TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY (2.66-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: TALLADEGA, ALABAMA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 31 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 2 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, OCT. 4 (NBC/MRN/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
7th in standings
30 starts
2 wins
1 pole position
11 top-five finishes
17 top-10 finishes
742 laps led
Career
179 starts
8 wins
9 pole positions
55 top-five finishes
91 top-10 finishes
2,586 laps led
Track Career
9 starts
1 win
2 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
4 top-10 finishes
129 laps led
PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, has scored the most stage points (52) and holds the best average running position (5.19) in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. In the four postseason races thus far, he also has the third-most laps led (212) and the fifth-most points accumulated (146).
ROUND OF 12: Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marked the first race of the Round of 12 in the 2020 playoffs. Elliott and the No. 9 team led 73 laps and battled inside the top five for most of the event before a huge bottleneck on the final restart resulted in Elliott losing momentum and finishing the race with a 22nd-place result. He has won at each of the two tracks remaining in the second round of the playoffs (Talladega and Charlotte roval).
NAPA RETURNS: On Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, 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. In February, it was announced that NAPA AUTO PARTS and Hendrick Motorsports will continue their partnership for another two seasons through 2022. Click here to read the full release.
SEASON TO DATE: In 2020, Elliott has delivered career bests in laps led (742), top-five finishes (11), stage points (252) and stage wins (eight) through 30 starts in a season. His 17 top-10s are tied for a personal best and his two wins and three runner-up results are the second-most for him at the 30-race mark.
ELLIOTT OUT FRONT: Elliott’s 742 laps led this season is the most by a Hendrick Motorsports driver through 30 races since Jimmie Johnson led 1,035 in 2014.
‘DEGA DOWNLOAD: This weekend, Elliott is set to make his 10th Talladega start in the NASCAR Cup Series. His first win at the track in April 2019 was also his first superspeedway win at the Cup level. In his previous nine starts, the 24-year-old driver has earned the pole position twice – his first start at the track in May 2016 and in October 2019. Elliott has garnered three top-five finishes and led 129 laps in his Cup Series career at the Alabama track. He also has three starts at Talladega in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one top-10 finish.
GUSTAFSON AT TALLADEGA: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 32nd Talladega Cup Series race from atop the pit box on Sunday afternoon. He collected his first superspeedway victory at 2.66-mile track on April 28, 2019, with Elliott and the No. 9 team. In his previous 31 events calling the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon), Gustafson collected seven top-five finishes, nine top-10s, 232 laps led and six pole awards there.
William Byron
No. 24 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
16th in standings
30 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
109 laps led
Career
102 starts
1 win
5 pole positions
8 top-five finishes
27 top-10 finishes
403 laps led
Track Career
5 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
43 laps led
NEW ROLE FOR KNAUS: Tuesday afternoon, Hendrick Motorsports announced veteran crew chief Chad Knaus would be elevated to a new leadership role following the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season – vice president of competition. Knaus will oversee the technical development of all Hendrick Motorsports teams, including the implementation of NASCAR’s 2022 “Next Gen” vehicle. While the Rockford, Illinois, native is looking forward to his new role, the 2020 season signals the end of an illustrious career as a Cup-level crew chief. The seven-time series champion, all with Jimmie Johnson, has captured 82 race wins at 20 different tracks – including most recently with William Byron at Daytona – which is the third-most victories of all time by a crew chief. He is the only crew chief to have made the playoffs in all 17 seasons since the format’s inception, winning an unprecedented 29 races, almost three times more than any other crew chief.
TALLADEGA TELL-ALL: Making his sixth Cup Series start this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Byron is looking to change his luck at the 2.66-mile track. In his previous five Cup Series races there, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has had solid runs, scoring a track-best finish of 11th (June 2020). The last time the NASCAR Cup Series raced at a superspeedway, Byron earned his first career Cup Series victory after he crossed the finish line first at Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 29.
KNAUS DIGS ‘DEGA: With a skill for superspeedway racing, Knaus is set to call his 40th NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega when the No. 24 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE hits the track Sunday. Racking up six pole awards at the 2.66-mile track, including a streak of four in a row in his first four races there as a Cup Series crew chief, Knaus has two wins, all coming with Johnson and the No. 48 team. Knaus kept that momentum going with Byron and the No. 24 team, putting them in contention for the win in their three Talladega starts together, despite late-race incidents.
WELCOME, HENDRICKCARS.COM: On Tuesday, Hendrick Motorsports unveiled Byron’s No. 24 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. The blue and white scheme pays homage to Ricky Hendrick, son of car owner Rick Hendrick, who drove a similar scheme in both the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and in the Xfinity Series. Brian Vickers also piloted the scheme when he won the 2003 Xfinity Series championship. Byron will don the HendrickCars.com colors in two more 2020 races: the Charlotte roval on Oct. 11 and Kansas Speedway on Oct. 18. Hendrick Automotive Group has more than 100 dealership locations in 14 states and 27,000 cars to choose from, which can be browsed at HendrickCars.com. It also offers same-day service and maintenance from factory-certified technicians, which can be scheduled online.
CLOSE TO HOME: Hailing from Pensacola, Florida, No. 24 team spotter Tab Boyd claims Talladega Superspeedway as his home track. Growing up a few hours away from the 2.66-mile superspeedway, Boyd has more than 20 years of experience in NASCAR in various roles, including an Xfinity Series tire changer as well as mechanical and fabrication positions before ending up in the spotter’s stand. When Boyd has time outside of the NASCAR schedule, he is usually still at the racetrack, but behind the steering wheel in the Street Stock Mid-Atlantic Series.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 45 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
17th in standings
29 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
102 laps led
Career
680 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
231 top-five finishes
373 top-10 finishes
18,936 laps led
Track Career
37 starts
2 wins
4 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
473 laps led
‘DEGA WINS: Hendrick Motorsports has 13 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Talladega Superspeedway. Of those, Jimmie Johnson is the proud owner of two first-place trophies. His last victory there was in 2011, and he has led 473 career laps around the historic Alabama track. Johnson started fourth and ran strong during the last race at Talladega in June and was a contender for the win before settling for a 13th-place finish.
BLINK OF AN EYE: Johnson is tied for the closest margin of victory in NASCAR history since the advent of timing and scoring. It came at Talladega on April 17, 2011, when he edged competitor Clint Bowyer by just 0.002 seconds for his second win at the superspeedway.
THUMBING A RIDE: One of the most memorable “rides” Johnson has taken at Talladega came in 2012 when former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. picked him up on the racetrack after the No. 48 Chevrolet was collected in a spectacular four-wide accident coming to the checkered flag in overtime. Johnson’s car was no longer able to carry on, so he rode on Earnhardt’s window back to the garage.
MILESTONES ON THE HORIZON: Johnson has the most overall points-paying wins of all active drivers, and his next trip to victory lane will be his 84th in the NASCAR Cup Series. He secured his 83rd victory in June 2017 to tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time list. An 84th win would tie Johnson with Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth all-time. The No. 48 driver currently is 10 wins behind former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, who has 93 victories and is third on the list.
JIMMIE JOHNSON WAY: Last weekend, Las Vegas Motor Speedway recognized the historic accomplishments of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion at the 1.5-mile track in “Sin City” by renaming the infield tunnel road “Jimmie Johnson Way.” Johnson was presented the honor by track president Chris Powell upon his arrival on Sunday. Johnson finished 11th at Las Vegas Motors Speedway in his final career start at the track.
PAINT THE WALL PINK: Johnson participated in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina’s annual “Paint the Wall Pink” at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday. Traditionally, the event has hosted breast cancer survivors alongside Johnson painting the wall, but this year, due to restrictions on gatherings, the event took place virtually with more than 50 survivors on the giant digital screen at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
TRUE SUPPORTER: After former crew chief Chad Knaus’ announcement Tuesday afternoon, Johnson posted this heartfelt message for his longtime friend and teammate, stating he was excited for his family and about his future with Hendrick Motorsports.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Patriot Foundation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina
2020 Season
8th in standings
30 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
394 laps led
Career
184 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
14 top-five finishes
37 top-10 finishes
868 laps led
Track Career
10 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
3 top-10 finishes
45 laps led
IMPRESSIVE STATS: Alex Bowman has scored the fourth-highest number of points so far in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with 152. He has earned the fifth-highest amount of stage points (40) and has the fifth-best average running position (9.11) so far in the playoffs. He has three top-10 finishes in the last four events. The No. 88 team’s average finish in the first 24 events of 2020 was 17.9 and has surged to 8.0 in the last six events. Bowman is tied for first with the most top-10 finishes (5) over the last six races of the season.
SITTING EIGHTH: Coming off a fifth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Bowman is now in the eighth spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings. The Tucson, Arizona, native sits nine markers above the cutoff line going into this Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. Last weekend, Bowman captured the second-highest amount of points at Las Vegas after finishing both stages inside the top 10 and earning a top-five finish.
PATRIOT FOUNDATION ON BOARD: On Monday, Hendrick Motorsports announced the addition of the Patriot Foundation to the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Sunday’s race at Talladega. The foundation has teamed up with Chevrolet to launch an exclusive special edition “Forceman” Chevrolet Silverado, available for purchase at 848 dealerships across 16 states. The Forceman package makes a bold statement about the tactical lifestyle and strong dedication to our nation’s brave warriors. Some of the proceeds from each Forceman Special Edition package will go to the Patriot Foundation, which provides scholarships to children of members of the military who have been killed, wounded or become seriously ill or injured while serving our nation. The organization ensures that 91% of the actual donation goes toward children’s education. Since it was founded 17 years ago, more than 2,000 scholarships have been provided.
ALABAMA ROLLING: Bowman will make his 11th Talladega Cup Series start on Sunday. His best finish of second at the track came during the 2019 spring event after leading seven laps. Earlier this season, Bowman led 12 laps en route to a seventh-place finish after starting eighth. The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has led 45 laps total at the superspeedway and has three top-10 finishes.
IVES IN ‘DEGA: Crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the 12th time for the No. 88 team at Talladega on Sunday. The Bark River, Michigan, native has one win at the 2.66-mile venue with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015 after leading 67 laps. He also has three top-five finishes and six top-10s there. Ives’ drivers have an average start of 6.5 at the 2.66-mile facility. Back in 2017, the crew chief’s team started from the pole position and, in 2018, Bowman led 26 laps to bring home an eighth-place finish. In total, Ives’ drivers have led 180 laps and have completed 90% of the total laps in 11 events. The crew chief’s résumé includes one win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the superspeedway with Regan Smith in 2013. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006 until 2012. During that time, he was a part of two wins, two pole awards and seven top-10 finishes at Talladega.
WE GOT THE GOODS: The black and yellow ChevyGoods.com paint scheme featuring Truck Hero will be on board Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE during Sunday’s event at Talladega Superspeedway. In addition to Truck Hero being on board this weekend, the Patriot Foundation will be featured on Bowman’s machine. 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.
DEALS, DEALS, DEALS: During the month of September, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on various accessories on its website. Customers can receive 10% below MSRP on all Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero accessories purchased online. Use code CHEVYGOODS to receive the discount at ChevyGoods.com.
HOME-TRACK FEELS: Rowdy Harrell, tire carrier for the No. 88 team, returns to his home state of Alabama this weekend for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. The 30-year-old athlete grew up in the small town of Moundville, Alabama, which is near Tuscaloosa. He was a middle linebacker for the University of Alabama under coach Nick Saban and was part of three NCAA national championship wins with the team in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
SPEEDY ON PIT ROAD: The No. 88 pit crew ranks seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.07 seconds after 30 events this season. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Harrell, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.
Hendrick Motorsports
ALABAMA WINS: At Talladega Superspeedway, Hendrick Motorsports holds the track record for NASCAR Cup Series wins with 13. The team has scored at least one victory there with seven different drivers: Jeff Gordon (six wins), Jimmie Johnson (two), Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brian Vickers, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader.
’DEGA DOMINANCE: In addition to holding the Talladega record for NASCAR Cup Series victories, Hendrick Motorsports is the track’s all-time leader in pole positions (13), runner-up finishes (14), top-fives (58), top-10s (89), and laps led (2,870).
SUPER ON SPEEDWAYS: Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in combined superspeedway wins with 28. Eleven different drivers have gone to victory lane for car owner Rick Hendrick at the venues of Talladega and Daytona, which is the most superspeedway winners of any NASCAR Cup Series team.
DOZEN AND COUNTING: Hendrick Motorsports has placed at least one car inside the top 10 in the last 12 NASCAR Cup Series races, matching the team’s longest streak of 2020. The last time the team posted more than 12 straight top-10 finishes in a season was in 2016 when it ran off 15 in a row during a championship-winning year.
PLAYOFF WINS: Since the inception of the format in 2004, Hendrick Motorsports has 44 NASCAR Cup Series playoff wins – 16 more than any other team. The organization has scored at least one playoff victory in a record 15 different seasons, missing only 2017. A series-topping seven different drivers have won a playoff race for Hendrick Motorsports.
MORE STATS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 260 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,093), top-10s (1,886) and laps led (70,236) 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 eight wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.
QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on the Round of 12 and Talladega:
“This is an interesting round, no doubt. We are trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves and are taking it one race at a time. Talladega is going to be what we normally see at Talladega. We just have to do our best to avoid the trouble. Hendrick Motorsports always brings really fast Chevys, so I have a lot of confidence that the car is going to be capable of running up front. We just have to put ourselves in the right position throughout the race and see what happens.”
Driver William Byron on past superspeedway success:
“The last few superspeedway races have been really good for us. I feel like we’ve done what we need to do at those type of races, such as winning and advancing into the playoffs at Daytona. Talladega is a whole different place, though. I feel like we can have a really great run there though and try build off of what we did at Daytona in terms of the speed and competitiveness that we had.”
Byron on the differences between Daytona and Talladega:
“I think in terms of comparing Daytona and Talladega that Daytona relies a little bit more on the handling of the car. Talladega is just so wide and there’s so much room to run that guys don’t really run as tight in terms of lane to lane. I feel like Talladega you can use a lot more bump drafting too. Your car doesn’t have to handle well to do that. It’s just a much different animal for sure.”
Driver Jimmie Johnson on racing at Talladega:
“There is nothing like a superspeedway race. Of course, you have to have skills but there is a luck to it – and it’s like hitting blackjack when you are gambling. I hope I can experience a win like that one more time. I’ve always sort of dreaded Talladega late in the year. It’s such a stressful, stressful race. The weight and pressure of the importance of this race for those in championship or points battles, you can’t hide from it. Mistakes are costly and you can wipe your own, or someone else’s, season out in one split second.”
Driver Alex Bowman on what the No. 88 team needs to do at Talladega:
“Going to Talladega this weekend, we know that we need to have strong stage finishes and a clean, solid finish. We have to be smart about things and have a good day. Hendrick Motorsports always builds strong superspeedway cars and we have been pretty good at Talladega in the past.”
Crew chief Greg Ives’ outlook on Talladega:
“Hopefully the Patriot Foundation being on the car this weekend brings us some luck. We just have to go to Talladega and execute. Finding our teammates and working together is going to be a big portion of our race. I think we can come out of Talladega, maybe without a win, but definitely in a position to point ourselves in the next round. We can’t create our own bad luck, , so we just have to be smart about it and ultimately want to put ourselves in a position to win and gain a large number of points.”
