5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 5th
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 Watkins Glen International media center on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 11:30 a.m. local time.
INDY IN THE REARVIEW: At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Kyle Larson’s day began from the sixth spot. In stage one, the 31-year-old driver came home with a fifth-place finish. While entering turn 12 during the second stage, Larson locked up his tires and was forced to stop in the runoff area before continuing. The loss of track position moved the No. 5 entry back to the 10th spot at the close of stage two. In the final stage, crew chief Cliff Daniels brought his driver into the pits on lap 48 for four tires and fuel. With 18 laps remaining in the race and the full field cycled through green flag pit stops, Larson had moved up to the eighth position on track, which is where he finished. The result served as his 12th top-10 finish of the year and he is now fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season driver points standings.
WINS AT WATKINS GLEN: Larson has won the last two Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International (2021 and 2022). The two races prior to that were won by teammate Chase Elliott (2018 and 2019). Larson, as well as Elliott, are the only two Cup Series drivers who currently hold a top-10 streak at Watkins Glen (four). If Larson wins this weekend, he will join NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (1997-1999) and Mark Martin (1993-1995) with three consecutive wins at the track located in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
SUCCESS IN NEW YORK: The 2021 Cup Series champion has a history of proven success at Watkins Glen. In eight starts, Larson has two wins, three top-five finishes and five top-10s. He has started inside the top six in seven of his eight races there and has completed 719 of his 720 laps attempted (99.9%). Among active Cup Series drivers, Larson ranks sixth for the best average finish at this track (10.50).
ON THE ROAD: Larson has four road course wins in the Cup Series: Sonoma Raceway (2021), the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (2021) and Watkins Glen (2021 and 2022). These victories place him in a tie for the third-most road course wins among active drivers. With triumphs on three different road courses, Larson is tied for second for the most different road courses with a win. He is also the third-highest contributing driver to road course victories at Hendrick Motorsports (26 wins), behind Gordon (nine) and Elliott (seven). On tracks of this style this season, the Elk Grove, California, native has earned the second-most points of all drivers (138). Larson also is in a three-way tie for the most consecutive top-10 finishes on road courses (three).
TEAM EFFORT: Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, has guided Larson to four wins on road courses. Daniels trails only fellow Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Alan Gustafson (seven wins) of the No. 9 team for victories on serpentine layouts among active team pit bosses. In addition, this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen is special to the No. 5 team’s race mechanic Thomas Heslink. This is the home track for the Clymer, New York, native, which is located approximately 185 miles away from Watkins Glen.
TWO LEFT: With two races remaining in the regular season, Larson has earned the No. 5 team a spot in the Cup Series playoffs for the third straight year. He has won two points-paying races (Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway) and the non-points-paying All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He has claimed a series-leading 10 top-five finishes as well as capturing 12 top-10s and three stage wins. Larson has led the third-most laps (624), run the fourth-most laps in the top five (2,133) and top 10 (3,428), holds the fourth-best average running position (12.25) and has the best average starting position (9.92) on the season.
FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew ranks fifth on pit road for the best average four-tire pit stop time (11.228 seconds). The team’s four-tire stop of 9.281 seconds on lap 93 in June’s race at Nashville Superspeedway stands as the fourth-fastest four-tire stop of the season. The five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer). Rod Cox is currently filling in for Teague, who is week-to-week as he rehabs a knee injury.
EXTRACURRICULAR: In addition to his full-time Cup Series schedule, Larson often races on dirt during the week. On Tuesday, Larson competed in the High Limit Sprint Car Series’ event at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota, and finished sixth. The High Limit Series was co-founded by Larson and his brother-in-law Brad Sweet and the 2023 campaign marks its inaugural season. Check out the full schedule here.
SHOP NOW: This weekend, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team races “away” in Watkins Glen. However, you can pick up a new set of keys from any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 95 dealerships nationwide. 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.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 19th
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
INDY REWIND: Chase Elliott nearly captured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of 2023 last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. The 27-year-old driver rolled off the grid from the third position and steadily ran inside the top five throughout the first stage, ending it in third. Elliott followed that up with a fifth-place finish in the second stage. Late in the race, the 2020 Cup Series champion was in the second position, closing in on the leader but ultimately ran out of time. Elliott’s runner-up finish marked his second top-five finish in just three starts on the 2.439-mile road course.
BACK WHERE IT STARTED: Watkins Glen International was the site of Elliott’s first premier series win. He led 52 of 90 laps en route to victory in 2018. In just six starts on the 2.45-mile road course, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has three top-two finishes, including two wins. Elliott’s most recent trip to victory lane at Watkins Glen came in 2019 after he swept the stages and led all but 10 laps of the race. His average finish of 5.67 is not only the best among active Cup drivers but also the best all-time among drivers with more than two starts. Among his other track-leading marks are stage wins (three) and points earned (220) in the stage racing era. Elliott is tied with teammate Kyle Larson for the longest active streak of top-10 finishes at the track (four).
KEEP THE TOP FIVES ALIVE: This season, Elliott has three road course starts in the Cup Series and has finished inside the top five in each of them. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet earned a fifth-place result at Sonoma Raceway, a third-place effort in the inaugural Chicago Street Course event and most recently finished as the runner-up at Indianapolis – making him the only driver to finish inside the top five in the three most recent events on road courses. Elliott holds a series-leading average finish (3.33) across those three races. He also has the second-most points earned in that span (115).
ROAD RACING RUNDOWN: Since the start of 2022, Elliott’s best finish on a road course is second (twice) – Road America in 2022 and last weekend at Indianapolis. In that span, he leads the series in top-five finishes (six) and is tied for the second-most top-10s (seven) across nine starts on serpentine tracks. Since the start of last season, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has paced the field for a series-high 129 laps on road courses. He has also earned two pole awards (Road America and Watkins Glen in 2022) and has a series-leading average finish of 7.11. Despite missing the race at Circuit of The Americas in March 2023 due to his leg injury, Elliott has the third-most points earned (311) in that time frame.
LEGEND IN THE MAKING: In 28 Cup Series starts on road courses, Elliott has an average finish of 7.64, with seven wins, 17 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s. His average finish is the best among active drivers and ranks second all-time among drivers with five or more starts, behind NASCAR legend Fireball Roberts.
WINNING WAYS: Elliott has proven his road-racing prowess, leading all active drivers with seven wins on road courses – most recently at Road America in 2021. He is also third on the overall list of drivers with road course victories, trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott has victories across five different road courses, which is the most in series history.
VIEW FROM THE TOP: Veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson has plenty of experience on tracks where left and right turns are made. Across 49 Cup Series races on road courses, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has led his team to seven wins (all with Elliott) – a series-high among active crew chiefs – 20 top-five finishes and 27 top-10s.
WIN AND IN: Elliott sits 19th in the driver points standings, 80 markers below the provisional playoff cutline with just two races remaining in the regular season. A victory would lock Elliott into the postseason. Between the two remaining tracks, Elliott and the No. 9 crew have two wins at Watkins Glen and a best effort of second (twice) at Daytona International Speedway. Currently, the No. 9 squad is the final team in the provisional playoff field for the owner’s title, 51 points above the cutline.
GET UP AND GO: NAPA Auto Parts is back on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Watkins Glen. The Atlanta-based company was the primary partner for Elliott’s 2019 victory at the track. Get a look at all the angles of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet here.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd
No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
TWO TO GO: With two races left in the regular season, William Byron is third in the NASCAR Cup Series driver points standings, 104 markers behind the leader. While the Charlotte, North Carolina, native is hoping to secure his first Cup Series regular-season championship, he’s still having a career-best season. Byron leads the series in wins (four), stage wins (seven) and laps run in the top five (2,688). He also has led a single-season career-best 810 laps (second-most in the series). The 25-year-old driver’s eight top-five finishes are tied for the third-most in the sport’s top division. In addition, Byron ranks third in average running position (10.37) and laps run in the top 10 (3,617).
WATKINS GLEN WIZ: Sunday’s race will mark Byron’s fifth Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International and his seventh NASCAR national series start overall at the road course. In the Cup Series, Byron has a track-best qualifying effort of second (2019) and a best finish of sixth (2021). Prior to his four Cup Series starts, he made his debut at Watkins Glen in the 2015 ARCA Menards Series East race, starting second and finishing seventh. He returned to the venue in 2017 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, finishing 10th. Byron has made one additional start at the upstate New York facility in the Xfinity Series in 2022 with Hendrick Motorsports. In that race, he earned the pole and led 35 laps before being caught up in a late-race, on-track incident while battling for the lead.
HOMEWARD BOUND: While Rudy Fugle may have limited experience at Watkins Glen, the Livonia, New York, native is excited to be heading to his hometown track for Sunday’s race. This weekend will mark Fugle’s third Cup Series start as a crew chief at the 2.45-mile road course. In his three Cup Series starts in front of his hometown crowd, his best showing came in 2021, leading Byron and the No. 24 team to a sixth-place finish. In total, Fugle has 26 national series starts on road courses (16 in the Cup Series, three in the Xfinity Series and seven in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series). He earned a road course win in the truck ranks in 2015. One of those seven truck starts was also with Byron where the duo raced to a 10th-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2016.
ROAD POTPOURRI: Earlier this season, Byron earned his best-ever road course result in the Cup Series, securing a fifth-place finish at Circuit of The Americas. In 2023, he is tied for sixth in points scored on road courses (119) and he has run the eighth-most laps (78) in the top five on this track type. In addition, four of Byron’s 11 career poles in the sport’s top series have come at road courses.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 24 races in the 2023 season, the No. 24 pit crew remains in the top spot with the fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.040 seconds. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).
VALVOLINE RETURNS: Valvoline will make its third appearance of 2023 as the primary sponsor of Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for this Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen. Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. To see Byron’s No. 24 Valvoline Chevy, click here.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 20th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
INDY RC REBOUND: Last Sunday, Alex Bowman showed off his road racing skills as he nabbed a top-five finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. His strong weekend started when he qualified ninth on Saturday. Bowman finished the opening two stages in eighth, before maneuvering to fifth by the end of the 200-mile NASCAR Cup Series event. His top-five result at Indianapolis now gives him five career top-fives on road courses.
PUSH TO THE PLAYOFFS: Heading to Watkins Glen International this weekend, Bowman currently ranks 20th in the driver points standings. He is 80 markers behind the provisional playoff cutoff line. Despite a 60-point penalty in April and missing three points-paying races in the spring with an injury, Bowman still can make the top 16 for the playoffs. In 21 starts this season, the 30-year-old driver has four top-five finishes, seven top-10s and the DAYTONA 500 pole award.
ROAD TESTED: Bowman has two runner-up finishes on road courses in his time at Hendrick Motorsports – at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in 2019 and Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in 2022. The Tucson, Arizona, native is one of two drivers with multiple second-place showings without a win on this track type. Earlier this year, he finished third at COTA and with his top-five result at Indianapolis, he joins teammate Chase Elliott as one of four drivers with multiple top-fives on road courses in 2023.
HARRIS ON THE ROAD: Crew chief Blake Harris has two top-five finishes and four top-10s in eight road course starts atop the pit box. His teams on courses that turn left and right have an average start of 11.4 and an average finish of 14.5.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE: In addition to the Cup Series race this weekend, Bowman will also get behind the wheel of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Hendrick Motorsports. He will take on the New York-based serpentine track with the aim of notching the first win in the No. 17 Chevy since its return in 2022. Last year, Bowman made one start in the team’s Xfinity car and finished second at Indianapolis. In his career, he has one win in the series, which came in 2017 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with HendrickCars.com as a sponsor.
RESTART ME UP: Bowman ranks as the sixth-best driver on restarts in 2023, according to data from Racing Insights. That mark is second-best among the Hendrick Motorsports quartet as teammate Kyle Larson is tied for third in this statistical category.
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 Pawz and Purrz Animal Rescue, Inc., which serves the Southern Tier region of New York. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and Pawz and Purrz Animal Rescue, Inc. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.
HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
| 2023 | All-Time | Watkins Glen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Races | 24 | 1,333 | 36 |
| Wins | 6** | 297* | 10* |
| Poles | 6** | 245* | 8* |
| Top 5 | 29* | 1,219* | 24 |
| Top 10 | 42 | 2,087* | 43 |
| Laps Led | 1,561* | 78,878* | 693* |
| Stage Wins | 11 | 90 | 3** |
*Most **Most (tie)
CLOSING IN ON 300: Hendrick Motorsports is just three points-paying victories away from its milestone 300th win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 297, which is the most Cup Series wins by any team. With six points-paying victories in 2023, the team has posted its 36th multi-win season in the Cup Series while maintaining a streak of at least two per season for the past 30 years. The organization has gone to victory lane at more racetracks (31) than any other active team.
MILESTONE MOMENTS: In addition to 300 Cup Series wins, Hendrick Motorsports is approaching several other major milestones. With 245 pole awards, the team is just five away from 250 at the Cup level. In addition, Hendrick Motorsports engines have recorded 496 NASCAR national series victories and need just four more to reach 500.
XFINITY RIDES AGAIN: Hendrick Motorsports will make the fourth of its five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season at Watkins Glen International with Alex Bowman at the wheel. The final start will come next month at Darlington Raceway with Kyle Larson. Greg Ives will serve as the team’s crew chief, which marks a reunion with Bowman as the two won seven Cup Series races together from 2018-2022. The team’s previous three Xfinity starts this season have resulted in finishes of second (William Byron at Circuit of The Americas) and third (Larson at Sonoma Raceway and Chase Elliott at Pocono Raceway). The organization has one championship and 26 wins in the series, with Tony Stewart recording the last victory to date at Daytona International Speedway in 2009.
EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: For the Xfinity races, the Chevrolet Camaro will sport the No. 17 with sponsorship from HENDRICKCARS.COM. The No. 17 carries special significance to the Hendrick Motorsports family as it is the same number Ricky Hendrick drove and won with in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. That number has won 39 times in Xfinity Series history, and two of the four drivers to win in it – Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte – would go on to win in the Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports.
RULERS OF THE ROAD: With 26 wins, Hendrick Motorsports has the most all-time triumphs on road courses in Cup Series history. The two closest teams in this statistic have combined for only 23 wins. Since its inaugural season in 1984, the organization has won 27.37% of road course events (26 wins in 95 races). The team also tops the board among Cup Series squads on road courses in poles (25), top-five finishes (87), top-10s (147), laps led (2,208) and stage wins (14).
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: Among those 26 serpentine layout wins, 10 have come at Watkins Glen – most among all Cup Series teams. Jeff Gordon’s four wins lead the squad followed by two each for Elliott and Larson. Tim Richmond and Ricky Rudd notched one victory at the track near New York’s Finger Lakes region.
STREAKING AT THE GLEN: The Rick Hendrick-owned team has been victorious in four straight races at Watkins Glen, which is the longest win streak by one team at this facility. Elliott won back-to-back races in 2018 and 2019 and Larson followed that up with triumphs in 2021 and 2022. The track did not host a race in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time an organization won five races in a row at a track was when Hendrick Motorsports earned five consecutive victories at Pocono (from 2012-2014). The longest streak by any team at any track is eight by Junior Johnson and Associates (from 1980-1984) at Bristol Motor Speedway.
POLE POWER: In the last nine road course races, Hendrick Motorsports has won four poles. Larson earned the top starting spot at Sonoma in 2022, Elliott got the pole at Road America and Watkins Glen in 2022 and Byron was the top qualifier at COTA in 2023.
TOP OF THE BOARD: In the Next Gen car era (2022-present), Hendrick Motorsports has won 17 races, which is five more than any other team. During that span, all four drivers in its lineup – Byron (six), Larson (five), Elliott (five) and Bowman (one) – have notched victories.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his history at Watkins Glen International: “From 2019 to 2021 with the old car (Gen 6), they had a great road course package. We (the No. 5 team) were really fast there at Watkins Glen (International). Chase (Elliott) and I have had really good cars the past few years. With the Next Gen, the car drove great from what I remember last year. I felt like Chase and I were fast in the field for sure. I hope it’s the same when we get back because it’s always fun when you’re fast.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the ins and outs of Watkins Glen: “We (the No. 5 team and Kyle Larson) certainly enjoy Watkins Glen (International) a lot. It’s been a good track to us. I think it’s one of those places that is really fast and flowy and Kyle is good at both. Kyle is really good at going fast and carrying a lot of speed. It’s definitely a rhythmic track. You can carry a lot of rhythm with the layout of the track and all the corners. So, I think Kyle has a good knack for it and fortunately we have a solid notebook at this place here at Hendrick Motorsports. It’s taken years to build that notebook and we’ve been able to continue to build on the good runs that we’ve had. We just kind of keep chipping away and get better every time. We’ll certainly have to level up ourselves to stay up with the competition this time and that’s where our focus is. We hope to call and execute a good race, give Kyle a good car and hopefully we will be in good shape.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how meaningful Watkins Glen is to him: “Watkins Glen (International) always stands out to me because of the first win. That one will always be special because of that. Will it always be good to us? Probably not, but I do enjoy going up there. It is a very nice part of the country – a very underrated part of the country. Just the memories I have from that first win weekend are super special and something that I will hold onto forever.”
Elliott on his outlook with two opportunities left to lock himself into the playoffs: “Certainly, don’t want to have yourself in a position to have to win at Daytona (International Speedway), but that’s a possibility at this point. I feel way better about going to Watkins Glen (International) than I do Daytona because there is more in my control going there verses a plate race.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on building momentum with the playoffs approaching: “I don’t think we change our processes the next couple weeks. We want to go into these last races of the regular season and execute to the best we can and keep building the momentum. While winning the regular-season championship would be great, we’re focused on making the final four and that starts now with maximizing the playoff points we can earn for each round. We don’t need to change anything we do now because that’s when mistakes happen.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how to be successful at Watkins Glen: “Watkins Glen (International) is pretty big for me. It’s my home track and I grew up not far away from there. So it’s important to go out there and run well for me. It’s a super fast and historic racetrack. There are big braking zones and the bus stop puts on it’s own event basically. It’s just amazing to watch them go through the bus stop, but you have to be good everywhere at this track. It’s very technical. This car will want to swing the back through the carousel, and you need to be able to get the rear tires underneath you before you get into turn six and seven because they make a lot of speed. You have a lot of speed then down the frontstretch and into turn one, which makes that a big passing zone. That place always packs out, so you know there will be a ton of fans. I’m excited to get there.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mindset heading to Watkins Glen: “Watkins Glen (International) is a place I have struggled at historically, so being able to get some laps in the Xfinity (Series) car always helps. It doesn’t translate directly to our Cup car, but it’s time on track. We are coming off of a top-five finish, so I don’t see why we can’t go run well again this Sunday.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the momentum the No. 48 team has heading to Watkins Glen: “We had a great weekend in Indy – getting stage points and a top-five finish always bodes well for our confidence. The fact that we had speed at a road course and are heading to another definitely puts some wind in our sails. Alex (Bowman) is also running the Xfinity (Series) car and will be able to make laps ahead of the Cup race on Sunday, so there is a lot of momentum in our corner at the moment. We are just looking to capitalize on it and try to make our way into the playoffs.”
