TOYOTA RACING – Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Jimmie Johnson was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.

JIMMIE JOHNSON, No. 84 Carvana Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Can you tell us about your trip to Japan?

It was my second time there. The first time was a great immersion trip for me to learn more about the company, and meet some individuals, and then that was a success, and kept joking with everyone, we need to bring a car over, and before we knew it, we took three cup cars over. 23XI brought one, we brought one, and then actually took the Garage 56 car over. To be with the chairman of Toyota, and just to see that inner child come out, and his desire to drive cars – we put a second seat in a cup car, thinking, you’d only want to ride before we knew it, he was behind the wheel driving. Then he wanted to drive the Garage 56 car. So that was just a really neat eye-opening experience around how important motorsports is for an OE.”

So, can Erik (Jones) and/or John Hunter (Nemechek) trust that if you’re behind them in the closing laps, that you’re gonna be the wingman and maybe not try and step out and your third Daytona 500?

“I have no idea what I would do in that moment. I really don’t. And I feel like it’s circumstantial, you know, if it’s the Hail Mary, there’s no need. But if I legitimately have a shot, then, you know, it’s a different, it’s a different situation. I’ve only raced one way, which is to win. So, I really find it hard to believe when the helmet doesn’t go on, that I’m not looking around, regardless of the car that’s there, and want that clean air, and want to be the first one to strike.

What are your feelings about having a race in San Diego, your home area?

“There’s so many race fans in Southern California, and to bring our sport, you know, to them, and on a military base, in San Diego proper, is just a scenario I could never dreamed of. I think it’s going to be great for a sport. And, you know, for me personally, it ticks so many boxes, including the 20th anniversary for our foundation. And also, my grandparents are – there’s a beautiful cemetery there on the hillside, and my grandparents are there. So, it will be sentimental and really special.”

What is it about this race that you say, all right, I’m going be there?

“Truthfully, it’s the fact that the draft has not changed much in the 25 years. Regardless of the aero package, the car, whatever it is, like, these big cars blasting a hole in the air, and the way the draft works and behaves, you’re not out in left field. Even if you’ve been away for a while, you can come back and work your way through the duels, get some drafting time, and find that sweet spot and be competitive. The half-mile tracks, a mile and a half, it’s really tough. If you’re not in these cars all the time, and deeply rooted in the process, to have a shot to win is unrealistic. I guess I’m finally admitting that now. I remember Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. When I ran nine races in ‘24, he’s like, ‘What the hell are you doing? I said, ‘I want to win a race’, and he’s like, ‘No, you’re not. It’s way too tough. It’s way too nuanced.’ I was like, ‘You’re crazy.’ He was right. (laughter). For big moments, without a doubt. I think plate tracks, um, if we get Dale back in one, give him a few laps, he’d be right there at the front of the field, like he always was.”

What’s the swing of emotions coming into this when locked in, and knowing you’ll be in the field?

“Yeah, it did, and coming in knowing that we’re in allows us to interact and work with our other two cars in a way that we couldn’t otherwise. We just had a 50-minute practice session, and, you know, we were able to work through some ideas and take different paths than our teammates did. I guess you’ll kind of look at the math in a way – 33 percent more information than we can gain this weekend. Certainly, by committing to the exemption, we know we have this practice to take advantage of, and we know that we’ll be able to maximize things in the race. Now, if we finish well in the race, it’s going to sting from a financial standpoint, but, you know, we’ve protected, protected the bottom side, but have limited ourselves on the upside.”

Can you put this particular 500 into some context, the unsatisfying end to last season, and then an incredible offseason for NASCAR changing the point system and everything that’s happened?

“Yeah, there’s been so much that’s gone on. Our sport has seen some headwinds in the last four to six months, and to have that all behind us now, and the biggest race of our year, and kick off our season, it’s the perfect thing. It’s the right medicine for us, and if we can just make sure that we’re going to have a sunny day, and we go off on time, you know, it’s, we’re due for a sunny race. We’ve had plenty of the other stuff.”

What is it, like, to race against a guy like Connor Zilisch, who you are old enough to be his dad?

“You say that; the first test session I had at CGR (Chip Ganassi Racing) with the team in 2021, we’d go to Barber for our first test, and Dario (Franchitti) takes myself and Alex Palou out and walk the track.We are walking around the track, just getting to know each other, chatting. I tell him my age, and he looks at me, and he goes, ‘Huh, you are older than my dad.’ I was like, he just started, like, moving away quicklym and I was like I’m going to kill you (laughter). So I still give him a hard time about that today, but thankfully, you know, that band aid’s been pulled off before, and I can’t change it, but it really does impress me when you have someone like Connor (Zilisch) at his age, and all the hype, and he’s able to perform, he has his head on his shoulders. There’s still a lot that’s going to test him, but, he is a true racer at heart and I’m certainly pulling for him.”

Jimmie, do you have a favorite memory of Greg Biffle?

“Many. I think the first thing I remember is when the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series was getting started, I was trying to work on a couple of trucks and hanging out on the West Coast, and, um, it wasn’t Bakersfield. I’m trying to remember a little track that they used to go to out in the, out in the desert. But anyway, it was plain white truck, young guy, sideways, hauling butt. I knew he was, like, a local and short track guy, but you’re out there with (Ron) Hornaday and (Mike) Skinner and (Jack) Sprague and all these guys. This young guy, just ripping him. And so, you know, became a big fan of him and got to know him more, but had a lot of incredible battles with him. Another one comes to mind is running each other out of gas at Michigan. I thought I was saving fuel, leading, doing a great job, and I ran out of gas, and Greg (Biffle) thought he did a great job, and he ran out of gas about a half a lap later, and Mark Martin was the only one saving fuel and went along and won, and we had a huge laugh about that after. Once the sting went away, after losing our brains.”

This is your 23rd Daytona 500. After all these years, is there one moment of race day that you look forward to or savor the most of any?

“Opening ceremonies; it just has such a moment. National Anthem, Thunderbirds coming by. That’s the moment for me.”

Dario Franchitti said you got him this truck ride, are you his agent now?

“Yes, in some ways, yes. (laughter) With the time we spent together in IndyCar, and then sharing a vehicle in 2024 in Goodwood, and we joked about it, and he’s like, wow, you know, I’m not sure if I can. I’m not sure if I should, and then one recently, he was like, you know that St. Pete is Truck and IndyCar, and I was like, you know I can get you a truck. He’s like, oh, I would do it. Like, if I make this happen, you’re in, right? He’s like, yeah, of course. Next morning, I call, I’m like, ‘Hey buddy, guess what? We’re going truck racing.’ He’s tested. He had to go through his medical clearance, and had his test session, and it went well. It’s fun seeing him get so excited for it, and I look forward to that in a few weeks.”

Do you have any anticipate different anticipation this year Jimmie, for what you’re doing, in the sense of you’ve got your limited schedule locked in here?

“Yeah, I think from a 30,000-foot level, our organization and what we were working on last year, our own infrastructure, our own software tool chain, a lot of these elements that, you know, are so valuable and important in today’s world. When the race car leaves the shop, you know, the cake is baked. You can’t work on them when you get here. Our inconsistencies had a lot to do with us developing our own internal software and systems. I feel like we have a really good hold of that now. In addition to now a collaboration with Gibbs, and so that’s going be quite useful for us. So, from a performance standpoint, feel really good. But what’s really a shift that you’ll see as the year goes on, our investment in experiential, our investment in hospitality, you know, that’s an element that I’m very passionate about, as our partners at Knighthead Capital, and trying to create a brand and a lifestyle brand out of motorsports, and it not being just about the X’s and O’s of a race team. That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to perform and win. But, in addition to, this year, you’ll see more moments and more storytelling. My interest in running Dario (Franchitti) is to tell his story, you know, to lean into his legacy. We’re still getting the pieces put together, and as the year goes on, there’s probably five or six different moments that will be seen and noticed as LEGACY tries to story tell more, tries to offer hospitality, experiential moments. There are these touch points that, I really want to build out, and I think are useful. Not only for our existing partners, but to bring in prospects, to also, someday, offer to fans and create these incredible opportunities to come inside the ropes and experience our sport. So, that’s all part of a bigger plan that is where I want the company to go, and we’ll lean into that more this year, while trying to go win some races.”

How much higher our expectations with how well last year went?

“I think that our expectations are still very similar. We had looks at wins last year.

We legitimately did, where we’re most focused right now is the consistency. We want to be here for the long run. The format is going benefit consistency with the format change, and for us to be racing for a win one weekend, and on a mile and a half, and go to the next mile and a half, and run 20th with both cars, like, we, we’ve got average that out, we get that part under control. As we have developed our infrastructure, there’s a lot of telling signs of why we have the inconsistencies. We still need to go live it, but it’s nice to be able to look back and rationally look at elements and say that this makes sense. This is why. I feel that we’ll have a much more competitive year.”

How did you handle it going from winning all the time then not?

“It is a tough journey, and wrong, right or indifferent, my journey to Cup, I didn’t win a lot, and I feel like that journey helped me in a lot of ways, that, when I did start having success. I think the experiences then helped me hang on to it for as long as we did. Unfortunately, at some point, it starts drying up, and it did for me, and it will for others. We have none of us know where that is for Kyle (Busch) right now, until he decides to step away, but there is a moment out there for everyone where production just goes down, and it doesn’t mean that your heart isn’t in it, and your skills aren’t there, but whatever it is, it dries up, and, uh, I hope that isn’t the case for him, He is such a talent, but it gets us all at some point.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

TOYOTA RACING – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

With the move to the Chase this year, how will it impact the racing at the end of the Daytona 500?

“That’s a great question. I’ve honestly thought about this a lot. The Daytona 500 in the past, with the previous format, it kind of gave it a win or bust mentality where you would lay it all on the line and go for the win and understand if you wreck out you’re going to be fine – hopefully you win a race in the next couple, right? Certainly, in the regular season. Where now, those points that you potentially lose if you do wreck out are going to matter a lot more. Yeah, the risk management of the Daytona 500 certainly becomes more of a talking point. Frankly, if you’re running second or third, you’re probably going to risk it all to win the Daytona 500 because it’s that big of an event. But I think if you’re running outside of that top 10, you’re going to be thinking about, ‘Hey, if I make a mistake here and get crashed out, I’m going to lose a lot of points.’ Every week is going to matter more now than it did in the previous format.”

Do you like the desperation factor of the Daytona 500?

“I would say in general I like it because it means so much to everybody. Looking back at the past last couple years in the sport, we’ve definitely had too much desperation at certain times that have created bad moments and bad looks for our sport, but the Daytona 500 I think is warranted. It’s a really big event, it’s a lifetime achievement and a career-making achievement if you’re able to win this race so I think it’s warranted.”

Do you have a track or circuit that you find most challenging on the NASCAR schedule?

“Well, for me, it’s been Martinsville. I don’t know why that is, but it’s certainly been a track that’s had our number as a team for the last couple years. I had a great race there in 2022 and was able to find my way to victory lane, but we just haven’t been able to repeat that recently. Martinsville for me would be the biggest trouble.”

What’s going through your mind on the final green flag stop on Sunday?

“Honestly, after the green flag stop you just hope that you find yourself in position. It’s what happens in the moments before that and what dictates who’s going to be in position to win the race. Those moments are critical in deciding who’s going to win the race and hoping that you make it through the wreck at the end. Typically, at the Daytona 500, and typically all of the superspeedway races, you find yourself saving fuel at the beginning of runs so you will rarely have yellow flags in the beginning of the runs. Once everyone starts pushing hard specifically at the end of the race, that’s when the big wrecks happen.”

What’s the difference in the intensity between the start of stage 3 and after that green flag stop?

“Oh, it’s night and day. You can see people starting to make more desperate moves and the pace picks up. Your cars start driving a little bit worse and you’ve got a lot of laps on your tires at that time. It’s night and day different.”

Are there people that are better at it than others?

“Once the field gets condensed after the green flag stop, you’re pretty landlocked and I’d say everyone is on a pretty level playing field. But it’s the moments during the green-flag cycle, getting to pit road, getting off pit road, getting in and out of your pit box, that’s where the driver really makes a different. And, then saving fuel. That’s a hot topic with the speedway racing, but it’s a super important strategy key that you have to be able to save more fuel than your competitors and shorten that pit stop up because that puts you in front of the pack.”

Is it more important that the person you’re drafting with has experience or that they’ve had a good car all day?

“It’s definitely more important that they have experience.”

Has the prestige level of this race changed over the years?

“From outside of the industry, I’d say the answer is probably no. From inside the industry, since I’ve been in the sport, I’d say no, but I think as a sport we can make changes to our product — to our rules package — to add more prestige to this event for sure.”

When you’re the car getting pushed at the front of the pack, is there anything you can do as a driver to lessen the risk of potentially getting wrecked?

“Not at that point in time. I prior to my wreck (last year) that I was likely going to end up on the hook and not see that checkered flag. I said it after that race – I don’t blame Cole Custer. He was doing what he had to do to help himself finish well, help me finish well. You have to push in that situation and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take it, and my car was all over the place and I lost it and hit the wall.”

Is it surprising to you to know that it’s been decade that the pole sitter for the Daytona 500 has gone on to win the race?

“I think it kind of goes hand in hand with the fact that you trim out the car to qualify well, it probably won’t race as well mixed with the fact that it takes a lot of luck to win this race. You’re never out of it until you’re out of it and qualifying has very little input on the race.”

What have you learned about yourself over the last couple of years?

“I’ve learned that I dwell on too much on the negatives for sure. I was talking about this a little bit earlier today – one of my strengths is I never get too high when I’m succeeding but one of my weaknesses is I get too down whenever I’m not running well. You’ve got to be able to ride those highs and ride those lows and stay pretty even keel through it all. That’s something that I certainly need to do a better job of.”

Does it make a difference if you put your hand by the window net for qualifying?

“It doesn’t make any difference.”

What impact did this offseason have for you and Adam Stevens and the 20 team?

“I would say it was very similar, very normal. Everybody took a lot of time off, a lot of separation. We spend a lot of time around each other throughout the season so whenever that checkered flag falls in Phoenix, you’re excited to take a break for sure. I think everyone on this 20 group is super optimistic about the format change and we think it should play well into our favor.”

How do you feel like Toyota has improved on superspeedways?

“Toyota certainly has put in a ton of effort in trying to become better at these races. I do joke around and say it’s luck, but you look around at Ford and what they’ve been able to do in these races. They’ve pretty much dominated them and with that being said, I don’t think they necessarily get the wins that they should out of it which is why it takes a lot of luck to win these races. Toyota has put in a lot of effort to try and run better, qualify better and I’d say we’re seeing that. We had multiple cars in position to win this race last year and unfortunately none of them made it to the start-finish line. We have put in a lot of effort.”

Has the change to the Playoff format changed your mindset going into races each week?

“I think it really tilts the risk management skill. If you’re in the top two or three of the Daytona 500, you’re obviously going to risk it, but if you walk out of Daytona with a DNF like I did last year, it’s going to hurt you a lot more in 2026 than it did in 2025. I love the changes they made to the format because it weights races a lot more equally. Before you had that championship race at that championship track that if you weren’t good at Homestead – I lived that through the Xfinity cars – that you were never going to be a champion and if you weren’t good at Phoenix – you were never going to be a champion. That should not crown – one race should not crown a champion. And now, all 36 races are going to be weighted way more equally which I think is super important.”

How mentally ready are you to run the Daytona 500 with it kicking off the season?

“I think I’m at 100 percent. I’m ready, man. I’m ready. We’ve been recharging all offseason. I’m ready.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

TOYOTA RACING – Bubba Wallace
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace was made available to the media on Wednesday during Daytona 500 media day.

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Xfinity Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing:

What stories can you repeat about hanging out with Marshawn Lynch?

“He was really just asking about our schedules and asking about what we do, so there were no really crazy stories. He definitely wanted to go up in a fighter jet. He just inserted himself and went where he wanted to. We were at the military base and he was like ‘can I get in that?’ and they were like ‘sure’, so it was stuff like that. It was fun and a good time, a short trip too.”

How was it flying down to Daytona with Ryan Blaney and both having your kids and family with you?

“He’s a last minute bailer. We had a last minute golf trip and he bails. I’m used to it with Becks being 16 months old. To see he and Gianna (Ryan Blaney’s wife) go through that as well is really cool.”

What was it like being a part of the Toyota Super Bowl Commercial called ‘Where Dreams Began’?

“It was cool. It was shot really fast. That one was shot at Ten Tenths (Motor Club) and was a short day. Hanging out with Ace (Mini Bubba from the commercial) was a lot of fun. Cool to see it come together. I had a lot of people texting me after that about how cool it was.”

What was it like being featured in Super Bowl commercial like that?

“It’s cool, not everyone is in a Super Bowl commercial, so I definitely don’t take it for granted. To me it’s just kind of like another day.”

How do you feel about coming back to Daytona and your chances this weekend?

“I feel really good about it. Getting a lot of signs that it’s going to be a good weekend, so don’t ask me what said signs were, but they were good ones. I feel good about our chances, we’ve obviously grown and matured as a team from last year and from the start of 23XI and the start of the 23 team we’ve grown in a lot of spots. To come into this year more confident and more focused. We’ve just got to dot our I’s and cross our t’s, I think I say that every year here at Daytona 500 media day. We just have to put it all together.”

Where do you guys think you are as opposed to last year?

“Just getting older, hair is a little longer. Just the communication, you feel more confident in each other and that continues to evolve and grow over the years. It doesn’t matter if it’s Year 1 or Year 20, you learn something new about the people you work with every day. It’s just being more comfortable and putting that all together.”

Is winning the Daytona 500 as prestigious as it once was?

“It is. I don’t know a way around the strategies we have to do now with fuel savings. I don’t think the sport was smart enough to do it earlier, we could have been doing this for seven or eight years and trying to run people out of fuel. It just evolved over the last five years, this is a new game. It’s just totally different and it’s a different way of going about it. I would say yes, it’s our biggest race of the year and the biggest purse we’ve had, which would be super nice to win.”

What do you think about Corey Heim and his growth and joining 23XI on a part time basis this year?

“Corey’s been there a lot, just understanding how to put it all together and make it work. He’s been a great asset to our team coming off the success he had last year in trucks. I’m really excited for him. He’s talked to me a little bit about contract stuff and I told him make sure you get the (Daytona) 500 in there because if you win that thing it will be a nice pay day. It’s cool to see it all come together rand have Robinhood on the car. I think he’s going to be a major asset to our team. To see him grow throughout it all and figure out where he needs to be and put himself in the right spots. I think he adapts pretty well and we will see how it goes.”

What’s the potential or the ceiling of 23XI in the future?

“We want to disrupt the big three (JGR, Hendrick, Penske). We want to put our name in that category, and they are really passionate about that. We had a great leadership meeting a couple weeks ago that emphasized on a lot of key notes and it was a big reflection of all of us in that room. So just high expectations. It starts with waking up with the right attitude and being present and being on time and giving it your all every day. How can you be better than the previous day. It’s understanding that mindset and adapting to that is going to be huge for us. Just keep pushing. This sport is really hard, the big three have been around for awhile. Key people come and go and they insert their philosophies. We are still growing but we’ve already done some pretty cool things in a short amount of time and we have to keep pushing for more.”

Having your crew chief Charles Denike with you coming into the second year, how is that going to help as you both grow together?

“Charles is super easy going, I think I am too. We have a really good relationship that started right off the bat. That helps new pairings and new relationships. He’s been very confident in the work he’s been doing. Halfway through the years he’s leading some of our meetings. You expect a guy who hasn’t been there for long to lean back, but he wanted to insert his philosophy and his mindset as quickly as he could. That says a lot about who he is and who he wants to be. He’s the type of person who takes his job very seriously. He pays attention to detail and I’m excited to have another trip around the sun with him.”

What is the most challenging track on the schedule?

“We have two tracks. We are pumped for Loudon, but our results there haven’t been too great so that’s the one that’s circled.”

Looking back on some past stats, it’s been awhile since someone from the front row has won the race. Is that something you are aware of?

“Not to be a negative Nancy, but we won’t be anywhere near the front row. We qualify about 20th to 25th. Whatever it is, we kind look at each other and wonder where we are going to qualify. Talladega last fall was a nice surprise, we made the top 10 and Riley (Herbst) was the fastest in the first group. I say that, but we could have a nice surprise and be hunting for the pole. We’ve worked hard in all areas that we could to reduce drag and gain speed. It would be nice to be on the front row, but at the same you have the Duel to improve. Last year we started third and didn’t see the checkered flag, so you know how this race goes.”

You already have a crown jewel win at Indianapolis last year. Do you think about coming here and getting another one with a Daytona 500 win?

“That would be sick. You got to do better than what I’ve been doing in the 500, I’ve gotten close. If we can put it all together then why not? I think the first Daytona 500, I didn’t know what I was doing and wound up in second. But then that one, the Penske cars were going to be tough to beat. Everything happens for a reason.”

What have you learned about yourself the last couple of years?

“That’s a good question. Being around people and realizing that having my wife and my child and being at home, there’s nothing better than that. I put racing in front for a lot of years. Realizing that family and surrounding yourself with people you want to be around is it. Life is lovely, no complaints.”

What do you think changes for you with the Chase playoff format back starting this season?

“You still have to be smart, but you still get a substantial amount of points for winning. So I don’t think it’s changes that much. Just so the record is clear, I didn’t give a damn about any format. If they changed the format tomorrow, cool. I have a job to do to be the best at that format, that’s my take on it.”

Do you think there will be less desperation with no win and you are in like the past?

“It’s all going to come down for those points moments, because you are still fighting for points and points matter. But still if you need two spots and it’s 10 laps to go, you do whatever you can. It will be different, but you won’t have the end of round drama. So when the playoffs start, you really have to lock in for 10 weeks. It’s not three weeks and then reset, it’s 10 weeks.”

How many wins are reasonable in today’s NASCAR Cup Series competition?

“Three? Which I think is very doable for us. That’s a really competitive year. At the same time, you can’t win three races and wreck in the other 33 races. You got to put a good season together and make those three wins count. Just winning isn’t that good, but you got to put the whole season together too.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

I know you’re a rookie, but you’re not a rookie to racing. There’s no road course in the chase now. What are your feelings on that? Were you looking forward to something like that, or are you like, eh, it is what it is?

“Yeah, I don’t really stress too much about… it is what it is. You know, the writing was on the wall that it was going to happen. It would be nice to have a road course, but I think there’s definitely better options to go to than the (Charlotte) Roval. I think there’s a lot of really great tracks in the United States and around the world that would be really cool to go to.

I think a lot of the drivers want at least one in the Chase. I think I’m not alone saying that, but I think there’s better options than the Roval, just racing-wise. It’s a decent track, but the oval is definitely a better race.”

What’s some of the best advice you’ve been given coming into the season overall?

“Yeah, I mean, run all the laps is the biggest thing. I think if you make it to the end of this one, you can have a solid day. But, you know, there’s no crazy advice I’ve been given for this race in particular. It’s certainly different now with fuel saving and just being a unique race, but I’m excited for it. I think my biggest piece of advice that people have given me is just enjoy the experience.”

No Mic…

“Yeah, I’m so excited. I think the biggest thing for me coming into this weekend is just try and make the most of the weekend, obviously, and do everything I can on the track. But more importantly, just enjoy the experience and have fun no matter what happens.

There’s a lot of things that can happen out of your control here. And I think for me, I’m just most excited to enjoy it all, whether it’s media day today. Usually I dread these things, but I came in with a positive mindset today that I’m going to have fun and I’m going to enjoy it, and I think that goes for the entire weekend.”

What about the full circle moment of getting back here four years later?

“Yeah, it’s really full circle for me. I think looking back at it, I first came to this race as a fan in 2022. I sat in the grandstands. I didn’t even know enough people to get a pit pass. I think it just shows how quickly life can change. You know, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s just crazy how things in life can happen. You just have to give it your all every day; don’t give up. I think it shows that anything’s possible.”

Do you come in here happy that people have such high expectations for you, or do you almost feel like I want to calm it down? How do you kind of approach it because you are somebody that people do have these high expectations?

“Yeah, I appreciate the excitement. You know, I think it’s really cool that there’s a lot of people excited to watch how I’m going to do this season, whether it’s fans or media. I do think it sometimes gets a little outlandish… a lot of people maybe expecting a lot of me in my first year. I don’t think people realize how big of a jump it is from Saturday to Sunday. But I try not to pay too much attention to it. I know what my personal goals are throughout the year. I know what I want to accomplish and my long-term goals. I find it cool most mostly.”

How do you explain your ability to succeed in every step, so far?

“I think it’s just adaptability. Growing up, I raced so many different kinds of cars and got to do so many different races. I just experienced a lot at a young age, and I was forced to challenge myself. I learned to be comfortable being uncomfortable, and I think that’s kind of why I never feel like I’m going into a new thing. I never get stressed. I always say, man, I’ve been in these shoes before and I’m going to go out and figure it out.”

What kind of race do you expect to see on Sunday? What are you looking forward to the most?

“I think just driver introductions and walking across the stage. And then obviously the race. I mean, the race is going to be really cool. Just the whole experience. I think there’s nothing I can really pinpoint and say, man, that’s going to be my favorite part. I think I’m just going to try and enjoy the entire day. But it’s going to be really cool to walk across the stage and hear my name introduced and get to race in the Daytona 500.”

You’ve never raced in front of that many people before, have you, though?

“I don’t think so. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever raced in a crowd this big, no.”

When you got here in 2022, did you watch the race as a fan, or were you in that driver analytical mindset?

“That was before I even had raced in oval, so that was very much so just coming as a fan and enjoying the spectacle of it. And, you know, I’d never been to the race. I was actually coaching a kid in Orlando in a go-kart and working, and his family said, hey, you want to go to the Daytona 500? And I thought, man, what a cool opportunity that would be. I traded my pay for a ticket to the race and a place to stay that night, and I got to go to the race for the first time and enjoy that experience. I definitely wasn’t in the driver mindset or I didn’t have the skill at that time to be able to critique what was going on on the track (laughs).”

After Phoenix, how long did you hang on to those thoughts of what you should have, could have, would have to win that championship?

“Yeah, I got past it pretty quick. It was probably a week or so, less than a week. I quickly realized I have a lot more to be excited about than I do to sit there and get upset about the fact that I didn’t win a championship.

So, yeah, it’s just the fact. If I didn’t have anything going for me and that was my make-or-break moment, it would have been different. But I have a lot to look forward to and a lot to work on moving forward, and that needs to be my focus.”

You have one shot this year at becoming the youngest Daytona 500 winner in history. I’m wondering, have you looked to Trevor Bayne’s win, either in studying it or even maybe talking to him to see how he executed that at such a younger age?

“I mean, I don’t think age is the thing that I would need to talk to Trevor Bayne about. I feel like it’s really cool he won at 20 years old and won it at a young age. But no, I haven’t talked to him about his experience in the Daytona 500 or watched it back recently. You know, I do most of my studying on my own and there wouldn’t be a lot to look at from the cars back then to compare to today’s cars.”

What would make you smile at the end of the race Sunday night?

“I think if I could just make it to the end — I think a top-10, I’d be happy about. You know, I’m not saying if I finished 11th, I’d be mad. But I think I have low expectations for myself. I don’t expect to go out and win my first race. It’d be really cool to do that. Obviously, we show up to the track every week with the goal to win, but I don’t expect myself to. So I think, you know, making it to the end — as long as I can say I did everything I could and I made the right moves, I think that’s what I’d be satisfied with.”

No Mic…

“Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of it just comes from respecting the guys and treating them the way you want to be treated. If they see you as a bratty kid, I think that’s when they won’t respect you and what you say. I try and treat everyone with respect, and I try not to act like a 19-year-old. I think that’s the biggest thing. I might be a young kid, but I just try to be more professional and mature, and I think that’s a lot of why people trust and believe in me and respect what I say. But, you know, I don’t think – there’s a lot of kids that, you know, have that respect. There’s a lot of people coming up through the sport that are really good and young. I think that’s just kind of the way the sport’s trending is kids are getting into cars when they’re 12 years old, and I think that’s going to become the new normal.”

When you’re getting compared to guys like Jeff Gordon, what’s your reaction to that?

“(Laughs) Yeah, it’s hard to comprehend, I would say. I think it’s – I don’t know why yet, right? I’ve run, obviously, a lot of races in the lower levels. But, you know, to be compared to Jeff Gordon, I feel like you’ve got to do something at this level and I’ve yet to do that. I haven’t had the opportunity to do that. That starts this year, and I’m hoping to make a name for myself. It’s certainly going to take time to get to the level of a guy like him.”

What constitutes a successful rookie season for you?

“I think the biggest thing for me is that if I can look back and say I got better each week and ended the year multiple steps ahead of where I start today, I think that’s what success looks like to me.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

What does 2026 look like for you guys?

“To be determined. It’s definitely an upgrade package. It’s very intentional about that with Chevy. But pushing at the super speedways, we’ll learn tomorrow night. The rest of the tracks are more about the balance of the car, if the downforce changes front to back and how it goes over the car, how the air goes over. They’ve done all their testing, but until the drivers get on track and give some feedback… I’m sure there’ll be things we’ll have to offset to try to help the balance.”

How close have you gotten with your new crew chief? And it’s kind of cool that it’s two Floridians, you know, working together. That doesn’t happen very often in the sport. How do you bond?

“I’ve known Brandon McSwain for more than a decade. We met in 2014 at Shigeaki Hattori’s team. It was his first job out of college. He’s worked for Bruce Cook as an engineer, and we hit it off. We’ve stayed friends. We’ve lived about a mile from each other for the last five years probably, and I was at his wedding when he married his better half, Jackie and they’ve raised two awesome kids now. So definitely something that we didn’t have to go to dinner to learn each other’s names. I know his family. His wife’s uncle is actually a watermelon seed salesman. So it’s pretty crazy that we’ve been connected more than in more than one way. Now we’re finally getting to work together again after meeting in a race shop a long time ago.”

Do you think that helps having that familiarity when you’re going to be making calls with 20 laps to go in the Daytona 500?

“That’s why he was my guy. I tossed his name in the hat at Trackhouse. They were interviewing several great candidates. All would have been great crew chiefs. Some are currently, and some will be one day. My vote was Brandon. I had the relationship with him and feel like I understand his voice. I’m a people person, and I feel like I understand what he’s saying long before I have to kind of think about it.”

How do you feel about your chances at the front row tonight?

I don’t know. It’s more of maybe a question for McSwain. I don’t think that Trackhouse has shown in the past that we’re front-row capable. Chevy has, but not us. The lap in practice wasn’t indicative of single-car speed. Everybody had dirty laps. I was out there by myself, then the 2 car drafted up behind me and then my old amigo Daniel (Suarez) blended in front of me, and we got a big tow. So that wasn’t by ourselves. Nobody was really by themselves.”

At what point in the line do you start to feel maybe a sense of urgency to win this race, get that done before you start becoming one of the guys where you’re this statistic of how many attempts?

“I don’t have that feeling. I don’t know if it’ll ever show up in my mind. I’m happy to be here, happy to be competing. I know that I could be backward in the grass at 200 miles an hour and if I can get tires on it, I’ll still have a shot. So I’m ready for whatever comes my way.”

What’s unique about Connor (Zilisch)?

“I don’t know how his family raised him, but they did a really good job. It’s probably something that we need to study because he turned out to be a great kid… mature beyond his years. It’s not fair how mature he is. There’s definitely still signs that he’s his age but the speed on track together with the composure off track is cool to see. And we’ve already had some good times together this year.”

Are you bummed that we’re not going to have road courses in Chase?

“I don’t care. Whatever the schedule is. If we had 17 road courses in the season or one, I don’t really know that I have an opinion. I just want to know the schedule. Selfishly I’m excited about Charlotte and having another crack at it. I remember the days when you had the All-Star 600 and the fall race there. I’m ready to race wherever they tell us to go. I’ll go anywhere NASCAR says.”

Shane said that he spent some time in a Chevy simulator on the course at San Diego. Have you had that similar experience, and what do you think that race is going to produce?

“No, I definitely let Shane do the grunt work on that. That track is in its infancy of understanding what it’ll actually be on race weekend. So Shane’s helping I think everybody understand what it needs to be and where to place curbs and walls and things. I’ll wait till further down the road.”

You can’t run the feeder series for that weekend. How important is it going to be to watch those other races?

“Oh yeah, we’ll be watching. We’ll see once we get there if there is a good spot to watch outside, or if we need to be inside with a TV and a bunch of cameras to watch. But yeah, those practice sessions will be important. There is no extra time with the other series.”

How much did the last 10 weeks of the season change now that there are no more playoff rounds and it’s just one straight postseason.

“I didn’t plan on it last year, but I don’t plan on backing across any finish lines. From there it’s just a whole body of work over 10 races versus three rounds of three. We know the rules right now just like we knew them last year, and we all go try to win it.”

You’re comfortable with your new crew chief and you said he was your pick. You’ve got to be confident about that but is there any uncertainty or nervousness going into it just with the success you’ve had with Phil (Surgen)?

“I thought I was going to end my Cup career with Phil Surgen. And it just came time for him and his family to be home more, and I understand that. This is a grind. He came to us with plenty of time and explained what he wanted to do. He created his own job, really, at the top of Trackhouse up with Darian Grubb in the leadership group over the competition side. He can help Brandon, he can help Randall (Burnett) now and Stephen (Doran) on our three cars. So he was my vote. It wasn’t like I slammed my fist on the table and said I got to have him. I just said I think this is the guy, and I made my case.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

TOYOTA RACING – Erik Jones
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.

ERIK JONES, No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Does the change in the postseason format bring back the “prestige” of this race?

“Yeah, I think that’s a good way to think of it. I was kind of, I guess, milling over in my mind a little bit, what that change would be like for the (Daytona) 500. I think it does change the mindset a little bit of the guys that think this is maybe one of their only four shots in the year of winning. That changes a lot. I think the racing will be a little bit different. Guys (will) still be pushing to win, but you’re probably going to see some different moves of just trying to be in contention to win it. I’m excited about it. I’m happy to see what the points are this year and how the system’s going to work, and I think just enjoying whoever does get the chance to win this race Sunday, to really just get to enjoy being the 500 winner is pretty neat.”

Do you think it’ll be less aggressive or more aggressive racing?

“I think you’ll still see a lot of aggression towards the end, but I think you might just see different racing through the day. I think some of the guys that feel like this is going to be their only chance, here and Talladega, the few (drafting tracks) we do, that there’s probably more aggressive moves through the day to try to put themselves in position all day long. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the racing be a little bit different with it not being a win-and-in scenario (for the postseason).”

How do you mentally prepare to jump back in the car after the offseason?

“I think for me, I kind of pick a date in January, where it’s like, ‘okay, it’s time to go back into race and work mode,’ and it’s not, you know, vacation anymore, back in just the regular swing. I think I think some of that helps and just getting the mindset, right? But I really feel like until you get through the Duels tomorrow night, you’re still in just that weird mindset of not being totally comfortable yet and ready to go again. I feel like once you get through those and you’ve done some good, or at least one pit stop, and you’ve raced a little bit again, and know which car is going to do, you’re all the way back in. But even with the Clash, it doesn’t feel the same. So, it kind of takes through the Duels to get ready.”

Do you think Jimmie (Johnson) would be content to help you or your teammate win this race?

I think he would do whatever would be best for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, right? I know Jimmie (Johnson)’s a competitor and wants to win another (Daytona) 500 as much as anybody in the field, but I think if he’s in a situation where he’d be putting at risk that no the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB car won the race, I think he’s going to take the option that one of us is going to win. If that means it’s me or John Hunter (Nemechek), I think that’s the choice he’s going to make. Kind of a cool spot to be in for him, I feel like. As a guy who’s accomplished plenty in his career and has a chance to go out and run it again this year and hopefully have a couple of cars in it in contention, I think he’s going to do what it takes to have at least, at least one LEGACY MOTOR CLUB contend for the win.”

How have things been with Justin Alexander so far as your new crew chief?

“Yeah, the test was good. The biggest thing is (that the) communication is so different, right? Not just between me and him (Justin Alexander, crew chief), but to the crew, as well, and what the guys are used to hearing. Those guys worked with Ben (Beshore, director of engineering, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB) for three years, really, so their communication change is probably bigger than mine. Ben and I had only worked together last year and felt like we kind of knew what we needed, but there’s still some learning for me. But the biggest thing is with the crew guys during practice, what the cadence of Justin is, what he’s asking for, what he’s needing from them. I think all of that is a little bit more challenging, but I feel like we’re getting there. Practice went pretty smooth for the most part today. It’s so low pressure, which is nice, nobody’s really thrashing in that session, so it kind of gives you a nice little warm up to it.”

How have expectations risen for the team this year?

“Yeah, I mean, they’re up. I think the whole process, if you look back at it, has taken longer than everybody’s wanted. This is year three for us with Toyota, and we want to be in contention. We spend a lot of time, a lot of money, and put a lot of effort in, so I think everybody wants to see that transition to being a contender. So, I think the expectations this year are definitely to win. How many? We’d like to win a few, but (expectations) have definitely risen.”

Do you feel like the points format favors the team like LEGACY MOTOR CLUB?

“I think so. A couple of years ago, (in) 2022, we pointed our way well into the Playoffs, but there was, I want to say, at least 16 (winners) before the Playoffs and we missed out. But, we were like 12th in points where the Playoffs started. So, I feel like we’re fully capable of having a similar year to that, as we did in 2022, where we’re in contention and just running well in general. I think this format does reward the consistency that I think we can have, so I’m happy about that.”

What would it mean to win the Daytona 500 in the No. 43 car?

“I really just want to have a good career in (the No. 43 car). I’ve been in this car for a minute now, and we’ve been able to win, but we want to win more races. We’ll never match Richard (Petty)’s career, right? Frankly, at this point, probably don’t have enough time to have that sort of career, but I would love to add on a handful of wins, and just have a career that you look at in the No. 43 that would really stand out as someone other than what Richard did in it. That’s definitely my goal in this car, and Daytona would add right into that. A crown jewel win, and what it would mean for the Petty family, what it would mean for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, what it would mean for the No. 43 fans. There’s a lot of long-time No. 43 fans. I think it would be a pretty neat moment. Would definitely love to add that one on the list.”

Do you feel like this new format creates more storylines across the board in the sport?

“Everything matters so much more now, right? You kind of looked at those (certain) weeks as the weeks where you really missed it, or you got caught in a wreck, it was kind of like, ‘whatever, we weren’t going have a chance to point our way in anyways, or we still have a shot to win here or whatever,’ to get in. Now, all those weeks are going to matter now. I’m excited. I think if you can get in ‘The Chase’ and be a part of it this year, on a true points format, I think it’s really rewarding. There definitely are no flukes in that system. And as you go through the postseason, there’s no flukes, and who goes deep into the postseason and who wins the championship. I’m excited to see who’s going to be in it and contend for it. I think the guy who hoists the trophy at Homestead (Miami Speedway) at the end of the year is going be feeling as rewarded as ever in quite a while.”

Are you excited to return to Chicagoland?

I am, I’ve always liked Chicagoland (Speedway). I mean, number one, it’s not too far from where I grew up. It’s about a three-to-four-hour drive. I’ve always loved the track and had success there and won a few races. I’m excited to get back. I think the track is going to be aged, rough and challenging in these cars, but I think we’re going to put on a really good show. The real high point, I think, in the Next Gen car is good at mile-and-a-half races, so I’m happy to see another one on the schedule. And to get back to that area and stay there. Chicago’s always been good to us, so a lot of good things, and excited to get back to it.”

Feeling good about everything so far after practice?

“I think so. You know, it was pretty straightforward. There weren’t any issues, nothing went wrong, which was good. So, we’ll see where we end up. We got some help on our laps to get some good laps. I’m just hoping, if we could qualify top 20 tonight, I think that’d be good for our group and what we what kind of effort we put into qualifying.”

How much confidence do you have to get a strong result this weekend?

“Yeah, I always come in here with confidence high. I feel like I’ve always had strong runs in the (super)speedways and been in good positions to win. (The Daytona) 500’s been a tough one for me for some reason. Had a couple good runs here but have been caught up in a lot of incidents here, I don’t feel like of our own doing. We’d love for it all to work out and be in contention, but I always come here with confidence, knowing that I know what I need to do, and I think our cars are going be good as well.”

How do you approach a season when “silly season” is highly anticipated?

“Yeah, from what I hear, is probably the most options for movement in a long time. There’s so many guys at this point that have been here a while, and they’re settled in their homes. There are guys that are on the last, maybe going into one of their last deals, so there’s a lot of things that are going to move here in the next couple of years. For me, this has been a home, a team that I think we’re growing and getting better. I don’t have any interest in moving around, but I think it’ll be interesting to see where things shake out, and with some of those top organizations is always interesting to see the routes they make.”

Do you feel like you’re due for a good Daytona 500 this year?

“I like to think of it that way. Maybe eventually, you just have good luck chips left. I think we’ll have a good car. I know what I need to do to be in contention and where I need to be at the end of the race. The racing has changed so much with fuel mileage and how we position ourselves with that. I just hope we’re in contention. I feel like last year, we had a really good car, and obviously ran well in the Duel, and we were running okay in the 500 and got caught in the wreck late and had a pit. It’d definitely be a great way to start the year off, but I feel like we’ve been in the right spot a lot, we just need to need to play out right for us.”

With two LEGACY MOTOR CLUB cars finishing in the top-five here last year, does that also bring confidence?

“Yeah, I think all three of us would have been up there without our damage. We had fast cars last year, and I think we have as good of cars this year. It’s a little early to tell until we get in the Duels tomorrow night to see how (the car) does in traffic, but I think the speed will be there. I think we just need to execute well on pit road and strategy and put ourselves in the right spot. And from there, hope things just fall your way a little bit. But there’s a lot you can do on your end, too, to put yourself in a good position.”

How do you guys feel heading into a season where it seems like qualifying to be more important?

“I think qualifying’s always been important. But the stage points and what you do in these (super)speedways, I think becomes more important. You look at the stretch to the Chase and what you have do to put yourself in position. I don’t feel like you can ride around (here) and just decide not to take stage points all day. You have to be in contention here all day long to be racing for stage points and gaining them, and that’s going to be every week. I think we’ve been trying to get better qualifying. It’s been a big emphasis for us and we’re already thinking a lot about it. I think this will just be more of a continuation of that.”

Is it strange to get back in a mindset of points racing over the whole season?

“It’s a little bit of a shift, definitely a mindset shift. Maybe not as much for team like us, honestly, because we kind of had the points race a little bit and hope that we could be in the top 16 and point our way in, because we couldn’t really count on a win. The top, big three teams, I think they’re always kind of counting on a race win before we get to Daytona for the cutoff. I think that mindset shifts a little bit bigger than what maybe a team like ours is. We’ve been points racing for years, at least I have when just trying to make the Playoffs every season. I think the guys that get multiple race wins a year, they’re probably going to have to have a little bit more of that shift.”

Which track do you find the most challenging?

“Well, for us, it’s been any road course. It’s been challenging the last few years with this car. We just haven’t really got a good program going yet, so that’s been our biggest challenge.”

What does a guy like Kellen Mills mean for your team?

“He’s always the motivator. We chatted a little bit internally about what that award (Richard Petty Award for Excellence) meant. It’s the guy who’s taking the extra time out of the day to make somebody’s day at the track a little bit better, and I think Kellen (Mills, jackman, No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE) has always embodied that. I was excited for him, I think it’s a great thing. It sounds a lot better than employee of the month (laughs). I think he really was deserving of the first one, and I’m excited to see it. It’s a great thing, honestly, to have internally. He doesn’t do (that stuff) because he wanted to win that award, that’s just who he is.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

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

Daytona International Speedway
Sunday, Feb. 15
2.5-Mile Tri-Oval
2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series race (1 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 33 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 16th (Clash at Bowman Gray)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: N/A

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Daytona
Races	36	402	23
Wins	3	32	0
Poles	1	22	1
Top 5	15	134	0
Top 10	22	204	6
Laps Led	1,106	10,362	39
Stage Wins	10	72	1
Average Finish	13.2	14.0	21.2

• Kyle Larson, from Elk Grove, California, opens the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season as the defending champion. If Larson can repeat, he would be the first driver to do so since Jimmie Johnson in 2009 and 2010.
• Last week at the preseason exhibition Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet team earned the pole and led 67 laps.
• Larson will make his 13th attempt in the DAYTONA 500 this weekend. He has a best finish of seventh place (2016 and 2019).
• Larson can become the fifth driver all-time to complete the grand slam of crown jewel events with a win in the DAYTONA 500. In doing so, he would be the first defending champion to win the Great American Race since Dale Jarrett in 2000.
• The 33-year-old ranked second in points earned on drafting tracks in 2025, just two points shy of the top spot.
• Over his last seven drafting-track starts, Larson has posted an average finish of 11.14 while leading 25 laps.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 30 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 17th (Clash at Bowman Gray)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: N/A

 No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
 

2025	Cup Career	Daytona
Races	36	358	20
Wins	2	21	0
Poles	0	12	3
Top 5	11	115	3
Top 10	19	190	6
Laps Led	454	5,980	174
Stage Wins	1	39	3
Average Finish	12.6	12.9	20.5

• This Sunday will mark Chase Elliott’s 11th DAYTONA 500 start. The 30-year-old has come close to visiting victory lane in the prestigious event, finishing runner-up to Michael McDowell in 2021 and running out of gas as the leader on lap 198 of 200 in 2017. 
• The Dawsonville, Georgia, native is the youngest DAYTONA 500 pole winner, earning the top qualifying position in 2016 at 20 years, 2 months and 17 days. He followed that up with a second pole award the next year. 
• While he has yet to win a NASCAR Cup Series points-paying race on Daytona International Speedway’s oval, Elliott won on the road course in 2020. He has two Duel at Daytona victories (2017 and 2018).
• Elliott has four Cup Series wins on drafting tracks, most recently capturing the checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June of last season. It marked his second win at the track, with the other coming in 2022. He’s also won twice at Talladega Superspeedway (2019 and 2022).
• On drafting tracks last season, the 2020 Cup Series champion earned the third-most points (174). Elliott finished in the top 10 in three of the last four drafting track races, including his triumph at Atlanta.
• Ormond Beach, Florida, native Alan Gustafson is tied with Leonard Wood and Waddell Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 poles for a crew chief with four. 

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 28 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 2nd (Clash at Bowman Gray)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: N/A

 No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Daytona
Races	36	288	16
Wins	3	16	3
Poles	3	16	2
Top 5	11	65	1
Top 10	16	120	5
Laps Led	1,330	4,308	115
Stage Wins	11	34	0
Average Finish	14.5	15.1	21.5

• Last year, William Byron scored his second consecutive DAYTONA 500 win, becoming the youngest ever and one of only five drivers to accomplish that feat. This year, Byron has the opportunity to become the only driver to win the Harley J. Earl Trophy three times in a row.
• At Daytona International Speedway, Byron has three Cup Series wins, his most at a single track. It’s also the site of his first Cup Series win (August 2020) and he is the only repeat winner in the last 13 races at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
• In 40 starts on drafting-style tracks, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has five wins – three at Daytona and two at Atlanta Motor Speedway. That’s tied for the second-most all time at Hendrick Motorsports with Jimmie Johnson and behind only vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon (12).
• Byron is the only repeat winner in the last 12 events at drafting tracks.
• Crew chief Rudy Fugle enters his sixth Cup Series season with Byron. The duo has 175 starts together and 15 wins making them the third-longest active pairing in the series.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 32 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 10th (Clash at Bowman Gray)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: N/A

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Daytona
Races	36	361	19
Wins	0	8	0
Poles	2	7	3
Top 5	6	46	2
Top 10	16	112	7
Laps Led	165	1,533	53
Stage Wins	0	7	0
Average Finish	17.4	19.2	15.8

• Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team head to Daytona International Speedway for the DAYTONA 500, the season opener of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
• Bowman has earned six front row starts in the Great American Race (most all time), including three pole awards. He is one away from tying the record for most poles in the event, held by Bill Elliott, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough.
• The Tucson, Arizona, native holds the longest active top-10 streak in the DAYTONA 500 after earning a top-10 finish in the last three events with crew chief Blake Harris.
• In 2024, Bowman earned a runner-up finish in the season opener behind teammate William Byron.
• Bowman and the No. 48 team closed out the 2025 season 13th in driver points with six top fives and 16 top-10 finishes. Bowman earned the final playoff spot on points, to make his second consecutive appearance, his fifth overall.

17 COREY DAY
Age: 20 (November 28, 2005)
Hometown: Clovis, California
Last Finish: N/A
Crew Chief: Adam Wall

Standings: N/A

• Corey Day and the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet team begin their first full-time season in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series at Daytona International Speedway.
• This will mark Hendrick Motorsports’ first full season in the NOAPS since 2006.
• During the 2025 season, Day ran 11 races in the NOAPS, delivering two top-10 finishes. His career best showing came in a fourth-place run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Day’s first visit to Daytona came in 2025 as he drove the No. 77 Spire Motorsports ARCA Series car, finishing 22nd.
• During the offseason, Day ran multiple sprint car races, notably securing back-to-back victories at the USAC Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura Raceway.

Hendrick Motorsports

2025	All-Time	Daytona
Races	36	1,417	84
Wins	8	320*	17*
Poles	6	259*	23*
Top 5	43	1,322*	64*
Top 10	73*	2,260*	116*
Laps Led	3,055*	85,367*	2,339*
Stage Wins	22*	137	4

• Hendrick Motorsports enters the 2026 season coming off its NASCAR Cup Series record 15th championship. It is also the all-time leader in wins (320), poles (259), top fives (1,322), top 10s (2,260) and laps led (85,367).
• Last year, William Byron notched the organization’s 10th DAYTONA 500 win, moving it into sole possession of the most ever. Hendrick Motorsports is the only organization to win the Great American Race in five decades (80s, 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s). Six drivers have gone to victory lane for Hendrick Motorsports in the event, also the most ever (Geoff Bodine, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Byron).
• In addition to 10 victories, Hendrick Motorsports’ 16 poles are the most in the event by 10 over any other team.
• Four times in event history, Hendrick Motorsports has finished 1-2 in the DAYTONA 500, the most all time.

 QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on the DAYTONA 500: “For me, the mindset is the same as it is at any superspeedway, executing as a team. Not just as a specific team, but as an organization, focusing on how you execute throughout the race: fuel mileage and fuel saving, executing green-flag stops, positioning yourself after the cycle, and then making good decisions from there. I feel like we understand the recipe to run well at superspeedways, and I think we’ve done a good job over the last three or four years. Last year, we finally got rewarded for being up front, so it was great to see the checkered flag at every superspeedway, which was something really unique for me. Hopefully this year is even better, and we can get that first superspeedway win, especially starting off at Daytona. I’d love that. It’s great to begin the season with the biggest race of the year, and it would be amazing to cap off last year by turning that momentum into a win in the DAYTONA 500.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on this year’s DAYTONA 500: “We’ve had some really close opportunities to win, that we didn’t capitalize on for one reason or another, but a lot of things have to go your way in that race to ultimately change that narrative. From my perspective, just to have another opportunity with a great team, and to know going in, ‘hey, we’re going to have a car capable of winning,’ you know, that’s really all you can ask for from where I sit. So, I’ve been fortunate to have that feeling every time I’ve been with Hendrick Motorsports over the years.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on the meaning of winning a third straight DAYTONA 500: “I don’t know yet. I think it’d be huge. It would just be something that you’re proud of that you were able to every year find, kind of a new way to do it because there’s been two of them so far and both of them were really different and I think the third one, if that happened, would take a different form. Figuring out how to reinvent yourself within that race, I think that would be the biggest thing that sticks with you, probably. Sort of what it means to everyone on the team too. I think the team guys take a lot of pride in bringing a really good car and all the preparation that goes into that.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on the DAYTONA 500: “There’s a lot of excitement around Daytona; we’ve had a lot of good runs there the last couple of years. Being a crown jewel event, the one that kicks off our season, it’s a big deal. At the same time, it is just another race and having a solid run would be a great way to kick off the season. We have a lot of new faces on the 48 team, most of them have worked together in the past and I’m excited to get to work with everyone.”

Corey Day, driver of the No. 17 Chevrolet, on Daytona: “Daytona will be my first superspeedway in the (NOAPS) car and that’s kind of my last new discipline of stock car racing. I’m super excited and a little anxious for what’s to come and what’s going to happen. It’s hard to control a lot of things on superspeedways so I’ll try and control what I can, and we’ll see how it goes. I think we have a really good car and it’ll be a fun experience to start the season.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Shane van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

How exactly do you prepare for a season? What kind of training stuff do you do?

“Not much, just as much preparation as I can. So going through all our notes from last year and then setup stuff and just trying to keep evolving really. I think we did evolve a lot in the second half of the year. So yeah, just trying to be as prepared as we can each week.”

Do you come in much more optimistic about your oval prospects this year than you did a year ago?

“I don’t know. I don’t really think like that. I feel like it’s just a work in progress. I feel like I’m just getting better and better. So hopefully it keeps getting better. I still feel like I learn a lot every weekend. When that stops, that’s when it gets harder, I guess.”

Can you make gains on ovals on the sim, or does that all have to come at the racetrack?

“It’s all on the racetrack. You can do some sim stuff, but I don’t feel it really helps me.”

I think your best oval finish was Kansas. Any particular reason you did better there than other places?

“I guess it was later in the year. We were just getting better and better. I think we had some races where we had better speed than that, but I didn’t get it right or we got crashed out or something. I felt like we were getting toward the top-10 more often than not at the end, which was really cool.”

NASCAR has sort of taken away the good stuff for you with the ‘win-and-you’re-in’ and took one (road course) race away at Charlotte. Do you feel like you got to work harder?

“Yeah, but I didn’t join this series to do road courses, but obviously it’s a bonus. I’d love more road courses and not less, but that is what it is. Thankfully, we’re getting better at the ovals so that’s good.”

Do you enjoy racing at the big tracks like Daytona and Talladega?

“Yes and no. When it’s fuel saving, it’s pretty boring. But when it’s flat-out racing and you’re jockeying for position and pushing a lot, it’s pretty full-on. When it’s actual racing it’s really cool.”

How do you feel about the points format overall?

“I think it’s good. I think if you’re a front-running guy consistently, I think it’s really good and more of a pure racing championship. Then I think it still keeps the balance of excitement or closing everyone up for those last 10 races. So yeah, I think it’s pretty cool. I feel like you lose the desperation a bit of people winning races to try and turn their season around. But if I was a top guy every week, I’d be all for this.”

What’s Conor Zillich shown you so far just in terms of his approach?

“I got to know him the last couple of years. He’s a brilliant young guy. He’s been pretty focused and done a lot of racing over the offseason as well. It’s gonna be interesting to see how he goes and how he fits in after a few rounds. Looking forward to working together. Hopefully we like similar setups and we can make the cars better all together.”

You talked about the setup and all that different stuff heading into the season. How different is it when you have that year in the Cup Series under your belt?

“You just learn what you want and need from a car. My driving style was very different to most, I guess. The way I make the car work or want it to work is very different to others. We noticed a lot of trends which took a while to get everyone to adjust to. I adjusted a bit but now we’re sort of coming my way a bit, which has kind of helped me. It’s interesting. The cars are set up so different to what I’m used to, and I’m still trying to understand what I need or want from the car.”

What’s your biggest focus this weekend? Your concentration on it? What are you trying not to do or to do?

“Just score as many points as possible. That’s the way we’re going to get into The Chase. So it’s my mindset straight away … just accumulate as many points as we can every week. That’s the focus now.”

When you think about racing a road course versus Daytona, how is your focus different? Do you focus differently here? And how much harder is it than say on a road course, even though you are really good at road courses?

“It’s just different here like with the qualifying and stuff. You don’t really have an influence on it. You just drive as fast as you can, close to the line as you can. But the preparation is very different. On road courses I’m more involved in setup with what I want. On the ovals I’m just kind of learning and trying to build a notebook. In these races it’s about trying to understand the flow of the race, how to work with people. It’s a completely different style of racing. That’s for sure.”

Is the drafting hard for you now? Or do you feel like you kind of got that down?

“No, I’m still learning and trying to make friends, I guess. People leave you for no reason, or you do something wrong and lose the trust of people. It takes a while to understand how to put your car in the right place.”

Now that we’re in The Chase format, do you start to view races like this one as opportunities to gain stage points and have a good points day, maybe more than last year?

“Yeah, like I said earlier, that’s our goal – to just accumulate points now. You have to try and achieve as many points as you can every weekend. It probably changes the way you take risks if you’re probably going to be like us, a guy trying to point our way in. I probably will approach it a bit different, I think.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Richard Childress Racing at Daytona International Speedway… Richard Childress Racing has collected seven points-paying victories and 11 poles in NASCAR Cup Series competition at Daytona International Speedway. RCR owns three Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007, Austin Dillon – 2018) and four Coke Zero Sugar 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993, Harvick – 2010, Dillon – 2022).

The Welcome, N.C. based organization has racked up 15 victories in the Daytona 500 Duel qualifying races, most recently by Dillon (2021). Earnhardt reeled off a record 10-consecutive Duel victories (1990 – 1999), while Mike Skinner (2001), Robby Gordon (2003), Jeff Burton (2011) and Harvick (2013) also claimed a front row starting position for the Great American Race.

In addition to its NASCAR Cup Series success, RCR has accumulated 10 wins (Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 2002, 2010, Harvick – 2007, Clint Bowyer – 2009, Tony Stewart – 2013, Dillon – 2015, Austin Hill – 2022, 2023, 2024, Jesse Love – 2025) in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Love returns to the World Center of Racing as the defending race winner of the United Rentals 300. RCR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series program has captured an impressive eight of the last 10 poles for the season opening event at Daytona International Speedway.

The 2026 Lineup… RCR enters the 2026 NASCAR season with a consistent driver lineup. Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch return to their respective rides in the Cup Series, while Jesse Love and Austin Hill continue to carry the torch for the organization in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Performance and Precision… An impressive 21 cars on the 45-car NASCAR Cup Series entry list for this weekend’s Daytona 500 will be utilizing high-performance valve springs purpose-built by CT Spring Company, a division of RCR Enterprises. Additionally, 11 cars will be powered by ECR Engines.

On Track with United Rentals… United Rentals enters its third year as title sponsor of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Daytona International Speedway. United Rentals has also served as the Official Rental Equipment Partner of NASCAR since 2022 under a multi-year partnership that continues today. RCR has dominated the event in recent years, with Hill winning in 2024 and Love capturing the victory in 2025. United Rentals is also proud to be an Official Partner of NASCAR IMPACT. Together, they are giving back to the communities where we live and work by supporting Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that deploys before, during, and after disasters. Sign up here to help make a difference and become a Team Rubicon Greyshirt volunteer.

Deep Roots… Richard Childress made 17 starts at Daytona International Speedway from 1973 through 1981 during his driving career, earning a pair of top-10 finishes at the track.

Catch the Action… The Duels at Daytona International Speedway, two 60-lap qualifying races for the Cup Series, will be televised live Thursday, February 12 beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway will be televised live Saturday, February 14 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on The CW and will be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The 68th running of the Daytona 500 will be televised live Sunday, February 15 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway… With 25 previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway, Austin Dillon heads to the World Center of Racing with experience on his side. So far in his career, Dillon has acquired two wins, one pole award, four top-five and nine top-10 finishes in the Cup Series at Daytona. The Welcome, North Carolina driver, who grew up attending races at Daytona International Speedway with his family, has 10 starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at the track with one win, seven top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He has two starts at the track in the NASCAR Truck Series.

The Harley J. Earl… Dillon earned the prestigious Harley J. Earl Trophy and etched his name into Daytona International Speedway history when he won the 2018 Daytona 500 with a thrilling, end-of-race pass. He backed up the 2018 Daytona Cup Series win with a win in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in August 2022, which clinched him a spot in NASCAR’s post-season. Additionally, Dillon won a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Daytona in 2015.

Former Pole Winner… Dillon earned his career-first NASCAR Cup Series pole award with a lap of 196.019 mph (45.914 seconds) in the 2014 edition of the Daytona 500. Dillon also started on the front row for the July 2015 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Dillon’s starting position for this year’s Daytona 500 will be determined by his finishing position in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday (7 p.m. ET on FS1).

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops, North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company, was founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris started selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. That was the company’s sole location for the first 13 years, and it has since grown to nearly 200 retail locations throughout North America. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as “America’s Best Outdoor Retailer” for four consecutive years and “America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear.”

The Winchester Legacy… Winchester is the largest small-caliber ammunition enterprise in the world and the leader in delivering innovative ammunition products to hunters, sport shooters, law enforcement, and the U.S. Warfighter. The 160-year-old Winchester® brand is built on integrity, hard work, and a deep focus on its loyal customers. Learn more about Winchester and the responsible use of its products by visiting Winchester.com or connecting with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WinchesterOfficial.

Meet Dillon… On Friday, February 13, Dillon is scheduled to sign autographs at Bass Pro Shops, located in the Shoppes at ONE Daytona (1880 Checkered Flag Blvd Ste. N-100, Daytona Beach, FL 32114). Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet. The Coca-Cola Racing driver is scheduled to make an appearance on behalf of Coca-Cola at Walmart (1101 Beville Road, Daytona Beach, Florida, 32119), beginning at 12 Noon ET on Saturday.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

How excited are you to get to Daytona and to try and win another Daytona 500?

“I can’t wait to get to Daytona. Daytona always presents different opportunities, and the most important one is the opportunity to become a Daytona 500 Champion. I’d love to become a two-time champion of the race. It’s so much fun driving through the tunnel and knowing the history behind the track as you arrive, and to know you have an opportunity to put your name on the Harley J. Earl Trophy.”

You’re the 2018 Daytona 500 Champion. Talk about Daytona International Speedway. RCR is always a force there. Talk about your chemistry with your teammate, Kyle Busch, at Daytona.

“I remember our first race together in the No. 3 and the No. 8. We won the Daytona 500, but we didn’t win the Daytona 501 or 502 or whatever the race ended up being once it went into overtime. We were first coming to the white flag, so that would have been an epic start to Kyle’s career at RCR if we could have won the Daytona 500 for RCR. Still, he won three races that year. We’ve done a good job at RCR having fast racecars at Daytona International Speedway. I guess we’re pretty good at drafting, and that’s what you can attribute our success to. I’m looking forward to the new style body on our Chevrolets. I think that could be even better for us this year. I think the Fords have had an advantage at speedway racing for a while. Now, I’m hoping that when we show up to Daytona, we’re able to push harder and lead with a bit more ease. Nothing is easy in this sport. When it comes to competition, everybody is constantly getting better and figuring things out, so we’ve just got to do a good job of what we’ve done in the past, and I think that’s just putting ourselves in good positions. When we put ourselves in good positions, along with that ECR horsepower, it tends to show up.”

How has this generation of car impacted speedway racing?

“I think the biggest impact has been the fuel tank. Trying to work around fuel mileage has been a struggle, but our boss has made it pretty clear to us he does not like that type of racing and wants us to be towards the front or working our way towards the front, not saving fuel. That can be a challenge when the bossman is saying something and the engineers are communicating another way to do it. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about speedway racing is that you’ve got to pick a direction that you’re going to go so that it doesn’t confuse the driver and go to work on that. I wish we could either change the number of laps, or we just raced all out the whole time. That’s one thing that makes it a struggle at Daytona and Talladega.”

As we head into 2026, what would make it a good year for you?

“I want to win multiple races. I’ve won races throughout my career, but I’ve never won two in the same year. I think that would put us into the Chase, and then from there try to go as far as possible. It would be a huge year if both the No. 3 and No. 8 teams won multiple races this year and made the postseason. That’s a championship year for an organization in my mind.”

What excites you the most about the No. 3 team heading into 2026?

“I think the continuity on our team. We have the same group of guys coming back together and going out there to fight every race. Also, the new Chevrolet body that we will be racing this year. I can’t wait to get out there in it and see how it performs. I think it’s going to be better, consistently, then the car we had last year.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Jalapeno Lime Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway… Sunday’s Daytona 500 will mark Kyle Busch’s 42nd career NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona International Speedway. In the premier series, Busch owns one win (July 2008), nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at the World Center of Racing. The 40-year-old has led 539 laps and completed 92.3% (6,780 of 7,342) of total laps competed. Busch has led 342 laps at past editions of the Daytona 500, the most of any active driver without a win at the legendary race. Busch also holds an average starting position of 15.7 and an average finishing position of 18.9.

Stat Line… Busch kicks off the 2026 season with a career total of 63 wins, 34 poles, 254 top-five and 392 top-10 finishes in 750 Cup Series starts. The veteran driver most recently earned the victory on June 4, 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. Busch ranks ninth on the all-time Cup Series win list.

Did You Know? Busch’s career best finish in the Daytona 500 is second, earned in 2019. While the Las Vegas, Nevada native is still seeking his first Harley J. Earl trophy, Sunday’s race will mark Busch’s 21st attempt in the Great American Race.

Time to Duel… Busch owns three victories – 2009, 2013, 2016 – in the Duel, the Daytona 500 qualifying race. Busch’s three wins tie him with Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano for most Duel victories held by active Cup drivers.

Grand Slam… Should Kyle Busch win the 2026 Daytona 500, he would become just the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win all four Crown Jewel races.

Zoning in on zone… zone™, the latest innovation from ITG Brands, is the next generation of nicotine pouches that delivers a superior tobacco-free experience and outperforms competitive products where it matters most. Available in 6mg and 9mg strengths and 10 variants, zone pouches are made with top shelf ingredients and high-quality materials to provide immediate nicotine intensity, longer-lasting flavor, and extra soft comfort. zone’s pouches are carefully crafted and designed to meet the needs of 21+ adult nicotine consumers, providing the best experience from the first pouch to the last.

This month, zone introduced a brand-new flavor: Jalapeño Lime. It’s a burst of citrus meets a subtle, fiery kick and the inspiration behind the No. 8 zone Chevrolet’s new livery, which will exclusively take the track during the 2026 Daytona 500.

For more information, visit zonepouches.com.

Meet Busch… On Friday, February 13, at 2:15 p.m. Local Time, Busch is scheduled to make an appearance in the LEGO City NASCAR Kid Zone for a special reading of the newly launched book, the ABC’s of NASCAR. The following day, on Saturday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m. Local Time, Busch will appear at Circle K (2450 FL-44, New Smyrna Beach, FL) for a special activation with zone featuring a racing simulator, giveaways and more. Later that day, at 1:40 p.m. Local time, Busch will visit the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the fan midway for an autograph signing. Busch will then appear on the Chevrolet Stage in the fan midway on Sunday, February 15 at 11:30 a.m. Local Time.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What would it take to be a Daytona 500 winner? And what would it mean to you?

“I wouldn’t know what it takes to be a Daytona 500 winner, I have never done it before. I’ve been oh so close, so many times. I’ve finished second, third, fourth, whatever, you name it, I have probably finished there. I remember in 2023, I think it was, myself and Austin Dillon, teammates at RCR, we were 1-2 coming down to the final laps, and of course coming out of turn four, I can see the flagman with the white flag in his hand. And as I get closer to the start finish line to take the white flag, he switches hands and throws the yellow as someone behind us spun out. Had to go into overtime, and I just wasn’t able to make it happen through overtime. But I have been right there. I have led the Daytona 500, it just turned into the Daytona 515 or whatever.”

It would be huge. I’ve been trying for so long to win that race, it’s the one race I haven’t checked off the box. I’ve been oh so close, many, many times. I’ve finished second, third, fourth. I’ve about accomplished every single finishing position in that race and so it would be nice to check off the number one spot.”

Do you think it’s finally time to win the Daytona 500, one that you’ve been missing?

“Yeah, I would hope so. I would like to think that in my 21st year now of trying for the Daytona 500, we can bring it home and make it happen so we can stop talking about it. It’s a tough race to win, it’s not like what it used to be, it’s less about fast cars and having all of that stuff that you need to have like we saw in the ‘80s and the ‘90s and the early 2000s, you know now its everybody on top everybody, fuel milage race, chess match where can you be, where can you put yourself and make the right moves at the right times. And so being able to do all that and then miss the wreck you know, there seems to always be a wreck on the final lap or the final two laps or whatever it might be and restarts that happen towards the end of the race. I think William Byron won it the last two years and both years there was a wreck on the backstretch and he was running seventh and 11th coming off of turn 2 and he ends up winning. So, do you want to be leading or do you want to be second, hell do you want to be 11th? I don’t know.”

What would make a Daytona 500 win emotional for you?

“I don’t know. I remember winning at Las Vegas, my home track in 2009, and it just being such a big moment for me being my home track. Wanting to win there so hard, it felt really, really cool to do that. So I can’t imagine what a Daytona 500 win would feel like. Maybe being old nowadays and having a family, you might see a tear. Who knows.”

How hungry are you for a Daytona 500 win, or are you treating it like any other race so it’s not so much of a mountain to climb?

“If you were eating, and you haven’t eaten in 22 years, you would be pretty hungry. So that is certainly a race I want to chow down on, and win and check the box for. It’s been a long time and we’ve been oh so close there a few times, more so since being at RCR I’ve had some really good chances at winning that race. But its been fun, and I’m looking forward to getting back there with our Chevrolet and doing it again.”

Do you still get hyped for the Daytona 500 having been there 20+ times?

“For me, it’s any other race. You try to treat it as any other race. You don’t want to get yourself too hyped up for any reason and put yourself in a bad spot, or overtry or get over zealous or anxious or whatever. For me, you try to have the mental state of its any other race and don’t worry about it, but I can’t say the same for all the other drivers. They may not feel the same way, and they get all amped up, and that’s why you see so many crashes and so many things happen there towards the end of the race where everyone is pushing so hard to win that race because it’s a legacy, it’s a career defining moment and everybody wants to have that.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway… Jesse Love has made four career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Daytona International Speedway. In his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at the World Center of Racing in February 2024, the Menlo Park, California native earned his first career pole position, led the most laps (34), and captured his first career stage win. Fast-forward to last February and Love led 30 laps en route to earning his first victory at the Florida speedway. Outside of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Love has one career ARCA Menards Series start at Daytona International Speedway, where the young driver started from the second position, faced motor issues, and finished in seventh-place.

The Champ is Here… Love will begin the 2026 season as the reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion, clinching last season’s title with a dominant race win in Phoenix, Arizona. In winning the season-opener in Daytona, and season finale in Arizona, Love became just the second driver in series history to win just those two races in a single season. In 2026, Love will attempt to become the 10th driver in history to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship in multiple seasons, and eighth to win in back-to-back seasons.

Drafting Dominance… In 2025, Jesse Love led all drivers on drafting tracks with a 6.67 avg finish and five top-10s.

Did You Know? Love was the third youngest pole winner in O’Reilly Auto Parts Series history at Daytona International Speedway and just the 14th driver to claim the first starting position in their series debut.

About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, and we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

Meet Love… On Friday, February 13, at 1:00 p.m. Local Time, Love is scheduled to participate in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts driver autograph signing in the Fan Midway. The following day, on Saturday, February 14, at 1:40 p.m. Local Time, Love will take to the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Midway for a Q&A, before stopping at the Richard Childress Racing Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Midway for an autograph signing at 2:00 p.m. Local Time.

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

What is it like going into Daytona International Speedway as the defending Champion and race winner?

“I’m definitely excited to go back to Daytona, obviously there is a lot of confidence with the team. Probably more quiet confidence than anything, but still very confident with the whole group. We were able to keep our pit crew the same as it was to finish the year last year, we were able to keep all the road guys on my team the same as it was last year, and most of the guys in the shop. Everybody is gelling together really well, and we haven’t really had to relearn much of anything. That’s also some confidence to kick the season off. Obviously there is a lot of want and desire to go back-to-back at Daytona, a lot of want and desire to start the year off with a win and get RCR’s fifth win in a row. Definitely looking forward to it, I’m kind of tired of the off season, I’m just ready to get back in my swing of things. I’m excited, not nervous or anything like that, which is different from past years where I typically feel like I am a little bit nervous to start the season. But now I have my feet under me, I know what to expect and what not to expect, and mostly I am a little bit more wiser now to understand similar things that can happen that I don’t normally think of.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway… Austin Hill has competed in nine career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Daytona International Speedway, earning three victories – a resounding 33% of his starts. The Winston, Ga. native has started on the first or second row for the last six events at the World Center of Racing. Hill also has six NASCAR Truck Series starts, securing the checkered flag in his 2019 victory.

Record Holder… With 10 career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drafting track wins, Hill is the all-time wins leader at that specific style of racing. The 31-year-old passed two NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart to secure the title with his victory at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2025 and extended the count with his second win at the Alabama track in October 2025.

All-Time Lap Leader… Hill remains the all-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Series leader in number of laps led on drafting tracks (810). Hill accomplished this career feat in 2025 following his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway and did so in 22 drafting track races – 11 starts less than second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Did You Know? Hill is the only driver in O’Reilly Auto Parts Series history to win on all three drafting tracks – Atlanta Motor Speedway (five), Daytona International Speedway (three), and Talladega Superspeedway (two).

Stage Winner… Hill is the all-time leader of stage wins at drafting tracks in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The veteran racer has accumulated 16 stage wins, while second-place Justin Allgaier has nine.

Rearview Mirror… During his fourth season behind the wheel of the No. 21 Chevrolet for RCR, Hill earned four wins, 13 top-five, and 18 top-10 results, and one pole. Hill’s four victories came at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway (twice). The racer won RCR’s 100th O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory at the Virginia short track, placing his car in the storied organization’s history books. Hill led a total of 355 laps – a career-best in a single season.

About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.

Meet Hill… Fans have three opportunities to meet Hill before Saturday’s main event at Daytona International Speedway. On Friday, February 13 at 1 p.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to join his fellow O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competitors for an autograph session in the Infield Fan Zone. On Saturday, February 14 at 12:20 p.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Midway. Stop by to meet Hill and purchase No. 21 gear. Immediately following at 12:45 p.m. Local Time, the 31-year-old will participate in a fan question and answer session at the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Midway.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:

What is your mindset heading into Daytona International Speedway?

“I’m in a really good spot mentally for this season. The No. 21 team has spent a lot of time together preparing and figuring out what we need to be a little bit better. We have some good ideas on things to touch up on. It doesn’t need a full rebuild, it doesn’t need to be anything special. It’s simply being a little better in certain areas and if we do that, this team can win the championship this year. I have all the confidence in Chad (Haney, crew chief) and my entire group of guys. I think 2026 will be a good one for us. We know RCR can win championships – that was proven again last year with Jesse (Love) and the No. 2 team – and it would be special to bring Richard (Childress) and all the men and women in Welcome a title two years in a row.”

How will the new Chase format change the overall outlook for the 2026 season?

“This year is going to be different that’s for sure. You will have to be consistent each and every week. You can’t have a bad week and run 20th or worse. The goal has to be a top-five finish each race. Wins still matter, with the points increasing, but it’s a different mindset than win and you’re in. You still want to go win races and earn stage points; those will add up and matter. I think you can go run second, third, fourth, or fifth during the Chase and have a shot at winning the championship. You need to get the best position for any given day and maximize what the car has to offer. If it’s a third, take your third-place finish and move on to the next week. It’s better than ending up on the hook and finishing 30th or worse. I could be wrong saying this, but I think this format and the way that you have to be consistent each week fits into the No. 21 team’s wheelhouse. I feel really strong about our chances going into this season.”

Your record at Daytona International Speedway speaks for itself. What does it mean to have the target on your back when you go to one of the biggest races of the year?

“I actually have a lot of fun with it. Everyone talks about pressure and questions if the pressure is going to get to you. But for me, I just go into Daytona weekends with the same mindset that I always do. We try to run up front, do our thing, stay out of wrecks, and hope that it’s enough at the end. Our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet has been fortunate year after year in the season openers, so hopefully we can do it again this year. Everyone at RCR and ECR Engines works extremely hard to bring fast racecars and strong motors to every race, but especially at drafting tracks. Our cars are always fast and up front in qualifying which lets the rest of the competition know that you have a car capable of winning. Once the race starts and drafting begins though, anyone in the field can win at a place like Daytona. Where the No. 2 and No. 21 teams shine is making the moves at the right time.”

Talk about your relationship with spotter, Derek Kneeland.

“My spotter, Derek Kneeland, and I have built a great relationship over the years. This will be our fifth season working together. I know when he keys up on the radio, I need to move left, right, or there is a run coming. I know it a split-second sooner than he starts speaking, so I start moving immediately. Every second, every hundred of a second matters, especially when you are talking about a place like Daytona or Talladega. That’s one of the reasons why we are so good, because we are one step ahead of the competition. I trust him fully and don’t second guess anything he says. Not sure I could have won 10 races at drafting tracks without him.”