TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
GANDER RV 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DOVER, DELAWARE
MAY 5, 2019
BOWTIE BULLETS:
MONSTER AT THE MILE:
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, holds the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series record with 11 wins – all in a Chevrolet — at Dover International Speedway, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
CATCHING UP TO 100:
The Gander RV 400 will mark the 99th MENCS race at Dover International Speedway, which opened in 1969. In addition to Johnson’s record 11 wins, other Chevrolet drivers hold track distinctions: Chase Elliott the youngest winner (22 years, 10 months, 9 days on Oct. 7, 2018) and Jeff Gordon the youngest pole winner (23 years, 10 months, 0 days on June 4, 1995).
TEAMMATES TO THE END:
Elliott led Alex Bowman across the finish line to complete a 1-2 Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet sweep April 28 at Talladega Superspeedway. The previous 1-2 Chevrolet finish was by Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace in the 2018 Daytona 500. Rookie of the Year contender Ryan Preece placed third at Talladega. The previous 1-2-3 Chevrolet sweep was by Johnson, runner-up Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick in the 2016 season-concluding race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
TIES TO THE NO. 48:
Of the 1,529 MENCS races since 1949 that the No. 48 has been on the side of a car, Chevrolet leads the way with 1,114, (including Johnson’s 625), and 86 wins. After speaking with Johnson about racing history, IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand recently announced that he would drive the No. 48 Chevrolet in the May 26 Indianapolis 500 in honor of the late Dan Gurney, who was the first of three drivers to have won races in sports cars (1958), Formula One (1962), NASCAR (1963 at Riverside) and Indy cars (1967). Gurney recorded five career NASCAR Cup victories and three pole starts.
TUNE-IN:
FS1 will telecast the 400-lap Gander RV 400 live at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, May 5. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championship.
- Team Chevy drivers have scored 780 wins and 704 poles in MENCS competition.
- Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 40 wins, including six in a row from 2013-15, in the 98 races at Dover International Speedway. GM brands Pontiac (6), Buick (3) and Oldsmobile (2) have also contributed wins. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has 11 wins.
Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Brakes Camaro ZL1, has one win.
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, one win. - Johnson paces active drivers with 2,710 laps led at Dover in 28 races.
- Elliott has an average finish of 4.3 in six races at Dover.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AAA CAMARO ZL1 – 14th in Standings
DOES DOVER JUST DRIVE LIKE A GIANT BRISTOL OR NOT SO MUCH? “Not so much. There’s a lot of aero stuff that comes into play at Dover because you’re going so fast. We tested at Dover, so I’m pumped about that. You see different lines come into play as the rubber builds up. On the long run you can start running way up by the fence and find some speed so that’s always fun when you can move around and find speed on the long run and people fall off as you run. It’s a good place to go.”
HOW HARD IS THAT WHEN YOU PICK UP RUBBER DURING THE CAUTIONS?
“Yeah it’s just a process that we go through every week that we have to try and balance our car around. It can get difficult at times, but Dover is a place where it’s fun.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE SMALL BUSINESS – 15th in Standings
ON LAST WEEKEND’S FINISH: “I am happy for Chase (Elliott) and Hendrick Motorsports for getting the win in Talladega, but dang I wish it was our Nationwide car that was sitting in Victory Lane at the end of that one. We were so close last weekend, but that last caution just didn’t work in our favor. Greg (Ives) and the guys put a great superspeedway car together and we were good right off the truck. Getting 18 stage points was huge for the standings. That was my career best finish in the Cup Series, so we are getting so close to that first win.”
ON DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY: “Dover is tough for sure. It is physically demanding on your body and your car throughout the 400-laps. There is a lot of elevation change getting into the corner. The track changes from run to run with how the rubber lays down. It is interesting how that works being a concrete track, but the track is just ever changing.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 – 16th in Standings
“Last weekend at Talladega was just bad luck. We had a great car all weekend so it’s a shame we didn’t get a chance to really race. I’m so proud of Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet for the 1-2 finish with Chase and Alex. I’ve had Dover circled on the calendar for a while. It’s going to be different – lots of throttle and probably more like the 2015 rules package that we had there. I’ve loved that place since I raced in the ASA series, I’ve always run well there so I’m excited to get there. Last time there we had a freak mechanical issue before we even started the race and didn’t have a chance to get into the mix. It’s the site of so many good memories for me, I can’t wait.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – 19th in Standings
DOVER LOOKS LIKE A GIANT BRISTOL BUT DOES IT DRIVE THAT WAY TOO? “No, not at all. The difference in Dover and Bristol I think is that at Dover you almost fall down into the banking and then you pick up the banking in the corners. Where at Bristol you’re driving into the banking and almost constantly turning around there like you’re in a bowl. The only real similarity in the two tracks is how the tires feel because of the concrete surface and how the tires wear and pressure builds. Otherwise they’re pretty different places.”
DOVER IS KIND OF A PHENOMENON WHERE YOU PUT DOWN SO MUCH RUBBER UNDER GREEN BUT UNDER CAUTION YOU PICK IT ALL RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN ON YOUR TIRES. DOES THAT MAKE THE FIRST FEW LAPS OF A RESTART DICEY? “It definitely does. I think the first initial restarts in the race are pretty normal but as the rubber builds the longer the race goes and then gets picked back up, the first two lanes are really, really grippy for a few laps. Outside that second lane there isn’t a lot of grip though because that’s where the rubber and dust build up and never gets picked back up. It’s a very interesting race track in how the rubber builds up but never really sticks except sometimes towards the very end of the race.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 DEGREE CAMARO ZL1 – 23rd in Standings
“I’ve always liked racing at Dover International Speedway, even winning a ‘Miles the Monster’ trophy when I was running in the Xfinity Series. Dover is a track that has all the feelings of Bristol Motor Speedway with the banking in the corners, but then you get even more of a ‘hold-your-breath’ feeling when you come out of the corner and into the straightaways. We’ve had some really strong runs throughout the last few weeks at JTG Daugherty Racing, and especially on short tracks, but have had horrible luck that take us out of contention. We’re doing all of the right things and heading in the right direction, and I’m excited to get to Dover and continue that momentum in our No. 37 Degree Camaro ZL1.”
RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 – 24th in Standings
“Coming off of a great weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, I’m really looking forward to getting to Dover International Speedway and seeing what kind of speed we have in our Kroger Camaro ZL1. This season has been full of highs and lows so far. But, hard work and never giving up always prevails. Dover is definitely a track I’ve had circled on my list. I’m a short-track guy, and Dover plays right into that with the speeds and feels of an intermediate track. It’s also almost a home race for me being so close to Connecticut, so I’m excited to have a lot of family members and friends attend for support. We’re heading in the right direction, and finishing third last weekend certainly helps that and gives our Kroger team that extra boost of confidence we need. As long as we execute right off the truck and hit our stride from the beginning, we’re going to be in good shape on Sunday at Dover.”
DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 CATERPILLAR CAMARO ZL1 – 26th in Standings
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY LOOKS LIKE A LARGER VERSION OF BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY. DOES DOVER DRIVE AT ALL LIKE BRISTOL AND IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN CARRY OVER FROM THE BRISTOL RACE IN APRIL? “Yes and no. Dover has some tendencies that correlate, but it is also its own animal. Dover features some of the most constant loads and speeds we carry throughout a run. Bristol tends to rubber up more and changes a lot over the course of a run. Dover does the same, but they just do it in two totally different ways. It is fun because it is challenging. You can overlay some of the things you do as a driver but in the grand scheme of things you have to have a different package for Dover than you do at Bristol to go there and be successful.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL THIS NEW AERO PACKAGE WILL IMPACT THE HANDLING AND FEEL DURING THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS AT DOVER? “It is going to be extremely fast and we’re going to experience a ton of load with this package this weekend at Dover. I know that is what all of us at RCR are preparing ourselves for – that’s what we feel is going to be the case. Austin Dillon was able to take part in the Goodyear tire test there a few weeks ago, so we have a lot of good notes and data to go off of heading into the weekend. Talking with Austin about what he learned, it seems that once the tires get hot and rubber is laid down, the handling tendencies are just sped up and magnified because the speeds are so high. Just like all racers will say, we need to be better when we show up there on Friday for practice than we were at the test. I believe this package is going to be really fast and really crazy from the driver’s seat.”
Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2018): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
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 (1949-2018): 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 – (2007)
2019 STATISTICS:
Wins: 1
Poles: 5
Laps Led: 533
Top-five finishes: 9
Top-10 finishes: 27
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 780 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 704
Laps led to date: 232,788
Top-five finishes to date: 3,978
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,199
Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date
GM: 1,115
Chevrolet: 780
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 780
Ford: 680
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 128Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
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.
