5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 1st

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the Circuit of The Americas media center on Friday, March 22, at 3:15 p.m. local time.

SITTING ON TOP: Kyle Larson recovered from a pit road penalty to finish fifth on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway and moved atop the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. The Elk Grove, California, native has one win (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and two top-five finishes in five 2024 starts. Larson is second in laps led (224), third in average running position (9.95) and laps run in the top five (626), fourth in laps run in the top 10 (893) and sixth in average finish (12.60).

COMING BACK TO COTA: This Sunday, the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team will compete at the first road course of the season, Circuit of The Americas (COTA). The race will mark Larson’s fourth Cup Series start on the 20-turn Austin, Texas, track where he has completed all 198 of the laps attempted on the 3.41-mile road course. In 2021, Larson led four laps on the serpentine track and finished in the runner-up position behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott in the rain-shortened event.

FOUR IN THREE: Of Hendrick Motorsports’ 27 road course wins, Larson has contributed the third-most victories to that total. With four road course triumphs, the 31-year-old driver sits behind Elliott (seven wins) and team vice chairman Jeff Gordon (nine wins). He is tied for second on the all-time list of drivers that have won at the most different number of road courses. Larson’s four road course wins have all come with crew chief Cliff Daniels and occurred at three different tracks: Watkins Glen International (two), Sonoma Raceway (one) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (one). His four wins on tracks that turn left and right are tied for the third-most among active drivers.

RECORD SETTING: Larson recorded three road course victories during his 10-win 2021 championship year. Those three wins are the most road course triumphs by one driver in a single Cup Series season.

BOTH ROADS TAKEN: Before coming to Hendrick Motorsports for the start of the 2021 season, Larson had three poles, one top-five finish, four top-10s and 69 laps led in 14 road course starts. In 19 road course races since 2021, he has four wins, one pole, eight top-five finishes, 10 top-10s and 155 laps led. During the six races on road courses in 2023, Larson was tied for the sixth-most points (191) and had the sixth-best average finish (12.17).

DOUBLE DUTY: Larson will make the first of two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday at COTA. Greg Ives, the 2014 Xfinity Series championship-winning crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports, will be Larson’s crew chief for the race. He has 14 Xfinity Series wins, with one victory in each of the last two seasons.

FAST WORK IN THE PITS: The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM pit crew has the season’s fourth-best average four-tire pit stop time (11.046 seconds). The five-person crew is comprised of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).

HENDRICKCARS.COM IN AUSTIN: The Austin, Texas, automotive market is home to two HENDRICKCARS.COM dealerships. Not located in Austin? Shop at any of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealerships nationwide. From the convenience of HENDRICKCARS.COM, customers can shop from their home by selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HENDRICKCARS.COM.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 6th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

BRISTOL BULLETS: Chase Elliott and No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified fifth for last Sunday’s 500-lap NASCAR Cup Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway. In a race where tire management was essential, the 28-year-old driver persevered to earn the No. 9 team’s first top-10 result of the season and his third straight top-10 on the concrete at Bristol. The 2020 Cup Series champion led twice for a total of five laps – including the 80,000th lap led for Hendrick Motorsports in the sport’s premier series – en route to an eighth-place finish. Following Bristol, Elliott is sixth in the Cup Series points standings, just 33 markers behind the leader.

COTA CONQUEROR: Elliott heads to Circuit of The Americas (COTA) as a previous winner on the Texas road course in the Cup Series this weekend. The driver of No. 9 won the inaugural premier series event in 2021, his first of two wins that season – both coming on serpentine tracks. Rain steadily poured on the track throughout the race. Elliott was in the lead with 14 laps to go when officials halted the race due to standing water. The event was ultimately called and Elliott was declared the victor, securing the record-tying 268th Cup Series triumph for Hendrick Motorsports and the 800th Cup Series win for Chevrolet.

2023 ROAD RACING RECAP: Last season, Elliott scored four top-10 finishes across five Cup Series starts on serpentine tracks, putting him tied for second-most in that category with one less start than his competitors. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native missed COTA last spring due to his injury, with road-racing ace Jordan Taylor filling in as the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Elliott’s best finish of second came on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

ROAD COURSE KING: Elliott has proven his road-racing ability, leading all active drivers with seven Cup Series wins on road courses. He’s also third on the overall list of drivers with road course victories, trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Tony Stewart (eight) and Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon (nine). Accompanying his triumphs, across his 30 Cup Series starts on road courses, Elliott has an average finish of 8.50 with 17 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s. His average finish is not only the best among active drivers but fourth all-time among drivers (five or more starts) behind NASCAR legends Fireball Roberts, Buck Baker and Marvin Panch. Elliott’s wins have come on five different road courses, the most all-time. His eight stage wins are also tops.

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

ACING THE COURSE: This Sunday, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 52nd road course race atop the pit box. In those starts, he’s led his team to seven wins – all with Elliott – 20 top-five finishes and 28 top-10s. The Ormond Beach, Florida, native’s drivers have led a combined 543 laps. Gustafson’s seven wins lead active crew chiefs in the Cup Series on road courses and put him third on the all-time list on this track type (behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Inman with 10 and Leonard Wood with eight).

FOUR TIRES FAST: Through five Cup Series races in 2024, the No. 9 pit crew ranks third in average four-tire pit stop time (10.977 seconds). In last weekend’s event at Bristol, the five-person team knocked out the fourth-fastest four-tire stop of the season with a time of 9.479 seconds on lap 182. The No. 9 crew is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).

GET UP AND GO: This weekend at COTA, NAPA Auto Parts is trading in its traditional blue-based scheme for the pearlescent white livery Elliott drove at the Clash at the Coliseum exhibition event in February. Get a look at all the angles of the alternate look here.

THROWBACK FOR THE AGES: On Wednesday, it was announced that Elliott will run a special throwback scheme at Darlington Raceway in celebration of Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2014 DAYTONA 500 victory. Elliott’s No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will don a special livery inspired by Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet with the same red, white and blue scheme with gold accents. Check out the throwback look here.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 10th

No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

COTA RESULTS: This Sunday’s race will mark William Byron’s fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). In his first three races at the 3.41-mile road course, Byron has one top-five finish and three top-15 finishes. In last year’s event at the 20-turn facility, Byron started from the pole position, led 28 laps, won stage one and finished fifth. The 26-year-old driver has the sixth-best average finish (9.33) at COTA among active drivers.

ROAD COURSE RINGER?: In August of 2023, Byron picked up his first Cup Series road course win at Watkins Glen International. During the 2023 season, he scored the most points in the six road course races (213), led the most laps (94) and is one of three drivers with two consecutive top-five finishes on serpentine layouts. Byron has four pole awards, including one in last year’s race at COTA, in 27 Cup Series road course starts.

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?: With his win at Watkins Glen last year, Byron continues to extend the road course history of the No. 24. Currently, the No. 24 has 10 wins on road courses – second-best to the No. 9 with 11 wins on road courses. Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon’s nine road course wins in the No. 24 are the most in Cup Series history. Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott is responsible for seven of those 11 wins in the No. 9. Overall, the No. 24 has 104 wins in the Cup Series, the third-most behind the No. 43 (200) and the No. 11 (232).

NEXT GEN DUO: Since the Next Gen Cup Series car was introduced in 2022, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle have a series-leading nine wins. One of those wins came in the 2024 DAYTONA 500. The duo leads teammates driver Kyle Larson (eight wins) and crew chief Cliff Daniels (seven wins).

FUGLE FILES: This Sunday’s race at COTA will mark Fugle’s third start atop the pit box at the 3.41-mile road course. In his first two starts at the Austin, Texas, facility, Fugle has an 11th and 12th-place finish with Byron and the No. 24 team. Fugle has 28 national series starts on road courses (18 in the Cup Series, three in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and seven in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series). He earned a road course win in the Cup Series at Watkins Glen in 2023 and in the truck ranks in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: Through five races in the 2023 season, the No. 24 pit crew continues to build on their success from last season. The five-person crew currently ranks fifth-best (11.065 seconds) in average four-tire pit stop time. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).

RAPTOR® TOUGH: For the second time in 2024, Byron will sport his new RAPTOR® paint scheme that will run the majority of the season on the No. 24 Chevy. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of items, including truck beds, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and more. With 16 pre-mixed colors available, it’s easy to personalize anything you want to protect. RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores and online retailers. For a better look at Byron’s new No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.

HELP RELAY OUT: Today, Relay Payments, the fintech company modernizing payments for the trucking and logistics industries, announced an opportunity for fans to help select this year’s No. 24 Relay Payments Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 paint scheme. Running at the Chicago Street Course in July and then later at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the playoffs, it’s in the fans’ hands for what Byron’s race car will look like. The fan vote will be a bracket-style contest, ultimately narrowing down four different paint schemes to one with the final winner being unveiled on Friday, March 29th. To get a better look at the options and to place a vote, click here.

48 ALEX BOWMAN

Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 12th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE AT BRISTOL: Last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, Alex Bowman led all four Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets with a fourth-place finish. The result was his best in 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 0.533-mile track. Tire management was the name of the game in the 500-lap race and that aspect brought Bowman back to his initial stock car racing roots. Throughout the race, crew chief Blake Harris made successful strategic calls on pit road and Bowman showed patience while managing his tires, which yielded the driver’s third top-five finish at the venue upon the checkered flag.

SHOWING STRENGTH: Following the 30-year-old driver’s second top-five finish of 2024, the No. 48 Ally Racing team looks to carry that momentum into this weekend’s Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Bowman is one of seven drivers with multiple top-five finishes. Through five races, he holds the eighth-best average finish (14.20), directly behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott (13.60) and Kyle Larson (12.60).

CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS: Bowman has been the best-finishing Hendrick Motorsports driver at the 3.41-mile-long road course in the last two years. The Tucson, Arizona, native is one of three drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three Cup Series races at the Austin, Texas, track (eighth in 2021, second in 2022 and third in 2023). He is among four drivers, including teammate Elliott, to have multiple top-five finishes at the 20-turn facility. When ranking Bowman’s best tracks based on average finish, COTA sits at the top of the list (4.33) and that mark is the third-best among drivers entered in Sunday’s race.

RACING ON ROAD COURSES: The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has the second-most runner-up finishes on a road course without a win (COTA in 2022 and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in 2019). Bowman has finished in the top 10 in three of the last six road course races.

PIT ROAD ALLIES: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew ranks seventh-best on pit road in average four-tire pit stop time (11.315 seconds). In February, the team delivered the fastest four-tire stop amongst all teams at Atlanta Motor Speedway (9.543 seconds on lap 238). The five-person crew is composed of Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Brandon Grier (tire carrier), Allen Holman (jackman) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).

ENTER TO WIN A NEW CHEVY CAMARO: Ally and Hendrick Automotive Group have teamed together to celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary by giving away a 40th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE through the Ally “Win Your Wheels fueled by HendrickCars.com” sweepstakes. NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports and No. 48 fans can enter to win at Ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar. The sweepstakes will end on Sept. 20, 2024.

ADOPT ANIMALS IN AUSTIN: Bowman and Ally are supporting Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners for the fourth consecutive year. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, the pair has been committed to a combined weekly donation of $4,800 to a Best Friends network partner local to each weekend’s race. This weekend’s beneficiary is Austin Pets Alive! Located just 30 minutes from the track in Austin, Texas, you can visit their dogs and cats looking for homes at the shelter. Can’t visit in person? Learn more about adopting, fostering, volunteering or donating online at www.austinpetsalive.org.

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /

*Most **Most (tie)

FABULOUS 40: In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Among the categories that the Rick Hendrick-owned organization holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for are all-time wins (303), poles (246) and championships (14). With William Byron’s victory in the 2024 DAYTONA 500, the organization has won at least one race in the last 39 seasons. Kyle Larson’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks the 37th season in which the team has scored at least two victories. It is also the record 31st consecutive season in which the team has won at least two times.

LEADERS IN THE FIELD: With Chase Elliott leading the field in last Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway on lap 62, Hendrick Motorsports became the first team to reach 80,000 laps led in the Cup Series. The team’s first laps led by Geoff Bodine took place in the same race he went on to win at Martinsville Speedway on April 29, 1984. Across 35 different tracks, 29 drivers have led laps in team history, with vice chairman Jeff Gordon atop the board at 24,936 laps led. Click here to look at laps led and wins by track, year and driver.

PIT POWER: Based on Racing Insights data, all four Hendrick Motorsports pit crews rank in the top seven among Cup Series teams for the fastest average four-tire pit stop. The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts pit crew ranks third (10.977 seconds) followed by the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM pit crew in fourth (11.046 seconds). The No. 24 RAPTOR pit crew is fifth overall (11.065 seconds) and the No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew is seventh (11.315 seconds).

XFINITY RIDES AGAIN: The organization’s second of its 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2024 will occur on Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Larson will drive the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro in his first of two starts for the team and 2014 Xfinity Series champion crew chief Greg Ives will be atop the pit box. Byron (three races, along with one he already ran at Phoenix Raceway), Elliott (two races), Alex Bowman (one race) and Boris Said (one race) are also scheduled to get behind the wheel of the entry. No. 24 lead engineer Brandon McSwain will be atop the box for Byron’s races, while Ives will call the shots for the rest.

EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: Since its return to the Xfinity Series in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has made 11 starts. In those races, the team has accumulated three pole positions, three runner-up results, six top-five finishes and seven top-10s. One of those runner-up runs came by Byron in last year’s Xfinity race at COTA. The No. 17 carries special significance to the Hendrick Motorsports family as it is the same number Ricky Hendrick drove and won with in the Truck Series. In its history, Hendrick Motorsports has earned one Xfinity Series championship (2003) and 26 race wins in the series.

LAST YEAR AT COTA: Byron won the pole for the 2023 Cup Series event at COTA and picked up a stage win. He placed fifth, while Bowman was the highest finisher on the team, with a third-place result. With Elliott sidelined for this event, sports car champion Jordan Taylor made his Cup Series debut in the No. 9 Chevrolet.

TWOFER: Sunday’s race at COTA marks the fourth premier series event at the 20-turn road course. In the first three events, Hendrick Motorsports has had two drivers finish in the top five in every race. Elliott and Larson placed 1-2 in 2021 as the driver of No. 9 earned Chevrolet’s 800th Cup Series victory. In 2022, Bowman was the runner-up finisher and Elliott took fourth. Last year, Bowman ran third and Byron rounded out the top five.

GET TO THE POINTS: Three drivers for the Rick Hendrick-owned team are in the top six of average finishes at the 3.41-mile road course. Elliott tops the list (2.50), Bowman ranks third (4.33) and Byron is sixth (9.33). For points scored, all four drivers rank in the top eight: Bowman is third (114), Byron sits sixth (93), Larson is seventh (88) and Elliott is eighth (86).

RULERS OF THE ROAD: Totaling 27 victories, Hendrick Motorsports has the most all-time triumphs on road courses in Cup Series history. The two closest teams in this statistic have combined for only 23 wins. Since its inaugural season in 1984, the organization has won 27.83% of road course events (27 wins in 97 races). The team also tops the board among Cup Series squads on road courses in poles (25), top-five finishes (89), top-10s (151), laps led (2,289) and stage wins (16) on this track type.

GREAT EIGHT: Eight different drivers (the most by a Cup Series team on road courses) have accounted for the 27 road course wins: Gordon (nine), Elliott (seven), Larson (four), Tim Richmond (three), Byron (one), Geoff Bodine (one), Jimmie Johnson (one) and Ricky Rudd (one).

LUCKY SEVEN: The 27 road course victories have come across seven tracks: Watkins Glen International (11), Sonoma Raceway (seven), the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (three), Riverside International Raceway (three), COTA (one), the Daytona International Speedway Road Course (one) and Road America (one).

SERPENTINE STREAK: Since 2018, Hendrick Motorsports has won at least one road course race in the past six seasons. During that period, the organization has gone to victory lane 12 times on serpentine layouts. The team earned one win each in 2018 (Elliott), 2022 (Larson) and 2023 (Byron), two wins each in 2019 (both Elliott) and 2020 (both Elliott) and five wins in 2021 (three for Larson and two for Elliott).

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on running double duty at Circuit of The Americas: “I’m looking forward to running the (No.) 17 (NASCAR) Xfinity (Series) car this weekend as well as the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet on Sunday. I’m hoping running double duty gets me into a rhythm quicker, which ultimately helps out our (NASCAR) Cup (Series) program. We’ve had a good start to the year and just need to keep executing well to keep the momentum up.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how (Kyle) Larson’s extra seat time will benefit the team: “With Kyle (Larson) running the (NASCAR) Xfinity (Series) race, it’s good for him to have the additional reps. There’s some repaved sections of the track that I think will be good for him to learn. We’ll catch up the best we can (after Xfinity practice and qualifying on Friday) to get his feedback. We need to make sure our car is where it needs to be and put our best foot forward.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his 2021 race win at COTA: “That race in particular was pretty wild with the rain and everything that was going on. One of the crazier races that I remember. We were in trouble. We were not going to make it on fuel. I was trying to get as big of a gap as I could because we were likely going to have to stop. I just didn’t want to lose any more spots than we had to. Fortunately for us, we took a gamble and it started raining hard enough that they felt like it was time to pull the plug. We were the ones leading and that was kind of that.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at COTA and the team’s success on road courses last season: “Road courses are something that we as a team enjoy. COTA (Circuit of The Americas) is a really interesting track with tons of variety, high speed and a lot of different corner styles. So, that makes it fun. As far as success goes, I thought that we had a really good shot to win at Indianapolis (Motor Speedway Road Course) and Charlotte (ROVAL) last year. Unfortunately, the caution came out late in Charlotte and at Indy, we just fell a few laps too short and finished second there. Overall, we feel like we’ve gotten to a point where we have our Chevrolets driving and performing well. We hope to improve on that and showcase that at COTA.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on improving on road courses: “Road courses are definitely something we used to struggle with until recently. We put a lot of focus into improving on those the last few years and I think that shows. We were in contention in almost every one last year and hopefully, that’s still the case this season. We’ll have a little extra time on track at COTA due to the new aero package. That will be something we have to work through, but I think we have a good notebook otherwise.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts for this weekend at COTA: “We’ve been really quick at a lot of these places this year and just don’t have good finishes. COTA (Circuit of The Americas) was really good to us last year. We were fast, probably the second-best car all day. That makes us excited to get back there. There is a new aero package, so that will be different for us as well as the fact that parts of the track have been repaved. Those are factors that we won’t know until we get on track. I think we’re in a unique scenario with two 20-minute practices and extra tires. Still, only 20-minute sessions means the most laps you could make is 18 to 20, which isn’t a ton if you really think about it.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the uniqueness of COTA: “I’m excited to get to COTA (Circuit of the Americas) and unload to see what we have. With the aero package being different and the little bit of repave, it will be interesting to have to adapt to. They’ve patched COTA so many different times. It has lots of different kinds of surfaces through it, it can be pretty tricky and a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to this weekend. COTA has been a good place for us.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on looking to continue the team’s strong runs at COTA: “I think we’ve had good runs at road courses and he (Alex Bowman) is statistically really strong at COTA (Circuit of the Americas). The No. 48 team is looking forward to getting there. There are a lot of questions about the new aero package and we get an extra practice session on Saturday, so hopefully we can dive in and get adjusted quickly. I think it (COTA) is probably one of Alex’s favorite road courses, and track in general, so we look forward to work to carry our momentum from Bristol (Motor Speedway) to Texas.”

JOSH BERRY
COTA Advance
No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Round 6 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 24
● Location: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas
● Layout: 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course
● Laps/Miles: 68 laps/231.88 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 15 laps / Stage 2: 15 laps / Final Stage: 38 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Josh Berry and the NASCAR Cup Series field heads to Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, for the first road-course race on the 2024 schedule. It will be Berry’s first Cup Series start on a serpentine-style track, but he has made two starts at COTA in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Most recently, the 33-year-old Cup Series rookie notched a top-10 result in his JR Motorsports entry in the Xfinity Series race there last March, crossing the finish line eighth in just his second start there. Berry has 15 starts on road courses in the Xfinity Series, nabbing four top-five results, nine top-10s, an average starting position of 14.4 and an average finish of 12.3.

● Berry showed his short-track speed at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway last Sunday, earning the outside pole starting position in qualifying, his best starting position in 17 Cup Series outings. Berry led 25 of the race’s 500 laps and managed to secure a 12th-place finish, his best finish of the season.

● After five Cup Series points-paying races in 2024, Berry is ranked second in the rookie points standings with 74 markers. He trails leader Carson Hocevar, who currently has 80 points, and leads fellow rookies Kaz Grala (55 points) and Zane Smith (41 points).

● Crew chief Rodney Childers will be atop the pitbox for his fourth COTA event. He and retired Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick collaborated on finishes of 11th and 13th in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Childers has one road-course win – Harvick’s June 2017 victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway – among eight top-five finishes and 17 top-10s during his career on tracks that turn left and right.

● Overstock.com has joined Stewart-Haas and Berry’s No. 4 team this weekend at COTA. The partnership coincides with the March 28 relaunch of Overstock.com, home of crazy good deals that offer quality and style for less. Overstock.com is for the savvy shopper who loves the thrill of the hunt, and it includes product categories customers know and love, like patio furniture, home furniture and area rugs, while reintroducing jewelry, watches and health-and-beauty products. For those who can’t wait until March 28, they can shop now at Overstock.com.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

What do you work on to become a better road-course racer? Obviously, there’s simulation, but does your relationship with Ford Performance Racing School also allow you to hone your road-racing techniques?

“Obviously, this is my first road course (in the Cup Series), so I am still figuring all that out as far as what is available and what we can use. The biggest thing I can do is try to get as comfortable as I can in the braking zones and maximize that to my potential, and then learning the racetrack. To me, those are the two biggest things, especially learning the track and finding the little details that I need to know in the race.”

What is the most challenging part of COTA? Where can you make the biggest gains?

“Like I said before, learning the braking zones there is important – there are some high-speed portions that you can lose a lot of time in if you aren’t good in that section. It’s cool, though, because a lot of the course flows together, right? Like, how the corners lead into one another. It’s going to be important for me to learn how to exit one corner and then enter the next, and how they flow from one to the next so I can make the best laps I can.”

Turn one has a heavy braking zone and a tight, left-hand turn. How do you manage your level of aggression on restarts throughout the race?

“You have to be aggressive pretty much the whole race, otherwise you can give up a lot of spots, but a lot of it is just circumstance. You have to take the space as the field fans out and try to make it through the first corner as clean as you can and really that’s all you can do.”

How do you rate yourself on road courses?

“I feel like I have improved a lot. Growing up, I didn’t race any road courses, so it’s been a steep learning curve for sure, but it is something I have worked really hard at to be better and I feel like I did get a lot better at it in the Xfinity Series. I am excited to get to field a Cup car and see how it’s different but, at the same time, it’s just more learning and I am sure it will be a challenge.”

The current Cup cars seem exceptionally suited to road-course racing, to where the cars are forgiving and drivers aren’t penalized for mistakes. Because of that, it seems like there’s more rooting and gouging out on the racetrack than ever before. What’s your take?

“The car can handle a lot of bumping and beating. Pretty much everything is indestructible except for the tow link, so it will be bumper cars in the corners, but we have already seen that at COTA. This car doesn’t wheel hop, so that makes it to where you can challenge the braking zones a little more and be more aggressive.”

Do you watch other racing series that visit COTA during the year to prepare and take notes about the track ahead of the Cup Series race?

“Stock cars are so unique that you can’t really watch other series to learn much, and there is so much data from the previous races that we have enough to learn where people are making up time and try to prepare yourself with the numbers we have. I feel like that’s all we can really do until we get there and get going.”

No. 4 Overstock.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard

Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio