5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 4th
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
THE BATTLE AT BRISTOL: Kyle Larson finished second in Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. After starting 36th, Larson worked his way through the field in the opening 125-lap stage. The 31-year-old driver got up to eighth at the end of stage one. Staying out during the stage break, Larson restarted the second segment in third and took the lead on lap 179. He held the point position for 20 laps before ultimately finishing the stage in third. In the final stage, Larson restarted third and spent the last 138 laps in second, finishing in the runner-up position. This marks his third consecutive top-five finish and series-best 13th top-five of the season.
ROUND OF 16 REVIEW: Larson earned the second-best average finish through the first three playoff races all-time (2.33), only behind Greg Biffle’s 2008 mark (1.67). During the Round of 16, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com driver earned the best all-time average finish in the opening round of the elimination playoffs. The next-best average finish (3.00) came from Larson in his championship-winning year of 2021. Larson added six playoff points in this year’s Round of 16 to bring his bonus points total to 23, the fourth-most of all drivers.
THE ROAD TO PHOENIX: The 2021 Cup Series champion is no rookie at navigating the playoff road to Phoenix Raceway. Larson has earned a spot in the Cup Series playoffs seven times and won at six of the seven playoff tracks remaining during his 101 starts with Hendrick Motorsports. With the points reset for the Round of 12, Larson is now 12 markers ahead of the elimination line. So far in the playoffs, he has the most laps run in the top five (804), the second-most laps run in the top 10 (898) and the second-best running position (6.69).
TURNING TO TEXAS: This weekend the Elk Grove, California, native will race at Texas Motor Speedway. He is currently one of only five drivers to have two or more consecutive top-10 finishes at the Fort Worth, Texas, venue. In 2021, Larson dominated the playoff race and then went on to win the championship. His 2021 victory is one of four instances where the fall playoff race winner went on to become the series champion.
1.5-MILE STAT SAVVY: During this season’s four races on 1.5-mile tracks, Larson is tied with teammate William Byron for the most top-five finishes (three), has led the second-most laps (248) and holds the fourth-best average finish (9.50). In the Next Gen era (2022-present) on 1.5-mile tracks, Larson ranks second in points scored (409), average finish (9.45) and is one of eight active drivers to win on this track type (Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2022). Note: Races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 2022 are excluded in this count of 1.5-mile tracks.
IN 2023: This season, Larson leads the way in top-five finishes (13) and is in a five-way tie, along with Byron, for the most top-10s (15). He’s third in laps led (798), average running position (11.55), laps run in the top five (2,988) and laps run in the top 10 (4,421). Larson has been the second-best driver on restarts, based on information from Racing Insights.
FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the fourth-best average four-tire pit stop time of the season at 11.155 seconds. In the middle race of the Round of 16 at Kansas Speedway, the squad had the best average four-tire stop time among all teams (10.085 seconds). The team’s 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).
HENDRICK, GET SET. GO!: On Tuesday, Hendrick Automotive Group’s Hendrick, Get Set. Go! program gifted New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, a $25,000 grant for auto tech education using the excitement of the HendrickCars.com racing program. Larson, the No. 5 pit crew, head Hendrick Motorsports pit coach Jon Carvin and pit crew development coach Keith Flynn traveled to the event for a question and answer session with students followed by a live pit stop practice in the parking lot. Before getting involved in NASCAR, Flynn was a football and tennis coach from 1985 to 1986 at the school. The Hendrick, Get Set. Go! program’s goal is to connect schools and local Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships for future opportunities for students. Hendrick Automotive Group has seven dealerships surrounding the Wilmington/Jacksonville area. See photos from the event here.
HENDRICKCARS.COM IS HOME: This Sunday’s race marks the 13th of 15 home races for the HendrickCars.com team this season. The Fort Worth, Texas, area is home to two Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships. Respectively, both the driver and crew can be found in their white firesuits this weekend. For every HendrickCars.com home race this season, there is a unique hat, released the week of the race and only available for sale on the trackside merchandise haulers or available to win on HendrickCars.com. Less than 100 of each limited-edition hat will be made available to the public. This week’s Texas-themed hat will be revealed Thursday, check it out here.
WIN A CHEVROLET COLORADO Z71: Want to drive Larson’s 2023 Chevrolet Colorado truck? The 2021 Cup Series champion is giving away his ride to one lucky winner. Fans can donate now to enter a drawing for a chance to take home the Z71 Crew Cab 4WD package with custom features and styling. This special sweepstakes raises funding for the Kyle Larson Foundation’s “DRIVE FOR 5” campaign that supports youth, families and communities in need. The campaign is nearing its fundraising goal of $500,000. Click here to check out this sweet custom ride and enter to win today. The drawing closes on Sunday, Dec. 3, and the winner will be chosen on Monday, Dec. 11.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 18th
No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
BUILDING CONSISTENCY: Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team are a force to be reckoned with as of late in the NASCAR Cup Series. Together, they’ve accumulated four consecutive top-10 finishes – tied for the longest active streak. Over those last four races, the five-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver is tied for the best average finish (6.25), has led 49 laps and scored the fourth-most points (142). Elliott’s current streak of top-10s is his most since having six straight in the summer of 2022.
OWNING IT: The No. 9 team advanced to the Round of 12 for the owner championship. The team’s three top-10 finishes in the opening round of the playoffs – eighth at Darlington Raceway, sixth at Kansas Speedway and seventh at Bristol Motor Speedway – catapulted the No. 9 to eighth in the owner standings. Now that the points are reset for the Round of 12 following Bristol, the No. 9 team is seeded 12th, 13 markers below the elimination line for the Round of 8.
LOOKING BACK: Last season at Texas Motor Speedway, Elliott started the 334-lap race from the sixth position. The 2020 Cup Series champion raced inside the top 10 for much of the first stage, ultimately ending it in 13th after pitting during a caution prior to the stage break. In the second stage, Elliott worked his way to the lead, pacing the field for 44 laps. He was still out front when he had a right-rear tire go down and his No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 sustained heavy damage after contact with the wall, ending his race early.
LONE STAR NUMBERS: Elliott has made 12 Cup Series starts at the Fort Worth, Texas, track. In those starts, the 27-year-old driver has garnered two top-five finishes, six top-10s and led a total of 88 laps – half of those circuits coming in last year’s race. While Elliott is winless at Texas in the sport’s top series, he collected his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the 1.5-mile track in April 2014. In five Xfinity Series starts there, Elliott accumulated three top-five finishes, five top-10s and an average finish of 5.00.
1.5-MILERS: This weekend at Texas, Elliott will make his 76th start on a 1.5-mile track in the Cup Series. Along with two victories (Kansas in 2018 and Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2020), he has collected 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 38 top-10s on 1.5-milers. In his previous 75 races on this track length, Elliott has led 1,040 laps. During his most recent mile-and-a-half start at Kansas, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native started fourth, led 47 laps and finished inside the top 10 in the first two stages en route to a sixth-place result. Note: Races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 2022 are excluded in this count of 1.5-mile tracks.
AG AT TEXAS: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 35th Texas Cup Series race on Sunday. In his previous 34 starts at the track, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has eight top-five finishes and 17 top-10s with 392 laps led. His best finish of second came in 2014 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon.
KBB IS BACK: The Texas race marks the second of two primary races for No. 9 team partner Kelley Blue Book. In January, it was announced that Kelley Blue Book extended its sponsorship of Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports with a two-year contract renewal. Earlier this season, Josh Berry, filling in for the then-injured Elliott, drove the Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to a 10th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway. Get a look at all the angles of the 2023 No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevy here.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 1st
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Texas Motor Speedway media center on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 10:30 a.m. local time.
KEEP IT ROLLIN’: William Byron completed the Round of 16 with a ninth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway to advance to the Round of 12. As the points reset, he regains the lead in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, 25 points above the elimination line for the start of the next three-race round. After 29 races, Byron leads the series in wins (five) and stage wins (eight). The 25-year-old driver’s series-leading 877 laps led are also a single-season career-best. He is tied for the series lead in top-10 finishes (15) and is third in top-fives (10). In addition, Byron ranks second in average running position (10.30), laps run in the top five (3,222) and laps run in the top 10 (4,514).
1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: Byron is no stranger to success on mile-and-a-half tracks during his Cup Series career. Since the start of the 2021 season (not counting races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since its reconfiguration in 2022), he has two wins (Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2021 and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023), two runner-up finishes, seven top-fives and 13 top-10s on 1.5-mile tracks. In fact, in the four races on that track length this season, Byron has the best average finish (5.25), most laps led (277) and is tied with teammate Kyle Larson for the most top-five finishes (three). Since the inception of the Next Gen car (2022-present), he has collected the third-most points (405) and the fifth-best average finish (10.18) on 1.5-mile tracks.
TEXAS TOUGH: Throughout his entire NASCAR career, Byron has always run well at Texas Motor Speedway. In eight Cup Series starts at the Lone Star State track, Byron has four top-10 results, including a track-best finish of second in 2021. In both starts at the Fort Worth, Texas, facility with crew chief Rudy Fugle, he has one top-five finish, two top-10s, 97 laps led and an average finish of 4.50. In the six starts prior to that, he had two top-10 results, 24 laps led and an average finish of 16.50. Byron also has five other national series starts at the 1.5-mile oval, with an average finish of 3.50 in two NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts and 6.00 in three NASCAR Xfinity Series races. Together with Fugle, they won the 2016 Truck Series race.
FUGLE HAS ‘NO LIMITS’: Sunday marks Fugle’s third Cup Series points-paying event atop the pit box at Texas. In his two previous Cup Series starts, the Livonia, New York, native has one top-five finish and two top-10s. However, Fugle has 18 other national series races under his belt at Texas, with 15 coming in the Truck Series. He has visited victory lane at the “No Limits” track five times in the Truck Series – the most for him at any track on the circuit. Among those wins are a 2016 triumph with Byron and a sweep of the 2019 races. In his 15 Truck Series starts, Fugle’s drivers have also racked up seven top-five finishes, 11 top-10s and 493 laps led.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: Through 29 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 11.011 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).
LIBERTY U IS BACK: For Sunday’s race at Texas, Byron will sport his Liberty University paint scheme. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. You can see the No. 24 Liberty University Chevy 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
BRISTOL RECAP: Last Saturday, Alex Bowman raced on the concrete layout at Bristol Motor Speedway for the 13th time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 started the 500-lap event in 13th place. He narrowly missed out on stage points in the second segment and spent the first half of the final stage inside the top 10. The 30-year-old driver went on to finish 13th.
INTERMEDIATE INTIMIDATOR: Bowman has proven to have speed at tracks 1.5 miles in length in the Next Gen era (2022-present). He has the third-best average finish (9.75) on that track length in the Next Gen car and has notched one win (Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022). In Bowman’s three starts on 1.5-mile tracks in 2023, he also has the third-best average finish (8.33). Two weeks ago, he notched a 10th-place finish at Kansas Speedway and finished third at Las Vegas in March. Note: Races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 2022 are excluded in this count of 1.5-mile tracks.
TEXAS TWO-STEP: Bowman’s best finish at Texas Motor Speedway are a pair of fifth-place finishes. Both of those results, where he also started fifth, came in the playoff races of 2019 and 2020.
SET FOR THE RESTART: The Tucson, Arizona, native ranks as the fifth-best driver on restarts in 2023, according to data from Racing Insights. That mark is the second-best among the Hendrick Motorsports quartet, as teammate Kyle Larson is second in this statistical category.
HEAD HONCHO: Crew chief Blake Harris will return to his home track this Sunday at Texas. The Maypearl, Texas, native grew up racing dirt go-karts before moving on to dirt stock cars and asphalt trucks. Harris spent the early part of his Cup Series career with Furniture Row Racing where he became the car chief for Kurt Busch in his 2013 season and was also a car chief for Martin Truex Jr. from 2014 to 2021 (at Furniture Row and Joe Gibbs Racing). He was an integral part of Furniture Row’s 2017 championship season when the No. 78 team won eight races and led 2,253 laps. In 2022, he joined Front Row Motorsports as a crew chief and was named as Bowman’s 2023 crew chief on the No. 48 in October 2022. In two starts atop the box at Texas, Harris’ drivers have one top-five result and an average finish of 6.50.
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 the Humane Society of North Texas, which serves the local community in Fort Worth. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and the Humane Society of North Texas. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins.
DAY ‘N’ NITE: During Sunday’s race at Texas, the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will adorn its “day” scheme. This scheme hosts a white base with bright plum, grapefruit, and seafoam stripes down the side. Check out all the angles of the ride here.
A TEAM OF RACERS: This Friday and Saturday, No. 48 setup mechanic Travis Braden will get behind the wheel of a Super Late Model race car at Five Flags Speedway in the Blizzard Series races. Braden joined Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 48 team before the start of the 2023 Cup Series season. His racing record includes winning the 2019 Snowball Derby, a victory in his first ARCA Menards Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2015 – beating the current driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 William Byron – and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Rookie of the Year Award in 2011.
HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
| 2023 | All-Time | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Races | 29 | 1,338 | 42 |
| Wins | 8* | 299* | 10* |
| Poles | 6 | 245* | 7 |
| Top 5 | 35* | 1,225* | 42* |
| Top 10 | 55* | 2,100* | 77* |
| Laps Led | 1,851 | 79,168* | 2,927* |
| Stage Wins | 13 | 92 | 2 |
*Most **Most (tie)
CLOSING IN ON 300: Hendrick Motorsports is just one points-paying victory away from its milestone 300th win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 299, which is the most Cup Series wins by any team. With eight 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.
PLAYOFF ADVANCEMENT: For the 10th straight season, Hendrick Motorsports has had at least two drivers advance to the Round of 12. William Byron (five wins) and Kyle Larson (three wins) remain in the playoff field. In addition, the Nos. 5, 9 and 24 teams are battling for the owner championship.
CHAMPIONSHIP COUNT: The Rick Hendrick-owned team has a series-best 14 Cup Series championships. NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Jimmie Johnson accounts for half of those with seven (2006-10, 2013 and 2016). NASCAR Hall of Famer and team vice chairman Jeff Gordon racked up four titles (1995, 1997-98 and 2001). NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte (1996), Chase Elliott (2020) and Larson (2021) each have one championship for the team. Nine of those titles have come in the playoff era (2004-present).
RECORD SETTERS: Hendrick Motorsports has posted a series-best 56 wins in the playoffs, which is 20 more than the closest team. Johnson has the most with 29 victories. Among the current driver lineup, Elliott and Larson top the board with seven wins apiece in the playoffs followed by Alex Bowman with one.
LONE STAR LOWDOWN: With 10 points-paying wins at Texas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team at the Fort Worth, Texas, track. Johnson accounts for seven of those and he also holds the track record for most Cup Series wins. Gordon, Labonte and Larson each have one win at the 1.5-mile venue. In 18 playoff races at Texas, Hendrick Motorsports has won a Cup Series-best six times. Johnson is responsible for five wins, while Larson’s 2021 win in the Round of 8 stands as the other victory. On three occasions in team history, the Texas playoff race winner went on to win the championship (Johnson in ’07 and ’13 and Larson in ’21).
NO LIMITS TO LEADING: In the past two races at Texas, the Concord, North Carolina-based team has led 62% of the laps run (416 of 668). Over that span, Larson leads all drivers with 275 laps led. Byron has paced the field for 97 laps, while Elliott has been out front for 44 circuits.
NEXT GEN NUMBERS: In the Next Gen car on 1.5-mile tracks, Hendrick Motorsports is tied for the most victories at three. The most recent of those victories came in March with Byron at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Since the start of the 2022 season, Larson (409) and Byron (405) rank second and third in points scored on 1.5-mile tracks. When it comes to average finish with the Next Gen on 1.5-mile tracks, Larson (9.45) ranks second, Bowman (9.75) is third and Byron (10.18) rounds out the top five.
MILE-AND-A-HALF MUSCLE: So far in 2023, there have been four races on 1.5-mile tracks (two at Kansas Speedway and one each at Las Vegas and Charlotte Motor Speedway), Byron (5.25) has the best average finish in those events, Bowman has the third best (8.33, although he has run in only three of those races) and Larson is fourth (9.50). Across those four races, the team has one win, seven top-five finishes, 10 top-10s, one pole position and 585 laps led.
STUDYING THE TRENDS: In each of the last seven 2023 Cup Series races, Hendrick Motorsports has had a driver finish in the top five. Those top fives came at Michigan International Speedway (Larson), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Elliott and Bowman), Watkins Glen International (Byron), Daytona International Speedway (Elliott), Darlington Raceway (Larson and Byron), Kansas Speedway (Larson) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Larson).
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on why success at Texas Motor Speedway is key to advancing in the Round of 12: “Looking ahead to Talladega (Superspeedway), it’s a little crazy and there are typically a lot of crashes. So, you put a lot of pressure on this race this weekend, or at least I do, to do a good job. I like Texas (Motor Speedway). Our No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy team won there a couple of years ago (in 2021). We hope to do that again and have another good day.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Texas: “Going into Texas (Motor Speedway) this weekend, we have some strong runs behind us from the last couple of weeks, which is good to have that little bit of wind in our sail and momentum. We’ve had this layout of the Texas track since 2017 and it is such a tough place for an intermediate (track). The two ends are so different with not a lot of banking and a tight radius in (turns) one and two and then a lot of banking and a bigger radius in (turns) three and four. So, it’s a tough place. Our mindset is to get a good solid car on the track and execute a good race to make sure we are there at the end.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s efforts on 1.5-mile tracks in the owner playoffs: “Kansas (Speedway) was super refreshing. I thought we were much improved. I was doing a better job driving and our pit stops were really good. Everything felt solid and that was super satisfying because we put a lot of effort into being better. I put a lot of effort into pushing myself in areas that I feel like need to be worked on. Anytime you put the effort and time into different areas and you see the results, you can kind of get that report card and it be an improvement, I think that’s encouraging for everyone involved. We didn’t win, but we were up there battling with those guys that did. If you’re in that fight and you’re in that hunt, the wins will come. The good news is all the pieces of the puzzle, in my mind, are there. We’ve just got to put it together.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on continuing a successful run in the owner playoffs: “I think certainly for us, it was a solid first round of races. We’ve had some good cars and solid finishes. We just want to continue to take that next step and be able to consistently improve. I think we’re going in the right direction and things are coming together. Even our races that are a little bit off, we’re still inside the top 10, which is great. I think that’s what it takes. I’m looking forward to upping the ante a bit at Texas (Motor Speedway) and delivering with better performances than we had in the first round.”
Gustafson on racing at Texas: “Texas (Motor Speedway) is a really unique track. The corners being split the way they are, they are quite a bit different. It makes it a bit difficult to get your car to drive good at. It’s going to be really hot there, so the track will be slick. Your hope is, as a competitor, that there’s more than one lane, the track widens out a bit and you can pass and compete and move forward. Last year, Texas was a race that we were concerned about and wanted to perform really well at. We were at the time of the tire failure. So, we’ll take some of those lessons learned and try to apply them this weekend.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the playoff race at Texas: “I’m looking forward to Texas (Motor Speedway). It will be hot there and slick, which will lead to guys making mistakes. We just need to not be one of them and stay ahead of all that. We need to try to win it or at least maximize our points day. You have to take advantage of every opportunity you get if you want to run for a championship. There’s only 12 cars left. You need to execute. This is the time to really show what you have.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his approach to the Round of 12: “The first round we had a bigger points cushion and those were three more traditional oval tracks. I don’t want to say you could relax, but it was a round where you could really start looking ahead to other races. You could run your races, not really try anything crazy and advance. Now in this round, you need to take one race at a time and really focus on Texas (Motor Speedway). That’s the race we probably have the most control over and can get the most amount of points. Coming out with a win would obviously relieve a lot of stress going into Talladega (Superspeedway) and the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) ROVAL. Two races that are kind of wildcards. It’s definitely a tough round.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the remaining seven races of the season: “We have seven races left to get it right. Our team has done just about everything except win and the way we all see it is that we have seven shots to win in front of us. We have had the same mindset every week regardless of the situation. While we may not be in the playoffs, we still have a shot to win races and I think this team is plenty capable. Hendrick Motorsports gives us all the tools we need to compete at a high level. Heading to Texas (Motor Speedway) this weekend is just as good of a chance as any other week on the schedule.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on returning to his home track: “I like going to Texas Motor Speedway because I get the chance to go home, see my family and race at a place I grew up going to. Obviously, that in itself makes it special, but I also really enjoy the track. It has some unique challenges after they did the repave and trying to figure out how to go fast with those challenges in mind is what I enjoy about being a crew chief. Alex (Bowman) and I will go there for the first time this weekend together. Hopefully, we can be competitive and learn a lot in the process. Hendrick Motorsports has a good notebook for this track and I know our team is going to be prepared for whatever unfolds this weekend.”
