Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Auto Club Speedway

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 17th

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Auto Club Speedway media center on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 10:15 a.m. PST.

DAYTONA DOWN-LOW: Kyle Larson rolled off from the front row for the second consecutive year in the 2023 DAYTONA 500. He was in contention for his first superspeedway win at the NASCAR Cup Series level. On the second overtime attempt, Larson lined up on the front row next to eventual race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was involved in a multi-car incident, resulting in an 18th-place finish.

STARTED FROM THE BACK: In the 2022 race at Auto Club Speedway (ACS), the 2021 Cup Series champion started from the rear of the field for an unapproved adjustment and flexed his muscles late in the race to win by .195 seconds. His 108 laps in the top five were the fourth-most in the race. In eight Cup Series races at ACS, Larson has two wins (tied for fifth in track history with Tony Stewart), four top-five finishes and 138 laps led. With four top-two finishes at this facility, he is tied for second among active drivers.

WALK OF FAME: On Saturday, Feb. 25, at 8:00 a.m. PST, Larson’s 2022 win at the Fontana, California, facility will be celebrated at the track’s Walk of Fame (weather permitting). The reigning winner will step into cement to have his footprint solidified – marking a piece of the track’s history. Fans will be able to visit and view the ceremony at Gate B of the facility.

WESTERN BOUND: The Elk Grove, California, native has three Cup Series wins in his home state. He has two wins at ACS (2017 and 2022) and one win at Sonoma Raceway (2021). That places him third among active drivers with wins in the state of California. In addition, his five wins on the West Coast place Larson fifth among active drivers for left coast victories. Besides the aforementioned wins, Larson also has wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway – both coming in his title season of 2021. Four of those triumphs have come in the last 12 races out west. In last year’s three-race West Coast swing, the driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet led the way with 113 points.

2-MILE KYLE: Larson has won multiple times at both 2-mile tracks on the circuit – ACS (two wins) and Michigan International Speedway (three wins) – as both are among the three venues he has more than one win at. His 11.95 average finish on active 2-mile venues trails only teammate Chase Elliott. The other track that the 30-year-old has won at more than once is Watkins Glen International (two wins).

GET IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT: In this weekend’s Southern California race, Larson will drive the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. You can visit any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s three California dealerships to pick your ride. Not located in California? No problem. Hendrick Automotive Group has 95 dealerships nationwide to choose from. Customers can also shop from the convenience of their home selecting 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.

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9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 29th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

DAYTONA 500 REWIND: Chase Elliott was putting together a solid race at Daytona International Speedway last Sunday when he got caught up in a multi-car incident in stage two. The heavy damage to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ultimately forced an early exit for the team on lap 119. The two-time DAYTONA 500 pole sitter was scored with a 38th-place finish.

GOING BACK TO CALI: On Sunday, Elliott will make his seventh NASCAR Cup Series start at Auto Club Speedway (ACS). In the Dawsonville, Georgia, native’s most recent start there, Elliott was battling for the lead late in the race when he made contact with the wall after a block from another car. He ultimately finished 26th. While the 27-year-old has never won at ACS, his 12.17 average finish at the track is third-best among drivers in Sunday’s field. In his six Cup Series starts there, he has three top-10 finishes with a best effort of fourth in 2020. Elliott also made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at ACS, finishing sixth during his 2014 championship campaign and fourth in 2015.

2-MILE STATS: This weekend, Elliott is set to make his 19th Cup start at a 2-mile track (ACS and Michigan International Speedway). In his 18 previous Cup Series starts on this track length, Elliott has earned four top-five finishes – including three runner-up efforts – and 13 top-10s with 161 laps led. The 2020 Cup Series champion’s average finish of 9.39 on 2-mile ovals ranks best of all active drivers and second-best among all drivers with more than two starts.

GUSTAFSON AT ACS: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 24th race from atop the pit box at the Fontana, California, track this weekend. The track is home to the veteran crew chief’s first career Cup Series pole (February 2005) as well as his first win (September 2005) – both of which were with Kyle Busch as the driver. In his 23 Cup starts at ACS, Gustafson has one win, five top-five finishes and 12 top-10s.

NAPA IN THE VALLEY: NAPA Auto Parts will serve as the No. 9 team’s primary partner this weekend. The Atlanta-based company’s colors have been on board Elliott’s Chevrolet for each of his previous eight career starts across the Cup and Xfinity Series on the 2-mile oval. See this year’s paint scheme here.

NEW TO THE FAMILY: Last Thursday, it was announced that the Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) joined Hendrick Motorsports as the Official Beverage Partner of Elliott and the No. 9 team. Throughout the 2023 season, Coca-Cola will appear as an associate sponsor of Elliott’s race cars and the iconic beverage brand will also adorn the No. 9 team’s uniforms and equipment. Read more about it here.

HOME TO CALIFORNIA: No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts rear-tire changer Chad Avrit will compete at his home track in “The Golden State” this weekend. Avrit grew up in El Centro, California, and was an avid surfer before moving to Mooresville, North Carolina, to pursue a career in motor sports. When not at the track, he enjoys spending time with his two sons, hanging out on the lake and mountain biking.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 30th

No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

FONTANA FACTS: This Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway (ACS) marks the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series West Coast swing and driver William Byron’s fifth trip to the 2-mile oval. In fact, in his first three showings, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native finished 15th in all three events. Last year, Byron finished 34th due to an on-track incident on lap 152 but not before finishing both stages in the top 10. On the day, he spent 102 laps within the top five – fifth-most – and led 16 laps before having a flat tire. In fact, Byron has led a lap in all four of his starts at the California track, which is the longest active streak in the field. The 25-year-old also has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start under his belt at Auto Club, in 2017, where he started from the sixth position and crossed the finish line in fifth.

TWO – (THREE) – FOUR: In the Cup Series at ACS, the No. 24 has reached victory lane on three different occasions. Those three wins tie the No. 24 with two other car numbers for the most wins at the California-based track in the Cup Series behind only the No. 48’s six wins. Byron hopes to add to that winning tradition with a victory in Sunday’s race.

WEST COAST VIBIN’: During the three-race West Coast swing last year, Byron collected a total of 97 points. That mark was tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott for the sixth-most by a driver in those races in 2022.

RUDY RETURNS: When the Cup Series takes to the track this weekend, Sunday will mark crew chief Rudy Fugle’s second race at the Fontana, California, venue at the highest level of competition. In last year’s event, Fugle and the No. 24 team ran consistently within the top 10 before being collected in an on-track incident just past the three-quarter mark of the race. The Livonia, New York, native has three other starts at the 2-mile oval, all coming in the Xfinity Series. In those three starts, Fugle’s best finish came in 2009 with Michael Annett, where the duo scored a sixth-place effort.

RAPTOR® TOUGH: RAPTOR® Tough and Tintable Protective Coatings will appear on Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of items, including truck beds, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and more. With 16 pre-mixed colors available, it’s easy to personalize anything you want to protect. RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores, and online retailers. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.

RETURNING TO THE ROOTS: Byron was victorious twice at New Smyrna Speedway last week. Driving the No. 24 Super Late Model for Wilson Motorsports, he scored the win in Monday night’s World Series of Asphalt race and then won Tuesday night’s 100-lapper. With two wins in each of the past two seasons, Byron now has four victories in five starts in the event.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 5th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

I AM SPEED: Alex Bowman started the DAYTONA 500 from the front row for sixth consecutive time – the most of all drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history. His fast lap in Wednesday night’s qualifying session garnered his third pole in “The Great American Race.” With a finish of fifth (his best result in the event) in the crown jewel race, Bowman became the first driver to win the pole and finish in the top five since Bill Elliott in 2001. The result places him and the No. 48 team in fifth, 11 points behind Cup Series regular season points leader Joey Logano.

FUN IN FONTANA: Bowman has one win to his name at Auto Club Speedway (ACS), site of Sunday’s race. He led 110 laps – the third-highest total for him in a single race and the most he has led in a race he won – en route to the victory in the 2020 event at the Fontana, California, track. In six Cup Series starts there, the Tucson, Arizona, native has completed 1,212 laps of the possible 1,215 circuits, or 99.8%. Last year, Bowman had an average running position of 11th and was in fourth-place on lap 179 when the No. 48 Ally Chevy had a flat tire, resulting in a 25th-place finish. However, he ran in the top five for 45 of those laps – ninth-most of all drivers in the 2022 event.

WILD, WILD WEST: Bowman is no stranger to success on the West Coast, taking home wins at ACS in March 2020 and finding victory lane again at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2022. His two victories rank him as the eighth-winningest active driver at events that occur out west.

MAKING A POINT: With 96 points earned on the West Coast swing in 2022, Bowman scored the eighth-most points. His win at Las Vegas was the best result over that three-race stretch.

DAY ‘N’ NITE: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will adorn two versions of its primary scheme during the 2023 Cup Series season. The No. 48 Ally Chevy “day” scheme will host a white base with bright plum, grapefruit, and seafoam stripes down the side. This version of the primary scheme will appear at races that take place during the day. When the lights come on over the racetrack, the black-based No. 48 Ally Chevy “night” scheme will be sported with a similar design to its daytime counterpart. This weekend, the No. 48 machine will adorn the “day” scheme. Check out all the angles of the new look here.

SAVE THEM ALL: In 2023, Bowman and primary sponsor Ally are bringing back the Best Friends Animal Society’s year-long donation effort. Ally and Bowman are committed to donating $4,800 each week to Best Friends and a local network partner in the race market. If the No. 48 team wins, Ally will increase its donation to $10,000. Bowman and Ally donated $4,800 to the Halifax Humane Society after kicking off the season at the DAYTONA 500.

*Most **Most (tie)

CLOSING IN ON 300: Hendrick Motorsports is nine points-paying victories away from 300 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 291 wins, which is the most in the sport by any one team.

DELIVERING A DOZEN: With 12 wins, Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time winningest team at Auto Club Speedway (ACS) and holds a winning percentage of 37.5%. Jeff Gordon won the first race held at the track in 1997. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch each earned their first premier series victories at the Fontana, California, facility. More recently, Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson have won the last two races held there. All told, Johnson accounts for six of the team’s wins, Gordon has three, while Bowman, Busch and Larson each have one.

SO CAL STREAKS: The Rick Hendrick-owned organization has had two different streaks of two consecutive wins at ACS. The first came with Johnson’s wins in 2009 and 2010. Currently, the team has a two-race win streak from Bowman and Larson’s wins in 2020 and 2022, respectively. There was no race here in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No team has ever won three races in a row at this particular track.

LAST DANCE: Sunday’s race will potentially be the last for the track’s 2-mile layout. Renovations to the facility as it turns into a new half-mile short track located on the current site will keep it off the 2024 Cup Series schedule. To date, the track has hosted 32 Cup Series races.

HOLLYWOOD START: On four occasions, Hendrick Motorsports has scored its first win of the season at the track located outside of Los Angeles. Those instances came in 2002 and 2010 (Johnson), 2020 (Bowman) and 2022 (Larson).

SCRIPTING THE FINISH: The 14-time Cup Series championship-winning organization has won the second race of the season seven times. Gordon (1995 and 1998) and Johnson (2010 and 2016) each won two championships in the same season that they won the second race of the campaign.

CALIFORNIA LOVE: The state of California has been a home away from home for the Concord, North Carolina, based squad. Hendrick Motorsports’ 22 wins in “The Golden State” are the most in the Cup Series and more than double that of the next closest team (10). The wins have come at ACS (12), Sonoma Raceway (seven) and Riverside International Raceway (three). Gordon’s eight wins in the state are tied with Bobby Allison for the most among all drivers. Accounting for the rest of the team’s wins: Johnson (seven), Larson (two), Tim Richmond (two), Geoff Bodine (one), Bowman (one) and Busch (one).

WEST SUCCESS: Hendrick Motorsports’ 41 wins on the West Coast are the most in the series and 18 more than the next closest team. Phoenix and ACS have been their most successful tracks on that side of the country with 12 triumphs each. Sonoma and Las Vegas Motor Speedway have seen seven victories apiece. Riverside was responsible for three wins as well. Johnson’s 15 wins are the most among all drivers on the West Coast. Gordon (11), Larson (four), Bowman (two), Busch (two), Richmond (two), Bodine (one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one), Chase Elliott (one), Terry Labonte (one) and Mark Martin (one) have all visited Victory Lane for the organization out West.

TAKING STOCK IN THE TRENDS: Of the last 12 races on the West Coast, half have resulted in victories for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson has four wins, while Bowman and Elliott have one each. On last year’s three-race western swing following the DAYTONA 500, the organization won two of the three races (Larson at ACS and Bowman at Las Vegas).

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on trying to defend his victory at Auto Club Speedway: “We seem to be really good on that style racetrack. It’s a place that I really love with the line changes and the (way the) tires wear out. I remember last year you could draft pretty well down the straightaways. It was a fun race. Hopefully, we can be fast again and win in my home state again.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the difference in strategy this year compared to last year at Auto Club: “During the race last year, everyone was still trying to get their bearings on the new car. The race was more survival than it was strategy. There just was no strategy to be had in the race. I want to say the longest green flag that we had was around 15-20 laps. I would expect the race to play out a lot more similar to a standard intermediate race with longer green flag runs and potential green flag pit stops. That is where we will have to get into some strategy. We are doing our homework to prepare for whatever is going to come in that regard. I feel like it will play out much differently this year than what we saw last year.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on starting the West Coast swing: “I’m looking forward to kicking off the West Coast swing at Fontana. I really enjoy going out there. The track is unique and it’s just a cool place. It’s one of those places you kind of forget about until it comes up on the schedule because you only race there once a year and it’s so early in the season. I felt like we had a pretty good run going there towards the end last year but didn’t end up with the finish to show for it. Hopefully, we’re able to improve upon that this weekend.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on returning to the site of his first win as a crew chief: “Fontana is kind of special for me. It’s where I got my first win and I just really enjoy going there. It’s a really fast track and it’s super unique. It’ll be interesting this weekend with the weather. Hopefully, it holds off and we’re able to get some practice time in, but it could be a situation where we’re starting the race on Sunday without any track time.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts for this weekend in Auto Club: “Last year’s race I think was the best race I’ve had there in the Cup Series. I know we didn’t finish well, but we were up front all race. Even after having a flat tire while leading, we still had a shot at it. Hopefully, this weekend will be about the same for our team. I know weather will play a factor, though, so we’ll see how that goes. Our plan is to go in and control what we can control. That’s all we can do. I think we showed in Daytona that we’ve made strides as a team, and I think we will do that again in California.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on why he enjoys racing at Auto Club: “This is the last time we get to race on the big track in Fontana, unless they change their mind on reconfiguring it, which I hope they do. As a crew chief, that track makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Seeing them rip the fence with such little grip up there – it’s unnerving. I’m always excited to go there and race. Even in practice, it’s hairy because there tends to be wrecks just because everyone is on such a fine line. I’m really excited to get there and see what we can do.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his fast start to the 2023 season: “I think this team has a lot of momentum right now. With bringing on Blake (Harris, crew chief), Ally re-signing with Hendrick Motorsports, my extension, two really solid finishes and another pole at the DAYTONA 500, there are a lot of reasons to be excited. It is easy to get ahead of yourself. However, Blake does a great job of keeping the team focused on the details and not letting other things around us take away from what we need to do to be successful on Sundays. We are going to keep focused, get the details right and hopefully go compete for a win this Sunday in Fontana.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the momentum the team has heading to Auto Club: “Auto Club (Speedway) is a track that Alex (Bowman) has won at and dominated in 2020. I have had a lot of success there in the past with other drivers and it’s honestly one of my favorite tracks on the schedule. Coming off the momentum we have had the last couple of weeks with back-to-back top-fives, we are looking to continue to build on it. It will be interesting to see how the weather impacts the weekend. Hopefully we get on track Saturday, because if we don’t, it will be straight into the race on Sunday. If that’s the case, it will be all about hitting on all the small details. I am just ready to get into the more normal processes that our team will have this season. This weekend will start the foundation for the 2023 season.”