Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Charlotte

Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sunday, May 24
1.5-Mile Quad-Oval
6 p.m. ET
Location: Concord, North Carolina
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 13 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 33 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Race: 26th (All-Star Race at Dover)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 8th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Patriotic Chevrolet

• Kyle Larson has six wins on 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era, two more than his closest competitor. The Elk Grove, California, native has 17 stage wins on 1.5-mile tracks in that same span with no other driver having more than 10.
• The 33-year-old has led 140 laps on 1.5-mile tracks in 2026, second most in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has run 62.1% of his laps in the top 10 on 1.5-mile tracks this year.
• Larson dominated the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, leading 327 of 400 laps and sweeping all four stages en route to Hendrick Motorsports’ record-breaking 269th Cup victory, the most by any organization in series history.
• The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will honor Staff Sergeant Ryan Christopher Malm on the car’s windshield during the Coca-Cola 600. He was a devoted American soldier, leader, and protector whose life was defined by selfless service, serving honorably as a forward observer with the United States Army and the prestigious 82nd Airborne Division during deployments to the Middle East and Afghanistan alongside his fellow paratroopers.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 30 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last Race: 32nd (All-Star Race at Dover)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 3rd

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Patriotic Chevrolet

• Chase Elliott is one of five drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three 1.5-mile events in 2026. Outside of his win at Texas Motor Speedway, Elliott finished runner-up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and eighth at Kansas Speedway. His 87 laps led across those events is fourth most and his average finish of 3.7 ranks second.
• The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion is tied for the fourth-most wins (three) in the Next Gen era on 1.5-mile tracks.
• Elliott is the only stage winner in the last six Cup races on 1.5-mile tracks to win.
• This season through 12 races, Elliott has the third-best average finish (10.17) and is one of two drivers with multiple wins (Martinsville Speedway and Texas).
• This weekend, the Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. Elliott previously won on the track’s oval configuration in a 208-lap makeup race in 2020.
• The 30-year-old has led in seven consecutive Coca-Cola 600s, the longest active streak. He’s also tied for the second-longest top-10 streak in the event with two.
• This weekend, the No. 9 team will honor Staff Sergeant Frank Perrone, great uncle of team tire specialist Jack Rickelmann, on the windshield of the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet. Perrone served in World War II as a gunner for the United States Army Air Forces.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 28 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Race: 7th (All-Star Race, Dover)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 12th

No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet

• William Byron has an average finish of sixth in three races at 1.5-mile tracks so far in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, tied for third best. He is one of five drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three of those races. His streak of three straight top 10s on 1.5-mile tracks is tied for the second longest.
• The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has a series-best average finish of 9.45 on 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era.
• In last year’s Coca-Cola 600, Byron led 283 laps and swept all three stages before crossing the finish line in second. His laps led in that event in 2025 are the most by a non-winner in the event since Junior Johnson in 1963 (289). He’s won five of 10 stages in the last three 600-mile races.
• Byron is still the youngest driver to win the pole for the Coca-Cola 600, starting from the point in 2019 at 21 years, five months and 24 days. He has two pole awards for the event, and three total on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval.
• Overall, Byron has nine starts at Charlotte with two runner-up finishes (2023, 2025), four top fives and five top 10s. In the last five races on the oval at his home track, Byron has led the most laps with 443.
• Of drivers with more than two starts in the Coca-Cola 600, Byron has the third-best average starting position ever at 5.88, ranking behind only David Pearson (5.21) and Fireball Roberts (5.4). He also is on a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes, longest in the field, with two runner-up results and a third.
• For this weekend’s 600 Miles of Remembrance, the No. 24 Chevy will have Capt. William W. Jacobsen Jr.’s name on the windshield. He was a skilled officer and loved by his men. His awards include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman Badge. He made the ultimate sacrifice while commanding A Company, 1-24 Infantry, 25th Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 33 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Race: 9th (All-Star Race, Dover)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 34th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

• In Alex Bowman’s last 14 starts on 1.5-mile tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series, the 33-year-old has earned 10 top-10 finishes.
• Bowman is set to make his 11th Coca-Cola 600 start this Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The Tucson, Arizona, native has a best finish of fifth in this event (2021) and has earned five top 10s and led 177 laps. In six of the last eight 600-mile events at Charlotte, Bowman has finished 12th or better.
• This weekend, the Ally No. 48 team will honor United States Army Sgt. Reuben Marcus Fernandez, III, who made the ultimate sacrifice in 2008 while serving his second tour in Iraq. Fernandez is remembered as a brave, young soul who believed in and embraced his duty as a solider. He was all smiles, all heart and a friend to everyone. This week’s patriotic scheme was designed to honor Fernandez, including the Army camo base and U.S. Army dog tags with his name displayed on the hood.

17 COREY DAY
Age: 20 (November 28, 2005)
Hometown: Clovis, California
Last Race: 1st (Dover)
Crew Chief: Adam Wall
Standings: 4th

• Corey Day captured his second NASCAR O’Reilly Series victory of the season at Dover Motor Speedway last Saturday after qualifying third in his first career start at the Monster Mile.
• The Clovis, California, native has made 14 starts this season, collecting two wins, five top-five finishes and 10 top 10s while leading 195 laps.
• Across the 2025 and 2026 NOAPS seasons, Day has made eight starts on 1.5-mile tracks, with a career-best finish of fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last October.
• The 20-year-old will make his first career start this weekend on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile quad-oval.
• The No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet visited victory lane at Charlotte in May 2025, with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron behind the wheel. Chase Elliott won in the car the year prior.
• Day will pull double duty this weekend, running Friday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports truck in relief of Kyle Busch.

Hendrick Motorsports

 
*Most
**Tied for most

• Hendrick Motorsports enters this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway as the facility’s all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series wins (21), top fives (72), top 10s (118), laps led (6,396) and stage wins (12). In terms of the 600, the team’s 12 victories are six more than any other organization. It tops most statistical categories in the crown jewel event including poles (13), top fives (41), top 10s (66), laps led (4,151) and stage wins (11).
• Since 2021, Hendrick Motorsports has led 979 of 1,862 laps run in the Coca-Cola 600. One of the organization’s drivers has won stage one in the last six of those races.
• At least three Hendrick Motorsports drivers have finished in the top 10 in each of three races held at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Corey Day will look to win the organization’s third straight spring race at Charlotte in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series. William Byron was victorious in the event last year with Chase Elliott visiting victory lane in 2024.
• The Hendrick Motorsports engine department enters the weekend with 569 victories across all three national NASCAR touring series including 11 of 14 events in the NOAPS this season.
• Hendrick Motorsports remains the Cup Series’ all-time standard bearer in wins (322), poles (259), top-five finishes (1,334), top 10s (2,281), laps led (86,096) and championships (15).

QUOTABLE

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on the Coca-Cola 600: “It’s a long race — a lot longer than a normal race for us — but we also look forward to honoring the military and the men and women who serve. There’s so much that makes this event special, from the pre-race festivities to honoring a fallen soldier on our windshield.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, looking back on his 1.5-mile win at Texas Motor Speedway: “I thought we had one of the best weekends we’ve had in some time; certainly throughout the race, just the performance throughout the day and just how we executed the whole thing. Our pit crew was doing an incredible job. I thought Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) called a good race. I felt like I managed things behind the wheel well. I just felt like everything was clicking. I have always had the belief of, man, when we’re clicking and we’re all doing our jobs to the best of our ability, I feel like we can really be one of the very best groups out here.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “I definitely have this race circled for many reasons. To win at home would be huge. I grew up going to the [Coca-Cola] 600, Hendrick Motorsports is across the street, and I have family and friends here watching. Plus, it’s just a crown jewel race of our sport. I really thought we had it last year. We had a dominant car; it just fell off at the end unfortunately. I know we’re still working out some kinks this year with the new Chevy body, but our mile-and-a-half program has still been solid. If we can somehow combine the two, hopefully we’re in a position to close it out this time.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on a special paint scheme for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “In my opinion, the 600 paint scheme is always the best one of the year. There’s a lot of meaning behind it and it’s an honor to be a part of that. This year, our Ally 48 team will have U.S. Army Sgt. Reuben Marcus Fernandez, III riding with us. I had the opportunity to meet his family over Zoom last week, to hear them talk about Sgt. Fernandez, how much he meant to so many people and the impact he made, that isn’t something we take lightly. We’re excited to have them at the track this weekend and we’re ready to put together a good race.”

Corey Day, driver of the No. 17 Chevrolet, on last week’s win at Dover Motor Speedway and this week’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “This past weekend at Dover was one I’m really proud of. My win there felt earned and I’m excited to take that energy into this weekend with my No. 17 HendrickCars.com team. When I think of NASCAR, I think of Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is the sport’s home; there’s so much history here especially with the [Coca-Cola] 600. The track here always puts on really good racing, and it seems like a lot of fun. It’s bumpy, you can move around, it just has a lot of character to it so I’m excited for that. My guys keep bringing me great cars every week, so I know I’ll have a shot. I was there last year when William won running in the No. 17, so I’ll be taking some notes from him this week and will use that to study and prepare.”