chevy at the 1.5-mile venue in 1999. Jimmie Johnson, is the most recent Chevrolet victor at TMS, earning his seventh victory at the track in April.
TUNE-IN:
The AAA Texas 500 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, November 5th at 2 pm, ET. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
BY THE NUMBERS:
Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships
Team Chevy drivers have scored 775 wins and 694 poles in MENCS competition
Chevrolet drivers have won 13 of 33 races at Texas Motor Speedway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, has seven victories at Texas Motor Speedway (’07, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15 – Twice & ‘17)
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Great Clips/Justice League Chevrolet SS, has one victory at Texas Motor Speedway (’06)
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet SS, has one cowboy hat from Texas Motor Speedway (’03)
A Chevrolet driver has won four of the last six races at Texas Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Texas Motor Speedway 14 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 63 top-five and 150 top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet has led laps 4,042 (37.5% of possible 11,065 laps) at Texas Motor Speedway
FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Martinsville Speedway
Fans can check out great a great assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Malibu Redline, Equinox Premier, Colorado, Silverado 1500 High Desert Special, Traverse High Country, Corvette Z51, Tahoe Premium, Silverado 1500 All Star, Camaro Redline, Cruze Diesel LT, Colorado ZR2, Silverado HD High Country
At the Chevrolet Display, fans can view the No, 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS and No. 3 DOW Chevrolet SS show cars
· TEST DRIVE: This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway fans can take an on-site Test Drive in their favorite Chevrolet. Vehicles available for test drive will be: Traverse Redline, Equinox Premier, Camaro 2SS, Corvette Stingray, Colorado Diesel, Silverado 1500 Redline, Cruze Hatchback, Malibu and a Pink Camaro The Test Drive station will be open on Friday from Noon – 7:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. A shuttle will be available from the Team Chevy display to the Test Drive area.
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:
Friday, November 3rd
1:00 p.m. – Justin Haley
1:30 p.m. – Kaz Grala and Johnny Sauter
2:00 p.m. – John Hunter Nemechek
Saturday, November 4th
1:00 p.m. – Daniel Hemric
3:00 p.m. – Spencer Gallagher
3:15 p.m. – Brandon Jones and Brendan Gaughan
3:30 p.m. – Brennan Poole
3:45 p.m. – JD Motorsports
Sunday, November 5th
9:15 a.m. – Jamie McMurray
9:55 a.m. – Michael McDowell
10:10 a.m. – Chase Elliott
10:30 a.m. – Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Chevrolet Display Hours of operation: Fri. Nov. 3rd – 11:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Sat. Nov. 4th – 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Sun. Nov. 5th – 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 5TH IN PLAYOFF STANDINGS
“Last weekend was such a bummer, we had such high hopes for Martinsville. We maintained points but we are now in must-win situations. These next two weeks are going to be high pressure. We had had some success at Texas, we just are in a must win scenario.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 HOOTERS CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN PLAYOFF STANDINGS
“I liked Texas better before they paved it. We seemed to run better there before they did that. This past time we had a pretty good car, our teammate won, so good things to look back to for that race when we go back.”
CHEVROLET DRIVERS NOT IN PLAYOFF CONTENTION:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CHEVROLET SS – 9TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m glad we’ve got Martinsville behind us and looking forward to getting to Texas. We’ve had some good runs at Texas, and earlier this season came back from starting in the rear and a pit road penalty to finish second. Even though we’re not running for a spot at Homestead, our team still has a lot to prove and we want to finish the year off strong. Our Chevy’s have been strong at Texas, so hopefully we can have a solid weekend and get back to running towards the front.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 GREAT CLIPS/JUSTICE LEAGUE CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ve always liked going to Texas. I think the track does a good job and I also like the Fort Worth area. We had a pretty good car there earlier this year, but unfortunately, we had some issues towards the end of the race so we didn’t get the result to show for it. This weekend will be the second time we’ve raced on the new surface, so we’ll see how it goes.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 WINTER IN PYEONGCHANG CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN PLAYOFF STANDINGS
“Well I got to run the Xfinity race earlier this year and then we broke in the Cup Series race before we even started the race. It will be interesting just to get a full Cup race under my belt there. The track looked pretty interesting and it is quite a bit different. Totally different kind of banking and just a totally new track almost. I watched some other races that happened there this year, so looking forward to going back.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m hoping that Texas will be the place that we can turn our luck around. We have had three consecutive races with some misfortune that has given us finishes of 29th or worse the last three weeks. We’ve had a strong team all year and the 1.5-mile tracks have been good for us, so hopefully that will be the case this weekend. We qualified and finished in the top-10 at the Spring race earlier this year. We are all looking to finish the season strong and getting that started this week.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 GRAINGER CHEVROLET SS – 16TH IN STANDINGS
“I have mixed feelings. Of all the tracks we have gone to this season, Texas Motor Speedway has presented the most challenges for our Grainger team. With the new configuration and repave, our car was so tight especially in Turns 3 and 4. We have certainly learned a lot as an organization and have made gains to our cars, so I hope our outcome is a lot better than our 26th-place finish back in April.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE/JUSTICE LEAGUE CHEVROLET SS – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“Texas definitely has always been one of my preferred stops because of the success we’ve had in the XFINITY and Cup Series in our first races there. You never forget where you won your first race and neither do your fans. I always look forward to going there.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 ATLAS/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“Earlier in the year when we went to Texas Motor Speedway under this new configuration we pretty much threw out the old notebook and started with a fresh outlook. We had speed during the weekend’s practice sessions, but had issues with the insulation on the wiring to the battery in the race and did not have the results we were looking for that day. We will take what we learned throughout that weekend’s practices, plus everything we have found in the months since that race, and head to Texas looking to make the most of things.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO MILITARY CHEVROLET SS – 24TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Texas. Our GEICO Chevrolet team had a solid race back in the spring during a weekend where our other teammates seemed to struggle a bit. We hit on something that worked for us, and we’ll use those notes in building our setups and race strategies heading into this weekend with the GEICO Military Chevy. I’ll also run the XFINITY race again on Saturday night to get ready for Sunday. Extra seat time is always helpful anywhere we go, but it’s been particularly useful at intermediate tracks.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 BUSH’S CHILI BEANS CHEVROLET SS – 25TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m heading home to Texas this weekend with our No. 37 Bush’s Chili Beans Chevrolet, a paint scheme that I really enjoy and looks really sharp on the racetrack. We were fast at Texas in the spring, and I’m looking forward to going back there and getting some of the same speed out of our Chevrolet SS. We had a good day at Kansas (Speedway) a few weeks ago, a track similar in shape and size. So hopefully some of that rolls over and we can have another good day in one of the final races of 2017.”
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, NO. 95 ROHTO JOLT EYEDROPS CHEVROLET SS – 26TH IN STANDINGS
“It feels like it has been so long since we have been to Texas, but we were super-fast there earlier this year. We almost made it to the third round of qualifying and had a really strong car. We just missed it a little in the race, but it was still a really solid race for us. We are really looking forward to this race just because of how quick we were last time. It’s also a hometown race for Bob, Sharon and everyone at WRL, so I always feel a little extra pressure. It’s going to be a special weekend for me since I won’t be back with this team next year. I’m looking forward to seeing all our friends and family and enjoying my time with everyone.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER CLICKLIST CHEVROLET SS – 28TH IN STANDINGS
“Texas Motor Speedway, home of the famous Chris Buescher, repaved this year a 1.5-mile race track that is a lot like Kentucky, but flip flopped. Turns 1 and 2 are really flat, turns 3 and 4 are banked and really, really fast. A race track that takes time to get cleaned off and get some grip on it now, just like all repaves. We had some speed there earlier this year so looking forward to going back and having a strong run.”
Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR 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: 10
Poles: 6
Laps Led: 2,099
Top-five finishes: 49
Top-10 finishes: 103
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 775 (1949 – to date)
Poles Won to Date: 694
Laps Lead to Date: 230,545
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,923
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 8,060
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,110
Chevrolet: 774
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 757
Ford: 657
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 109
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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.
