DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (2.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 26 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 7:30 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, AUG. 29 (NBC/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
Chase Elliott
No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia
2020 Season
7th in standings
25 starts
2 wins
1 pole position
9 top-five finishes
14 top-10 finishes
530 laps led
Career
174 starts
8 wins
9 pole positions
53 top-five finishes
88 top-10 finishes
2,374 laps led
Track Career
9 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
87 laps led
REGULAR SEASON WRAP-UP: Through the first 25 races of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has recorded some noteworthy stats and career highs. His win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May secured his spot in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, and he has collected two wins, one pole award, nine top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and 530 laps led in 25 races. Elliott is currently projected to be fourth in the playoff standings as the series heads into Saturday night’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
THROUGH 25: Through 25 races in the NASCAR Cup Series season, Elliott has delivered career bests in runner-up results (two), top-five finishes (nine), stage points (200) and stage wins (six). His two wins and 14 top-10s are tied for a personal best through 25 races.
HOOTERS RETURNS: Saturday night at Daytona, the black and orange Hooters “Night Owl” paint scheme will return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale. The “Night Owl” design was selected over three other options in an open fan vote on Hooters.com. A casual dining establishment with a deep history in NASCAR, the Atlanta-based company will be a three-race primary sponsor of the No. 9 team this year. Elliott most recently piloted the Hooters Chevy at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Hooters Chevrolet will return later this season in the Texas Motor Speedway playoff race.
POINTS, POINTS, POINTS: As the Cup Series heads to Daytona, Elliott is tied for the third-most stage wins (six) and has garnered the fifth-most stage points (200). He is currently seventh in the driver points standings, 164 behind leader Kevin Harvick.
NIGHT RACE SUCCESS: Elliott and the No. 9 team have thrived during night races this season. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has garnered one win (Charlotte), two runner-up finishes and four top-fives in the last five night races. Elliott was also victorious under the lights in the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in July.
SUPERSPEEDWAY STATS: Elliott will make his 19th superspeedway start in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday. In his previous 18 races, the fifth-year driver has started on the front row seven times – five from the pole position. In April 2019, Elliott earned his first superspeedway victory at Talladega. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet also has two Duel qualifying race wins at Daytona (2017 and 2018) and was in position to win the 2017 DAYTONA 500 before running out of fuel from the lead on lap 198 of 200. Elliott has also made 12 superspeedway starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, winning the Daytona season opener in 2016.
FLORIDA NATIVE: On Saturday, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will return home to the “Birthplace of Speed.” He hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. Gustafson returns to Daytona for his 16th full-time season as a crew chief and his fifth year with Elliott.
GUSTAFSON AT DAYTONA: Gustafson would like to add a Daytona oval win to his résumé. On Aug. 16, he captured his first points win at the DAYTONA Road Course. The 45-year-old crew chief also has collected two Duel qualifying race wins (2017 and 2018) at the track with Elliott. He has two runner-up finishes on the 2.5-mile oval with driver Kyle Busch in 2006 and 2007. The 2007 result with Busch and runner-up Jamie McMurray remains the closest margin of victory ever in the summer race at Daytona (0.005 seconds). Gustafson also has won the pole award at Daytona five times with three drivers: Elliott (three), Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. He is tied with Leonard Wood and Waddell Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 pole awards for a crew chief with four.
PIT POWER: As the NASCAR Cup Series heads back to Daytona, the No. 9 team continues to own the second-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.91 seconds through 25 races in the 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.
WCWYW IS BACK: For the fourth year, Hooters’ “When Chase Wins, You Win” promotion has returned. Hooters will give fans 10 free boneless wings with the purchase of any 10 wings any time Elliott wins a Cup Series race. In addition, if he finishes in the top 10, fans can receive one free order of fried pickles with a beverage purchase. All promotions will be eligible the Monday after a race at participating Hooters locations when guests mention the deal to their server. For more information, visit hooters.com/racing.
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
25 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
8 top-10 finishes
73 laps led
Career
97 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
25 top-10 finishes
367 laps led
Track Career
5 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finishes
56 laps led
DISHIN’ ON DOVER: Looking to rebound after a 28th-place finish in the first of two races at Dover International Speedway, William Byron gained track position early in Sunday’s event and utilized it to continue his run up front, scoring crucial points in both stages. The 22-year-old driver raced his way to a fourth-place finish – his first top five and best finish so far in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Byron collected 46 points total during Sunday’s event, the most he has scored in a single race during his Cup career.
ONE FINAL CHANCE: With only one race left in the regular season, Byron is looking to lock himself into the playoffs for the second time in his three-year NASCAR Cup Series career. Fighting through adversity during the doubleheader weekend in Dover, the driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE currently is four points above the playoff cutoff line heading into the final race of the regular season.
DAYTONA DEETS: While superspeedway racing can be unpredictable, Byron has had success when it comes to the high-banked oval of Daytona International Speedway. With five previous Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile venue, Byron has one pole award – the 2019 DAYTONA 500 – and a runner-up finish coming in July last season, which ties his career-best finish in the Cup Series. Earlier this year, Byron raced his way to a win at Daytona in the second Duel non-points qualifying race leading into the DAYTONA 500. Aside from his five Cup Series appearances, Byron has two Xfinity Series starts, where he captured the win in the July 2017 race, becoming the youngest Xfinity Series driver to win at Daytona at 19 years, 7 months and 1 day. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native also has one Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start and one ARCA Series start at DIS.
KNAUS’ KNOWLEDGE: Calling the shots for 38 previous Cup Series races at Daytona, Chad Knaus has captured the checkered flag twice there, sweeping the 2013 season with a DAYTONA 500 win and following it up with a victory in July on the 2.5-mile oval with Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team. However, Knaus has also had success with Byron at Daytona in their almost two years of working together. The duo secured the pole for the 2019 DAYTONA 500, finished second in the rain-shortened July 2019 event and raced to a win in the second Duel qualifying race at Daytona in February.
LIBERTY U IS BACK: On board the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE two weeks ago at the DAYTONA Road Course, Liberty University will be back on Byron’s machine Saturday night when the Cup Series returns to Daytona – but this time on the high-banked oval. 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.
BEACH BUMS: When the Cup Series heads to Daytona for Saturday night’s race, three members of the No. 24 team will return their return to their hometown track. Longtime Hendrick Motorsports front-tire changer Johnny Roberts hails from Titusville, Florida, just down the coast from Daytona Beach, where he spent most of his time surfing before making his way to North Carolina and trying out with Hendrick Motorsports in 2010. Engineer Brandon McSwain grew up approximately 100 miles from the “World Center of Racing” in Auburndale, Florida. Just a few miles down the road from where McSwain grew up, engine tuner Ben Proctor calls Lakeland, Florida, home.
WIN A ‘RIDE’ WITH BYRON: With September designated as childhood and ovarian cancer awareness month, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation have partnered to support those who have overcome battles with cancer. For the September race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, fans will have the opportunity to nominate a cancer hero to “ride” on a participating Cup Series driver’s car, including Byron’s No. 24 Chevy, by bidding on the space above the driver-side door. The auction is now live and will run through Tuesday, Sept. 1. To bid, visit NASCARfoundation.org/MTJF.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
15th in standings
24 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
102 laps led
Career
675 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
231 top-five finishes
373 top-10 finishes
18,936 laps led
Track Career
37 starts
3 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
16 top-10 finishes
302 laps led
NO STRANGER TO SUCCESS: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team is no stranger to success at Daytona International Speedway. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson heads to the “World Center of Racing” for possibly the final time in his career as a two-time DAYTONA 500 winner (2006 and 2013) and a one-time 400-mile event winner (July 2013).
NON-POINTS VICTORIES: In addition to the hardware Johnson received for winning three Cup Series points races at Daytona, he has two victories in the Duels qualifier events leading into the DAYTONA 500, (2010 and 2015) and two trophies from the Clash at DAYTONA exhibition race (2005 and 2019).
LAST TIME: The last time Johnson went to victory lane in a NASCAR Cup Series event was in 2019 when he won the Clash at DAYTONA event to open the season. It was the debut of partner Ally on the No. 48 Chevrolet and the last time Johnson hoisted a trophy in victory lane.
EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN THREES: Johnson and crew chief Cliff Daniels have hit a sweet spot as of late. Sunday’s third-place finish at Dover was their second top-five finish and third top-10 in the last three races. Two of Johnson’s four top-fives and three of his nine top-10s in 2020 also came in the last three Cup races. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevy’s average finish of 4.67 over the last three event is his best over a three-race stretch since the spring of 2017 where he had an average finish of 4.33 after he won at Texas and Bristol and finished 11th at Richmond.
MONSTER HONOR: On Saturday, Johnson was honored in multiple ways at Dover International Speedway to commemorate his last time racing at the track as a full-time driver. The street in front of the venue’s grandstands was renamed “Jimmie Johnson Drive,” and he had his name cemented in victory lane as “The Monster Mile Master.” He also saw his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE displayed in the hands of the track’s enormous Miles the Monster statue.
ON THE BUBBLE: This weekend’s event at Daytona is crucial in Johnson’s quest for a record-breaking eighth championship. He enters Daytona four points shy of the playoff cutoff, just behind teammate William Byron. Johnson failed to make the playoffs last season – the only time he did not qualify for the post-season since its inception in 2004.
CANCER HEROES: September is designated as childhood and ovarian cancer awareness month, and Johnson is partnering with his fellow competitors, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation to support individuals who have overcome cancer. Fans have the opportunity to nominate a cancer hero to ride along at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next month. The auction ends Tuesday, Sept. 1. Visit www.NASCARfoundation.org/MTJF for more details.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina
2020 Season
12th in standings
25 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
387 laps led
Career
178 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
13 top-five finishes
33 top-10 finishes
861 laps led
Track Career
8 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
17 laps led
AXALTA ON BOARD: This weekend’s race at Daytona International Speedway marks the fourth and final event of the 2020 season in which the Axalta colors will adorn Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. The leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings and Hendrick Motorsports announced an extension back in February that will take their partnership through the 2027 season. Read more here.
LOOKING TOWARD THE PLAYOFFS: Bowman will make his third appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs following his March win at Auto Club Speedway. Bowman has raced his way into the Round of 12 the last two years, and this is the second season where he has clinched a spot in the playoffs based on a victory. In 2019, the team earned a playoff position after capturing the win at Chicagoland Speedway. The No. 88 team finished 12th in the Cup Series point standings in 2019, and the team currently is eighth in the projected playoff standings through 25 events.
BACK TO THE OVAL: Bowman will make his ninth start on the Daytona International Speedway oval in this weekend’s 400-mile event. The Tucson, Arizona, native has one top-10 finish at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, which came in the 2018 summer event. The Axalta-sponsored driver has led 17 laps at the facility in eight Cup starts and has completed 99.2% of the total laps completed. The 27-year-old Bowman has two appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track, earning an average start of 10.0 and an average finish of 11.5.
NIGHT RACE SUCCESS: The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has finished inside the top 10 in two of the last three night races this season. Bowman finished sixth at Martinsville Speedway on June 10 and eighth at Kansas Speedway on July 23.
ALL ABOUT STAGE POINTS: The No. 88 team has four stage wins this season, which is tied for third overall in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bowman has captured 167 stage points in 2020, the eighth-most of all drivers. He is also running much better than his finishing positions show with an average running position of 12.8 and an average finish of 17.4 – a difference of 4.6.
IVES AT DAYTONA: Crew chief Greg Ives is set to call his 12th race at the Daytona oval under the Saturday night lights. The Bark River, Michigan, native has one win at the facility with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015 after he led for 96 laps. Ives’ drivers have captured two top-five finishes and three top-10s at Daytona and have led 169 laps total. In 2013 and 2014, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His drivers led for 25 laps at Daytona, had an average start of 14.8 and an average finish of 14.2. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. During that time, the team had one win (2006), one second-place finish and one pole award at 2.5-mile venue.
BRAND NEW DEALS: During the month of August, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on all accessories, including Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero. Customers can receive 15% off all accessories on the site through the end of the month by using code CHEVYGOODS.
PIT ROAD KNACK: The No. 88 pit crew ranks sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.07 seconds after 25 events this season. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Rowdy Harrell, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.
NOMINATE A CANCER HERO: September is designated as childhood and ovarian cancer awareness month, and the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation are partnering to support those champions who have overcome these battles. Fans have the opportunity to nominate a cancer hero to “ride” with their favorite driver during the September race weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The auction started Aug. 22 and will run through Sept. 1. To bid on a “ride” with Bowman, visit www.NASCARfoundation.org/MTJF.
Hendrick Motorsports
PLAYOFF MOMENTUM: In Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports placed three of its Chevrolets inside the top five for the first time since April 2016. Over the last three NASCAR Cup Series events, the team has posted six top-five finishes with at least one car in the top five in each race including Chase Elliott’s Aug. 16 win at the DAYTONA Road Course.
DAYTONA HISTORY: Elliott’s road-course performance marked the 42nd Hendrick Motorsports victory at the iconic Daytona International Speedway facility. The team has 14 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins on the 2.5-mile oval including a record eight in the DAYTONA 500. In non-points events, Hendrick Motorsports has 16 victories in the Duels qualifying races and seven in the Clash at DAYTONA. It also owns four wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
RARE COMPANY: A Hendrick Motorsports first-place finish Saturday night would tie the team with Wood Brothers Racing for the most points wins (15) on the Daytona oval. Hendrick Motorsports holds the track records for pole positions (20), runner-up finishes (14), top-fives (56), top-10s (98) and laps led (2,134). The organization has finished in at least one of the top-two positions in 28 Daytona oval races (38%), including five 1-2 sweeps.
IT’S DOWN TO DAYTONA: Going into Saturday evening’s cutoff race for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Hendrick Motorsports has two drivers locked in and two with an opportunity to make the field. This will mark the 15th consecutive season the team has put at least two drivers in the playoffs, which is the most of all organizations. Hendrick Motorsports has been represented by three drivers a record 12 times and by four drivers three times (tied for the most).
SUPER PERFORMANCE: Hendrick Motorsports is the NASCAR Cup Series’ winningest team on superspeedways. The organization holds the all-time record of 27 combined points victories at the high-banked, high-speed tracks of Daytona and Talladega. Wood Brothers Racing is second with 20 total superspeedway wins.
THE RUNDOWN: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 259 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,088), top-10s (1,877) and laps led (69,981) 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 nine wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.
QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on what’s at stake at Daytona:
“I think this weekend is all going to depend on where you are in the standings heading into the race and what you have to do or don’t have to do to make it into the playoffs. There are guys that have to win to get in, there’s guys who are right on the cutline who are trying to be consistent to advance. There are guys on offense, there’s guys on defense. Lucky for us, we are not really having to play the points game necessarily to get in, but we are still battling for regular season points finishing position because that has a direct impact on your playoff points for the final 10 races. We want to better ourselves as much as we can. Obviously, Sunday (at Dover) really killed us picking up some more points. We don’t need to do that this weekend so maybe we can move up a little bit in that regular season standings.”
Elliott on his Daytona goals:
“We haven’t had the best record at superspeedway races by any means. Daytona is such a special track but it’s one of those places that just hasn’t gone super well for me. Our goal for Saturday would be to not wreck and pick up as many stage points as we can in all of the stages. That’s number one. You can’t help your teammates or yourself if you are crashed in the garage.”
Driver William Byron’s mindset for Daytona:
“Whatever way you look at it, no matter where we’re at, our approach isn’t going to change that much going into Daytona. You’re going to have to be aggressive in this race regardless of the situation by trying to get stage points and trying to win the race. We had a Duel win there earlier this year at Daytona, which is great. I absolutely think we can go there and be aggressive and win again. That doesn’t change after how Dover went.”
Byron on Daytona as a playoff cutoff race:
“Daytona is an accept-it-as-it-happens kind of place, which makes it a challenge. You have to go in expecting that things aren’t going to go your way, and hopefully they do. It’s one of those things that you have to go in with low expectations, try race as hard as you can, and hopefully you come out on the good side of things. No one knows exactly what to expect but I am excited and hopeful that we’ll have a good run.”
Driver Jimmie Johnson on not being stressed about making the playoffs:
“I can’t worry about the playoffs. I won’t worry about it. There is nothing we can do except go out there and win. We are in this position due to the DQ at Charlotte and missing the Brickyard 400 due to my positive COVID-19 test result. The numbers don’t lie at Dover. We were ridiculously fast and had we not had to overcome a speeding penalty, we would have had something for (Kevin) Harvick. I hate that we are racing our teammate (Byron), but I hope we can both have a good run and both make our way into the playoffs. It’s a speedway race – anything can happen.”
Driver Alex Bowman on Hendrick Motorsports’ momentum heading to Daytona:
“Going into Daytona this weekend, it is really great knowing that we are already in the playoffs. We had a great top-five finish on Sunday in Dover, so that gives this No. 88 team and really everyone at Hendrick Motorsports some motivation going into Saturday night’s race. Daytona, and really any superspeedway, is a great track for our team. I feel like every time we go to one of these tracks, we always have a chance to bring home a win.”
