TEAM CHEVY AT CHARLOTTE 1: Team Chevy All-Star Advance

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 18, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:

POSITIVES OF THREE IN A ROW:
Alex Bowman, driving the No. 88 Axalta Camaro ZL1, has been the runner-up the past three races – a successful but frustrating stretch. Thirteen others in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series modern era have had three consecutive second-place finishes, most recently by Team Chevy driver Kyle Larson in 2017. Bowman is the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to record three runner-up finishes before claiming his inaugural win. He’s entered in the Monster Energy Open and is among the drivers eligible for the All-Star Race via fan vote.

ELLIOTT EARNS HIS WAY IN:
Chase Elliott has competed in the All-Star Race the past three years by being the fan vote winner. This year, Elliott earned a spot in the million-dollar shootout by being a 2018 race winner. He has an average finish of sixth in the All-Star Race. Elliott, who has a win and four top-five finishes in the 12 races this season in the No. 9 NAPA Brakes Camaro ZL1, has moved to fourth in the driver standings.

JOHNSON LEADS THE WAY:
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Patriotic Camaro ZL1, leads all drivers with four wins in 17 All-Star Race starts, including back to back in 2012 and ’13. Kurt Busch, No. 1 Gearwrench/Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, is the other current Team Chevy driver with a victory (2010). Other Chevrolet drivers penciled in for the main event are Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW Camaro ZL1, and Elliott.

FLASHBACK:
After rain caused a multi-car crash on Lap 1 of the All-Star Race in 2001, Jeff Gordon used his back-up Chevrolet to win the big prize. Gordon is a three-time winner of the race, all in a Chevrolet.

TUNE-IN:
FS1 will telecast the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway live at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, May 18. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

BY THE NUMBERS:
* Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.
* Team Chevy drivers have scored 780 wins and 705 poles in MENCS competition.
* Chevrolet drivers have piled up 17 victories in the 34 All-Star Races, including the initial event on May 25, 1985 by Darrell Waltrip driving for Junior Johnson & Associates. GM brand Pontiac added a race win in 1989 with Rusty Wallace behind the wheel.

FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Fans can check out great a great assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Camaro ZL1, 2500HD High Country, Traverse Redline, Colorado ZR2, 1500 Trailboss, and Blazer Premier
At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view the Shock Camaro SS SEMA Concept car and the No. 9 Mountain Dew/NAPA Camaro ZL1 Showcar
Also, on display is a LT1 Connect & Cruise Crate Engine and NASCAR R07 Race Engine. Fans can also see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet Performance at their local Chevrolet dealer
Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Friday, May 17th
3:00 p.m. – Gus Dean, Spencer Boyd and Tyler Dippel
3:30 p.m. – Ross Chastain and Angela Ruch
Saturday, May 18th
2:00 p.m. – Daniel Hemric
2:20 p.m. – Kurt Busch
2:45 p.m. – Bubba Wallace
3:00 p.m. – William Byron
4:00 p.m. – Richard Petty

Chevrolet Display Hours of operation: Fri. May 17th – 1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Sat. May 18th – 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
NASCAR MONSTER ENERGY ALL-STAR ENTRIES BY CAR NUMBER

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH/MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1
“I’m looking forward to the fun, energy and excitement of the Monster Energy All-Star Race. Our team is poised to break through! No points, all cash, lets go!”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CAMARO ZL1
HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE ALL-STAR RACE FORMAT?
“You’ve got to go get it. You will be after it, on the gas the entire time and there will be some strategy played I’m sure at the end. The way it is with the true real strategy is going to be how these cars drive. It’s a totally different package. It should be very interesting for our fans.”

HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE URGENCY OF THE ALL-STAR RACE VERSUS THE BIG PICTURE OF A CHAMPIONSHIP?
“Well, you let everything go on All-Star night and as far as the big picture, the Coke 600 is a grueling 600-mile race, but it’s my favorite race of the year, especially with the military men and women that are out there. The start of that race there is nothing more American I feel like than that one. I would love to go back-to-back and win the Coke 600 again.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 CATERPILLAR/BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO ADVANCE THROUGH THE OPEN AND RACE IN THE NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME CROWD AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY?
“All-Star weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of the most special weekends of the season. I came here as a kid so many times and to have the chance to race in the Open and possibly earn a spot in the night’s main event is truly an honor. I hope we can get the job done for Caterpillar, Bass Pro Shops, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of those fans that watched me race on the quarter-mile track for so many years. Charlotte Motor Speedway holds a special place in my heart, and it would be truly special to have a strong night there.”

RCR HAS FEATURED A NUMBER OF SPECIAL PAINT SCHEMES FOR THE ALL-STAR RACE, SO HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BRING THE GOLD COLORS BACK FOR SATURDAY NIGHT’S RACE UNDER THE LIGHTS?
“The gold cars generated such a buzz down at Daytona earlier this year and I can’t wait to see them on track again this weekend in Charlotte. You only have one 50th anniversary, and to recognize Richard and Judy Childress and everything they have accomplished by running the gold colors on the No. 8 Caterpillar/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet is an honor. Hopefully, we can honor them by having a strong run and racing our way into the All-Star Race at the end of the night.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA BRAKES CAMARO ZL1
“I’m very appreciative of the fan vote the past couple of years, but it’s nice to be locked in already and not have to worry about it. I think it will be exciting to go into the weekend locked in the race for the first time. I’m looking forward to being a part of the big show, for sure.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO MILITARY CAMARO ZL1
“Everyone at Germain Racing is preparing for the All-Star Race weekend in the same way that they do every other weekend. There are some new areo elements this weekend that we will have to adjust to, but we’re not going to let the “all star” element of the weekend get in our heads and mess with our focus. We are taking a GEICO Military Camaro ZL1 to the track that we’re confident can race its way into the main event. We can also be voted in, but we have the same motivation and intentions that we do each and every weekend. We are in it to win it.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK AUTOGUARD CAMARO ZL1
“The All-Star race is an unpredictable race for sure. You’re racing for money and not points or positioning over the year. It creates a dynamic for you to be more willing to take greater risks. Going into that week as a driver, you look at it as a little bit less pressure than a typical race weekend. You’re racing just for the win, especially in a position like we’re in to race our way into the All-Star race to begin with. Outside of going for the win, it’s basically just bringing the steering wheel back at the end of the day. It’s a unique dynamic for that race and I’m really hoping that this weekend I’ll get to experience my first one.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER YOUR PERSONAL PIT STOP CAMARO ZL1
“The opportunity to race for $1 million is always a wild and fun race, and I expect no different from the Monster Energy Open this weekend. This new package always throws something different at us, but we are ready for the challenge in our Personal Pit Stop Camaro ZL1. It’s really fun to be able to try something different with our cars, and see if we can get into the big show on Saturday night. JTG Daugherty Racing has good odds in the Monster Energy Open, and I’m ready to translate that to this year’s race.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1
“I’m really looking forward to competing in my first Monster Energy Open this weekend. Charlotte Motor Speedway is my new home track, and I’m looking forward to being able to see what this new aero package can do for our Kroger Camaro ZL1. I’m so thankful for all of the fans that voted for us to get into the race, and we’ll see if we can race our way in if we don’t win the fan vote. It’s going to be a fun night for sure.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1
THOUGHTS ON KANSAS OUTCOME:
“We had a really good car, I just made bad decisions going through lap traffic on lane choice. They stayed where I needed to run, and I should have gone high and I shouldn’t have picked the middle like I did. It was a great day for everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We all had super competitive cars and we are seeing everyone’s hard work back at the shop come to life. The finish in Kansas definitely hurts, because man we could have won that race. Still a good points day, but if we could have just gotten one more spot at the end.”

THOUGHTS ON ALL-STAR RACE:
“I think having the support of the internet forums is pretty big when it comes to online votes from the fans. I appreciate everyone’s votes so far, but man I really want to race my way in first. We have been talking about how much a hundred grand means with the Pitch to Win Big campaign with Nationwide and Blue Vine and their Small Business Program and the winner of the All-Star race gets ten times that amount. It would be special. I am not sure how much I do or don’t get to keep out of it, but I’ll take whatever we can get if we can make it happen

Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2018): 39
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

Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2018): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

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

Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – (2007)

2019 STATISTICS:
Wins: 1
Poles: 6
Laps Led: 833
Top-five finishes: 14
Top-10 finishes: 38

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 780 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 705
Laps led to date: 233,088
Top-five finishes to date: 3,983
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,210

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

GM: 1,115
Chevrolet: 780
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 781
Ford: 681
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 129
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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