Bristol Motor Speedway
Sunday, March 28, 2021
.533-Mile Dirt Oval
3:30 PM ET
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
TV: Fox logo
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (7 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM logo PRN logo
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 28 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd
No. 5 Freightliner Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
NOT SO ROCKY ON TOP: Courtesy of a victory (five playoff points) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month and three stage wins (one playoff point each) in 2021, Kyle Larson has amassed eight NASCAR Cup Series playoff points – the most accumulated through six races. The driver of the No. 5 Freightliner Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE also leads the series in laps led (379) and average running position (5.89). Larson is tied for most wins (one), top-10 finishes (five) and laps completed (1,441).
TEN PERCENT: Larson has now led 3,592 laps in NASCAR’s premier series since his first start in 2013. Through six races as a Hendrick Motorsports driver, he has led 379 laps – 10% of his career total.
THE DIRT ON LARSON: In January, Larson collected two victories on dirt tracks: his second consecutive Chili Bowl Nationals victory, an annual event held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a win in a late model dirt car at All-Tech Raceway. In 2020, Larson had one of the most successful years in the history of dirt track racing, winning 46 total events across various series.
GEORGIA ON MY MIND: Larson led a race-high 269 laps in Sunday’s 325-lap race at Atlanta Motor Speedway but finished second after a late-race pass by Ryan Blaney. Larson won both stages during the 500-mile event and moved up to second in the NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings.
TRIPLE TWOS: It was a trio of second-place finishes for Larson last weekend. Along with his runner-up finish at Atlanta, the 28-year-old driver finished second in a pair of super late model events at the Bristol Dirt Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway. Larson drove his entry to second-place finishes in the preliminary event Friday and the main event Saturday.
DRIVE FOR 5: On Tuesday, Larson announced the launch of the Kyle Larson Foundation, which was established to better serve today’s youth, families and communities in need through hands-on support. The Sanneh Foundation and the Urban Youth Racing School are the primary beneficiaries of the foundation, which will also work closely with Hendrick Cares, the corporate social responsibility program of Hendrick Automotive Group. To kickstart the “Drive for 5,” Larson pledged a personal donation of $5 for every NASCAR Cup Series lap he completes this season and will contribute another $5,000 for every top-five finish he earns. Through just six races, he has already pledged more than $22,000. To learn more, please visit KyleLarsonFoundation.org.
TRUCKIN’: Larson, the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner on the dirt track at Eldora Speedway, will drive in Saturday night’s truck race on the Bristol dirt track. In 2013, Larson led 51 laps en route to a second-place finish in the inaugural truck event at Eldora.
TRUCKING: With its three-year contract extension through 2023, Freightliner will become a Hendrick Motorsports primary sponsor for the first time this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Since 2004, the team has trusted Freightliner’s efficient and reliable trucks to transport race cars and equipment to NASCAR events across the country, logging more than 4 million miles on the road. It is the leading brand of heavy-duty trucks in North America.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 10th
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
SIX-RACE ROUNDUP: In the first six events of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has collected two top-five finishes – tied for the third-most among all drivers – and led a total of 73 laps. He has spent 269 laps inside the top five and 672 laps running in the top 10.
DOWN AND DIRTY: Elliott heads into the Bristol Motor Speedway race weekend with some dirt experience under his belt. Last week, the 25-year-old driver participated in the Bristol Dirt Nationals where he advanced to the super late model main event on Friday night. He was collected in an accident that ultimately ended his night. During the offseason, Elliott was behind the wheel of a midget dirt car at the Chili Bowl Nationals where he finished seventh in the F-Main.
BRISTOL STATS: Elliott has made 10 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. In those 10 events held on the .533-mile concrete oval, the driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE garnered three top-five finishes, five top-10s and led 310 laps. In addition, Elliott also led 60 laps en route to winning the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race held at Bristol last July.
NAPA KNOW HOW: This weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, the No. 9 Chevrolet will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for 25 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.
CHECK OUT THOSE HATS: During the month of March, the No. 9 team will wear special limited-edition NAPA hats at the track. The hats are part of NAPA AUTO PARTS’ March in-store promotion. Throughout the month when customers spend $25 in store, they will receive the No. 9 NAPA Racing/Chase Elliott hat while supplies last.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 8th
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
24 UP FRONT: Six races into his fourth NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron is off to the best start of his career. So far, the 23-year-old driver has spent 1,065 laps running inside the top 10 – the third-highest amount in the Cup field. Of those 1,065 laps, 425 were inside the top-five running order, which is the seventh-most by a driver this season. Currently, the pilot of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has led laps in three races and ranks fourth for most laps led this year with 129. In fact, Byron has the sixth-best average running position of 2021 at 10.29.
KEEPIN’ THE STREAK ALIVE: Despite issues in the first two races of the season, Byron and the No. 24 team have been on a hot streak. For the first time in his Cup career, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native is on a run of four consecutive top-10 finishes that date back to his Feb. 28 win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
VIRTUAL VIRTUOSO: After its inception last year during the pandemic, the NASCAR Pro Invitational Series on iRacing returns Wednesday night for the first race of 10 in 2021. With a background in iRacing, Byron competed in six of the virtual racing events last year, capturing the checkered flag in three of them. He looks to continue his iRacing success while utilizing the extra practice time when the Pro Invitational Series kicks off on dirt at Bristol prior to this weekend’s real-world dirt event there.
SLINGIN’ DIRT: Sunday’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway will mark the first time the NASCAR Cup Series will race on dirt since 1970. While it’s not prevalent on Byron’s racing resumé, he does have one start on dirt at the national level of NASCAR. In 2016, the driver competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Eldora Speedway. After finishing fourth in his heat race, Byron went on to score a top-15 finish, crossing the finish line in 14th.
DIRT SPECIALIST: While this will be the first time racing dirt for modern-day Cup Series teams, Rudy Fugle has an extensive background in the dirt racing world. Growing up in Livonia, New York, the No. 24 team crew chief got his start on dirt, competing in a 600cc micro sprint and working on a friend’s dirt modified at the local track level. In his time as a crew chief, Fugle has six Camping World Truck Series starts at Eldora Speedway, collecting a track-best finish of fourth in 2015 with Erik Jones.
LIBERTY U IS BACK: When the Cup Series takes on the dirt at Bristol for the first time, Byron will have the new Liberty University paint scheme on board his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track, especially on the dirt. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University 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 communication, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s new Liberty University paint scheme, click here.
CLOSE TO HOME: Chris Burkey, the pit crew coach for the Nos. 9 and 24 teams, hails from Greeneville, Tennessee, which is only 47 miles southwest of Bristol Motor Speedway. Burkey has an extensive background in coaching, getting his start in football. He played football for Wingate University, where he eventually started his coaching career. Burkey coached college football from 1992-2005 for Wingate, East Tennessee and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2005, he joined the NFL’s Miami Dolphins as a scout. Looking for a new challenge, Burkey made the transition from football to NASCAR when he was hired as a developmental pit crew coach for Hendrick Motorsports in 2009. He moved up to the head coach position for the Nos. 5 and 24 teams in 2014.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 27 (April 15, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 14th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
TOP FIVE IN ATL: Alex Bowman captured his first Atlanta Motor Speedway top-five finish on Sunday after his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet crossed the line third at the end of the 325-lap event. The driver started 14th and quickly worked his way into the top 10. Bowman secured two top-10 stage results after finishing stage one in the sixth position and completing stage two in third. Bowman spent 321 laps inside the top 15 at the 1.5-mile facility, which is 98.8% of the total laps in the event.
DIRT RACING HISTORY: Bowman is no stranger to racing on dirt. The 27-year-old driver qualified on the pole for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series event at Illinois State Fairgrounds’ 1-mile dirt track. He led 20 of 100 laps during that event to bring home a second-place result. Bowman competed in the 2019 and 2020 Chili Bowl Nationals under his own banner of Alex Bowman Racing. In 2019, he earned a top-10 finish during his preliminary night and ultimately finished 12th in the B-Feature. Last year, the Tucson, Arizona, native finished third in his heat race in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, event, was second in the B-Feature, then placed 10th in the A-Main. In preparation for Sunday’s race on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway, Bowman has been practicing at Millbridge Speedway in a micro sprint car.
2021 OVERVIEW: So far during the 2021 Cup Series season, Bowman has one top-five finish, three top-10s and one pole award (the DAYTONA 500). The driver of the No. 48 Ally Camaro has run 286 laps inside the top five and 673 laps inside the top 10 this year. He has the 13th-best average running position (14.03) among active drivers in the series and is tied for sixth when it comes to the most top-10 results in 2021.
IVES HAS DIRT EXPERIENCE: No. 48 crew chief Greg Ives is no stranger to guiding young drivers at dirt tracks. The Bark River, Michigan, native currently calls the shots for his children, son Parker (6 years old) and daughter Taylor (8) at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina. Both run beginner box stocks at the local dirt track while also racing karts at GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina.
IRACING PREP: The No. 48 Ally team has been utilizing the iRacing program to get ready for the real-world dirt event at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. Both Bowman and Ives have laid down laps at the virtual .533-mile venue to get a better idea of what the track will do over the course of the weekend. Both Ives and his team of engineers used iRacing to test changes to the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to see how it will handle on the track.
SPEEDY ON PIT ROAD: The No. 48 Ally pit crew ranks first among all teams in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire pit stop of 13.54 seconds. During the event at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, the five-man team gained four positions during the first pit stop of the day. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.
NEW TRACK SUCCESS: Sunday’s much-anticipated dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway will mark the 11th new track configuration the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on since 1994. In the previous 10 inaugural races, Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane four times – twice the total of any other team. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon won the debut events at Indianapolis in 1994, California in 1997 and Kansas in 2001. Chase Elliott won the most recent new addition at the DAYTONA Road Course in August 2020. The six other venues to hold first-time Cup Series races since 1994: Texas in 1997, Las Vegas in 1998, Homestead in 1999, Chicagoland in 2001, Kentucky in 2011, and the Charlotte ROVAL in 2018.
FOLLOW THE LEADER: Through six 2021 NASCAR Cup Series races, Hendrick Motorsports has led a league-best 582 total laps, which is 39% more than both Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing, who are tied for second with 354 laps led. It is the most laps Hendrick Motorsports has led at this point in the season since 2014 when the organization had 668 through the first six points events.
BRISTOL HISTORY: Although not on dirt, Hendrick Motorsports has posted 11 points-paying Cup Series wins at the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway oval. Most recently, Elliott won the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race held there last July. The eventual 2020 NASCAR champion led 60 laps en route to the victory.
THE NEXT FOUR: After Sunday’s dirt race at Bristol, the Cup Series will take its annual Easter break before resuming the 2021 schedule. At the four tracks following the holiday, Hendrick Motorsports has 55 total wins: 25 at Martinsville Speedway, 10 at Richmond Raceway, 13 at Talladega Superspeedway and seven at Kansas Speedway.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on what comes to mind in advance of first Cup Series dirt race at Bristol: “Anticipation and the unknown. Even me being a dirt racer, I really don’t know what to expect. These (NASCAR Cup Series) cars are way different than what I’m used to racing on dirt. They are way heavier with a lot less power than I’m used to. I think the only thing that transfers from my previous dirt experience to this weekend is how to read the surface and how it changes and evolves throughout the weekend and the race. I may be able to adapt to that quicker than a pavement racer.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on preparation for the Bristol dirt race: “We have watched a lot of Eldora races, especially the race that Kyle won and others he was close to winning. We’ve talked to (No. 24 crew chief) Rudy (Fugle) a lot and to a lot of friends and contacts in the dirt racing world. We’ve studied everything we can possibly study to make good decisions. We’ve talked with Kyle a lot since he ran the super late model last weekend to see what he would predict or expect – and that is still a bit of an unknown. But we’ll still have to react quickly to whatever challenges are thrown at us this weekend.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on potential challenges at Bristol: “The track surface, to me, is the biggest question and just how the event is going to look from the beginning of the weekend to the end. The racetrack is going to change a lot throughout the week. Weather can play a factor into that (and) how they water and keep up the track, if they do any track prep. That, to me, is probably the biggest question mark in just how they’re going to go about that. Two hundred fifty laps in the sun is a lot on a dirt track. What little bit of experience I have, those tracks lose their moisture very fast when the sun’s out, so if it’s sunny and you’re racing with that many heavy cars on it, I can see the track degrading very quickly.”
Elliott on who he’s been leaning on for advice for Bristol dirt race: “I just think the really tough thing is no one knows a ton about our cars on dirt. To me, it’s going to be very different from your average dirt event that you see on a Friday or Saturday night across the country because these cars aren’t really made for that. It’s just going to be different. Dustin (Shoulders, No. 9 team engineer) has a dirt racing background. Kyle (Larson) and Rudy Fugle both having experience with the truck event up in Eldora, which is probably the most similar thing you can go off of.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on what he’s expecting at Bristol: “We don’t know what to expect this weekend. Rudy (Fugle) has a lot of experience. He’s really good at it, had some success – and he doesn’t know either. It’s just a different animal. I think we’re all learning a little bit together and just trying to use Rudy’s experience and the experience of the guys at the shop that have run on dirt. The biggest thing is that you can’t just take our car and go race it at a dirt track. You have to do a lot of different things to it and we are just continuously looking through all the different possibilities. This will be something that we will learn from, I’m sure, and take away some good experience.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenges he expects racing on dirt: “This weekend is going to be such a challenge. I’m looking forward to it and I think it will be fun. I just don’t know what to expect, honestly. Luckily, iRacing scanned it and we will race virtually Wednesday night. Hopefully, that will help a bit. I think the guys who run dirt normally will have an advantage. Someone like Kyle Larson is going to be fast. It’s going to be a challenge for us asphalt guys. You’ll have to have your elbows up every lap. It’s going to be challenging physically, too, because you’re going to be driving your car hard constantly. There is no saving equipment in dirt racing.”
Byron on how he plans to prepare for Sunday’s dirt race: “I didn’t do the best at Eldora (Speedway) but Bristol has more banking, which will give it a different feeling. I’m excited to get there and see what it’s like though. I’m obviously going to talk with Kyle (Larson) some beforehand, but he also doesn’t know what to fully expect in a Cup car there. The biggest thing when it comes to dirt is getting to experience it yourself and watching what everyone else is doing and where they are making speed. I plan to really do that during practice on Friday to see what I can learn and apply to the race on Sunday.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway: “This weekend’s race will be unlike any other that we’re used to. Just about every way the car is set up is the opposite of what we would normally run. You want the car raised up higher to account for the dirt and bumps but also to allow the right side to really roll over and get the rear tire to catch and grip the track. The main thing is we don’t have any notes on what to expect from the track, but at least we do have practice sessions on Friday to help get acclimated. We’ve also been watching the other races that have been taking place there the last few days to try judge some characteristics of the track as runs go on. The good thing is that we’re really all on the same page going into the event.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his dirt experience: “I’m excited. I may not be a dirt guy, per se, but I probably have more dirt starts than most going into Bristol. I ran a couple different midget series for a couple years. While I ran pavement more than dirt, I did run some dirt stuff. I’m going to race my sprint car this year as well. I definitely enjoy the dirt thing. I’m ready to go. I ran the ARCA race on dirt. I feel like that was somewhat similar. I don’t know what to expect. You saw the track get pretty rough over the last couple nights. But those late models make a lot of grip and do some crazy stuff with the rear suspension that, I think, probably tends to dig the racetrack up a little bit. Our cars are heavy. We’ll see if they do the same thing or not.”
Bowman on racing on dirt for the first time for a Cup Series race: “I’m just excited. I love new and different things. I think going somewhere completely different than what we’ve done in the Cup Series for forever is pretty awesome. Who knows if it’s going to be amazing, not great, what the racetrack is going to do or what’s going to happen? I think the fact that it’s new, different and exciting is really cool to be a part of.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on Bowman’s dirt experience: “It’s actually really nice that Alex has some dirt experience racing in the midgets and his love for it. His background and experience really bring an added bonus to not only myself, but the rest of the race team. I grew up having a little bit of dirt experience but most of my stuff was on asphalt. I am definitely looking forward to the challenge of not only the new track configuration, but also the challenge of getting back into the routine of practice. I know qualifying is a heat race but you are just going to have a lot more track time.”
Ives on the speed of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet: “I feel like we have had speed all year. Incidents on the racetrack, whether it is a tire going down or contact with another car, have hampered that finishing position, which ultimately reveals your speed. If you look at when we have been running well and not having those issues, we are capable of top-10s and top-fives every week. Our third-place result last week kind of shows that. You can always talk the talk, but unless you walk the walk it doesn’t really matter, and we were able to do that this week. The pit crew was phenomenal, and Alex did a great job on green-flag cycles and managing restarts. Every time we came on pit road, we picked up spots.”
