NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 29, 2020
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
2nd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
5th BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
8th BRENDAN GAUGHAN, NO. 62 BEARD OIL DISTRIBUTING CAMARO ZL1 1LE
TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st William Byron (Chevrolet)
2nd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
3rd Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
4th Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
5th Bubba Wallace (Chevrolet)
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL PLAYOFF CONTENDERS:
POS. DRIVER
5th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
8th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
9th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
10th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW VORASURF CAMARO ZL1 1LE
15th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
16 UNOFFICIAL PLAYOFF CONTENDERS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kevin Harvick (Ford)
2nd Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
3rd Brad Keselowski (Ford)
4th Joey Logano (Ford)
5th Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
6th Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
7th Ryan Blaney (Ford)
8th Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)
9th William Byron (Chevrolet)
10th Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)
11th Cole Custer (Ford)
12th Aric Almirola (Ford)
13th Clint Bowyer (Ford)
14th Kyle Busch (Toyota)
15th Kurt Busch (Chevrolet)
16th Matt DiBenedetto (Ford)
The NASCAR Cup Series seasons continues at Darlington Raceway with the Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6,, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES (Including post-race press conference transcripts for Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson):
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Race Winner
WHAT A DAY TO GET YOUR FIRST NASCAR CUP SERIES CAREER WIN! YOU PITTED FOR FOUR TIRES, GOT BACK IN TRAFFIC. AT THAT MOMENT, DID YOU THINK A WIN WAS EVEN POSSIBLE?
“Oh, yeah! I had confidence in (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) and the guys that we could get four tires and make the most of it. So, I’m just extremely blessed, and this is incredible. It’s been a hard couple of years in the Cup Series and trying to get my first win and gel with this team. These guys did an awesome job today and got us in the Playoffs and it’s amazing.”
HOW INTENSE WAS THE RACING TONIGHT AND RACING YOUR TEAMMATE, JIMMIE JOHNSON, KNOWING IT WAS A POINT OR TWO, IT COULD SWING EITHER WAY? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE IN THE PACK ALL NIGHT LONG?
“This is probably the hardest track to points-race. We had a great Stage 2 and kind of got back in the pack and got shuffled when everyone went single file. I thought my hopes were up there. And we were racing around the No. 21 (Matt DiBenedetto) and the No. 48 (Johnson) in the final stage and I was like man, I’ve got to really make something happen. Luckily, I was able to push the No. 43 (Bubba Wallace) and he and the No. 22 (Joey Logano) made some contact and opened up a hole for me, and I wasn’t going to lift. It was awesome. Thanks to Liberty University, Chevrolet, and it’s amazing.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RACING TONIGHT, CHASE?
“It was pretty wild from my seat. I was surprised it took us as long as it did to wreck, for sure. But I’m really proud of our Hooters team. I feel like we had faster Chevrolet’s than we’ve had in the last couple of trips, which was good. It didn’t drive as good as I think it probably should have, but I do think we were better by a pretty large margin, so that was nice. Congratulations to William (Byron) – getting your first win is something he’ll never forget and that’s a really special moment for him. He’s worked really hard for that. I’m happy for him, Chad (Knaus) and all of the 24 team. They’ve done a good job.”
WAS THAT YOUR FOCUS, TO JUST STICK WITH WILLIAM AND MAKE SURE HE STAYS UP FRONT?
“To a point, yes. If I had a run to do something on my own, I certainly would have like anybody else. But I just never had an opportunity that wasn’t going to hurt both of us. I feel like if it could have ever just been he and I one-on-one or put myself in a position to get around him, it would have been good and nothing wrong with that. But just the way it all kind of worked out, my best option for my best finish was to push him. I certainly would rather push him than some others, for sure. ”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th
“Super pumped for William (Byron) and the entire No. 24 team. Really cool to see them get the win. Bummed for Jimmie at the same time. It is a big mix of emotions there for Jimmie to miss it. Overall, not a bad day for the No. 88 team. Had a really fast car, didn’t drive really well though. I have no clue how we didn’t crash some of those times. We got really lucky there at the end and ended up with a solid top-10 finish.”
BRENDAN GAUGHAN, NO. 62 BEARD OIL DISTRIBUTING CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 8th
“The Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro had a heck of a run tonight. We saw pay dirt there at the end – third place coming out of turn four. The 19 car just side drafted us and pulled us back. I didn’t have any help behind me but what a night. I just have to say thank you so much to the Beard family, Darren Shaw (crew chief) and Ron Lewis, my spotter. I also want to say thank you to Richard Childress and ECR motors for all they do for us. Two top-10s this year at Daytona – what a way to go out. It was so much fun. We will see everyone in Talladega and we’ll actually be able to take the same racecar because it’s in one piece.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 17th
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE DAY?
“First and foremost, congratulations to my teammate getting his first Cup win like that. This setting and the drama to go with it – that’s a big win for Chad Knaus and William Byron. I’m really happy for those guys. I really felt like we had a way to transfer, to win, or point our way in the way it went in the first two stages. Things just got ugly down in turn one. Unfortunate, but that’s plate racing.”
YOU SEEM LIKE YOU HAD THE SPEED TODAY. THE 48 CAR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS A POTENTIAL RACE WINNER, AT LEAST A TOP-FIVE CAR.
“Yeah, we had a really good car. The last couple of months, we’ve been really getting our act together and running well. Definitely disappointed to not be in the Playoffs – that was the number one goal to start the year. But when I look back at the disqualification at Charlotte and then missing the Brickyard 400 due to my COVID-19 positive test and only miss it by six points – we did all that we could this year. I’m so thankful for Hendrick Motorsports and the career that I’ve had there, the relationship with Ally and their continued support for this race team. Cliff Daniels and these guys on my team – they pour their guts out for me. There’s 10 races left, 10 trophies to go chase and we’ll have to focus our efforts there.”
YOU MENTIONED CLIFF – I KNOW HE SAID NOT MAKING THE PLAYOFFS WOULDN’T DEFINE YOUR SEASON AND IT CERTAINLY WOULDN’T DEFINE YOUR CAREER. IS THAT ACCURATE?
“Yeah, it’s not fair to put on it. The last three years have been tough – we all know that. I think we’ve shown some bright spots and Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) has done a really good job of leading this team and taking this team in the right direction. I think we can show that and close out the year.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW VORASURF CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 25th
“Pulling into Daytona International Speedway for the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 tonight and seeing fans really pumped me up. It was great to have them at the track, and I think they were treated to quite the show. We had a fast Dow VORASURF Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Even though we had to start at the back of the field, we were able to work our way into the top-five and we had speed and handling. Things were getting exciting with less than 15 laps to go. I thought there was going to be a big run and I was going to be in the clear but it didn’t work out that way. I was on the high line and had nowhere to go when everyone started crashing in front of me. I should have known better. If you stay on the bottom you have an out. We ended up with a lot of damage to our Chevy and survived several additional end-of-race wrecks to nurse it home to a 25th-place finish. Obviously, not what we were hoping for but it’s just the situation. It’s the last race before the NASCAR Playoffs and we knew the action would be wild. I’m thankful we are locked into the Playoffs and I’m looking forward to running for a championship for everyone at RCR and ECR and all of our partners.”
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 KCMG CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by accident on lap 158; Finished 29th
“Our No. 8 KCMG Chevrolet team came out today with one goal, and that was to win. We gave it our all and came close to making the NASCAR Playoffs during my rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Our No. 8 KCMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was fast tonight and handled really well too. I have to thank RCR and ECR for always bringing such great engines and cars to the superspeedway races. My spotter, Derek Kneeland, and crew chief, Randall Burnett did a great job calling a race that got me up towards the front with 10 laps to go. I tried to make a move for the lead with about eight laps to go, and it didn’t work out like I planned. It unfortunately hurt our car and chance to win. I was clear for about a second when I went to make it, but it’s Daytona and things change quickly. There weren’t a lot laps left at that time, and you have to do what you can to try to win to make the Playoffs. I can’t thank KCMG, Caterpillar, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Alsco, Chevrolet and all our partners at RCR and ECR enough for their support during my rookie season. I promise we’re still going to be fighting hard every week for the next 10 weeks to get our first win in the Cup Series.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by accident on lap 151; Finished 32nd
YOU WERE HANGING IN THE BACK MOST OF THIS RACE AND YOU DECIDED TO GO TO THE FRONT AND THE AGGRESSION PICKED UP. DID YOU HAVE THE SPEED TO STAY UP THERE AND DO YOU THINK IT GOT A LITTLE IT AGGRESSIVE?
“No, I think the race kind of played out similar to what we thought it was going to. Starting in the back, we decided we would just kind of cruise in our Kroger Camaro. It was nice running the bottom there in that final stage with the 9 (Chase Elliott) and the 88 (Alex Bowman) behind us. I felt like we were making headway, got up beside the 18 (Kyle Busch) for the lead and it was tough with the 18 and the 11 (Denny Hamlin) together. But I thought with us, the 9 and the 88, I thought that we could keep our momentum up. Something happened behind them and they got shuffled and separated from me. Then there at the end, we were just running the top lane. It looked like the 8 (Tyler Reddick) tried to pull a slider, didn’t quite have him cleared and we all just kind of bunched up. Our Kroger Camaro was fast again. I had a lot of fun, but it sucks not to get the finish out of it.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by accident on lap 151; Finished 34th
“We were just digging on the bottom – I thought that was the best spot to be. Our Monster Energy Chevy was fast and we were all in the right spot, I thought, for what we needed to get done. Just got clipped from behind and our day is done. But, all-in-all, we’ve been coming together as a team – we just haven’t had the results to show it. I like the clarity and focus that we have on the No. 1 car heading into the Playoffs. It’s been a consistent season all the way until these last few, but now it’s time. Now we have to lay down everything we’ve got with Darlington, Richmond and Bristol coming up.”
“Thanks to Monster Energy, Chevrolet, GEARWRENCH. Sorry Ganassi guys – I didn’t bring it on home, but we were racing hard with nothing to lose. I thought the bottom was the safest spot, we just got clipped from behind.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:
THE MODERATOR: We’re now joined by Chase Elliott, our second‑place finisher in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Talk us through the final laps, getting this second‑place finish.
CHASE ELLIOTT: It was obviously pretty wild there at the end, like it always is. Really hard to know what's going to go, what isn't. Really unpredictable from my vantage point.
Just kind of happened to be at the right place I feel to make up some spots on that last lap. Was in a position where I didn't think me making a move on William was going to benefit myself. It was better to kind of stick to him, get him shoved out in front of the 11 and those guys, hope he would be able to hold on from there.
THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Chase.
Q. Jim Campbell made it clear the last couple years for the Chevys to work together at the restrictor plate tracks. Did that plan work out as well as you had set in place? Do you feel you had to go with whatever line was moving, who there was to work with?
CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, honestly this week was a little different from our vantage point. I felt like it was less this is what we have to do, but it was more of this is the objective. Kind of left it to the drivers, which I thought was a little better personally.
Not every circumstance is always going to work out when you're just trying to stay nose to tail the whole time. There are instances where you can pick and choose who you want to help and who you don't. I think just knowing the objective, kind of letting us have a little bit of free rein there was really good.
Jim has been really laid back and open to trying new things. I thought it was better as a group for us tonight, not because we won, but in general we were a little more fluid which I think is a good thing at these races.
Q. We heard on the radio to stay with your teammate. Was there any other thought in your mind?
CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, yeah, I was looking for an opportunity for myself, for sure. I never saw an opportunity that I thought was going to benefit me. There were a couple opportunities that would have probably hurt both of us. I didn't see a scenario. Maybe there was. I'm certainly not the best plate racer, maybe there was a spot for me to make it work for me and go on to win.
At the moment in time I didn't see that developing. Tried to give William the best shove I could, go on down the road.
Q. You had a front row seat for the incident between Reddick and Kyle. Many guys were criticizing him for being too aggressive. What is your opinion?
CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, yeah, it was aggressive for sure. The same guys who complain about aggression are the ones who are rooting and shoving you out of the way at the next plate race. I've been on the other end of that, people jumping down your throat about that stuff. They'll be the ones doing it to you and taking advantage of you if you don't give it back to them.
Yes, it was a little aggressive. At the same time I think the guys who win those races are aggressive, too.
Q. Do you think the date change for Daytona being the last regular‑season event had any effect on the intensity later in the race?
CHASE ELLIOTT: Certainly made for better storylines leading in. This race being in July, I feel like it just kind of got I don't want to say swept under the rug, but it was just one of those things that kind of came out in the wash by the end of the regular season.
But with where it was tonight, it obviously put a lot more emphasis on tonight and the situation the guys around the bubble are in. That's really tough. That's a tough thing to come down here and have to perform. I think it's really honestly near impossible to guarantee that.
Ultimately there were however many races before tonight to get yourself in a good position to not be on the bubble like that. Ultimately that's what it comes down to.
To me the one person I feel the worst for is Jimmie, not because he didn't get in, but because the guy had to miss a race, how much of a setback is why he was on that bubble position. That's the guy I feel for through all that.
Q. What do you think this win can do for William Byron?
CHASE ELLIOTT: I thought he did a really good job. He performed under fantastic pressure I feel like in the Xfinity Series, too, when he was coming along. If you're racing for wins, you're never going to escape those situations, which is a good thing. It's a privilege to be in those spots.
Yeah, he did a good job. He had good opportunities there at the end of the race and made the most of them, went on to grab his first win. More than anything, I'm just happy for him. I felt like they've ran well over the years and been close at times. Cool to see that team go to Victory Lane.
I know some of their pit crew guys were guys I worked with when I was racing the Xfinity Series. Kind of a small community there. Yeah, just happy to see him get a win in the 24 car. That was something I really wanted to do because the only other guy to win was Jeff in that car. I thought that would have been a really neat honor to join him.
I think he should really embrace that. That's a really cool thing, in my opinion, that he should definitely think about or one of y'all should mention to him when you interview him.
Q. Looking ahead to the Playoffs, what will be the key to get over the hump of getting to the championship?
CHASE ELLIOTT: I think just winning more consistently. We see the 11 and the 4 and those guys winning about every other week. When they're not winning, they're running second or third, right? You got to be doing that. You got to be up front more often. You can't hit it one week, then be off for three weeks, then hit it again, then be off for another three weeks, expect the cards to fall your way.
I think for us, I look back to how we started the season, and I thought we were running really competitively. Is that a word? I felt like we were really close to where we needed to be.
After the break I feel like we fired off good. Seems like we got behind a little bit. Then this past week at Dover I thought we were better than what we had been. We just got to get that consistency we had at the beginning of the season and when the break was over. I think we could compete with really whoever.
THE MODERATOR: Chase, thank you for taking the time to join us. We will see you at Darlington.JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND FEELING? AT THIS POINT, IS IT JUST SHOCK MORE THAN ANYTHING? EVEN TO BE SO CLOSE AFTER ALL YOU’VE GONE THROUGH. HOW DO YOU JUST DESCRIBE HOW YOU’RE FEELING?
“Yeah, that’s the disappointing part. To look back at the ones that got away, the ones I never got a shot at, like the Brickyard, and to only miss it by six points – I knew it was going to be an emotional couple of weeks going down this stretch. I knew the position we were in, so it’s not like this is a shocker or a surprise. So, my emotions are what I would have expected. I’m definitely disappointed, but we’ve been running well, still know I can win a race and there’s still races to win. A couple of beers and a flight home, I’ll get a good nights rest, try to shake it off tomorrow and just focus on the next race.”
JUST DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SAW IN THE WRECK AND KIND OF YOUR FEELING WAS ONCE YOU KNEW YOU HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
“As we came by the start-finish line, I could see some rooftops moving around and I knew something was going on. I saw the 43 car on the outside wall, but he gathered it up and we all kind of got rolling again down into turn one. And then I could not see what really started things on the lower lanes. I got into the right-side wall just a little bit and then someone clobbered me from the bottom. Something happened in the lower lane that I didn’t see and somebody spun up into me.”
IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR LAST SEASON?
“I don’t know. I guess it’s very similar. I have not put as much on this being my last year as others have. It’s been about performing, it’s been about being competitive, it’s been about getting this race team back to where it deserves to be. Last year, we were in a rebuilding phase and had to overcome a lot. This year, I feel like we don’t really have much to rebuild – we just need to execute. So, I think I had more optimism this year to make the Playoffs than I did last year. If I go out and win a couple of races down the stretch, I’ll be really disappointed I’m not in the Playoffs. So, we’ll have to see how my emotions feel as the final 10 go on.”
HOW DO YOU PREVENT THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THIS FROM LEAKING INTO THE REST OF THE SEASON OR EVEN NEXT WEEK? HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT NOW AND STOP IT FROM GOING FORWARD?
“It’s really this team. If our DNA was different, if our bond and relationship was different, we would have started crumbling a couple of weeks ago when the pressure was really on. You could tell from our performances that hasn’t been the case. The accountability and belief we have in one another really carries the tempo and the mindset for the team. The guys were bummed out on pit lane as I was getting out of the car – my team members were. But we all know that there’s 10 more races to try to win. That’s where everybody’s focus is – to try to send me out with a trophy.”
WHAT DO FEEL SEEING CHAD KNAUS CELEBRATE IN VICTORY LANE WITH A DRIVER OTHER THAN YOU?
“I’m so happy for him – I really am. He is a brother to me. The bond, relationship and friendship we have – I am genuinely so happy for Chad Knaus, William Byron and that entire 24 team. For one, Chad and my relationship with him and two, they’re my teammates. I’m in the trenches with them week in and week out. William I’ve known for a long, long time. Many of you will remember me telling a story about him trick-or-treating at my house when he was a kid. So, to see him win his first race on this big stage with all the pressure, I’m really happy for both of them. I knew there was a path in to make the Playoffs if William did win and I felt like we were in a really good position to do that. But that crash that we got caught up in really took our chances away.”
HAVE YOU SEEN CHAD (KNAUS) TAKE ON A DIFFERENT PERSONA WITH WILLIAM (BYRON) THAN HE HAD WITH YOU AS A CREW CHIEF? HE SEEMS MORE HANDS-ON EVEN MORE THAN HE WAS AND KIND OF MORE OF ALMOST A TASK MASTER, A TEACHER KIND OF THING.
“Honestly, that’s one of Chad’s strengths and what he’s always done so well. I feel like his wisdom, experience, accountability and the bond that you have with him being his driver – he’s a great teacher. I think at some point where he and I went wrong with the pressure and our success, a lot of different things kind of weighed on us. And when the performance wasn’t there, the decay started and we had our issues. When Mr. Hendrick chose to put William with Chad, I knew why and I knew they were going to be good. I expected them to win a little sooner, but I’m so happy for them that they did get this win on such a big stage.”
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE RIGHT NOW TO BOTH THE NO. 48 TEAM, WHO DID JUST EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO GET YOU BACK IN THE RACE WHEN THAT WRECK HAPPEN, AND THE NO. 48 FAN BASE?
“There’s 10 more chances to take a trophy home. That’s all we’re focused on at this point. Nothing else matters – it’s about winning races and finishing up this year as we should.”
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