PHOENIX RACEWAY (1-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: AVONDALE, ARIZONA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 36 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, NOV. 8 (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
2nd in standings
35 starts
4 wins
1 pole position
14 top-five finishes
21 top-10 finishes
1,094 laps led
Career
184 starts
10 wins
9 pole positions
58 top-five finishes
95 top-10 finishes
2,938 laps led
Track Career
9 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
2 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
249 laps led
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Thursday, Nov. 5, as part of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 Media Day. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.
CLOCKING IN: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, turned in a stellar performance Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, overcoming several obstacles and leading a career-high 236 laps en route to his first NASCAR Cup Series win at the track. The victory secured Elliott’s first-ever berth in the Championship 4. He joined teammate Jimmie Johnson and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon as Hendrick Motorsports drivers who secured a spot in the championship race by winning at Martinsville.
CHAMPIONSHIP RUN: This weekend, Bill and Chase Elliott could become the third father-son duo to win a NASCAR Cup Series title, joining Lee and Richard Petty and Ned and Dale Jarrett. Bill Elliott won the 1988 Cup Series champion while driving the No. 9 car. A title performance would also give crew chief Alan Gustafson his first Cup trophy in his 16th full-time season.
NAPA KNOW HOW: Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will showcase the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme in Sunday’s championship race at Phoenix. It will be the Atlanta-based company’s first time with a driver competing for the NASCAR Cup Series title in the season finale. 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.
PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE: With only one race remaining in the 2020 season, Elliott leads all playoff drivers in laps led (564), points earned (364), stage points (110) and average running position (5.9) in the nine playoff races. He has also run the most laps in the top five (1,826) and the top 10 (2,500) of all drivers. Elliott has picked up the second-most top-five finishes (four) in the playoffs behind Joey Logano, who leads with five.
GUSTAFSON’S 30: No. 9 crew chief Gustafson ranks fifth among active NASCAR Cup Series crew chiefs with 30 wins. His victories have come from four different drivers: Gordon (11), Elliott (10), Mark Martin (five) and Kyle Busch (four). Gustafson has won with more drivers than any other active crew chief.
2020 SEASON: As the NASCAR Cup Series heads into the final race of the 2020 season, Elliott has already turned in a record year by picking up career bests in wins (four), laps led (1,094), top-five finishes (14) and stage wins (10). Elliott’s 21 top-10s are tied for his most at the 35-race mark, and he is 108 laps away from doubling his personal record for laps led in a single Cup season.
YOUNG BUCK: On Nov. 8, 2014, at 18 years, 11 months and 11 days, Elliott became the youngest NASCAR Xfinity Series champion when he clinched the 2014 title a week early at Phoenix. In 2020, he could become the third-youngest NASCAR Cup Series champion at 24 years, 11 months and 11 days.
PHOENIX STATS: This Sunday, Elliott will make his 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at Phoenix. In his previous nine starts at the 1-mile oval, the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has led a total of 249 laps – the fourth-most laps led at a track for Elliott. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has collected two top-five finishes, five top-10s and won two stages at the Avondale, Arizona, venue.
GUSTAFSON AT PHOENIX: Gustafson will call his 32nd Cup Series race at Phoenix on Sunday. In his previous 31 races there, he has collected three wins, nine top-five results including two runner-up finishes, 20 top-10s and 680 laps led. Gustafson’s three wins are the third-most by a crew chief at Phoenix and came with three different drivers: Busch in 2005, Martin in 2009 and Gordon in 2011. He worked with the oldest winner ever at Phoenix Raceway (Martin at 50 years, 3 months and 9 days) and the track’s youngest winner ever (Busch at 20 years, 6 months and 11 days).
William Byron
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
13th in standings
35 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
140 laps led
Career
107 starts
1 win
5 pole positions
9 top-five finishes
30 top-10 finishes
434 laps led
Track Career
5 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
15 laps led
END OF AN ERA: After 20 seasons, Sunday at Phoenix Raceway will be the final race for Chad Knaus as a full-time crew chief, marking the end of one of the most decorated careers in NASCAR Cup Series history. In his time atop the pit box, Knaus has worked with four different drivers: Casey Atwood, Stacy Compton, Jimmie Johnson and currently William Byron and the No. 24 team. His impressive résumé consists of seven Cup championships, including an unparalleled five in a row, with Johnson and the No. 48 team. Only NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Inman has more titles as a crew chief. Knaus also was part of two previous Hendrick Motorsports championships as a tire changer for Ray Evernham’s No. 24 team with driver Jeff Gordon. Knaus is the only crew chief to make the NASCAR playoffs in all 17 seasons since the format’s inception in 2004, collecting a record 29 post-season victories. He has 82 points-paying Cup wins, the third-most of all-time, coming at 20 different racetracks. The Rockford, Illinois, native has 42 pole awards, 227 top-five finishes, 370 top-10s and 18,943 laps led to his name across 707 starts.
PERFECT 10: When Byron and the No. 24 Axalta team take on Phoenix Raceway this Sunday, they will look to extend two streaks. Currently the 22-year-old driver holds two top-10 finishes at the 1-mile oval. Another this weekend would tie Phoenix with Kansas Speedway as tracks with the second-most top-10s by Byron, just behind Pocono Raceway with four. A top-10 Sunday would also give the third-year Cup Series driver 14 during the 2020 season – a personal best in a single year since entering the Cup Series.
VALLEY OF THE SUN: Heading to a track where he has found success at every level of NASCAR national series competition, Byron will return to Phoenix Raceway for the sixth time in his Cup Series career. Across his five Cup-level starts at the 1-mile oval, Byron has a personal-best finish of ninth (fall 2018) with 15 laps led. He also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix on his résumé, both in 2017. He started on the front row and finished in the top four in both races, including a win in November 2017. With that victory, he became the youngest Xfinity Series winner ever at Phoenix at 19 years, 11 months and 13 days. In 2016, Byron was behind the wheel for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series race at the track, where he led 112 laps and was in the hunt to make the final four of the playoffs before an engine failure ended his night early.
KNAUS’ PHOENIX PROWESS: For the 36th time as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief, Knaus will sit atop the pit box at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday. With four wins at the track, all coming with Johnson and the No. 48 team, Knaus ranks second among active Cup crew chiefs, just one behind Rodney Childers. He also has three pole awards at Phoenix.
KNAUS JOINS DALE JR.: On Tuesday, Knaus joined former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his popular podcast, the “Dale Jr. Download.” On the show, Knaus talked about his early days before reaching championship crew chief status, his final season before taking over his new role, as well as revealing that he officially joined Twitter. Listen to the podcast by clicking here or watch the highlights on Wednesday, Nov. 4 on NBCSN at 5 p.m. ET.
HOMETOWN HYPE: While the NASCAR Cup Series will make its final stop on the 2020 circuit, Phoenix Raceway holds special meaning for one member of the No. 24 team. Michael “Too Tall” Madill, the rear suspension mechanic for the No. 24 Axalta team, hails from Glendale, Arizona, approximately 30 minutes from the track. At the age of 16, he made the move to North Carolina to begin his NASCAR career. Now 31 years old, Madill is finishing his 12th season in the sport and his third with the No. 24 team.
AT IT AGAIN WITH AXALTA: For Sunday’s season finale, Byron will pilot the iconic Axalta flames on board his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the final time this year. In 2020, Axalta was the 22-race majority partner of the No. 24 team. The company’s relationship with Hendrick Motorsports was extended, taking one of the most enduring partnerships in sports through 2027.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 45 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2020 Season
18th in standings
34 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
103 laps led
Career
685 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
231 top-five finishes
373 top-10 finishes
18,937 laps led
Track Career
34 starts
4 wins
3 pole positions
15 top-five finishes
21 top-10 finishes
994 laps led
#ONEFINALTIME: On Nov. 20, 2019, seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson announced that 2020 would be his final full-time NASCAR season. His career rewrote the record books. Johnson has won 83 Cup races and is tied for sixth on the all-time victories list. He is tied with NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the most championships in history and became the youngest driver to amass seven titles. The El Cajon, California, native is the only driver ever to win five championships in a row (2006-2010) – a singular feat that is unlikely to be matched. Johnson has won 12 of NASCAR’s “crown jewel” races, including the 2006 and 2013 DAYTONA 500s, four times at Indianapolis and two Southern 500s at Darlington. He has four NASCAR All-Star Race victories and has won a record 28 times on 1.5-mile tracks. Johnson’s first victory came in his home state of California in April 2002 in his 13th start, and his most recent was at Dover in June 2017.
FINAL LAP: Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway will mark Johnson’s final start as a full-time NASCAR driver. His career began on Oct. 7, 2001, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson recorded 663 consecutive races, never missing a NASCAR Cup Series start until July 5 of this season when a positive COVID-19 test kept him from competing at Indianapolis. He holds the fifth-most consecutive starts in NASCAR history, behind only Jeff Gordon (797), Ricky Rudd (788), Bobby Labonte (704) and Rusty Wallace (697). Phoenix will mark his 686th start in the Cup Series.
SUCCESS AT PHOENIX: Johnson is the proud owner of four NASCAR Cup Series wins at Phoenix Raceway. He has led 994 laps around the desert track and holds an average finish of 10.4. In 34 starts there, the 45-year-old driver has accumulated 15 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s.
FINAL SCHEME UNVEILED: Johnson took to his Instagram account on Tuesday to unveil the final paint scheme he will race on Sunday at Phoenix. The hand-painted No. 48 Chevy includes a silver base, which matches the seven NASCAR Cup Series championship trophies Johnson has collected. The car is topped with the colors of primary sponsor Ally and features the driver’s signature neon-yellow car number. Click here to watch the unveil.
ANOTHER CHANCE AT 84: On Sunday, Johnson will have one more chance to change the record books. If he wins at Phoenix Raceway, he will have scored his 84th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win to tie Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth on the all-time list. Johnson has the most wins of all active drivers with 83.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 Truck Hero/ChevyGoods.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina
2020 Season
6th in standings
35 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
15 top-10 finishes
440 laps led
Career
188 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
16 top-five finishes
41 top-10 finishes
914 laps led
Track Career
10 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
194 laps led
STRONG PLAYOFFS: Although Alex Bowman and the No. 88 team did not advance to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4, they had an impressive playoff run that concluded Sunday at Martinsville Speedway with a sixth-place finish. The 27-year-old driver earned the second-most points (337) through nine playoff races, behind only teammate Chase Elliott (364). He also had the best average finish in the playoffs at 8.0, and his seven top-10 results in the playoffs are tied for the most with Kyle Busch.
CAREER YEAR: The 2020 season has been a personal best for Bowman and the No. 88 team. The Tucson, Arizona, native has one win, six top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and has led 440 laps in 35 events. Bowman has recorded more top-10s and laps led this year than ever in his career, securing a spot in the playoffs Round of 8 for the first time in his six seasons at the Cup level. Bowman has finished inside the top 10 in nine of the last 11 races, a personal best. In the playoffs, he led laps in five of the nine races.
WELCOME HOME: Bowman has 10 NASCAR Cup Series starts at his home track of Phoenix Raceway. His best finish of sixth came in the 2016 event when the No. 88 team started from the pole position and led a race-high 194 laps. His average running position during that event was 1.9 with 272 laps running inside the top two. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has six starts at the 1-mile oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Bowman’s best qualifying effort of fifth came in 2014 and 2017. In the fall event in 2017, he claimed his best finishing position of eighth. In 2011, Bowman ran the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West event at Phoenix Raceway where he started ninth and led 23 laps en route to a second-place finish.
IVES IN PHOENIX: For the 12th time in his crew chief career in the NASCAR Cup Series, Greg Ives will call the shots for the No. 88 team this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. The Bark River, Michigan, native claimed the victory in the 2015 fall event at the track with Dale Earnhardt Jr. after leading 22 laps. Ives led Bowman to a pole win at the track in 2016 and the No. 88 Chevrolet led 194 laps en route to a sixth-place finish. Ives has four starts at the venue as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a best finish of fourth place coming in 2013 with driver Regan Smith. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. During that time, he was part of four wins, one pole award and 11 top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway.
FINAL TIME FOR NO. 88: For the final time, the No. 88 Chevrolet will be on track this weekend with Bowman at the wheel. With the car number, the driver has two wins, 117 starts, 16 top-five finishes, 41 top-10s, two pole awards and has led 911 laps for Hendrick Motorsports. Ives has been with the No. 88 for six years and has accumulated five wins, 38 top-five results, 79 top-10s, four pole awards and 1,292 laps led in that span with three different drivers. The pair will move to the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team in 2021.
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 Phoenix Raceway. In January, Hendrick Motorsports announced its partnership with ChevyGoods.com, which includes primary sponsorship of Bowman for 26 events. Associate brands that were featured throughout 2020 are Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero.
NEW DISCOUNTS: During the month of November, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on various accessories on its website. For the “Buy More, Get More” sale, customers can get 15% off (CHEVYGOODS15) with a purchase of $100-$249, 20% off (CHEVYGOODS20) with a purchase of $250-$499 and 25% off (CHEVYGOODS25) when customers spend $500 or more.
Hendrick Motorsports
LUCKY 13: Chase Elliott’s clutch win at Martinsville locked him into Sunday’s Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway and a chance to compete for the NASCAR Cup Series title. A 2020 Cup championship would be the record-extending 13th for car owner Rick Hendrick, with each coming in the last 26 seasons (50%). It would also mark the fourth decade in which Hendrick Motorsports has secured a Cup title: the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.
ON THIS DATE: Hendrick Motorsports has won two of the last three NASCAR Cup Series races held on Nov. 8, the date of Sunday’s championship-deciding event at Phoenix. Jeff Gordon went to victory lane in the 1998 season finale at Atlanta, and Jimmie Johnson won at Texas in 2015.
FINALE PERFORMANCE: Hendrick Motorsports has won the NASCAR Cup Series season finale on six occasions, including its inaugural year. Geoff Bodine and Tim Richmond won Riverside in 1984 and 1986, respectively. Gordon (1998) and Jerry Nadeau (2000) took the checkered flag at Atlanta. Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gordon won in 2012 and Johnson in 2016. Hendrick Motorsports won the Cup championship in 1998 and 2016.
PHX HISTORY: Phoenix Raceway has been a successful venue for Hendrick Motorsports. The team is the track’s all-time leader in wins (10), pole positions (12), top-five finishes (47), top-10s (86) and laps led (2,746). It also has nine runner-up results at Phoenix, which is tied for the most there.
PLAYOFF RECORD: Since the inception of the format in 2004, Hendrick Motorsports has 46 NASCAR Cup Series playoff wins – 16 more than any other team. Including Elliott’s two 2020 playoff victories, the organization has scored at least one in a record 16 different seasons, missing only 2017. A series-topping seven different drivers have won a playoff race for Hendrick Motorsports.
THE STATS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 262 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,099), top-10s (1,897) and laps led (70,666) 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 six wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.
QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott’s outlook for the week leading into the season finale at Phoenix:
“I’m still kind of wrapping my head around everything, I feel like. I’ve never been in this position before, so I think myself, much like a lot of people around me are kind of learning this together. For me, I’m just taking it a day at a time and just enjoying the moment. I’ve been saying that a lot lately, and I think it’s really important to do that. I’ve heard my dad say that over the years that he wished he enjoyed certain moments more and didn’t just run through them. So I’m just trying to enjoy it. This is a big opportunity – it’s not an easy thing to make the final four, it’s not something you should ever take for granted, may not ever be here again, so I recognize that and I recognize that we have a very solid team. As the No. 9 team in general, I think we are very capable of going and contending this weekend and I believe that and I think we just have to make the most of a great opportunity and enjoy it and try to thrive in the moment and hope for the best.”
Crew chief Alan Gustafson on team preparation for the Championship 4 at Phoenix:
“I don’t think I have to keep them focused or hungry. Everybody is really motivated, we want to do this for each other, for Hendrick Motorsports and for Chase. We are just going to work really, really hard and do everything we can. The best thing I can do is make these decisions to guide throughout the week – how we are going to set the car up, or how we are going to configure for Phoenix or what path we will go. I just give the guys the best guidance I can and let them do their job. Certainly, their input and influence are huge to me, collectively we make a pretty strong team. I am excited about that and working with the pit crew, the T.J. (Semke) thing is a great example of that. You want to be very energetic, excited, enthusiastic, and determined, but you can’t let that be debilitating either or put you over the edge or consume your thoughts. I think you got to throw caution to the wind, and just work hard, entrusting what you’ve done and go execute.”
Driver William Byron on the season finale being at Phoenix Raceway:
“It’s going to be a lot different, I feel like, finishing the season in Phoenix instead of Homestead. Phoenix put on a good race the last time we were there this spring. Between the PJ1 and the low downforce, I think it was a really good recipe for good racing. I envision it being about the same when we go back this weekend. Intensity will be high with the Championship 4 battling it out, but hopefully we can go out there and be the ‘best of the rest’ and take the win. That would be a lot of fun to end the season that way.”
Byron on the characteristics of Phoenix Raceway:
“While it’s a mile in length, Phoenix really races more like a short track. With the way you use the brakes and how much you are on and off the throttle, it really has the rhythm of a short track. It has long straightaways but then short track-like corners. It does have higher speeds, though, which is a characteristic of a bigger track, including the downforce aspect.”
Crew chief Chad Knaus on his final race:
“I don’t know that it has really set in just yet that this will be my final race as a crew chief. Honestly, I’ve been trying to keep myself really busy. Every time I think about it I start to get pretty sad, so I’ve been staying as busy as I can. I’m sure that when we get to the end of the race Sunday that it’s going to be a tough moment for me and for my brother Jimmie (Johnson). Obviously, it’s going to be tough to walk away from this full time on the crew chief level, but it will be a good thing. It’s a good opportunity for me and it’s a great opportunity for the No. 24 team and for Rudy (Fugle) to really get started on their future.”
Driver Jimmie Johnson on his final race as a full-time NASCAR driver:
“I’m excited, honestly. It’s been an amazing journey and one that I could have never dreamed of. To be here at the end of what has been a crazy year, going out on my terms, is really special. I’ve had the great support of Hendrick Motorsports, Ally, Cliff Daniels and my team. So many people have been there for me, especially my incredible family and friends. I’m happy. I’m in a great head space. Will it hit me in Phoenix? I’m sure it will, but I’m glad I will have my loved ones there to celebrate all we have accomplished and toast to the future.”
Johnson on crew chief Chad Knaus’ final race:
“Without Chad Knaus, there absolutely would not have been the powerhouse that came to be the No. 48 team. The guy never slept. He ate and breathed racing, always making us stronger, making us better and finding the edge. Now he doesn’t sleep because he has young kids, which makes me smile more than anything because he absolutely loves being a dad. Knaus is one of my best friends. I love him like a brother. I am so incredibly happy for him, for Brooke and his growing family, and I know he is going to take Hendrick Motorsports to the next level in a way only Chad can. For 17 years we accomplished so much. It’s mind blowing. He is my brother, there’s just no way around it. I couldn’t be happier for him for this next chapter.”
Driver Alex Bowman on his best Cup Series season:
“It is a bummer to not be going for a championship this weekend at my home track, but we have nothing to be disappointed in. This No. 88 team has worked their butts off all season, but especially these last 12 or 13 weeks. We have had great Chevrolet Camaros each and every week and it shows. I think people saw us as a wildcard throughout the playoffs and it was our goal to show everyone that we deserved to be here.”
Bowman on returning to his home track:
“Going home to Arizona is always special and to see Phoenix Raceway get the Championship race is great. Phoenix is one of those tracks where I feel like we have just had some bad luck. The 2016 race is still a race where we look back and know that we could have gotten the win there. This 88 team has been working hard on our cars both at the track and the shop, so I know we are going to unload a fast Chevrolet on Sunday. Winning at my home track would be a great ending to this crazy season. Being so close in 2016 was tough, but this team never gives up.”
