INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (2.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: SPEEDWAY, INDIANA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 16 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 4 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JULY 5 (NBC/IMS RADIO/SIRIUSXM)
Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia
2020 Season
4th in standings
15 starts
1 win
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
425 laps led
Career
164 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
51 top-five finishes
83 top-10 finishes
2,269 laps led
Track Career
5 starts
0 win
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
0 laps led
STRONG SHOWING: Chase Elliott, the driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, continues to lead all NASCAR Cup Series drivers with a 7.80 average running position and five stage wins this season. He has collected the third-highest number of stage points (150) in the series and has led the fourth-most laps (425). His 11 races led are second-most in the series résumé behind only Joey Logano (12).
NAPA IN INDY: This weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.
LOOKING BACK: Elliott and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team started last year’s race at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 24th and rebounded after being collected in multiple on-track incidents to finish ninth. It was the 24-year-old driver’s best career finish at the 2.5-mile venue.
INDY RÉSUMÉ: In addition to Elliott’s five NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis, he has three starts at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one top-five finish and two top-10s.
GUSTAFSON AT THE BRICKYARD: On Sunday, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 16th NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis. In his previous 15 races calling the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon) at the famed speedway, Gustafson has collected five top-five finishes – including a win in 2015 with Gordon – and one runner-up result, nine top-10s and 137 laps led.
PIT CREW POWER: Among the teams competing in the NASCAR Cup Series, the No. 9 pit crew ranks second in best average time for four-tire stops at 13.95 seconds through 15 races in 2020.
HOME SWEET HOME: No. 9 team engineer Tom Gray hails from Indianapolis. Gray attended Purdue University and majored in mechanical engineering technology. The Indy native was recently interviewed by Gustafson on “Behind the 9.” Watch the episode here.
BEHIND THE 9: Gustafson is trying his hand as a host in a new Hendrick Motorsports video series called “Behind the 9” in which he interviews each member of the No. 9 crew. Fans can learn about where they came from and the role they serve on the team, with each bringing a unique personality and skillset. Episodes are released every Tuesday on the Hendrick Motorsports Facebook page and YouTube channel. The most recent episode features mechanic Cole Timm.
William Byron
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
15th in standings
15 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
26 laps led
Career
87 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
22 top-10 finishes
320 laps led
Track Career
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
4 laps led
THE LAST FIVE: With momentum on their side, William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team have not finished outside the top 15 in the last five NASCAR Cup Series races. Of those five starts, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has racked up three top-10 results, including a season-best finish of seventh on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. With an average finish of 9.8 in the last five races, Byron ranks third-best in the Cup Series.
BACK AT THE BRICKYARD: With two Cup Series starts in the illustrious Brickyard 400, Byron has had Sunday’s race circled on his calendar. While weather dampened his rookie season start at the 2.5-mile track, Byron rebounded in last year’s race, qualifying 29th and racing his way to a personal-best fourth-place finish at Indianapolis in the Cup Series.
HISTORY MAKER: Byron made his first trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2017 with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. While battling for a championship, he became the youngest driver to win a NASCAR race at the historic track at 19 years, 7 months and 23 days and the third-youngest driver in any racing series to win on the oval.
WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?: If Byron ends up kissing the bricks on Sunday, he will add to the already lengthy legacy of the No. 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Currently, the No. 24 car number ranks first overall in Brickyard 400 wins at the historic track with five – all coming from Jeff Gordon – dating back to the inaugural race in 1994. If Byron were to capture the win, he would extend the lead that the No. 24 has over the second-ranked No. 48, also of Hendrick Motorsports, which has four wins currently.
KNAUS’ INDY INSIGHTS: Returning to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 19th time atop the pit box, Chad Knaus leads all Cup Series crew chiefs in Brickyard 400 wins with four. No other crew chief, past or present, has more than two. Knaus won three of four Indy races from 2006-2009 with driver Jimmie Johnson and another in 2012. In addition to his four wins as a crew chief, Knaus visited victory lane at IMS one time as a member of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 team in 1994 during the inaugural running of the Brickyard 400.
LIBERTY U LUCK: For this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Byron will carry the traditional red and white flames of Liberty University on the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. In Byron’s three combined NASCAR starts at the famed racetrack, Liberty University has been on board for all of them, including his 2017 Xfinity Series win. Liberty University is in its sixth season of sponsoring the 22-year-old driver, dating back to his time in the late model ranks. Liberty has been “Training Champions for Christ” since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in business communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program.
TWO DOWN AT POCONO: With weather delaying the start of Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway, Byron was able to make up ground early, racing into the top five by the halfway mark. However, when the setup of the Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE swung to the tight side, the No. 24 team had to shift its pit strategy as well, resulting in a 14th-place finish. Starting from the rear of the field for the second race of the doubleheader weekend due to an engine change, Byron again made up track position early. With weather looming and the uncertainty of when the race would end due to lack of daylight, Knaus opted to have his driver run longer into their fuel run in the final stage, allowing them to take two right-side tires on their final pit stop. Rejoining the field in the 15th position, Byron used the remaining laps to fight his way to seventh – his best finish of the 2020 season so far.
ALL-STAR RACE VOTING: For the first time in Cup Series history, the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race will be held on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway, and Byron is looking to lock himself in. Last year, the driver of the No. 24 battled his way into the main event by winning the first stage of the Open qualifying race in a stellar last-corner pass. However, if Byron isn’t able to lock himself in to the All-Star Race before July 15 by winning a points-paying Cup Series race, he will have three chances during the Open qualifying race by winning one of the race stages, or receiving the fan vote. Fans can place their vote once per day with votes shared on social media counting double at NASCAR.com/fanvote until noon ET on Tuesday, July 14. The winner of the fan vote will be announced immediately following the conclusion of the Open qualifying race on Wednesday, July 15.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
12th in standings
15 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
99 laps led
Career
666 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
370 top-10 finishes
18,933 laps led
Track Career
18 starts
4 wins
1 pole position
6 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
306 laps led
HISTORY IN THE MAKING: With a victory on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson can become just the third driver in history to win five major races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon won the Brickyard 400 for Hendrick Motorsports in 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2014. Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher posted five U.S. Grand Prix victories on the road course there in 2000 and 2003-06. Johnson has won the Brickyard 400 four times: 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012. He is tied with legends A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears, who each have four career Indianapolis 500 wins.
PERFORMANCE AT INDIANAPOLIS: Over his career racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Johnson has been impressive. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion won the pole position for the coveted Brickyard 400 in 2008 and drove to victory lane that day after leading 71 of 160 laps around the historic venue. In addition to his four victories, Johnson has one runner-up finish, six top-five finishes and seven top-10s. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has led for 306 laps and has an average finish of 16.5 at the iconic track.
CROWN JEWELS: The Brickyard 400 is considered one of NASCAR’s modern “crown jewel” races, and Johnson is one of only four drivers in history to have won all four – the DAYTONA 500, the Charlotte 600, the Brickyard 400 and the Southern 500. Johnson has earned 12 crown jewel victories over his 19-season career and joins the ranks of current driver Kevin Harvick, as well as NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt.
ABOVE AVERAGE: The No. 48 team is performing better than its current points position of 12th would indicate. After 15 races in 2020, Johnson has the seventh-best average running position across all NASCAR Cup Series competitors at 12.2, and the No. 48 crew has been electric on pit road, ranking eighth with an average four-tire stop time of 14.19 seconds.
POWERFUL ‘POST’: Johnson was recently interviewed by The Washington Post’s Liz Clarke regarding his leadership in the NASCAR Cup Series garage surrounding current events. Johnson shared his thoughts and feelings on racism and gave insight into his own journey during these trying times. Click here to read the article.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLIFF: Crew chief Cliff Daniels turned 32 years old on Tuesday, June 30. Daniels, who hails from Smithfield, Virginia, took over as crew chief for Johnson and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet on July 29, 2019, and will call his second Brickyard 400 on Sunday at Indianapolis.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina
2020 Season
8th in standings
15 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
381 laps led
Career
168 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
31 top-10 finishes
855 laps led
Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
BOWMAN IN INDY: Alex Bowman will make his fifth start at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The Tucson, Arizona, native also has two starts (2013 and 2015) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the historic track.
BEST AVERAGE: Over the last five races, Bowman, driver of the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, is 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average finish of 13.4. The sixth-year Cup Series driver has the sixth-best average running position overall in 2020 at 11.6. So far this season, the No. 88 pit crew has an average four-tire pit stop of 14.16 seconds, which is seventh-best among teams.
LEADING LAPS: Bowman, 27, has led 381 total laps in 15 events this season, which is fifth-best in the NASCAR Cup Series. The No. 88 team has four stage wins in 2020, which is second overall. Bowman has captured 142 stage points this season.
IVES AT THE BRICKYARD: Greg Ives has called the shots for the No. 88 Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway five times since joining the team as crew chief in 2015. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s Brickyard résumé includes a best finish of 13th, which came in 2016 with Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon behind the wheel. Ives also has two starts in the Xfinity Series at Indianapolis, which include one top-15 result when Chase Elliott finished 12th in 2014 after starting fifth. As a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006-2012, Ives was part of four wins at the Brickyard with driver Jimmie Johnson.
HOMETOWN TRACK: Tim O’Brien, engineer for the No. 88 team, grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The 37-year-old attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and received his mechanical engineering degree in 2005. The first NASCAR event O’Brien ever attended was the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 won by Gordon. He has been part of Hendrick Motorsports for five years and has six wins as a NASCAR Cup Series engineer.
WELCOME BACK, CHEVYGOODS.COM: The black and yellow ChevyGoods.com paint scheme featuring Adam’s Polishes will be on board Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Adam’s Polishes produces high quality products for auto detailing enthusiasts. In January, Hendrick Motorsports announced its partnership with ChevyGoods.com, which includes primary sponsorship of Bowman for 26 events. Associate brands that will be featured throughout 2020 are Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero.
GOOD DISCOUNTS: During the month of July, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on all accessories, including Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero. Customers can receive 10% off MSRP with purchases of $100-$249 (offer code “GET10”), 15% off with purchases of $250-$499 (code “GET15”), and 20% off with purchases of more than $500 (code “GET20”).
Hendrick Motorsports
’YARD WORK: Hendrick Motorsports won the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 and never looked back. The team has posted an all-time record 10 NASCAR Cup Series victories at the world-famous venue, which is twice the next-best total (Joe Gibbs Racing). Hendrick Motorsports holds the track records for top-five finishes (27), top-10s (42) and laps led (1,030). It has never gone more than three Brickyard races without a posting a win.
KISS THE BRICKS: Three different Hendrick Motorsports drivers have scored wins in the last eight Cup Series races held at Indianapolis: Jimmie Johnson (2012), Jeff Gordon (2014) and Kasey Kahne (2017). A Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has led the most laps in four of the last nine races there.
PERCENTAGE PLAY: Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 of the 24 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Indianapolis for a win percentage of 38.46%, the best for any team at any active track and third all-time (minimum 10 races). Petty Enterprises posted win percentages of 50% at two inactive Cup tracks: Virginia’s South Boston Speedway (five wins in 10 races) and Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Raceway (six wins in 12 races).
LEADING THE FIFTH: Sunday’s race at Indianapolis will fall on July 5. The last time a NASCAR Cup Series event was held on that date, Hendrick Motorsports scored a 1-2 finish at a different historic track. Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. won for car owner Rick Hendrick at Daytona International Speedway on July 5, 2015, with teammate Johnson coming in second.
BOWTIE DOMINANCE: Manufacturer Chevrolet has won 17 of the 26 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Indianapolis, including 10 by Hendrick Motorsports. Chevy most recently won the Brickyard 400 in 2017. It has never gone more than two Indy races without a victory.
70K ON THE WAY: Hendrick Motorsports is nearing 70,000 laps led in the NASCAR Cup Series. Its 69,820 laps led since 1984 is the all-time record and nearly 10,000 more than any other team.
ALL-TIME NUMBERS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 258 race victories, 226 pole positions, 1,082 top-five finishes and 1,864 top-10s in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led nearly 70,000 laps, which is the all-time record. Including 2020, the organization has won at least one race in 35 consecutive seasons, the longest-ever streak. Hendrick Motorsports is 10 wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.
QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on racing at Indy:
“I’ve really struggled at Indy. We’ve just been trying to get better there. It has just consistently been a huge challenge for me every year. My excitement level probably isn’t as high as some others about going to Indy, but that’s just because of how hard it has been. I would love to get over the hump. I think it would be such a cool place to run well and have success at. We are looking forward to giving it our best shot this weekend.”
Driver William Byron on building off a strong run at IMS last year:
“I’m really excited for the Brickyard 400 to be on July Fourth weekend, even though it’ll be hotter than when we are normally there. The Brickyard is a marquee race at a marquee racetrack. This is another race that I’ve been looking forward to this season, not only because of how special the race is, but seeing what our team can do. Last year we had a really strong race overall and finished fourth. We’ll see how we unload this weekend, but I think we will have a good chance to contend for the win. We want to win every weekend, but this would just be an awesome race to win in general.”
Driver Jimmie Johnson on his best IMS moment:
“My favorite memory from the Brickyard was when (daughter) Genevieve was just a toddler. We won the race and she was so shy with all the media attention and hype when the team was kissing the bricks at the end of the race, she didn’t want to do it. So we went about the post-victory obligations and later that evening she kept saying ‘bricks, bricks’” and so (wife) Chani and I took her back out to the bricks and we had this amazing family moment where Evie kissed the bricks on her own. It was an amazing experience and one as a dad I will look back on and never forget.”
Johnson on what it means to win at Indianapolis:
“Winning this race is one of the proudest I have been in my career. There is so much effort that goes into the event back at the shop. It’s high priority when you look at the race schedule. It’s a ring race. When I drive in there and see the pagoda, I get the goosebumps.”
Driver Alex Bowman on learning at IMS:
“Indianapolis is one of those tracks where we continue to learn each time we go there. We haven’t had great finishes at the track, but I think we make gains each time. Greg (Ives) and the guys have been putting in a ton of work both at the track and away from the track. I know that we will have a car that can contend for a win when we arrive.”
