TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Darlington Raceway
Darlington, South Carolina
September 2-3, 2023
FIVE CHEVROLET DRIVERS SET FOR 2023 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) playoffs officially get underway at Darlington Raceway this weekend with one of the sport’s crown jewel events – the Cook Out Southern 500 – marking the first of three races in the Round of 16. Since the debut of the playoffs in 2004, the ‘Track Too Tough to Tame’ has held a spot in the post-season four times with Sunday’s 500-mile event marking the track’s fourth consecutive season hosting the playoff opener.
Five Chevrolet drivers have found victory lane in NASCAR’s top series this season, earning a spot in the post-season to compete for the manufacturer’s 34th NCS Driver Championship title. Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff format in 2014, at least five Chevrolet drivers have been represented in the post-season each year. This season’s elite playoff lineup features a record-breaking 10 different organizations, including four Chevrolet teams: Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Trackhouse Racing and JTG Daugherty Racing.
At the top of the playoff standings is Team Chevy’s William Byron. Already shaping into a career season for the 25-year-old North Carolina native, 2023 marks the first time that Byron has entered the series’ post-season as the top-seeded driver. Heading into his fifth consecutive playoff appearance, Byron leads the series in wins (five), laps led (877), stage wins (eight) and playoff points (36). The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team has extra momentum heading into the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway – returning to the South Carolina oval as the series’ most recent winners at the track (May 2023).
A look at the Team Chevy NCS playoff contenders:
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings
Victories: 5 (series-leading)
Top-Fives: 9
Top-10s: 13
Laps Led: 877 (series-leading)
Average Finish: 12.8
Stage Wins: 8 (series-leading)
Of Note:
· The 2023 season marks Byron’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs – his first entering the post-season at the top of the standings.
· Bryon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs came in 2022, finishing the season sixth in the final points standings.
· Byron has one NCS win at the tracks featured in the Round of 16, which came in the series’ spring appearance at Darlington Raceway. While he was eliminated in the Round of Eight last season, it’s projected to be his strongest trio of tracks in the post-season – having found victory lane at all three venues (Las Vegas Motor Speedway – March 2023; Homestead-Miami Speedway – Feb. 2021; Martinsville Speedway – April 2022).
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 5th in Playoff Standings
Victories: 3
Top-Fives: 8
Top-10s: 14
Laps Led: 233
Average Finish: 14.1
Stage Wins: 2
Of Note:
· In his debut season with Richard Childress Racing and his return to the Bowtie brigade, 2023 marks Busch’s 16th appearance in the NCS playoffs.
· Busch is one of only two active drivers with multiple championships to his name – taking the title in 2015 and 2019.
· In Busch’s 63 career wins in NASCAR’s top series, eight of those triumphs have come in the post-season.
· The 38-year-old Nevada native has made it to the Championship Four on five different occasions – most recently in 2019 en route to his second title.
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 6th in Playoff Standings
Victories: 2
Top-Fives: 10 (series-leading)
Top-10s: 12
Laps Led: 624
Average Finish: 16.0
Stage Wins: 3
Of Note:
· The 2023 season marks Larson’s seventh appearance in the NCS playoffs.
· Larson has one NCS Regular Season Championship and one NCS Driver Championship title to his name – both coming in 2021.
· The 31-year-old California native has made it to the Championship Four once – the season that delivered the Team Chevy driver his first championship title in NASCAR’s top series (2021).
· During the playoff era (2004-present), the 2021 season saw Larson earn a series-leading five post-season victories – tying the record set by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2011.
· Similar to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, Larson has wins at all three of the tracks in the Round of Eight – two of which have come in the series’ most recent appearance at the track (Las Vegas Motor Speedway – March 2021; Homestead-Miami Speedway – Oct. 2022; Martinsville Speedway – April 2023).
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 8th in Playoff Standings
Victories: 1
Top-Fives: 6
Top-10s: 9
Laps Led: 482
Average Finish: 15.3
Stage Wins: 5
Of Note:
· The 2023 season marks Chastain’s second appearance in the NCS playoffs.
· Chastain’s first time competing in the NCS playoffs came in 2022 – going on to advance to the Championship Four and ultimately leading Team Chevy with a runner-up finish in the final points standings.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1 – 14th in Playoff Standings
Wins: 1
Top-Fives: 2
Top-10s: 7
Laps Led: 25
Average Finish: 16.7
Stage Wins: 0
Of Note:
· The 2023 season marks Stenhouse Jr.’s second appearance in the NCS playoffs. His first time competing in the playoffs came in 2017, ultimately ending the season 13th in the final points standings.
· The 35-year-old Mississippi native was the first driver to claim a playoff berth this season following his win in the 2023 Daytona 500.
· One of Stenhouse Jr.’s three career NCS victories was recorded at Talladega Superspeedway (May 2017) – one of the three tracks in the Round of 12.
· Stenhouse Jr. has already put together a career season in 2023, heading into the post-season with a career-best average finish of 16.7.
CHEVROLET AT THE ‘LADY IN BLACK’
All three NASCAR national series have already paid a visit to Darlington Raceway this season – a tripleheader weekend that ended with a Chevrolet sweep courtesy of wins by William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1) in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson (No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Christian Eckes (No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Silverado RST) in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
In NASCAR’s top series, Chevrolet leads the way with 43 all-time victories at the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval. Of those victories includes triumphs in the series’ past two races at the track, dating back one year ago to Erik Jones’ playoff upset win in the crown jewel event (Sept. 2022). Most recently, Team Chevy’s playoff contender William Byron found redemption at the ‘Lady in Black’ – collecting his third of now five wins on the season (May 2023). Both were also milestone wins for the two iconic car numbers, with Jones giving the No. 43 its 200th all-time win and Byron taking the No. 24 to its 100th all-time win.
…AND THEN THERE WERE TWO
Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway will mark the series’ penultimate race in its 26-race regular season. Four positions remain in the series’ 12-driver playoff field for teams to either win or point their way into the post-season.
JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier not only picked up his second NXS win of the season at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, but he also moved one position closer to the top of the points standings. The 37-year-old Illinois native took over the second spot in the standings – sitting just 27 markers behind the series’ points leader and fellow Team Chevy driver Austin Hill.
Three of Team Chevy’s playoff hopefuls also made big gains in the playoff standings in last weekend’s visit to the ‘World Center of Racing’. Despite getting caught up in a late-race incident that resulted in a 17th-place finish, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry took advantage of his points cushion – continuing to hold onto the sixth position in the points standings and a 110-point advantage over the cutline. Joining Berry above the cutline includes fellow Team Chevy drivers Sheldon Creed, Daniel Hemric and Parker Kligerman, who drove their Chevrolet’s to second through fourth-place finishes, respectively, at Daytona International Speedway. The results paid dividends in each driver’s playoff pursuit – taking Creed from 22-points to 60-points above the cutline; Hemric from 27-points to 56-points above the cutline; and Kligerman from three-points below to 20-points above the cutline.
Chevrolet NXS: By the Numbers at Darlington
Chevrolet’s first NXS victory at Darlington Raceway came in 1985 with Darrell Waltrip, and the manufacturer has since earned a series-leading 22 wins at the track. A win in Saturday’s 200-mile race would mark the third consecutive season that the Bowtie brand has swept both races at the South Carolina oval. Most recently, it was Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson that took the victory behind the wheel of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS (May 2023). Larson will look to go back-to-back this weekend as the 31-year-old California native will take the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS to its final NXS start of the season.
In the past two seasons, it was JR Motorsports that took over victory lane at Darlington Raceway with Justin Allgaier taking the wins in the NXS’ spring races (May 2021, May 2022) and Noah Gragson collecting the victories in the fall events (Sept. 2021, Sept. 2022).
ENFINGER WINS, ECKES POINTS INTO NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES ROUND OF EIGHT
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ return to the Milwaukee Mile, GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger posted a dominate day in his No. 23 Silverado RST – taking the pole position, sweeping both stage wins and leading a race-high 95 laps en route to the win and an automatic berth into the Round of Eight. The win is Enfinger’s third of the season and 10th all-time win in the NCTS – with each of his career wins coming at 10 different tracks. The 38-year-old Alabama native is only the second driver in the series to hit three wins this season, joining fellow Chevrolet driver Carson Hocevar who accomplished that feat with his win at Richmond Raceway in July. Enfinger led the Bowtie brand to a sweep of the podium at the Wisconsin venue with Team Chevy playoff drivers Hocevar and Christian Eckes finishing in the second and third positions, respectively.
Enfinger wasn’t the only Team Chevy driver to leave the Milwaukee Mile with a guaranteed spot in the Round of Eight. Eckes drove his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Silverado RST to a 48-point day after top-five finishes in both stages and taking the checkered flag in the third position – his seventh podium result of the season. Now sitting at 61-points above the cutline, Eckes has also punched his ticket into the second round ahead of the elimination race at Kansas Speedway on Friday, September 8.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway:
Erik Jones – two wins (2022, 2019)
William Byron – one win (2023)
Kyle Busch – one win (2008)
· In 124 NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 43 victories, including the series’ past two visits at the track (William Byron – May 2023; Erik Jones – Sept. 2022).
· Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff field and elimination rounds to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, at least five Chevrolet drivers were represented in the playoffs each season.
· Three of the six repeat winners in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season come from Team Chevy:
William Byron: series-leading five wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington, Atlanta 2 & Watkins Glen)
Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)
Kyle Larson: two wins (Richmond & Martinsville)
· In 26 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (13), top-fives (56), top-10s (109), stage wins (19) and laps led (2,514).
· Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 13 victories in 26 NASCAR Cup Series races, 13 victories in 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 11 wins in 18 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.
· With William Byron’s win at Watkins Glen International, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 298 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.
· Chevrolet’s series-leading 13 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).
· Chevrolet drivers have recorded 19 of the 52 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (three), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).
· Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 66 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 82 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 54 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
· Chevrolet has swept the Manufacturer Championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996).
· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 846 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE IN:
NASCAR Cup Series: Cook Out Southern 500
Sunday, September 3, at 6 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Saturday, September 2, at 3:30 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 UNISHIPPERS CAMARO ZL1
Do you like going to Darlington?
“I love going to Darlington. For whatever reason, it’s one of the tracks that I’ve always liked. It’s one of our crown jewel racetracks and everyone wants to a get a win there. It’s a challenging track, but man, when you have a car that drives good there, there isn’t anything better.”
Going into the first race, first playoff round, how important is Darlington to kind of setting the tone?
“It’s important to get the playoffs started on the right foot. Get some points and have a strong car because it can really set the tone for that round. We started working on Darlington stuff a couple of weeks ago already. Working in the simulator, working on the setup and things like that. Obviously, we ran well there in spring so I feel like we have a good understanding of how the car needs to be. Everyone wants to do well at Darlington, no one wants to find themselves in a desperate situation at the end of the first round.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 MORGAN & MORGAN CAMARO ZL1
What are your thoughts on Darlington Raceway?
“Darlington Raceway is a fun track. It’s challenging. The track gets slick and wears tires quite a bit. The key to Darlington Raceway is trying to race the track and not the competition. Darlington could set the tone for the rest of this year, but also next season. It would be nice to knock another Crown Jewel off. I’ve got two of them and another one would be pretty special.”
Do you like racing at Darlington Raceway?
“I just love Darlington Raceway. It’s a racer’s track, and the history there is so special. It’s one of the hardest races to win. It’s a constant battle and anytime you win at a challenging track. It just feels good.”
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MCLAREN CUSTOM GRILLS CAMARO ZL1
How important is it to start the Playoffs with a solid finish at Darlington?
“Darlington is the start of the Playoffs so it’s really important to get a solid run in that first race of the Playoffs. It’d be perfect to win it. We were so close there in the spring I felt like we had a really good, legitimate, shot to win that race. So do a little bit of tweaks on the setup that we had from the spring race and go back there and be better and race for a win.”
Why do so many drivers like Darlington and say it’s so special to win there?
“I think Darlington is a drivers track so the drivers really like racing there because it brings out the driver. Yeah, you’ve got to have a good car, but it kind of lets you have a little bit more opportunity of saving tires or pushing hard and getting lap time or suffering later in the run. It’s hard to move around there. You don’t really move around a whole lot there, top bottom or whatever, so it’s always kind of up around the wall. I think that’s what makes it fun for the drivers as well too is just that challenge and knowing how many different challenges there are and how hard it is. I think that’s what makes it so special to win there.”
The Southern 500 at Darlington is one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races. Growing up in Las Vegas, did you have an appreciation of how special that race is?
“The Southern 500 at Darlington is really cool being a crown jewel race. When I was growing up I remember the race vividly of Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton going at it for the finish. It was the Winston Million-dollar date car for Jeff Gordon. He had the right-side flattened on that thing and Jeff Burton was getting a run on him and he blocked him all the way to the bottom. This day and age, you’d be wrecked. Jeff Burton was very, very nice and very kind in that situation and I guess maybe knew what Jeff (Gordon) was racing for, obviously a million bucks. That could have turned out vastly different given it being a different driver in second place.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
Elliott on racing for the owner title:
“I’m glad the car got in. That’s a big deal and a testament to Alan (Gustafson) and our team for just continuing to fight while I was gone. There is a lot of opportunity on that side of things, and it is a really big deal. I would like to go and make some noise on that front.”
Elliott on learnings from previous playoffs:
“The sample sets for the rounds are very short. It can work one of two ways, right? You have a bad race and very little time to make it back up, but also it only being three races, it is not over until the end of that round is over. A lot can change in one race, a lot can change in one half of an event and a lot can change within the opening two stages. Three races is just a compact time period in the grand scheme of the season. I’m always reminded every year that there is something crazy that happens. It comes down to the last race and somebody that you thought would never make it through the round, somehow makes it through the round. Just goes to show you that things can change quickly.”
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
Gustafson on preparing for this weekend’s race at Darlington:
“The spring race was good and I thought we had a solid car. Not as good as we wanted to have, but it’s nice going back there. It’s the first non-restrictor plate track we’re going back to with Chase (Elliott), which is good. That’s made this week feel a little different too as far as preparation goes. Because we raced it with him, we have a little bit clearer direction on what we need to improve on. So, that’s really been the difference this week.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1
“Darlington is a place that I’ve had success at in the Xfinity car. Our first race there this year in the Cup car was not as good as we hoped, but we’ve improved our race cars since then so I’m looking forward to getting back there and seeing what we have. We’ll use these next 10 races to build momentum and continue to get better as a team.”
CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1
“Darlington is a place that I’ve ran really well in the past, and whether that be in the Xfinity car or the truck, it’s always been a place that I found very familiar right off the bat. It’s a track that I really enjoy racing and running around, so to be able to go there in a Cup car now, a car that I’m hoping to continue to grow on and learn more about, at a place I feel really comfortable at, hopefully brings me up to speed with it. We get to have some fun this week; I’ll definitely be leaning on Erik (Jones). Being from Michigan, we were teammates at one point when we were racing late models, and now to be teammates with him on Sunday will be cool. Obviously, he won this race here last year, so I’ve got a lot of tools and resources to get myself comfortable for Sunday. I’m very thankful of this opportunity from Maury (Gallagher) and Jimmie (Johnson), and look to give the guys on this Sunseeker Resort team a good run and continue to build my notebook with their car.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1
“Darlington is always a place I am excited to go to. Darlington for me has always been a good track; I always look forward to getting there and having an opportunity to run well. We were fortunate to win this race last year, so with us going back, hopes are high. I think everyone has gotten better, but I believe we have a good car and a solid opportunity to run really well. So, I always look forward to going to Darlington and having an opportunity to win a third Southern 500; that would be an awesome accomplishment.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY.COM CAMARO ZL1
What are your plans for the final 10 races?
“You saw last year how the non-playoff drivers won races. That shows you how deep the field is. Martin Truex Jr. missed the playoffs last year and has scored the most points this year. Chase Elliott was in the Final Four last year and missed this year. There isn’t much difference between the playoff and non-playoff teams. We feel like we are a good team and we plan to show it in these final races.”
Thoughts on Darlington’s Southern 500?
“I love this race. It’s going to be hot, slick and such a challenge. I put a lot of effort into physical conditioning and hope that gives me an advantage on Sunday. It’s so easy to get into trouble at Darlington, but it’s such a rewarding track if you stay patient and run well. We had a really good car here in May so I am optimistic about Sunday night’s race.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2022): 41
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2021): 33
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2023 STATISTICS:
Wins: 13
Poles: 8
Laps Led: 2,514
Top-five finishes: 56
Top-10 finishes: 109
Stage wins: 19
· Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)
· William Byron – 8 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte), (Watkins Glen)
· Kyle Larson – 3 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono)
· Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)
· Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 846 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 742
Laps led to date: 248, 058
Top-five finishes to date: 4,277
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,821
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,180
Chevrolet: 846
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 826
Ford: 726
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 177
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. 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.
