TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, California
February 8, 2024
NASCAR’S RETURN TO THE COLISEUM
For the third consecutive year, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) will venture to the west coast to open the 2024 season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with the 46th running of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. From two summer Olympics (1932 and 1984), to two Super Bowls (1967 and 1973) and the 1959 World Series – the annual preseason race for NASCAR’s premier series is among an elite list of events to take center stage at the Southern California venue deemed “The Greatest Stadium in the World”.
With all chartered teams eligible to enter, 14 drivers from six different Chevrolet organizations will represent the Bowtie brand and compete for a spot in the 150-lap main event:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Josh Williams, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1
PAST IN THE CLASH
Chevrolet has a winning percentage of nearly 50 percent in the annual preseason event – earning a manufacturer-leading 22 victories in the Clash’s 45-race history. Neil Bonnett carried the Bowtie brand to its first Clash victory in 1983, with the manufacturer’s most recent triumph coming in 2019 with the sport’s most recent Hall of Fame inductee Jimmie Johnson. While competing for preseason glory, NASCAR’s top series is also on the horizon of one of its crown jewel events with the 66th running of the Daytona 500. Only six times in the event’s history has the Clash winner gone on to win the Daytona 500, with career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon representing the Bowtie brand on that elite list (1997).
NEXT GEN: YEAR THREE
The 46th running of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum will mark the Next Gen Camaro ZL1’s third season competing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Since entering competition in NASCAR’s premier series, the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 has earned a winning percentage of more than 50 percent in each season with 19 wins in 2022 and 18 wins in 2023. Displaying strength across the Chevrolet camp, drivers from each Chevrolet team contributed points throughout the season that led the manufacturer to its series-leading 42nd – and third consecutive – NCS Manufacturer Championship title.
SMITH, HOCEVAR SET FOR ROOKIE SEASON
A pair of young powerhouse drivers have been added to the Team Chevy NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup for 2024, with their rookie campaigns officially getting underway at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this weekend.
A familiar face to Bowtie brand, Zane Smith will make his return to Team Chevy to pilot the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1 this season. A former member of the Driver’s Edge Development Program, the 24-year-old California native got his start in the NASCAR national ranks competing full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) with GMS Racing in 2020. A nine-time winner in the series, Smith had early success in his NCTS career – finishing second in the series’ points standings for back-to-back seasons (2020, 2021) before becoming a NCTS Champion in 2022.
Coming off a strong season in the NCTS, Team Chevy’s Carson Hocevar will make the jump to NASCAR’s premier series to pilot the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1. The 21-year-old Michigan native joined the Driver’s Edge Development Program in 2019 – competing in a handful of NCTS races before joining forces with Niece Motorsports full-time in 2021. In his third season with the organization, Hocevar notched his first-career NCTS victory at Texas Motor Speedway (April 2023) – ultimately ending the season with four victories and a fourth-place finish in the series’ final points standings. Hocevar already has nine career starts in NASCAR’s premier series – highlighted by a best finish of 11th at Bristol Motor Speedway (September 2023).
TUNE IN:
FOX will telecast from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, February 4 – starting with the last chance qualifying race at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the main event for the 46th running of the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum at 8 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 BUSCH LIGHT CAMARO ZL1
How have your experiences been at the Clash?
“My two experiences with the Clash are not making the race in 2022 and being pretty competitive in 2023. If we take another step like we did from 2022 to 2023, we will have a shot to win this year. The event is a vibe and I want to be part of the show. It’s obviously a special weekend for Busch Light and it’s my first time driving the scheme so I hope we cap the weekend off with a win.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Larson on the race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum:
“This is a really cool event being in the stadium and a unique format with heat races. Even the break with a concert in the feature adds a unique feel to a race when no points are awarded. It is just so different from our normal race weekends and that makes the entire weekend a fun one.”
COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 CELSIUS CAMARO ZL1
“To kick off the season at The Clash with Celsius is something I take very seriously. They were on the pole last year with Justin Haley, so they certainly expect some success. Hopefully we unload a Chevy Camaro that’s driving well with a lot of mechanical grip. Obviously, you’re not going very fast so aerodynamics don’t really come into play. Your car has to build a lot of grip. It has to be able to turn and have forward drive. You need a little luck, too, with traffic and the way qualifying is. You’ll have guys who are cutting off laps and guys who are sandbagging a little bit. Those variable could mess up what could have been your best lap. There’s only going to be a couple hundredths between qualifying on the pole or qualifying 20th, so we want to make sure we’re on the front end of that. We’ll need a good starting spot for the heat race and play some defense to make sure we’re in, but you need a good starting spot for the feature, too. I think your weekend, from the first time you hit the track, every lap is important at a race like this.”
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MORGAN & MORGAN CAMARO ZL1
You recovered from an early-race spin to score a third-place finish last year at the Clash.
“It was a good run for us and we made the most of the day. We went from the back to the front, passing on the inside and outside. There was a lot of chaos, mayhem and disrespect. It was tight quarters racing at a quarter-mile.”
What are the keys to running well at the LA Coliseum?
“I feel like, obviously having a fast car is good but to have a fast car you have to be fast while going slow. You’re probably out of the throttle just as much as you’re in the throttle at the Clash and time in which you’re on the brakes is going to be very important to making sure you’re not on ‘em too much but yet you still get the car slowed down enough in order to make it turn for the middle of the corner and exit for the next straightaway.”
Do you anticipate a lot of contact at the Coliseum?
“I think there’s going to be contact. I think you have to let a lot of the little bumps and bruises go and not really focus on that too much. The biggest thing about it is just keep your mind straight, keep your car straight and do the best you can to hit the right lines and be good on the brakes to have fast lap times there and keep the tires underneath you.”
CHASE ELLIOT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
Elliott on having the longest active driver and crew chief pairing in the Cup Series garage with Alan Gustafson:
“We have such a solid working relationship. It just makes each week way easier and better when that is the case. He and I are very similar in a lot of ways and kind of look at things from a similar view. That helps our relationship at the track and ultimately, we have the same goals in mind. It’s pretty cool. I didn’t know that we were the longest pairing. I guess we are both getting old.”
Elliott on goals for 2024:
“Winning would be great. Winning a championship would be great. We just want to have pace on a week-to-week basis and that is where my head has been for a long time. I want to show up and have a shot every week. I think we are very capable of doing that but you’ve got to be perfect. If you are not perfect, you have to be really close to it and just keep yourself in contention. That’s really where I am at with it. I want to have pace, be fast and be in the hunt more often.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1
Byron on returning to the LA Coliseum for the Clash:
“This is always a fun event for not only the fans, but the drivers. I think we have really seen it evolve the last two years. While there are no points on the line, you still want to go out there, have a good run and contend for a win. You want to show that the hard work in the offseason paid off. At the same time, you can’t let a bad day affect you or your season because it is such a unique event and venue. We’ve run well there the last two times. We just need a little bit more and I think we have a shot to start the year off with a win.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
Bowman on racing at the LA Coliseum:
“I’m excited to get back to work in 2024 with Ally and the No. 48 team. That starts this weekend in LA. We have some new faces on the team and we are ready to find our groove and get back into the swing of things. A strong finish would be great to start the season with, but there is a lot up in the air between weather and the nature of that racetrack, so you can’t let a bad finish ruin your mindset for the season either. My goal is to head to the West Coast ready to execute. I want our (No. 48) team to be able to maximize what we have and control the things that we can control.”
ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 FOCUSED HEALTH CAMARO ZL1
How excited are you for the opportunity to race full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series?
”It has been pretty surreal. The day that we announced I was signing with Trackhouse Racing at Bristol, was truly a dream come true. I think every kid that wants to make it in racing, wants to see Sunday. To have the opportunity that I have and to have a foreseeable future in front of me is everything I ever wanted.”
How big of a jump is it from the Truck Series to the Cup Series?
“I feel that the truck actually raced very similar to the Cup car in some situations. The Cup car is kind of on its own planet. Everyone races really hard. I have an extremely good group around me for this year.”
Do you set goals?
“I want the graph arrow to be pointing up come the end of the year. That’s my goal. I have full intentions of going into every race weekend giving 110 percent and a full mindset of going in to win the race.”
CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 DELAWARE LIFE CAMARO ZL1
You raced nine cup races last year, how are you channeling the lessons learned to elevate your performance not just this season, but right out of the gate this weekend?
“I’m very excited to get going with Luke (Lambert) and Spire. Honestly just looking forward to going racing this season. We’ve had a very productive off season – new shop, new people, new cars. I’m excited to see our work in the off season come to fruition at The Clash.”
What do you think about the unique characteristics of The Clash track and how will the atmosphere influence your approach?
“My approach isn’t a lot different; I am looking at it like it’s still a Cup race with Cup cars. We’ve prepared like it’s a points race so I’m excited to get there and see how we do as a team.”
What would you consider a successful season for you in 2024?
“I don’t have a lot of goals week in and week out, I just want us to be the best as a group as we can between communication, working on the cars and improving each week. It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1
What are your thoughts on the Mexico Series race?
“This is so cool. I can’t wait to see a lot of the people I used to race with. I never dreamed something like this would happen. I am very proud of the series. Without the Mexico Series I don’t think I would have ever had a chance of becoming a Cup Series driver. I am honored to be invited to race and see it as a way to say thank you for everything that series did for me over the years. Plus, I really want us to put on a good show and it would be amazing if we could win!”
What are your thoughts on new crew chief Matt Swiderski in 2024?
“I’m excited to get to work with Matt (Swiderski). The Clash comes at a good time because it gives us a chance to work together at a racetrack before we go to Daytona. I think success boils down to communication, so I am looking forward to getting going in Los Angeles this weekend.”
What is your strategy for the Clash?
“Survive. You have to be there at the end. We had 16 cautions last year. That tells you survival is the key to winning.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2023): 42
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2021): 33
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 851 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 743
Laps led to date: 249,175
Top-five finishes to date: 4,298
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,861
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,185
Chevrolet: 851
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 828
Ford: 728
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 180
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
