NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
TEAM CHEVY RACE WINNER QUOTE & NOTES
AUGUST 28, 2022
AUSTIN DILLON TAKES THE WIN AND A PLAYOFF SPOT AT DAYTONA
Eight Chevrolet Drivers in the 2022 NCS Playoffs
· Entering the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway under the playoff cutline; Austin Dillon scored his first win of 2022 in the rain delayed Coke Zero Sugar 400.
· Dillon became the 15th new winner of 2022, securing a spot into the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field.
· This marks Dillon’s second NCS win at Daytona International Speedway; and his fourth career victory in 326 NASCAR Cup Series starts.
· In the 26-race NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 15 wins, recorded by eight drivers from three different Chevrolet teams.
· Becoming the eighth Chevrolet driver to win and secure a playoff spot; Chevrolet occupies 50 percent of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field.
· The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history; Chevrolet now has 829 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories.
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1, Race Winner Quick Quote:
Q. Austin Dillon, welcome to the Playoffs. More gratifying to do it this way by racing for it versus the rain?
“100%. Crazy faith. My wife was in there. She was dancing in the rain. I got upset. I said, ‘Don’t be doing that’. She said, ‘Lord, when you have faith like me, you don’t have to worry about it.’ I was like, Okay, okay. I got you, baby.
But Ace was back there with me. We were watching Paw Patrol, watching the Carolina Cowboys winning the PBR event. They said, get ready.
We stayed ready. And I have to thank my teammate Tyler Reddick, BREZTRI, Bass Pro Shops, everybody that makes this thing happen. Dow, who has been with me since my start. We have so many great partners. Chevrolet, Chevrolet, Chevrolet.
Man, we’re in the Playoffs.”
Q. Also what will be talked about is the move to get the lead. Walk me through going into turn one with Austin Cindric.
“There was a lot going on there. I knew that if we got to the white; I was afraid that if I waited too long, I was afraid somebody would wreck behind us, so I wanted to go ahead and get the lead. We were able to get it.
I had a big run to him and then I had my teammate, the 8 (Tyler Reddick), back there. I knew we were in good shape there to the end. He did a good job checking up any kind of run. Just a little too much push there and got him loose.”
Q. How hard was it to stay patient there? I know Pop Pop told you on the radio, ‘Hey, don’t go until the white flag lap. I knew you wanted to go earlier.’
“I felt like I had good teammates and Chevrolet behind me. If I could get the lead, the 2 would not be able to hold onto the draft. We’ve done it in practice enough to know that you’ll lose the tail and it’s hard to get back to it.”
Q. How crazy is it that a body of work of a season, Austin, comes down to getting back on the lead lap right before a rainstorm, dodging a wreck, and then making this happen in the final 21 laps?
“It’s crazy. You just never give up and have faith. We had some tough finishes this year, like Charlotte. I beat myself up over that. I made a good move and just didn’t finish it off. Today we finished it off.
I’m so proud of these guys and I’m glad to be going to Victory Lane.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
