NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.058-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 20 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, AUG. 2 (NBCSN/PRN/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
5th in standings
19 starts
1 win
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
451 laps led
Career
168 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
51 top-five finishes
83 top-10 finishes
2,295 laps led
Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
24 laps led
STATISTICAL STANDOUT: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, has seven top-five finishes – the most he has collected through 19 races in a season – and nine top-10s. He is tied with Brad Keselowski with the most stage wins (five) and his 451 laps led are a career high at this point in the year. Elliott has garnered the third-most stage points (180) and is currently fifth in the driver standings, 133 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
GRANITE STATE STATS: Elliott is set to make his seventh NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. In 2018 at the 1.058-mile oval, he had one of the top three best running averages (4.03) and led for 23 laps en route to a career track-best finish of fifth. Elliott also has two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track, where he collected a pair of top-10 finishes.
GUSTAFSON AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will be atop the pit box for his 28th Cup Series race at New Hampshire this weekend. In his previous 27 races calling the shots for five different drivers at the venue, Gustafson collected two wins – in 2006 with Kyle Busch and 2009 with Mark Martin. The crew chief also accumulated one pole award, seven top-five finishes, 12 top-10s and 488 laps led.
NAPA KNOW HOW: On Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the No. 9 Chevrolet 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.
PIT STOP POWER: The No. 9 team owns the second-best average time for four-tire stops at 13.93 seconds through 19 races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.
HOME SWEET HOME: Two members of the No. 9 team consider New Hampshire Motor Speedway their home track. Engine tuner Tony Bove hails from Burlington, Vermont, 167 miles northwest of the venue, and interior mechanic Scott Honan is from Norwalk, Connecticut, approximately 200 miles southwest of the oval.
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 are able to 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 car chief Matt Barndt.
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
14th in standings
19 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
72 laps led
Career
91 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
23 top-10 finishes
366 laps led
Track Career
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
LOVING LOUDON: Of all the tracks on the NASCAR circuit, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been a good one for William Byron. Making his third start at the 1.058-mile oval on Sunday in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, Byron’s two previous Cup Series starts both resulted in top-15 finishes. In fact, with an average finish of 13th, NHMS is Byron’s second-best track based on average finish.
DOMINATING FASHION: While he has always run well at NHMS, Byron got off to an unbeatable start at the “Magic Mile” early on. Making his debut at the 1.058-mile oval in 2015 in the K&N Pro Series East, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native qualified on the pole, led 68 of 70 laps before taking home the checkered flag. He followed up that performance the next year by dominating the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race. He started from the pole and led 161 of 175 laps en route to his sixth of seven victories in 2016. Moving up to the Xfinity Series in 2017, Byron earned a top-five finish after starting seventh and finishing third.
KNAUS PUTS THE MAGIC IN ‘MAGIC MILE’: Byron isn’t the only member of the No. 24 team who enjoys racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. With 36 starts in the Cup Series, crew chief Chad Knaus leads active Hendrick Motorsports crew chiefs with three wins and one pole at the “Magic Mile,” along with 10 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s. In fact, Knaus’ three wins rank him second all-time among crew chiefs for wins at New Hampshire. A win on Sunday for Knaus would put him in a tie for first overall with four wins with fellow Cup Series crew chief Rodney Childers.
WELCOME BACK, LIBERTY U: Last appearing on the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE earlier this month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Byron once again will carry the traditional red and white flames of Liberty University on board his car for Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 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.
HEADING HOME: Traveling to New England for this Sunday’s Cup Series race, one crew member of the No. 24 team calls New Hampshire Motor Speedway his home track. Joining the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports crew last year, car chief Tyler Jones hails from South Royalton, Vermont, less than 100 miles northwest of the “Magic Mile.”
WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE: Starting 15th for Thursday night’s race at Kansas Speedway, Byron utilized pit strategy to gain track position throughout the race. With just over 50 laps to go, the driver of the No. 24 took over the lead. However, a couple late-race cautions changed the complexion of the event, leaving Byron with a 10th-place finish, his sixth top-10 result of the season.
SIGHTS ON THE NEXT SEVEN: Looking to lock himself into the playoffs for the second time in his three-year NASCAR Cup Series career, Byron currently is 16th in the playoff standings with two playoff points and seven races left in the regular season. While a win in one of the upcoming points-paying races would automatically secure his position in the fight for the championship, Byron currently is sitting 10 points above the playoff cutline heading into the New Hampshire weekend.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
18th in standings
18 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
99 laps led
Career
669 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
370 top-10 finishes
18,933 laps led
Track Career
34 starts
3 wins
1 pole position
10 top-five finishes
22 top-10 finishes
323 laps led
‘LOBSTAH’ TROPHIES: In his storied career, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, has found victory lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three times, including a sweep of the 2003 events when the NASCAR Cup Series raced there twice in a season. The seven-time Cup Series champion also has one pole position at the venue, which he scored in 2016. His three victories tie him with eight other drivers for the second-most at the Loudon, New Hampshire, track, behind only Kevin Harvick and former driver Jeff Burton, who have four wins each.
TOP 10S: Of the 34 starts Johnson has made at New Hampshire, he has finished in the top 10 an impressive 22 times. That total marks the second-most all-time at the “Magic Mile” behind only NASCAR Hall of Famer and former teammate Jeff Gordon, who has 24. There are currently six tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit where Johnson has at least 22 top-10 finishes. Aside from New Hampshire, has earned 22 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Additionally, Johnson has 25 top-10 finishes at Dover and Martinsville.
BUSY IN THE PITS: The No. 48 crew ranks ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.23 seconds. The team is coached by Jon Carvin and consists of veteran gasman Brandon Harder, tire carrier Allan Stallings, jackman Kyle Tudor and tire changers Calvin Teague and Donnie Tasser.
HOMECOMING KINGS: New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the home track claimed by two members of the No. 48 team. Engine tuner Steven Legendre hails from Danville, Vermont, and is a second-generation driver who used to frequent White Mountain Motorsports Park’s quarter-mile racetrack while racing late models at the local short tracks in the northeast. As Legendre got older, he advanced to the Pro All-Star Series North and then the PASS South series before moving to North Carolina to attend school at Rowan Cabarrus Community College. Additionally, No. 48 team engineer Ben Lynch is from Derry, New Hampshire. He played ice hockey in high school in at Pinkerton Academy and went to college at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to study mechanical engineering.
WHERE’S THE LUCK: Johnson and the No. 48 Ally Racing team are running better than they are finishing in 2020. Johnson’s average running position of 13.46 is 4.21 positions better than his average finish of 17.67.
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
11th in standings
19 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
387 laps led
Career
172 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
32 top-10 finishes
861 laps led
Track Career
8 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
LOOKING TO LOUDON: Making his ninth Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend in the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, Alex Bowman has a track-best start of eighth and a best finish of 11th at the 1.058-mile venue, both coming in the 2018 race. The Tucson, Arizona, native also has two Xfinity Series starts and two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at NHMS, holding an average finish of ninth across both series.
TAKING THE REINS: Bowman made his debut with Hendrick Motorsports at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2016 behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE after he took over for Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10 races. Since then, Bowman has made 101 starts with the organization, collecting two poles, two wins, 12 top-five finishes, 32 top-10s and pacing the field for 858 laps.
NO. 88 OUT FRONT: Bowman has led for 861 laps in his six-year career in the NASCAR Cup Series. So far this season, the driver of the No. 88 machine has been out front during seven events at six different tracks, totaling 387 circuits. He led his most laps ever during a single race in 2016 when he paced the field for 194 laps at Phoenix Raceway before finishing sixth.
RACKING UP THE STAGE WINS: Bowman has won four stages this season, which is tied with Joey Logano for the third-most in the NASCAR Cup Series. The No. 88 team has captured 156 stage points in 19 events in 2020, ranking him sixth overall for most stage points collected.
NEW HAMPSHIRE NOTES: No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the eighth time at the New England track this weekend. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s résumé includes one top-five finish, one top-10 and four top-15s with 10 laps led. In 2013 and 2014, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His drivers earned an average start of fifth and an average finish of eighth at the Loudon, New Hampshire, track. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. During that time, the team had one win (2010), six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s at the 1.058-mile oval.
MAKING MAGIC WITH CHEVYGOODS.COM: When the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is unloaded at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Sunday’s race, the team is hoping the black and yellow ChevyGoods.com paint scheme featuring Adam’s Polishes will bring them some added magic to the “Magic Mile.” 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.
LAST CALL FOR 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
WICKED GOOD: At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has posted nine NASCAR Cup Series wins, seven pole positions, seven runner-up finishes, 43 top-fives and a track record 77 top-10s. The team’s 2,561 laps led in the Granite State are the second-most in history.
WIN 10: If a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet earns a win on Sunday, New Hampshire will become the 14th track where the organization has posted a double-digit NASCAR Cup Series victory total. The team’s nine NHMS wins have come via five different drivers: Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne.
FACTS AND FIGURES: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 258 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,082), top-10s (1,866) and laps led (69,898) in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. 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 if success with low downforce package this season will affect outlook at New Hampshire:
“I am not really sure why we have been better at the low downforce races this season. I kind of just think it is more happenstance with the racetrack more than it is the aero package. Loudon has been a really hit or miss place for us, it’s just a different track. It takes a different driving style, I feel like, than some of the other places. I look at London at being more of its own animal. We’ve had a couple solid runs there, but never a dominating performance. It hasn’t been my best place, I don’t feel like personally, but we have some decent ideas and some different approach options that hopefully will lend us a more consistent result.”
Driver William Byron on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
“It’s a challenging track and has become more of a challenge for me since they’ve put the PJ1 down. It was already a slick track, but with the traction compound it almost has more of a slick feeling. You’re also on the brakes hard at New Hampshire and there’s a lot of bumps under braking. Managing all those bumps and oscillations in the track is important, as well. Some guys are really good at that and it shows in their ability to make speed. I think understanding what your car needs to be able to do to run well there is the key.”
Byron on NHMS’s progression throughout a race:
“New Hampshire is a really line-sensitive track already, but the traction compound makes it even more so, especially with the way the marbles accumulate outside the preferred groove. I think as a driver you try to keep your car within that line that is really fast but also try to give the best feedback you can on how to adjust. Thankfully, you can manage the line more as the race goes on. Typically with our race cars, as soon as rubber gets laid down the groove starts to widen out and the room for error becomes greater. You can drive the car a little bit looser at that point. We just have to see how the track progresses and keep up with it.”
Driver Jimmie Johnson on the difficulty of New Hampshire:
“New Hampshire is one of those trickier tracks. It’s a ‘scrappy’ track with long straightaway with tight turns. I’ve had some great success there and some hard races, but I am so fond of the memories. I’ve enjoyed riding around the track on my bike and exploring that area of the country the past few years. The track itself is one of the best we race on, the fans in the New England area can’t get enough of motor sports and I’m looking forward to my last race there.”
Driver Alex Bowman on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
“I am really hoping that we have a strong weekend in New Hampshire. Last year was just a weekend of not great circumstances but this team really fought through and finished inside the top 15. We really need to have a good weekend and keep the car clean. New Hampshire is a very unique track we go to, so I know that it will be a challenge but I’m confident in this team.”
