TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Daytona International Speedway
August 28-29, 2026
Heading back to where it all began, NASCAR will close out the regular season this weekend at “The World Center of Racing”, Daytona International Speedway, as the Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will face a pair of high-stake superspeedway races to officially complete their respective Chase fields. Friday night’s Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola will set the O’Reilly Series postseason field, while Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 caps the Cup Series regular season – both of which could dramatically reshape the tightly bunched battle for the final few Chase positions that remain up for grabs. Setting up for its title-defending run in both divisions, Chevrolet will arrive at Daytona with several drivers having already solidified their spots in the championship hunt.
Chevrolet Chases More History at “The World Center of Racing”
No manufacturer has a deeper well of history at Daytona International Speedway than Chevrolet. In Feb. 2024, the Bowtie brand became the first manufacturer in history to reach 100 all-time NASCAR national series wins at the track. Chevrolet has since only extended that record with the manufacturer heading into this weekend’s doubleheader with 106 all-time victories including 52 Cup Series wins, 50 O’Reilly Series wins and four Craftsman Truck Series wins.
At the Cup Series level, William Byron’s 2025 DAYTONA 500 triumph stands as Chevrolet’s 52nd all-time win at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, with 22 of those victories coming in the track’s summer race. The most recent of those summer wins belongs to Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, who drove the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet to a walk-off victory and a playoff berth in the Aug. 2022 event.
CUP CHASE FIELD LARGELY SET AS THE BUBBLE HEADS TO THE BEACH
The Coke Zero Sugar 400, the 26th and final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, will set the seeding order for the 16-driver Chase field. For the handful of drivers still fighting for the final three transfer spots, it will present one last chance to point their way into the postseason on a track where the results are rarely predictable. Heading into the weekend, Chevrolet ties Toyota in early Chase berths with five, accomplished by a trio of Hendrick Motorsports drivers – Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron – and the Spire Motorsports duo of Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez.
Five Team Chevy Drivers Roll into Finale with Chase Spots Secured
Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron all enter Daytona with their Chase berths clinched, freeing up the trio to race for seeding rather than survival. With a top-five finish and an overall strong points day at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the reigning champion, Larson, was able to climb one position to lead the Bowtie brigade in the points standings. Despite a challenging outing at “The Magic Mile”, the No. 24 team will enter the finale weekend with Daytona pedigree on its side. Byron owns three career Cup Series victories at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, including his first career win at NASCAR’s highest level (Aug. 2020) and back-to-back DAYTONA 500 titles (2024-25).
Meanwhile, Elliott might still be chasing his first Cup Series win at Daytona itself, but he does own four career Cup Series victories on the circuit’s drafting-style tracks.
It will be a postseason of ‘firsts’ for Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez. Currently competing in just his third full-time season, Hocevar is set to make his first appearance in the postseason in NASCAR’s premier series. Looking to close the regular season on a high note, a superspeedway race plays right into the Michigan native’s favor with the No. 77 team already earning three top-fives, including a win, on drafting-style tracks this season. For Suarez, while it will be his third career postseason appearance, this will mark his first campaign for the championship title under the Spire Motorsports banner. Also looking to maximize his seeding position this weekend, Suarez has found success in this style of racing in recent years, including a trip to victory lane at EchoPark Speedway in 2024. At Daytona, his career-best finish of second came one year ago in the track’s summer race.
VAN GISBERGEN REPRESENTS IN FINAL CHASE BATTLE
Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen will represent the Chevrolet camp in the battle for the final three positions in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase. The New Zealand native heads into Daytona occupying the 16th and final transfer position, having survived New Hampshire to hold his ground with a sizeable 31-point cushion over the cutline. It has been a season of growth for Van Gisbergen, including a steep progression in his superspeedway craft. The Team Chevy driver’s career-best finish on a drafting-style track is sixth – a result that was earned in both of this season’s visits to EchoPark Speedway.
CHEVROLET SET TO CAP-OFF STORYBOOK REGULAR SEASON IN THE O’REILLY SERIES
It’s been a regular season for the record books for Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with the manufacturer heading into the finale weekend hoisting a 20-win campaign. The Bowtie brand is setting itself up for a strong run to defend its championship title, occupying seven of the eight Chase positions that have been clinched. Already accomplishing a career season, Team Chevy veteran, Justin Allgaier, leads the field with a guaranteed spot as the No. 1 seed. His JR Motorsports teammate, Carson Kvapil, enters the weekend on a roll, having swept the last two O’Reilly Series races including his first career win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as a comeback win over Allgaier in the series’ last outing at Iowa Speedway. Fellow Chevrolet drivers Sheldon Creed, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Corey Day and Sammy Smith have also punched their tickets into the postseason.
Among those whose title hopes will be determined at “The World Center of Racing”, Team Chevy’s Parker Retzlaff and Sam Mayer lead in the remaining provisional points positions – both sitting at a double-digit cushion over the cutline with Retzlaff at +46 points and Mayer at +19 points.
Caruth Chasing One Last Shot
One Chevrolet driver on the outside looking in but still in the postseason fight is Rajah Caruth, who trails the cutline by just 15 points entering Daytona – a margin that a strong run, or simply staying out of trouble amid the pack racing, could easily erase. Caruth has put together a solid rookie campaign, which has seen the young driver compete under the banner of two different Chevrolet organizations. On drafting tracks this season, he’s tallied top-10 results in three of the four events. But it’s the momentum from his career-best runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway, the series most recent race, that might just be what he needs for a boost into the Chase picture.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway:
William Byron – three wins (Aug. 2020, Feb. 2024 & Feb. 2025)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – two wins (July 2017 & Feb. 2023)
Austin Dillon – two wins (Feb. 2018 & Aug. 2022)
Michael McDowell – one win (Feb. 2021)
· In 158 NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 52 wins, with 22 of those victories coming in the series’ summer event at the track – most recently by Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team (Aug. 2022).
· Chevrolet has earned 106 points-paying wins at Daytona International Speedway across all three NASCAR national series, making Chevrolet the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR history at the “World Center of Racing”.
· With Grant Enfinger’s win at Lime Rock Park, Chevrolet sits just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.
· With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.
· In 168 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 73 victories – a winning percentage of 43.5%.
· Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.
· With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 887 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Chevrolet Injector and Chevrolet Experience Center at Daytona International Speedway, featuring a variety of vehicles including:
Chevrolet Injector: Trax 2RS, Silverado 1500 RST, Colorado Trail Boss, Silverado 1500 High Country, Silverado EV, Traverse Z71, Silverado 2500 LTZ, Tahoe Z71, Equinox EV, Corvette Z06 Blazer EV SS, Trailblazer ACTIV, Silverado EV RST, Corvette ZR1, 250th Anniversary Edition Silverado 2500, 250th Anniversary Edition Colorado Trail Boss, 2027 Corvette Z06, 2027 Corvette Stingray, 2027 Equinox ACTIV, 2027 Corvette Grand Sport.
Chevrolet Experience Center: Corvette Z06, Suburban High Country, 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, 2027 Corvette Grand Sport X, C2 Corvette, 1990 Suburban, Cheyenne, 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Camaro ZL1 show car.
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Saturday, Aug. 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET
NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola
Friday, Aug. 28, at 7:30 p.m. ET
CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
You’ve had success at Daytona International Speedway, both in February and in the summer race. What are you looking forward to for this year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400?
“I’m looking forward to getting to Daytona with the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP Chevrolet. It’s always an opportunity to try and bring home a trophy. Speedway racing with our ECR Engines is a lot of fun. The night race is usually pretty interesting. It gets wild out there. I thought our last speedway race at Atlanta Motor Speedway went well, so hopefully we can capitalize on what we’ve learned.”
How important is teamwork at Daytona?
“Teamwork is very important. I’ve got a great teammate in Austin Hill. He’s won a lot of races at Daytona, so I’m looking forward to working with him. Hopefully we can push our Chevys to the front.”
Do you embrace the chaos of Daytona International Speedway or is it something you can’t stand?
“I definitely try to embrace it, because if you don’t, I feel like you’ll be part of the chaos. You’ve got to get in there and mix it up and try to put yourself in the best position possible. There’s a lot of luck involved in getting through some of those wrecks, but it can be very rewarding when you make it through.”
What’s it like entering Daytona International Speedway?
“Anytime you go through that tunnel, you see the sights and the scenes of Daytona, you kind of get excited, because you know where Victory Lane is located. You just want to get back there and visit it.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
The No. 7 team is in the Chase for the first time ever. What does that accomplishment mean to you and this team, and what will it feel like to race at Daytona Saturday night, one of your favorite tracks, with the Coke Zero Sugar on the car?
“I’m really proud of this team. Making the Chase for the first time ever is a huge accomplishment for the No. 7 team, and it’s something everyone here should be really proud of. We’ve worked so hard all year to put ourselves in this position, and to finally accomplish that goal means a lot to all of us.
Daytona is one of my favorite tracks, and having Coke on the car makes Saturday night even more special, especially after winning the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this year. That was such a special moment for me and this team, and obviously I’d love to add another trophy to the garage. We can celebrate making the Chase, but we’re still going to Daytona to race hard and hopefully have another big night.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
What is the difference between racing Daytona in February and Daytona in August?
“The summer race here is just a whole different beast. You enter the second half of the season knowing every point and position matters, especially if you’re fighting for a playoff spot or trying to build momentum for your team. You see a lot more aggression because guys know the regular season deadline is closing in. Also, the temperatures are a lot hotter in August, so the track is slippery. Handling becomes even more important.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
What do you think of the rules updates to the NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway package for Daytona?
“Daytona is an unknown with the new rules package and we’re not going to know without practice. We’ve just got qualifying on Friday so we’ll wait and see how it goes Saturday night in the race I guess. We know NASCAR is trying to create more opportunities to pass and give drivers more ability to make moves. But until we get out there and see how the cars react, it’s tough to know exactly what we’re going to have. It could open things up and create more passing. At the end of the day, it’s Daytona and you’re just trying to be there at the end and avoid the mayhem.”
Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What are the expectations of the new superspeedway package?
“Honestly, no one really knows at this point. Folks think that the drafting affects should be similar to the O’Reilly (Auto Parts Series) car. If that is the case, then I feel very good about it. But will it actually end that way? We aren’t sure because the Cup car is so much different with the diffuser and the way that the air flows. The O’Reilly car has the bubble effect, but we’ve never had that with the Cup car. The purpose of these changes is to make it have a bubble effect. Based on all the data that NASCAR has shown us, it should be closer to the O’Reilly car. Having a bubble creates better opportunities for guys who are not up front to be able to pull out of line and make something happen. You can position yourself with the air, get a run, pull out of line, and not stall out as easy. You should still have the momentum to move forward, which is what the Cup car has been missing in the few races I’ve done so far. That should be a positive for our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
“Daytona is always unpredictable, but that’s what makes it exciting. We’re glad to have Onin Staffing back with us, and the goal is to stay in the mix all night and give ourselves a shot when it counts.”
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
“I’ve built up a lot of confidence at Daytona and its sister track, Talladega. Superspeedway racing just suits my driving style. In years past, I took a much more cautious approach to these races. But the last handful of times we’ve been to Daytona and Talladega, I’ve ramped up my aggression level without putting myself in bad spots. I’ve got the confidence to just race hard, get up front, and stay up front. I think you either want to be at the very front or the very back. Anywhere else is kind of no man’s land. My goal is get up front and run in that top-10, and I think as long as we execute and don’t make mistakes, we’re going to be in a good place to do just that.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What do you think you’ll see with the new package at Daytona, are there any concerns?
“There is always going to be concern when something new comes around, but it’s the same for everybody, so you’re trusting your team, you’re trusting your tools and you’re trusting your experience. We’ve had some big package changes at Daytona in the past and they didn’t change the racing product a whole lot. I think everybody, in their mind, is telling themselves not to overreact, because more than likely, it’s not going to be as we expect. I think that’s kind of the mindset a lot of people will have. We are expecting to have a good run and make up for what could have been during the 500 in February.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What are you anticipating with the updated rules package?
“I am excited for it. There really isn’t anything to look at. No data or anything. I think that will play to our advantage. You have to just go out there and adapt. We are going to have to try everything as the race plays out and see how the car reacts. Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and Tyler (Green, spotter) are very data driven and so are my teammates Michael (McDowell) and Daniel (Suarez). But none of them really have any idea on what to expect or what to talk about. It is kind of an interesting dynamic going into the weekend.”
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
There is a new rules package for Daytona. How do you think that is going to change the racing this weekend?
“I’m really excited for Daytona Obviously with the new package things are going to be a lot different just go around and we don’t have any practice so there’s a lot of question marks surrounding that. I think everybody’s in the same boat so I’m super curious to see how it races. The speedways haven’t quite gone the way I’ve wanted them to this year so hopefully we can get that turned around and have a good showing. It’s exciting to have WeatherTech back on board this week. They have been a big sponsor of mine and we won the Daytona race with them last year so hopefully we can do that again this go around.”
Do you embrace superspeedway racing?
“Superspeedway racing hasn’t been nicest to me. I haven’t had the greatest record at those tracks, but I enjoy the craft of superspeedway racing. It’s tougher than people realize and it’s certainly a skill. You can say it’s luck, but at some point, it becomes the driver doing their job and putting themselves in the right spots to win races and stay out of trouble. That’s something that I haven’t quite figured out yet it seems by my track record but I’m doing everything I can to continue to learn and try to find myself fin the right spot at the end of one of those races.”
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
You are 31 points above the cutline, how do you approach this weekend at Daytona?
“It’s really hard to know, it’s such an unknown track. It’s typical Daytona, but also the rule package change as well. Just a lot of unknown. Would have loved to leave New Hampshire last weekend with more of a cushion of course, like we entered with. But the 60 (Ryan Preece) did a great job. The team and I will be working all week to have a plan heading into Saturday night’s race, just have to focus on executing.”
You’ve won championships before, does it benefit you at all to have that background and experience heading into a high-pressure race?
“I guess in some ways. I try to maximize all the bad days, I think. Every point counts, so when we are having a bad day, we still have to get the most out of it. So maybe in that part it does help, being in season long championships all my life. It’s a cool feeling knowing that we have a shot at making The Chase. It’s a cool pressure to feel.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturer Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 44
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Most recent: 2025
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, 2024, 2025
Driver Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 34
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)
Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29
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, 2025
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2026 STATISTICS:
Wins: 6
Poles: 5
Laps Led: 1,769
Top-Fives: 40
Top-10s: 83
Stage Wins: 17
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 887 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 771
Laps led to date: 258,503
Top-fives to date: 4,476
Top-10s to date: 9,234
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,221
Chevrolet: 887
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 853
Ford: 753
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 217
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.
GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
