5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: T-2nd
No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
IT’S BRISTOL BABY: In 15 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson has one win (September of 2021), five top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. The 0.533-mile track is home to the second-most laps led (870) by Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series and that total is the fifth-highest among active drivers at Bristol. In his three starts with Hendrick Motorsports on the high-banked concrete oval, the Elk Grove, California, native has posted one win, a runner-up finish and a fifth-place result. Since the beginning of 2018, Larson has four top-two finishes in seven starts at Bristol. At this track, he has run the second-most laps in the top five (660) in the Next Gen car (since 2022).
LEADER OF THE PACK: Larson’s 205 laps led, two stage wins and seven playoff points accumulated through four races in 2024 are the best in the Cup Series. He is tied for first with three career stage wins at the Tennessee track.
SHORT-TRACK ACE: In the last seven Cup Series starts on short tracks, the 2021 Cup Series champion’s 5.14 average finish and two second-place finishes are best in class. During that span, Larson is tied for the most wins (two), pole positions (one), top-five finishes (five) and top-10s (six). The two wins came last season at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway. He was also victorious in last year’s All-Star Race on the short track of North Wilkesboro Speedway.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE(S): At Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month, the race marked the fifth time Larson has won for Hendrick Motorsports when leading more than 65% of the laps in an event. Based on the percentage of laps led, Larson has five of the eight most dominating wins in the Cup Series since the start of 2021.
TOP OF THE BOARD: Since joining Hendrick Motorsports at the beginning of 2021, the driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet has visited victory lane a series-leading 18 times in points-paying events. Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron ranks second in that statistical category with 10. Larson also has two victories in the non-points All-Star Race within this timeframe.
CLIFF’S NOTES: No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels and Larson have teamed up for 17 wins since Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 – the third-best total among active driver and crew chief pairings. Daniels and Larson have accomplished those wins in 104 races while the best active combination has posted 19 victories in 177 starts.
YOUR CAR NEEDS: Larson will drive the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend. From the convenience of HENDRICKCARS.COM, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.
WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HENDRICKCARS.COM.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 9th
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
SEASON UPDATE: Through four races in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has consistently remained inside the top 10 in the points standings. The six-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winner sits ninth in points, just 28 markers behind the leader. Elliott and the No. 9 team have the sixth-best average running position this season (12.52) and the eighth-best average finish (15.00). They are also one of only four teams – along with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron – to finish all four races on the lead lap.
LAST YEAR’S BATTLE: In the Cup Series’ most recent visit to Bristol Motor Speedway last September, Elliott qualified seventh and held the eighth-best average running position (10.34) in the field throughout the 500-lap race. The 28-year-old driver finished 10th in stage two before taking the checkered flag in seventh to score his seventh top-10 result at the track.
BRISTOL DEETS: Elliott will make his 14th Bristol Cup Series start on the track’s concrete surface. The 2020 premier series champion has four top-five finishes, seven top-10s and 439 laps led at “The Last Great Colosseum” – his third-most at active tracks on the Cup Series circuit, behind Martinsville Speedway (1,040) and Phoenix Raceway (546). Elliott has finished inside the top seven in four of the last six races on concrete at the 0.533-mile track, with a best effort of second coming in the fall of 2022. He also has an active streak of two consecutive top-10 finishes there, tied with two other drivers for the fourth most. In addition, Elliott has three stage wins at Bristol – tied with his teammate Kyle Larson and two others for the most among active drivers.
NO POINTS ABOUT IT: While Elliott has yet to win a points-paying race at Bristol, he and the No. 9 team captured the All-Star Race victory at this venue in 2020. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native won stages two and three before crossing the finish line first in the final stage to earn the $1 million prize. The event was the only All-Star Race held at this short track and on a Wednesday. Elliott was the third-youngest all-star winner at 24 years, five months and 17 days.
SHORT TRACK STATE OF MIND: The Bristol race marks Elliott’s 46th short-track start in the Cup Series. In his previous 45 races, he garnered one win (Martinsville in November of 2020), 14 top-five finishes, 23 top-10s, two poles and 1,574 laps led. In the Next Gen era (since 2022) on short tracks, he has the fourth-best average finish (9.78) and has scored the seventh-most points (311). Across the last eight short-track races, Elliott has six finishes inside the top 10.
AG IN TENNESSEE: Crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 35th Bristol Cup Series race on Sunday. In his previous 34 starts with five different drivers – Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, team vice chairman Jeff Gordon and Elliott – the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has one win (2007 with Busch), 10 top-five finishes, 18 top-10s and 1,039 laps led. In addition, he and Elliott captured the All-Star Race victory when it was held there in 2020, leading 60 of 140 laps.
FOUR TIRES FAST: Last weekend at Phoenix, the No. 9 pit crew was a force to be reckoned with. With an average four-tire stop of 10.318 seconds, the No. 9 crew ranked third on pit road in that statistical category at the 1-mile track. They gained six spots on pit road, which was tied for the third-most in the race with their teammates on the No. 48 pit crew. The five-person team 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).
GET UP AND GO: This weekend at Bristol, the blue and yellow colors of NAPA Auto Parts return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This marks the seventh Cup Series race the Atlanta-based company has served as the primary partner for the 2020 Cup Series championship-winning team on the concrete oval. Get a look at all the angles of the 2024 scheme here.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
24 IN ’24: William Byron’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is off to a strong start with a win in the prestigious DAYTONA 500 and two top-10 finishes. Through the four races this year, Byron has an average finish of 11.50 – fifth-best among drivers. The Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of only four drivers – including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott – to finish on the lead lap of all four races this season. He sits fourth in the 2024 Cup Series points standings, just 17 points behind the leader. Byron has 11 career Cup Series wins, with 10 coming since the start of 2021 – second to teammate Kyle Larson (18).
NEXT GEN DUO: Since the Next Gen Cup Series car was introduced in 2022, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle have a series-leading nine wins. The duo leads teammates Larson (eight wins) and crew chief Cliff Daniels (seven wins).
SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS: Byron’s short-track success ramped up once the Next Gen car was introduced. Since the start of 2022, Byron has scored the fourth-most points (331) on short tracks and is tied for the sixth-best average finish (11.50). He also has one short-track win in the Next Gen car (Martinsville Speedway in April of 2022).
BRISTOL BULLETS: Byron will start his 10th Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. In his nine previous starts at the 0.533-mile track, he has four top-10 finishes in the last five races. With three top-10 finishes in a row, the driver of the No. 24 Chevy is tied for the longest active top-10 streak at Bristol with two others, including his teammate Larson. In fact, in last fall’s Bristol race, Byron held an average running position of 7.33 – fifth-best in the field – before finishing ninth.
FUGLE FILES: Sunday’s race will mark crew chief Fugle’s fourth Cup Series start on the pavement at “The Last Great Colosseum.” Fugle and the No. 24 team have collected two top-five finishes (consecutive third-place finishes in ’21 and ’22) and three top-10s in those three previous starts at the sport’s highest level. He has nine additional national series starts, with seven in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Fugle has one Truck Series win at the half-mile track coming in the spring of 2013 and his drivers have collected three top-five finishes and six top-10s.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: The No. 24 pit crew has continued their success from last season. Their season-best four-tire pit stop of 9.909 seconds came this past weekend at Phoenix Raceway and they were one of only two teams to post two four-tire pit stops under 10 seconds at the 1-mile track. The crew was credited with five spots gained on pit road – tied for fifth in Sunday’s field. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).
LIBERTY U IS BACK: For Sunday’s race at Bristol, Byron will sport Liberty University on board his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the No. 24 Liberty University Chevy will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s Liberty University paint scheme, click here.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 13th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
FAMILIAR TERRITORY: Last weekend, the No. 48 Ally Best Friends Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ran at Alex Bowman’s home track, Phoenix Raceway. This weekend, the Ally Racing team returns to their 2024 primary scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 0.533-mile Tennessee short track sported a dirt surface the past three spring races but returns to a concrete layout.
BRISTOL BACKGROUND: Bowman has 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol’s traditional track. In those starts, he has two top-five finishes and three top-10 finishes, with a pair of fifth-place runs as his top results. The 30-year-old driver has also completed 91.8% of his 6,514 laps attempted.
CONSISTENT ON CONCRETE: Last fall at “The Last Great Colosseum,” Bowman ranked ninth (11.23) in average running position and finished the race in 13th. In that race, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers ranked amongst the top nine in average running position.
SUCCESS AT SHORT TRACKS: Two of the Tucson, Arizona, native’s seven Cup Series wins with Hendrick Motorsports have come at short tracks. Bowman drove the No. 48 Ally Chevy to victory lane at Richmond Raceway in April of 2021 and Martinsville Speedway in October of 2021.
SPEEDY SERVICE: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew delivered the fastest four-tire stop among all four Hendrick Motorsports teams at Phoenix. During the stage break before the final segment of the race, the team busted out a pit stop of 9.777 seconds on lap 190. In the race, they gained six spots on pit road, tied for the third-most with their teammates on the No. 9 pit crew. The five-person crew is composed of Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Brandon Grier (tire carrier), Allen Holman (jackman) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).
WIN A SPECIAL EDITION CHEVY: Ally and Hendrick Automotive Group have teamed together to celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary by giving away a 40th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro through the Ally “Win Your Wheels fueled by HendrickCars.com” sweepstakes. NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports and No. 48 fans can enter to win at Ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar. The sweepstakes will end on Sept. 20, 2024.
OLD FRIENDS WITH BEST FRIENDS: Bowman and Ally are supporting Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners for the fourth consecutive year. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, the pair has been committed to a combined weekly donation of $4,800 to a Best Friends network partner local to each weekend’s race. The beneficiary for Bristol is Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, on the outskirts of Nashville. Senior dogs, especially those with medical problems or disabilities, face a much greater chance of euthanasia at shelters than younger dogs because it is difficult to find adopters for them due to their shorter life expectancy. Most of these wonderful senior dogs are able to live happily with a good quality of life if given a chance.
Hendrick Motorsports
| 2024 | All-Time | Bristol | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Races | 4 | 1,349 | 77 |
| Wins | 2* | 303* | 12 |
| Poles | 0 | 246* | 12 |
| Top 5 | 3 | 1,235* | 67* |
| Top 10 | 4 | 2,116* | 118* |
| Laps Led | 240 | 79,997* | 6,404 |
| Stage Wins | 3* | 101 | 4 |
*Most **Most (tie)
FABULOUS 40: In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Among the categories that the Rick Hendrick-owned organization holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for are all-time wins (303), poles (246) and championships (14). With William Byron’s victory in the 2024 DAYTONA 500, the organization has won at least one race in the last 39 seasons. Kyle Larson’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks the 37th season that the team has scored at least two victories and it is the record 31st consecutive season that the team has won at least two times.
LEADERS IN THE FIELD: Entering Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports is three laps led away from 80,000 circuits out front in the sport’s top series. To date, the organization’s 79,997 laps led equals a distance of 105,321 miles. The team’s first laps led by Geoff Bodine took place in the same race he went on to win at Martinsville Speedway on April 29, 1984. Across 35 different tracks, 29 drivers have led laps in team history with vice chairman Jeff Gordon atop the board at 24,936 laps led. Click here for a look at laps led and wins by track, year and driver.
EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: The organization’s second of 10 Xfinity races will take place next weekend at Circuit of The Americas. Larson will drive the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro and 2014 Xfinity Series champion crew chief Greg Ives will be atop the pit box. In its history, Hendrick Motorsports has 26 victories in the series and won the 2003 championship.
NO SHORTAGE: Hendrick Motorsports leads all active Cup Series teams with 57 points-paying victories on short tracks. Gordon’s 17 short-track wins lead all drivers in team history. The active driver lineup has combined for seven short-track successes: Larson (three), Alex Bowman (two), Byron (one) and Chase Elliott (one).
COLOSSEUM CLOSERS: The organization has 12 wins at “The Last Great Colosseum.” Gordon (five wins) and Jimmie Johnson (two wins) are the only drivers in team history to win multiple times at the venue. Larson, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Terry Labonte and Darrell Waltrip each have one triumph for the team.
PREVIOUSLY AT BRISTOL: The last time the Cup Series visited the concrete layout of Bristol was in September of 2023. After starting last, Larson led 20 laps en route to a runner-up finish, while Elliott (seventh) and Byron (ninth) each earned top-10 results. All four of the team’s drivers were in the top nine in average running position for the race: Byron (fifth at 7.33), Larson (seventh at 8.27), Elliott (eighth at 10.34) and Bowman (ninth at 11.23).
THREE TIMES TWO: On seven occasions, a team has placed three of its drivers in the top five at Bristol. Hendrick Motorsports has achieved this twice at the track located on the Tennessee and Virginia border. The first came in September of 2021, with Larson winning, Byron finishing third and Bowman taking fifth. The second time occurred in September of 2022 when Elliott was the runner-up finisher, Byron took third again and Larson was fifth.
STREAKING THROUGH THE VALLEY: Larson and Byron are tied with one other competitor for the longest top-10 streak at Bristol with three. Elliott is tied with two others for the fourth-most consecutive top 10s at the 0.533-mile track with two.
NEXT GEN NUMBERS: The Rick Hendrick-owned team is tied for the Cup Series lead with victories on short tracks since the Next Gen car debuted in 2022. Last season, Larson won the spring races at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville. Byron triumphed at Martinsville in the spring of 2022. Larson is one of three drivers with multiple short-track wins in the Next Gen car. In the two races on the concrete Bristol layout in this generation of vehicle, Larson has scored the second-most points (86), Byron has the fourth-most markers (78) and Elliott has the sixth-most (73).
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on having two races on the concrete surface of Bristol Motor Speedway: “I’m glad we’re back to two races on the concrete at Bristol (Motor Speedway). Even growing up on dirt, I prefer the high banks on the concrete. It’s one of the coolest places to race at and I have had a lot of success there. I’m hoping for another great result this weekend.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the importance of Bristol: “It’s going to be exciting for us to head back to Bristol (Motor Speedway) and run on the concrete in the springtime again. It’s been a little while…the cooler temps are definitely going to provide a lot of speed and grip in the track. Hopefully, the weather is nice for the weekend. It’ll be great to learn a thing or two that we can apply to the fall and just work through executing a really good weekend. Kyle (Larson) loves the track, so I love Bristol and the whole team loves Bristol. In general, we’re looking forward to the weekend.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on Bristol’s unique environment: “I enjoy going to Bristol (Motor Speedway) just as much today as I did 10 years ago. The racetrack is a lot of fun and it is something super different from the norm. I think the energy level that the stadium environment kind of brings to our world is just not something we see every week. I think for that reason alone, it makes it unique.”
Elliott, on the impact that attending races at Bristol had on him in his childhood: “When I was a kid, Bristol (Motor Speedway) was one of the main reasons I wanted to be a race car driver. That environment was unbelievable. I remember being a kid, going up there, watching the races and they had tickets sold out for like seven years. You couldn’t get a ticket. It was that big of a deal. I mean that’s as good as it gets.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s performance so far in 2024: “We’ve been competitive in each race. We’ve had opportunities. Atlanta (Motor Speedway) would be the one place that, you know, crashing on lap two certainly changed the complexion of that race. Even with that, we were able to compete and generate some opportunities. I feel like at Vegas and at Phoenix (Raceway) the same thing holds true. I hate that we haven’t capitalized on the running position or the speed of our Chevrolets, but I think there’s been some really positive things. Speed in the cars is one and the pit crew’s been really good. The team’s working well. I really like the effort, the positivity and the vibe the team has. So, you just have to trust the process. If you keep focusing on improving, the results will come.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on returning to the concrete surface for the spring race at Bristol: “I’m excited to get back to racing on the concrete track in the spring. The dirt was cool, but I think it had its time. The concrete track always puts on a good race, and selfishly, we run better on the concrete. We have a good notebook setup-wise for the concrete track, but we’ll have to do some tweaking to it since we will be racing more in the day compared to the night race like the last few years. We’ve had a couple of weeks where we haven’t gotten the results we wanted, but I think this will be a good track for us to turn it around.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the challenges of racing at Bristol: “I really look forward to racing at Bristol (Motor Speedway). You see a lot of two-wide and sometimes even three-wide racing and it brings a lot of challenges. It’s 500 laps around that place, which is just super tough for crew chiefs and teams to keep the car dialed in the whole time. We also haven’t raced in the daytime there in a few years, so that will change setups some as well. While the night race is a crown jewel, any time you can drive up on top of the media center and get a sword, it’s just special. I’m hoping we can do just that.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Bristol: “I think this weekend may play out similar to the fall race even though it’s not a playoff race. It’s going to be exciting; Bristol (Motor Speedway) always is that. I’m looking forward to it. It would be an awesome place to win and hopefully, we can make that happen.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s outlook for Bristol: “The fall race at Bristol (Motor Speedway) was pretty strong for the No. 48 Ally team. We had a top-10 run going and sat in the sixth to eighth position most of the day. (We) didn’t have the speed to get in the top five. Track position is super important, so we need to go qualify well and I think we have pretty good baselines. A couple of teammates ran really well in that race and we were just outside the top five ourselves. With a few tweaks off of our notes, I feel good about where we are going.”
