5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st
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 Homestead-Miami Speedway media center on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 a.m. local time.
VICTORIOUS IN VEGAS: For the second time in three years, Kyle Larson won the opening race in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs to secure a berth in the Championship 4. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 swept the stages at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and led a race-high 133 laps. Off the final turn, Larson held on to defend the lead, earning his second career Championship 4 appearance and his fourth points-paying win of the 2023 Cup Series season.
CHAMPIONSHIP 4 BOUND: In 2021, Larson won the Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will now return to the Arizona track in November as a contender for their second title. The 31-year-old driver has won at all three of the remaining tracks in the playoffs: Homestead-Miami Speedway (2022), Martinsville Speedway (2023) and Phoenix (2021). Since 2021, Larson has the most playoff wins (eight) and is ahead in that category by five victories. Throughout the 2023 playoffs, Larson leads the field in average running position (6.81) and laps run in the top five (1,292).
1.5-MILE MOJO: Mile-and-a-half tracks have historically been a strong point for Larson. In the 2023 season, Larson has earned the second most points (224) on that track length, trailing only Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (254). Of the last seven races on 1.5-mile tracks, Larson and Byron are the only repeat winners with two victories each. Since joining the 14-time championship-winning organization in 2021, Larson has six wins on 1.5-mile tracks.
MIAMI MEMORIES: The Elk Grove, California, native dominated last year’s race at Homestead-Miami to earn a spot for the No. 5 team in the Championship 4 of the owner playoffs. In that event, he swept the stages, had an average running position of 1.40 and led 199 laps en route his first Cup Series victory at the South Florida track.
FAST FORWARDING TO FLORIDA: After locking himself into the Championship 4 via a win at Las Vegas, Larson and the No. 5 team head to Miami with the objective of maintaining momentum. Homestead-Miami has long been one of Larson’s best tracks. In nine starts at “The Sunshine State” venue, he has earned a win, five top-five finishes and an average finish of 10.67. He is two-for-two in top-five finishes at the track with Hendrick Motorsports. In addition, Larson’s five stage wins and 529 laps led are the most among drivers entered in Sunday’s 267-lap race. His ability to find the razor’s edge of speed against the outside wall is a skill few drivers have mastered.
IN 2023: This season, Larson leads the series in laps led (1,031) and top-five finishes (14). He is in a three-way tie for the fifth-most top-10 finishes (16). The driver of the No. 5 ranks third in the following statistical categories: average running position (11.09), laps run in the top five (3,476) and laps run in the top 10 (5,079). He also ranks second-best on restarts, based on data from Racing Insights.
FIVE FAST GUYS: After 33 races this season, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the second-fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.083 seconds. This past weekend in Vegas with only 55 laps remaining in the race, the No. 5 crew executed a money stop in 9.543 seconds that gained Larson two positions on pit road and sent him to the lead before he claimed victory. 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).
INDYCAR INSIGHT: The 2021 Cup Series champion had a busy last week as he prepares for the 2024 Indianapolis 500. He went to the Arrow McLaren shop for his seat fitting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, before taking part in rookie orientation at the famed track on Thursday, Oct. 12. Larson reached a top speed of 217.898 mph and passed orientation with flying colors. Take a behind-the-scenes look at his experience as he prepared for the #Hendrick1100 in his HENDRICKCARS.COM entry.
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 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
CUT TO THE CHASE: After some tough luck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team sit 61 points below the elimination line to advance to the Championship 4 in the 2023 owner playoffs. While the team has their work cut out for them over the next two races, this group is resilient. In fact, following the last four races this season in which Elliott finished outside the top 30, he has rebounded to finish in the top five in his next race. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champions also have a history of being fast in October as Elliott has earned four victories during that month – his most in a single month in his Cup Series career. Outside of Las Vegas, the 27-year-old driver and the No. 9 squad have been the kings of consistency in these elimination-style playoffs. Through the first six races, they held the second-best average finish (8.00) and only finished outside the top 10 once, placing 11th at Texas Motor Speedway.
WELCOME TO MIAMI: Elliott has seven Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a best finish of second coming in 2020. He’s led 31 laps, earned two top-five finishes, three top-10s and placed inside the top 15 in all his Cup starts at the 1.5-mile track. His average finish of 9.71 at the South Florida track ranks third among all Cup Series drivers with more than two starts and is also a career-best for the driver on active 1.5-mile tracks. Elliott has also made three starts at Homestead-Miami across the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, driving to one top-five result and two top-10s.
1.5-MILE HISTORY: Elliott will make his 78th Cup Series start on a 1.5-mile track (not counting races on Atlanta Motor Speedway after its reprofiling in 2022) this Sunday at Homestead-Miami. In his previous 77 races, he’s led 1,041 laps. The five-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award has two career victories on mile-and-a-half tracks (Kansas Speedway in 2018 and Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2020), 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 38 top-10s. Elliott’s best finish on a 1.5-mile oval this season came last month with a sixth-place run at Kansas.
AG IN SOUTH FLORIDA: No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson has 18 Cup Series starts atop the pit box at Homestead-Miami with five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears and NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon). The veteran crew chief earned a victory with Gordon in 2012 and the pole position with the Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman in 2014 at the track. In addition, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has a combined four top-five finishes and eight top-10s with 251 laps led in those 18 races.
FOUR TIRES FAST: Last month, the No. 9 pit crew had the fastest four-tire pit stop of the race at the mile-and-a-half track of Texas Motor Speedway with a time of 9.409 seconds. The over-the-wall squad currently holds the ninth-best average four-tire pit stop time of 11.294 seconds. The 2021 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew award-winning group is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).
HOOTERS IS BACK: Hooters is back as the primary partner of the No. 9 team this weekend for its final of three races in 2023. Earlier this year as part of the company’s 40th anniversary, Hooters unveiled a special Night Owl paint scheme for the 2023 season. Most recently, Elliott drove the Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to a third-place finish at the Chicago Street Course. Get a look at all the angles of the No. 9 Hooters Chevy here.
WHEN CHASE WINS YOU WIN: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles (with a drink purchase) when Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team finishes in the top 10. If the No. 9 team wins, customers receive 10 free wings with any 10-wing purchase. Get more details at hooters.com/racing.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 2nd
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
CAREER SEASON: Heading into the second race of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Byron continues to add to his already impressive 2023 season stats. After 33 races, Byron leads the series in wins (six), stage wins (eight), average finishing position (11.33) and top-10 finishes (19). He is tied for the second-most top-five finishes (13) just behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (14). He has also led a single-season career-best 896 laps – second to Larson (1,031). In addition, Byron ranks second for the season in average running position (10.16), laps run the top five (3,543) and laps run in the top 10 (5,124).
PLAYOFF OUTLOOK: Byron enters Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway second in the standings and nine points above the elimination line to advance to the Championship 4. He has victories at all three of the remaining tracks: Homestead-Miami (2021), Martinsville Speedway (2022) and Phoenix Raceway (2023). The 25-year-old driver is looking to advance to his first Championship 4.
BACK NINE: Over the last nine races of the season, Byron leads the series in points (364), top-10 finishes (eight) and average finish (5.44). In that stretch, he is also tied for the most wins (two), runner-up finishes (two) and top-fives (five).
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 in 2022), he has three wins, two runner-up finishes, eight top-fives and 15 top-10s in 22 races on 1.5-mile tracks. In fact, in the six races on that track length this season, Byron leads the series in wins (two, one each at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the spring and Texas Motor Speedway), average finish (4.83) and points (254).
HEADING TO HOMESTEAD: With five previous Cup Series starts under his belt at Homestead-Miami, Byron’s first two Cup Series starts didn’t go as he hoped but he has since turned his luck around. In his last three starts at the 1.5-mile track, Byron has collected one win (2021), two top-10 finishes and a pole position. The sixth-year Cup Series driver has two other national series starts at Homestead-Miami on his résumé – one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In 2017, Byron started sixth and went on to finish third, locking up the Xfinity Series championship in the process. In 2016, Byron started on the pole for the Truck Series race and led 31 laps en route to the win at the 1.5-mile speedway with Rudy Fugle on the pit box.
RUDY RUNS MIAMI: Crew chief Fugle will be making his third Cup Series start this Sunday at the South Florida track. In his first showing, Fugle went on to capture his first Cup Series win with Byron and the No. 24 after leading 102 laps. He followed that up by capturing the pole award in 2022, leading 32 laps, all before going on to score a 12th-place result. The Livonia, New York, native also has nine other national series starts with seven of those coming in the Truck Series. He has visited victory lane two times at this track in the truck ranks, once in 2013 and again in 2016 with Byron. In fact, Fugle’s Truck Series drivers have never finished outside the top eight.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: Through 33 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 10.979 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 the final time in the 2023 season, Byron will sport his Liberty University paint scheme. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 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 University 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. Check out every angle of the paint scheme here.
WELCOME PODS: On Thursday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that PODS Enterprises LLC, the industry leader in portable moving and storage solutions, has joined Byron and the No. 24 team as the primary sponsor for next week’s Round of 8 finale at Martinsville on Oct. 29. PODS has assisted with more than six million moves with locations serving 46 states and was recently recognized on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Customer Service 2024 in the “Moving Services” category. For a closer look at Byron’s No. 24 PODS 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/Koker’s Garage Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
SOUTHBOUND: This Sunday, Alex Bowman will take on Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. In his seven prior starts at the 1.5-mile venue, Bowman has two top-10 results, including a ninth-place run in his most recent appearance in 2021 (he missed the 2022 race due to an injury). In that race, Bowman started 13th and finished the first two stages in fifth and ninth, respectively.
BOWMAN ON MILE-AND-A-HALFS: Through his Cup Series career at Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman has 57 starts on tracks 1.5 miles in length. In those appearances, the 30-year-old driver has two wins (Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022 and Chicagoland Speedway in 2019), one runner-up finish, 12 top-fives, 25 top-10s, five stage wins and 587 laps led.
NEW WHIP, WHO THIS?: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will don a unique Miami-inspired wrap, designed by a fan of the No. 48 team. With the help of Danny Koker, Ally hosted its Koker’s Garage paint scheme design contest and received over 5,700 entries. The vibrant look hosts palm trees, flamingos and other tropical decals. To see all angles of the bright scheme, click here.
BIG 48: The No. 48 car has a history of success with the seventh-most premier series wins at 91 victories. Drivers Bowman and NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Jimmie Johnson have tallied 88 of those wins along with 248 top-five finishes, 412 top-10 finishes and 38 pole awards.
SET FOR THE RESTART: The Tucson, Arizona, native ranks as the seventh-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 his 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 “This is the Dog!”, which serves the local community in Homestead, Florida. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and “This is the Dog!” Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.
HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
Hendrick Motorsports
2023 | All-Time | Homestead-Miami | |
---|---|---|---|
Races | 33 | 1,342 | 24 |
Wins | 10* | 301* | 4 |
Poles | 6 | 245* | 4 |
Top 5 | 39* | 1,229* | 19 |
Top 10 | 63* | 2,108* | 38 |
Laps Led | 2,141 | 79,458* | 912 |
Stage Wins | 17** | 96 | 3 |
*Most **Most (tie)
PLAYOFF LOWDOWN: For the fourth straight season, Hendrick Motorsports has had at least one driver qualify for the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Kyle Larson’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway locks him and the No. 5 team in as one of the four drivers and teams chasing after the title next month at Phoenix Raceway. William Byron remains in the playoff field on the driver’s side of things, while the Nos. 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), the Round of 12 (Byron at Texas Motor Speedway) and the Round of 8 (Larson at Las Vegas).
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).
TEN PACK: Larson’s win at Las Vegas was the 10th victory of the season for Hendrick Motorsports. The 2023 campaign marks the third straight season that the organization has earned double-digit wins and the 13th season in team history with at least 10 victories.
RECORD SETTERS: Hendrick Motorsports has posted a series-best 58 wins in the playoffs, which is 22 more than the closest team. Johnson has the most with 29 victories. Among the current driver lineup, Larson tops the board with eight wins, then Elliott at seven victories and Byron and Alex Bowman with one each.
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.
MIAMI HEAT: The Concord, North Carolina, based organization has four wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Larson (2022) and Byron (2021) have won the last two races contested at the 1.5-mile track. In addition, Gordon (2012) and Johnson (2016) also earned one victory at the venue. Johnson’s win earned him his seventh and final Cup Series championship to close out the 2016 season.
OUT FRONT IN FLORIDA: Over the last two races at Homestead-Miami, Hendrick Motorsports has led over half the laps run, 64.05% (342 of 534), at the track. Larson tops the board (204) followed by Byron (134). Elliott (four) has also had circuits out front. The 342 laps led in the past two races account for over one-third of the organization’s total at the South Florida facility.
SOUTH FLORIDA STREAK: Entering Sunday’s event, Hendrick Motorsports has a streak of 21 straight races with at least one top-10 finish at Homestead-Miami. In fact, the squad had at least one driver place in the top 10 in 23 of the 24 Cup Series races held at the track.
MILE-AND-A-HALF MUSCLE: So far in 2023, there have been six races on 1.5-mile tracks (two at Kansas Speedway and Las Vegas as well as one each at Texas and Charlotte Motor Speedway). Across those six races, the team has three wins, nine top-five finishes, 13 top-10s, one pole position and 826 laps led. When it comes to points earned on 1.5-mile tracks this year, Byron ranks first (254) and Larson is second (224). In the Next Gen car (2022-present) on 1.5-mile tracks, Hendrick Motorsports has the most victories with five. Larson’s victory at Las Vegas last weekend is the most recent of those triumphs.
STUDYING THE TRENDS: In the last 11 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), the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (Byron) and Las Vegas (Larson). This is the best streak by any team since Hendrick Motorsports’ 14-race streak with at least one top-five finish in 2021.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mindset for the rest of the Round of 8 after earning a spot in the Championship 4 with a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: “It’s nice to be locked in (to the Championship 4). The points are really close. It’s nice to not have to worry about points and go there and race our own race. I aim to race up front and try to make good decisions on the racetrack. Knowing that I’m locked in, I’m not going into these next two races thinking that they are throwaways. I want to go there (Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway), have some good runs, potentially have a couple more wins and roll into Phoenix (Raceway) with a lot of confidence and momentum to go after a second championship.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s areas of focus for the remainder of the Round of 8: “We are certainly glad to have the momentum (from Las Vegas Motor Speedway) but being realistic we know that there is still an uphill battle ahead of us. There are still two more races we need to go run well at and make sure we are doing everything right including our processes and everything about how we execute our days while getting ready for Phoenix (Raceway). That’s kind of our focus and we need to make sure that we do all the right things right at Homestead (Miami Speedway) to execute a good race. Same thing at Martinsville (Speedway). The momentum is nice to have, but we are going to keep our blinders on and stay as grounded as we can while continuing to push forward.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he approaches the remainder of the Round of 8 in the owner playoffs: “Last weekend was tough for sure, but right now we’re focused on Homestead (Miami Speedway) and I’m looking forward to getting there. Obviously, we’re in a position where we need to win one of the next two to get into the Championship 4 on the owner side and I do think we’re a team that’s capable of doing that. I feel like, other than (Las) Vegas, we’ve really been making gains and, overall, have just enjoyed the challenge of trying to advance through these rounds. I’m going to continue doing what I can to improve where I need to. This team deserves a win and I want to get them one.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the challenges of Homestead-Miami Speedway: “It is a really tough thing because what we really ran into in (Las) Vegas was just as extreme. You go out there at 9:30 in the morning (for practice) and it is super cool and there is no rubber on the track. The pace is just through the roof. You are running as fast as everybody qualified. You are not really going to get a great indication on what your big struggle is going to be during the race. You are going to have a really gripped-up track that is cool and probably going to be able to run down off the wall. You are probably going to be able to make time in lanes that you are not going to be able to make time in when there is a lot of traffic out there, rubber on the track and it is warm. That is certainly an added degree of difficulty. At Vegas, we learned some things on how to handle that better and we will try to apply that at Homestead (Miami Speedway).”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on running the wall at Homestead-Miami: “I mean I’ve done it before, but I don’t think in the (NASCAR) Cup (Series) car. It’s not maybe as comfortable for me, but I do feel like I’m capable of running well at Homestead (Miami Speedway). I’ve won a Cup race there (in 2021) and last year we qualified on the pole. It’s a place that is within our wheelhouse. It’s just a matter of how good we can be there. I think we can realistically have a chance to compete and fight for a win there. I don’t know yet, but I feel like we can be pretty solid at Homestead, for sure.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts about Homestead-Miami: “Homestead (Miami Speedway) is one of my favorite tracks we go to and always has been. I’ve been able to find success there, but I think it’s mainly because I enjoy how the track races. We’ve spent a lot of time preparing for this race, even before last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway). We were a bit off from where we hoped at track, so we spent this week really honing in our setup. Hopefully, we can have a solid day and cushion our points gap before the final race of the round.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his expectations of Homestead-Miami for the first time in the Next Gen car: “Homestead (Miami Speedway) has been hit or miss for me. I ran well there in 2021 and had to miss the 2022 race because of my injury. Blake (Harris, crew chief) and I have been working hard in the simulator to get me familiar with the track and some of its intricacies. The team has been working hard these past few weeks and building fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s, so I have a lot of confidence that we can go to Homestead and be in the mix at the end.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s outlook heading to Homestead-Miami: “Looking back to Alex’s (Bowman) last time at Homestead (Miami Speedway), he had a top-10 finish. He was able to score stage points, which is a great starting point for us heading there for the first time together and his first race there in the Next Gen car. We’ve put time in at the simulator for a couple of weeks and have 20 minutes of practice to get Alex comfortable. We had decent pace at Darlington (Raceway) a few weeks back, which I think has some similarities, so I feel confident we can get the car and Alex to where we need to be. We will use this week to continue to build our notebook for next year and try and capitalize on opportunities to get the Ally Chevy in victory lane before the end of the season.”