Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Sunday, March 6, 2022
1.5-Mile Oval
3:30 PM ET
Location: Las Vegas
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (3 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 8th
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center on Saturday, March 5, at 9:15 a.m. local time.
LARSON HIT ON 16: On Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, Kyle Larson led 28 laps en route to his first victory of 2022 and the 17th of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is now tied with Marvin Panch and Curtis Turner for 52nd on the all-time Cup Series wins list. With his next visit to victory lane in NASCAR’s premier series, Larson could break into the top 50 in that statistical category.
WINNER WINNER: Dating back to last season, Larson has won five of the past seven points-paying Cup Series races. In the modern era (1972-present), the feat has been accomplished nine other times by eight drivers – all members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame: former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty (twice), Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, and David Pearson.
WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS: In March 2021 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson led a race-high 103 laps to capture his first victory driving for Hendrick Motorsports and his first career Cup Series win on a 1.5-mile track. Prior to the win, he had scored nine runner-up finishes – the most all-time without a victory – in 71 career Cup starts on 1.5-mile tracks.
GOOD ODDS: Including his victory at Las Vegas last year, Larson won four of the final eight races held on 1.5-mile tracks for a winning percentage of 50%. In the nine total races held on 1.5-mile tracks last season, the 29-year-old driver led 1,317 laps – the most all-time on that track configuration. In fact, the rest of the field combined to lead 1,337 – only 20 more laps than Larson.
FUN IN THE SUN: Larson has won four of the last six Cup Series races held on the West Coast. Along with his victory at Las Vegas, the Elk Grove, California, native won at Sonoma Raceway and Phoenix Raceway in 2021 plus last weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
LAS VEGAS EDGE: Only three drivers with more than three starts at Las Vegas have an average finish better than 10th. Larson’s average finish of 9.82 there trails only Joey Logano (8.59) and Ryan Blaney (8.82). Larson’s average finish at Las Vegas also ranks third among tracks where the 2014 rookie of the year has made more than one start. In eight appearances at Darlington Raceway, Larson has a 5.5 average finish while he has a 7.0 average result in 13 starts at Dover Motor Speedway.
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. 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.
OVER $200K: In March, Larson launched 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 Cup Series lap he completed in 2021 and contributed another $5,000 for every top-five finish he earned. After 36 races, he pledged more than $140,000 and raised more than $200,000. To learn more, please visit KyleLarsonFoundation.org.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 19th
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
LAS VEGAS STATS: Chase Elliott has 10 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and nearly visited victory lane there last fall, finishing in the runner-up position after a late-race charge for the win. At the track, he has three top-five finishes, four top-10s and three stage wins, which is tied for second among active drivers. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native is also tied for the longest active streak of races led at Las Vegas with five, dating back to the fall of 2019.
KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE: Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, is riding a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks, which currently leads all drivers in the series. During that span, he has led 78 laps and earned an average finish of 4.2. Elliott drove to runner-up finishes in three of the six races.
1.5-MILERS: Elliott will make his 66th 1.5-mile track start Sunday at Las Vegas. In his previous 65 races, he has led 842 laps and recorded two victories, most recently at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2020. Along with his pair of wins, Elliott has collected 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 35 top-10s on 1.5-milers.
GUSTAFSON AT LAS VEGAS: This weekend, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 22nd race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from atop the pit box. In his previous 21 races at the 1.5-mile desert oval, Gustafson has garnered six top-five finishes, nine top-10s and 187 laps led.
NAPA KNOWS LAS VEGAS: NAPA AUTO PARTS, the Atlanta-based company that has been a primary partner of Elliott in all seven of his seasons at Hendrick Motorsports, will be on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Las Vegas. It will mark the ninth time it has served as the primary sponsor of the No. 9 team at the 1.5-mile track. That last time NAPA colors were on Elliott’s Chevrolet at Las Vegas, the Georgia native drove to a second-place finish.
A SHOC ENERGY DAYTONA RACE EXPERIENCE: A SHOC Energy is giving fans the opportunity to win a VIP trip to the Cup Series race at Daytona on Saturday, Aug. 27. One grand prize winner and guest will receive flight and hotel accommodations, tickets to the regular-season finale and a $500 Visa gift card. The sweepstakes is open now through July 15. Fans can enter by texting “ASHOCTRIP” to 97579.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 33rd
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: William Byron is no stranger to success on mile-and-a-half tracks during his NASCAR Cup Series career. In 2021, he picked up the win in the third race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway – his first on a 1.5-mile configuration. He went on to collect seven top-10 finishes across nine races on the intermediate tracks throughout the year – tied for the second-most behind only Kyle Busch (eight). In fact, Byron scored 370 points on 1.5-mile venues in 2021 – the third most behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (440) and Busch (381). Heading into Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Byron is on a streak of two consecutive top-10 finishes at 1.5-mile tracks.
LOOKING FOR LUCK: When the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 unloads for Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it will mark Byron’s ninth Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile venue. In the eight previous starts, Byron has a personal-best finish of seventh (September 2019). However, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native’s stats at Las Vegas don’t accurately represent the strength the No. 24 team has displayed there. Byron is tied for third across the Cup Series field for the longest active streak of races led at Las Vegas (three). Also, the 24-year-old’s 71 laps led there rank as the sixth-most he’s led at a single track.
VIVA LAS RUDY: Returning to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third time with the Cup Series, crew chief Rudy Fugle is confident heading to a venue where he has had success before. In his two Cup showings last season, the No. 24 team scored an eighth-place result in the spring and was poised for a top-five result in the fall before a flat tire with 50 laps to go left them with an 18th-place finish at the 1.5-mile track. Aside from those two starts, the Livonia, New York, native has called the shots for 10 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Las Vegas. He has collected one win (March 2019) with driver Busch, four top-five finishes, six top-10s, three pole awards and 238 laps led. With Byron in the Truck Series in 2018, the duo qualified 10th and raced to a fifth-place finish at the 1.5-mile venue.
AXALTA TRIPLE: Already having been on board for the first two races of the 2022 season, Axalta will adorn Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 once again for Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Axalta is now in its 30th year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 25th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
BOWMAN ON 1.5-MILERS: Alex Bowman will make his 48th start on a 1.5-mile track for Hendrick Motorsports this Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In his past 47 appearances, Bowman has garnered one win, nine top-five finishes, 19 top-10s, three stage wins and has led 461 laps.
IVES IN VEGAS: Crew chief Greg Ives will sit atop the No. 48 pit box for his 12th start at Las Vegas on Sunday. In his last 11 starts at the 1.5-mile venue, Ives has garnered two top-five finishes and four top-10s. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. During that time, he was part of three wins and four top-five finishes at Las Vegas.
PIT STOP POWER: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew gained a combined 15 spots across all pit stops made in Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway. The crew notched the eighth-fastest stop of the 2022 Cup Series season on lap 133, clocking in at 10.73 seconds. The No. 48 crew also holds the fifth-fastest average through the two points-paying races this year, averaging a 12.72-second pit stop. The No. 48 pit crew includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Eric Ludwig, and tire changers Scott Brzozowski (front) and Devin DelRicco (rear).
SAVE THEM ALL: Bowman and primary partner Ally are teaming up this year to bring back the Best Friends Animal Society donation effort. This week, the duo will make charitable contributions to The Animal Foundation, which serves the local community in Las Vegas beyond household pets. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and The Animal Foundation. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.
MULTIPLE WINS: With four victories, Bowman is the second-winningest driver since the start of the 2021 Cup Series season, trailing only teammate and 2021 champion Kyle Larson. Bowman’s four-win season started at Richmond Raceway in April. His win at Richmond also notched primary sponsor Ally’s first points-paying victory in the Cup Series. He tallied three more wins: Dover Motor Speedway, where he led his teammates to Hendrick Motorsports’ first 1-2-3-4 finish, Pocono Raceway, and Martinsville Speedway.
RACING FOR UKRAINE: In addition to competing for a win in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports will race in support of Ukraine. To help bring awareness to the growing humanitarian crisis and to encourage relief donations, team owner Rick Hendrick and sponsor Hendrick Automotive Group have committed $200,000 to Samaritan’s Purse to support disaster assistance. The Hendrick organization will also contribute $2,000 toward Ukraine relief for each lap led by the four-car Hendrick Motorsports stable at Las Vegas, where the team led a combined 150 laps last March. This weekend, the Samaritan’s Purse website, SamaritansPurse.org, will appear prominently on the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of defending race winner and 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. Donations that directly support relief efforts in Ukraine can be made via the site.
75,000 LAPS LED: Since it was founded 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has led exactly 75,000 laps in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races. It reached the milestone Sunday after leading 52 laps at Auto Club Speedway to extend its all-time record. The team has led 98,574.473 miles in the series, which is equal to nearly four full trips around the Earth.
LAPPING THE FIELD: In 2021, Hendrick Motorsports set a new record for laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in a single season with a combined 1,693. The previous record of 1,515 was set in 2005 by RFK Racing. Including six at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has 65 victories on 1.5-mile tracks, which is 10 more than second-best Joe Gibbs Racing and 24 more than third-best RFK Racing.
KEPT IT GOING: Following Larson’s victory Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has won at least one Cup Series race in a record-extending 38 different seasons. With the exception of only 1985, the team has delivered a victory each year since Rick Hendrick opened the doors in 1984. Petty Enterprises is second all-time with 36 years with a victory.
THE BIG FOUR-OH: On Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports notched its 12th victory at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and its 40th combined NASCAR Cup Series win on the West Coast. It has also won 12 times at Phoenix Raceway, seven times at Sonoma Raceway and three times at the defunct Riverside International. The team will seek its seventh Las Vegas Motor Speedway victory this weekend.
BACK FOR MORE: Entering the 2022 NASCAR season, Hendrick Motorsports will seek to defend as Cup Series champions and extend its current streak of consecutive titles to three. Chase Elliott won the coveted Bill France Cup in 2020, followed by teammate Larson in 2021. Hendrick Motorsports has earned 14 NASCAR Cup titles – the most in history – and holds series records in every major statistical category, including wins, pole positions and laps led.
BANNER YEAR: The 2021 season was one of the most memorable in the history of Hendrick Motorsports. In May, the team finished 1-2-3-4 at Dover Motor Speedway, won Chevrolet’s milestone 800th race at Circuit of The Americas and broke Petty Enterprises’ long-standing record for all-time Cup Series wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The organization recorded 17 points-paying victories, which rank as its second-most ever (18 in 2007). With its entire four-car stable contributing to the 2021 total, Hendrick Motorsports became the first team in Cup Series history with four race winners under the age of 30 in a single season. The year culminated with Larson’s victory at Phoenix Raceway, which clinched the organization’s record-extending 14th NASCAR Cup Series championship.
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Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, on this weekend’s efforts to support Ukraine relief: “Like the rest of the world, our family has watched the worsening crisis in Ukraine with shock and sadness. We’ve been especially struck by the needless suffering inflicted on innocent children. NASCAR provides us with an incredibly powerful platform, and I believe we have a moral obligation to use it to help people in need. We hope to encourage others to support Ukraine, whether it be through Samaritan’s Purse or one of the other organizations providing critical humanitarian relief. We cannot ignore the disaster that is unfolding.”
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on last year’s Las Vegas win: “That win was really special for us. It was our first win as a team and meant a lot to a lot of people on this team – some visiting victory lane in the Cup Series for the first time. But I also know how much it meant to Rick and Linda (Hendrick) because the paint scheme was similar to what (their late son) Ricky (Hendrick) ran. It’s an honor to drive for them and to drive this car with this scheme that means so much to so many.”
Larson, on last Sunday’s win at Auto Club Speedway: “It’s always fun to win in your home state. I learned a lot on the track with this new Camaro ZL1 and I’m sure (crew chief) Cliff (Daniels) and the team did as well. But it’s a new car and we’re going to be constantly learning each and every race – and it will be no different this weekend at Vegas. Every lap we turn, we learn.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on if last year’s success at Las Vegas can translate to this weekend: “It’s a completely different car and tire, and the way the race plays out will probably be different. Las Vegas is real bumpy and it has a lot of character. The way you approach its uniqueness and the bumps – you have to have good ride in your car and the driver can’t get too upset by the bumps. The comfort and control and stability are things the entire field will be searching for, and we missed some of those qualities a little bit last weekend in California but still ended up with a great result.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Las Vegas: “Last week was our first real test with these new cars and I think it definitely made for some exciting racing for the fans. Having Fontana under our belts will put us in a better position this weekend at Vegas, knowing a little bit more about how these cars race on intermediate tracks and what adjustments we can make.”
Elliott on the West Coast swing: “The West Coast swing, I’ve always found it kind of challenging. You start with Daytona, and I feel like that week has its own vibe. Then you go west and you kind of feel like things really get rolling and get started and that’s where you really kind of figure out, ‘OK, hey, this is where we are, this is where we stack up, this is where we need to go to work in certain areas.’ And then I feel like everybody comes home and gets an opportunity to get caught up.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to the second intermediate track of the season: “There’s a lot we can take from Fontana. The cars aren’t going to change much and there’s not a whole lot we can do to them. Fundamentally, what we’re trying to do is good. As long as we get the car balanced and driving reasonable for Chase then I think we’ll have a shot. In Fontana, nobody knew what to expect with it being our first time on an intermediate track. So I’m interested in going to Vegas, and I think if we get the car driving good and execute, we’ll have a shot.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how the Next Gen car will race at Las Vegas: “Just based on off-season testing and the characteristics of Vegas, I think racing is going to be pretty similar to Charlotte (Motor Speedway). It’s going to be fast, and Vegas typically has a lot of grip in the springtime. The fall race is a little bit of a different story since it’s a little bit hotter that time of year. The spring race is a little more straightforward in that you can tell pretty early on who has the fast cars, and I think that will be the case again. That was us for sure this time last year, and I think we’ll have another good shot to win this race. Hopefully we get it done this time.”
Byron on what makes Las Vegas different from other mile-and-a-half tracks: “It’s got a lot of character but it’s fast and really smooth. I feel like Vegas and Phoenix, as weird as that sounds, have similar asphalt. They’re very smooth surfaces but have character as well. With it being so smooth you really have to run all over and utilize every lane to be good. The track changes a lot with rubber buildup, too, so you have to keep up with that so you don’t get behind early on in the race.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on maintaining confidence despite misfortune early in the season: “Obviously this isn’t the start to the year that we envisioned, but no one on the No. 24 team is getting down about it. It’s only been two races and even then, both races we were running up front and in contention for the win. We have a strong team, from the work they put in, the speed we show and how we execute during the weekend. The results don’t reflect that accurately. We had a hot rod in Fontana, and we’ll have another one in Vegas. We’re not going to dwell on the past. We’re already focused on Vegas and ready for our next challenge.”
Fugle on what it takes to run well at Las Vegas: “Vegas in the spring has much cooler temperatures than when we race there in the fall. The spring race seems to focus more on overall speed and setting yourself up with track position. Vegas is a track where you walk a fine line with your setups, and in Fontana we really found out just how fine that line is with the Next Gen car. I feel like we showed a lot of speed in Fontana, so if we keep up with track changes, we should be up front again this weekend.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to Las Vegas: “I’m looking forward to going to Las Vegas. We had a good car at Auto Club last week, just an unfortunate situation at the end of the race. Our team works so hard to put together fast race cars, and I know they are going to do it again this weekend. Greg and I will talk about our strategy and be ready for the green flag this Sunday.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his approach to Sunday’s race at Las Vegas: “I feel like Las Vegas is another place where you don’t have to be isolated to one lane. You can run top, bottom and middle. As long as your car has the ability to move around, you can make passes. We have run well in the past at Las Vegas and come close to getting some wins there, and I feel like we have the speed to do it. We just have to go out there and execute and make sure we are there at the end when the checkered flag falls.”
