TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
TICKETGUARDIAN 500
ISM RACEWAY
AVONDALE, ARIZONA
MARCH 10, 2019
BOWTIE BULLETS
LEADER OF THE PACK: Chevrolet leads all other manufacturers with 23 victories at ISM Raceway. Chevrolet has taken six different name plates (Lumina, Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo SS, Impala SS, Impala and SS) to Winner’s Circle in the Arizona Desert.
PACING THE FIELD: This weekend at ISM Raceway the production counterpart of the Camaro ZL1 race car, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will serve as the pace car for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENSC) TicketGuardian 500. Fans will get the opportunity to see just how close the production version is to the race car counterpart, not only in the Cup Series event, but in the Xfinity race as the all-new redesigned Camaro SS, which is production car the 2019 Xfinity Series race car is designed after, will pace Saturday’s 200-mile race.
WEST COAST SWING TRADITION: Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer during the ‘West Coast Swing’ over the last three seasons by earning six victories in the last 13 races.
CHEVY QUALIFYING RECORD: Self admittedly not a great qualifier, seven-time series champion, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, holds the track qualifying record at ISM Raceway of 143.158 mph, set on November 13, 2015.
TUNE-IN:The TicketGuardian 500 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 10th at 3:30 pm, EDT. 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 779 wins and 700 poles in MENCS competition
Chevrolet drivers have won 23 of 45 races at ISM Raceway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, has one victory at ISM Raceway (’05)
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has four wins at ISM Raceway (’07, ’08 – TWICE & ‘09)
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at ISM Raceway 17 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 108 top-five and 206 top-10 finishes at ISM Raceway
A Chevrolet has led 5,961 laps (42.5% of possible 14,313 laps) at ISM Raceway
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 – 6TH IN STANDINGS
“We’ve had really good cars to start the season, but we just need to clean up a few things on pit road to keep us in a position to contend for wins throughout the race. Our Chevy’s have been strong at Phoenix, with really only one race last spring where we were kind of off on the setup. The first couple of races this season have shown it’s been important to earn a good starting spot in qualifying to try to get yourself up front, and we have a really good qualifying average there, so that’s a positive thing for our team heading into Phoenix this weekend. This will be another weekend of firsts with the new package at Phoenix, so we’ll stay on our toes and be ready to make whatever adjustments are needed.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GLOBAL POKER CAMARO ZL1 – 8TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m really looking forward to the package at Phoenix. We have all of our horsepower back and we have full downforce. And so, I’m expecting track record type speeds next week. We will get back to more of our standard style of short track racing with this high downforce and high horsepower package. So, we have had a good variety so far this year with Daytona’s package, Atlanta, here in Vegas and then Phoenix next week. Full downforce, full horsepower that is the one I’m looking forward to.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1 – 12TH IN STANDINGS
ON WHAT THE RACING AT PHOENIX WITH THE NEW PACKAGE MIGHT LOOK LIKE:
“Yeah, I mean I think it’s going to be more like… I don’t think it’s going to change short track racing nearly as much as it is going to change everywhere else, we go. I think it will look more like what you saw in 2014/2015 when we had a lot of downforce at the short tracks. I’m looking forward to it. Obviously, the reconfiguration made restarts pretty crazy and I love that race track. It will be fun. It’s going to be a little faster than it was last year just with more downforce, but that is really all I feel like is going to change.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 – 14TH IN STANDINGS
ON PHOENIX BEING ONE OF HIS STATISTICALLY BEST TRACKS:
“Yeah, it’s kind of weird because I never really ran good there in the Xfinity Series and ever since I came over to the Cup side, we have had some good runs. Not every time, but most of the time we have had some decent runs there, which has been nice. I really don’t know why. I never really felt like that track suited me very well, but Jeff (Gordon) won some races with Alan (Gustaftson) there and I would have to assume that is probably why. I think he has got a good handle on the race track more than it is me.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – 16TH IN STANDINGS
ON HOW MOVING THE RESTART LINE CHANGED THE DYNAMICS AT ISM RACEWAY:
“Yeah, the restarts were a lot more challenging once they moved the start/finish line. There was a lot of restarts where you had to control wheel spin and control what was going on from the cockpit a little differently. I would say it’s going to be similar to that this year. It’s going to be more intense restarts. Usually, the Phoenix spring race is a little more laid back because of it being a Playoff race in the fall.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CAMARO ZL1 – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“Well, re-start wise, I feel like it was definitely interesting when you’re in the corner having to get going in that banked end. I did enjoy going in the new Turn 1 more than I liked the banking. So, I thought that was nice. It changed the outcome of the exit of Turn 2 a little bit differently. I like that end being the start end. I thought that was a good change. It made it more interesting and gave you more options. Like the old Turn 1, I felt like the option was for you to just stay and stay with the guy who is beside you. I feel like the new Turn 1 you have options to move around a little bit more and make moves with the throttle pedal to be more aggressive.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“Phoenix is going to be a little bit strange after two weeks of less horsepower, but our GEICO Camaro ZL1 team will adapt pretty quickly. The weird thing is really going to be having all of that horsepower with the downforce. That is going to be unique. We are really going to be flying around these tracks that are less than a mile in a way that I don’t think our cars have ever done before. There is going to be a lot of adjustment, but I’m looking forward to all of it. There are a lot of differences in this package happening week to week, and it will affect how we build our cars and how I approach each track as a driver. My biggest challenge is going to be staying in the moment at the track we’re at and then hitting preparations for the next track hard in the following week.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER FLAVOR FILL UP CAMARO ZL1 – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“Phoenix is a pretty unique track, but when you look at Phoenix and Richmond, they are two race tracks that have definitely been hard on me. They must be similar enough.”
RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 – 24TH IN STANDINGS
“I think it’s unique for sure with the tri-oval being able to cut through. When they got rid of the grass so many years ago and allowed it open to where you can cut through that and gain an advantage, I enjoy racing there. I don’t think there is really a track that I don’t enjoy racing at. It’s a place that I look forward to going to race for sure.”
DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 OKUMA CAMARO ZL1 – 29TH IN STANDINGS
ON HOW MOVING THE RESTART LINE CHANGED THE DYNAMICS AT ISM RACEWAY:
“For sure the restarts are incredibly different. Turn 1 now if you get down in there everybody is funneling back up onto the regular track from the flat. That changes the whole dynamic. You’ve got to be so aware of where everybody is at or if that guy behind you smokes down in there a little too hard and gets in hot giving him room. There are a lot of variables there. In the past, everybody always said the old layout if you could get through (Turns) 1 and 2 that you would have a good lap. Well, now you’ve got to get through there twice, your coming up to speed lap and your out lap to make raw speed. A lot of different visuals there with pit road. A lot of things are different all at the same race track, it’s crazy to think it’s the exact same.”
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)
2019 STATISTICS:
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 240
Top-five finishes: 2
Top-10 finishes: 9
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 779 (1949 – to date)
Poles Won to Date: 700
Laps Led to Date: 232,496
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,971
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 8,181
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,114
Chevrolet: 779
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 779
Ford: 679
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 124
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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.
