5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Kevin Meendering (interim)
Standings: 6th
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
RICHMOND RECAP: With qualifying at Richmond Raceway canceled due to rain, Larson started ninth, per the NASCAR Cup Series rule book. After finishing stage one in second, he took the lead for the first time in stage two on lap 124. Larson reported that his No. 5 Chevy was becoming tight in the latter part of the stage before finishing the segment in eighth. In the final stage, he maintained a top-five position before a caution fell with 28 laps to go. A blistering 10.18-second four-tire pit stop (their best of the day) under yellow on lap 375 by the HendrickCars.com pit crew gave Larson the lead off of pit road and he didn’t look back for his first win of the season. The team’s five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).
WHAT THE WIN MEANS: Sunday’s triumph marks Larson’s 20th Cup Series victory in his 302nd start. He is now tied for 42nd on the all-time Cup Series wins list. Larson’s 14 wins at Hendrick Motorsports are the fourth-most in team history and the most in the series since the start of the 2021 season. The Richmond win is also his third career short-track victory in the Cup Series and second at the .75-mile track.
OUT IN FRONT: With 93 laps led at Richmond, Larson has now been at the front of the field for 363 laps through the first seven races in 2023. That total ranks second to Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron’s 385 laps led.
STUDYING THE STATS: The Elk Grove, California, native is also second to Byron this year for most laps run in the top five (971) and is fourth for most laps run in the top 10 (1,209). Larson, along with teammates Alex Bowman and Byron, are three of the six drivers tied for second with three top-five finishes on the season. In addition, Larson’s average running position of 10.00 is the sixth-best mark in the series.
TAKING TO THE BRISTOL DIRT: This Sunday, Larson returns to the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt. Last April, he led 27 laps, won the first stage and earned a fourth-place finish in his second start at the dirt Bristol, Tennessee, track. In the two years of Cup Series dirt races at Bristol, Larson has run the 10th-most laps in the top five (148) on this particular layout of the .533-mile track. A fifth-place finish at last year’s fall race on the concrete surface of Bristol saw the 30-year-old earn the distinction as the only driver to finish in the top five in both the dirt and concrete races in 2022. He also earned a victory on the concrete layout of Bristol in 2021.
DIRT DETAILS: As a young driver, Larson rose up through the dirt track racing ranks before establishing himself as one of motorsport’s most respected drivers on pavement and dirt. He showcased his dirt expertise in his 2016 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win at Eldora Speedway. In 2021, Larson won many marquee dirt races including the Chili Bowl (of which he is a two-time winner), Kings Royal, Prairie Dirt Classic and the Knoxville Nationals. The champion of the 2021 Cup Series continues to compete on dirt tracks in addition to this NASCAR schedule. He is set to participate in the upcoming 2023 High Limit Sprint Car Series, which commences on April 11th at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas. He will also be hosting the Kyle Larson Late Model Challenge on Thursday at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee.
HELLO HENDRICKCARS.COM: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, but you can pick up your own keys from any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 95 dealerships nationwide. Customers can also shop from the convenience of their home selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com.
HENDRICK IS HIRING: Join 10,000+ others nationwide in working at Hendrick Automotive Group. Hendrick is hiring technicians and other positions at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Individuals who are interested can apply at HendrickCars.com.
9 JOSH BERRY
Age: 32 (Oct. 22, 1990)
Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Tom Gray (interim)
Standings: 20th (owner’s points)
No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
RUNNER-UP SHOWING IN RICHMOND: In his fourth race filling in as the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the injured Chase Elliott, Josh Berry scored a career-best runner-up finish in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway. Berry overcame a spin in the second stage to earn his first top-five finish in the Cup Series after a strategy call by the team paid off, giving the 32-year-old driver prime track position and fresh tires late in the race. The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular became the 26th different driver to score a top-five finish with Hendrick Motorsports and the 13th driver to record at least two top-10s through four starts with the team.
BRISTOL CONSISTENCY: The No. 9 team has two top-10 efforts in the two races held on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. Elliott was one of only three drivers, including teammate Kyle Larson, to finish inside the top 10 in both Cup Series events held at Bristol in 2022. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native finished eighth on the dirt before adding a second-place finish on the concrete track in September.
BERRY BACKGROUND: Berry has 69 career Xfinity Series starts to his name, with five victories, 20 top-five finishes, 40 top-10s and 657 laps led. The 2022 season marked his first full-time Xfinity season with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports. He earned three wins and advanced to the Championship 4, ultimately placing fourth in the series standings. This season, the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native has impressed with three top-five results and six top-10s in the first seven Xfinity Series races. In his four Cup starts with Hendrick Motorsports, Berry has compiled one top-five finish, two top-10s and 10 laps led.
DIRT TRUCKIN’: Berry has one NASCAR national series start on dirt, having competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Knoxville Raceway in 2021. After winning his heat race, Berry lined up in 11th for the feature event and ran as high as second. He finished third in stage one and eighth in stage two before getting involved in a late-race multi-truck incident that relegated him to a 28th-place finish.
HOOTERS IS BACK: Hooters will serve as the primary partner of the No. 9 team this Sunday at Bristol – its first of three races in 2023. Hooters will be back later this season at the Chicago Street Course in July and at Homestead-Miami Speedway in October during the playoffs. Earlier this year as part of the company’s 40th anniversary, Hooters unveiled a special Night Owl paint scheme for the 2023 season. Get a look at all the angles of the No. 9 Hooters Night Owl Chevrolet here.
JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE: This Saturday, April 8, Berry, along with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Larson, will make an appearance at the Hooters of Johnson City, Tennessee (2288 N. Roane Street). Berry and Larson will sign autographs starting at 11 a.m. ET. The No. 9 Hooters Night Owl Chevrolet will also make an appearance. Each of the first 100 fans to arrive will receive a free appetizer.
WHEN THE NO. 9 WINS, YOU WIN: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles when the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team finishes in the top 10. If the No. 9 team wins, customers receive 10 free wings with any 10-wing purchase. Get more details at hooters.com/racing.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Brian Campe (interim)
Standings: 4th
No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
RE-LIVING RICHMOND: With rain canceling NASCAR Cup Series qualifying and the lineup set by the metric formula, William Byron rolled off third for Sunday’s race at Richmond Raceway. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native quickly took over the lead and captured the stage one win. He continued to run within the top five for the majority of stage two, ultimately collecting stage points in third. Utilizing pit strategy during the final stage, Byron took the lead again, this time with 34 laps to go and looked poised to take home his third win of the season before being collected in an on-track incident. He was able to finish the race but was scored with a 24th-place result. After seven races in 2023, Byron is now fourth in the driver point standings, 35 markers behind leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Alex Bowman.
24 IN ’23: Byron and the No. 24 team are off to a hot start in the 2023 Cup Series season. So far, the sixth-year Cup Series driver tops most statistical categories including laps led (385), wins (two), stage wins (five), average running position (7.08) and laps run in the top five (1,139). Byron is also tied for the most top-10 finishes in a stage (10) and is second for laps run in the top 10 (1,309).
STAGE WINNER: After winning stage one at Richmond this past Sunday, Byron now has five stage wins in 2023 – his most in a single season. In fact, his five stage wins this year are the most all-time by a driver through seven races. Byron has now won stage one in four of the last five races this season.
AWESOME AVERAGE: Through seven races, Byron’s 7.08 average running position is the best in the field. Four of his seven best Cup Series races based on average running position have come in the last five races (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, Circuit of The Americas and Richmond).
SLINGIN’ DIRT: This weekend’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway will mark the third time that the Cup Series will race on dirt at the Tennessee venue. Byron’s best showing came in 2021 where he started eighth and raced to a sixth-place finish. In those two races combined, Byron has the sixth-most laps run in the top five (170) and the fifth-most laps run in the top 10 (260). He does have one other start on dirt at the national level of NASCAR. In 2016, Byron competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway. After finishing fourth in his heat race, Byron went on to score a top-15 finish, crossing the finish line in 14th.
DOUBLE UP: In addition to his full-time driving duties in the Cup Series behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Byron will also compete in the Truck Series dirt race at Bristol with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). While this is the second time Byron has pulled double duty in 2023, this will be his first time in the Truck Series since his win at Martinsville Speedway in 2022. Running the No. 51 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado on Saturday, Byron is returning to the team that he raced for in his NASCAR national series debut. After making one start in 2015, Byron won an unprecedented seven races in 2016 en route to collecting rookie of the year honors and narrowly missing the Championship 4 race. He went on to help KBM win the owner’s championship the following weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
GOT 99 PROBLEMS, BUT WINNING AIN’T ONE: With his two victories to start the year, Byron continues to make his mark on the legacy of the No. 24 at the Cup Series level. Those two wins bring the No. 24 one victory away from 100. Currently fifth with 99 wins, the No. 24 is only behind the No. 3 with 101, the No. 2 with 102 wins, the No. 43 with 200 wins and the No. 11 with 228 wins on the all-time list.
RAPTOR® TOUGH: While he was close to putting the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevy in victory lane again, Byron has another shot to get it done when he climbs behind the wheel for Sunday’s dirt race at Bristol. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of items, including truck beds, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and more. With 16 pre-mixed colors available, it’s easy to personalize anything you want to protect. RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores, and online retailers. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives (interim)
Standings: 1st
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
RICHMOND IN THE REARVIEW: Last Sunday at Richmond Raceway, Alex Bowman started the 400-lap race from the top starting spot per the NASCAR rule book after qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 finished the first and second stage in seventh en route to his eighth-place result. His finishing position marked his series-best sixth top-10 result this season.
MARQUEE MAN: Through seven NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023, Bowman is currently the regular season points leader, four markers ahead of the second-place driver. His top spot in the standings is a result of series-leading statistics for average finishing position (7.14) and top-10 finishes (six) as well as the second-most top-five finishes (three). Bowman’s average finish is better by more than two spots over the next closest competitor. The 29-year-old is one of four drivers to complete every lap raced this season.
ABOVE AVERAGE: Bowman’s average finish of 7.14 at this point in the season etches his name in Hendrick Motorsports’ history books. The Tucson, Arizona, native’s mark ties him for the seventh-best average finish (with Jimmie Johnson in 2013) through seven races in a season for the Rick Hendrick-owned organization. Bowman follows Johnson (3.86 in 2005 and 6.43 in 2016), Jeff Gordon (4.57 in 2009 and 5.00 in 2007), Ricky Rudd (5.43 in 1991), and Terry Labonte (6.43 in 1997) in this statistical category for the team.
STAT PACK: Bowman’s average running position of 9.36 ranks third in the Cup Series. In the 14 stages run this season, he has nine top-10 finishes and that is tied for fourth with three other drivers. In addition, Bowman has the sixth-most laps run in the top five (581) and the seventh-most laps run in the top 10 (1,095) this season.
DOWNRIGHT DIRTY: This Sunday, Bowman will make his third start on the dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. When “The Last Great Colosseum” is covered in dirt, he has started in the top 10 in both appearances – seventh in 2021 and eighth in 2022. In last year’s event, Bowman notched a sixth-place finish in the first stage before taking the checkered flag in sixth.
PIT POWER: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew holds the fifth-fastest pit stop of the 2023 season. On lap 185 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the five-man crew made a four-tire pit stop of 9.776 seconds. The over-the-wall crew is made up of rear-tire changer Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Allen Holman (jackman), Scott Riddle (tire carrier) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).
SAVE THEM ALL: Bowman and primary partner Ally are teaming up this year to bring back the Best Friends Animal Society donation effort. This week, the duo will make charitable contributions to the Morristown Hamblen Humane Society, which serves the local community in Bristol. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and the Morristown Hamblen Humane Society. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.
SUNDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will adorn two versions of its primary scheme during the 2023 Cup Series season. This weekend, the No. 48 Ally Chevy will adorn the “night” scheme for the first time this season. The black-based “night” scheme features plum and grapefruit stripes down the side with the sponsor in white lettering and the number in seafoam. The No. 48 Ally Chevy “day” scheme hosts a white base with a similar design to its nighttime counterpart. Check out all the angles of the new look here.
HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
Hendrick Motorsports
| 2023 | All-Time | Bristol (Dirt) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Races | 7 | 1,316 | 2 |
| Wins | 3* | 294* | 0 |
| Poles | 3* | 242* | 0 |
| Top 5 | 11* | 1,201* | 1 |
| Top 10 | 15* | 2,060* | 5* |
| Laps Led | 798* | 78,115* | 27 |
| Stage Wins | 6* | 85 | 1** |
*Most **Most (tie)
CLOSING IN ON 300: With Kyle Larson’s win at Richmond Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports is six points-paying victories away from 300 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 294 wins, which is the most in the sport by any one team. The team’s three wins this season lead the series and are part of Hendrick Motorsports’ 36th multi-win season in the Cup Series. In each of the last 30 seasons, the organization has won at least two races.
ATOP THE BOX: For this weekend’s race, Kevin Meendering (No. 5), Tom Gray (No. 9), Brian Campe (No. 24) and Greg Ives (No. 48) will continue to fill in as crew chiefs. While Hendrick Motorsports recouped all of its driver, owner and playoff points in the appeal process, the crew chief suspensions remained. Meendering and Ives have a wide range of experience as crew chiefs and currently lead the organization’s NASCAR Xfinity Series efforts. In fact, Meendering was the winning crew chief on Sunday at Richmond. Gray is the former lead engineer on the No. 9, while Campe is Hendrick Motorsports’ technical director. Cliff Daniels (No. 5), Alan Gustafson (No. 9), Rudy Fugle (No. 24) and Blake Harris (No. 48) will return next weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
FORMAT FOCUS: Four qualifying heat races on Saturday night will set the lineup for Sunday’s main event on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt. In the qualifying heats, drivers will be awarded race finishing position points and passing points. The total of those will set the lineup for Sunday’s main event. The driver with the most combined points will earn the pole position. The race finishing position points are awarded from 10 points for first in each qualifying race to one point for 10th or two points for ninth (depending on how many cars are in a particular heat race). Passing points are the difference between the assigned starting position and finishing position. If a driver goes forward in the qualifying heat, they earn passing points. If a driver goes backward or finishes where they started, no passing points are awarded.
TALES FROM THE DIRT: In last year’s dirt race at Bristol, Hendrick Motorsports placed three of its drivers in the top 10. Larson finished a team-best fourth and won stage one. Alex Bowman placed sixth and Chase Elliott took eighth. The organization is the only one to have at least three drivers finish in the top 10 there. In the inaugural running of the dirt race in 2021, William Byron finished sixth, while Elliott took home a 10th-place result. The team’s five top-10 finishes are the most among all teams in the two years of this event.
LEADERS OF THE PACK: To date, the organization has led 46% of all laps raced (798 of 1,735) in 2023. This season is the first time since 2007 that two drivers in the Hendrick Motorsports stable have led over 350 laps through seven races. Byron (385 laps led) and Larson (363 laps led) have done just that and rank one-two in laps led. This was also accomplished in 2007 with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and 1996 with Gordon and Terry Labonte. Both ’96 and ’07 resulted in two of the 14 Cup Series championships won by the Concord, North Carolina, based team.
TOP FIVE JIVE: Through seven races this season, Hendrick Motorsports has 11 top-five finishes – best in the series. That mark is tied for the most in team history at this point in the season. In 2007 and 2010, the organization also had 11 top-five finishes through seven races. What was one thing the ’07 and ’10 seasons had in common? They each ended in a Cup Series driver and owner championship for team owner Rick Hendrick.
STAGE SAVANTS: With six stage wins in 2023, Hendrick Motorsports has the most stage wins in the series. Those stage wins have come between two drivers – Byron (five) and Larson (one).
NIGHT SHIFT: Last year saw the organization win two of the six night races run, which was tied for the most in the series. Byron won at Martinsville in April, while Elliott took the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway in June. The 2023 schedule has eight night races on the docket.
ON THIS DATE: The last two races held on April 9 have been won by the all-time winningest team in the Cup Series garage. In 2022, Byron won at Martinsville and in 2017, Johnson won at Texas Motor Speedway.
WINNING WAYS: Since the start of the 2021 season, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers rank among the top-five winningest drivers in the Cup Series. Larson’s 14 wins top the board, followed by Elliott’s seven. Byron and Bowman are tied for fourth with five victories each.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on if his dirt experience gives him an advantage this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway: “I definitely get excited to go to Bristol for the dirt race. People probably look at me being a favorite, but it’s so different than the dirt racing that I do throughout the week. I don’t really feel like I have an advantage like some people might think. Either way, I know our race cars are fast everywhere we go, so that gives me the most confidence. Hopefully, the track conditions are right, we can put on a good race and I can find my way to the front. Getting a win there would be pretty neat.”
Josh Berry, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the dirt race at Bristol: “The Bristol dirt race will be another new experience for me, but I’m excited to get there and see what we can do. I gained a little bit of dirt experience in the (CRAFTSMAN) Truck Series at Knoxville Raceway a couple years ago, so hopefully I can apply some of what I learned there. If we can continue to improve throughout the weekend, we’ll have a great shot at getting Hooters Chevrolet towards the front by the end.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on having extra track time at Bristol: “Bristol dirt has been a tough challenge for me. The first year it raced more like an asphalt track with how slick it got and it took on rubber. Last year, they did better with the track surface. It was more like a traditional dirt track, which didn’t really help me much. This year, I’m running the truck race with KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) and I’m excited to do that. I’m hoping those extra laps will help me on Sunday. I’m looking forward to having three days of on track time to have it really figured out for Sunday.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to the dirt race at Bristol: “This race is always interesting. From the first year to last year, NASCAR did a good job of making some improvements and making the racing product better. Last year went pretty well for us finishing sixth. We have a better idea of what we need to have a good No. 48 Ally Chevy, but part of it is just keeping the race car out of the chaos. We have had a lot of fast Chevys this season and I think we will have another one this weekend, but we will find out Sunday.”
