NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOOD CITY DIRT RACE
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING REPORT
APRIL 8, 2023
LARSON, DILLON DRIVES CHEVROLET TO A FRONT-ROW SWEEP AT BRISTOL
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-20 STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
2nd AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1
5th KYLE LARSON, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1
10th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
16th ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1
17th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
18th ERIK JONES, NO. 43 CLUB WYNDHAM CAMARO ZL1
TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
- Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
- Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)
- JJ Yeley (Ford)
- Christopher Bell (Toyota)
- Kyle Busch (Chevrolet)
BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 8, 2023) – Coming off his first NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win of the 2023 season, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 team will lead the field to the green from the pole position in tomorrow’s Food City Dirt Race. The starting lineup for the NCS’ only appearance on dirt was set by a unique format to the series. The field was split into four heat races with the lineups determined by random draw. Drivers were awarded passing and finishing points with the driver accumulating the most points taking the pole position.
A notable favorite heading into the weekend, Larson powered his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 from the sixth starting position to the lead in a single lap and never looked back to take the heat three win. The 30-year-old California racked up a field-high 15 points to take the pole position. Fellow Team Chevy driver Austin Dillon drove his No. 3 BREZTRI Camaro ZL1 from a fifth-place starting position to the heat one win to start alongside Larson for a Chevrolet front-row sweep.
FOX will broadcast the NCS’ Food City Dirt Race on Sunday, April 9, at 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on the PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 – Pole Winner Quotes
CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT FROM SIXTH TO FIRST SO QUICKLY?
“Well (Matt) Crafton has never been in a Cup car, so I think he’s probably a little bit just slow on shifting and taking it all easy. So I had a good launch on him and got to the outside of him. And then Corey (LaJoie) went to the bottom of (turn) three; I had a run down the backstretch and was able to get to his outside. So it just kind of worked out that the outside lane launched really well and my car turned well enough to stay rotated to get by them.”
ON THE RESTARTS WHEN YOU HAD TO CHOOSE, COULD YOU SEE THE CHOOSE BOX?
“I never did. We didn’t have a restart in my heat.”
DID YOU SEE THEM TESTING IT?
“I could see it from our trailer, but it’s at a different angle than what will be on the track. But it didn’t seem like there were any issues, I guess. Yeah, it’s just funny that we need a drone to choose. I think it’s a little over-complicated, for sure (laughs).”
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.
