Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Richmond

Richmond Raceway
Saturday, Aug. 15
0.75-Mile Oval
7 p.m. ET
Location: Richmond, Virginia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 24 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 34 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Race: 33rd (Iowa)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 10th

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet

• Kyle Larson ranks second among all drivers in laps led at Richmond Raceway in the Next Gen car with 274. He also boasts the third-best average finish at 7.86, aided by an active three-race top-10 streak.
• The Elk Grove, California, native’s 8.9 average starting position in 2026 ranks second among all drivers.
• The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM pit crew ranks first among all NASCAR Cup Series teams.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 30 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last Race: 15th (Iowa)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 7th

No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet

• With just three races remaining until The Chase gets underway, Chase Elliott is seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. Through 23 events this season, he has the sixth-best average finish (14.39) and the seventh-most laps led (298).
• This season on short tracks, the 2020 Cup Series champion has led the sixth-most laps (108).
• The 30-year-old has two short track wins in the Cup Series, most recently winning at Martinsville Speedway this spring.
• In the Next Gen era on short tracks, Elliott ranks sixth in laps led (693).
• Elliott has a career-best finish of second at Richmond Raceway in the Cup Series (2018). His six top-five finishes at Richmond are his most at a track where he has yet to win.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 28 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Race: 9th (Iowa)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 11th

No. 24 Cincinnati Chevrolet

• Last Sunday at Iowa Speedway, William Byron progressed from his 19th-place starting position to secure stage points and a ninth-place finish.
• Since the start of 2025, Byron has earned the fifth-most points (327) on short tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series and is one of only two repeat winners on short tracks in the last 11 events.
• In the last eight short track races, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has two wins and three top-five finishes.
• On short tracks in the Next Gen era, Byron is tied for the second-most wins (four). He also has led the fifth-most laps (1,041).
• Byron has four victories in the Next Gen car under the lights, tied for the second most.
• In 14 Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway, Byron has one top-five finish and three top 10s with a track-best finish of third (2022). He has also led 239 laps, all in the Next Gen era, which is the fourth most.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 33 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Race: 34th (Iowa)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 29th
 
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

• Alex Bowman earned long-time partner Ally its first NASCAR Cup Series win at Richmond Raceway in 2021, marking his first of four wins that season.
• At the Virginia-based track, Bowman has earned one win, two top fives, five top-10 finishes and has led 19 laps.
• Bowman has two victories on short tracks with the other coming at Martinsville Speedway in 2021.

17 COREY DAY
Age: 20 (November 28, 2005)
Hometown: Clovis, California
Last Race: 36th (Iowa)
Crew Chief: Adam Wall
Standings: 5th

• Corey Day currently sits fifth in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series points standings and has clinched a spot in The Chase. Through 25 starts, Day has earned two wins, six top-five finishes and 15 top 10s, tying for second in the series for most top 10s this season.
• NOAPS will take a two-week break before returning under the lights on Friday, Aug. 28, at Daytona International Speedway for the final race before The Chase.
• The Clovis, California, native will spend his off week behind the wheel of a sprint car in Iowa, competing in the 65th-annual Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.

Hendrick Motorsports

*Most
**Tied for most

• The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Richmond Raceway this weekend. Hendrick Motorsports enters as the all-time leader in poles (19), top fives (70) and top 10s (130) at the 0.75-mile oval.
• Hendrick Motorsports drivers have combined to win four of the last nine short track events (William Byron two, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson one each).
• The Hendrick Motorsports engine department enters the weekend with 577 victories across all three national NASCAR touring series, including 18 of 23 events in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series this season.
• Hendrick Motorsports remains the Cup Series’ all-time standard bearer in wins (322), poles (259), top-five finishes (1,342), top 10s (2,293), laps led (86,438) and championships (15).

QUOTABLE
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on Richmond Raceway: “I think a good car – a balanced car – and the driver being able to take care of the tires and not overheat them or slip them too much will be important at Richmond [Raceway]. It’s a very patient-style racetrack, it seems, so hopefully we can get our car balance better and hopefully, I can match what it needs, and we can be fast.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on Saturday night races: “I think Saturday night races have always been a really big deal. Growing up, for me, I always thought they were the most fun, like as a kid, as a fan, coming to the races. I mean, heck, even if I wasn’t there, I was watching it on TV and I was at home. I was fired up to have a Saturday night race. I thought it was great. The only downside was I didn’t have anything to watch on Sunday, but that was part of it, right? Like you were bummed about that when Sunday afternoon rolled around and the race wasn’t on, but the lead in, the excitement and energy for a Saturday night show, I thought, was pretty darn elite.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on Richmond Raceway: “Richmond [Raceway] is a tough one for us, but I think we’re getting better there. I think we’re getting better this year as well. That’s what we need to do, keep getting better. If we work to keep getting one step better at everything, eventually we’ll be back up to the standard that we’re used to. You can’t earn it all over night.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on Richmond Raceway: “It’s always fun to get back to Richmond [Raceway]. We’ve had solid runs there, our win in 2021 with Ally will always be special. We’re fighting every week to get better and get our No. 48 the finishes we should be getting.”