TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
FEDEX 400 BENEFITTING AUTISM SPEAKS
MAY 31, 2015
CHEVROLET IS THE KING OF CONCRETE AT DOVER
Chevrolet Looking for Fifth Consecutive Win at the ‘Monster Mile’
DETROIT – (May 26, 2015) – Dover International Speedway is one of only three tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) schedule that features a concrete rather than an asphalt surface. Concrete is the oldest engineered construction material. Why did Dover decide to use concrete over asphalt? The answer is simple – the steep banking (24 degrees) and tight turns make keeping asphalt in good condition a challenge. Having concrete also gives the track a unique character and potentially more grip for drivers and teams to take advantage. Concrete doesn’t wear as fast as asphalt, and thus the grip level doesn’t change as much over long periods of time.
Dover is not only unique in surface compound, but in many other ways. The 1-mile, high-banked, self-cleaning race track is as tricky as they come. It has often been called ‘Bristol on Steroids’. The track is super-fast and has the characteristics of a short track. Drivers and teams must achieve the right balance of their race cars, while staying alert to treachery that lurks at the exit of every turn. The ‘Monster Mile’ has lived up to its nickname – reaching out and grabbing competitors when they least expect it.
Chevrolet drivers and teams have been the best at surviving 400 laps on the concrete oval. Bowtie-branded drivers have hoisted the ‘Miles the Monster’ trophy the past four consecutive races. Chevy’s Jimmie Johnson has practically owned Dover International Speedway during the last decade with nine victories to his credit; he leads all NSCS drivers as the most successful at the track.
Dating back to the summer of 1969, there have been 90 Cup Series races at Dover. Chevrolet has been the winning manufacturer in 36 of those events. Bobby Allison was the first to take Chevy to Victory Lane at Dover in 1972. This weekend, 24 Chevy SS drivers and teams look to put Chevrolet in the Monster Mile Winner’s Circle for the 37th time.
The 400-lap/400-mile FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday May 31. Live coverage will be available on FoxSports1, MRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.
TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:
· Chevrolet has won 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
· Team Chevy drivers have scored 745 wins and 672 poles in NSCS competition
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:
Chevrolet drivers have won 36 of 90 races at Dover International Speedway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet SS, has nine victories at Dover International Speedway (’02 – TWICE, ’05,’09 – TWICE, ’10,’12,’13 & ‘14)
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS, has five wins at Dover International Speedway (’95, ’96 – TWICE & ‘01)
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS, has visited Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway three times (’03 – TWICE & ’04)
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, has three wins at Dover International Speedway (’00 – TWICE & ’13)
Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, has one win at Dover International Speedway (’11)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, has gone to Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway once (’01)
A Chevrolet driver has won four of the last five races at Dover International Speedway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Dover International Speedway 23 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 176 top-five and 339 top-10 finishes at Dover International Speedway
A Chevrolet has led 16,931 laps (41.2% of possible 41,104 laps) at Dover International Speedway
DID YOU KNOW? General Motors is investing $1.2 billion in its full-size pickup truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for upgrades and technology that will improve the plant’s competitiveness in assembling high-quality light- and heavy-duty models.
ENGINEER EXPERTISE FROM THE GARAGE AREA – PAT SUHY, MANAGER, CHEVROLET RACING – MANAGER OF NASCAR ENGINEERING AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:
“At the one-third mark of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Team Chevy is off to a great start with seven wins across every variety of track (short, intermediate, and superspeedway) that we’ve raced on so far. That’s an accomplishment that shows the strength and versatility of our teams, as well as the Chevrolet engine and body parts and technical support program that create a strong foundation for our teams to build on.
“Heading to Dover International Speedway, which is considered a ‘short track’ due to its one-mile length, teams and crews will have to dig deep into their toolboxes to come up with a winning combination. Although it is a short track, speeds are high due to the steep banking in the turns, meaning aerodynamics play an important role. The concrete surface and those same high banked, fast turns put a premium on chassis setup as well. Optimizing here means balancing trade-offs between aerodynamic downforce and mechanical grip, and finding a setup that’s both fast and comfortable on a variety of racing lines.
“Dover always produces great racing and has been especially good to Team Chevy, with wins in the last four Sprint Cup races at this track. I’m looking forward to another opportunity to celebrate in Victory Lane with one of our Chevy teams on Sunday.”
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 DITECH CHEVROLET SS – POINTS LEADER
“For me, Dover is one of those tracks where you feel the speed the most. You carry a lot of speed through the corners and as you go from the straightaways the elevation change as you go down in the corners is pretty drastic and then you’re right back in the throttle and it kind of throws you back out of that hole and up the hill on the exit of the corner. Laps seem to happen very fast there and you want to try and have the best handling race car you can have there, because if you’re off even a little bit you’ll go multiple laps down in a hurry. It’s a fun, very fast race track that’s really hard to get everything right.”
MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/VISSER PRECISION CHEVROLET SS – 2ND IN STANDINGS
“If your car is off in Dover it can be the most miserable 400 laps of your life. But it’s also a rewarding day when your car is running strong. There’s a fine line of being good and horrible at Dover. But for me Dover is special. I consider it my home track being a New Jersey native. Dover was the site of my first Sprint Cup win and last year when we struggled in the (No.) 78 car, Dover was still good to me with finishes of sixth and seventh. The way our Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet is running I just can’t wait to get to the track. We had excellent opportunities to win the last two races in Kansas and Charlotte. We led the most laps in each race, but different pit strategies for fuel mileage bit us at the end. For the record, I’ve never ever liked fuel mileage races. Last week is last week; it’s Dover that’s on our minds right now. What we learned the past two races is that we can run upfront and contend for the win. We keep on making progress and that’s always a good sign.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PRO SERVICES CHEVROLET SS – 5TH IN STANDINGS
“I’d have to say Dover is probably one of the most technical tracks we go to. Setup is key. Communication between driver and crew chief is key. At Dover, you have such loading characteristics, as you’re on the straightaway and kind of lunge off the corner, that you can draw some similarities between Dover and Charlotte. Dover isn’t easy, but it just suits my driving style and I love it.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S/CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – 8TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m looking forward to Dover this weekend. We have had some really good cars there the last few times and I am ready to put last weekend behind us. Dover is a unique track and you carry a lot of speed. It’s a track that you can make some passes if your car is working good. We have had a couple of weeks where we weren’t as good as we should be, so I hope we can turn it around with a strong run at Dover.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS – 9TH IN STANDINGS
“We won the race in September here last year, but this is a different rules package with reduced horsepower. We’re going to be carrying more speed through the center of the corners this year, and the car will need to ‘rotate’ so you can get back in the gas quickly.”
KEITH RODDEN, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – 10TH IN STANDINGS
(ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH KASEY KAHNE.): “We have some similar interests. Obviously racing, we’re really interested in that. We love racing, and we love other forms of sports so we’ve always kind of had a common ground. We have something else we can talk about and then we have our job. To me, it’s been real comfortable and it hasn’t been a lot different since I’ve transitioned into the crew chief role for him.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover in my mind is a super, repetitive track. It’s pretty similar end-to-end. It is relatively bumpy and it does not change a whole lot. Usually when you get your car right, you keep it right. The key to getting around there is really dependent on the type of tire Goodyear takes. Does the track rubber up much and does it cause the track to change? It’s a super demanding track physically and mentally.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 PITTSBURGH PAINTS/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover is like Bristol Motor Speedway on steroids. It’s bigger and faster, and things happen almost as quickly. The fast line is generally around the bottom but it has a reputation for eating up tires which allows you to move up and pass when the bottom lane goes away. It’s truly a monster.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover is a tough track with how the banking transitions in and out of the corner and then the concrete surface on how much rubber build up changes throughout the weekend. It’s tough, because you can’t simulate how the racetrack is going to drive at the end of the race, because there is no rubber on the track until the end of the race. You have to be prepared for the track being at its worst; the least amount of grip is around 400 on Sunday. That is what you have to really prepare for.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS – 18TH IN STANDINGS
“I always like going to Dover. The track is pretty fun. I remember everyone telling me how unique and challenging Dover was prior to my first race. At the time, I didn’t have a whole lot to compare that track to. They said it was like a larger version of Bristol, but I hadn’t raced at Bristol yet, either. It’s nice to have more of a handle on what to expect heading in there now. Dover is fun. It’s fast and it can make for a really long day of racing. I think that’s part of the appeal of it – how demanding it can be. We definitely want to stay out of trouble, which is easier said than done at these types of tracks.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 SCOTT PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover International Speedway is definitely a physically demanding track and with this package now – at least at the test – you just were not out of the throttle a lot. You kind of roll in and as soon as the car would turn you would try to get back in the throttle. You have 400 laps around there and you are spent by the end of the day and you know if you run well there and you’ve got in the top-10 or top-five you have really accomplished something.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 22ND IN STANDINGS
“I know the team will be looking a shot in the arm at Dover this weekend. Everyone has been working hard to build good race cars back at the shop, but we just haven’t been able to get the finishes this season that we know we’re capable of. Hopefully our luck can turn around a bit at Dover. We had a pair of good races there last season in the Target Chevy, qualifying and finishing well both times, so we’ll look for another good race this weekend.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“Oh for sure. It’s one of the craziest, gnarliest tracks I’ve ever been on. When you drop off in there, it’s one of those places you better be prepared for because every lap is driven as hard as you can. The laps don’t really fall off as far as pace. I really enjoy going to Dover every time.”
JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 ACCUDOC/FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES CHEVROLET SS – 28TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover [International Speedway] is one of the more challenging tracks for me. It’s a concrete surface and you have to hit your marks perfectly, otherwise your whole lap is thrown away. It’s also a short-track, so one mistake makes you lose several positions. Off of the track it’s a great weekend with all of the Autism Awareness events going on. I’m playing in the Drive for Autism Golf Tournament on Thursday, and I’m also going to visit the Autism Speaks suite on Sunday. The guys have prepared a great AccuDoc Solutions/Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevy and I’m ready for a great weekend.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – 30TH IN STANDINGS
“Dover is a track that is kind of a two-phase deal. It’s easy to get your car too tight in the center (of the corner) trying to get it to drive up off the corner nice, and it seems like if you get it to rotate through the corner, then it’s way loose off. Those are the two things you really battle there. It’s the sacrifice of where do you want to be a little bit off to accomplish having a balanced car.”
BRIAN SCOTT, NO. 33 ACME CHEVROLET SS:
“Dover is exciting, it’s a fast track. You have to attack it and be aggressive. I feel like that fits my driving style really well. I was able to get my first Camping World Truck Series win there and it’s been a special place for me ever since. I’ve had some really great runs in the XFINITY Series as well. I’m looking forward to the great weekend ahead.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships
Total (1949 – 2014): 38
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 12 (2003-2014)
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
Drivers Championships
Total (1949 – 2014): 30
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005 – ’11)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
Event Victories
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – (in 2007)
2015 STATISTICS:
Wins: 7
Poles: 6
Laps led: 2760
Top-five finishes: 39
Top-10 finishes: 79
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 745 (1949 – to date); (2,432 possible = 30.0%)
Poles Won to Date: 672
Laps Lead to Date: 222,571
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,748
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 7,655
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,080
Chevrolet: 745
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 734
Ford: 634
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 68
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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 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive & active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
