TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Pocono Raceway
Long Pond, Pennsylvania
July 22-23, 2023
TRIPLE AT THE “TRICKY TRIANGLE”
All three NASCAR national series will join together this weekend to take on one of the most unique tracks on the circuit – the 2.5-mile, three-turn Pocono Raceway. The Pennsylvania oval famously known as the “Tricky Triangle” has been a piece of NASCAR’s history for over 50 years with Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 marking the NASCAR Cup Series’ (NCS) 90th appearance at the circuit. Saturday’s on-track action will feature back-to-back races for two of NASCAR’s top series – kicking off with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ (NCTS) CRC Brakleen 150, followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ (NXS) Explore The Pocono Mountains 225.
This weekend is the first time that NASCAR’s three national series will compete at the same track since Nashville Superspeedway one month ago – a tripleheader that saw Chevrolet sweep the weekend’s wins. A feat that only the Bowtie brand has accomplished this season, the manufacturer is heading to Pocono Raceway seeking its fifth NASCAR tripleheader weekend sweep of the season.
A WINNING HISTORY
Chevrolet has a history of success at Pocono Raceway – leading the series with 34 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins at the “Tricky Triangle”. Benny Parsons gave Chevrolet its first win in NASCAR’s premier series at the Pennsylvania venue in 1977. Of those series-leading triumphs includes a streak of six consecutive trips to victory lane – a run that started with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon’s final NCS win at the track in August 2012. While looking for his ticket to claim a playoff berth, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott delivered Chevrolet the victory in the series’ most recent appearance at the track one year ago.
Hendrick Motorsports also leads the series in wins at Pocono Raceway with eight different drivers giving the organization a combined 18 victories. Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon contributed to six of those triumphs – a series-leading win record that still stands today.
FIRST-TIME WINNERS
Chevrolet etched its name in the history books as the inaugural winners in two of NASCAR’s national series at Pocono Raceway. The NASCAR Xfinity Series has a short history at the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania oval – first competing at the track in June 2016 with Kyle Larson driving the Bowtie brand to the victory. Since then, the series has made seven appearances at Pocono Raceway with Noah Gragson driving the No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SS to the win one year ago.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series made its debut at the “Tricky Triangle” in July 2010 – a race that saw Elliott Sadler drive a Chevrolet Silverado for team owner Kevin Harvick to the win. Five different drivers have taken Chevrolet to victory lane in the series’ 13 race history at Pocono Raceway – most recently by Team Chevy NCS regular Ross Chastain behind the wheel of a Niece Motorsports Silverado (July 2019).
POCONO MARKS TWO-TO-GO FOR NCTS’ REGULAR SEASON
Only two chances remain for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers to keep their championship title hopes alive – with four spots remaining to either win or point their way into the 10-driver playoff field. Of the six drivers that have already claimed a playoff berth by virtue of a win, three come from Chevrolet camp including GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes and Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar – all of which have reached victory lane twice this season. Two more Chevrolet drivers will enter the race weekend above the playoff cutline with Rackley WAR’s Matt DiBenedetto in eighth (+5 points) and Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez in ninth (+2 points).
DOUBLING UP
Four of Chevrolet’s NASCAR Cup Series regulars will get double the seat time this weekend with Chase Elliott and Ty Dillon joining the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain taking on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
· Chase Elliott will make his return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time in nearly two years – taking his turn behind the wheel of the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS. This will mark the third start for the team’s No. 17 entry – with Elliott’s teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson both recording podium finishes earlier this season. The 27-year-old Georgia native has a strong resume in the series – collecting five victories and a championship title (2014) with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate team JR Motorsports.
· Daniel Suarez will take over the driving duties for the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS this weekend to make his second NXS start of the season. Suarez has three career NXS wins on his resume – all off of which came in 2016 en route to the championship title. He will be the ninth different Team Chevy driver to get behind the wheel of Kaulig Racing’s “All-Star” NXS entry this season, joining fellow Team Chevy drivers Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Derek Kraus, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Haley, Kyle Larson, Jordan Taylor and car owner Justin Marks. The No. 10 Camaro SS has been no stranger to victory lane this season with Allmendinger and Larson earning a combined three triumphs for the team.
· Ty Dillon will return to the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) NXS stable to make his second start of the season behind the wheel of the No. 3 Camaro SS. The 31-year-old North Carolina native has 135 career NXS starts in the RCR entry – collecting 84 top-10 finishes. The No. 3 RCR Camaro SS made its series’ debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2002 and the entry has since seen an elite group of drivers behind the wheel including the Dillon brothers (Ty and Austin), Mike Porter, Jeff Green, Ron Hornaday Jr., Steve Park and Shane Lee.
· Kyle Busch will make his final NCTS start of the season this weekend – getting back behind the wheel of his No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) Silverado RST. In three of his four NCTS starts of the season, the Team Chevy driver has finished no worse than second-place, including a win at his hometown track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 2023). Busch has recorded 63 career NCTS wins – claiming the title as the winningest driver in the series’ history.
· Ross Chastain will return to the seat of the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Silverado RST this weekend for his seventh NCTS start of the season. The 30-year-old Florida native has powered the team to a pole win (COTA) and two top-five finishes (COTA and Kansas) in the series this season. Chastain has four career NCTS wins to his name – all recorded behind the wheel of a Niece Motorsports Chevrolet-powered machine.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Chevrolet will pace the field in the tripleheader race weekend at Pocono Raceway. The Silverado RST lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in Saturday’s CRC Brakleen 150; the Camaro SS 1LE will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Explore The Pocono Mountains 225; and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400.
· Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to record a sweep of the weekend’s wins when all three NASCAR national series are in competition on the same weekend. The feat was most recently accomplished at Nashville Superspeedway – marking the manufacturer’s fourth tripleheader sweep of the season.
· NASCAR Cup Series victories by active Chevrolet drivers at Pocono Raceway:
Kyle Busch – four wins (2021, 2019, 2018, 2017)
Chase Elliott – one win (2022)
Alex Bowman – one win (2021)
· In 89 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Pocono Raceway, Chevrolet has recorded 34 victories and 34 poles – both of which are series-best feats.
· Only four drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are repeat winners this season – three of which come from Team Chevy:
William Byron: series-leading four wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington & Atlanta 2)
Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)
Kyle Larson: two wins (Richmond & Martinsville)
· In 20 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (12), top-fives (48), top-10s (88), stage wins (17) and laps led (2,255).
· Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 12 victories in 20 NASCAR Cup Series races, nine victories in 18 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and eight wins in 14 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.
· With William Byron’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 297 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.
· Chevrolet’s series-leading 12 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).
· Chevrolet drivers have recorded 17 of the 40 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (seven; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (two), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).
· Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 67 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 45 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 37 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
· With Grant Enfinger’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway, GMS Racing is now the winningest Chevrolet organization in NCTS’ history with 44 all-time wins in the series.
· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 845 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
FOR THE FANS:
· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Pocono Raceway.
· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Corvette Stingray Convertible, Camaro ZL1 Coupe, Equinox RS, Blazer RS, Tahoe High Country, Silverado ZR2, Silverado 1500 Crew ZR2 4WD.
· Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car, as well as a custom military appreciation airbrushed Silverado.
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:
Friday, July 21
· Andrés Pérez de Lara: 1:45 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, July 22
· Stefan Parsons: 9 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
· Grant Enfinger & Rajah Caruth: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
· Nick Sanchez: 9:45 a.m. – 10 a.m.
· Carson Hocevar & Lawless Alan: 10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
· AJ Allmendinger: 12:45 p.m. – 1 p.m.
· Daniel Hemric: 2:45 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, July 23
· Erik Jones: 11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
· Austin Dillon: 11:30 a.m. – 11: 45 a.m.
· William Byron: 11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.
· BJ McLeod: 12 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
· Friday, July 21: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
· Saturday, July 22: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
· Sunday, July 23: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
TUNE IN:
· NASCAR Cup Series: HighPoint.com 400
Sunday, July 23, at 2:30 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
· NASCAR Xfinity Series: Pocono 225
Saturday, July 22, at 5:30 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
· NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: CRC Brakleen 150
Saturday, July 22, at 12 p.m. ET
(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1
It seems you have a busy week of racing this week, can you talk about that?
“I’m headed to the northeast a little bit early to do some dirt racing on Thursday night at Utica-Rome Speedway in New York. I don’t have a lot of experience on dirt so I just go out there with the mindset to learn something every lap. Then I’ll drive over to Pocono to get in the No. 41 truck for Niece Motorsports to get some extra track time. We had a pretty good car at Pocono last year towards the end of the race so I’m hoping we can get a strong finish for Worldwide Express.”
With the Playoffs coming up here in a few weeks, how do you approach those?
“For me personally, I prepare the same every week whether it’s a regular season or playoff race. Preparation is key for me. It’s not just simulator work, it’s physical fitness, eating correctly, getting the proper amount of rest, all of those things. To really put your best foot forward I feel you need look at it as a whole. Not just put a bunch of extra time and effort into one thing but try to be well-rounded. At some point there’s only so much you can do though. But I want to control what I can control and the rest is just going to happen.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1
What has been the biggest challenge for you at Pocono Raceway?
“Pocono Raceway is very technical. The tunnel turn is my biggest challenge. It’s a high speed turn and over the years it’s gotten rough with the track tunnel underneath it. The bumps going over the tunnel turn are noticeable, and you need your car balanced well through that turn. I love the other end of the track. You have the flat end in turn three and turn a lot through that corner. Going into turn one there’s a lot of banking there, you’re drafting down the front straight so you’re carrying a lot of speed into turn 1 so you have to set yourself up to drive into turn 1 and get to the bottom and drive off to head to the tunnel turn.”
Last year you finished 10th at Pocono Raceway. What are your expectations this weekend?
“I think we should cut last year’s finish in half or try and win. Right now, we’re in a situation where we have to win to make the playoffs. In 2022 we had a good car and my team stayed on top of track conditions. This allowed us to adjust our Chevrolet’s balance to pass cars at the end of the race and finish 10th. At the 2-mile tracks, I feel we made good progress last year. We’ll have to be aggressive on fuel strategy and have a clean day on pit road. I think we have a shot at a win or a top 5 finish.”
Are there any special challenges to track that have three turns and not 4 turns?
“There are three different corners in the tricky triangle, making it difficult to solve. You know you’ll have to give up some on one end to be better at the other. To have a car that handles average in all three turns is key. I think there is one end that is more important than the other when looking at the data. Sometimes it changes when you race. When we thought we would be okay in turn three and actually our most important turn was the first. It’s interesting how those subtle changes happen from race to race.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Larson on his recent results at Pocono Raceway:
“The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team almost got a win there (at Pocono Raceway) in 2021 and we got a top-five finish there last year. Hopefully, we can get a win there this year.”
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Daniels on the team’s approach at Pocono:
“We are looking forward to going to Pocono (Raceway). It’s been a pretty good track for us. We had a tough finish there in 2021 when we were on a streak of wins and then it kind of slipped away from us. We certainly know how tricky the track can be – no pun intended there for what its nickname is. It’s usually a challenge there in all three corners, very unique and different. Kyle (Larson) has a knack for unique tracks and can pretty much adapt anywhere. We have just got to give him a good car, make sure we execute a good race and hopefully we will be in good shape.”
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 LENOVO CAMARO ZL1
Your first win at Pocono didn’t come until 2017, but then you ripped off three wins in four races. Did something just click for you?
“Around the 2014 timeframe Pocono really started to click and we really started to get our program straightened out and better there for what I like and for what I need to be able to be fast. That was with Dave Rogers and then we went into 2015 with Adam Stevens and kind of evolved on what we were doing and how our setup was and things just clicked. We probably should have won four more races from 2015 all the way through last year. We’ve had some really, really strong runs at Pocono. I’ve come to enjoy the track and be fast there and that always makes things fun.”
Do you think there is one area of the track that’s most important at Pocono?
“Everything is important at Pocono. There’s just so much time there that can be gained because the track is so big that if you mess up in Turn 1 that can be a huge hit all the way down the back straightaway or if you mess up in Turn 3, that can be costly with the length of how long the front straightway is. You definitely want to be good everywhere and make the most of your day.”
How important is it to manage the restarts because cars can go three and four-wide into Turn 1?
“Restarts are tough at Pocono just because it’s so hard for the spotters to see and the cars are pretty equal. Guys pulling out of line and getting runs on you or laying back on the restart zone in order to be able to manipulate it to make a run at you to get alongside of you before getting to Turn 1. That’s always difficult. You’re always trying to play protector and kind of block the guys behind you making those moves. You’ve always got to be looking out front trying to make the moves yourself, but then also looking out back and trying to watch those moves being made on you. You’ve got to stay on top of all that. Restarts are kind of tricky and it doesn’t just relate to down the front straightaway and Turn 1. It’s also off Turn 2 and into Turn 3. I feel like that’s where a lot of action kind of happens, too, because it really narrows up in Turn 2 and the track is really rough over there. You really don’t want to be going through there side-by-side and take a chance to being next to someone.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
Elliott on what it would mean to be the driver to put the No. 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series entry in victory lane with everything that number means to the Hendrick family:
“I think that’s the big thing. It is special to not only Rick (Hendrick), but Linda (Hendrick) too. Driving for them and knowing how much it means to them to have that car on track would be great. I know they’ve been super close (to winning) and probably should have a couple by now, so hopefully we can start racking them up for them.”
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
Gustafson on Elliott racing double duty this weekend and the team’s outlook for Pocono:
“The cars are so different now. I think before the Next Gen, the two series were much closer to be able to take some things setup wise and information wise, and certainly line wise for Chase (Elliott). That said, anytime you’re racing something it is still beneficial. He can certainly learn something and going through the experience is good. I think they’ll have an opportunity to win the race, so I think that’s good. Certainly, a capable bunch and the car has run so well. They just have had tough circumstances, so hopefully he can win. For us on this No. 9 team, we’re focused on trying to get our car dialed in and driving well. We want to have as much pace as we can and execute a good race on Sunday.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1
“Pocono is definitely one of the most unique, tougher racetracks that we go to with all three corners being completely different. I think this is a track that track position is key, but because of how long the track is, strategy is really important. I’m looking forward to the challenge of it. Our speed at bigger racetracks has been good this year and Pocono is a track that if we get right, we can get some good points at. Hopefully we unload solid and have speed to put together a good race and rebound from last week.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
Byron on rebounding at Pocono:
“While we didn’t have our strongest race last weekend at New Hampshire (Motor Speedway), I’m confident in my team that we’ll rebound at Pocono (Raceway). We’ve always had fast cars there not only as a team but as an organization as well. Rudy (Fugle) and I have a win there in trucks and we came close in 2021 to getting two wins in the doubleheader weekend. Heading to a track that we’ve been traditionally really good at helps to bring that momentum back for everyone after a tough weekend. I’m just excited to get on track and put New Hampshire behind us.”
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
Fugle on what is the most challenging aspect about racing at Pocono:
“I’ve always enjoyed racing at Pocono Raceway and I know William (Byron) has as well. While the track has three different corners with their own characteristics, we traditionally have always thought that you had to ‘give up’ handling in one corner to really get the other two right. I don’t think that’s as much of the case anymore. You can get turns one and three pretty similar in handling – it’s turn two that’s the hardest and what really sets you up for the rest of the lap. The whole track is rough but turn two is the most treacherous, so you have to worry a lot about the ride quality of the car and any bump contact.”
JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
“I always love going to Pocono. The speed in our cars at the bigger tracks right now is really good, so I’m happy to get on track and keep working toward great finishes. Pocono is a challenging track and so unique it makes it that much more enjoyable to drive.”
NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1
“I really like racing at Pocono. Last year when we won in Xfinity, it was probably the hardest I’ve ever driven. We put on a heck of a show. It was such a good race at the end, that win meant so much to us. I like going up there and am hoping for a good weekend.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1
“Pocono has been a good track, I have been there just as much, if not more, than any other track that I have been to in my career. I have been racing there since 2013 in ARCA cars and then up through the Truck, Xfinity, now Cup series, and I have enjoyed going every time. I feel like it has been a good track for me, and I feel like I got around there pretty well. Last year I felt like we had a good car there with a lot of speed in it, and I am hoping to have the same this year. I always like going up there, I love the track itself and the racing is fun with the way that it plays out with stages, you can mix it up with taking tires and fuel before the stage or not, taking two or four, and seeing how the fuel plays out at the end of the race is always pretty fun. I am hoping we have a good car with some speed to continue our good runs up at Pocono.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY BEST FRIENDS CAMARO ZL1
Bowman on how his past at Pocono will help him this weekend:
“Having won there (at Pocono Raceway) in 2021 and knowing what it takes to win helps a lot. Blake (Harris, crew chief) and I have been looking at past notes, leaned on our teammates’ notes to try and get the car in a good spot for practice and make adjustments from there. I’ve said it before, but this No. 48 team is really strong and there is no reason we can’t go win any given weekend. We have to keep staying focused on each race and be ready to perform when the time comes. Right now, we are focused on trying to win at Pocono (Raceway).”
BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY BEST FRIENDS CAMARO ZL1
Harris on the next few races:
“We have six races left in the regular season and Alex (Bowman) has wins at two of them, which is great for us in terms of confidence. Our team is plenty capable of contending every week but having a few tracks where Alex has found success is reassuring. Obviously, we have to take it one race at a time, stay focused on the small tasks and make sure we aren’t complacent on the easy tasks. It takes a team to win a race and our group is firing on all cylinders to punch our ticket into the top 16. Hopefully, we go get it done this Sunday at Pocono (Raceway).
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1
What are your thoughts going into the next six races with a playoff spot on the line?
“I’m optimistic. We have had good speed at most of the races recently. Sometimes we struggle a little bit with execution, but we are in a good spot right now. We know what we have to do and I’m confident we will do it.”
Is there pressure?
“This isn’t our first time being in this position. It’s fine and it’s part of racing. We can control only what we can control. We can’t control the points situation, we can only control one race at a time. There is always pressure in racing. That’s what makes it fun and why we do it.”
Do you have any races in the next six races circled as one you are most looking forward to?
“The next one. It’s always the next one.”
What are your thoughts on a busy week ahead?
“I like it. I haven’t run SRX yet so it’s going to be a new experience. I haven’t been to Stafford Speedway either. I have heard a lot about it, but this will be my first time. Xfinity is going to be fun as well. The Kaulig Chevrolet is really good and we are going to Pocono with high hopes.”
GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST
Enfinger’s thoughts on returning to Pocono Raceway:
“Pocono is one of the most unique tracks that we have on the schedule with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, and it’s definitely one of the shortest races of the year. We’ve only got 60 laps to get it done here, so qualifying up front is going to be key with how short the stage lengths are. I like racing here and had a few good runs in the ARCA days, but for some reason it’s been tough on us in the Truck Series. Jeff and the rest of the No. 23 team have been doing a bunch of homework to make some big improvements on where we were last year, and I know the chassis is one of our best that we have in our rotation, so hopefully we can right the ship and put a good run together for everyone that supports us with Champion Power Equipment, Chevrolet, and all the guys back at the shop.”
RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RST
Caruth’s thoughts on racing at Pocono Raceway:
“I’m pretty excited to go to Pocono this weekend with my experience from last year. I was passing for third in the ARCA race before it got cut short due to weather, and unfortunately had an early end to the Xfinity race the following day. I’ve got a lot of laps there from testing and the two races, so I’m feeling pretty good about it. Looking forward to getting back to another big track; I think those types of places give us a good shot at going for the win and locking ourselves into the playoffs. The men and women on our No. 24 truck, along with our partners at The Wendell Scott Foundation and Chevrolet, and Maury Gallagher, Mike Beam, Ron Booth, as well as the guys at GMS Fabrication deserve it. I think we have a good shot this weekend.”
DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 CHAMPION CONTAINER CORPORATION SILVERADO RST
Dye’s thoughts on racing at Pocono Raceway:
“I’m really looking forward to heading to Pocono this weekend; it’s close to the Champion Container home base and we will have a bunch of their employees that’ll be joining us at the track. Pocono is a place that I’ve raced at before and I enjoy racing at quite a bit, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Blake and the rest of our No. 43 team can bring to the racetrack. We’ll fight hard all day and make good changes and hopefully put on a good show for our partners and give them a run they can be proud of.”
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 51 ZARIZ TRANSPORT SILVERADO RST
KBM has been very good at Pocono in recent years. How has your team been able to be so successful there?
“Pocono is a track that we put a lot of emphasis on in our early days. When the Craftsman Truck Series first started going there, we got our butt kicked by KHI the first couple years — really, really bad — and I wasn’t too thrilled about it. So, after that, we put a lot of emphasis on getting better there and focusing on that place. We went and tested there in 2015 when Rudy (Fugle) was the crew chief with Erik Jones, and I was able to go to the test and be there as well and ever since then we’ve been really good. We went back for the race a month later and I was able to bring home the win and I think we’ve won at Pocono every year except one year since then — even had a couple of KBM 1-2 finishes along the way. This will be our first time showing up with Team Chevy, so I’m looking forward to our Silverado’s being fast out there and of course me being behind the wheel of the Zariz Transport Silverado hoping that we can get another win for them to cap off their first year as sponsor in NASCAR on a high note. If we can do that, it’ll be KBM’s 100th — it’s been talked about way too long that we’ve been trying to bring home that monumental win, so hopefully we can knock that out of the way Saturday.”
CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST
What is the trickiest part of “The Tricky Triangle?
“I would definitely say the tunnel turn. It’s rough and I think every time that you go through it guys just kind of hold their breath because it’s hard to keep your truck stable — it gets really light through there.”
How does having such short stage lengths affect how the race plays out at Pocono?
“I think it puts a bigger emphasis on qualifying. It’s important to put down a good lap because you don’t want to get behind the eight ball before the race even starts. You don’t want to have to play strategy to get yourself track position and try to contend; you want to be able to contend from the drop of the green flag. In a situation like we are in, we need to go out there and run up front, lead laps and try everything that we can to put ourselves in a position to win the race.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2022): 41
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, 2021, 2022
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2021): 33
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)
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
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2023 STATISTICS:
Wins: 12
Poles: 6
Laps Led: 2,255
Top-five finishes: 48
Top-10 finishes: 88
Stage wins: 17
· Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)
· William Byron – 7 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte)
· Kyle Larson – 2 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt)
· Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)
· Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 845 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 740
Laps led to date: 247,799
Top-five finishes to date: 4,269
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,800
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,179
Chevrolet: 845
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 822
Ford: 722
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 176
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.
