TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Phoenix Raceway
The 2024 season will come to an end this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series head west to Phoenix Raceway to crown each of their respective champions. Chevrolet will have the opportunity to race for the coveted title in all three divisions, with CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger and McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes representing the Bowtie brand in the Truck Series; Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier in the Xfinity Series; and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron in the Cup Series.
CHEVROLET’S CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS
Chevrolet’s storied NASCAR history includes a series-leading driver championship record in all three series, with the manufacturer heading into the 2024 season finale weekend with 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Championships and 14 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Championships. From series veterans to some of the sport’s rising starts – each of Chevrolet’s six remaining title contenders will be vying to become a first-time champion in their respective series.
Byron Leads the Bowtie in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four:
William Byron has been a familiar face in NASCAR Cup Series playoff competition in recent years – earning a postseason bid in all but one of his seven full-time seasons in the division. The 2024 season marks his second-consecutive trip to the series’ Championship Four, with the 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native earning a career-best third-place finish in the final points standings one year ago. Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team punched an early ticket into the playoffs by picking up the win in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 – capping off Chevrolet’s sweep of the season-opening weekend. Byron went on to add a road course and short-track victory within the first eight races of the season (Circuit of The Americas – March 2024; Martinsville Speedway – April 2024), making an early statement as a leading championship contender. The No. 24 Chevrolet team’s postseason performance really took off at the start of the second round – earning results no worse than sixth in the final six races leading into the title-deciding race, including a trio of podium finishes in the Round of 12. Phoenix Raceway has produced different winners in each of its five races in the Next Gen era, including title contender Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet team with their victory in the March 2023 event.
Team Chevy Takes Three Positions in NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Four:
Closing out on yet another strong season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations will compete for their first career title in the NASCAR national ranks.
Making his first appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Four, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill will enter the title run as the top-seeded driver. The regular season saw the No. 21 Chevrolet team make three trips to victory lane, including back-to-back victories in the series’ first two races to open the season. The 30-year-old Winston, Georgia, native went on to grab his series-leading fourth victory of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway to guarantee his spot in the Championship Four
AJ Allmendinger and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team head into the title-deciding race as the No. 2 seed. The 42-year-old Los Gatos, California, native ended the 26-race regular season by tallying 14 top-10s and five top-fives en route to his third career Xfinity Series playoff appearance. A staple moment in Allmendinger’s postseason run came in the Round of Eight opening race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with the Kaulig Racing driver making his first trip to victory lane of the season – a triumph that also delivered the team the first guaranteed bid into the Championship Four.
The 2024 season marks Justin Allgaier’s ninth appearance in the Xfinity Series playoffs, with the series’ veteran continuing to hold the record as the only driver to compete in each season’s playoff competition since the format was introduced to the series in 2016. Among his playoff runs includes another series-leading record of seven appearances in the Championship Four – two of which ended with a runner-up finish in the final points standings (2020, 2023). The 38-year-old Riverton, Illinois, native was a strong force at the top of the points standings through much of the regular season. Narrowly missing the regular season championship title, the JR Motorsports driver found his way back to the top of the standings – entering the playoffs as the top-seeded driver. Despite a disappointing opening round, the No. 7 Chevrolet team strung together a trio of finishes no worse than eighth in the Round of Eight – including a podium finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and a top-five result at Martinsville Speedway. Of the remaining title contenders, Allgaier is the only two-time winner at Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 2019; March 2017).
Enfinger, Eckes Representing Team Chevy in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Championship Four:
The top-two seeded drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Four come from the Chevrolet camp: CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger and McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes.
In their first full-season campaign together, Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team have proven to be a force to be reckoned with for the championship title. A runner-up finish at North Wilkesboro Motor Speedway in May quickly turned their season around, with the team tallying top-four results in five of the final seven races to close out the regular season. While narrowly advancing into the second round, the series’ veteran had a monstrous run in the Round of Eight – earning back-to-back victories at Talladega Superspeedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway to punch a ticket into his third career Championship Four appearance.
McAnally Hilgeman Racing’s Christian Eckes has put together a career season en route to his first appearance in the series’ Championship Four. The 23-year-old Middletown, New York, native tallied top-10 results in all but one of the first 16 races – including three trips to victory lane – en route to his first career regular season championship title. The young Chevrolet driver went on to extend his top-10 streak through the postseason to 20-straight, including his fourth win of the season last weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Out of the four remaining title contenders, Eckes is the only driver to have found victory lane at Phoenix Raceway, with the No. 19 Chevrolet team returning as the series’ most recent winners at the track.
BY THE NUMBERS: PHOENIX RACEWAY
Chevrolet owns the most wins at Phoenix Raceway in two of NASCAR’s national touring series, heading into the season finale weekend with 27 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series and 18 victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Sunday’s championship race will mark the 57th all-time race for NASCAR’s top division at Phoenix Raceway. Chevrolet made its first trip to victory lane at the Arizona venue in just the series’ third appearance at the track (Nov. 1990) – courtesy of NASCAR Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt, and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team. The Bowtie brand hit a strong stride in Nov. 2005 when a win by Kyle Busch and Hendrick Motorsports started a stretch of 10-straight trips to victory lane for the Bowtie brand – a record-setting streak that still stands today. Since the Next Gen car was introduced to the series, two drivers have added to Chevrolet’s win record at Phoenix Raceway, with Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain sweeping last season’s events.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Chevrolet owns over half of the victories in the series’ 33-race history at Phoenix Raceway, with title contender, Christian Eckes, delivering the manufacturer its 18th all-time victory at the track one year ago. The manufacturer’s longest streak of wins came in the series’ beginning years, with Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague tallying a combined five-straight victories in the series’ first-five races at the Arizona oval (Feb. 1995 – April 1997). Another notable victory for Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway came in Nov. 2020, with Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet team making a monstrous run in the final three laps to take the win and deliver the Bowtie brand its 14th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Championship.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Chevrolet has made nine trips to victory lane at Phoenix Raceway, including the series’ inaugural visit to the track in Nov. 1999 with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. The manufacturer’s last four wins at the Arizona venue have come with a JR Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet – two of which came with current title contender, Justin Allgaier, behind the wheel (Nov. 2019; March 2017).
BOWTIE BULLETS:
- With 90 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has earned a winning percentage of 50% with 45 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – 15 wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 18 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – 12 wins).
- In 17 tripleheader weekends this season, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to earn a weekend sweep – accomplishing the feat four times (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway).
- Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway:
Kyle Busch – three wins (2019, 2018, 2005)
Ross Chastain – one win (2023)
William Byron – one win (2023)
Kyle Larson – one win (2021)
Chase Elliott – one win (2020)
- In 56 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Phoenix Raceway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 27 victories – including a sweep of the 2023 events with William Byron (March) and Ross Chastain (November).
- In 107 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 52 victories – a winning percentage of 48.6%.
- With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 866 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
FOR THE FANS:
- Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Phoenix Raceway.
- Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Corvette ZR1, Blazer EV RS, Equinox EV, Equinox Activ, Tahoe RST, Silverado 1500 RST, Silverado 1500 Trailboss, Silverado 2500HD, Traverse Z71, Colorado Trailboss.
- Fans can also view William Byron’s No. 24 Camaro ZL1 show car.
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:
Friday, Nov. 8
· Nick Sanchez: 11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
· Rajah Caruth: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
· Grant Enfinger: 11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
· Bayley Currey, Matt Mills and Stefan Parsons: 11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.
· AJ Allmendinger: 1 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9
· Sammy Smith: 12p.m. – 12:15 p.m.
· Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
· Shane van Gisbergen & Connor Zilisch: 12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
· Brandon Jones: 12:45 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 10
· Austin Dillon: 8:45 a.m. – 9 a.m.
· Carson Hocevar: 9 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
· Alex Bowman: 9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
· Ross Chastain & Daniel Suarez: 9:50 a.m. – 10 a.m.
· Kyle Busch: 10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
· Chase Elliott & Kyle Larson: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
· William Byron: 10:30 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Friday, Nov. 8: 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 10: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 1275
Ford: 1235 (-40)
Toyota: 1227 (-48)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 1193
Toyota: 1138 (-55)
Ford: 1032 (-161)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 825
Toyota: 769 (-56)
Ford: 740 (-85)
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series Championship
Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. ET
(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship
Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. ET
(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship
Sunday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. ET
(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 BUSCH LIGHT CAMARO ZL1
It’s been a season now that you’ve had Busch Light as a partner, how does that feel?
“It’s been a great year with Busch Light and being with an iconic brand. It’s been a fun year doing all sorts of different things with them and seeing my face places that I never dreamed of seeing it. I’m looking forward to continuing the partnership with them and we have one win this season and we’re hoping to get another this weekend at Phoenix. Obviously, we had success at this race last year and I hope to repeat it.”
JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 7 PARITY WEEK BY GAINBRIDGE CAMARO ZL1
What are your thoughts heading to Phoenix?
“I enjoy going out to Phoenix. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind race track, and I have always felt comfortable there. I’m excited to see the speed our No. 7 team unloads on Friday. We’ve had speed since I came back to Spire, but something has prevented us from getting the finish we deserved. Hopefully we will get the run we have been looking for heading into the offseason.”
What do you take away from these final six races of the season, and what have you learned going into next year?
“There has been a learning curve for sure, especially in familiarizing myself in the processes and how they execute. Things will obviously be different with Rodney (Childers) and other guys coming in at the end of the year, but it is still good to get inside the building and start to familiarize myself.”
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1
Do you race the drivers in the Championship 4 any differently at Phoenix? Do you try to give them extra room?
“You definitely don’t want to put yourself in a spot where you take out a Championship 4 contender. It’s important to be mindful of everything going on around you but you’re also not just going to just layover and give positions away.”
How important is it to end this season on a positive note with a strong run at Phoenix?
“I’m not sure that I would put any more emphasis on Phoenix than I would at any other week prior because I think every race is important. Phoenix is a track and this is a race that you want to be ready for when it becomes your turn to be in the Championship 4, so building all of your notes this weekend is really important.”
ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 FOCUSED HEALTH CAMARO ZL1
Last race of the season this weekend, how are you feeling as you head to Phoenix for one last ride with your No. 71 Spire Motorsports Team?
“This track (Phoenix Raceway) is such a special place to me and it’s definitely going to be a bittersweet weekend. I’m proud of my No. 71 Spire Motorsports team for all the hard work they put in this season, especially the second half of the season. We’ve all fought hard to prove what this team is capable of. Huge thanks to Focused Health for all their support this year and I hope that we can get a great result and finish on a high note.”
CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 DELAWARE LIFE CAMARO ZL1
You’ve put together some of your best races of the year at tracks like Gateway and New Hampshire, which are similar to Phoenix. How do you expect the weekend to go?
“I like Phoenix. We ran well in the spring and made the second round of qualifying for the first time in my career. We’ve run well at some similar tracks to it, so we have a little bit of a notebook all around heading in. Phoenix is one of the first races next year, so running well is going to be important in getting the momentum rolling to carry into next season.”
The No. 77 team has made significant strides from last season. The team finished 33rd in owner points a year ago, and it looks like the team will finish 21st this year with a nearly identical crew. What will be your key takeaways from the season?
“It’s cool to be the leading rookie contender, and to be where we are in points. We are one spot behind Kyle Busch, who won three races last season and has two championships to his name. Every car ahead of us has had a deep playoff run in recent seasons, so it is cool to be where we are. I’m proud of the work Luke (Lambert) and all the No. 77 crew have done this year, and how far we’ve come this season. We put together the results very quickly. But we are all still hungry and know we can do even better next year. The goal now is to compete for wins and earn a spot in the playoffs.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1
What are your thoughts on your 2024 season?
“Unless you win the championship you aren’t going to be satisfied. So we aren’t happy with how it went but that doesn’t mean we didn’t have some good moments. We are proud of winning Atlanta, running well, and advancing in the playoffs. But until we come to Phoenix as part of the four drivers battling for the title, we won’t be totally happy. We have a lot of work to do in this off-season. We will take some time to rest, work hard and improve then be ready for 2025.”
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)
2024 STATISTICS:
Wins: 15
Poles: 10
Laps Led: 3,516
Top-Five Finishes: 69
Top-10 Finishes: 143
Stage Wins: 23
· Chase Elliott: 2
· Kyle Larson: 12
· Ross Chastain: 2
· William Byron: 2
· Shane van Gisbergen: 1
· Daniel Suarez: 1
· Kyle Busch: 1
· Alex Bowman: 1
· AJ Allmendinger: 1
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 866 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 753
Laps led to date: 252,671
Top-five finishes to date: 4,367
Top-10 finishes to date: 9,003
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,200
Chevrolet: 866
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 839
Ford: 739
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 189
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.
