Safe driving requires more than just a driving licence; it demands a cautious approach and an understanding of ever-changing road conditions. UK drivers are constantly faced with congested, confusing and decaying roads, with the potential to cause an accident at any time.
Every driver bears a personal responsibility to ensure not only their own safety but also that of others. This guide offers essential techniques and habits to minimise road injuries and enhance all road users’ overall safety.
Understanding the Basics of Driver Safety
Safe driving starts with knowledge. The Highway Code sets out the rules that drivers are expected to abide by and provides advice on how to avoid dangerous situations. With a basic knowledge of the Highway Code and the application of common sense, drivers can contribute to a safer environment for all road users.
Drivers should understand the UK’s traffic laws and signals. They should know the speed limits applicable on different types of roads, and be able to understand road signs and the signals given by cyclists.
The Highway Code is continually updated to consider new issues such as e-scooters. Regular revision of the Highway Code is therefore required to keep knowledge up to date.
Staying alert to the immediate environment means consistently monitoring other road users’ behaviour, anticipating potential hazards, and being prepared to respond appropriately. Effective situational awareness includes regular checks of mirrors, staying conscious of blind spots, and observing the movements of pedestrians and cyclists.
As legislation updates and road conditions evolve, it is vital to continually refresh your driving knowledge and skills. Utilising resources such as online materials, refresher courses, or the most recent edition of the Highway Code helps maintain high driving standards.
Safe Driving Practices
Establishing and maintaining safe driving habits significantly reduces the likelihood of accidents. Examples of this include:
Defensive driving: anticipate potential dangers and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, giving you more time to react, especially in adverse weather.
Avoiding distractions: refrain from using handheld devices, engaging in distracting conversations, or any activity that diverts attention from driving.
Driving under the influence (DUI): never drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, and be mindful of the effects of prescription medications.
Seat belt use and child restraints: ensure everyone in the vehicle wears a seat belt and that children are in appropriate car seats, as required by UK law.
In addition to the standard driving practices, special considerations include managing your speed according to the conditions and maintaining a safe following distance. When confronted with road rage, respond with calmness, and avoid any engagement that could escalate the situation.
What to Do if You are Injured in a Motoring Accident
While you can take every measure to reduce risk, you cannot influence the driving of other road users. If you experience an accident, you should understand what steps to take to ensure your safety and compliance with the law. Before anything else, as far as possible remove yourself to a place of safety. You can then seek seek medical help. While emergency care may not be needed, if symptoms develop later it is essential that you report them to your Doctor as soon as they develop.
Once your health is secure, you should consider your next steps. If your accident was caused by the negligent driving of another road user, you should seek legal support from specialist road traffic accidents solicitors. This can help you claim compensation back for your injury including any costs you have incurred because of it, and the costs of any private rehabilitation to aiding your recovery.
Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) training is a specialised program designed to prepare drivers for operating large trucks and lorries that transport goods across distances. This training is essential for meeting the rigorous safety and operational standards required for handling heavy loads on public roads. Participants learn about vehicle mechanics, load management, safety protocols, and road laws relevant to HGV operation. The curriculum includes both theoretical classroom learning and practical, hands-on driving experience under the guidance of experienced instructors.
Successfully completing HGV training leads to a certification that qualifies individuals to drive HGVs, opening up employment opportunities in logistics, construction, and other sectors reliant on the transport of heavy goods. It’s a critical step for those looking to pursue a career in professional driving and logistics management. Choosing to become a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver can mark the beginning of a rewarding career path, offering the allure of freedom on the open road and the satisfaction of playing a crucial role in the global supply chain.
However, the journey starts long before you hit the road, with the critical decision of selecting the right HGV training program. This choice will affect not only your ability to pass the HGV driving test but also your long-term success in this profession. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore five essential factors you should consider before enrolling in an HGV training course to ensure you’re making a well-informed decision.
Accreditation and Reputation of the Training Provider
The quality of your HGV training is paramount, and the first step in assessing this is to look at the accreditation of the training provider. Accredited institutions adhere to the highest standards of training and ethics, offering courses designed to meet regulatory requirements and prepare you for real-world challenges. Furthermore, the reputation of the training provider among past students and within the industry can provide valuable insights into the quality of education and the level of support you can expect. Look for reviews, testimonials, and success stories to gauge satisfaction and outcomes.
Course Content and Structure
HGV training courses are not all created equal. The depth and breadth of the course content, along with its structure, can significantly impact your learning experience. A comprehensive course should encompass all theoretical knowledge, including traffic laws and vehicle maintenance, as well as practical driving skills under various conditions. It should also prepare you for the specific types of vehicles you intend to drive. Ensure the course is structured in a way that allows for progressive learning, with a balance between classroom instruction and hands-on driving experience.
Quality of Instructors
The instructors play a crucial role in your HGV training journey. Their expertise, experience, and teaching style can greatly influence your ability to grasp complex concepts and develop practical driving skills. Look for programs with experienced, patient, and approachable instructors who are committed to helping students succeed. Inquire about the instructor-to-student ratio to ensure you will receive personalised attention and support throughout your training.
Training Costs and Financial Assistance
The cost of HGV training can vary widely between providers, and it’s important to understand what you’re getting for your investment. Compare the tuition fees of different programs, but also consider what is included in those fees, such as study materials, practical driving hours, and exam fees. Some training providers may offer financing options or scholarships, which can help alleviate the financial burden. Remember, the cheapest option is not always the best value, so weigh the cost against the quality and comprehensiveness of the training.
Post-Training Support and Job Placement Services
The ultimate goal of HGV training is to secure employment in the industry. Therefore, it’s wise to consider the level of post-training support and job placement services offered by the training provider. Some institutions have partnerships with logistics companies and provide dedicated career services to help graduates find employment. These services can include resume writing assistance, interview preparation, and direct job placement opportunities. Choosing a training provider that offers robust post-training support can significantly smooth the transition from student to professional driver.
Conclusion
Embarking on a career as an HGV driver is a decision that promises new adventures, challenges, and rewards. However, the foundation of this journey lies in the quality of your training. By carefully considering the accreditation and reputation of the training provider, the course content and structure, the quality of instructors, the training costs and available financial assistance, and the post-training support and job placement services, you can choose a program that not only prepares you for the driving test but also sets you up for long-term success in your new career.
Remember, the right training program is a crucial investment in your future as an HGV driver. Take the time to research, ask questions, and make informed choices. Your future on the open road awaits, and with the right preparation, you’ll be ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with being an HGV driver.
Program aims to strengthen relationships with those that helped build the sport
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 18, 2024) — NASCAR today announced the launch of the NASCAR Alumni Network, a program that will help the sport – and its fans – stay connected with former competitors.
The program is open to past NASCAR competitors with a focus on those that competed in more than 100 races in their careers. Members of the NASCAR Alumni Network will have the chance to engage with current and past industry members through exclusive networking opportunities, including an annual at-track reunion.
Amber Wells, a 25-year veteran of NASCAR who manages the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the company, has been named executive director of the NASCAR Alumni Network.
“The relationships built in NASCAR are very special,” Wells said. “We’ve seen tremendous fellowship in the connections rekindled through the NASCAR Hall of Fame and we want to extend that to all past competitors. Our hope is that this program will not just connect members with us, but also with former teammates and competitors.”
The inaugural NASCAR Alumni Network reunion will be held at Darlington Raceway during the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 12. The public appearance schedule of those in attendance will be announced at a later date.
Former drivers, crew chiefs, team owners, team members and other industry competitors are invited to apply to join the NASCAR Alumni Network at www.nascar.com/alumninetwork.
The program launch coincides with “NASCAR Legends Presented by Geico,” a four-week campaign that centers on telling stories of notable traditions and prominent pieces of NASCAR history. The campaign begins this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and continues for four weeks, culminating at the NASCAR throwback race weekend at Darlington Raceway May 10-12. Fans can visit www.nascar.com/legends for more information.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
Partnership Includes New INDYCAR Workspace, World-Class Service for Paddock
INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, April 18, 2024) – Evolve Transporters, a leading motorsports transporter manufacturer, announced April 18 a multiyear agreement to become the official transporter of INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
The partnership includes the addition of an Evolve Transporter to the INDYCAR fleet featuring workspace for up to 17 INDYCAR staff members, and on-site service at all NTT INDYCAR SERIES events.
Through the agreement, Evolve Transporters also will provide industry-leading service technicians, a service truck and parts trailer to service the entire INDYCAR paddock beginning at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on the Streets of Long Beach, April 19-21.
“As the INDYCAR paddock expands, it is clear there is an increasing need for workspace and transport services,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “Evolve Transporters is well known as a trusted and innovative manufacturer with phenomenal service. We look forward to beginning this new partnership and its many benefits for the sport.”
Evolve Transporters designs, fabricates and maintains premium transporters for motorsports. With 80 highly skilled professionals, at facilities in Cleveland and Indianapolis, the company uses top-quality materials and advanced technology to create efficient and user-friendly mobile solutions. Latest developments include a battery-powered transporter, touchscreen controls and reconfigurable workstations.
The new INDYCAR partnership also expands the paddock relationships the company enjoys with NTT INDYCAR SERIES race teams, manufacturers and suppliers for which Evolve has created custom workspaces, hospitality lounges, engineering centers and more.
“Our team is deeply committed to motorsports, and through our partnership, we’re united in our mission to continuously evolve and improve,” Evolve Transporters CEO Brad Kossow said. “Being at the heart of the racing action allows us to provide unparalleled support to our clients while driving technological advancements and innovation. In addition to at-track support, our recently opened facility in Indianapolis serves as a strategic hub, enabling us to provide comprehensive support to teams and the broader series with greater efficacy. It is a testament to our commitment to the industry.”
The next event for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21 on the Streets of Long Beach. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. Coverage is also available from the INDYCAR Radio Network via the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA and SiriusXM channel 218.
RYAN PREECE Talladega Advance No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Event Overview
● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36) ● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 21 ● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway ● Layout: 2.66-mile oval ● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps ● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● After a solid 12th-place finish last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Ryan Preece carries that momentum to a track where momentum is paramount – Talladega Superspeedway. The sweeping 2.66-mile oval in eastern Alabama hosts the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race this Sunday, and when Preece last turned laps there in October, he finished eighth after leading eight laps.
● The GEICO 500 will mark Preece’s ninth career NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega with his best result being a third-place drive in his Cup Series debut at the track on April 28, 2019. That race was just the 15th of Preece’s Cup Series career and it remains his best finish with 160 Cup Series starts now under his belt.
● Preece has two additional starts at Talladega outside of the NASCAR Cup Series – one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Preece’s Xfinity Series race at Talladega in April 2016 was his first start of any kind at the track and he came away with a respectable 15th-place finish driving for team owner Johnny Davis. Preece’s Craftsman Truck Series start at Talladega was more recent. He finished fourth in October 2022 for team owner David Gilliland.
● Heading into Talladega, Preece is 24th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings with 137 points. He has moved up six spots in the last two races thanks to his ninth-place finish April 7 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and his 12th-place run at Texas.
● Joining Preece this weekend at Talladega is United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI), the largest equipment rental company in the world. United Rentals has an integrated network of 1,449 rental locations in North America, 13 in Europe, 27 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province. The company’s approximately 24,700 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and others. The company offers approximately 4,700 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $19.3 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index®. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Additional information about United Rentals is available at UnitedRentals.com.
● United Rentals is dedicated to making every lap a lap of honor. Join United Rentals in supporting military veterans and their families through its Turns for Troops program where United Rentals donates $50 for each lap Preece completes during specific races in 2024. Preece has already raised more than $119,000 through the Turns for Troops program, with a goal of racing an additional $67,000 this season. Funds from the Turns for Troops program goes to Operation Homefront.
Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang Dark Horse
What are your expectations for Talladega, especially considering your strong performance at the track last fall?
“Whenever our team goes to a superspeedway, I feel pretty confident. Racing at superspeedways is like playing a game of chess, and I like to think a lot of us play that game pretty well. At superspeedways, passing and making runs is really tough, so positioning yourself within the first couple of rows is important to have a shot at the end to win. Talladega is also a great opportunity to score stage points, and we see the value in those. We just have to do our best to accomplish those things this weekend because this is a good shot for us to have a really strong result.”
Talladega is a special racetrack in the history of NASCAR. What’s the significance of racing at such a historic venue?
“It certainly means a lot to roll into Talladega knowing that I have an opportunity to race at a track like that. When you think about NASCAR and its history, Talladega is immediately a track that comes to mind. I don’t want to say it’s a blast from the past type of feeling, but it’s very similar to the feeling you get when you roll into places like Daytona and Darlington that have such a storied history in this sport.”
Describe what it’s like to race at Talladega.
“It’s definitely a challenge. There’s certainly a lot going on when you’re behind the wheel at that track. You’re going around there at 190 mph, not lifting, pushing each other, cutting drivers off, and trying to do all these different things that most people think are crazy. It’s not easy, and sometimes we make it look easy, but there’s a lot going on in each 50-second lap time that you turn around the track.”
The unpredictability of Talladega is well known. How do you and the team approach a race with so many variables?
“We all know there’s going to be a big wreck. It’s something that’s pretty much certain to happen at superspeedways. Specifically, we look at this race with a goal of maximizing points. You can do your best to control the race, but points are really the only guaranteed takeaway from this track. Scoring stage points will be really important for us. You never know how Talladega will truly play out. You can watch previous races, but every race at Talladega has different tendencies. Every reaction a driver has due to the situation he’s in is going to be different. You ultimately try to see how the laps are going to play out in the moment, and if we’re in a position to capitalize, we’ll certainly give our best effort to do that.”
You and the No. 41 team have raised $119,000 for United Rentals’ Turn for Troops program. What does it mean for you and the team to lead the charge on this campaign to raise funds for military veterans and families?
“The spotlight needs to be on United Rentals for creating the opportunity for us to be able to do something like this. Knowing that every lap we complete is more money for our troops and their families is obviously a lot of weight on our shoulders. This weekend, the goal is to complete every single lap at Talladega so those families can receive every dollar possible.”
NOAH GRAGSON Talladega Advance No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Event Overview
● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36) ● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 21 ● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway ● Layout: 2.66-mile oval ● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps ● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● Noah Gragson brings his quiet consistency to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Sunday’s GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race. The driver of the No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing comes into the 10th race of the season with three straight top-20 finishes. While none of those performances will be mounted over the mantle, that kind of solid consistency is key to emerging from Talladega with points in hand as opposed to being in a points hole. The 2.66-mile oval is notorious for sending drivers to an early exit via The Big One, the perfunctory multicar accident that dashes any hope of victory and leaves drivers with just a handful of points and a garage full of mangled parts. In three career Cup Series starts at Talladega, Gragson has two top-20 finishes. His most recent Talladega start in last year’s GEICO 500 ended on lap 190 when he was collected in a seven-car melee.
● Don’t let Gragson’s quiet consistency fool you. The Las Vegas-native can also be loud. At the 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway – the sister track to Talladega – Gragson owns two top-10 finishes, including his career-best result of fifth in July 2022.
● Prior to joining the elite NASCAR Cup Series, Gragson spent five years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2018-2022). In eight career Xfinity Series starts at Talladega, Gragson finished 11th or better seven times with six top-10s and three top-fives. His highlight was a victory in April 2022 when Gragson beat Jeffrey Earnhardt to the stripe by .131 of a second.
● Gragson’s first Xfinity Series win came at Daytona in February 2020. He went on to score 12 more Xfinity Series victories before moving to the NASCAR Cup Series.
● Gragson has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Talladega. In October 2017, Gragson finished 14th. He returned a year later and one-upped his performance by finishing 13th.
● Gragson first took to the Talladega oval in May 2017 via the ARCA Menards Series. It started off well with Gragson qualifying second and taking the lead on the first lap. But on lap 37 of the 82-lap race, Gragson was swept into a six-car accident that ended his day.
● At Talladega in October 2018, Stewart-Haas enjoyed one of its most dominant days ever. The team qualified 1-2-3-4 for the first time in its history. Stewart-Haas drivers then led 155 of the race’s 193 laps (80.3 percent), including the last lap by Aric Almirola, who delivered Stewart-Haas’ milestone 50th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory and the organization’s 11th win of the season.
● Overstock.com adorns Gragson’s No. 10 Ford Mustang at Talladega. The partnership amplifies the recent 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.
Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Daytona was your first points-paying race with Stewart-Haas Racing and Talladega marks your 10th race with the team. What’s the journey been like so far?
“It’s been a lot of good times, some bad times, struggled some of the weekends, but overall I feel like we learn from those challenging weekends and it seems like we’ve been able to rebound and put some solid races under our belts. A couple of top-10s, a few 12th-place finishes, we just want to keep building on that and minimize the mistakes. I’m excited to get down to Talladega. It’s crazy that we’re already 10 races into it.”
What’s the atmosphere inside the race shop?
“Everybody is on track as an organization and really focused, and everybody’s excited. That’s really good for me. I feel like I can be myself. We’re just trying to make the most of the opportunity and just be the best race team that we can be.”
Is there anything you can apply from the Daytona 500 to Talladega?
“It’s hard because we pretty much just saved fuel the whole race at Daytona. We just kind of rode around. Talladega could be the same way, but you just have to figure out how to get up to the front. You can either be up front or save fuel, and it’s just really hard to pass, so we’re trying to figure that out as a whole.”
What’s the vibe at Talladega?
“It’s basically a party with a race going on in the middle. There’s lot of passionate race fans and a lot of history at that racetrack. It’s just a fun atmosphere. It’s always a privilege to go to Talladega, and it’s even more exciting to do it with this 10 team.”
Your NASCAR Xfinity Series career at Talladega was pretty robust – a win, three top-fives and six top-10s in eight starts. At a venue that’s known to be so full of variables that races are termed crapshoots, how were you so consistently good?
“I just kind of treated it as a rental go-kart race, honestly. If I wrecked, I wrecked, and if I didn’t, well, I didn’t. I’ve always worked to be up front. Led laps there for a lot of races. With that being said, you kind of go in with the expectation of I’m going to wreck and everything else is a positive.”
What’s the difference between a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega and a NASCAR Cup Series race?
“I felt like you could control your destiny back in the day with the Xfinity cars, where now you’re just saving fuel the whole time, so it makes it kind of challenging. You just hold it 50-percent, 60-percent throttle, basically, the whole entire run.”
COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST Talladega NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
Event: Talladega 300 (Round 9 of 33)
Date: Saturday, April 20
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
Layout: 2.66-mile oval
Time/TV/Radio: 4 p.m. EDT on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Cole Custer Notes of Interest
Cole Custer heads to Saturday’s Talladega 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway riding a six-race streak of top-10 finishes, with four of the six resulting in top-fives. It started with his second-place run from his pole starting position March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the five races since, he finished fifth from the pole at Phoenix Raceway, fourth at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, 10th at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, eighth at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and fifth at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. In addition to the two poles, Custer led 96 laps combined in the six races, scored 81 stage points and one playoff point by virtue of his stage finishes. He arrives at Talladega second in the driver standings, just 19 points behind leader Chandler Smith. The No. 00 Haas Automation driver and defending Xfinity Series champion who’s still seeking his first victory of the season looks to tie Smith this weekend for the longest top-10 streak in the series this season. Smith opened 2024 with seven consecutive top-10s, but saw his streak come to an end with last weekend’s 15th-place finish at Texas. Austin Hill also opened the season on a top-10 streak, but his ended at six with a 34th-place result at Martinsville.
Saturday’s Talladega 300 will be Custer’s fifth career Xfinity Series start at Talladega. In his four prior starts, he earned a best finish of fourth last April in the series’ only visit to the superspeedway in 2023. In this year’s prior two superspeedway-style races at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, Custer ran in the top-10 for the majority of both races. He finished 13th at Daytona and 16th at Atlanta. In addition to his four prior Xfinity Series starts at Talladega, Custer has seven starts outside the series – six in the NASCAR Cup Series with a best finish of 10th in April 2021, and one in the NASCAR Truck Series in October 2016, when he started on the pole and led two laps before a midrace accident ended his day. He’s led 10 laps in his six Cup Series at the track.
Custer’s history at superspeedways has been a roller-coaster ride throughout his career, but when he returned to the Xfinity Series in 2023, he proved that he was back and better than ever on every kind of track. There’s no hiding that Custer had struggled at the superspeedways during his previous stint in the Xfinity Series from 2017-2019, but when he came back to the series in 2023, he saw significant improvement. He finished ninth in February 2023 at Daytona, fourth in April 2023 at Talladega, and then fifth in the August race at Daytona. Custer bested his career-best finish at both tracks last year. While he had a strong run building in this year’s season opener at Daytona, he was unable to hold the top-10 position he held for a majority of the day on his way to his 13th-place finish.
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
Riley Herbst has had nothing but speed in 2024. While the finishes haven’t shown it, his consistency from race to race has helped him collect 85 stage points and one playoff point during the first eight races to put him sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings. He scored a total of 21 points in the first two superspeedway-style races this season at Daytona and Atlanta. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse hopes to put it all together this weekend by staying out of trouble and finding his way to victory lane in Saturday’s Talladega 300 at Talladega. In last Saturday’s race at Texas, Herbst not only was racing for the lead in the final stage after starting fifth, but he also finished third in the opening two stages to earn a total of 16 bonus points. A win this weekend would automatically clinch his spot in the playoffs, which begin Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Talladega might just be the place he can get it done. In his Xfinity Series career, Herbst has been a strong contender on superspeedways. In his 22 superspeedway-style races in the Xfinity Series, including the last five at the reconfigured Atlanta oval, Herbst has five top-five finishes and 10 top-10s and has led 75 laps.
Saturday’s race at Talladega will mark Herbst’s eighth career Xfinity Series start at Talladega. He earned a best finish of fourth in the April 2021 race and returned that October to lead his first laps on the 2.66-mile oval, 26 in total, before an accident ended his bid six laps from the finish. Herbst has an additional seven Talladega starts outside the Xfinity Series – two in the Cup Series, four in the ARCA Menards Series and one in the NASCAR Truck Series. He drove to a runner-up finish in the April 2019 ARCA race, then followed that up with a fourth-place finish with 36 laps led in the June 2020 ARCA race.
When Herbst competed in his fourth and final Cup Series race of 2023 last October at Talladega, he qualified an impressive sixth and ran with the leaders, some of the best in the Cup Series, for a majority of the race. He led five times for a total of 10 laps and, in the latter stages of the race, he was pushing his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick, who was leading. Although he was caught up in an accident coming to the checkered flag, Herbst was able to cross the finish line ninth, his best Cup Series finish of the season that started with his 10th-place finish in the Daytona 500.
Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse
You’re headed to Talladega after a strong showing at Texas that resulted in a fifth-place finish, and you’re riding a six-race top-10 streak. What more do you need to put your No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse in victory lane?
“Man, we just need that little bit more. We’ve had the speed. We’ve run up front. It just hasn’t worked out for us in the first few races of the season. We’re not off to a slow start by any means. We’re on a six-race top-10 streak and have led laps in several races. Still, it’s just about finding out what we’re missing to go out and win a race. I think we’re close. The No. 00 team has been working hard each and every week to give me the fastest cars possible. There’s a lot of good competition in the Xfinity Series field, though. We just have to figure out how we can be the best of the best.”
Superspeedway racing is a game requiring a good bit of luck. How do you approach this race, which is always so unpredictable?
“Every driver knows this – superspeedway racing is always a challenge. It’s a game of luck, at the end of the day. There are things that you can control in the race, like having a fast car, being able to make aggressive moves when needed, and how well you can work the draft. That’s something that we can focus on as a team heading into this race. There’s also just so much you cannot prepare for with superspeedways. Anything can happen and an accident can happen at any time. I feel like we were solid at Daytona and at Talladega last season, but it’s just a matter of controlling your destiny in these races and staying out of trouble. You always have that luck factor at superspeedways and, in the end, you just hope it’s your lucky day to park it in victory lane.”
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse
You performed well at Talladega when you last visited with the NASCAR Cup Series in October 2023. You started sixth and looked to be well on your way to a top-five finish on the final lap. Despite a wreck coming to the checkered flag, you still managed to secure a ninth-place finish. What did you learn in that race that you can carry over to the Xfinity Series?
“To be honest, the cars are so different now between the Cup Series and Xfinity Series that you can’t really carry much over. Those starts are more about the experience than anything. My last start at Talladega was in the Cup Series, and it gave me so much confidence heading into that final stretch of the season. It worked out. I not only ran in the top-five during the remaining races but also got my first career Xfinity Series win at Las Vegas after that great run. With that said, my Cup Series start at Talladega last year helped people notice me. It turned a few heads. I not only ran up front, but also led laps and learned how to manage the field. I’m excited to try to do the same in the Xfinity Series this weekend.”
Given this is the biggest superspeedway on the NASCAR circuit, where anything can happen, how do you prepare for this style of racing?
“You can’t really prepare as much for a superspeedway-style race. While you can try to figure out the handling, a lot of these races are up to luck. They’re a wild card on our schedule. You could be having the best day of your racing career and be taken out by a wreck not of your own doing due to the pack-style racing. We come up with plans for how we hope the race weekend will run, but you also have to be ready to change plans at a moment’s notice. The No. 98 Monster Energy team has brought fast cars not only to superspeedways, but every race this season. We know we can do the same this weekend. Hopefully we’ll stay out of trouble and be there at the end.”
POLE STRING: Last Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson won his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series pole position and the 250th for Hendrick Motorsports in NASCAR’s premier series. The 31-year-old driver will look to become the first driver since 2004 to win four straight this Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway. If he accomplishes that feat, Larson will join Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon in winning four poles in a row for the organization.
OUT FRONT: Larson has led at least one lap in seven of the nine races this season for a total of 531 – 136 more laps out front than the nearest competitor. His laps led in 2024 are the most ever by the Elk Grove, California, native through nine races in a season. Larson’s 531 laps led are the most by a Hendrick Motorsports driver at this point in a year since Gordon led 538 at the same point in 2007. When Larson set the Cup Series record for most laps led (2,581) during a 36-race schedule in 2021, he paced the field only 379 times through nine events.
STAGE RIGHT: The driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has won the first stage in the last three Cup races. In fact, Larson’s five stage victories are tops this season. With his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, the 2021 Cup Series champion has earned 10 playoff points toward the 2024 playoffs.
5 IN FIVE: Larson has run the most laps in the top five this season (1,514) and is tied for the most top-five finishes (four). He has also been atop the point standings after four different races in 2024. If he retains the lead after Sunday’s race at Talladega, Larson will become the first driver this year to lead the standings after three consecutive races.
POINTS MADE: Since the debut of the Next Gen car in 2022, Larson has earned the fourth-most points at the Alabama track (124). In the first Next Gen event at the 2.66-mile track, he led 32 laps (his most at a drafting-style track) and finished a career-best fourth at the facility.
HENDRICKCARS.COM IS HOME: This Sunday’s race at Talladega is a home race for the HENDRICKCARS.COM team. The Birmingham/Hoover, Alabama, area has three Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships. Respectively, the No. 5 driver and crew can be found in their white firesuits this weekend. For every HENDRICKCARS.COM home race this season, there is a unique hat released the week of the race and only available for sale on the trackside merchandise haulers or available to win on HENDRICKCARS.COM. Less than 100 of each limited-edition hat will be available to the public. This week’s Alabama-themed hat will be revealed Thursday and can be seen here.
WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HENDRICKCARS.COM.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 4th
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the Talladega Superspeedway media center on Saturday, April 20, at 7:55 a.m. local time.
TEXAS TRIUMPH: Chase Elliott scored his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, snapping a 42-race winless streak. After starting 24th, the team’s strategy to gain track position in the first stage worked out when the yellow flag waved while Elliott was leading during the cycle of green-flag pit stops. Elliott ended stage one in seventh and followed that up with a 10th-place result in stage two. In the final stage, the 28-year-old driver managed to hold off his competitors through double overtime to claim his 19th career premier series victory (third on the Hendrick Motorsports wins list) and his first at Texas. It was also the Dawsonville, Georgia, native’s first win with Hooters as the primary partner on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
SOMETHING’S COOKING: So far in the 2024 season, Elliott has one win (Texas), three top-five finishes and four top-10s – all coming in the last five races. He is tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for the second-best average finish (10.33), has the fourth-best average running position (10.61) and has spent the fourth-most laps inside the top five (874) and the top 10 (1,521). Elliott has led 126 laps this season, including the record-extending 80,000th for Hendrick Motorsports. He currently sits fourth in the Cup Series point standings, only 32 markers behind the leader.
KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE: After scoring a fifth-place finish at Richmond Raceway, a third-place result at Martinsville Speedway and a victory at Texas, Elliott is riding a streak of three consecutive top-five finishes. His most recent streak of three straight top-five results came last summer at Sonoma Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway and the Chicago Street Course. Elliott’s longest streak of five top fives in his Cup Series career has occurred twice (2019 and 2022).
NEXT GEN NUMBERS: Since the debut of the Next Gen Cup Series car in 2022, Elliott has the best average finish among his competitors (12.45) and is tied for the fourth-most wins (six) following his victory at Texas.
CUT TO THE CHASE: Elliott has a strong history on drafting-style tracks in the Cup Series. Across 37 starts on tracks of that type (Atlanta Motor Speedway since its reprofiling in 2022, Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway), he has three victories, nine top-five finishes, 15 top-10s, five pole positions and 506 laps led. In addition to his points-paying triumphs at Atlanta (2022) and Talladega (2019 and 2022), Elliott has two DAYTONA 500 qualifying race wins (2017 and 2018).
‘DEGA NUMBERS: This weekend, Elliott will make his 17th Talladega Cup Series start. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has two victories on the 2.66-mile superspeedway – most recently in October of 2022 – and has collected five top-five finishes and eight top-10s across his 16 premier series starts at the track. This track is one of four where he has multiple Cup Series victories. Elliott’s average finish (13.63) ranks fourth on the all-time list of drivers with at least six Cup Series starts at Talladega. Additionally, at the Alabama track, he has earned the most overall points (189) in the Next Gen car, the most stage points (107) in the last 10 races and the third-most stage points (118) among active drivers.
MOVING ON UP: Following Sunday’s victory at Texas, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson has 39 Cup Series wins to his credit. He’s second in active crew chief wins behind Rodney Childers (40). Of Gustafson’s 39 triumphs, 19 have come with Elliott, 11 with Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, five with Hall of Famer Mark Martin and four with Kyle Busch.
DYNAMIC DUO: Elliott and Gustafson are in their ninth season together and are currently the longest active driver and crew chief combo in the Cup Series garage. The duo is ranked second among active pairings with 19 points-paying victories. Gustafson and Elliott earned their first Cup Series title in 2020 and the team captured the regular-season championship in 2022.
FOUR TIRES FAST: On lap 84 at Texas, the No. 9 pit crew laid down the fastest four-tire pit stop (9.076 seconds) of the 2024 season, according to data from Racing Insights. The over-the-wall squad has remained the same since 2018 and currently holds the fastest average four-tire pit stop time (10.724 seconds) on the season. The 2021 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew award-winning group 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: NAPA Auto Parts, the Atlanta-based company that has been a primary partner of Elliott in all nine of his full-time seasons at Hendrick Motorsports, will be on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Talladega. This will mark the 12th time the brand has served as the primary sponsor of the Elliott at the Alabama track in the Cup Series. NAPA was on board in October of 2022 when Elliott and the No. 9 team scored their most recent Talladega victory. Get a look at all the angles of the 2024 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 here.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 5th
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
TEXAS THREE-STEP: Returning to Texas Motor Speedway as the defending winner of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series event last fall, William Byron started the race weekend by qualifying sixth. The driver of the No. 24 collected a ninth-place finish in stage one. Employing pit strategy in the second stage, Byron crossed the line in 13th before being propelled into the top 10 running order during the stage break. Early in the final stage, Byron advanced into the top five and maintained that position throughout the closing laps, enduring multiple cautions and two overtime attempts before crossing the finish line in third.
24 IN ‘24: Byron’s 2024 Cup Series season has been nothing short of impressive while setting new personal-best marks through nine races in wins (three), average starting position (9.33) and average finish (10.33). He’s also matched his personal-best marks through a quarter of the season in poles (one) and top-five finishes (four). The Charlotte, North Carolina, native leads the series in wins and is tied for first in top-five finishes with two competitors, including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson and is in a two-way tie for the lead in top-10s (six). Byron is also tied for second with teammate Chase Elliott in average finish among series regulars (10.33), has led the sixth-most laps (149) and ranks seventh in laps run in the top 10 (1,305). He sits fifth in the 2024 Cup Series points standings.
NEXT GEN DUO: Since the introduction of the Next Gen Cup Series car in 2022, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle lead the series with 11 wins. The duo leads teammates Larson (eight wins) and crew chief Cliff Daniels (seven wins). Byron also has the second-best average finish (12.94) in the Next Gen car behind teammate Elliott and holds the most wins on drafting tracks – three wins out of 14 starts. In that span, Byron (three) and Elliott (two) are the only repeat winners on drafting-style tracks.
DRAFT DAY: When it comes to drafting-style tracks (Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway since its reprofiling in 2022), Byron typically runs upfront. He has four wins on this type of track – the 2024 DAYTONA 500, his first Cup Series victory at Daytona in August of 2020 and two at Atlanta (March of 2022 and July of 2023). Byron also scored a victory in a DAYTONA 500 qualifying race in 2020. He has led 230 laps at drafting tracks since the start of the 2022 season.
TALLADEGA TELL-ALL: Byron will be making his 13th Cup Series start at the 2.66-mile oval when the No. 24 team hits the track this weekend. In his previous 12 starts, Byron has finished a track-best second twice (including last fall) – the most of any drivers entered that has yet to score a win – with 108 laps led (ninth-most of drivers without a win at Talladega). He has the third-best active top-10 streak (two) at the Alabama venue. Since 2022, Byron has scored the third-most points (154) at Talladega. In the past 10 races there, he has earned the second-most stage points (80) and he has the fifth-most stage points (82) across all his starts.
DIGGIN’ DEGA: Fugle is set to call his seventh race at Talladega as a crew chief in the Cup Series. In his first six premier series starts, He has two runner-up results that bookend his time to date in the Cup Series (April of 2021 and October of 2023). Aside from those six races, the Livonia, New York, native has eight national series starts at the 2.66-mile track already under his belt, with seven coming in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Fugle has accumulated three top-five finishes and five top-10s in those Truck Series races. One of those truck starts was with Byron in 2016, where the duo started eighth and raced to a 10th-place result.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: After nine races in the 2024 season, the No. 24 pit crew continues their success from last year. The five-person crew ranks third in average four-tire pit stop time (10.874 seconds). They also clocked the seventh-fastest four-tire pit stop (9.475 seconds) of the 2024 season on lap 139 last weekend at Texas. 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).
LIBERTY U IS BACK: Byron will sport Liberty University on board his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the second weekend in a row. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron, starting in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s Liberty University paint scheme, click here.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 14th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
SUPERSPEEDWAY SUMMARY: The NASCAR Cup Series returns to superspeedway racing this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Earlier this year, Alex Bowman scored a runner-up result in the season’s first drafting-style race in the sport’s prestigious DAYTONA 500, finishing just behind race winner and Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. Bowman has two top 10s in his last four races on drafting-style tracks. He has two runner-up finishes across 37 starts at the drafting track trio of Talladega, Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway since its reprofiling in 2022.
TURNING TO TALLADEGA: The 30-year-old driver scored a second-place finish at Talladega in April of 2019, which marks his best finish at the 2.66-mile track. He is one of only four active Cup Series drivers, along with teammate Byron, to finish second without scoring a win at this venue. In his 16 Cup Series starts at the Alabama venue, he has secured four top-10 finishes and led 67 laps. All of Bowman’s top-10 results have come in the spring race. The Tucson, Arizona, native ranks sixth at Talladega in stage points earned all-time (65) and stage points scored over the last 10 races (63).
HITTING 75: Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will call the shots for his 75th race atop the box in the sport’s premier series this Sunday. The 37-year-old Maypearl, Texas, native has led four drivers in his Cup Series career and has been paired with Bowman for the majority of his races. Across 38 races together, Harris and Bowman have secured six top-five finishes, 12 top-10s and led 87 laps.
FINANCE FUN WITH THE NO. 48 TEAM: April is Financial Literacy Month. The No. 48 team’s primary partner and online banking company, Ally, knows that financial behaviors are learned early. On Tuesday, Bowman, his pit crew and Ally volunteers visited University Meadows Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina, to read “Adventures With Money” books and play Jeopardy games about financial literacy with kids in their local community. Last week, Ally held its largest reading day event at Clara Love Elementary School near Texas Motor Speedway with Bowman and over 70 volunteers to reach over 900 students. These readings are two of many that Ally will lead nationwide this year, educating thousands of students on the importance of financial knowledge and implementation.
FAST FIVE: Away from the classroom, the Ally Racing pit crew ranks seventh on pit road for the fastest average four-tire stop (11.196 seconds) this season. 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).
LIVE FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT: Join Bowman with views from his driver’s seat this weekend as the Cup Series field reaches speeds of over 180 mph. Fans can ride along by tuning into NASCAR’s in-car camera on the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Visit nascar.com/drive to experience the race from a driver’s perspective.
IN THE FAN ZONE: On Sunday, Bowman will be joined by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson in the fan zone at Talladega at 11:10 a.m. CT in the Ally activation area for a joint appearance. 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.
ALABAMA BEST FRIENDS: Bowman and Ally are in their fourth year supporting Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners. 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 Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue, located in Hoover, Alabama. About a 50-minute drive from the track, the shelter has a mission to save abandoned, stray and injured cats and kittens. Take a look at their cats and kittens up for adoption here.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS /
2024
All-Time
Talladega
Races
9
1,354
80
Wins
5*
306*
14*
Poles
4*
250*
13*
Top 5
14*
1,246*
64*
Top 10
18**
2,130*
99*
Laps Led
812
80,569*
3,082*
Stage Wins
6
104
5**
*Most **Most (tie)
FABULOUS 40: In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Among the categories that the organization holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for are all-time wins (306), poles (250), laps led (80,569) and championships (14). With Chase Elliott’s win at Texas Motor Speedway, the team has won at least five races a year in 22 of the last 24 seasons. It is also the second time the team has won at least five of the first nine races in a season (2007 was the other occurrence).
FROM THE POLE: Hendrick Motorsports is the first team to reach 250 pole positions in the Cup Series. The milestone was hit last Saturday with Kyle Larson’s pole at Texas, his third in a row and the team’s fourth consecutive top starting spot in the 2024 season. Across 31 tracks, 20 drivers have won poles for the squad including all four of the team’s current drivers. Team vice chairman Jeff Gordon’s 81 pole positions are the most by a driver in the organization’s history and Daytona International Speedway tops the track list at 23 pole positions.
WINNING TRIO: With five wins among Elliott, Larson and William Byron in 2024, the Rick Hendrick-owned team has had three of its drivers win within the first nine races. The organization also achieved this in 2007 (six wins), 2009 (three wins), 2021 (three wins) and 2022 (four wins). Hendrick Motorsports accounts for five of the 10 instances where a team has seen three of its drivers win in the opening nine races.
TALLYING TOP FIVES: In the last five races in the 2024 season, at least two drivers from the squad have finished in the top five. At Texas, Elliott finished first and Byron placed third. At Martinsville Speedway, it was the Byron-Larson-Elliott trio in a 1-2-3 finish. At Richmond Raceway, Larson placed third and Elliott was fifth. Byron won and Alex Bowman was fourth at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Bowman and Larson finished fourth and fifth at Bristol Motor Speedway, respectively. This is the organization’s longest streak since a seven-race stretch from Darlington Raceway to Pocono Raceway in the 2021 season.
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 pit crew tops the board (10.724 seconds), followed by the No. 24 pit crew in third (10.874 seconds) and the No. 5 pit crew in fourth (10.890 seconds). The No. 48 pit crew is seventh (11.196 seconds).
VICTORY FORMATION: Gordon’s six wins at Talladega Superspeedway top the organization’s list, followed by Jimmie Johnson and Elliott’s two triumphs each. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Terry Labonte, Ken Schrader and Brian Vickers each have one victory at Talladega while driving for the organization. The seven drivers to win at this track are the most for one team.
DRAFTING DARLINGS: The Concord, North Carolina-based team has 33 wins on drafting tracks, which is the highest total in the series and 13 more than the next-best teams. The drafting tracks on the circuit are 2.66-mile Talladega, 2.5-mile Daytona and 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway (since its reprofiling for the 2022 season). In addition to its 14 victories at Talladega, the team has 16 wins at Daytona and three triumphs at Atlanta.
NEXT GEN NOTES: Since the debut of the Next Gen car in 2022, Byron has the most wins (three) on drafting tracks and Elliott ranks second (with two). They are the only drivers with multiple victories on that track type in NASCAR’s current stock car used in Cup Series competition. In addition to winning this year’s DAYTONA 500, Byron went to victory lane at Atlanta in March of 2022 and July of 2023. Elliott scored wins at Atlanta in July of 2022 and Talladega in October of 2022.
TO THE POINTS: Over the past four races at Talladega (all in the Next Gen era), Hendrick Motorsports has three of the top four drivers in points scored. Elliott leads all drivers (189 points) by 33 markers, Byron ranks third (154) and Larson is fourth (124).
SETTING THE STAGE: In the last 10 races at Talladega (dating back to 2019), all four of the team’s drivers are in the top seven in stage points earned. Elliott ranks first (107), Byron is second (80), Bowman is sixth (63) and Larson is seventh (55).
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his outlook heading to Talladega Superspeedway: “We always seem to have a fast HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy at the drafting-style tracks with good execution of pit stops, working well with our teammates and having good strategy during the race. We just need to avoid the trouble we seem to get collected in and be there at the end of the race.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for Talladega: “The five team is looking forward to Talladega (Superspeedway), even though our speedway finishing record does not show success for us. At speedways, we always feel like we have a very competitive car capable of running up front, getting some good stage finishes and just executing. Typically, we do the green-flag pit cycles and it’s always fun trying to pit with our teammates and the other Chevrolets. There’s a lot of strategic moves. At the end of the race, it’s always a toss up to how that’s going to go. Unfortunately, a lot of times for us, it doesn’t go well, but our luck is going to turn one of these days. Hopefully, when it does, we’re in a position to have a great day.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mindset for superspeedway racing: “Superspeedway racing is one of those things that, I don’t know that we all love to do it all the time, but it’s something that I’ve tried to embrace and I’ve tried to try to get better at and put time into. I think it’s easy to look at those events and just kind of skip over them and be like, ah, you know, it’s just a superspeedway race. But they do offer a race win and they offer a lot of points and all those things are still on the line. So, I’ve tried to put emphasis on them. I enjoy going over there (to Talladega Superspeedway). It’s close to home for me.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the opportunities to score points at Talladega: “There’s obviously three laps that pay points, so you’re going to want to be as high as you can get for all three of those. You want to get as many stage points as you can. You want to finish as high as you can and ultimately win stages and win the race. Everybody’s going to try to do the same thing and there’s going to be some different ways to get there. It could depend on how you qualify or where you start, how your car is and what opportunities you have. I don’t think there’s a set roadmap to success, but certainly everybody’s going to try to get as many points as they can.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he approaches the final laps at Talladega: “I don’t think you can really think about when a wreck is going to happen. If Branden (Lines, spotter) says there’s a wreck about to happen or happening, then obviously the urgency goes up to get an inch more or two. It’s really about listening to what he says. He has such a great vision for what is happening and then seeing what the field is doing out the corner of his eye. I try not to think too much about it otherwise and rely on him to tell me. I just race like we’re coming all the way back to the checkered flag. If the caution comes out before that, it’s really just subjective and you deal with whatever happens. If you make a move too early, though, banking on a caution, you could finish somewhere like 10th because you lost momentum.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how to approach racing at Talladega: “We probably have two or three plans that we try to work off of based on what happens. If you have caution-free stages, you’re trying to position yourself for that green-flag pit stop and where you are in the field at that point. No one wants to have fuel saving in a superspeedway race but that’s part of it though sometimes. Depending on how you’re starting a stage, whether you’re in the front or the back, it’s part of it. If you get a caution at the wrong time, fuel savings may not matter but you may not have track position and are stuck in the back. So many things play into it. It’s about give and take. You have to play out all the scenarios and give the driver as many tactics and strategies to put ourselves in the best position to manage the stages and win the race.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s outlook heading to Talladega: “Things certainly didn’t go as planned last weekend Texas (Motor Speedway), but our team turns to Talladega (Superspeedway) hungry for a strong finish. Our Ally Racing team has certainly seen some good finishes this season and we’re ready to get back on track and compete for another (one). At Daytona (International Speedway), we were really close to a win and that’s what we want. Our No. 48 team has shown we have what it takes to perform well. We just need all the pieces to come together. You never know what’s going to happen at these superspeedways, but hopefully, we can work as a team to come out good at the end of it Sunday.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s approach to superspeedway races: “I think the superspeedway races have been kind of solid for us, even last year when things weren’t going so well. As a company, I feel like Hendrick Motorsports is able to run well working together amongst our teammates at drafting tracks. Our No. 48 Ally Racing team expects to bring another fast Chevy to Talladega (Superspeedway), just like we did at Daytona (International Speedway).”
DEARBORN, Mich, April 18, 2024 – Fresh off a memorable 60th anniversary Mustang event in Charlotte on April 17, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will make its NASCAR pace car debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
In honor of Mustang’s birthday, the pace car will sport a special 60th anniversary decal recognizing the milestone as will all Ford cars racing in the event.
“This has been a great week of recognizing all that Mustang has brought to us at Ford and Ford Performance over the last 60 years, and we’re excited to keep that momentum going this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway,” said Jeannee Kirkaldy, global motorsports marketing manager, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We’ve made it clear how important Mustang is to us by racing it all around the world, including here in the United States, where drivers, fans and media have embraced the Ford Mustang Dark Horse model in NASCAR.”
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse swept the front row in three of the first five races this season, which included Team Penske driver Joey Logano winning the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500 with a speed of 181.947 mph.
“There’s no question that our Ford Mustang Dark Horse has speed and is the best-looking car on the track,” said defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney. “I think the Ford Performance group has done a great job getting the car ready for this season, and hopefully we can end Mustang Week on a good note by winning on Sunday.”
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street legal Mustang ever thanks to a special team of engineers that worked for more than three years on creating the new model.
This marks the first of six races in which the world’s best-selling sports car will take its place in front of the field with races at Dover Motor Speedway (Apr. 26-28), Darlington Raceway (May 10-12), Nashville Superspeedway (June 28-30), Chicago Street Race (July 5-7) and Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 1-3) scheduled as well.
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse will pace the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday before taking center stage at the front of the NASCAR Cup Series field for Sunday’s 500-mile race, which is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET.
About Ford Motor Company
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Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with Red Bull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, TikTok and YouTube.
CHASE BRISCOE Talladega Advance No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Event Overview
● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36) ● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 21 ● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway ● Layout: 2.66-mile oval ● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps ● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● Back-to-back top-10 finishes have vaulted Chase Briscoe from 18th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship point standings to 12th heading into the GEICO 500 Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The six-position gain has come via a 10th-place drive April 7 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and a sixth-place run last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. That sixth-place finish in the Lone Star State was Briscoe’s fourth top-10 of the year and his best result in the nine races held so far this season. The driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing is eyeing another solid points tally despite Talladega being a track where drivers often end up pointed in the wrong direction.
● “The Big One” is as tied to Talladega as “Roll Tide” is to the state of Alabama. The mammoth, 2.66-mile oval puts the nearly 40-car field in a 200 mph freight train that always seems destined for derailment. Briscoe, however, has found a way to stay under the radar and come home with solid results and equally solid points hauls. In six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega, Briscoe has only one finish outside the top-15. His average finish of 14.8 is fourth-best among full-time Cup Series drivers, trailing only Chase Elliott (13.6), Todd Gilliland (14.0) and Ryan Blaney (14.5). Briscoe’s best Talladega finish is fourth, earned in last year’s GEICO 500.
● Fourth was also Briscoe’s best result in four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Talladega. In April 2019, Briscoe finished fourth after leading nine laps. It was his only top-10 at Talladega in the Xfinity Series. His other three starts delivered unspectacular, yet safe, results. All were among the top-20, giving Briscoe an average finish of 14.3 in his Xfinity Series career at Talladega.
● Briscoe’s lone NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Talladega came in October 2017. He qualified a strong fifth but finished 22nd.
● Briscoe first saw Talladega in April 2016 when he made his debut at the track in the ARCA Menards Series. Briscoe qualified a distant 20th but finished the 74-lap race in third. It was the first of nine top-three finishes Briscoe earned that year on his way to winning the ARCA title by a staggering 535 points.
● For the longest time, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway was the track most likened to Talladega. While slightly shorter in length than Talladega, the 2.5-mile oval displayed the same characteristics – pack-style racing and calamitous wrecks. But in 2022 Atlanta Motor Speedway entered the chat thanks to a reconfiguration that turned the 1.54-mile oval into a much tighter version of Daytona and Talladega. Drafting and pack racing are now the name of the game at Atlanta, and when the series raced there nearly two months ago, Briscoe found his groove, juking and jiving all the way to the front where he challenged for the lead before getting collected in a late-race accident. Said Briscoe about that Atlanta race on Feb. 25: “We were able to be up front all day and be super aggressive making moves. I thought we were going to be in a really good spot there, but that’s part of it when you’re racing that tight and everybody is going for it at the end. We were just on the unfortunate side of it today. (The racing) was fun. That was the most fun I’ve ever had here, and I think some of that is just our guys did a really good job of bringing a car that we could be aggressive with and make moves. I’m actually looking forward to coming back here. That was a lot of fun. Guys were just making huge moves and big runs, but we were able to not get close to crashing a lot of times, like we would at Daytona or Talladega.”
● Mahindra Ag North America is in its third year as the anchor sponsor for Briscoe and the No. 14 team after extending its partnership with Stewart-Haas during the offseason. The multiyear agreement with the NASCAR team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and industrialist Gene Haas continues to feature Mahindra Tractors, a brand of Mahindra Ag North America, on Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford Mustang for the majority of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Houston-based Mahindra Ag North America is part of Mahindra Group’s Automotive and Farm Sector, the No. 1 selling farm tractor company in the world, based on volumes across all company brands. Mahindra offers a range of tractor models from 20-75 horsepower, implements, and the ROXOR heavy-duty UTV. Mahindra farm equipment is engineered to be easy to operate by first-time tractor or side-by-side owners and heavy duty to tackle the tough jobs of rural living, farming and ranching. Steel-framed Mahindra Tractors and side-by-sides are ideal for customers who demand performance, reliability and comfort. Mahindra dealers are independent, family-owned businesses located throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Talladega marks the 10th race of the season and you came into this year as the most tenured Stewart-Haas driver. How has it been so far this year with two new teammates in Josh Berry and Noah Gragson?
“It’s been really good. Honestly, it’s probably been my favorite year at Stewart-Haas. All of my teammates are relatively the same age as me. We’re all kind of the same, where we’re at career-wise, and it’s just been a lot of fun from the camaraderie side and just getting to know them better. I just feel like from a teamwork standpoint, we’re way better than we’ve ever been as far as working together. I would say 10 races in we’re farther ahead from a teamwork standpoint, so hopefully we can continue to grow that.”
Six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega and only one finish outside of the top-15. That’s some good, solid consistency at a track where all too often you can leave the race early with your car on a hook. What’s allowed you to be so consistent at Talladega?
“I have no idea. There’s nothing really I do there that I feel is special. It’s just one of those things where luck’s on your side or the man upstairs is looking out for you. We’ve been just fortunate to miss the wrecks there and have good days. Hopefully, with where we’re at from a points standpoint – we’re literally back and forth on this cutline all throughout the season, and Talladega is one of those places where you can lose a lot of points really quickly. Hopefully, we can just have one of those solid days. Obviously we’re going there to win the race, but Talladega is one of those places where if you can just come out of it with a top-15, you’re almost happy just because you didn’t bleed a ton of points.”
Was there anything you learned at Daytona earlier this year that you can apply to Talladega?
“I don’t know if you can learn a whole lot from Daytona. But I definitely feel like Atlanta with just how racey we were and how comfortable I felt in the draft and making moves and being extremely aggressive, I’m going to take that same mentality to Talladega. It’s a little bit different because your balance doesn’t make as big of an impact as it would at Atlanta, but I definitely felt like being on the aggressive side was better than being on the patient side. I feel like I learned a little bit there and just felt more comfortable. That was probably the most comfortable I’ve ever felt in one of those speedway-style races, so hopefully that’ll translate to Talladega.”
So Atlanta also figures into that mix to where it might give you an idea of what you could have at Talladega?
“I don’t think it really translates from a car standpoint. Talladega is such an even playing field for everybody – very similar to Daytona – where at Atlanta the balance of your car definitely comes into play. But just from a standpoint of being comfortable making moves and being aggressive, for whatever reason, at Atlanta the moves just felt like slow motion to me, like everything had slowed down. I’ve never had that happen before, so I’m hoping it’ll be the same at Talladega where everything just kind of feels slower and my mind can process things a little easier.”
What’s the atmosphere like at Talladega?
“It’s probably the most unique one in all of NASCAR. You really just have a party where a race just so happens to be. I mean, they’re there to watch the race, right? But they’re really going there to just hang out, camp out and have a good time. Both of Talladega’s races are at that perfect point of the year for camping, like you have the end of the spring and you have the end of the fall, too. It’s just one of those cool racetracks where everybody’s there to have a good time. If you’re having a bad time at Talladega, I don’t know what to tell you.”
How did racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series prepare you for racing in the Cup Series at Talladega?
“Honestly, I don’t think it really prepared me at all. Just the aggressive level of the Cup Series is so different from what you have in the Xfinity Series. The Cup Series, you have 20 guys who are just really, really good plate racers who know how to make moves and manipulate the air. And on the Xfinity side, you’re only racing against two or three of those guys, and if you put them in the Cup field, they’re kind of on the tail end of those top-20 guys. And the cars drive so differently now, too.”
It seems like there’s always a plan to start the race, and oftentimes it’s driven by the manufacturers. But when the race is underway and variables pop up and split decisions need to be made, how are you able to stick to that plan?
“You stick to the plan because Talladega is one of those places where if you get off the plan, it kind of just ruins your day. Like, you can pit by yourself, but then you’re just hung out to dry. You have to have a plan, but I also I feel like that plan never plays out. You’re constantly calling audibles the whole race because it’s constantly changing. One lap, you might be running 10th, and then you get shuffled and you’re running 28th, and now your plan’s completely different than it was two laps ago. So, you’re constantly calling audibles there. It’s one of those races where the crew chief is super important, and just our communication from an IT standpoint is extremely important when we go to places like that. There are just a lot of variables that go into Talladega.”
