5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st – Tied
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Friday, Nov. 3, following NASCAR Cup Series practice.
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Saturday, Nov. 4, following NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.
PUSHING THROUGH THE PLAYOFFS: Kyle Larson won two of the three opening round races during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs (the Round of 16 at Darlington Raceway and the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). With his victory at Vegas, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was the first to lock into this year’s Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. In the playoffs, he has the best average running position (7.62) and most laps run in the top five (1,594). Larson won the Cup Series championship in 2021 in his only year transferring to the final round (before 2023). Should he win the 2023 title, Larson would become the 18th driver to win multiple Cup Series championships.
MOVEMENT FROM MARTINSVILLE: In the second-to-last race of the season, Larson led the way for the Hendrick Motorsports quartet at Martinsville Speedway. He started from the fifth position and just missed out on stage points in the opening 130 laps. Crew chief Cliff Daniels made a strategy call on lap 325 for fuel only that helped his driver gain track position to restart from the top six. Over the closing 168-lap green-flag run, Larson maintained a position in the top 10, ultimately finishing sixth for his 17th top-10 finish of the season. The result gives Larson an average finish of 3.00 in the last three Martinsville races.
CHAMPIONSHIP 4: This weekend, the 31-year-old Larson will battle for the championship against Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney and Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. The Elk Grove, California, driver is the only previously crowned Cup Series champion as he seeks his second claim of the sport’s ultimate title. In comparison to Larson’s championship competitors, he proves to be the most seasoned driver of the four in almost every Cup Series career statistical category with the most starts (330), poles (16), wins (23), runner-up finishes (34), top-five finishes (103), top-10s (163), stage wins (50) and laps led (7,556). When ranking the Championship 4 drivers through 35 starts this season, Larson leads the pack in laps led (1,127) and is tied with Byron for most top fives (14) and stage wins (eight). He also holds the second-most wins (four), behind Byron (six). Ranked amongst the Championship 4 through nine races in the playoffs, Larson has led the most laps (503), earned the most stage wins (five) and is tied for the most wins (two).
PUT TO THE TEST IN PHOENIX: Larson (2021) and Byron (2023) are the only drivers in the Championship 4 to have visited victory lane at Phoenix in the Cup Series. In the spring, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com driver won the pole position and led a race-high 201 laps en route to his seventh top-five finish at Phoenix. Larson has finished in the top 10 in eight of the last nine races at the Avondale, Arizona, facility. The 1-mile venue is tied with four other tracks for his most top-five finishes (seven) and is in a three-way tie for his most top 10s (11) by track. In the Next Gen era (since 2022), Larson ranks second in laps led (203) and laps run in the top five (585) at Phoenix.
IN 2023: This season, Larson has four victories (April wins at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville, a September triumph at Darlington and an October win at Las Vegas). He also won in the series’ historic return to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star Race. Larson has led the most laps of all drivers (1,127) and is in a three-way tie along with teammate Byron for the most top-five finishes this season (14). He is in a four-way tie for the fourth-most top-10 finishes (17), ranks third for the most laps run in the top five (3,778), second for most laps run in the top 10 (5,613) and has the third-best average running position (10.97).
TITLE TOWN FLASHBACK: In the 2021 Cup Series championship race, Larson won the pole position and led a race-high 107 laps. However, when a caution came out with 30 laps to go, he was running fourth among the four title-eligible drivers. When the lights were the brightest, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew delivered with a stellar four tires and fuel stop that launched Larson to the lead for what would be the last restart of the race. Larson led the final 28 laps to score the 14th championship for Hendrick Motorsports and the first for himself and Daniels (as a crew chief). The No. 5 crew chief was also part of the 2016 championship-winning No. 48 team as a race engineer for Jimmie Johnson.
FOUR TIRES FAST: Going into the last race of the season, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the second-fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.071 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).
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 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
WINNING MOMENT: Chase Elliott has one win at Phoenix Raceway, which he captured in the 2020 season finale to secure his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. The five-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver started the race at the rear of the field and maneuvered his way to the front, leading a race-high 153 laps en route to the victory.
PHOENIX 411: The driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will make his 15th Phoenix Cup Series start this Sunday. In his previous 14 races at the track, he’s amassed one win, five top-five finishes and eight top-10s. Elliott has paced the field for 546 laps at the 1-mile oval, which is his second-most on active tracks and places him with the third-most laps led among current Cup drivers at the track since the start of stage racing in 2017. Additionally, the 2020 Cup champion’s average start of 5.57 at the desert oval is his second-best on active tracks with more than two starts, only trailing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (4.67).
EVERY MILE A MEMORY: In 55 Cup starts on tracks measuring 1 to 1.37 miles in length (Darlington Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Phoenix and WWT Raceway), Elliott has four wins. His first came at Dover in 2018 and was followed by his championship-winning performance at Phoenix in 2020. His two most recent victories came last season at Dover and Nashville. Accompanying his wins are 22 top-five finishes, 29 top-10s and 1,246 laps led across those starts on tracks in this range.
GUSTAFSON AT PHOENIX: On Sunday, Alan Gustafson will call his 38th Phoenix race as a Cup Series crew chief. In his previous 37 starts there, the veteran team leader has collected four wins via four different drivers (Kyle Busch in 2005, Mark Martin in 2009, Jeff Gordon in 2011 and Elliott in 2020). He is tied with Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition Chad Knaus for the second-most victories by a crew chief at Phoenix. Gustafson has also tallied 12 top-five results, 24 top-10s and 977 laps led. In his most recent race at the track, working with fill-in driver Josh Berry, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native led the No. 9 team to a 10th-place result.
PIT STOP POWER: With one race remaining in the 2023 season, the No. 9 pit crew holds the ninth-fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.237 seconds. In two races this season, the over-the-wall squad had the fastest four-tire pit stop in the field, most recently laying down a time of 9.409 seconds at Texas Motor Speedway in September. 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).
HEADING HOME: Gianninoto will compete in front of his home-track crowd at Phoenix on Sunday. The Tucson, Arizona, native graduated with honors from Catalina Foothills High School and went on to play as an offensive lineman for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2006 – earning his first letter in 2007 and becoming a team captain in 2010. In 2012, he participated in the NFL’s Carolina Panthers training camp before signing with Hendrick Motorsports that September. Gianninoto set a Guinness World Record in 2018, teaming with Sunoco for the most vehicles refueled by an individual in one hour (148).
GET UP AND GO: NAPA Auto Parts is on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the season finale this weekend at Phoenix. The Atlanta-based company has been Elliott’s primary partner for eight of his 14 Cup starts at the desert oval, including his 2020 victory. This season marks NAPA’s 10th year partnering with the Dawsonville, Georgia, native dating back to his first season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Get a closer look at the 2023 paint scheme here.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 1st – Tied
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Friday, Nov. 3, following NASCAR Cup Series practice.
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Saturday, Nov. 4, following NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.
CHAMP 4 BOUND: For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, William Byron has earned a spot in the Championship 4 for the sport’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. The No. 24 team rallied to secure enough points at Martinsville Speedway to advance through the Round of 8. Entering as the youngest competitor of the final four, Byron won the most recent race at Phoenix on March 12. The driver who won on that same date went on to win the championship in three of the prior four times, including twice by Hendrick Motorsports drivers (Jeff Gordon in 1995 and Jimmie Johnson in 2006). If Byron were to win this weekend, he would become only the sixth driver to win a championship in his first Championship 4 appearance. The 25-year-old would also be the fourth-youngest Cup champion of all time.
CAREER SEASON: Heading into the season finale for the Cup Series playoffs, Byron continues to add to his already impressive 2023 stats. After 35 races, Byron leads the series in wins (six), average finishing position (11.17) and top-10 finishes (20). He is tied for the most top-five finishes with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (14) and is in a three-way tie along with Larson for the most stage wins (eight) this season. Byron has also led a single-season career-best 921 laps, which is the third-most in the series. In addition, he ranks second for the season in average running position (10.37), laps run in the top five (3,784) and third for laps run in the top 10 (5,387). In the playoffs, his average finish (6.33) is the fifth-best mark in the elimination-style postseason (first started in 2014).
SIMILAR IN SIZE: This Sunday’s race at Phoenix will mark Byron’s 43rd start on tracks 1 to 1.37 miles in length (Darlington Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Phoenix and WWT Raceway). In his previous 42 starts, he has collected one pole award, two wins (2023 victories at Darlington and Phoenix), nine top-five finishes, 18 top-10s and led 440 laps.
VENTURING TO THE VALLEY OF THE SUN: Heading to a track where he has found success at every level of NASCAR competition, Byron will return to Phoenix for the 12th time in his Cup career. Across his 11 Cup Series starts at the 1-mile oval, Byron’s best showing came earlier this year when he took home the victory. He has earned six top-10s and led 91 laps. His five top-10 finishes since 2020 are tied for his second-most at a track behind only Kansas Speedway with six. With three Next Gen races (since 2022) taking place at Phoenix, Byron leads all drivers with laps run in the top five (621) and ranks third in laps run in the top 10 (840). The Charlotte, North Carolina, native also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix on his résumé, both coming in 2017. He started on the front row and finished in the top four in both races, including a win in November 2017. With that victory, he became the youngest winner ever at Phoenix in the Xfinity Series at 19 years, 11 months and 13 days. The following week he earned the Xfinity Series championship.
DYNAMIC DUO OUT WEST: In 2016, Byron was behind the wheel for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race in Arizona with crew chief Rudy Fugle atop the pit box. The duo won the pole and went on to lead 112 laps. Unfortunately, an engine failure while Byron was leading with 10 laps to go ended his night early and his chances to advance on to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway – where they ended up finding redemption and winning the next weekend.
RUDY’S PHOENIX PERFORMANCE: Going to Phoenix for the sixth time in his Cup Series crew chief career, Fugle has one win (March 2023), one top-five finish, three top-10s and 76 laps led in those previous five races. Aside from his Cup Series starts, Fugle has three Xfinity Series starts and eight Truck Series starts under his belt at the 1-mile desert oval. In those eight Truck Series races, Fugle has four pole awards and his drivers have led a total of 471 laps. While Fugle has only one Truck Series win at Phoenix, he has two runner-up results, four top-five finishes and six top-10s.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 35 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 10.963 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). In the middle race of the Round of 8 at Homestead-Miami, the No. 24 team had the fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 9.986 seconds.
AT IT AGAIN WITH AXALTA: For the season finale, Axalta will be back onboard Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This is Axalta’s 31st year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. The company has been a primary partner for two of Byron’s wins this year – the May victory at Darlington and the July triumph at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 21st
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
BEST IN THE WEST: Since the start of the 2020 season, Alex Bowman has tallied two wins in the NASCAR Cup Series at tracks on the West Coast. The first of those wins occurred at Auto Club Speedway in March 2020. In that race, Bowman won the first stage and finished second in the second stage, leading 110 laps en route to his second career Cup Series victory. The No. 48 driver scored his other West Coast win in 2022 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In that event, he won the first stage and led 16 laps, all but securing his spot in that year’s Cup Series playoffs.
COMING HOME: Bowman heads to his home state to take on Phoenix Raceway for the 17th time in his Cup Series career. The Tucson, Arizona, native has two top-10 finishes at the 1-mile facility. His best result at this track came in the 2016 fall race, where he finished sixth. In that event, he started from the pole, led a race-high and single-race career-best 194 laps and spent 272 laps inside the top two for an average running position of 1.90. The Hendrick Motorsports driver also has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1-mile oval with a best finish of eighth (2017) and one ARCA Menards Series West start (then-known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West) in 2011 when he led 23 laps en route to a second-place result.
SEASON SUMMARY: Bowman is completing his sixth season at Hendrick Motorsports and his third behind the wheel of the No. 48 Ally Chevy. This year, the 30-year-old driver won the pole position for the DAYTONA 500 and held the points lead in the early spring. In his first season paired with crew chief Blake Harris, Bowman earned double-digit top-10 finishes (10) for the sixth consecutive campaign.
AZ BOSS: This Sunday, Harris will sit atop the No. 48 pit box, calling the shots for the season finale at Phoenix. While Harris hails from Maypearl, Texas, this weekend holds a unique spot in his heart as both drivers he has worked with as a crew chief in the Cup Series are Arizona natives. Making his fourth start at the desert venue as the shot caller, he looks to continue his success with Bowman after nabbing a ninth-place finish in the spring.
SAVE THEM ALL: Bowman and his primary partner Ally teamed up this year to bring back the Best Friends Animal Society donation effort. This week, the duo will make charitable contributions to Love Them All Sanctuary + Rescue, which serves the local community in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and Love Them All Sanctuary + Rescue. 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 Phoenix, 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 /
Hendrick Motorsports
| 2023 | All-Time | Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Races | 35 | 1,344 | 54 |
| Wins | 10* | 301* | 13* |
| Poles | 6 | 245* | 14* |
| Top 5 | 40* | 1,230* | 54* |
| Top 10 | 65* | 2,110* | 100* |
| Laps Led | 2,345 | 79,662* | 3,435* |
| Stage Wins | 18** | 97 | 6 |
*Most **Most (tie)
PLAYOFF LOWDOWN: For the second time in three years, Hendrick Motorsports has two drivers in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. This is also the fourth straight season that the organization has had at least one driver eligible for the title in the season finale. Kyle Larson and William Byron are each set to compete for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series 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 Motor Speedway).
CHAMPIONSHIP COUNT: With 14 Cup Series championships, Hendrick Motorsports has the most titles in the sport’s top series. 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).
NUMERICAL NOMENCLATURE: To date, Hendrick Motorsports’ 14 titles are divided up among four car numbers: No. 48 with seven, No. 24 with four, No. 5 with two and the No. 9 with one. The four different car numbers to win a championship for one team is a Cup Series record.
CREW COUNT: A record six crew chiefs are responsible for the team’s 14 Cup Series championships. Vice president of competition Chad Knaus won seven atop the pit box, while Ray Evernham has three. Gary DeHart, Robbie Loomis, Alan Gustafson and Cliff Daniels each have one. Rudy Fugle and Daniels are after titles this season in both the driver and owner championships.
FINAL FOUR: The organization has had five drivers reach the Championship 4 in the elimination-style format that began in 2014. Gordon (2015), Johnson (2016), Elliott (2020, 2021 and 2022), Larson (2021 and 2023) and Byron (2023) have all accomplished that feat. Johnson, Elliott and Larson each won the title in their first Championship 4 appearance.
RECORD SETTERS: Hendrick Motorsports has posted a series-best 58 wins in the playoffs, which is 21 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.
WINNER WINNER: In 2023, Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 points-paying races. This is the third straight season and 13th season overall that the organization has won at least 10 races. The run of back-to-back-to-back years with at least 10 wins is the second longest in team history behind the team’s four straight seasons of double-digit wins from 1995 to 1998.
CARUTH HOPS IN: Rajah Caruth will be behind the wheel of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro during Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix. Greg Ives will be serving as the crew chief for the effort. Caruth, a 21-year-old driver, has run full-time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series this year, with four top-10 finishes, including an eighth-place result in the last race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Over the last two seasons, he has made 18 starts in the Xfinity ranks.
EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: Hendrick Motorsports has made five starts in the Xfinity Series this year. Cup Series regulars Larson, Elliott, Byron and Bowman have each made at least one appearance in the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro with a combined three top-five finishes, four top-10s and one pole position. The No. 17 carries special significance to the Hendrick Motorsports family as it is the same number Ricky Hendrick drove and won with in the Truck Series. In its history, Hendrick Motorsports has earned one Xfinity Series championship (2003) and 26 race wins in the series.
BAKER’S DOZEN IN THE DESERT: The Rick Hendrick-owned organization has a series-best 13 wins among nine drivers at Phoenix. Johnson tops the board with four, followed by Gordon with two victories. Kyle Busch, Byron, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Elliott, Labonte, Larson and Mark Martin have each tallied one triumph at the 1-mile track for the team. Elliott and Larson’s wins came in the 2020 and 2021 championship races. The organization also leads the way in poles (14), top-five finishes (54), top-10s (100) and laps led (3,435) at the Arizona venue.
SPRING REWIND: In this year’s spring race at Phoenix, Hendrick Motorsports dominated the event as the team earned the win and led 265 of the 317 laps run. Byron notched the victory as he got the better of Larson in an overtime finish. Larson scored the pole position and led a race-high 201 laps. In addition, Bowman and Josh Berry (filling in for an injured Elliott) notched top-10 finishes as all four cars placed in the top 10.
NEXT GEN NUMBERS: Phoenix has hosted three races in the Next Gen era (2022-present). In those events, Byron (621) and Larson (585) rank one-two in laps run in the top five. Byron (840) and Larson (771) are also third and fourth for laps run in the top 10.
WEST SUCCESS: Of the last 17 races on the West Coast, nine have resulted in victories for the Concord, North Carolina-based team. Larson has five 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). Larson’s win in the playoff race at Las Vegas secured his spot in the Championship 4. The team’s 44 wins on the West Coast are the most in the series.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on competing for a second championship at Phoenix Raceway: “I’m excited to go to Phoenix (Raceway) and hopefully have a good run. We were okay there last year from what I remember. We were decent on the long run and not great on the short run. In the spring, we were good on the short run and not very good on the long run, so I don’t know what we will have going on there. Regardless, we’ve had speed this season. We are in the final four, so we’ve got a shot at the championship.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s plan for championship weekend at Phoenix: “Our mindset is really to execute a good weekend. Starting with unloading on Friday, getting the car through tech and on track for practice. We really want to execute a good practice to get (Kyle) Larson’s Chevy comfortable. Of course, we want it to be fast. I think the best combination is going to be having a good car that has speed and good drivability. You’ve got to have a lot of versatility built into your car. We look to make good changes ahead of qualifying on Saturday, once we have a better idea of what is needed for race day. Our goal is to stay focused at each step along the way. Hopefully, that will set us up for a good day on Sunday.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what he values most about his team: “They’re top notch. Just a really good group. I enjoy going to work with them each week. There’s not a lot of ego. They enjoy having fun, putting in the work and showing up prepared. Ultimately, as a teammate and a competitor, that’s all I can ask for. If we are all showing up and we are as best prepared as we can be and go and give it our best effort each week, that’s all I can ask for from my side. I try to give that back to them as well. I think we all know each other well enough at this point that when we show up we are going to give it our best effort and give it our all. I don’t question that out of them and they don’t question that out of me.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the keys to performing well at Phoenix: “The corners are quite a bit different, so getting those as similar as you can is key. Having comfort and security on corner entry, with good center turn and drive off is also important. The fact that the corner entries are significantly different make it challenging, but that’s also what makes it fun and unique.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for Phoenix: “I wanted this opportunity bad and I wanted it really bad for our team. We have all worked so hard for the chance to run for a championship and we have as good of a chance as anyone. We’ve worked hard this week to get ready between going over data, film and time at the Chevy sim. We’ve done all we can to prepare here before we get to Phoenix (Raceway). Being able to have a full 50-minute practice session is nice though, so we can really work on some changes and be even more prepared for Sunday. It will be about maximizing every chance we have and I am confident that we will be at our best on Sunday.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mindset of racing for a NASCAR Cup Series championship: “This is about capitalizing on the opportunity. The opportunity to run for a championship at the top level of motorsports in North America is what we dream of doing. I know the whole team feels the same way. We’re going to put our full effort into it and we will know that after the race Sunday, we will have put everything we have on the line. There will be no regrets. We have an amazing team, pit crew and support system back at the shop. We’re going to use every ounce of intelligence, effort and athleticism that we have to make it happen.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at his home track on the Cup Series circuit: “Phoenix Raceway is obviously super special to me since it’s my home track. I had a good run here in 2016 and just haven’t been able to find the same speed, so it’s been circled on my calendar since then. Honestly, a good run this weekend would just mean a lot in general with how this season has gone for us. Getting the ship righted for 2024 is important but we have to be mindful of our teammates and how the championship race is going. There are a lot of different variables at play this weekend. We will just have to do what we can and maximize our opportunities on Sunday.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Phoenix this Sunday: “This track is a special place for Alex (Bowman) and running well is something we all strive for on any weekend, but this track in specific is one we put a lot of emphasis on. It has a lot of challenges that our team is working hard to figure out in the simulator and using our notes from our top-10 run in the spring. I think that is something that just helps our team stay focused on getting the small details right before we show up at the racetrack. Luckily, we get a full 50-minute practice session to help make any adjustments that Alex needs ahead of qualifying and the race. I feel good about our weekend and hopefully, we can contend at the end.”
