NASCAR CUP SERIES
SONOMA RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-PRACTICE REPORT
JUNE 7, 2024

 Brown Leads Chevrolet in NASCAR Cup Series Practice Session at Sonoma Raceway

• In his first-ever laps behind the wheel of a Next Gen Camaro ZL1, Will Brown led Chevrolet on the speed chart at the conclusion of the 50-minute NASCAR Cup Series practice at Sonoma Raceway – placing his No. 33 Mobile X / Shaw and Partners Camaro ZL1 third-fastest overall.
• Five drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations posted top-10 lap times in their Camaro ZL1’s, with Brown leading Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively; Spire Motorsports’ Zane Smith in the eighth position; and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain in the ninth position.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway:

• In 34 NCS races at Sonoma Raceway, Chevrolet leads the series with 13 all-time victories. • Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway:

Kyle Busch – two wins (2015, 2008)
Daniel Suarez – one win (2022)
Kyle Larson – one win (2021)

Chevrolet on Road Courses in the NASCAR Cup Series:

• Chevrolet has earned 18 victories in the past 23 NASCAR Cup Series road course events (Chase Elliott: Watkins Glen International in August 2019 – William Byron: Circuit of The Americas in March 2024.
• In 12 NASCAR Cup Series road course races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with eight victories – recorded by six drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.
• Chevrolet has recorded 65 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins on road courses – starting with Buck Baker at Watkins Glen International in 1957.

Drivers in the top-10 positions of the NASCAR Cup Series points standings met with the media following the series’ 50-minute practice session on the newly repaved Sonoma Raceway.

Team Chevy Driver Quotes:

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Pride Camaro ZL1 – 4th fastest overall in practice

What are your thoughts on the repave? Is it good.. did you see anything coming up?

“I didn’t see anything coming up and I didn’t feel anything. It would be a little difficult to probably see from the racecar. But I think the repave seemed to be fine for us. I feel like our No. 48 Ally Pride Chevy is OK. I think passing is going to be incredibly difficult, so we just really have to focus on qualifying. We made a qualifying run there at the end. I’m sure a lot of people did with the practice that we had. I felt pretty good about it, so we’ll see how we stack up tomorrow and go from there.”

How will turn 11 be different with the wall? Will you have to drive it differently or pass differently there?

“Yeah, I don’t think we really have to drive it differently. I think it’s just odd with the way that it was pieced together. It’s very jagged. It’s kind of inviting you to get under the rumble strip on entry because the wall starts further in and then gets higher as you go around the corner. So I can see if you get under somebody, it’s going to be really easy for someone to kind of force you down into that wall. You could probably break a toe link pretty easily, but hopefully we’re not in that situation. It’s the same for everybody, right? We all just have to race it the best we can. It’ll be a little bit different, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Are you having to manage tires a little bit less with the repave?

“No, I think they’re just sensitive in different ways, probably. This place is still really slick. The pavement is so smooth that there’s not a lot to get ahold of. You still have sections – like in between (turns) four and seven, it looks like the inside was paved and the outside wasn’t paved. So, you’re still chewing up the left-rear tire across there. Or if it was paved, it’s just really coarse in one section of the track. There are some differences, but you’re still going to have to manage your tires. Even with as much fall-off as there were in years past, you’d see guys stay out and stay up front. It’s so hard to pass here with this car that track position is going to be key, for sure.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Gold Filters Camaro ZL1 – 5th fastest overall in practice

How much do you think about Sonoma Raceway, being the one road course that you haven’t won yet?

“Yeah, I would love to check the box, for sure. I feel like we’ve been close to getting a road course win with this car a couple of times, so it’d be cool to get over that hump and get one.”

Tire fall-off is a little different and it’s not wear related, but it’s heat related. Is tire management going to play as big of a role in this race on Sunday?

“It honestly got to where it didn’t play as much of a role as you would think. Everyone was so similar in the past few races. Even when the tire wear was there, it’s like you could save a little. But when it came time for you to push to go and try and catch the guy you thought might have jumped out there too far, you end up burning it up before you ever get to him.”

William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 – 23rd fastest overall in practice

Byron on his thoughts following the NASCAR Cup Series practice session on the repaved Sonoma Raceway:

“The track has the same characteristics as what it was in the past, really. Just trying to work on our car to get it to do the things we need it to do. There was a little bit of a surprise on the traits of the car and what we need to work on, but we’ve got some good teammates to lean on.”

You were third-fastest in five-lap average..

“I just didn’t feel good on new or old tires. I felt OK for the mid-portion, but the mid-portion here is like eight laps. So, I feel like we have a lot of work to do. We’ll just have to lean on some of the notes we have there.”

What did you think of the asphalt?

“I thought it was fine. I think the wall in turn 11 is a little weird. It’s just a little bit blind going in there. There used to be a little bit of a visual to the inside to kind of look through the tires and look at the track, so it’s going to be interesting, like side-by-side, how that is. Other than that, I think it’s really fast and it feels like Sonoma (Raceway).”

SVG said there’s a lot more patches than when he was here a month ago. Do you see that, as well?

“Yeah, it looks like turn three kind of has a big patch. That’s the only spot.. well, off of four, into seven, there’s a patch there, as well. Yeah, it looks like they had some work to do there.”

Do you have confidence that it will hold all weekend?

“I mean, I’m not super worried about the track. I’m more worried about our car and our performance, but I think it should be fine. It looks really smooth and it looks like they did what they needed to do, so hopefully it holds together.”

Does the wall in turn 11 change how you will race it?

“I don’t know if it’ll change it, but it will definitely make it hard to see around that corner. If someone is spun out in that corner, you’re going to have to really rely on your spotter because I feel like you won’t be able to see ahead of you as much as before.”

With the speeds being up, is it a little bit more treacherous out there in order to keep it on the track?

“Yeah, I mean if you break traction, it’s definitely less grip.. less grip relatively to what you’re going to have when you’re kind of in the groove and rolling. So yeah, I think there’s a little bit of that, which is expected with the repave. On a road course, you’re going to have guys missing lines and going off track, so the track is going to be dirty, even in the groove.”

 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. 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.

Toyota/Save Mart 350 Practice: Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma, Calif. – June 7, 2024

NASCAR TRACKS – SONOMA RACEWAY – NASCAR 101

The NASCAR Cup Series takes on its second road course race of the 2024 season at the newly-repaved Sonoma Raceway. Drivers took to the 1.99-mile track for a 50-minute practice session Friday afternoon prior to group qualifying Saturday to set the lineup for Sunday’s 110-lap event.

Ryan Blaney paced the field in practice as his best lap was over four seconds faster than the pole time a season ago while 23 cars posted times that were faster than the previous track record. Blaney was scored fifth in five-lap average and seventh in 10-lap average.

Ryan Blaney, driver, No. 12 Menards/Moen Ford Mustang
1st

Austin Cindric, driver, No. 2 America’s Tire Ford Mustang
13th

Joey Logano, driver, No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang
25th

HEAR FROM BLANEY: “Overall, a really good day. I thought all the Team Penske Fords had good speed. It was nice to start close to where we wanted to be and get a little better throughout the day. Hopefully it bodes well for the rest of the weekend.”

RETURNING TO SONOMA: Ryan Blaney (Charlotte Roval, 2018) and Joey Logano (Watkins Glen, 2015) are among 14 active Cup Series drivers with a road course win entering the weekend in Sonoma. Logano has two top-five finishes in his last three starts at the California road course – including a career-best third-place run a season ago. Blaney has posted four top-10s in his seven career Cup Series starts at Sonoma while Austin Cindric’s fifth-place finish during his rookie season in 2022 marks the best of his two career starts at the 1.99-mile road course.

Team Penske has a pair of Cup Series wins at Sonoma to its credit, coming from Rusty Wallace in 1996 and Kurt Busch in 2011.

MIC’D UP: Joey Logano returns to the broadcast booth for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma alongside Adam Alexander and Daniel Suarez. Coverage begins at 8 ET on FS1.

WEEKEND AT SONOMA: Saturday’s on-track action at Sonoma consists of group qualifying beginning at 6 p.m. ET on FS2. Coverage of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 begins at 3:30 p.m. ET. on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Toyota Racing – Sonoma Post-Practice Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

SONOMA, Calif. (June 7, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin, along with 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick were made available to the media after practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on Friday.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you have to drive turn 11 differently?

“No, I didn’t really notice much difference. I guess it is probably going to make it a little more congested if there is a crash and you aren’t going to have anywhere to go, but other than that, normal racing conditions. I didn’t notice a difference.”

Did you notice any changes with the sight lines?

“It definitely makes it harder to see but running your normal line – you are just trying to keep it tight there. It was a little bit harder to see, but other than that it wasn’t really any change.”

Does it still feel like Sonoma?

“No. It does not. The grip level is just really different than what we’ve had in the past, and the name of the game here was managing your tires and knowing how to create grip when the tires started falling off. There is not any of that now.”

Does the change to the track, change where you are at this weekend?

“No, it doesn’t. Really practice went – at least my team – went exactly how we expected it too. It was a struggle for our team, but the grip level stayed consistent throughout the entire run. We never saw any tire wear or tires losing grip, and I didn’t run very long, because I was struggling out there. Maybe that is why I didn’t see what other guys saw.”

Is the speed what you thought it was going to be?

“Honestly, it is a little faster than we thought it would be. We expected to run in the .74’s, and I think guys were in the low .73’s.”

TY GIBBS, No. 54 He Gets Us Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you think of the repave?

“I feel like it is not as different that I thought it would be. It’s okay. It’s pretty smooth so far, so they did a good job. It is definitely a lot faster, but it doesn’t feel like it changed a lot, so that is good.”

What is the mindset for a track like this?

“The mindset is about the same for me every weekend. Just going and working as hard as I can, preparing as hard as I can to be the best I can, so I can come out here and go race for a win every week. I feel like that is the fun part of my racing career. It’s fun to get better and it’s fun to be in racing.”

Can you talk about some of the differences in the turns out there?

“I haven’t had too much of an issue. It is definitely easy to over drive the corner with the way the repave is. I only ran twice here last year – in my whole career – I didn’t get used to it as much. This track is relatively new to me, and we go at it with a bang.”

Do you like coming here?

“I enjoy coming here. I just like the environment. I really like the road course too – it is a fun place to come. Hopefully I can get my first win here, too.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your impressions of the race track?

“It feels like Sonoma. Not much difference. Just you’re hitting the gas a little bit sooner, a little bit harder. It definitely feels just like the old track, just you’ve got a lot more speed.”

Does it feel like you’re four seconds faster out there?

“Yeah, it’s just, on a track this big you can make up four seconds like – you can lose half a second in one corner and you don’t even realize it’s that much time. We have that much more grip, global grip in the track. It’s not one section that you notice you’re way faster. It’ just generally the whole track.”

Does turn 11 feel different with the big wall there?

“Yeah, a little bit. It’s a little bit blind but you’re kind of getting used to it and understanding the radius of how far I’ve got to turn the wheel to make the corner without hitting it. I think there will definitely be a few that cut it too tight and risk knocking a toe link out but hopefully it’s not us.”

Is there any tire wear at all?

“Not that we’ve seen. It’s typical kind of heat in the tires that’s kind of making it drop off a little bit in time but once it cools off it will go right back where it was.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Were there any issues during practice today?

“No issues.”

Will the patches on the track hold all weekend?

“You never know, but we’re good.”

Is turn 11 different with the wall there?

“Yeah, it was kind of hard to see the tire packs before the wall. It’s kind of hard to see too, but it’s kind of in the blind spot you have on the right side of the windshield. I know what they had in mind by doing it. Just to keep cars from crashing across turn 11. Guys like me with a flat come across it and back to pit road.”

Does the track feel faster than in the past?

“Yeah, it really does. It’s pretty wild. The feel out there. You feel like you’re doing something – it feels like you’re doing something wrong, it feels like you’re going to crash going into turn 1 because you’re going in there way faster than you should but it’s workable.”

Is it more fun out there?

“It feels sketchy at times, but when it sticks it’s fun, yeah. When you lose grip it’s not good. We have a little bit of room in turn 1 and a couple corners – turn 3. But when you get stepped out of shape through the esses coming back down in turn 10 – turn 10 is going to be a place I feel like gets a few people over the course of the weekend.”

Do you think this will fit your style of racing?

“To a degree, yeah. We still gotta work on our car and try to find some things. I definitely think it helps. In the past year, it’s just added another element that some of the vets were a little better at than I was at road courses. Now, for the most part I think that’s going to be gone to some degree. I still feel like if you get out of shape, slide a tire, it gets hot, it’s going to have to cool back off, so you still have to keep it straight in some manner. Tires don’t wear away as fast – it’s going to be more about fuel strategy.”

Is the simulator still as beneficial with a newly paved track?

“Yeah, it can be. Always think making use of our TRD simulator is always a big help on these weekends. Sim time always helps.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
SONOMA RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES
JUNE 7, 2024

Will Brown, driver of the No. 33 Mobile X / Shaw and Partners Camaro ZL1, met with the media in advance of his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Sonoma Raceway.

Media Availability Quotes:

How do you feel about being here at Sonoma Raceway for your NASCAR Cup Series debut?

“It’s cool to come over here. For myself, watching what SVG did last year, a lot of Aussies have paid a lot of attention to NASCAR now and I’m pretty excited to come over and have a go. I was lucky enough to put a deal together with Richard (Childress). We were able to have him out to Australia at the end of last year, and yeah, made that connection. So, for myself, it was cool to put a deal together last minute and hopefully we’ll have a good weekend.”

Could you just talk a little bit about the reception and getting to know others? I guess you haven’t had a ton of time to really immerse yourself totally in that, but just a little bit about that and kind of what your realistic expectations are.

“Yeah, I haven’t had a long time to meet everyone just yet. I came over about four weeks ago for about three days to do a seat fitting and everything. I’ve been racing a lot in Australia and that was the only time I could fit in. I raced last weekend and got here Monday afternoon, and I’ve been into since then. I was able to meet a couple of the guys this morning. It’s been pretty cool to be watching NASCAR and then meet a few of them.

The expectations are a really hard thing for this weekend and to know what to expect. Shane (van Gisbergen), obviously coming over last year and doing what he did, makes it hard for the Aussies to come out now. It’s like a let down if we don’t win. It’s one of those things – I think Shane’s been running inside the top-10 for his last couple of road course runs, so that would be great if we could do that. There are a lot of cars out there that have good drivers in them, so I really don’t know what to expect until after practice and qualifying.”

What has your preparation been for this weekend?

“Yeah, I was really lucky when I came over three weeks ago, I got an hour in the simulator. So that was good just to familiarize myself with this track. I’ve never seen it before. I hadn’t driven it before that. And then this week, I was able to piggy-back off the end of Austin’s (Dillon) session and get an hour there. And then with Kyle (Busch) doing the test at one of the tracks, I was able to get his whole simulator session. That’s something we don’t use back at home. For drivers, there are no simulators. We can use a cheaper sort of one in our house, but yeah we don’t have that sort of facility or infrastructure. So yeah, it was cool to get on it. I think we had a really good simulator session on the last time on Wednesday, and yeah, I seem to know the track pretty well.”

You get one, short practice here today. What can you accomplish and what do you want to accomplish during that practice session to make you feel as comfortable as possible?

“Yeah, it’s a tough one. When I found out the practice session was getting a lot longer due to the repave, I was pretty excited about that. The 50-minute practice session should be good. But yeah, for me, it’s about running laps around here; getting used to the car. In Australia, Supercars run at a high level and learning new tracks. But for me, it’s going to be learning a new track and a car. So yeah, just build up into it; hopefully no mistakes and see where we end up at the end of the session.”

In terms of experience, I think SVG had said he had never had a right-side shifter car.. anything like that. Where are you on that front? Have you done this before?

“Yeah, Supercars are very similar cars, but they are a right-hand drive. Also, I raced in GT cars, so I’ve raced left-hand drive, but they’re pedal, so I haven’t shifted with the right-hand yet, so we’ll see how I go with that. But in the simulator, it wasn’t hard at all. It was sort of just – I don’t know.. I’m used to racing different cars, so you sort of switch over. Yeah, it’ll be interesting once I’m out on track, but so far, I haven’t found it too bad.”

New surface here at Sonoma Raceway.. Did the time in the simulator teach you anything about this place or is this going to be an ongoing learning, on-the-fly, kind of thing?

“I feel good after the simulator. I think it’s a very good tool to use to get a driver ready for the track. But yeah, nothing is the same as the real thing at the end of the day. So yeah, you can prep that way, but until I get out there, I don’t really know what to expect. I know the layout; know where I’ve got to go and the bumps. But we’ll see how the real car reacts to it.”

There haven’t been a whole lot of Australians here in NASCAR, but did you follow Marcos Ambrose at all growing up?

“Yeah, so I wouldn’t say I followed it massively when I was younger. I got into racing a little bit later. Marcos (Ambrose) was actually coming back to Australia when I was coming into the Supercars scene. So yeah, I’ve definitely kept an eye on it. I think since Shane (van Gisbergen) came over, it’s really put it on the map. I think for a lot of Australians, it wasn’t that we didn’t love watching NASCAR, but we probably didn’t think it was possible to get a team to look at us and give us the opportunity to drive in NASCAR. After Shane did that, it’s opened up some doors, and with meeting Richard (Childress) last year, it sort of kind of came on from there and I’ve stayed in contact. I didn’t think I’d be in this position a year ago, so it’s pretty exciting.”

You don’t necessarily remember the year that Marcos (Ambrose) almost won here, right?

“No, I don’t.. no. Sorry.”

In the Supercars and the other series you run in, you run against a lot of the same people so you learn their tendencies and you know how to race them. How do you approach this race? Besides the car, you’re racing with a bunch of people you’ve never raced with before. What do you look for?

“Yeah, it’s going to be interesting. We race hard back at home, but it’s sort of scrutinized. Where over here, obviously it’s not as much. So, I’m used to the argy-bargy, but I don’t know who sort of does that and who doesn’t, so it’ll be interesting. But that’s life – it’ll be a lot of learning out there this weekend and I’m excited for that. We’ll see what comes of it, really.”

What do you think of the track and the area around here?

“Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s been cool to have a look. I walked the track for the first time this morning and the angulation, how steep it is going into turn two, I didn’t expect that. I don’t think the simulator shows that as much, or even onboard footage. There’s a lot of uphill and downhill, but we do have tracks similar to that in Australia, so it’s not unusual. But yeah, probably didn’t expect that. It’ll just be cool to see everyone come out here on Sunday and see what it’s like to race over here in front of a crowd.”

 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. 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.

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 2nd

No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

THE ROAD HOME: This weekend NASCAR visits wine country in Sonoma, California. The event is a homecoming for Kyle Larson, who is from Elk Grove, California, and considers Sonoma Raceway his home track on the Cup Series circuit. Located less than 100 miles from his hometown, the 1.99-mile road course is a place Larson looks forward to racing annually. During his 2021 championship season, he led 57 laps en route to a win at the venue.

OUT FRONT: In 2024, Larson has led 656 laps – the most of any driver by 48. The 2021 NASCAR Cup champion also has a series-high seven stage wins and three pole positions.

SONOMA SUCCESS: Larson, who will drive the No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend, holds the record for most consecutive poles at Sonoma (2017-2019, 2022). The track did not host a race in 2020, and although time trials were not held in 2021, the driver still started from the top spot via NASCAR’s qualifying metric. With an average starting position of 3.7, Larson holds the best mark of all drivers to ever compete at the California road course.

VICTORIOUS: Larson, 31, has visited victory lane twice in 2024. In March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 2014 rookie of the year led 181 laps and won both stages before winning at the desert track. In May at Kansas Speedway, Larson nosed ahead of Chris Buescher at the finish line to win by 0.001 seconds – the closest finish in Cup Series history.

ROAD RANKS: With four road course wins, Larson is tied for third-most among active Cup Series drivers. All four have come with crew chief Cliff Daniels, who ranks second among active crew chiefs for victories on serpentine layouts. Both marks trail the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports duo of driver Chase Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson, who have combined for seven road course wins.

FOUR TIRES FAST: In 2024, the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM pit crew holds the seventh-fastest average four-tire pit stop time in the Cup Series at 10.91 seconds. Larson’s over-the-wall 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).

VALVOLINE ON BOARD: At Sonoma, Valvoline will appear for its second of three 2024 primary races with the No. 5 team. Valvoline Inc. is a global leader in vehicle care and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services. Since 2014, Hendrick Motorsports has earned a NASCAR-best three Cup Series championships (2016, 2020 and 2021) with Valvoline products in its Chevrolet racing engines. Off the track, Valvoline is the preferred lubricant of Hendrick Automotive Group, which operates 95 car dealerships across the United States. See every angle of the paint scheme that will be on track here.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 3rd

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Gold Filters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

SONOMA REWIND: Last season at Sonoma Raceway, Chase Elliott qualified 10th for the 110-lap NASCAR Cup Series event. The 28-year-old driver finished the first stage 12th and the second stage 16th before ultimately taking the checkered flag in fifth position. Elliott led twice for a total of seven laps, marking his fourth consecutive race pacing the field at Sonoma. It was his third straight finish of eighth or better at the Napa Valley track.

ROAD RUNDOWN: While it has been three years since Elliott’s last Cup Series victory on a road course, he has continued to be among the best in the field since the 2022 introduction of the Next Gen race car. Since then, he is ranked second in laps run inside the top five (474) and third in laps run inside the top 10 (708). Elliott also holds the second-best average finish (10.08) and fourth-best average start (8.67) on serpentine tracks in the Next Gen era. His six top-five finishes are tied for most by active drivers and his eight top-10s have him tied for third.

KING OF THE ROAD (COURSE): Elliott, who will drive the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Gold Filters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend, leads active drivers with seven Cup Series victories on road courses and is tied for the most stage wins with eight. He’s also third on the all-time road course victories list, trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott has triumphs across five different road courses, the most in series history. In 31 Cup starts on tracks with left and right turns, Elliott has an average finish of 8.74, which is not only the best among active drivers, but fifth all-time (minimum of five starts). He also leads active drivers with 486 laps led on road courses.

SEEKING A WINE COUNTRY WIN: Sonoma and the Chicago Street Course are the only two road courses on the current Cup Series schedule where Elliott has yet to win. The 2020 Cup Series champion has been impressive on the Napa Valley track, earning a best finish of second in 2021. In just seven Sonoma starts, Elliott has three top-five finishes and five top-10s with 49 laps led. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native holds the third-best average starting position all-time at Sonoma (6.43). In fact, he’s started from the front row in two of his last three starts on the California road course.

FIRST VICTORY: Elliott’s first career Cup Series victory came at a road course: Watkins Glen International in 2018. The six-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winner started the race from the third position and led 52 of 90 laps en route to the win.

TALKIN’ 2024: Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, continues his strong 2024 Cup Series campaign. Following a solid points day at WWT Raceway on Sunday, Elliott improved to third in the standings, just 27 points behind the leader. His average finish of 9.87 is the best in the series and is also his best average finish through 15 races in his Cup career. Elliott is the only driver this season to finish every event inside the top 20. He has posted a top-five result in five of the last nine races and has seven top-10s in 2024.

VIEW FROM THE TOP: This Sunday at Sonoma, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 53rd road course race from atop the pit box. In those starts, he’s led his team to seven wins – a series high among active crew chiefs – along with 20 top-five finishes and 28 top-10s.

FASTEST FIVE: In April at Texas Motor Speedway, the No. 9 pit crew laid down the fastest four-tire pit stop (9.076 seconds) of any team in 2024. The over-the-wall squad has remained the same since 2018 and currently holds the fastest average four-tire pit stop time (10.557 seconds) this season. The 2021 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).

GOLD STANDARD: Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will have a different look this weekend at Sonoma. Primary partner NAPA Auto Parts is trading in its iconic blue and yellow for a black and gold livery, highlighting its line of NAPA Gold™ oil filters. Since 1966, NAPA Gold™ oil filters have earned the trust of generations of drivers and car enthusiasts. Each one is built to offer better strength, performance benefits and is specifically designed to remove contaminants to keep engines running at peak performance. Elliott raced this scheme for the first time last fall at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a seventh-place finish.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 5th

No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

24 IN ‘24: William Byron’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues to be nothing short of impressive. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native is tied for the series lead in wins with three, has five top-five finishes and is tied for the most top-10s with nine. After 15 races, he has the fifth-best average finish (12.0) while sitting fifth in the 2024 Cup standings with 16 playoff points.

NEXT GEN DUO: Since the Next Gen Cup Series car was introduced in 2022, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle have a series-leading 11 wins. Byron also has the second-best average finish (13.05) in the Next Gen car behind teammate Chase Elliott. On road courses, he is tied for the fifth-best average finish (12.00) and has four top-10 results (tied for the fourth-most) with 352 laps run in the top five and 468 laps in the top 10 (both ranked sixth-most), all in the Next Gen era.

ROAD COURSE RINGER: Byron picked up his first Cup Series road course win at Watkins Glen International in August 2023 and his second at Circuit of The Americas in March 2024. In fact, in the 2023 season, he scored the most points on road courses (213) and led the most laps (94). In 2024, the series has competed on one road course, COTA, where Byron dominated by capturing the pole before going on to earn the win. The driver of the No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has won two of the last three road course races and is on a three-race streak of consecutive top-10 finishes (tied for the second-longest) in which all were top-two results.

OVER-QUALIFIED: In 28 Cup Series starts on road courses, Byron has five pole awards on four different layouts. He is the only driver in history to earn Cup pole positions at four different road courses: the Charlotte ROVAL, the Indianapolis Road Course, COTA and Road America.

SONOMA STATS: Sunday’s race will mark Byron’s sixth career Cup start at Sonoma Raceway. In five previous appearances, his best qualifying effort came in 2019 when he captured the outside pole position and he notched his top finish of ninth in 2022.

FUGLE FILES: So far in 2024, the Cup Series has raced on one road course, Circuit of The Americas, where crew chief Fugle and the No. 24 team captured the pole and the win. All told, Fugle has 29 NASCAR national series starts on road courses (19 Cup Series, three Xfinity Series and seven CRAFTSMAN Truck Series). With triumphs at Watkins Glen and COTA, he is tied for the fourth-most road course wins by active Cup Series crew chiefs. He also has a road win in the truck ranks in 2015.

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER: With his third straight multi-victory season, Byron continues the winning tradition of the No. 24 team. In the Cup Series, the iconic car number is third on the all-time wins list with 106, trailing only the No. 11 (233) and the No. 43 (200). All of Byron’s 13 premier series wins have come in the No. 24 car, while Jeff Gordon accounts for 93 race victories in the number. The No. 24 also has 11 Cup wins on road courses – two with Byron and nine with Gordon – which is tied with the No. 9 for the most on serpentine layouts.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 15 races in the 2024 season, the No. 24 pit crew continues its success from last year. The five-person crew ranks second in the Cup Series for the fastest average four-tire pit stop (10.747 seconds). The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).

RAPTOR® TOUGH: For this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, Byron will sport his Raptor paint scheme that will continue to run the majority of the season on the No. 24 Chevy. 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.

48 ALEX BOWMAN

Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 10th

No. 48 Ally Pride Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024 SO FAR: Following the 15th race of the season, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team are tied for 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, 117 points behind the leader. The team has secured four top-five finishes, tied with 2021 for Bowman’s most through 15 races in a season. The Tucson, Arizona, native has also earned an impressive nine top-10 finishes, tied with 2022 for his most through 15 starts. The nine top-10 results place him in a three-way tie for the most in 2024 alongside Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. Bowman has finished in the top 10 in eight of the last 11 races.

SONOMA DEETS: This weekend, the Cup Series will compete at Sonoma Raceway in northern California wine country. Bowman has seven Cup starts at the 12-turn road course. In these Golden State starts, the 31-year-old driver has secured two top-10 finishes (2018 and 2021).

ROAD #RALLY48: Since the introduction of the Next Gen race car in 2022, Bowman is in a five-way tie for second in top-five finishes on road courses. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Pride Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ranks second in the sport’s premier series for the most runner-up finishes on road courses (two) without a win. His second-place performances occurred at the Charlotte ROVAL (2019) and Circuit of The Americas (2022).

ALLY PRIDE: On Wednesday, primary sponsor Ally released the No. 48 Ally Pride Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that will unload for competition this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. June is Pride Month, and Ally will celebrate by running a Pride-themed scheme for the fourth consecutive year. The 2024 design features the logo of Pride Allys on the hood and a rainbow treatment to the digital bank’s motto “do it right” on the rear-quarter panel. Pride Allys is Ally Financial’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group. Check out all angles of the entry here.

FIRST LAP: In Sonoma, Ally’s First Lap initiative returns to the track for a third time this season. The second-year program focuses on introducing NASCAR to new fans from minority communities. In conjunction with June’s Pride Month, Ally will host a group of more than 20 individuals from Positive Images on race day. Positive Images is a community center based in Sonoma County dedicated to providing essential services that encompass mental health support, advocacy and education to California’s LGBTQIA+ population. These first-time race-goers will meet Bowman and receive a tour of the garage area, the No. 48 team transporter and more.

GOLDEN GATE BASSET RESCUE: Did you know Basset Hounds were originally bred in France for hunting small game such as rabbits? Today these short-legged dogs known for their long ears and droopy eyes are a fond pet of Americans nationwide. 2024 marks the fourth consecutive year Bowman and Ally are supporting Best Friends Animal Society and its vast network of partners. This weekend, the pair’s weekly donation of $4,800 will go to Golden Gate Basset Hound Rescue. The shelter is located at 1032 Crinella Drive, Petaluma, CA 94954, just 13 miles northwest of the track.

ALLY RACING PIT CREW: This year, the Ally Racing pit crew ranks ninth in the Cup Series for the best average four-tire stop (10.978 seconds). The five-man No. 48 crew is comprised of jackman Allen Holman, tire carrier Brandon Grier, front-tire changer Donnie Tasser, rear-tire changer Andrew Bridgeforth and gasman Jacob Conley.

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /

2024	All-Time	Sonoma
Races	15	1,360	34
Wins	6*	307*	7*
Poles	4*	250*	10*
Top 5	20*	1,252*	34*
Top 10	32*	2,144*	61*
Laps Led	1,031	80,788*	808*
Stage Wins	9	107	5*

*Most **Most (tie)

ROAD RULE: Entering Sunday’s event at Sonoma Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated a NASCAR Cup Series record 28 points-paying wins on road courses. The total includes 13 victories from its active drivers: Chase Elliott (seven), Kyle Larson (four) and William Byron (two). Joe Gibbs Racing is second in all-time road course wins with 15. No other organization has accumulated more than eight.

RIVERSIDE TO SONOMA: Hendrick Motorsports will take on Sonoma Raceway this weekend, but its success on road courses began at another famed California track. On Nov. 18, 1984, driver Geoff Bodine punctuated the organization’s inaugural season with a win at the now-defunct Riverside International Raceway, which was located east of Los Angeles. It was Bodine’s third victory of the year and represented the team’s first on a road course. Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024.

NO FLUKE: Eight different drivers have won on road courses for Hendrick Motorsports, the most for a single team in Cup Series history. Jeff Gordon (nine) is the all-time leader in road course wins, while Elliott (seven) is the active leader. Larson (four wins), Tim Richmond (three), Byron (two), Jimmie Johnson (one), Ricky Rudd (one) and Bodine (one) have all earned road course victories for the team.

STATISTICS COURSE: In addition to its 28 wins, Hendrick Motorsports holds the Cup Series road course records in the following categories: pole positions (26), top-five finishes (91), top-10s (153) and laps led (2,331). On road courses, it has twice as many poles as any other team and has led 1,076 more laps than its closest competitor.

SAID HEADS UNITE: This weekend, Hendrick Motorsports is back in NASCAR Xfinity Series action at Sonoma Raceway with veteran road racer Boris Said behind the wheel of the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro. He has one career victory in the series, which came in 2010 at Montreal. Elliott (Charlotte Motor Speedway) and Larson (Circuit of The Americas) have driven the No. 17 Chevrolet to victory already this season.

CELEBRATING 40: In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The team holds the all-time NASCAR Cup Series records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), wins (307), pole positions (250) and laps led (80,788). This season, it leads all Cup organizations with six points-paying victories through 15 races.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing in northern California: “It’s always a fun race weekend since I grew up pretty close (in Elk Grove, California) to there. I was pretty good there – at least in qualifying – before I joined Hendrick (Motorsports), and then we put a whole weekend together in 2021 to get the win. We’ll see what the repave is like during practice on Friday and hopefully adjust and stay on top of those conditions throughout the weekend.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on practice and the Sonoma race weekend: “I can’t wait to get to Sonoma. It’s a great track for Kyle and it’s a great track for our team. It’s certainly gonna be challenging with the repave and just trying to get the feel for the track. The new pavement, I’m sure it’s gonna evolve throughout the weekend when it starts to take rubber and then we’ll just have to stay on top of that. But we do get a full practice on Friday to run through some changes and really try to get an understanding of what we need. Kyle always does a great job there. You know it’s really close to home for him so I know it’s a meaningful race for him.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on expectations for Sonoma: “I would like to think we can go out there and have a shot to win. It’s basically a new track for all of us except for the three drivers that got to test. It’s going to take a little time. We do get extra practice on Friday, which is nice, especially for a repave. I think that it (the practice) is warranted, and it’ll give us a few extra laps. We’ll go to work and see where we stack up.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the consistency the team has shown this season: “I’m really proud of the effort we’ve put forth so far this season. We are all focused doing our jobs to the best of our ability and I think that shows with our performance on the track. Our pit stops have been consistently strong all year and we continue to prepare fast race cars. We’re working really well together as a group. If we have a bad race, we don’t dwell on it. We keep looking to how we can improve for the next race. I think that’s all you can ask for in your team.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he feels about Sonoma Raceway: “I’m interested to see how this weekend goes at Sonoma (Raceway). Road courses have really become a strength for our team lately, but we haven’t been to Sonoma since those improvements have been made. That paired with the new pavement from the repave will make for some challenges we all have to overcome, but I think we’ll be in a good spot.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his expectations for Sonoma Raceway: “Sonoma (Raceway) is the road course that we probably need to do the most work at as a team. We’ve improved our road course program significantly, but Sonoma just seems to be one we still struggle with. The repave, though, could change that. The test showed that speeds should be much higher, so we’ll see how things go in practice. I’m optimistic for how the weekend should go for the No. 24 team.”
​

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at the newly repaved Sonoma Raceway: “It (Sonoma Raceway) is going to be completely different than what we’ve ever seen there. Going to a place that’s always been really slick, I feel like it (the track) is probably going to have a ton of grip and be a lot faster with a lot less tire fall off. It’s kind of a different style race. I think qualifying is going to be super important. Hopefully our Ally Racing team can position ourselves to fall on the right side of all that.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on driver Alex Bowman racing at road courses and competing at the newly repaved Sonoma Raceway: “The fact that we are sitting top 10 in points at this point in the season is great. Our Ally Racing team just needs to go to Sonoma and have a solid weekend. We’ve had a lot of good runs and good pace at road courses this year. Really, Alex does great at these tracks (road courses). I think this weekend is kind of a reset for everybody. Not a lot of people have been on (Sonoma Raceway’s) new pavement, and we as a team need to go capitalize on that and put a full race together. We let a few extra points slip away last weekend (at WWT Raceway) with some issues that we had, so hopefully we can go get back on track and earn a good finish this Sunday.”

Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

SONOMA, Calif. (June 7, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on Friday.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you think the turn 11 wall can affect racing this weekend?

“It is definitely different. We are used to having the tires down there – which at some point during the race – the tires just kind of keep getting moved back a bit, and you can use more of that paint in turn 11, which really helps you get through there. It is going to be a little bit trickier. We have seen contact in that corner, many times before, so there is not really anywhere to escape when you have a guy kind of squeezing you going in there, so it could cause some problems, we will see.”

Are you any closer to making a decision for 2025, and is Joe Gibbs Racing putting any pressure on you?

“Every week. I’m closer every week.”

How does the new pavement affect you this weekend?

“It is definitely going to be a lot different, than it’s been. I think for as long as I can remember – you would come to Sonoma and you would think, worn out track, tire wear – the approach is a lot different than it is now. Now it is really going to be, pretty much, running qualifying laps every lap with the tires that don’t really wear out, or fall off much. Totally different approach than we’ve done at Sonoma in the past, but with that being said, we tested out here – I felt good about it, and it is still the same course. New challenges, same course – and hopefully we can figure it out and go win number five here.”

Were you upset to hear about the repave and does that change your strategy for this weekend?

“I wish they didn’t. We had something really good here working, and certainly, last year, we did really well with it. I don’t know. We’ve won on both configurations of track here. I’ve won in some different race cars here, over the years, different models of cars, different generations of cars – really it is just about adapting. We tested out here and I thought it went really well, but I think this could be probably the hardest one to win – of all of them, because it is going to come down to track position, and being on the right strategy, having good pit stops – we could see a guy gamble on when to pit, and catch a caution and win the race – kind of come from nowhere. I think there is going to be more – there is more of a chance for an upset or for a guy surprising the field I think, this time around – where before, if your car was really good, you could drive through the field – simple as that. You could pass cars, on old tires, and that is going to be a challenge this time around, I feel like.”

Do you think that the top teams have to assume going in, there won’t be many yellows?

“I think you always try to plan for every possible thing that could happen. If there is no cautions, here is our game plan – and if there is, you have to change, you have to adapt and you have to try to make the right decisions in that moment. I think everybody will have a play sheet, so to speak, on what they think is going to be right and you just wait to see how it plays out, you never know – a lot can happen here. It is a narrow track, certainly narrower than COTA, and there is potential for guys getting into each other is there, so we will just see how it plays out.”

What did you think when you saw the track came up in a few places?

“Yeah, I don’t know. I was interested in seeing them. I was surprised. The track was in really good shape when we were here, and now watching on TV, Xfinity practice and I see a lot of patchwork, and a lot of things that look totally different than we were here. I think it is going to be different – no question. I don’t know what they used. Anytime, they mess with the circuit, you mess with the grip level in all of those corners – it changes a lot. You just have to get out there. Fortunately, we have a little bit of practice, and we will get a feel from that – and we have the opportunity to make some changes on the car, which we don’t normally. Hopefully, we can figure it out better than everyone else – that is all that matters. The track is the track, it is going to be the same for all of us.”

Does the changes with the addition of the wall in turn 11 affect you how you enter it?

“I think it is going to be a little different. Different visual for sure, not having just tires there, having a wall. There was always a little bit of wiggle room – you could move around there in turn 11 and find some grip, especially on the curb, and now there is less room there, I think it just depends on what the track is like. If it is really slippery down there, sometimes the curb gains grip as there is rubber put down on it and things like that. We will just have to see how things work this time around – it is definitely going to be a little bit harder to hit your marks down there, I think.”

What do you remember about your first race here at Sonoma?

“My first race here, I just remember making a big mistake qualifying. I think I went from third to second in qualifying, instead of third to fourth coming out of turn 11, and if I remember right, we had to change engines for the race, so we started in the back – had a really fast car, and passed a lot of cars, and had a lot of fun. The first time here, I fell in love with this place and always have loved it ever since. Definitely remember that day. It was a ton of fun to pass a lot of cars, and we had a good day overall.”

What is your initial goal in practice with the additional laps you got with the tire test?

“Probably not much different than everyone else, just go out there and get a feel for the track. It is a lot hotter than it was then – I’m not even sure on what tires they landed on, I know my guys have worked hard to prepare and they do a great job coming here. I look forward to getting in the car and getting warmed up and trying to find some speed. That is really what it is all about – and get ready for qualifying tomorrow. Excited for that – and see what we can do.”

Does the extra speed change braking at all?

“Yeah, a little bit. Your marks are going to be a little bit different. I think the biggest thing is just that – the tire fall off is not there, and the track is going to continue to get faster the more we run on it, and so, it is going to be different tomorrow, it is going to be different on Sunday. It is going to continue to change, and we are going to need to figure out what direction to go and what direction the track is going to go, and hopefully keep our car good all weekend.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.