TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND RACEWAY
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
APRIL 21, 2018
BOWTIE BULLETS
LEADER OF THE PACK:
Chevrolet leads all other manufacturers with 38 victories at the 0.75-mile, D-shaped, Richmond Raceway. Chevrolet has powered 17 different drivers and teams with six different nameplates (Impala, Monte Carlo, Lumina, Monte Carlo SS, Impala SS and Chevy SS) to Victory Lane at the Virginia short-track.
CHEVY HISTORY MINUTE:
2018 marks the 60th anniversary of Chevrolet’s first win at Richmond Raceway. In the fall of 1958, Speedy Thompson drove his Black Widow Racer Chevrolet to victory over Lee Petty. Thompson led 140 of the 200-lap race event. It was Thompson’s 18th career Cup Series win and his first at Richmond Raceway.
DID YOU KNOW:
Did you know? Chevrolet’s Jeff Gordon set the track qualifying record of 130.599 mph in his Chevrolet SS on September 6, 2013.
FINAL WIN FOR THE CHEVY SS:
During the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ visit to Richmond last fall, Kyle Larson earned his first victory at the 0.75-mile oval, taking home the final victory for the Chevy SS in its closing season of competition in NASCAR’s premier series. The win was the 25-year-old, California native’s fifth career Cup Series triumph.
TUNE-IN:
The Toyota Owner’s 400 is scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 21 at 6:30 pm, ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN 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 776 wins and 695 poles in MENCS competition
Chevrolet drivers have won 38 of 123 races at Richmond Raceway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Camaro ZL1, has three wins at Richmond (’07 – TWICE & ‘08)
Kasey Kahne, No. 95 WRL General Contractors Camaro ZL1, has made one trip to Victory Lane at Richmond (’05)
Kyle Larson, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1, has hoisted the trophy at Richmond once (’17)
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Camaro ZL1, has one trophy from Richmond (’03)
A Chevrolet driver has won one of the last three race at Richmond Raceway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Richmond Raceway 46 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 232 top-five and 474 top-10 finishes at Richmond Raceway
A Chevrolet has led laps 15,274 (33.1% of possible 46,307 laps) at Richmond Raceway
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – 9TH IN STANDINGS
“It feels good heading back to Richmond as a winner, but it’s still a track where I feel like I have some work to do. We’ve had some good runs there but taking care of the car throughout a run is still something I need to work on. It’s obviously important to have a good setup everywhere, but it’s really key at Richmond to help take care of the rear tires on longer runs. The older surface wears our tires, but that and the unique shape of the track make it a fun place to race.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1 – 13TH IN STANDINGS
Racing at Richmond in the Day versus at Night:
“I don’t think it really matters. Richmond gets really slick and widens out either way. It will be fun. I think all the improvements that they are doing there will be really cool to see.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AAA CAMARO ZL1 – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“A lot. Richmond is the place we are really studying for because that is one of the Playoff races. We’ve got to really take this first one and try and have something good for when we come back. A lot of focus going on at Richmond. It’s one of those places that we have qualified decent at before, we have raced okay, but we have never figured out how to race solid for an entire weekend there throughout and just have something we really feel like is a great racecar. We will work on that and be focused on that track for sure.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CAMARO ZL1 – 15TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond usually turns into a forward drive racetrack. You have to be able to turn in the center like every other short track but getting the power down coming off the corners is a real premium especially later in a run.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CAMARO ZL1 – 17TH IN STANDINGS
“The finish in Bristol is exactly what this team needed. I’ve known that every week we have been getting better but it’s nice to finally have a finish to back that up. Now if we could just fix these bouts of back luck we have been having… I’m already ready to get back in the Lowe’s for Pros Chevy and looking forward to Richmond, we have put together some solid runs there lately, and with the momentum from Bristol I’m ready to get there.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – 19TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ve always liked Richmond. I’ve raced there a few times over the years. It’s always just a fun short track – especially at night, when you can see the sparks, which is exciting. I can use the same style of driving there that I used growing up racing late model stock cars and the weather is usually similar to what it was when I raced Langley (Speedway) and the other short tracks up there (in Virginia). The biggest thing at Richmond is getting your car to roll the bottom and hook that line, kind of like at Atlanta (Motor Speedway). If you can do that, it seems like you’re usually pretty good in the race. It’s going to be a fun race, and a typical short-track race.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER CLICKLIST CAMARO ZL1 – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond (Raceway) is a racetrack where the racing is tough and you have got to get the car to turn to be successful. Having forward bite in our No. 47 Kroger ClickList Camaro ZL1 is really important, and you can easily wear the front tires off. Over the last couple of years, the track has gotten really slick. It is a difficult task to try to find that balance of good turn, still having good forward drive and not burning the tires off. It’s a place that’s been a rough patch for our organization. We’re learning every year, and we’ll go there and try some new things and to be better.”
DARRELL ‘BUBBA’ WALLACE, NO. 43 CAMARO ZL1 – 21ST IN STANDINGS
“We are still coming down from Bristol and that rollercoaster ride. But, it was cool to see our No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 up front. We’re a small team but making big gains on our program. We wish we could have closed on that deal, but we’re headed to Richmond. We’re working on the cars in the shop to get ready now. It’s another good track for me and have been told that’s it has been good to Petty teams in the past. It’s another short track that gives us more equal footing. I think we showed, when things are a little more equal, that we can beat anyone out there. We have a great team here and just keeping our momentum up.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“Richmond is a track that really demands you manage your tire wear on the long runs. I feel like during the night races the groove doesn’t seem to widen out as much, but this is such a fun track to race on. Tires are the biggest difference maker. There will be all takers for tires under cautions, I don’t think many will try to stay out or try two tire stops. I’m looking forward to having another Saturday night race, especially with the cooler temperatures this weekend.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 MOUNTAIN DEW BAJA BLAST CAMARO ZL1 – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“The thing that makes Richmond hard is it is easy – that is what makes it hard. The track has a lot of character and it’s very straightforward. Not a lot of bumps, nothing really that makes it really stand out and because of that, everyone is very equal and everyone knows how to get around there – it’s very hard to be different.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 BUSH’S BEANS CAMARO ZL1 – 25TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond Raceway is a very unique racetrack that I really want to like, but I just haven’t been able to have the good runs there yet to really enjoy it. It’s a place that’s very tricky. It has two very different corners. They’ve got a big project going on in the infield to make a better experience for the fans and I’m looking forward to seeing how that’s progressing. The racetrack itself has widened out a lot over the past several races. Running from the line on the bottom of the track all the way up to the fence now, which you usually don’t see at a place as flat as Richmond. We’re all hunting grip and trying to find the places that aren’t rubbered up so bad. You can get some bite up off the corner, which makes it very interesting. I’ve been able to find that some of those lines work well for me. I just haven’t been able to put a full race together yet.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 95 WRL GENERAL CONTRACTORS CAMARO ZL1 – 29TH IN STANDINGS
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 30TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond is one of my favorite tracks that we go to. We have run really well there in the past, but it is tough. ‘Finicky’ is the word I like to use to describe Richmond because a good handling car can come and go so quickly there. It is a hard racetrack to get a handle on, but, once you do, it is very rewarding. I look forward to going there every year as a driver because it is such a true test of your skill. The surface is so worn out that once you get 60 laps on your tires, you’re hardly getting full throttle down the straightaway because they are so worn out. It is almost like a short-track version of Atlanta where the lap times fall off so much. You have to have a lot of finesse to take on this track, and the GEICO Racing team and I are ready for the challenge.”
DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 SMOKEY MOUNTAIN SNUFF CAMARO ZL1 – MAKING FIRST CAREER MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES START:
“The results we had at Richmond last year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series were a factor in determining my initial Cup debut would come here. Richmond just has a real short-track feel to it and the characteristics of the track remind me of places like Pensacola or Greenville-Pickens, two tracks I have had success at over the years. Richmond is a track where you are out of the gas a lot, managing a lot of things inside the car and I feel like that is the kind of feel I need in the car. If there is a best track for me to make my debut, Richmond is probably it. I’m just proud that my boss, Richard Childress, was in agreement when we were determining where my first race would be. Richard Childress, myself, everyone at RCR is so thankful to have Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff on board the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. They were a partner of ours for four Xfinity Series races last year. They not only stepped up for my first Cup start, but their first race as a partner on a MENCS car. There are a lot of good things going on at Richard Childress Racing and I am just glad to be a part of it.”
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)
2018 STATISTICS:
Wins: 1
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 343
Top-five finishes: 10
Top-10 finishes: 22
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 776 (1949 – to date)
Poles Won to Date: 695
Laps Led to Date: 231,144
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,942
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 8,090
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,111
Chevrolet: 776
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 762
Ford: 662
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 114
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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.
