TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
GEICO 500
OCTOBER 19, 2014
CHEVROLET LOOKS TO LOCK MORE SS RACE CARS IN THE ‘ELIMINATOR’ ROUND OF THE CHASE AT TREACHEROUS TALLADEGA
Race three of the ‘Contender’ round will whittle the Chase field from 12 drivers to eight
DETROIT – (October 14, 2014) – The final race in the ‘Contender’ round portion of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will take place this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the sixth race in the final 10-race run for the series title. The 188-lap contest at the 2.66-mile track, the longest on the NASCAR tour, is famous for its unique nature, its close racing quarters and uncertainties of the draft. This weekend’s race could be the most intense one yet in this season’s new NASCAR Sprint Cup series playoff format.
Chevrolet has a long history of success at Talladega Superspeedway, where the Bowtie brand has won 40 of 91 Cup races. The key to victory here will not only be in avoiding the elusive ‘Big One’, but in being in the right place at the right time in the draft during the final laps of the race.
Last weekend, Chevrolet SS driver Kevin Harvick locked himself into the ‘Eliminator’ round with a victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Team Chevy is hopeful that this weekend the remaining five of six current Chevrolet Chasers can avoid potential mayhem, navigate the nuances of the draft, and remain in the hunt for the 2014 championship.
Along with Harvick, Team Chevy Chase contenders Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jimmie Johnson are no strangers to Victory Lane in Alabama. Gordon only needs to finish 16th or better to move on to the next round in the Chase. Earnhardt, Jr. and Johnson are both in a ‘must win situation’ and need to rekindle the magic of past years and claim victory at Talladega. Kasey Kahne also needs to control his own destiny with a win this weekend; while Ryan Newman must finish 19th or better in order to advance.
At Talladega the 43-car field will be led to the green flag by a Pink Chevrolet SS pace car. This year, Chevrolet has again partnered with the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) initiative to help raise awareness. Since 2011, Chevrolet has contributed over $3 million to the cause. Each lap the Chevrolet SS pace car leads under caution during the 188-lap race, a donation will be made to the campaign. The Pink Chevy SS pace car program kicked-off three weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where a total of $14,000 was raised during that event. The effort will continue at next weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
While fans await all the breath-taking on-track exploits, they can take a trip through the Team Chevy display located in the midway area of the superspeedway. Fans can get an up-close look at a wide array of production Chevrolet vehicles and ask questions of product specialist on site. Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Cruze, Malibu and the all-new Chevrolet Colorado are just a few of the many vehicles fans can learn more about while on site. There will also be numerous opportunities for spectators to see and ask questions of their favorite Team Chevy drivers. Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Weller, Paul Menard, Joey Coulter, Spencer Gallagher, Reed Sorenson, Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman, Michael Annett, Martin Truex, Jr. and Kasey Kahne will all make appearances at the Team Chevy stage throughout the race weekend at Talladega.
The GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race is scheduled to begin Sunday October 19th at 2:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage will be available on ESPN, MRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.
TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:
· Chevrolet has won 37 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
· Team Chevy drivers have scored 734 wins and 663 poles in NSCS competition
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY:
Chevrolet drivers have won 40 of 91 races at Talladega Superspeedway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS, has six (6) wins at Talladega Superspeedway (’96,’00,’04,05 & ’07 – TWICE)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet SS, has five (5) victories at Talladega Superspeedway (’01, ’02 – TWICE, ’03 & ‘04)
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, has gone to Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway twice (2) (’06 & ’11)
Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet SS, has two (2) wins at Talladega Superspeedway (’09 & ‘13)
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, has taken the checkered flag at Talladega Superspeedway once (1) (’10)
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, has one (1) victory at Talladega Superspeedway (’08)
A Chevrolet driver has won one (1) of the last five (5) races at Talladega Superspeedway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Talladega Superspeedway 30 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 175 top-five and 323 top-10 finishes at Talladega Superspeedway
A Chevrolet has led 7,224 laps (41.9% of possible 17,237 laps) at Talladega Superspeedway
DID YOU KNOW? Chevrolet has reached a big number in mini cars, surpassing 1 million sales worldwide of the Spark and Beat. It is fresh evidence of Chevrolet’s small car lineup attracting more people to the brand around the world. Earlier this year, Chevrolet sold its 3 millionth Cruze compact car.
The Spark first went on sale as the Beat in India in late 2009. Today, the Spark is available in 71 markets worldwide, selling the most in South Korea, followed by the United States and Mexico. In the U.S. sales of the Spark are up 10 percent year to date.
TEAM CHEVY FOR THE FANS AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY:
· Fans can check out great Chevrolet vehicles including: Camaro, Equinox, Corvette Stingray, Suburban, Traverse, Silverado 2500, Malibu, Silverado Crew, Silverado Double Cab, Cruze and Impala
· At the display fans can see a variety of show cars and specialty vehicles including: the all-new Chevrolet Colorado, Silverado Rally, the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS show car and the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro show car
Fans can see a sample of engines, parts and accessories in the Team Chevy Display available for purchase from Chevrolet at their local Chevrolet dealer
· Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids
DRIVER FAN Q/A APPEARANCES:
· Friday, Oct. 17th – Six-time Talladega Winner Jeff Gordon will make an appearance at the Team Chevy display at 11:30 a.m. Jimmy Weller will stop by the Team Chevy display at 11:45 a.m. followed by Paul Menard at Noon. Truck Series stars Joey Coulter and Spencer Gallagher will have a question and answer session at the Team Chevy display at 2:00 p.m.
· Saturday, Oct. 18th – Reed Sorenson will kick things off at the Team Chevy stage at 2:00 p.m. followed by Danica Patrick at 2:30 p.m.
· Sunday, Oct. 19th – “Rocket Man” Ryan Newman will make an appearance at the Team Chevy stage at 8:50 a.m. followed by Michael Annett and Martin Truex, Jr. at 10:00 a.m. and Kasey Kahne at 10:30 a.m. Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet SS over-the-wall pit crew will be at the Team Chevy stage signing autographs at 11:00 a.m.
· Hours of operation: Fri. Oct. 17th – 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Sat. Oct. 18th – 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sun. Oct. 19th – 7:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
ENGINEER EXPERTISE FROM THE GARAGE AREA – ALBA COLON, PROGRAM MANAGER, NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – CHEVROLET RACING:
“Congratulations to Kevin Harvick, Rodney Childers, Gene Haas, Tony Stewart and the entire No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet SS team for their great performance and win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Also, congratulations to Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray for their second and third place finishes. Team Chevy loves to ‘sweep the winner’s podium’.
“This weekend we head to Talladega Superspeedway, which is what many consider one of the most, if not the most, important race during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It is the fourth and final restrictor plate race of the year. All the drivers, especially the Chase contenders, fear this race the most. There is a lot of anticipation and stress at the same time. This race can make or break the chasers’ hopes to pass to the ‘Eliminator’ round in the new championship playoff format.
“The right combination of aerodynamics and speed is the recipe for success at this 2.66-mile superspeedway. Additionally, the drivers need the right drafting partner, a lot of luck, trouble-free racing, and to mainly avoid the ‘Big One’. All those elements, combined with the right drivers, will create the winning combination. And we think Team Chevy is up to the challenge.
“The racing at Talladega promises to be filled with excitement, and I’m looking forward to watching it all unfold on Sunday afternoon.”
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT – CHASE CONTENDERS:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – 3RD IN STANDINGS
“It’s going to be an absolutely phenomenal race. It’s going to be fun to watch. It’s going to be crazy, offensive racing. Talladega is always crazy, but I mean, it’s going to be so crazy with everybody in the offensive frame of mind.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 4TH IN STANDINGS
“I don’t think there is more pressure, I think there are more questions. We saw some guys at Kansas and Charlotte who had some misfortune that are guys who don’t usually have issues like the 88, the 2 and the 48. Those guys have their work cut out for them. Talladega is left and you have three guys in trouble. There is going to be some different approaches no doubt at Talladega, but I don’t see it as added pressure. I still take the same approach to the first Talladega as I do the second Talladega. You’re still racing for points and positions, and obviously a win to keep yourself in the Chase and on to the next bracket.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – 6TH IN STANDINGS
“Staying out of the ‘big one,’ the crash that takes out so many cars, is crucial to having success at Talladega. So many strategies – like staying in front or staying in the back – can be used during the race, however, there’s no perfect strategy to run this race. You just have to hope your car is in one piece at the end of the race.
“The big one could lead to a big swing in the points.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMER’S INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN STANDINGS
“Well we have good, fast cars for these types of tracks. Results are kind of all over the board, but I would say that is for a lot of people. Sometimes you are in other people’s wrecks there and things like that. I think Talladega is a track I have always liked and look forward to. Sometimes you can’t control everything and that is something that will be the same for all of us at Talladega. It will be interesting how it all works out. It will be a lot of pressure on everyone. It will change throughout the entire race all the way to the checkered flag.
“We are in a spot where we can definitely make it and advance to the next (Eliminator) round if we don’t wreck, which is the same as a lot of guys. Talladega will be interesting. I think there will probably be a lot of strategies that go on throughout the first three quarters of the race and then there are going to be a lot of guys who just have to race at the end. If you wreck, you won’t make the next round. If you don’t wreck, you will advance.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“We definitely didn’t get the finish we needed in Charlotte and its forced us into the position of having to win this weekend in Talladega. Our speedway program at Hendrick Motorsports is top-notch and I’ll have the equipment I need to make a run at it. I can’t control the rest of the field though and we are just going to need some luck heading into this weekend. If anyone can pull it off, this No. 48 Lowe’s team can.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN STANDINGS
“Go out there and win it (Talladega). We can do it; we have won there a lot of time. I know what we need to do. We will just have to build a fast car and hope that we don’t have any gremlins and try to go out there and win it.”
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT – NON-CHASE CONTENDERS:
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS
“There’s going to be huge amounts of pressure for the Chase drivers. I wish we were feeling it. To barely miss it, it was disappointing. As we speak right now (quote before the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway), look at the guys that are on outside the top-eight and that’s six-time (Jimmie Johnson), Dale Jr., and Brad Keselowski. They are three of the guys that have been some of the fastest all year. If it stays like that, there’s going to be a lot of pressure for them.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 ENERGIZER CHEVROLET SS – 17TH IN STANDINGS
“Last time at Talladega I was trying to race, but you are three-wide the whole time and it’s hard to move forward. Then people get greedy and try to move forward and then you pass them. By that time I just got to the bottom and rode around the bottom the rest of the race and ended up eighth. Hopefully, we can use that same strategy, but finish a little better this time with the Energizer Chevrolet.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – 18TH IN STANDINGS
“Well, like always, going to Talladega and being successful requires a considerable amount of luck. I have been fortunate enough on a couple of occasions, including last year, to be lucky enough to capture a victory at Talladega. Our cars have been really good lately and I think that is important everywhere that we race, but on superspeedways you have to be in the right place at the right time on the final lap to get to victory lane. I hope that we can continue our string of good runs and be in position to get lucky this weekend at Talladega and collect another win in the Cessna Chevrolet”.
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – 19TH IN STANDINGS
“I feel like you can’t be conservative. You have to stay up front, you have to know what the car needs to stay up front. It’s all about being there for the white flag so you can try and win the race. I’m really looking forward to Talladega.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 MOEN/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 21ST IN STANDINGS
“There aren’t many drivers who enjoy Talladega, but it’s a necessary evil. You just can’t really do anything. You’re stuck in a box riding around with 42 other drivers that, for the most part, you trust but you’re willing them to not make a mistake and willing yourself to not make a mistake and take out half the field. It’s definitely stressful and very hard to make a plan and stick to it because the flow of the race changes so often.”
MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“There’s been a lot of talk about Talladega recently, but the bottom line is that we’ve all been there before and know what that track is capable of doing. There’s not much more that can be said about Talladega that already hasn’t been said. ‘Dega is ‘Dega — nothing to my knowledge has changed there. It can be a clean race on Sunday or it can be a major wreck fest. Being in the right place at the right time at the end is key to having success at Talladega. A lot easier said than done. We were disappointed with our result at Charlotte (14th), but the past five races have been encouraging for our Furniture Row team. We’re making progress, and with some luck we can continue our success at Talladega. I am confident that our Furniture Row Chevrolet will have the speed to tackle Talladega’s big track.”
CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 26TH IN STANDINGS
“Everyone on this Germain Racing team is excited to get to Talladega for the GEICO 500. It’s a big weekend for our sponsor and all the guys take pride in seeing GEICO’s name everywhere at the track. It’s great that we have a sponsor that cares about the sport and engages it on nearly every level. The No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS has always been strong on restrictor-plate tracks and we’ve had good fortune at each of them this year. Obviously, we’d like that to continue this weekend at Talladega in the GEICO 500.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY BREAST CANCER AWARENESS CHEVROLET SS – 28TH IN STANDINGS
“The fans really make that place. The campgrounds – all that stuff makes it one, big party. You see how much fun the fans are having and that makes it fun for us as drivers. It’s just a unique place. The sheer size of the facility is amazing. I liked it from the first time I went there and, hopefully, we can have a good run and a good finish. The cool thing about superspeedways is that anybody can win. It’s a toss-up, what’s going to happen. So, that’s why it’s fun for me because somebody like me has a chance. On top of that, SHR’s superspeedway cars are really good.”
JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 BRANDT PROFESSIONAL AGRICULTURE CHEVROLET SS – 29TH IN STANDINGS
“We are coming off of a good weekend at Charlotte [Motor Speedway]. I’m hoping we can carry the momentum into Talladega [Superspeedway] this weekend. The guys at HScott Motorsports have prepared a great car and we just need luck to be on our side to miss the wrecks. It should be great race nonetheless.”
MICHAEL ANNETT, NO. 7 GOLDEN CORRAL CHEVROLET SS – 31ST IN STANDINGS
“A 16th-place finish our first time out at Talladega, even after getting caught in the big one, was a good first attempt. It’s a crazy race and it takes a lot of focus. For us, as long as we can get the car comfortable in the draft and find track position towards the end, we’ll be fine. The TBR guys do a great job in these plate races and ‘Bono’ [Manion, crew chief] put one in the winner’s circle last year.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships
Total (1949 – 2013): 37
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 11 (2003-2013)
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
Drivers Championships
Total (1949 – 2013): 29
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
Event Victories
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – (in 2007)
2014 STATISTICS:
Wins: 16
Poles: 16
Laps led: 4885
Top-five finishes: 79
Top-10 finishes: 167
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 734 (1949 – to date); (2,419 possible = 30.0%)
Poles Won to Date: 663
Laps Lead to Date: 218,545
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,694
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 7,549
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,069
Chevrolet: 734
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 731
Ford: 631
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 65
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About Chevrolet:
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
