DARLINGTON RACEWAY (1.366-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 25 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 6 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, SEPT. 2 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 22 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia
2018 Season
11th in points
24 starts
1 win
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
220 laps led
Career
101 starts
1 win
4 pole positions
29 top-five finishes
51 top-10 finishes
1,138 laps led
Track Career
3 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
0 laps led
KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE: Chase Elliott has finished inside the top 10 in each of the last five races (New Hampshire, Pocono, Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol). His longest career top-10 streak came during his rookie season, spanning six races from Talladega (May) to Michigan (June). In addition to the top-10s, Elliott has garnered one win, three top-five finishes, three stage wins and 201 laps led over the past five races.
IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST: With one win and three top-10 finishes, Elliott was a top performer in the month of August (Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol). The Dawsonville, Georgia, native collected 26 stage points, six playoff points and a NASCAR Cup Series-leading 128 total points during that span.
DARLINGTON THROWBACK: In July, Elliott, along with his father, Bill, and uncle, Ernie, unveiled the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 throwback car that will be on track at Darlington Raceway. The ride is modeled after a paint scheme that Chase’s late cousin Casey drove in 1993. As Casey’s racing career was in its early stages, a cancerous growth on his upper right thigh was discovered and the cancer had spread. At age 21, Casey’s 24-month fight came to an end on Jan. 14, 1996. Click here for more information or to view images of the car.
SEE ELLIOTT AT DARLINGTON: This weekend, Elliott will be a part of Darlington Raceway’s Saturday Night Celebration, celebrating “Seven Decades of NASCAR” on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 8 p.m. local time. The 22-year-old driver will participate in the opening segment “New Drivers Behind the Wheel of Iconic Rides.” Visit DarlingtonRaceway.com for more information. Also, on Sunday, Sept. 2, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage at 2:40 p.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.
BRISTOL REWIND: The driver of the No. 9 Chevy led a season-high 112 laps en route to a third-place finish in the 500-lap Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 18. The result gave Elliott his fifth top-three finish of the season and left him 11th in the driver standings and sixth in the playoff 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 Chevrolet for GMS Racing on Saturday at Darlington Raceway and next weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
William Byron
No. 24 Axalta Rainbow Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 20 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2018 Season
21st in points
24 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
53 laps led
Career
24 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
53 laps led
Track Career
0 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
RETURN OF THE RAINBOW – AXALTA THROWBACK: This weekend at Darlington Raceway, William Byron will pilot a throwback No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 paying homage to one of the most famous No. 24 paint schemes of all time – Jeff Gordon’s iconic rainbow-colored ride from the 1990s. The throwback was unveiled in May during a special ceremony featuring an original painting by Sam Bass titled “Hot Southern Night.” Bass has designed all but one of the primary Axalta Chevrolets for the Nos. 24 and 88 cars, notably including Gordon’s original rainbow paint scheme, which debuted in the 1992 season finale. Byron’s throwback isn’t modeled after a particular year. Rather, it is designed to pay tribute to Gordon’s entire NASCAR Cup Series career, which spanned more than two decades and brought with it four championships, 93 wins, 325 top-five finishes, 477 top-10s and nearly 25,000 laps led. Gordon drove the rainbow Chevrolet from his debut in 1992 through the 2000 season – and it returned for one final ride at Bristol Motor Speedway during his final full-time season in 2015. To see the paint scheme up close, click here.
DARLINGTON STATS: Byron will make his second start at “The Lady in Black” – Darlington Raceway’s nickname – this weekend and his first in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 20-year-old raced on the 1.366-mile speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2017, when he started sixth and finished fifth, following four Cup Series regulars to the checkered flag.
DARLINGTON OUTLOOK: Ten active Cup Series drivers claimed Southern 500 top-10 finishes in their rookie season, with two doing so for Hendrick Motorsports – Jimmie Johnson (ninth in 2002) and Chase Elliott (10th in 2016). It’s fitting that Byron will pilot the iconic rainbow No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet, as Gordon leads the way with the most wins all-time at Darlington with six.
GRUBB AT DARLINGTON: For No. 24 team crew chief Darian Grubb, Darlington marks the site of his most recent Cup win as a crew chief. In 2015, Grubb led driver Carl Edwards to Victory Lane at the Darlington, South Carolina, track. Edwards started 13th and led a handful of laps early in the race before battling Brad Keselowski for the win. Grubb’s driver led the final 11 circuits of the 1.366-mile oval before taking the checkered flag.
CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY NIGHT: The Cup Series rookie of the year contender will make an appearance in the Hospitality Village at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 8 p.m. local time during the special “Seven Decades of NASCAR Celebration” event for an informal question-and-answer session along with other drivers who are behind the wheel of iconic rides. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
SOUTH CAROLINA CONNECTIONS: While No. 24 team fueler Landon Walker is a native of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the former college offensive tackle has strong ties to the southernmost Carolina state, having played football for Clemson University. Walker starred as an All-American offensive lineman at East Wilkes High School in his hometown and earned a scholarship to Clemson in 2007. He logged a university record 3,131 snaps and 49 starts at tackle through four seasons at Clemson. Walker was a team captain in 2011, when Clemson won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. He was recruited to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 and the 29-year-old became the starting fueler for the former No. 5 (now No. 24) team in 2015.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 42 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2018 Season
14th in points
24 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
29 laps led
Career
603 starts
83 wins
35 pole positions
224 top-five finishes
349 top-10 finishes
18,692 laps led
Track Career
19 starts
3 wins
0 pole positions
9 top-five finishes
12 top-10 finishes
551 laps led
THROWBACK WEEKEND: This weekend, to celebrate “Seven Decades of NASCAR” at Darlington Raceway, the No. 48 Lowe’s/ Kobalt Camaro ZL1 will feature a paint scheme familiar to Jimmie Johnson fans. The familiar black-and-white Kobalt tools “rally stripe” paint scheme will make its return. Johnson scored the 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports at Darlington in the familiar scheme, and Lowe’s deemed it fitting to bring back the stripes in memory of the milestone win. See the paint scheme here.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS’ 200TH WIN: On May 12, 2012, Johnson secured the 200th NASCAR Cup Series win for Hendrick Motorsports. It was his 56th career win and first of 2012. Johnson led close to half the laps that night (134 of 368), as he started second and took the lead on lap 325. He paced the field for the final 44 laps for his third Southern 500 win at “The Lady in Black.”
TOO TOUGH TO TAME: Johnson ranks highest among all active drivers in Darlington wins with three. As far as all-time wins, NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon has six wins at Darlington, with Johnson in a six-way tie for fourth with Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson, Buck Baker and Herb Thomas.
AS HISTORY GOES: Historically, over the course of his 83 wins, Johnson usually accumulates more wins in the fall. He has won 10 times in September, 14 times in October and 10 times in November. Two times over the course of his career, he has won his first race of the season at Darlington – March 21, 2004, and May 12, 2012.
48TH WISH GRANTED: This weekend in Darlington, Johnson will grant a wish to a child in need for the 48th time. Johnson has worked with Make-A-Wish throughout his career, and this weekend he will meet the 48th child whose wish of a lifetime is to meet the seven-time champion.
CELEBRATE WITH SEVEN-TIME: Fans attending the race at Darlington Raceway will have an exclusive opportunity to hear from many of the stars and legends of NASCAR at Darlington’s “Saturday Night Celebration” event taking place at the track on Saturday, Sept. 1. Seven-time Cup Series champion Johnson will appear alongside NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. representing Dale Earnhardt. For more information, click here
NEXT UP, 84: 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.
RICHMOND TEST: Johnson and the No. 48 team participated in a two-day test this week at Richmond Raceway in preparation for next month’s event at the Richmond, Virginia, track.
BICYCLING MAGAZINE: Johnson, a cycling and fitness enthusiast, is featured in the September/October edition of Bicycling Magazine. The article, on newsstands now, discusses Johnson’s influence over the popularity of cycling in the NASCAR community and how cycling helps the seven-time champion on the track.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 25 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2018 Season
15th in points
24 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
2 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
67 laps led
Career
105 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
12 top-10 finishes
270 laps led
Track Career
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
MAKING GAINS: Alex Bowman is building a point lead while remaining on the bubble in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings. Over the last five races, the driver has continued to cushion his lead as the 16th-place competitor over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the 17th position. After New Hampshire, Bowman had a 28-point lead over 17th, and one race later after Pocono he was 56 markers ahead. The No. 88 team gained six points at Watkins Glen and maintained that lead through Michigan. At the conclusion of the Bristol event, Bowman had moved to 79 points above the cut-off line.
STAGE POINTS: Since the July Daytona event this season, Bowman has accumulated stage points in five events. The young driver captured points during both stages in the Daytona and Pocono races and during one stage each at Watkins Glen, Michigan and Bristol. As a team, Hendrick Motorsports ranks second on the list of most stage top-10s by an organization since the July Daytona race with 26 total.
LAST NINE: During the first 15 races this season, Bowman captured one top-five finish and four top-10s. The driver had an average start of 15.27 and an average finish of 15.87 during that span. In the last nine events, the No. 88 team has captured one top-five finish and five top-10s. The team’s average start improved to 13.44, with an average finish of 13.67. Bowman captured his career-best finish during the stint, when he finished third at Pocono Raceway in July.
WELCOME LLUMAR: Eastman Performance Films, LLC joined Hendrick Motorsports this season as a primary sponsor of Bowman and the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through 2020. The sponsorship features the LLumar brand of window film and paint protection film on board Bowman’s machine. The brand has one primary race this season, which arrives this weekend at Darlington, and two races in 2019 and 2020. The paint scheme was released at Eastman’s Dealer Conference in San Diego, California, back in February and can be seen here.
BOWMAN’S DARLINGTON STATS: Bowman has two previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway. The 25-year-old driver has an average finish of 26.5 at the 1.366-mile track in the series. Bowman also ran one NASCAR Xfinity Series event in 2013 at the track, where he started 13th and finished 17th.
IVES AT DARLINGTON: No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots three times at Darlington Raceway with two different drivers. Ives earned an eighth-place finish with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015, finished 14th with Jeff Gordon in 2016 and took the checkered flag 22nd with Earnhardt in 2017. The Michigan native has two starts as a crew chief at the track in the Xfinity Series, which includes one win with Chase Elliott in 2014 and a seventh-place finish with Regan Smith in 2013. From 2006-2012, Ives was an engineer on the No. 48 team and captured one win (2012) and four top-five finishes at Darlington during that span.
#LLUMAR88REASONS SWEEPSTAKES: LLumar has a sweepstakes going on from now until Sept. 2 at 9 a.m. ET. One lucky person who posts why they love LLumar on Twitter, Instagram or on the sweepstakes website using the hashtag #LLumar88Reasons will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a trip to SEMA 2018 in Las Vegas. SEMA is a trade-only event that is not open to the general public. While at SEMA, the winner will be on hand to watch the 2019 No. 88 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 get revealed at the show.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT DARLINGTON: In 55 events at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 14 wins – the most all-time – in addition to seven pole positions, 44 top-five finishes and 74 top-10s. Jimmie Johnson most recently won at the historic track on May 12, 2012, to claim Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th NASCAR Cup Series victory. The organization leads the Cup Series in many categories at the track since 2003, including wins (six), top-five finishes (21) and top-10s (30).
DOUBLE DIGITS: Darlington Raceway is one of 13 tracks where Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated 10 or more wins. Its 14 wins on the 1.366-mile oval are tied with Daytona and Atlanta for the organization’s fourth-most at a track. The Darlington wins have come via six different drivers – Tim Richmond, Ricky Rudd, Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Johnson and Mark Martin. The six winners tie the organization for the most drivers to find Victory Lane at Darlington all-time.
PLAYOFF POSITIONING: Chase Elliott secured his 2018 NASCAR playoff berth with his win at Watkins Glen, and two of his teammates are currently in position to join him: Johnson and Alex Bowman. The three teammates in playoff position are tied for the second-most among all teams in the NASCAR Cup Series.
FIRST-TIME WINNERS: With Elliott earning his first Cup Series win at Watkins Glen, Hendrick Motorsports now holds the record for the most first-time Cup Series winners with nine. If William Byron or Bowman wins at Darlington, it will extend the record to the 10th time a driver has recorded his first career Cup Series win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 250 race victories, 215 pole positions, 1,040 top-five finishes and 1,773 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 the No. 9 throwback scheme:
“Darlington weekend is way cooler whenever you have a connection like this to the paint scheme. I’m excited about it. It’s a great scheme. It’s special to me, for sure, and really my entire family. The Elliott family, our racing history wasn’t just about dad and uncle Ernie and my grandfather and uncle Dan and myself now. That’s not the case. I think it’s fair to share that. People nowadays that don’t know about Casey, this was a great opportunity to do that.”
Elliott on Darlington’s challenges:
“It’s just a tough place. There are a lot of things that make it tough. Running up by the wall is a difficult thing to do there. The racetrack is just so worn out, tough to run up there all night and not hit it. Nowadays if you hit the wall at all with these cars, it really can destroy your day – tough thing to do. Then obviously racing from the daylight to the dark and that it is a long race in general, too. A lot of challenges come with it, but we will just try to hit them head on.”
William Byron on racing at Bristol:
“I love Darlington. I went there as a kid to watch the race a few times. As a driver, it’s just a fun track to get around. It’s really challenging – you have to run against the wall on both ends of the racetrack, which is very demanding on the equipment and mentally on the driver. I really enjoy it and we had a pretty good run there last year (in the NASCAR Xfinity Series), so I’m looking forward to it.”
Byron on running the Jeff Gordon rainbow throwback scheme:
“I got the chance to run a really special throwback last year with Ricky Hendrick’s car and now this year, running Jeff’s car is really cool. Growing up as a kid watching Jeff in that car, there are a lot of memories there and some similarities in our age and how we started, so hopefully I can carry that on. It’s going to look special and always be something I can look back on from my rookie year and be proud of. It’s really neat, and Sam Bass did a great job with the car.”
Jimmie Johnson on racing at Darlington:
“Darlington is a very cool track that really commands a ton of respect. To win there you have to be smart – it’s a long, tough night. I was stoked to see Lowe’s bring back the rally stripes on the black Kobalt car again. I remember the night we won the 200th for Hendrick Motorsports – to see the look on (Hendrick Motorsports owner) Mr. (Rick) Hendrick’s face in Victory Lane was something I will never forget. Darlington is so fun to see how the garage embraces the throwback theme – it’s going to be good for the fans.”
Alex Bowman on the Southern 500:
“It’s a really cool race. That is a really tough place to get a hold of as well. I’m excited to get there. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve raced there but had some OK runs there in the past. Hopefully, being there with Hendrick Motorsports for the first time, we will be really strong. It’s a cool race, it’s a tough one, it’s long, it’s hot, but I think we can be really strong there.”
Bowman on the difficulty of Darlington:
“Just how close you are to the edge and how little room there is for a mistake. You make a mistake and it’s typically going to ruin your day. Just right there on the edge every lap.”
