NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.058-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 20 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 2 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JULY 22 (NBCSN/PRN/SIRIUSXM)
Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 22 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia
2018 Season
14th in standings
19 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
4 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
19 laps led
Career
96 starts
0 wins
4 pole positions
26 top-five finishes
46 top-10 finishes
937 laps led
Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
1 lap led
NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1: This weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme will grace the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team for 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.
GRANITE STATE STATS: Elliott is set to make his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In his previous four starts, Elliott averaged a starting position of 10.5 and finishing position of 17.2. The driver of the No. 9 also has two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 1.058-mile speedway. In those Xfinity starts, Elliott collected a pair of top-10 finishes, averaging a starting position of 7.5 and finishing position of 8.5.
GUSTAFSON AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 26th Cup Series race at New Hampshire from atop the pit box this weekend. In his previous 25 races calling the shots for five different drivers at the Loudon, New Hampshire, track, Gustafson has collected two wins – in 2006 with Kyle Busch and 2009 with Mark Martin. Gustafson has also collected six top-five finishes, 11 top-10s and 465 laps led.
HOME SWEET HOME: Two members of the No. 9 team consider New Hampshire Motor Speedway their home track. Engine tuner Tony Bove hails from Burlington, Vermont, approximately 167 miles northwest of the track. Interior mechanic Scott Honan is from Norwalk, Connecticut, approximately 200 miles southwest of the Loudon track.
KENTUCKY REWIND: The No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team raced inside the top 15 throughout the majority of the 400-mile NASCAR Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway last weekend before ending the night with a 13th-place finish.
DARLINGTON THROWBACK: Last week, Elliott, along with his father, Bill, and uncle, Ernie, unveiled the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 throwback car that will be on track at Darlington Raceway. The ride is modeled after a paint scheme that Elliott’s late cousin Casey drove in 1993. As Casey’s racing career was in its early stages, a cancerous growth on his upper right thigh was discovered, and the cancer had spread. At age 21, Casey’s 24-month fight came to an end on Jan. 14, 1996. Click here for more information or to view images of the car.
William Byron
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 20 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2018 Season
22nd in standings
19 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
43 laps led
Career
19 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
43 laps led
Track Career
0 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
AXALTA ON THE 24: The bright Axalta flames, designed by motor sports artist Sam Bass, return to the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). Following NHMS, Axalta will next appear as the primary on William Byron’s No. 24 Chevy at Pocono Raceway for the July 29 race. In 2018, Axalta will be a primary partner on the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro for a total of 11 races.
AT NHMS: There are now just four racetracks on the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series schedule – five, if you count the new Charlotte ROVAL – where Byron will make his first Cup start, including this weekend’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. However, the one-mile track has been good to the Cup Series rookie on his previous visits in the NASCAR Xfinity, Camping World Truck and K&N Pro Series. In Xfinity last season, he earned a top-five finish, starting seventh and finishing third. In the truck race the prior season, Byron won the pole and capitalized on his starting spot, leading 161 of 175 laps en route to his sixth of seven victories in the Truck Series in 2016. In the K&N Pro Series East in 2015, he qualified on the pole and again went on to win the race, leading 68 of 70 laps.
ROOKIES AT NHMS: Cup rookies have fared well at NHMS, with two having scored victories at the one-mile oval during their respective rookie seasons – Ryan Newman in 2002 and Joey Logano in 2009. Young guns have also fared well at the Loudon, New Hampshire, track, with five drivers under 21 winning races there. If Byron were to win this weekend, he would be the fifth youngest driver to win at the track.
ON THAT DATE: The New Hampshire Cup race is July 22, 2018. On that same date in 2017, Byron won his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series race, becoming the youngest driver to win a major race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
GRUBB AT NHMS: No. 24 team crew chief Darian Grubb has also had success at New Hampshire, earning two poles (both with Carl Edwards) and two victories with two different drivers – Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin.
CLOSE TO HOME: Taylor Moyer, a race engineer on the No. 24 Axalta Chevy team, hails from Shoreham, Vermont, a three-hour drive from NHMS. While the 30-year-old grew up racing at dirt tracks in Vermont and New Hampshire, he had never been to an asphalt racetrack before he began working at Hendrick Motorsports. He moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend UNC Charlotte and graduated in 2010 with a degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in motor sports. While in college, he started working at Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 in the parts department and on the pit crew. He subsequently worked in several different engineering groups at the organization before moving into his current role in 2015.
CHAMPIONS BREAKFAST: Byron, the 2017 Xfinity champion, will join Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 Cup champion, at the Champions Breakfast on July 20 at NHMS. Speedway Children’s Charities hosts the event, which brings together an audience of approximately 400 to benefit the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. To purchase tickets, click here.
ROVAL TEST: Byron participated in the Tuesday, July 17, NASCAR open test at the 2.28-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. He made contact with a tire barrier after experiencing a brake line failure due to impact with a curb, which ended the day early for Byron and the No. 24 team.
BID ON THE TEAM JJF VISOR: Along with his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Byron has donated the helmet visor he autographed – with a strip across the visor supporting the Jimmie Johnson Foundation – that he wore in last weekend’s race in Kentucky. Visor purchases benefit the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and bidding is now open: http://bit.ly/JJFVisor18.
ICYMI, POCONO VICTORY TOUR: Last Wednesday, July 11, Byron visited Boy Scouts Camp Minsi to spend time with the Scouts and members of the media, race canoes and try out archery as part of the July Pocono Raceway Victory Tour. Byron himself became an Eagle Scout, the highest achievement rank of the Boy Scouts of America, in 2015 while racing full time and attending high school. For a social media recap of Byron’s day, click here.
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Lowe’s For Pros Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 42 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2018 Season
12th in standings
19 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
15 laps led
Career
598 starts
83 wins
35 pole positions
224 top-five finishes
347 top-10 finishes
18,678 laps led
Track Career
32 starts
3 wins
1 pole position
10 top-five finishes
21 top-10 finishes
323 laps led
NEW HAMPSHIRE STATS: Jimmie Johnson has won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three times, which is tied for the second-most of all drivers. Former competitor Jeff Burton has four wins at the “Magic Mile.” During the 2003 season, Johnson swept both events at New Hampshire. Johnson’s latest win at the venue came in June 2010. His latest pole position was during the July 2016 weekend, when he started first and finished 12th.
CLOSE TO HOME: No. 48 team engine tuner Steven Legendre hails from Danville, Vermont, roughly 113 miles north of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Legendre is a second generation driver who formerly competed in the late model divisions at White Mountain Motorsports Park, the Pro All Star North and South Series. He also competed in the K&N Pro Series East in 2012 and 2013. Legendre moved to North Carolina for school and graduated from Rowan Cabarrus Community College with a degree in motor sports management. He was a part of William Byron’s 2017 Xfinity Series championship team as the engine tuner.
KNAUS EXTENDS CONTRACT: Seven-time champion crew chief Chad Knaus has signed a two-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports that now aligns him with driver Johnson. Click here for more information.
KIDS CHOICE AWARD NOMINEE: Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has been nominated for a 2018 Kids’ Choice Award, competing in the “Need for Speed” category. He is up against fellow Cup Series driver Kyle Busch along with Olympic luger Chris Mazdzer, Olympic speed skater John-Henry Krueger and Olympic downhill skiers Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin. The awards show will air Friday, July 20, at 8 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.
TEAM JJF VISOR STRIP AUCTION: As a show of support for Johnson’s efforts to raise funds for the cause, a number of his NASCAR Cup Series competitors wore Jimmie Johnson Foundation-branded strips on their helmet visors during the event at Kentucky. Twenty two drivers – including Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates – are currently auctioning off their visors to raise funds for the foundation. Bidding closes July 20 at noon E.T. Click here for the auction site.
VIP EXPERIENCE: Johnson has four more VIP experiences remaining for the 2018 season. The package gives fans the opportunity to meet the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in a one-on-one setting and includes a meet-and-greet, an autograph and a photo with Johnson along with a behind-the-scenes garage tour and an amazing, exclusive gift. Packages remain for Pocono, Indianapolis, Dover and Homestead. For more information, visit https://jimmiejohnsonvip.com/.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 25 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2018 Season
15th in standings
19 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
1 top-five finish
7 top-10 finishes
67 laps led
Career
100 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
1 top-five finish
10 top-10 finishes
270 laps led
Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
NATIONWIDE: The Nationwide colors will be on board the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It marks the 14th time this season that the Nationwide colors have been on Alex Bowman’s Chevrolet. Back in 2016, Bowman drove the Nationwide machine in both Cup Series events at the Loudon, New Hampshire, track for Hendrick Motorsports while subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
BOWMAN AT LOUDON: Bowman has six previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 25-year-old captured finishes of 26th and 14th at the venue in 2016. Bowman’s best qualifying effort came in fall 2016 when the Nationwide team qualified 14th. The driver has two previous starts at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, capturing two top-10 finishes. Bowman qualified fifth back in 2016 and brought home an eighth-place finish after leading seven laps. In 2011, Bowman made two starts at the one-mile track in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with an average finish of ninth.
ALL IN THE DATE: This weekend’s race is the second event held at NHMS on July 22. If Bowman were to win this Sunday, he would be the second driver of the No. 88 to win on that particular date. Dale Jarrett piloted the No. 88 to victory on the date back in 2001. A win by Bowman would make him the first driver to capture his first career Cup Series win on July 22.
IVES AT LOUDON: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots five times for the No. 88 team at New Hampshire. The Michigan native has one top-five finish at the track, which came with Earnhardt in 2015. Ives has worked with Bowman twice at the one-mile track back in 2016. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team and captured one win (2010), six top five and 11 top-10 finishes. In two starts as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Ives’ drivers captured a pair of eighth-place finishes.
SPECIAL PAINT SCHEME UNVEIL: On Wednesday, July 18, Nationwide and Bowman will unveil the No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 paint scheme that the team will run at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 5. The special scheme will be unveiled on “NASCAR America,” which airs at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Bowman will appear on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Thursday, July 19, at 10 a.m. ET to talk about the special scheme.
VALVOLINE: Valvoline is giving race fans the chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas to meet Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and watch him race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 16. One grand-prize winner will receive a travel voucher for airfare, hotel stay and car rental courtesy of Valvoline. The winner will also get the chance to be the honorary pit crew member for the No. 88 team, which includes premium seating, behind-the-scenes access, a meet-and-greet with Bowman and other exclusive experiences. Fans can enter here until Aug. 1.
ROVAL TESTING: Tuesday, Bowman participated in the ROVAL test at Charlotte Motor Speedway to prepare for the upcoming Sept. 30 race weekend. The ROVAL is Charlotte’s 2.28-mile, 17-turn road-course oval – the longest road-course race in NASCAR.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has nine wins, seven pole positions, 42 top-five finishes and 75 top-10s. Kasey Kahne most recently visited Victory Lane for the organization at the track in 2012. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are tied for the second-most wins all-time at New Hampshire with three apiece.
CREW CHIEF SUCCESS: Hendrick Motorsports crew chiefs Chad Knaus, Alan Gustafson and Darian Grubb have all earned multiple wins and at least one pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
250 ON THE HORIZON: The next points-paying win by a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will be the organization’s milestone 250th in NASCAR Cup Series competition. With 268 Cup victories, only Petty Enterprises has more. Joe Gibbs Racing is third all-time at 154, followed by Junior Johnson and Associates with 153 wins and Roush Fenway Racing with 137.
16 MAKES 249: Sixteen different drivers have contributed to Hendrick Motorsports’ total of 249 points-paying Cup wins. Only the Wood Brothers team, which has sent 19 different drivers to Victory Lane, has more. Junior Johnson and Associates won with 13 different drivers.
FIRST-TIME WINNERS: If Chase Elliott, William Byron or Alex Bowman wins at New Hampshire, it will mark the ninth time a driver has recorded his first career Cup Series win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing share the all-time record, having each sent eight first-time winners to Victory Lane in Cup Series competition.
‘NASCAR HEAT 3’ COVER: All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are featured on the cover of the forthcoming “NASCAR Heat 3” video game. The cover was unveiled at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 7.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 249 race victories, 215 pole positions, 1,036 top-five finishes and 1,762 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 67,000 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on racing at New Hampshire:
“Loudon is Loudon, for sure. It’s been an interesting track – it really doesn’t compare to anywhere else we go to. It’s very difficult, very track-position sensitive. You don’t move forward in a hurry there, so it can be one of the most frustrating races I think that we go to. It’s very important to try and keep your cool there and be patient with things.”
William Byron on racing at New Hampshire:
“I enjoy going to New Hampshire. It’s been one of my favorite tracks in the past – it’s just fun for me. I just enjoy the way the corners are – it’s very similar to my background in late model and legend car racing. I’ll try to use what I’ve learned there in the past to make the most of this weekend. It’s a good track for me, so we’re hoping for a good weekend. The handling and what you look for in the car is very critical there, so you have to be really adamant about what your car needs to do. That’s the case every week, but it’s really big at New Hampshire.”
Jimmie Johnson on racing at New Hampshire:
“New Hampshire is just scrappy. It’s one of the three toughest tracks to compete on for me. If you are up front and you have track position on your side, your day will go well. If you are fourth on back, it’s a crazy race. Maintaining your line and racing in traffic is just crazy.”
Alex Bowman on racing at New Hampshire:
“New Hampshire is just a really tricky place. It’s really awkward, very unique compared to anywhere else we go. It’s just kind of hard to get a hold of. I struggled there for a couple of years and feel like the last couple of times I’ve been there I’ve been pretty decent, but it’s the first place I drove the No. 88 car, so I’m excited to get back there.”
Bowman on testing at the ROVAL:
“It is difficult. It is really hard to make laps without crashing, but I think we will continue to learn as we go. It will get easier, but it’s just a handful. ROVAL Turn 3 is where I lost it at the beginning of the test, thankfully not damaging the car too much. This will definitely put on a good show for the fans when we come back to Charlotte in September.”
