CHASE BRISCOE
COTA Advance
No. 14 Mahindra Tractors 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

● The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Sunday at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, is the first of five road-course races on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. After COTA, the series’ next road-course race is June 9 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The three remaining road-course races after Sonoma are July 7 on the streets of downtown Chicago, Sept. 15 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, and Oct. 12 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval.

● Contrast best describes a lap around COTA. High speed and rapid changes of direction comprise the layout between turns two and 10, with this first sector akin to the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex at the famed Silverstone Circuit in England. The end of the lap from turn 12 through turn 20 before hitting the frontstretch features low-speed combinations. The long backstraight, however, is where drivers want to retain as much speed as possible to either attack or defend through the tight turn 12. This corner, along with the uphill run to turn one and the hairpin in turn 11, provide good passing opportunities.

● Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will mark Briscoe’s fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at COTA. In his maiden Cup race at the 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course in 2021, Briscoe qualified 27th and rallied to finish sixth. It remains his best result at the track, with his two other finishes being 30th (2022) and 15th (2023).

● Briscoe has 19 career road-course starts in the NASCAR Cup Series with five top-10 finishes spread across COTA (sixth in 2021), Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (sixth in 2021), Watkins Glen (ninth in 2021), the Charlotte Roval (ninth in 20222) and the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (sixth in 2023).

● Briscoe has made 11 career road-course starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – the stepping-stone division to the elite NASCAR Cup Series. In fact, it was road-course racing in the Xfinity Series that helped put Briscoe on the map when it came to his burgeoning NASCAR career, as he scored two road-course wins among eight top-10 finishes. At the inaugural race on the Charlotte Roval on Sept. 29, 2018 in what was Briscoe’s 14th career Xfinity Series start, the Mitchell, Indiana-native scored his first Xfinity Series win. Briscoe said afterward that he tapped into his dirt-track experience in wheeling his Ford Mustang to a strong 1.478-second margin of victory over runner-up Justin Marks. “It drove like a dirt track instead of a road course, and it felt like I was in a sprint car. I just tried to make sure the rear tires never spun. I had to give up a little time coming off the corner, but I’d make it back up on the straightaway, and that’s why I was always better at the end of the run.”

● Briscoe’s second Xfinity Series win on a road course came in another inaugural race – the 2020 Brickyard 150 on the road course at Indianapolis. On July 4, 2020, Briscoe started 12th and methodically worked his way to the front, taking the lead on lap 24. He wound up leading five times for a race-high 30 laps to take the victory by 1.717 seconds ahead of second-place Justin Haley. Despite the win happening during COVID restrictions, Briscoe was elated to win at his home track in a car owned by Indiana icon Tony Stewart. “Everybody knows that my hero in racing was Tony Stewart. To get to drive for him and watch him win at the Brickyard, climbing the fence was always his signature thing and I just wanted to do it. Obviously, it’s not the same prestige as winning on the oval, but we still won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It doesn’t matter if you’re racing on the oval, the road course, the dirt track or even the parking lot, it’s special when you win here. Growing up, coming here all the time, it’s unbelievable to think that I just won here.”

● Briscoe also has a road-course win in the ARCA Menards Series. On June 5, 2021 in the ARCA Menards Series West race at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, Briscoe dominated. Despite starting third, Briscoe took the lead on the opening lap and never relinquished the point, leading all 51 laps to take the victory by a whopping 3.110 seconds over his nearest pursuer, Dylan Lupton.

● In three road-course starts in ARCA, Briscoe has two top-fives, with his first coming in 2016 when he finished fourth at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville after starting the 67-lap race in 10th.

● In Briscoe’s lone road-course start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he started 18th and finished seventh in the 2017 race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.

● 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

How would you rate yourself as a road-course driver?

“I feel like I’m above average. I’ve definitely had way more success in the lower series compared to Cup, where I’ve been kind of hit-or-miss. We’d run really, really good, or we were just off. Truthfully, I feel like the NextGen car has definitely hurt me quite a bit on the road-course side. I feel like the old car with just how badly it drove, you were always slipping and sliding around, it didn’t want to stop. I feel like this NextGen car certainly has closed up the gap. The guys who were typically off on road courses are definitely closer because the NextGen car is just easier to drive on the road courses – it stops better, it turns better, it just does everything better. I feel like I’ve been good on road courses from a speed standpoint, just need to find that little bit more to finally seal the deal on a road course.”

Some guys like road courses, others don’t. Where do you stand when it comes to competing on road courses?

“Having a positive attitude at any racetrack is important. For me, I enjoy road-course race but, truthfully, I used to be terrible at it. So, it kind of got frustrating at times. Then finally something just clicked with me and I was able to win a couple of road-course races and, now, every time we go to a road course, I’m super excited. I look forward to it from the driver’s side of things. Not that you don’t make a difference at the ovals, but I feel like at the road courses, as a driver, you make a little bit more of a difference, so I enjoy that part of it. Just driving a car on a road course is a lot of fun. You’re manhandling it and trying to run as hard as you can and it’s just a lot of fun to do it, so I always enjoy going there.”

You’ve mentioned how your dirt-racing experience makes you a better road-course racer. How so?

“I think there are just a lot of things that carry over. The NextGen car takes some of that out of the equation, but you still have more power a lot of the time on exit than you really need, so you’re spinning the tires and you’ve got to really finesse the throttle, which is a lot like dirt racing. Just how you have to really slide the car around and hustle the car is very similar to dirt racing. I just feel like you drive more on the edge on a road course than you do on an oval. And then just the constant switching directions and the counter-steering, there’s a lot that reminds me of dirt racing. When you look at road racing in the past, a lot of dirt guys were really good in NASCAR. Obviously Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Larson now, even Christopher Bell, there are a lot of guys who grew up dirt racing who have a lot of success on the road courses in NASCAR, and I feel that’s because there’s a lot of correlation, as crazy as it seems.”

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

“There’s a lot that goes into road-course racing, and laps and repetition are probably the biggest keys to that. No matter what road course you’re getting on or what car you’re driving, the techniques and the styles that you run on road courses are super important. It’s been great to have that relationship with Ford Performance Racing School, to get over there and be able to run laps. Almost every single road course we go to, I’ll go to the racing school that week and just do a little bit of a warmup over there, trying to get into the mindset of road-course racing. There’s a lot that goes into road-course racing, especially to be really good at it. Braking is probably the most important thing, trying to be as efficient as you can under braking, and being able to go over to the racing school and just playing around with different types of braking, and being able to be aggressive and trying different things that at the racetrack we don’t get the opportunity to do because we don’t want to mess anything up. Plus, we don’t get a lot of time to practice, so it’s nice to be able to go over there and spend the day and really just try different things.”

The current Cup cars seem exceptionally suited to road-course racing 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?

“I don’t if there’s more rooting and gouging, but I feel like it’s just way harder to pass now. Track position is more important than ever. In the past on road courses, even if I had to do a pit stop or whatever and I had to do a restart from midpack, I felt confident that if I’d been up front, I could get back up there. Now, it seems that’s not the case. You could be leading the race and then have to restart 20th and you’re kind of just stuck back there because everybody’s almost the same speed. In the past, we’d go to a road course and you’d see five-, six-second spreads throughout the field, where now it’s almost like all of us are within a second and a half. It just makes it harder to get to each other to root and gouge just because the brake zones are so short, everybody’s so efficient now. It’s definitely changed the game going to road-course races with this NextGen car.”

With track position at such a premium on road courses, can you afford to be nice, or do you need to have a selfish and unforgiving attitude?

“I think you have to be extremely selfish now and just aggressive from lap number one, not only at road courses but, truthfully, everywhere. That’s kind of one of the biggest things I focused on during the offseason, just not giving anybody anything this year. That’s why I think I’ve probably been more aggressive on the racetrack this year as far as throwing blocks and different things just because you have to now. It’s so hard to get that position back, and if you give one away, it can take you 30 laps just to get that one position back, so you have to be extremely aggressive. I think when you look at the guys who win these races now, they’re all the same way. The aggressive guys are the ones running up front and winning races. So it’s the same on the road courses, but it’s the same on the ovals, now.”

Take me for a lap at COTA. What parts do you like and what parts are a challenge, and what does it take to make a quick lap?

“COTA is an extremely long lap. There are a lot of opportunities to make mistakes there, there’s a lot of elevation. You go up into turn one and there’s this massive hill. I don’t know how many feet of elevation it is, but it’s a lot, more than anywhere else on the schedule. Then you go around a super-tight 180, and then you go back down the hill to probably the fastest-feeling part of the track – the esses where you’re just back and forth. You’re constantly on edge and you’re sliding the car around a lot. There’s a lot of time to be made up there. Then you kind of go through a slower section, I want to say it’s turn nine, it’s extremely rough. It’s one of the harder parts in our racecar because of how rough it is, which leads you down into, I believe it’s (turn) 11, which is probably one of the more crucial corners on the racetrack in terms of speed. It leads you onto the longest straightaway, so you’ve got to be really hard on the brakes, but then try to get your car pointed and straight as quick as possible and put the power down. That leads onto a really, really long straightway into a huge braking zone for what they call the stadium section, which is a really fun part of the racetrack. It’s really flat and there are a lot of different lines you can run. I don’t think anybody really runs that area the same. When you look at the fast guys, everybody’s got their own, unique line through there. And then you come to a super-long righthander, which for me is the hardest part of the racetrack, I’ve always kind of just struggled to find what works there. Out of that corner, it’s kind of off-cambered and rough, which leads you into (turn) 19, which is a lefthander. Really for me, from that long righthander, I think it’s turn 18, all the way to turn 20, that’s been the biggest struggle spot for me. It’s really rough back there and your car never really wants to react to what you want it to, so I’ve always kind of struggled through that area. And that’s a lap – it’s a really long lap, for sure.”

No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell

Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey

Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Jack Man: Dylan Moser

Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams

Hometown: Plymouth, Wisconsin

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads

Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey

Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina

Richard Childress Racing at Circuit of The Americas… RCR has six starts at the 3.410-mile, 20-turn road course in Austin, Texas with two top-five and four top-10 finishes led by Kyle Busch’s second-place finish in 2023. RCR has one pole position at COTA, with Tyler Reddick at the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race in 2021.

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Circuit of The Americas… RCR has five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Circuit of The Americas led by Austin Hill’s second-place finish in 2022. The Welcome, N.C., company has collected three other top-10 finishes.

Catch Saturday’s Action… The Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas will be televised live on Saturday, March 23 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Sunday’s Action in Austin… The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will be televised live on Sunday, March 24 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Circuit of The Americas… Austin Dillon has made three previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Circuit of The Americas, finishing 10th in 2022 and earning a 12th-place finish in 2021. Dillon showed speed, gained stage points, and had a strong race before a late-race incident in 2023.

Delivering Performance on the Track and For the Planet… Dillon will race the Get Bioethanol Chevy at the Circuit of The Americas, showcasing the performance benefits of racing with earth kind and engine-smart bioethanol blended fuel, Sunoco Green E15. Whether it’s delivering cleaner and cooler high-octane on the racetrack or a more affordable option for summer road trips, plant-based bioethanol makes a positive impact on our planet. NASCAR drivers have now officially raced 23 million NASCAR miles driven on Sunoco Green E15, a notable milestone for the environment as NASCAR’s partnership with Get Bioethanol has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent across its three national touring series while also increasing horsepower on the track. Learn more about bioethanol at getbioethanol.com.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

What are your thoughts on Circuit of The Americas?

“COTA is an exciting and technically challenging track to race on. There is a lot of havoc created in Turn One. The new restart rule should resolve some of these issues. At the end of the race last year, we were wiped out in Turn One after running very well inside the top 10. In several areas, there is new pavement, and several spots on the track have been patched. I feel like the key to the race will be having good pit stops and keeping our Get Bioethanol Chevy clean.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Mark III Employee Benefits Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Circuit of The Americas… Kyle Busch scored a second-place finish one year ago at Circuit of The Americas, his best finish in three starts at the 3.410-mile road course and first top-five effort. The driver of the Mark III Employee Benefits Chevrolet has two top 10s and has completed all 198 possible laps. His best starting position entering this weekend is fourth-place, which came in the first-ever Cup event at the track located in Austin, Texas. Busch won from the pole position in his only NASCAR Xfinity Series race at COTA in 2021, leading 35 of 46 laps. The Las Vegas, Nev., native has two NASCAR Truck Series starts at Circuit of The Americas, highlighted by a second-place finish in 2023.

Road Course Prowess… In 2023, Busch racked up three top-five finishes and finished with the fourth most points scored in road course races in the Cup Series. Busch has 52 career road course starts at NASCAR’s highest level and has racked up four wins (two at Sonoma Raceway and two at Watkins Glen International) plus 19 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes.

About Mark III Employee Benefits… Mark III Employee Benefits is a family owned, operated, and licensed brokerage and consulting firm since 1973 and is the benefits provider for Richard Childress Racing. The company serves over 150 public sector clients and insure over 300,000 employees throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Mark III Employee Benefits is qualified to evaluate, design, implement, manage, and enhance overall benefits program. Services and areas of expertise for the company include medical consulting, benefit administration, compliance updates, wellness programs and online enrollment platforms. For more information, log on to https://markiiieb.com/.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

Have you seen where the track at Circuit of The Americas has been repaved and patched? How will that impact the race?

“I don’t think it’s going to impact the race any. I think they got rid of a bump on the exit of turn one, and I think they did a little bit into the backstretch straightaway through 12 or 13, and then out of the carousel and into 19. I don’t foresee it changing a whole lot. Like you’ll have lack of grip probably through the carousel, and then you’ll pick up the grip on the exit and be able to go much faster through 19. But then out of 19, it’s back to the old asphalt and Turn 20 is very slow with old asphalt being as slick as it is. I don’t know that it really opens up any more opportunities of passing or anything like that, just smoother surface I would imagine.”

Last year at Circuit of The Americas there were four cautions in the last 15 laps of the race. How mentally challenging is that for a driver?

“I would say that last year’s caution periods towards the end of the race were a challenge because you kept having to go through the restarts so thinking about what line you wanted to line up in and where you needed to be in order to position yourself for the restart all the dive bombs and the disrespect that keeps happening getting into Turn 1 is always an issue so you’ve got to be ready for that, mindful that you know that’s going to be happening so from there you hope for the best.”

Do you prefer stage cautions on road courses or had you rather the race stay green?

“I do not prefer stage cautions on road courses and don’t think that they should be there because of the fact that people jump the stages or they stay out in order to steal points from those that jumped the stages knowing when the cautions are going to fall. I definitely feel like it throws off the strategy of the race for a lot of people but when we were at Watkins Glen last fall, we needed those stage cautions so we could put ourselves back in position when we got behind on our pit road issues.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro SS at Circuit of The Americas… Jesse Love will make his inaugural Xfinity Series start at Circuit of The Americas this Saturday. Despite making his first road course start behind of the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet, the 19-year-old has experience at the Austin, Texas circuit. Love competed in three endurance racing events at the 3.41-mile course in 2023.

Career-Best Finish… With a second-place effort at Phoenix Raceway, Love not only captured his first top-five result but his career-best Xfinity Series finish.

ROTY Leader… Through four races, Love continues to lead the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings. After a top-five finish in Arizona, the Menlo Park, California native extended his lead to 44 points over second-place Shane van Gisbergen.

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

Meet Love… On Saturday, March 23 at 12:50 p.m. local time, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Trailer located in the Fan Zone at Circuit of The Americas. Stop by to meet the rookie driver and purchase new gear.

JESSE LOVE QUOTES:

What are your thoughts heading into your first road course race at Circuit of The Americas?

“I enjoy road course racing and I think I’m pretty good at it. I enjoy racing at COTA and it’s probably my best road course. I have a decent amount of laps there compared to other road courses we’ll go to this season. With those laps under my belt, I know the intricacies of the place, so I know what needs to be done behind the wheel instead of guessing. Leading into this weekend, I’ve done a lot of sim time and work with Josh Wise and Scott Speed. I feel like it’s an easy way to set yourself apart when you know more than the guy next to you. It matters more on a road course compared to an oval.”

Four races into the season. Assess how the year has started for the No. 2 team.

“Up and down. With the exception of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, I feel like we have had a shot to run really well – whether that be competing for the win, or a top-five finish. At Phoenix Raceway, I tried to run 90-95% and have a smooth day without issues. Going into COTA, I’m going to be aggressive and drive hard. Now that we’ve had a good run, I want to go win and lock ourselves into the Playoffs.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Circuit of The Americas… Austin Hill has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Circuit of The Americas, posting a best finish of second in 2022. Last season, Hill faced a mechanical problem that retired the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet early on lap 13. The Winston, Georgia native also has one NASCAR Truck Series start at the Austin, Texas facility, earning a ninth-place finish in 2021.

Bennett in the Lone Star State… McDonough, Georgia-based Bennett Transportation and Logistics is two-stepping into Texas with the support of three of their local companies. BOSS, RoadMasters, and American Eagle logos will adorn the decklid of the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro, representing Bennett Family of Companies’ Texas footprint in the transportation and logistics industry. A quarter of the company’s employees live in the great state of Texas, handling freight with truckers coming in and out of the state every day, and over 30 Texas-based employees, drivers, customers, and freight agents will be on property to cheer on Hill.

Did You Know? Hill is one of only two drivers who have finished inside the top-five in each of the first four Xfinity Series events. The 29-year-old has opened the 2024 campaign with two consecutive wins and two consecutive fourth-place results.

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

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

How are you feeling heading into the first road course race of the season?

“I feel confident in our road course package. Over the last two years, our No. 21 Richard Childress Racing team has continued to build a notebook of info for our road course package, and I think it’s in a good place. Last year at COTA, we had a shifting issue during the race, and we were only able to race a total of 13 laps. That issue was resolved quickly, so we should be able to have another strong run like our rookie season together. Our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet has been consistent the first four races this season, so the top-five streak has a good chance of continuing. It’s not going to be easy though with the depth of good road course racers in the field.”

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 /

2024	All-Time	COTA
Races	5	1,350	3
Wins	2**	303*	1**
Poles	0	246*	1**
Top 5	5	1,237*	6*
Top 10	7	2,119*	7*
Laps Led	267	80,024*	40
Stage Wins	3**	101	1

*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.”