NASCAR CUP SERIES
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
ALLY 400
TEAM CHEVY POST-PRACTICE NOTES & QUOTES
JUNE 19, 2021
NASCAR CUP SERIES PRACTICE AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: TEAM CHEVY TOP-10
1st WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
2nd KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 1LE
3rd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
4th RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER/NATURE VALLEY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
5th TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 QUARTZ HILL RECORDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
6th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 1LE
10th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY NEON LIGHTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
NASCAR CUP SERIES: TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 IN DRIVER STANDINGS POST-PRACTICE MEDIA AVAILABILITY HIGHLIGHTS:
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Fastest in NCS Practice
THOUGHTS AFTER PRACTICE:
“We were OK. I think, honestly, just trying to figure out the entry and exit. It’s so flat. It’s honestly similar to how Pocono was when I went there my first year in 2018. Just have to continue and progress. I think everyone is going to get better, especially with that being the first time that we had all been on the racetrack in these cars.”
WHEN DOES IT START FEELING EASIER FOR YOU AND WHEN IS IT LIKE, ‘I KNOW HOW TO MAKE THESE LAPS’?
“It felt easy for me lap one just because I was in the truck race last night. So, I had some experience around cars; had some track time. Obviously, things didn’t finish the way we wanted to with the engine issue. But I felt like we were running pretty well and learned some things there. We’re just trying to get better. I feel like the truck was just a little bit different, just because you don’t use as much brake. But you also have to get into the throttle more than the Cup car. Just having to get in the gas more in the truck was different. This thing has a lot more power and you can kind of be a little bit more patient on exit.”
YOU AND DENNY (HAMLIN), IS THAT WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TO WIN TOMORROW?
“Yeah, I guess. I feel like you’re going to see a similar race to Chicago a couple of years ago with the low downforce, just because this place is low on grip. It’s hot, the rubber is really laying down, which I think has a lot to do with the resin. I personally feel like they should lay down the resin everywhere with how black as this place is right now. I feel like it’s closer to a few years ago when the track would lay rubber. The tires are sticky, the track is sticky and it’s making you have to move around a lot.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd fastest in NCS Practice
INAUDIBLE
“I don’t have much experience here in the past; still trying to figure it out. It’s really easy to overdrive your corner. The shape of it seems like a 1.5-mile track and it’s almost a 1.5-mile; but once you get to the corners, they’re pretty tight. Like I said, it’s really easy to overdrive and you have to be way more patient than you think.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON JUST HAVING A WIN STREAK LIKE THIS?
“It’s been a good streak. It’s been fun to win these last few weeks and win on the dirt track stuff, too. Still have a lot of racing left this year and hopefully we can rack up a lot more wins.”
YOU SAID ON THE RADIO THE TYPE OF CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE IS WHEN YOU STRAP INTO THE RACE CAR AND EVERY WEEKEND, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN WIN. IS THAT THE FIRST TIME YOU’VE REALLY HAD THAT SENSATION IN YOUR CUP CAREER?
“No, I mean 2017 I think I felt probably the same then, too. We were up front almost every weekend in Cup and I was having a good season in sprint cars and midgets, too. I would say this year feels close to that year; probably a little bit better on the Cup side and probably a little bit better on the dirt side, as well. But I wouldn’t say this is the first time.”
THOUGHTS ON POCONO NEXT WEEKEND:
“It will be fun to do a doubleheader; get to do two Cup races in one weekend will be new for me. I like Pocono (Raceway) a lot, too. It’s a different style race track and it takes a rhythm to get around there, even though it’s such a big place. I feel like I’ve done well there in the past. It would be good to go there and get a couple wins.”
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY?
“It’s a cool track. You go out there and, on the straightaways, you think you can just rifle it off into the corner because it seems like a 1.5-mile track. But then you get to the corners and they’re a lot shorter than normal and it’s really easy to overdrive your entry. Just getting used to the patience I think it takes to get around here is tough, but I feel like our car was pretty decent there in practice. We’ll keep inching up on it and hope to be good on Sunday.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ROLL YOU’VE BEEN ON THE LAST MONTH?
“Yeah, it’s just been good. It’s fun to be competitive and I hope I can continue to run up front. Our team has been doing a great job; our pit crew has been doing awesome. We just have to keep working hard. This sport is tough, so we have to keep our heads down and keep digging.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd fastest in NCS Practice
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST REACTIONS TO THE TRACK?
“Really similar to what I remember from testing here. I did a number of tests here back probably five or six years ago. But it’s kind of what I remember; really similar, standard concrete racetrack for the most part.”
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“I don’t know what it would have been like without it, so that’s tough to say. But the track has taken a lot of rubber. Even at the start of the truck race last night I thought it was really dark and it had already taken a lot. That’s the best way to get the groove to move up, if it does darken up and it seems like it’s done that. How much higher we can go, I’m not sure. But the groove is wider than I thought it would be, so that’s good.”
IS IT GOOD TO HAVE EDDIE (D’HONDT) BACK?
“Yeah, it’s good to have Eddie (D’Hondt, spotter) back; the familiar voice. For him and his family to be through all of that is good for him.”
“It felt like we never missed a beat, really. So, it was good.”
DOES THINGS EVEN OUT WITH THE REST OF THE FIELD HAVING A SHOT AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS BECAUSE NOBODY HAS RACED HERE BEFORE?
“Yeah, I would say so. There are unknowns and there are things that I think we all guessed on coming here. I think it has probably been a while for everybody since we all tested here. I know this was a facility that everyone used, but things have changed since then, for sure.”
THOUGHTS ON THE TRACK AFTER GOING OUT IN PRACTICE?
“Standard, concrete oval, really for the most part. I feel like it was just how I remembered here the last time I tested; aside from the groove is a little wider and I think that’s just because there’s a lot more traffic on the track than what was ever here than when we were testing. Usually when you’re testing, there’s usually only one, two or three cars, so you never really get a lot of rubber laid down. There’s already been a race last night and there’s a lot of guys kind of moving around to try and find different parts on the track to run. Really about exactly what I thought it would be, aside from the groove being slightly wider. Everyone always migrates to the fast lane, wherever that may be.”
IS IT NICE TO HAVE THE DRIVER DYNAMIC THAT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SEEMS TO HAVE RIGHT NOW?
“Yeah, everything has been good. I feel like, just in general, like I’ve been saying over the past couple of months – Hendrick Motorsports is just in a good place. We’re all open and honest; just trying to get better. I think we’re all pushing each other to be better, which is a good thing, and we’ll continue to try to move forward.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
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