POCONO RACEWAY (2.5-MILE TRIANGLE)
LOCATION: LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 14 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 2 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JUNE 3 (FS1/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 22 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia
2018 Season
15th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
8 laps led
Career
90 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
25 top-five finishes
43 top-10 finishes
926 laps led
Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
3 top-10 finishes
51 laps led
NAPA AUTO PARTS: The familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme will grace the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team for 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.
POCONO STATS: Elliott is set to make his fifth start at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. In his first four starts, the third-year driver has collected one top-five finish and three top-10s. Elliott averages a starting position of 14.8 and a finishing position of 13.8 at the Pennsylvania track. During the 22-year-old driver’s rookie start at Pocono in June 2016, he led 51 laps en route to a fourth-place finish.
GUSTAFSON AT THE TRICKY TRIANGLE: No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson is no stranger to success at Pocono. Gustafson will call his 27th race from atop the pit box at the 2.5-mile triangle this weekend. In his previous 26 starts with five different drivers (Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Casey Mears and Kyle Busch), Gustafson has collected two wins with Gordon (June 2011 and August 2012) and garnered six top-five finishes and 14 top-10s.
600 REWIND: The No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team raced inside the top 10 for much of Sunday night’s 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway before eventually finishing the night in 11th. Elliott is currently ranked 15th in the driver point standings.
DOUBLE DUTY: In addition to his full-time duty piloting the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Cup Series, Elliott will once again compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race driving the No. 23 for GMS Racing on Saturday at Pocono Raceway. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native will also drive the No. 23 Chevrolet in the upcoming Chicagoland (June 30), Daytona (July 6) and Bristol (Aug. 17) NXS races.
ELLIOTT AT CHEVY STAGE: On Sunday, June 3, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage in the fan zone at 11:30 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.
HOME SWEET HOME: As we head to Pocono, there are four members of the No. 9 team that call the Keystone State home – car chief Josh Kirk (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania), engineer Matt Barndt (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), primary truck driver Dave Ott (St. Marys, Pennsylvania) and co-truck driver Heath Edler (Williamsport, Pennsylvania).
William Byron
No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 20 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2018 Season
22nd in standings
13 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
31 laps led
Career
12 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
31 laps led
Track Career
0 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
FIRST OF THE YEAR FOR UNIFIRST: UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in providing customized work uniform programs, corporate attire, and facility service products, will debut in its first race as the primary partner of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Following Pocono, the No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet, whose paint scheme incorporates the company’s signature green and white colors, will run in three additional races in 2018 – Chicagoland Speedway on July 1, Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sept. 30 and Kansas Speedway on Oct. 21. The 2018 season marks the second of an eight-year agreement with Hendrick Motorsports that names UniFirst as a primary sponsor of select races and a full-season associate sponsor of the No. 24 team through 2023. UniFirst is the official workwear provider for Hendrick Motorsports and sister company Hendrick Automotive Group, which is the largest privately held retail automotive organization in the United States.
POCONO STATS: While William Byron will be making his first NASCAR Cup Series start at the “Tricky Triangle” this weekend, the 20-year-old driver has experienced success at the 2.5-mile triangle in the other NASCAR national series. In his lone Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway, Byron started fifth and finished 12th. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has one start at the Long Pond, Pennsylvania, track in the Camping World Truck Series in 2016, where he started on the pole and then led 44 of 60 laps en route to the victory. Byron also has one ARCA Racing Series start at the track in 2016, where he led three laps and finished eighth.
NO. 24 AT POCONO: Pocono Raceway has been a good track for the No. 24 team in the past, with four-time champion and newly-elected Hall-of-Famer Jeff Gordon earning six wins at the Pennsylvania track, the most of any Cup Series driver, while behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet. Hendrick Motorsports holds the record for having the most drivers score victories at Pocono with seven different drivers having accomplished the feat, which would make Byron the eighth if he could pull off a win there this weekend. Crew chief Darian Grubb has also led a driver to victory at Pocono, scoring a win with Tony Stewart in June 2009.
FIRST-TIME WINNERS: There have been four first-time winners at Pocono, a great sign for Byron who has a successful history at the “Tricky Triangle” himself. Two of those first-time winners have come in the past two seasons – Chris Buescher as a rookie in August 2016 and Ryan Blaney in June 2017. In addition to Buescher, another Cup rookie had a great record at Pocono when Denny Hamlin swept both events in his rookie year in 2006. Overall, 16 rookies have earned top-five finishes in at least one of the Pocono events in their respective rookie seasons, another positive omen for Byron.
TWO MORE VIP EXPERIENCES REMAINING: After a sellout at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend, fans have just two more chances to purchase a spot for the 2018 Jeff Gordon #24Ever VIP Experience – at Michigan International Speedway and Sonoma Raceway – the final two races where the package will be available. The experience gives fans the opportunity to meet two drivers of the No. 24 Chevrolet – Byron and Gordon – and includes a meet-and-greet, an autograph and a photo, along with a behind-the-scenes garage tour and an exclusive gift. Spots are extremely limited – visit www.jeffgordonvip.com for more information or to purchase a spot for Michigan or Sonoma.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 42 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2018 Season
12th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Career
592 starts
83 wins
35 pole positions
224 top-five finishes
346 top-10 finishes
18,663 laps led
Track Career
32 starts
3 wins
3 pole positions
11 top-five finishes
19 top-10 finishes
738 laps led
REAR VIEW MIRROR: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros team scored their second top-five finish of the season last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson started 23rd and quickly moved into the top 10. On Lap 121 Johnson spun out due to contact from a competitor, but avoided any damage to the No. 48 Camaro ZL1, so the team changed tires and restarted 26th. The team overcame the spin to finish the second stage inside the top 10. During the third stage the team suffered a broken jack on a pit stop but again overcame to finish 11th. In the final stage Johnson powered forward and finished fifth on the track he has at won at eight times in his career. The team is 12th in the points heading to Pocono Raceway this weekend.
POCONO RECORD: Johnson has three wins at the “Tricky Triangle,” the last of which came on June 9, 2013. Johnson started first and led 128 of 160 laps. He also has 11 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s, but has suffered unfortunate endings to three out of the last four events due to accidents.
POCONO PLAYGROUND: Earlier this month, Johnson made a special trip to Pocono for a promotional appearance. He assisted track CEO Nick Igdalsky in opening the track’s newest feature – the Pocono Mountains Inclusive Playground. Johnson was also able to drive the Chevrolet Camaro pace car around the road course and give rides to key guests. Click here for more information.
SEE JJ: Johnson will make an appearance on Sunday, June 3 at 11 a.m. for a question and answer session at the “Tricky Triangle Club” at Pocono Raceway. To attend, fans will have to have a “Tricky Triangle Club” ticket – for more info log on to www.PoconoRaceway.com.
JJF HELMET OF HOPE WINNERS ANNOUNCED: The Jimmie Johnson Foundation recently announced the five recipients of this year’s $25,000 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope grants. The five finalists were selected via a week-long public vote where more than 280,000 votes were cast. The program invites fans and consumers across the country to nominate not-for-profit (501c3) organizations that support K-12 public education for the opportunity to receive one of five (5) available grant packages. The five grant recipients are: Hamilton Heights Educational Foundation in Arcadia, Indiana; Life Pieces to Masterpieces in Washington, DC; Read Better Be Better in Phoenix; Siouxland Ag in the Classroom in Moville, Iowa; and The Pencil Box in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.JimmieJohnsonFoundation.org.
83 AND COUNTING: Johnson’s next trip to Victory Lane will be his 84th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win. He secured his 83rd in June 2017 to tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time wins list. An 84th win would tie Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth all-time. Johnson is currently 10 wins behind former teammate Jeff Gordon, who has 93 victories and is third on the list. Johnson has the most wins of all active drivers and No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus has the most wins of all active crew chiefs with 81.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 25 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2018 Season
14th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
1 top-five finish
4 top-10 finishes
65 laps led
Career
94 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
1 top-five finish
7 top-10 finishes
268 laps led
Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Alex Bowman will be available to the media on Friday, June 1, at 10:45 a.m. local time in the media center at Pocono Raceway.
NATIONWIDE IS ON OUR SIDE: The Nationwide colors will be back on board the No. 88 Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Nationwide has been the primary on the No. 88 Chevrolet three times at the 2.5-mile track with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon behind the wheel. Earnhardt wheeled the No. 88 Nationwide machine to its best finish of 11th back in 2015.
BOWMAN AT POCONO: Alex Bowman has four starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at the “Tricky Triangle,” with a best finish of 25th back in 2015. The 25-year-old has one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports in 2016, where he started and finished 10th. In 2012, Bowman ran two ARCA Racing Series events and captured a third-place finish in both events.
IVES AT POCONO: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots six times for the No. 88 team at the Pennsylvania-based track. The Bark River, Michigan, native has two top-five finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series, with his best finish of second coming back in the spring of 2016 with Earnhardt. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team from 2006-2012 and captured one pole award (2008) and six top-five finishes.
IT’S THE NUMBER: At Pocono, the number 88 is no stranger to Victory Lane. Seven times a driver has won while driving the No. 88. Earnhardt swept the NASCAR Cup Series races at the track for Hendrick Motorsports in 2014, leading a combined total of 25 laps. A win for Bowman this weekend in the No. 88 machine could tie the No. 88 as the car number with the most wins at the 2.5-mile facility.
SELFIES WITH BOWMAN: On June 2 at 10 a.m. local time, Bowman will be participating in a “Selfie Session” for Pocono Raceway in the Victory Circle Club. This session is a modern twist on the conventional autograph session. Race fans who were able to pre-register for this appearance will get to meet Bowman and take a selfie with him on Saturday. Pre-registration for this session closed shortly after opening on April 17th, after selling out within an hour.
MEET BOWMAN: On Sunday, June 3, Bowman will make an appearance at the Team Chevy Stage in the fan zone at 11:15 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.
600 RECAP: The No. 88 Nationwide Camaro ZL1 qualified 27th for the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. Within the first 10 laps of the 400-lap event, Bowman had advanced seven positions and was scored 20th. Continuing his drive forward, the 25-year-old finished Stage 1 in the 11th position, after which the No. 88 pit crew gained the driver two positions on pit road between stages. Bowman finished the second stage in the 15th position and gained one position in Stage 3 to finish 14th. The pit crew was on their game once again, gaining Bowman five spots on pit road to restart ninth for the final 100 laps. The Nationwide team continued with their eyes forward and brought home their fourth top-10 finish of the season after finishing ninth. This was Bowman’s seventh career top-10 finish in the series.
HOME TRACK: The No. 88 Nationwide shock technician Jason Seitzinger grew up in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania. He went to school at Berks Career and Technology Center in Leesport, Pennsylvania, which is approximately 70 miles from Pocono Raceway. Seitzinger’s first racing job was in the parts room at Penske Racing Shocks in Reading, Pennsylvania. His boss called him into his office one day and wanted to know if he was interested in a job at Hendrick Motorsports and he has been an employee of the organization since 2001.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT POCONO: Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams with 17 wins at Pocono Raceway, with the four most recent coming as season sweeps in 2013 (Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne) and 2014 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.). In addition, the organization also owns the most in each of the following categories at Pocono: 12 pole positions, 67 top-five finishes, 118 top-10 finishes and 3,224 laps led.
POCONO PROWESS: Hendrick Motorsports’ 17 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Pocono have come via seven different drivers, a stat which is tied for the most different winners at a track by a team. The organization’s Pocono wins have come via Jeff Gordon (six), Johnson (three), Tim Richmond (three), Earnhardt (two), Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte and Kahne.
TRICKY TRIANGLE STREAKS: Hendrick Motorsports owns the record for the most consecutive wins at Pocono Raceway with a five-race win streak that began with Gordon’s August 2012 victory and ended with Earnhardt’s August 2014 win. The first four of those five straight races were won by four different Hendrick Motorsports drivers, a feat that has only been accomplished on one other occasion by Carl Keikhafer Racing at Martinsville Speedway from 1955-1956.
LUCKY JUNE 3: Hendrick Motorsports has won the last two Cup races held on June 3 — Gordon at Dover in 2001 and Johnson at Dover in 2012.
250 ON THE HORIZON: The next points-paying win by a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will be the organization’s milestone 250th in NASCAR Cup Series competition. With 268 Cup victories, only Petty Enterprises has more. Junior Johnson and Associates is third all-time at 153 wins, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing with 152 and Roush Fenway Racing with 137.
16 MAKES 249: Sixteen different drivers have contributed to Hendrick Motorsports’ total of 249 points-paying Cup wins. Only the Wood Brothers team, which has sent 19 different drivers to Victory Lane, has more. Junior Johnson and Associates won with 13 different drivers.
FIRST-TIME WINNERS: If Chase Elliott, William Byron or Alex Bowman wins at Pocono, it will mark the ninth time a driver has recorded his first career Cup Series win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing share the all-time record, having each sent eight first-time winners to Victory Lane in Cup Series competition.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 249 race victories, 214 pole positions, 1,035 top-five finishes and 1,755 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 67,000 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on if a Turn 4 would make Pocono easier to navigate:
“No, I like Pocono. I enjoy Pocono. It’s been another fun place and unique with the shifting and things that we do there that we don’t do at other places. I like that challenge, it’s something that we don’t do and obviously road courses we do, but it’s just different. I enjoy racing there.”
William Byron on racing at Pocono:
“Pocono is a little different; I haven’t run there in the Cup car, so the shifting will be different from Xfinity. Pocono has always been a fun place to go to – I had a win there in the Truck Series and it’s a different, unique racetrack – every corner is different. I’m looking forward to running there in the UniFirst Chevy for the first time and hopefully having a good result with them.”
Jimmie Johnson on racing at Pocono:
“With the three different style turns at Pocono, you really have to have your car handling right in all three to be successful there. It’s a wild track and we can hit speeds of 200 mph down the frontstretch. Turn 3 is very important and can help with lap time significantly for qualifying. In the last few outings at Pocono we have had some really hard crashes so I’m hoping that is behind us.”
Alex Bowman on racing at Pocono:
“Pocono is very unique. It’s one of a kind. It’s kind of fun to go somewhere that is different than all the other places we go.”
Bowman on Pocono’s unique corners:
“I think the Tunnel Turn is pretty challenging, especially since they paved it, it has just gotten really fast. It’s probably the most challenging corner.”
Bowman on the Pocono Selfie Session:
“I think that Pocono had a great idea with this ‘Selfie Session.’ Fans usually only get drivers’ autographs, but for this appearance they are getting a photo. I am excited to meet all of the fans and spend some time taking photos on Saturday. Hopefully our selfie game is strong!”
