New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sunday, July 18, 2021
1.058-Mile Oval
3:00 PM ET
Location: Loudon, New Hampshire
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (22 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 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
MAJOR(ITY) NEWS: On Wednesday, Hendrick Motorsports announced the extension of Kyle Larson’s contract through 2023 and Hendrick Automotive Group, via its HendrickCars.com brand, will be the majority sponsor of Larson and the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through 2023. As part of the agreement, HendrickCars.com will also sponsor Larson in all non-NASCAR events in which he competes, including branding on the driver’s helmets, gloves and firesuits.
FIVE FOR FIVE: Following the 26th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, playoff points will be awarded to the top 10 drivers in the point standings with 15 markers awarded to first place, 10 to second, eight to third, seven to fourth and so on. Larson currently is ranked second in the regular-season standings, 10 points behind the leader. If he can erase that deficit in the five remaining regular-season races, it would be an additional five points – the equivalent of an extra race win – in Larson’s favor heading into the playoff stretch.
IT’S MAGIC: In 10 Cup Series starts at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Larson has four top-five finishes – including three runner-up finishes – and five top-10s. In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at “The Magic Mile,” the 28-year-old driver has two top-five finishes. In 2012, Larson led 15 laps en route to victory in his only ARCA Menards Series East start at the New England track.
TOP OF THE BOARD: Through 21 of 36 Cup Series races, Larson leads the series in wins (four), second-place finishes (five), stage wins (12), playoff points (32), and laps led (1,441). He is tied for most top-five finishes (11), most top-10s (14) and most pole positions (one).
FIT FOR A KING: On Thursday at Eldora Speedway in Ohio, Larson is scheduled to compete in a dirt sprint car in the 38th King’s Royal. He is also scheduled to participate in dirt sprint car races at the track on Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday, Larson experienced mechanical issues at the beginning of the A Main in the Brad Doty Classic dirt sprint car race at Attica Raceway Park in Ohio and did not finish.
NOT SO AVERAGE: At 13.64 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew owns the quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2021. The over-the-wall crew is comprised of gasman Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear).
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.
WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HendrickCars.com.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 5th
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: As the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend, Chase Elliott’s two wins, four runner-up finishes and nine top-five results are all career bests for him through 21 races. The Georgia native has spent 1,671 laps inside the top five and 3,155 laps running in the top 10. Elliott currently sits fifth in the driver point standings, 132 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.
GRANITE STATE STATS: Elliott is set to make his eighth NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. In 2018, he led 23 laps on the way to a fifth-place finish – his best result at the 1.058-mile oval. Elliott also earned a pair of top-10 finishes in two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track.
GUSTAFSON AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will be atop the pit box for his 29th Cup Series race at New Hampshire this weekend. In his previous 28 races calling the shots for five different drivers at the venue, Gustafson collected two wins – in 2006 with Kyle Busch and 2009 with Mark Martin. The crew chief also accumulated one pole award, seven top-five finishes, 13 top-10s and 497 laps led.
STRONG STOPS: Through 21 races this season, the No. 9 pit crew owns the third-best average time for four-tire stops at 13.71 seconds. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.
WELCOME HOME: One member of the No. 9 team road crew considers New Hampshire Motor Speedway his home track. Engine tuner Tony Bove hails from Burlington, Vermont – 167 miles northwest of the venue. Bove attended the University of Colorado before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to finish his college career. After college, he joined Hendrick Motorsports as an engine tuner. Bove is currently in his 14th season with the organization.
‘CHASE’: Over the weekend, NBC aired the trailer for Elliott’s upcoming documentary “CHASE” that will premiere on Peacock next month. The documentary, hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr., takes you to Elliott’s hometown of Dawsonville, Georgia, for a personal walk through his rise in NASCAR and all the people who have helped him along the way. Together, they explore his roots, his passions and his love of racing with his parents, friends and colleagues. Watch the trailer here.
NAPA KNOW HOW: On Sunday at New Hampshire 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 a total of 25 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
BEST YEAR YET: Entering the back half of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron is having his best year yet at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. So far, he has collected one win (Homestead-Miami Speedway), one pole (Road America), eight top-five finishes and 14 top-10s (tied for the most by a driver this season) all while leading 245 laps and earning three stage wins. Byron’s eight top-five finishes are the most the 23-year-old driver has had in a season at the Cup level and his 14 top-10s tie his previous best in a season, as well.
21 IN 21: After 21 races, Byron has been seen running in the front of the field consistently every week. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has spent 3,983 laps running in the top 10 – the second-most in the series – and 2,149 laps in the top five – the third-most throughout the field. In the last nine races, Byron has run within the top five for 1,047 laps – the second most behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. He maintains the second-best average running position in the Cup Series of 8.57 and an average finishing position of 11.48, placing Byron in fourth in the driver points standings.
LOVIN’ LOUDON: Of all the tracks on the NASCAR circuit, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been a good one for Byron. He has three previous Cup Series starts under his belt at the 1.058-mile oval, all resulting in top-15 finishes. In fact, with an average finish of 12.33, NHMS is Byron’s second-best track based on average finishes.
DOMINATING FASHION: While he has always ran well at New Hampshire, Byron got off to an unbeatable start at “The Magic Mile” early on. Making his debut at the 1.058-mile oval in 2015 in the ARCA Menards Series East, Byron qualified on the pole and led 68 of 70 laps before taking home the checkered flag. He followed that performance the next year by dominating the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race where he started from the pole and led 161 of 175 laps en route to his sixth of seven victories in 2016. Moving up to the Xfinity Series in 2017, Byron earned a top-five finish after starting seventh and placing third.
RUDY PUTS THE MAGIC IN ‘MAGIC MILE’: Byron isn’t the only one who enjoys racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; his crew chief does, as well. With three starts at the 1.058-mile oval all coming in the Camping World Truck Series, Rudy Fugle has one pole award and two wins, including a win with Byron in 2016. In fact, Fugle’s drivers have an average starting position of 2.3 and an average finishing position of 3.0 at NHMS.
LIBERTY U IS BACK: Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE this weekend when the Cup Series takes on New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday. Redesigned for the 2021 season, the new paint scheme features a white base with navy flames and red accents, allowing the Liberty University No. 24 to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. The school 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 communications, Byron is 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.
HEADING HOME: Traveling to New England for this Sunday’s Cup Series race, one crew member of the No. 24 team calls New Hampshire Motor Speedway his home track. Car chief Tyler Jones, who has been a member of the No. 24 crew since 2019, hails from South Royalton, Vermont, less than 100 miles northwest of “The Magic Mile.”
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 11th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
ATL RECAP: Alex Bowman and the No. 48 team brought home a fourth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last Sunday after starting 17th. Bowman claimed a fourth-place result in stage one and a third-place finish in stage two. During the 260-lap event, the Ally driver ran in the top-five for 83% of the race, which is fourth-best of all drivers. This is Bowman’s second top-five result at the 1.5-mile venue this season.
GRANITE STATE STATS: The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will make his 10th start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Bowman’s best finish at the 1.058-mile oval came in 2018 when the team finished 11th after rolling off eighth. In 2018, the 28-year-old driver made his first start in the No. 88 Chevrolet when it was announced that he would take over for injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10 events. Bowman has two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the New Hampshire-based venue. In 2011, Bowman made two starts at the track in the ARCA Menards Series East where he completed 100% of the total laps and had an average finish of ninth.
IT BEGAN IN 2016: Bowman made his first Cup start with Hendrick Motorsports at New Hampshire in July of 2016, as he filled in for Earnhardt Jr. Since joining the 13-time Championship team, the driver has made 139 starts and has three pole wins. Since 2016, Bowman has five wins, 22 top-five results, 52 top-10s and three pole awards. The No. 48 driver has led 1,065 laps and has been a part of the NCS playoffs since 2018.
2021 AT A GLANCE: The Tucson, Arizona, native has three wins, six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s, which is tied for the eighth-most top-10 results in the series with Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick. Bowman is tied for first for the most top-10 finishes in the last nine races with seven. Over the last nine races, Bowman has run 679 laps inside the top five, which is fifth-best overall. He has led 151 laps and is currently ranked sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings after 21 events. Bowman’s three wins this season are tied for second with Truex in the Cup Series. All five of Bowman’s Cup victories came on a different track and all three of his wins in 2021 occurred in the last 13 events.
IVES’ NHMS CREDENTIALS: Crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the ninth time at Loudon on Sunday. Ives’ drivers have led 10 laps at the facility, and his best finish at the track came in 2015 when Earnhardt finished fifth after 301 laps. In 2013 and 2014, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. His drivers had an average start of 5.0 and an average finish of 8.0. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. During that time, the team had one win (2010), six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s at New Hampshire.
PIT ROAD STATS: During the 2021 season, the No. 48 pit crew ranks fifth for the fastest four-tire pit stop average in the NASCAR Cup Series with a time of 13.77 seconds. The No. 48 pit crew includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback, and tire changers Scott Brzozowski (front) and Devin DelRicco (rear).
IN MEMORY: On Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the four Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE race cars of Hendrick Motorsports will carry a special decal in memory of longtime team member Todd Coble, who passed away this week. Coble, who was a sub-assembly technician in the Hendrick Motorsports engine department, spent more than 21 years with the organization.
FINE NINE: Over the last nine NASCAR Cup Series points races, Hendrick Motorsports has won seven times, finished 1-2 on four occasions, won 10 of 19 stages, and led 1,255 of 1,838 laps raced (68%). With 36 total entries across the nine events, the team has scored 19 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s.
WINNING SZN: Through 21 of 36 points-paying races in 2021, Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 times, which is tied for the team record at this point in a season. Its 16 stage wins are the most ever by any organization in the first 21 races. Hendrick Motorsports has scored its third-most top-five finishes (34), second-most top-10s (51) and fourth-most laps led (2,003) after 21 points events.
STREAKING TO THE BREAK: On Sunday at New Hampshire, Hendrick Motorsports will seek its 40th consecutive Cup Series points race with at least one of its Chevrolet race cars inside the top-10 finishers. If it occurs, the team will go into NASCAR’s two-week Olympics break having tied its third-longest streak of top-10s, matching the 1996 and 1997 seasons. The organization’s most consecutive top-10 results came from 2006 to 2008 when it ran off an all-time Cup Series record string of 87. The team’s second-best streak is 51 in a row, which happened from 2011 to 2013.
DROUGHT BUSTER: Although Hendrick Motorsports has nine Cup Series victories at New Hampshire, it has not won there since September 2012 with driver Kasey Kahne – a 14-race span that represents the team’s current longest drought at any active track. Thus far in 2021, the organization has ended winless streaks of 23 races at Richmond Raceway, 13 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 12 races at Pocono Raceway and nine races at Sonoma Raceway.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “I’ve always enjoyed going to Loudon. I wouldn’t say it’s one of my best tracks, but I do enjoy going there because it’s different. It reminds me of a longer, bigger Indianapolis Raceway Park the way you race it. With the traction compound application there, it seems to wear out for the last couple runs so you have to adapt and search and find where there’s more grip.”
Larson on his contract extension and announcement with HendrickCars.com: “The chance to extend my contract with Hendrick Motorsports and have such an awesome sponsor in HendrickCars.com are things I don’t take for granted. I feel like I’m driving for the best team and the best sponsors in the sport. To know that our on-track performance is having positive business influence off the track is very important because I want to return the incredible support they’ve given me. Everyone at Hendrick Automotive Group has made me feel like part of their team, and it’s exciting to be able to represent a company that loves racing like I do. I feel like we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenges of setting the car up on a flatter track: “New Hampshire is definitely a challenging track – high importance on stopping and going while also having your car turn properly in the center of the corner. It’s a tough place to figure out, but a great race track with great fans in a great area.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at New Hampshire: “New Hampshire has been a really hit-or-miss place for us; it’s just a different track. It takes a different driving style, I feel like, than some of the other places. I look at Loudon at being more of its own animal. We’ve had a couple solid runs there, but never a dominating performance. It hasn’t been my best place, I don’t feel like, personally.”
Elliott on the upcoming “CHASE” documentary: “I was looking forward to having Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) down and showing him a little bit of our home state. I feel like people think about Georgia and they think about Atlanta. They don’t think about the greater Atlanta area and the northern side of the state, which is where I have lived and grown up in for the majority of my life. I got to show him a little bit of my day-to-day life and some of the things that I do. We talked a lot about racing and my career, which I really enjoyed. It was great to have him in town and for him to make the trip. I’m looking forward to everyone having the chance to watch and enjoy it.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to New Hampshire: “New Hampshire is fairly difficult. I feel like it’s a track that, historically, the veteran drivers do really well at with their experience there. It’s just a tough racetrack. You have to have a lot of grip in your car to run well. And honestly, this is one of the tracks that Rudy (Fugle) and I have done the best at in our careers. We have some testing notes there and know what works well and what the car needs to do. I’m honestly pretty excited about going to New Hampshire this weekend. It’s a track that Rudy and I have been looking forward to going to all season long.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on heading to New Hampshire: “This race at New Hampshire has been circled on my calendar since I started the job at Hendrick Motorsports. That’s how much I enjoy going there. It’s a track that I’ve just taken to, honestly, and I don’t know exactly why that’s the case, but I’ve been able to figure it out early on. I enjoy the challenge it brings with how crucial grip is, and like most short tracks, how important it is to have drive off to set yourself up on entry for the next set of corners. It’s a fine line. I feel like we have a good idea what want to have in the car when we unload. Plus, I feel like Hendrick Motorsports has made quite a few gains with its short track program which only helps heading to a track like this.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on taking on New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “We’ve really improved our short-track program for the No. 48 Ally team. We struggled at Richmond Raceway for a long time and this year we went and won there. Hopefully, we can take some of what we learned there to be good at New Hampshire.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on preparing for Sunday’s race at Loudon: “New Hampshire is just like any other racetrack. When you run well, it is a lot of fun to drive and when you struggle, it is not a lot of fun to drive. Coming off of a Richmond (Raceway) win and some of our road course success, I feel like we can go into this weekend’s race at New Hampshire with some positive confidence and compete for a top five, if not a win. As a team, we have to stay focused and positive on Sunday.”
