TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN
AUGUST 22, 2021
RACE #25 – MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Following two consecutive victories on road courses, Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) drivers turn their attention to two ovals to close the regular season, starting with the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 22. Chevrolet, which leads the NCS Manufacturer Standings, has posted 13 wins and secured five spots in the Playoffs heading into the 200-lap race on the 2-mile, D-shaped oval in Brooklyn, Michigan.
Chevrolet has recorded 26 wins at MIS; the first by Cale Yarborough in the 200-lap race on June 19, 1977, in the No. 11 Chevelle Laguna/Laguna S-3 from the fourth starting position for team owner Junior Johnson. It will be the first time since 1973 that Michigan International Speedway has hosted only one race during an NCS season.
NASCAR Cup Series points leader Kyle Larson, driving the No. 5 Cincinnati Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE this weekend, has scored three victories at MIS in the past five years, including his first-career NCS win on August 28, 2016. He also won from the pole in June 2017 and from the ninth starting position in the August 2017, all behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.
Larson, who will start from the pole for the fifth time this season, has recorded three of his field-high five wins in non-restrictor plate races on superspeedways. Hendrick Motorsports teammate and reigning NCS champion Chase Elliott will join Larson on the front row in the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) drivers will also race at Michigan International Speedway this weekend, while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) opens its Playoffs at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Illinois.
Chevrolet has won 17 of the 29 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at MIS, including the last three. NCS regular Tyler Reddick, who won the last NXS race at Michigan in 2019, is entered in the No. 23 Our Motorsports Camaro SS for the 125-lap New Holland 250. Seven drivers of the Chevrolet Camaro SS placed in the top-10 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, led by runner-up AJ Allmendinger. He is second in the standings and Justin Allgaier is third with five races left in the regular season.
Three drivers of the Chevrolet Silverado, including 2020 NCWTS Champion Sheldon Creed, qualified for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series elimination-style Playoffs that kicks off Friday, August 20, at the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
CHEVROLET, LARSON ATOP STANDINGS
Chevrolet increased its lead in the Manufacturer Standings in the run to its 40th NASCAR Cup Series title with AJ Allmendinger’s victory and six drivers finishing in the top-10 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
Kyle Larson took the outright lead in the Driver Standings with a third-place finish in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE and is positioned to grab the regular-season champion’s prize of 15 Playoff bonus points. Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron is fourth and Chase Elliott is fifth in the standings.
TEAM CHEVY ROAD COURSE DOMINANCE CONTINUES
Team Chevy drivers have won five of the six NASCAR Cup Series road course races this season. AJ Allmendinger’s first NCS win since 2014 – on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit – complements victories by reigning champion Chase Elliott (Circuit of the Americas and Road America) and Kyle Larson (Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International). One road course race, on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in September, is part of the NCS Playoffs.
ON THE WAY TO THE GREEN
With no practice or qualifying for the 200-lap race, the starting lineup is determined by NASCAR’s metrics system that was introduced to the series last year and incorporates results from both individual races and season-long results.
Team Chevy’s Top-20 starters:
1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 Cincinnati Camaro ZL1 1LE
2nd Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
6th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
10th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE
12th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger/Maxwell House Camaro ZL1 1LE
13th Erik Jones, No. 43 Medallion Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE
14th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevrolet Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Justin Haley, No. 77 General Formulations/Mutoh Camaro ZL1 1LE
18th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
BOWTIE BULLETS
· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 13 victories in 24 NCS races thus far this season.
· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 108 top-10 finishes and 2,524 laps led of 5,661 total this season.
· In addition to its 26 wins, Chevrolet has amassed 180 top-five and 373 top-10 finishes at Michigan International Speedway.
· Kyle Larson paces all drivers with 1,496 laps led.
· Austin Dillon is second among drivers with 99.79% of laps completed (5,649 of 5,661) and Tyler Reddick is third (99.43%) with 5,629.
· Reddick holds a 28-point lead over Richard Childress Racing teammate Dillon for the final Playoff berth.
· Chase Elliott leads active drivers with an average finish of 7.7 n 10 races at MIS.
· Kurt Busch is tied for most starts at MIS among active drivers with 40. He has three wins among 16 top-10 finishes.
· Five Team Chevy drivers have combined for 22 stage wins: Chase Elliott (Daytona RC); William Byron (Homestead, Pocono2, Road America); Tyler Reddick (Road America, Indianapolis Road Course x2); Kurt Busch (Nashville Superspeedway, Pocono1, Atlanta2); Kyle Larson (Las Vegas, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville).
FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Michigan International Speedway.
Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2021 Silverado 1500 Trailboss, 2021 Corvette Convertible 3LT, 2021 Camaro SS 3LT Convertible, 2021 Silverado 2500 4WD LTZ Crew, 2022 Trailblazer, Blazer Premier.
At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 1LE show car.
TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Sunday, August 22
Ross Chastain: 11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Alex Bowman: 11:55 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Friday, August 20: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 21: 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 22: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
TUNE IN
NBCSN will telecast the 200-lap NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 22. Live coverage is also on the MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NBCSN will telecast the 125-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series New Holland 250 at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 21. FS1 will telecast the 160-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota 200 presented by CK Power at 9 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 20.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 CINCINNATI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 1st IN STANDINGS
LARSON ON HIS STRATEGY AT MICHIGAN:
“It’s a totally different package; aero, engine, all that compared to when I used to win there but Hendrick Motorsports has been strong there and we have been good on all the bigger ovals this year. The draft plays a big role there, so you have to be really patient when you are making moves. As long as we keep executing and being smart like we have been doing all year long, we should have ourselves in position to challenge for another win.”
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CINCINNATI CAMARO ZL1 1LE
DANIELS ON CHALLENGES OF MICHIGAN BEING THE ONLY RACE ON A 2-MILE TRACK THIS SEASON:
“Massive challenges. Michigan is a tough place to know where to set the trim of your car for drag and downforce. A lot of the mile-and-a-half’s are more similar in that regard. At Michigan, you really have to have speed in your car. Of course, you have to have the right amount of handling to get through the corners, but the straightaways are long and the track is smooth. If you have handling on your side – which hopefully we do – then you must be able to go fast in a straight line.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 4th IN STANDINGS
BYRON ON THE HIGH SPEEDS AT MICHIGAN:
“I think with the 550 horsepower package we run, the mid-corner section of the track feels more high speed than anything. Even though we’re going slower down the straightaways than we were a couple years ago, I feel like the mid-corner now feels almost sketchy. It’s fully on edge and you’re close to always chattering the tires. It’s a fast track that makes you feel like you’re always running on a fine line. It’s just a different sensation of speed with this package.”
BYRON ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING AT MICHIGAN:
“Michigan is such an important racetrack, not only for teams but for manufacturers – Chevrolet, most importantly. It’s a fun race that’s all about bragging rights for them on who had the most power, the most downforce, and things like that. I feel like we are heading into this race with a really good shot to get it done for Chevy. We have really fast cars on the 1.5-mile and 2-mile tracks. So, I’m excited to see how things play out for us and hopefully we can be the ones to give the bragging rights to Chevy at the end of the day.”
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FUGLE ON THE FINAL RACES BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS:
“Since the two-week break, we wanted to make sure we came back with high intensity. We obviously bring it every week, but we wanted to ensure that everyone understands that we want to treat this like a 14-week playoff. With the last two races we ran and the next two coming up, we want to make sure that we are executing at the highest level possible. It’s about the cars you bring to the track, the execution level and going through every detail. That is what we’re trying to hit on to make sure we are ready to go for the playoffs. We don’t want to wait until the playoffs start to be like, ‘Okay, it’s time to step it up.’ It’s a fight every week, so we’re trying to make sure that we’re bringing it at all times.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS
ELLIOTT ON MAKING A PLAYOFF RUN THIS SEASON:
“We just have to peak at the right time. That was really what we did best last year. We just really peaked at the right time and kind of got hot for a stretch of races. It was perfect timing. Unfortunately, you can’t always draw that up. That’s not just something you can snap your fingers and make happen. It’s a lot of hard work, it’s a lot of effort and it comes from everyone at Hendrick Motorsports, everyone on the road, myself, our off-track help. Everything has to really be clicking at the right time. Our playoffs are 10 weeks, which is a long time. Just that stretch of races, it’s tough to be at your peak for 10 weeks. We just hope we can peak at the right time again, that’s key. We want to perform when it matters most.”
ELLIOTT ON THIS YEAR’S ‘DESI9N TO DRIVE’ PROGRAM:
“With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Chase Elliott Foundation, NAPA AUTO PARTS and Hendrick Motorsports have decided to give the No. 9 Chevrolet an entirely new look for the Darlington race. To me, the main player is obviously NAPA and how they are allowing Children’s to be a part of it. To take ‘DESI9N TO DRIVE’, an event that was just shoe designs, and turn it into being on the car, on the suit, on the helmet. I think all of that is extremely special, so I am grateful for NAPA being open, willing and excited about it enough to partner up and make it happen.”
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVROLET ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS
THE NASCAR PLAYOFFS BATTLE IS REALLY HEATING UP. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS FOLLOWING INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY WITH TWO MORE RACES REMAINING IN THE REGULAR SEASON?
“It’s an interesting place to be, with myself and my teammate, Austin Dillon, fighting for points and in that cutline situation. Looking back on it, I think Indy was tough. If we could have both just agreed not to go after stage points, I think we both could have had really strong chances at top-10s and good finishes, and maybe even going for the win. With the way the race played out and seeing all of the carnage that took place, I think we would have had a different strategy going in if we would have known. It was nice to get the stage points. Those Playoff points will be good to have if we can survive the next two weeks.”
FAST, TWO-MILE TRACK AT MICHIGAN. YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE RACE?
“I don’t know, honestly. I’ve been really focused on these road course races. Trying to get up to speed on what we’re going to have for a racing surface. The last time the sport did anything surface-wise to a track was at Nashville Superspeedway when we put the resin down, so I am curious to see if the track is getting left alone or if anything is going to be applied. The resin seemed to work really well when we raced at Nashville Superspeedway on that concrete oval.”
YOU’RE A FORMER WINNER AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY…
“Yeah, it was really fun the last time we ran a NASCAR Xfinity Series car there. We were able to find Victory Lane with RCR, so I’m excited to be heading back to Michigan. I’ll be in both the NASCAR Cup Series car and I’m racing a Xfinity Series car for Our Motorsports. I’m excited to get back to Michigan and get some laps in both cars. Running the Xfinity Series race will hopefully be an advantage for Sunday and provide a way for me to get some insight into the characteristics of this tire with whatever application they decide to put on the track. I’m just excited to get back to Michigan. I forget that I haven’t run a Xfinity Series car there since I won in 2019. It’s just a neat place. A lot of power, and fighting dirty air is wild. It should be a fun trip.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 12th IN STANDINGS
“Definitely excited to go to Michigan. Last year we were fast, so this year I think we know our program for that style racetrack is really strong and think we could be really good. Excited to go there and hopefully contend for a win. It’s really cool to go to Ally’s backyard, Chevrolet’s backyard and really everyone’s backyards. Everyone has a little bit of added pressure to try to win there and hopefully we can get it done.”
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
“I am really looking forward to getting to Michigan. Obviously, it’s my home state and one of the first tracks that I went to as a fan in the stands. That gave me the passion for wanting to do this every day. We are looking to continue our great runs on 550 tracks this weekend. Ally’s presence there and Chevrolet’s, having success at Michigan is super important for us on Sunday.”
“There is never a bad time to have three wins in the hopper. The big thing is that you want to cap off these races at Michigan and Daytona with momentum. After Watkins Glen we were down a little bit, but I think we are getting back to where we need to be. We need that momentum to go into the start of the playoffs. That is our focus right now. We don’t want to plan to far ahead of us, because you have to take each race and keep building on it.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 13th IN STANDINGS
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY?
“We had a strong Chevy at Michigan International Speedway last year, and I expect the same this year. I’m really looking forward to the race. Michigan is a place we’ve run well at in the past, and it’s a place we’ve circled to try and win and lock ourselves into the NASCAR Playoffs.”
FANS HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO SEE A RACE AT MICHIGAN IN PERSON IN TWO YEARS. TALK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF RACING THERE AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO?
“Michigan has been a fun race for us on the No. 3 team the last couple of years, so we always circle it. We are really focused on this one and the points situation we’re in, we like going to places where we’ve had success in the past. Everybody at RCR has put a lot of focus on our car for that weekend, knowing it’s a good place for us. We’d like to go there and show out for our partners at Dow and Chevrolet since they are based in Michigan. Chevrolet is in Detroit and Dow is based out of Midland, so it’s always good to put on a show for everyone that helps us get to the track each and every weekend. We’re also looking forward to spending time with our friends at AstraZeneca since this is a big race for BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol.
YOU’VE BEEN HITTING THE GYM PRETTY HARD. WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR YOUR MENTALITY IN A HIGH-PRESSURE SITUATION?
“Hopefully, in any situation in the car, you feel good. You don’t want to have a point where you don’t feel strong enough to be the same driver every lap. Anytime you can put yourself in a better situation with your heart rate and everything, health-wise, I think it’s better. You are more clear, mentally. I’ve been back at the gym with our trainer and it’s a little more based on what I do in the car and staying more mobile and keeping my body right, so I’m stretched out and feel good when I get in the race car. Healthy is a good thing.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 24th IN STANDINGS
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON GOING TO THE PITBULL CONCERT AND THE MICHIGAN RACE IN THE SAME WEEKEND?
“I think this is going to be very, very cool especially since we can do it as part of our race weekend. It’s not going to be just a concert; it’s going to be everything around it and the race at Michigan. I’m really
looking forward to seeing him do his thing.
HAVE YOU ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW PITBULL THIS YEAR?
“It’s been a lot of fun. I was very fortunate to meet him in the past, but I didn’t get to know him to this level as I do now. He is a role model, man. He is the perfect example of somebody who works very, very hard and is successful. He came from nothing to something great. I really admire the way he represents himself.”
DESCRIBE WHAT IT TAKES FOR SUCCESS AT MICHIGAN?
“Michigan is the kind of racetrack where you have to have a lot of straightaway speed and try to be as good as possible in the corners. You have to have a good downforce car in combination with drag to be able to go fast in the straightaways.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MICHIGAN MEMORY?
“Michigan is where I got my first Xfinity win, so it’s special to me. You don’t forget moments like that.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 MEDALLION BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 25th IN STANDINGS
THOUGHTS HEADING INTO YOUR HOMETOWN TRACK OF MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY?
“I always get pumped up to go to Michigan (International Speedway). For me, growing up about an hour away from there, the fan support I have there is unmatched. Not only that, but getting to go home and see friends and family, spend the week up there, and getting to do some cool stuff. There is a lot of neat events going on during that week in Flint and the surrounding areas with the Back to The Bricks and the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit. I have a lot of events going on and for me, having all that happening and getting to be a part of some of it is usually pretty cool.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2020): 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 (1949-2020): 32
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most Recent: Chase Elliott (2020)
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
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2021 STATISTICS:
Wins: 13
Poles: 5
Laps Led: 2,524
Top-five finishes: 49
Top-10 finishes: 108
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 808 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 722
Laps led to date: 239,229
Top-five finishes to date: 4,114
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,510
Stage wins: 22 – Chase Elliott (Daytona RC), William Byron (Homestead, Pocono 2, Road America), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville), Kurt Busch (Nashville, Pocono 1, Atlanta 2), Tyler Reddick (Road America, Indy RC x2)
Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date
General Motors: 1,142 Chevrolet: 808 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 809 Ford: 709 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 158
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and 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.
