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
ROVAL REWIND: Kyle Larson overcame some early adversity at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL to advance in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team started 36th following a practice incident that forced Larson to a backup car. Pitting before the end of the opening stage set him up to gain track position and earn six valuable stage points as he finished fifth in the second stage. In the final stage, Larson maintained a top-15 position and his 13th-place finish got him into the Round of 8 in both the driver and owner playoffs.
THE ROUND OF 8: Larson secured a spot in the Cup Series Round of 8 for the third time in his career. The start of the new round reset the points and the HendrickCars.com driver sits fourth with 4,024 markers, three above the elimination line. Additionally, Larson has won at all the remaining tracks: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2021), Homestead-Miami Speedway (2022), Martinsville Speedway (2023) and Phoenix Raceway (2021). Larson earned the most points (96) at the two Round of 8 tracks that were run in the spring (Martinsville and Las Vegas) with two top-two finishes.
EYES ON THE PRIZE: The 2021 Cup Series champion is one step closer to contending for his second championship at Phoenix. Larson’s average finish (2.33) in the Round of 16 is the third-best mark all-time in a single round of the playoffs. In the Round of 12, Larson was tied for the second-most stage points (28) behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (37). Throughout the 2023 playoffs, Larson leads all drivers in average running position (7.51), most laps run in the top five (1,038) and most laps run in the top 10 (1,291).
WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS: In Larson’s 14 starts at Las Vegas, he has one win, six top-five finishes, 10 top-10s, two stage wins and 314 laps led. The Elk Grove, California, native has scored in the top two in three of his five Las Vegas starts with Hendrick Motorsports. In the spring race, Larson led 63 laps and finished second. In the five races held on 1.5-mile tracks this season, he has earned the fifth-most points (164) with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (218) atop the category. Since coming to the 14-time championship-winning organization in 2021, Larson has five wins on 1.5-mile tracks. In fact, his first win for team owner Rick Hendrick came at Las Vegas in 2021.
IN 2023: This season, Larson has led the most laps of all drivers (898) and is in a three-way tie for the most top-five finishes (13). He is also in a six-way tie for the fifth-most top-10 finishes (15). The 31-year-old driver ranks third in the following statistical categories: Average running position (11.38), laps run in the top five (3,222) and laps run in the top 10 (4,814). He also ranks second-best on restarts, based on data from Racing Insights.
FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the third-fastest average four-tire pit stop of the season at 11.137 seconds. The group has two of the nine fastest four-tire pit stops this year. 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).
PREPARING FOR THE DOUBLE: In 2024, Larson will attempt the Memorial Day weekend “double” with HendrickCars.com. He is set to compete in 1,100 miles of racing, known as the #Hendrick1100, in less than 24 hours between Charlotte Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis 500). On Thursday, Larson will complete his Rookie Orientation Practice at the 2.5-mile oval and address members of the media to share his experience surrounding his first time behind the wheel of an IndyCar. Check out the paint schemes Larson will run in the #Hendrick1100 here.
JOIN US AT JINYA RAMEN BAR: In Las Vegas for the race this weekend? Larson will be onsite at the Jinya Ramen Bar on 7240 South Rainbow Blvd. on Saturday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. local time to chat with fans, sign merch and fuel up on ramen before Sunday’s race.
HIGH LIMIT CHAMPION: In addition to Larson’s full-time Cup Series schedule, he often takes on dirt racing during the week. On Tuesday, Larson competed in the last High Limit Series race of 2023 at Lincoln Park Speedway in Greencastle, Indiana. Even though his No. 57 sprint car finished third in the race, Larson was crowned the inaugural High Limit Sprint Car Series Champion. The series was founded by Larson and his brother-in-law / World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion Brad Sweet in 2022. Learn more about the series at High Limit Sprint Car Series here.
WIN A CHEVROLET COLORADO Z71: Want to drive Larson’s 2023 Chevrolet Colorado truck? One lucky winner will win his ride. 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: 17th
No. 9 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
OWNING IT: Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team have had a successful run thus far in their quest for the 2023 owner championship in the NASCAR Cup Series. Through the first six races of the elimination-style playoffs, they hold the second-best average finish (8.00) and have only finished outside the top 10 once. During the Round of 12, which concluded at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL last weekend, Elliott and the No. 9 squad earned the second-most points (121) – behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron – and earned the most stage points (37) in the field. Entering the Round of 8 this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, they’re seeded eighth at 4,002, 19 points below the elimination line to advance to the Championship 4.
SETTING THE STAGE: Last weekend at the Charlotte ROVAL, Elliott earned his 36th stage win after claiming the stage two victory in the 109-lap Cup Series race. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native ranks seventh in this category all-time and is the second-highest Hendrick Motorsports driver on the list, behind teammate Kyle Larson (47).
MILESTONE MOMENT: En route to Elliott’s top-10 finish at the Charlotte ROVAL on Sunday, the five-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver led 15 laps, surpassing 5,000 circuits pacing the field in his Cup Series career. Of all past and present Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Elliott has led the third-most laps (5,012) for the organization. Only NASCAR Hall of Famer and team vice chairman Jeff Gordon (24,936) and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Jimmie Johnson (18,941) have led more.
LET’S GO TO VEGAS: Elliott has 12 Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three top-five finishes, five top-10s and 178 laps led. His best result on the 1.5-mile oval was a runner-up finish in the fall of 2021. With three stage wins at Las Vegas, Elliott is tied for second among active drivers in that statistic. In addition to Elliott’s 12 premier series starts on the desert oval, he has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, finishing inside the top five in all of them. This weekend will mark the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s first start at Las Vegas this year. The 27-year-old driver missed the spring Cup Series race due to his leg injury and Josh Berry was tabbed to fill in.
1.5-MILERS: Elliott will make his 77th start on a 1.5-mile track this Sunday at Las Vegas. In his previous 76 races on that track length, he’s led 1,041 laps. The 2020 Cup Series champion has two career victories on mile-and-a-half ovals – Kansas Speedway (2018) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (2020). Along with his two wins, Elliott has collected 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 38 top-10s on 1.5-milers. Note: Races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since its 2022 reprofiling are excluded in this count of 1.5-mile tracks.
BETTIN’ ON ALAN: This weekend, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 25th Las Vegas premier series race atop the pit box. Across his previous 24 Cup Series races with six different drivers (Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Gordon, Elliott and Berry) at the 1.5-mile oval, Gustafson has garnered six top-five finishes, 10 top-10s and 187 laps led.
LLUMAR RETURNS: LLumar, a trusted brand of automotive window tint and paint protection film manufactured by Eastman Performance Films, LLC, will have its colors carried on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Las Vegas. It’s the final race that the brand is serving as primary partner during the 2023 season. Earlier this season, Elliott drove the LLumar Chevrolet to a third-place finish at Darlington Raceway in May, fourth place at Daytona International Speedway in August and seventh place at Talladega Superspeedway in October. In June, it was announced that LLumar extended its sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott and the No. 9 team through 2026. Get a look at the 2023 No. 9 LLumar Chevrolet 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 Relay Payments Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Relay Payments Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8:50 a.m. local time.
MOVING ON: For the second straight season, William Byron has reached the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He secured his spot by winning at Texas Motor Speedway in the Round of 12 opener and followed that up with runner-up finishes at Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Byron’s Round of 12 average finish (1.67) ranks second-best in the history of the elimination-style playoff system. In fact, in the first six races of this year’s playoffs, Byron’s average finish (5.50) is the fourth-best all-time since the inception of this championship format. Of note, Byron has a win at all four tracks (Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023, Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2021, Martinsville Speedway in 2022 and Phoenix Raceway in 2023) that are hosting the final four races of the season
CAREER SEASON: Heading into the next round, Byron continues to add to his already impressive 2023 season stats. After 32 races, Byron leads the series in wins (six), stage wins (eight), stage points (273), playoff points (41), race points (1,054), average finishing position (11.47) and top-10 finishes (18). He is tied for the most top-five finishes (13) with two other drivers, including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. He also has led a single-season career-best 895 laps – second to Larson (898). In addition, Byron ranks second for the season in average running position (10.32), laps run in the top five (3,387) and laps run in the top 10 (4,861).
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 2021 (not counting races on Atlanta Motor Speedway after its reprofiling for 2022), he has three wins, two runner-up finishes, eight top-fives and 14 top-10s in 21 races on 1.5-mile tracks. In fact, in the five races on that track length this season, Byron leads the series in wins (two, one each at Las Vegas and Texas), average finish (4.40) and points (218).
LUCKY IN LAS VEGAS: When the No. 24 Relay Payments Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 unloads for Sunday’s race at Las Vegas, it will mark Byron’s 12th Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile speedway. This time, Byron returns as the defending winner from this year’s spring race. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has two stage wins at Las Vegas – tied for the fourth-most – which both came in the March race after he led 176 laps before going on to collect the checkered flag.
VIVA LAS RUDY: Returning to Las Vegas for the sixth time with the Cup Series, crew chief Rudy Fugle is confident heading to a venue that he has had success at before. In his five Cup Series showings, Fugle has one win coming earlier this season, two top-five finishes, three top-10s and an average finish of 9.00. The Livonia, New York, native has called the shots for 11 additional national series races at the track with 10 of those coming in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He has collected one win (March 2019), four top-five finishes, six top-10s, three pole awards and 238 laps led in those Truck Series events. With Byron in the Truck Series in 2016, the duo qualified 10th and raced to a fifth-place finish at the 1.5-mile venue.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: Through 32 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 11.020 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).
WELCOME RELAY PAYMENTS: Earlier this year, Hendrick Motorsports announced a new partnership with Relay Payments, the fintech company modernizing payments for the transportation, logistics and supply chain industries. Founded in 2019, Relay’s mission is to help digitally transform the logistics industry. The company offers a digital payment network designed to increase efficiencies, reduce fraud, improve driver satisfaction and eliminate operational headaches. Relay Payments debuted their primary paint scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Round of 16. Earlier this week, Relay Payments unveiled their inverse scheme for the playoff race at Las Vegas. For a closer look at Byron’s No. 24 Relay Payments 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
ROVAL MASTER: Last Sunday, Alex Bowman notched his fifth consecutive top-10 result at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. The eighth-place result for the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 gives him an average finish at the ROVAL of 6.40, which is the best of all active drivers at the 2.32-mile road course. The top-10 finish also marked Bowman’s 10th of the season, giving him six straight years with double-digit top-10s.
STACKING THE DECK: This weekend, Bowman will return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the NASCAR Cup Series. Last time he took on the 1.5-mile venue, the Tucson, Arizona, native started 11th as the defending winner of the spring race and finished third in the second stage before following his Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson across the finish line. In fact, over his last two races there (he missed the fall 2022 race due to injury), Bowman has the top average finish at Las Vegas in the Next Gen era (2022–present) at 2.00. Over his last five starts at Las Vegas, Bowman has a win (March 2022) and three top-five finishes.
BOWMAN ON 1.5-MILERS: Bowman has proven to have speed at tracks 1.5 miles in length. In 55 Cup Series starts on that track length with Hendrick Motorsports, he has two wins (Las Vegas and Chicagoland Speedway), 12 top-five finishes, 25 top-10s and five stage wins. In four races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2023, Bowman has one top-five finish, two top-10s and the second-best average finish (9.25) in the series behind Byron’s (4.40) mark. Note: Races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since its 2022 reprofiling are excluded in this count of 1.5-mile tracks.
THE BOYS ARE BACK: The No. 48 pit crew currently ranks 10th in the Cup Series for the fastest four-tire average pit stop, clocking in at 11.431 seconds. The five-person over-the-wall crew consists of Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Brandon Grier (tire carrier), Allen Holman (jackman), and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).
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.
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 SPCA of Northern Nevada, which serves the local community in Reno, Nevada. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and SPCA of Northern Nevada. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.
SHINING BRIGHT IN THE DAYTIME: For the race at Las Vegas, the No. 48 Ally Chevy will adorn its “day” scheme. This scheme hosts a white base with bright plum, grapefruit and seafoam stripes down the sides. Check out all the angles of the ride here.
HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
| 2023 | All-Time | Las Vegas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Races | 32 | 1,341 | 31 |
| Wins | 9* | 300* | 8* |
| Poles | 6 | 245* | 2 |
| Top 5 | 38* | 1,228* | 31* |
| Top 10 | 61* | 2,106* | 52* |
| Laps Led | 2,007 | 79,324* | 2,090* |
| Stage Wins | 15 | 94 | 8* |
*Most **Most (tie)
PLAYOFF LOWDOWN: For the fourth straight season, Hendrick Motorsports has two drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8. This is also the 10th straight season that the team has had at least one driver reach this point in the playoffs. William Byron and Kyle Larson remain in the playoff field. In addition, the Nos. 5, 9 and 24 teams are battling for the owner championship. This year’s playoffs have seen the organization triumph in the opening races in the Round of 16 (Larson at Darlington Raceway) and the Round of 12 (Byron at Texas Motor Speedway).
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).
GOOD SIGN: In six of the last seven occurrences where a Hendrick Motorsports driver has won at least six races, that driver has gone on to win the title (Johnson in 2007-10 and 2013 and Larson in 2021). Byron has a half dozen wins in the 2023 season.
FABULOUS FINISHERS: This year’s playoffs have seen both Byron and Larson move into the top five for the best average finish in one round. In the Round of 12, Byron’s average finish of 1.67 ranks second-best in the elimination era (2014-present), while Larson’s Round of 16 mark of 2.33 is third on the list.
RECORD SETTERS: Hendrick Motorsports has posted a series-best 57 wins in the playoffs, which is 21 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 Byron and Alex Bowman with one each.
PLAY ON EIGHT: With wins in the last three spring races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has tallied eight wins at the 1.5-mile track. That mark leads all Cup Series teams. Johnson’s four victories are a team high, while Bowman, Byron, Gordon and Larson each have one win. The five drivers to win at the Nevada venue are also the most by one team.
TRIP SWEEP: In this year’s spring race, Byron, Larson and Bowman took the top three spots in finishing order. The trio combined to lead 241 of the 271 laps in the event. It also marked the fourth time (with 2005, 2007 and the spring race of 2022 being the others) that the team took at least the top-two spots in a race at Las Vegas.
STAGE SAVANTS: Over the last seven races at Las Vegas (dating back to 2020), Hendrick Motorsports has earned eight of the 14 stage wins. Elliott has three, Larson and Byron have two each and Bowman picked up one.
WEST SUCCESS: Of the last 16 races on the West Coast, eight have resulted in victories for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson has four wins, while Byron has two and Bowman and Elliott have one each. On this year’s three-race western swing following the DAYTONA 500, Byron won two of the three races (Las Vegas and Phoenix Raceway). The team’s 43 wins on the West Coast are the most in the series.
MILE-AND-A-HALF MUSCLE: So far in 2023, there have been five races on 1.5-mile tracks (two at Kansas Speedway and one each at Las Vegas, Texas and Charlotte Motor Speedway). Byron (4.40) has the best average finish in those events and Bowman has the second-best mark (9.25, although he has run in only four of those races). Across those five races, the team has two wins, eight top-five finishes, 10 top-11s, one pole position and 692 laps led. When it comes to points earned on 1.5-mile tracks this year, Byron ranks first (218) and Larson is fifth (164). In the Next Gen car on 1.5-mile tracks, Hendrick Motorsports has the most victories with four. Byron’s victory at Texas in September is the most recent of those triumphs.
STUDYING THE TRENDS: In the last 10 Cup Series races, the organization has had at least one 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 (Larson and Byron), Kansas (Larson), Bristol Motor Speedway (Larson), Texas (Byron), Talladega Superspeedway (Byron) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (Byron).
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his outlook for the Round of 8: “I’m looking forward to the next round. It has some good tracks (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway) for us. We really hope to have a solid next few races that can advance us into the Championship 4 and then I feel like we could have a really good shot at Phoenix (Raceway). Thank you to everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. It’s the best organization in NASCAR and I’m very grateful to be at such a great place.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: “The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team is headed to (Las) Vegas (Motor Speedway) looking for a really solid weekend. Our intermediate package has been close lately and the Hendrick Motorsports cars have had speed. Our team has been doing a really good job on pit road and a lot of things have been coming together. Our focus is making sure that we put the good things that we have together to execute a good race. You’re never out of it as long as you are able to execute and put the right things in the right place at the right time.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how the team has improved throughout the course of the season and in the owner playoffs: “I think we’ve been working in the right direction and I’ve been pushing in the right direction. We’ve been putting together some good races and we’ve been executing some good events, which is a good thing. So, I definitely feel like we have improved throughout the year. Looking back on it, I don’t think being out and my injury is the reason for that. As I learn more about my season and myself and how things have unfolded, I feel like my struggles and the things I’ve fought through this year I was starting to fight through last year, too. I kind of picked up where I left off last season, and I was going to have those things to work through regardless. Obviously, that was another bump in the road that I would have rather not gone through. We’re working through it and trying to stay in the fight. We’ll keep doing that each week and try to make that happen.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the toughness of the Round of 8 and overcoming a 19-point deficit in the owner standings: “This round is the hardest. You know, it’s tough. This is the group of cars that should be racing for a championship, right? So, they’re all good, they’re all fast and they all have good pit crews. It’s going to be hard to gain points on people because you’re going have to finish in the top four every stage, every race to get to where you need to be. But it’s fun. I think that’s what you want to be doing and I enjoy the challenge. Last year was a little different. We had a huge points advantage and, really, kind of sliding performance. This year we have a points deficit and we’re improving performance. I would really take this over the other because our performance is escalating and if you have that, if you have good performance on track, you can overcome 19 points.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mindset for the Round of 8: “This round is going to be hard, that’s for sure. The points difference from us to third is only a little bit and you have to assume that there are going to be winners from outside the top four. That means you need to stay in one of the top two points positions. Winning a race is vital, but obviously that’s not easy at the (NASCAR) Cup (Series) level. Getting that win is the best way to ensure you’re moving on to the next round. Hopefully, we can do that but either way the goal remains the same.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what he expects at Las Vegas: “Like we expected, the Next Gen car has evolved since the spring race at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) earlier this year. While we have notes from that race, it’s more so about what we have learned late summer, early playoffs at Kansas (Speedway) and Texas (Motor Speedway) that will help us the most this weekend. We’ve been working on the Vegas car for a couple weeks now. I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot with it. Obviously, we won’t know until we unload for practice, but I think we’ve done all the preparation we can to this point.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his outlook heading to Las Vegas: “I like Las Vegas (Motor Speedway). I feel like it is a good mile-and-a-half track for me, especially having a win there. Having an average finish of 2.0 in my starts there in the Next Gen car obviously makes me feel really confident. Hendrick Motorsports has a good intermediate program, so I think we will have a competitive No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend. Looking ahead in general, I feel confident because I have run well there in the past.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his expectations for this Sunday’s race at Las Vegas: “We are coming off a top-10 finish last weekend at the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) ROVAL and looking ahead to the next four races, Alex (Bowman) has won at two of them in the past. Our year has been filled with ups and downs, but we have a few weeks to create some momentum to close this year out and bring that into 2024. Our team has worked really hard to keep pushing hard and learning how to be even better for next season. Going to tracks where Alex and the team have had success bodes well for us, not only as the No. 48 team, but as an organization as a whole. We have great notes across the four teammates and we will continue to make more notes, get better and be in contention for wins.”
