Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams have early-season leads across six different IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) championships heading into this weekend’s 72nd edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway. Winward Racing’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD victory and a top performance by Korthoff Preston Motorsports in the first round of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) in January’s season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona are at the foundation of the strong early-season championship leads. Rolex 24-winning drivers Russell Ward, Philip Ellis and Indy Dontje co-drive the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Sebring while IMEC GTD co-leaders Mike Skeen, Mikael Grenier and Kenton Koch compete in Saturday’s 12-hour race in the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. A third Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer entry at Sebring is the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT of Salih Yoluç, Rui Andrade and Scott Andrews.
With the team’s full season Mercedes-AMG GT4 driver Daniel Morad joining Ward, Ellis and Dontje at Daytona, Winward Racing put in a convincing performance for its second Rolex 24 victory in the last four years to go along with 2021’s maiden triumph. The Winward No. 57 ran up front for the majority of the twice-around-the-clock classic for a race-high 383 laps led out the 731 circuits completed in the GTD class.
Winward now hopes to bring that winning Daytona momentum to Sebring where they have been fast since they debuted at the track in 2021 but have yet to put together a strong result at the finish.
Reigning IMEC GTD champions, the No. 32 Korthoff Preston team and drivers battled in the lead pack for the majority of the Daytona race and led a total of 36 GTD laps. The team was ultimately just a tick off the front runners in the final fight to the finish, but they backed up their fifth-place result at the checkered flag by winning Daytona’s opening round of the IMEC in the GTD class.
The Korthoff Preston team and drivers head into round two of the five race IMEC championship at Sebring tied for first place in the GTD standings with 13 points.
Winward’s overall WeatherTech Championship GTD Rolex 24 win in turn brings the No. 57 team and drivers to Sebring leading the championship standings with 364 points, 24 ahead of the nearest challenger. Winward’s strong run at Daytona also ranks the No. 57 a close second in the IMEC standings, just one point behind Korthoff Preston and the other co-leader, 13 – 12.
Mercedes-AMG left Daytona with the biggest championship leads following some post-race performance infraction penalties assessed to the manufacturer that had provisionally finished second and third in GTD. Mercedes-AMG leads the WeatherTech Championship GTD manufacturer championship standings with 371 points, a full 43 tallies ahead of the nearest competitor ahead of Saturday’s race. Mercedes-AMG also has an equally solid five-point lead in the IMEC GTD championship, 18 – 13, over the second-place challenger.
Another race-leading performance at Daytona was turned in by the debuting Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 Hour team Lone Star Racing. The No. 80 Lone Star squad led five laps and charged from the back of the field to the front three times to be in a position to contend for a podium spot in the race’s final hour.
Unfortunately, an untimely late caution derailed Lone Star’s chances when they were forced to enter a closed pit lane for emergency service and were assessed pit procedure penalties. The team recovered as best they could in the race’s final minutes for an eighth-place finish.
Winward’s great weekend at the Daytona opener also included a close second-place finish in Friday’s season-opening IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race. Morad was in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 and catching the race leader on the final lap but settled for the runner-up result 1.936 seconds behind the winner. Morad co-drives again at Sebring with Russell Ward’s father Bryce Ward, who ran in the top-10 throughout his race-opening stint in Daytona.
The Daytona opener also saw the debut of Mercedes-AMG GT4 standouts Michai Stephens and Jesse Webb who scored a top-10 Pilot Challenge GS-class finish in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. They look to improve on that result at Sebring where Stephens and Webb won a GT4 America race in a Mercedes-AMG GT4 last year.
A third Mercedes-AMG GT4 entry comes from Thaze Competition and co-drivers Marc Miller and the debuting Josh Green in the No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT4. Miller and the team finished third in the Thaze’s GT4 debut last year at Detroit and Green fits right in with that fast-out-of-the gate approach. Green qualified an impressive fourth overall in the Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class Thursday that set the field for Friday’s two-hour race that starts at 3:15 p.m. EDT.
The weekend’s featured 12 Hours of Sebring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race is scheduled to start at 9:40 a.m. EDT this Saturday, March 16. The race can be seen live in its entirety on NBC’s Peacock streaming network beginning at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Broader coverage to the finish begins on the USA Network starting at 4 p.m. EDT and straight through the checkered flag at 9:40 p.m. EDT into post-race interviews until 10 p.m. EDT.
Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This will be our third time at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and we haven’t actually finished the race yet. We’ve set ourselves up so good for the championship, winning Daytona, and now just want to finish the Sebring race. We did some testing here earlier, and the car was really quick. Honestly, the track suits the Mercedes-AMG GT3. We’ve always been fast there and led a lot of laps in the last two years that we’ve done it. We’ve come in here without a lot of experience in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and have done quite well. We’re always trying to chase that victory, that winning high. From my experience in IMSA, it’s all about the preparation. If you’ve prepared the car well, you come in with a lot of confidence and then it’s usually an easy race. Speed wise, over the past two years, it was an easy race. We know we have a good package, and we are well prepared for this event. I’m hoping we can get this one on our list of victories.”
Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I don’t think you can prepare so much for Sebring. I think it’s more about experience, so the last two years were the best preparation we could have. Testing, of course, is always nice if you get to test at Sebring but it doesn’t really prepare you for the race, for the traffic and what comes at you, especially in the last two hours of the race. Compared to last year, we’ve all matured a lot more from the experience that we’ve gained, and our main focus is to finish the race. The biggest mistake we made in the last two years is taking too much risk where we didn’t have to, early on in the race. We always had a really good car, and a really good team and a really good driver lineup that put us out in front. We were either a bit too naïve or maybe even a bit too cocky making moves we shouldn’t have done early on in the race. That usually costs us a good result in the end. Both years we could have fought for the podium, if not the win, in GTD, and that is the goal this year.”
Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a great run at Daytona. No major mistakes, and the team did an awesome job. We’ve always had a great pit crew that executes well, and I think we’ll have a strong car at Sebring again. We did get a test in between the Rolex 24 and the 12 hour, and we’re pretty excited about how the car is performing. We’re learning a bit more every time out about the new Michelin tire and we should be strong. Most of the crew has endurance experience, and obviously all of the drivers do, so we understand that realm. The team has really done a fantastic job to make that their strength. Even the shorter races are endurance races, too. They’ve done a great job, and we seem to do really well every time in the endurance stuff. We won the Michelin Endurance championship last year, we are co-leading it now, and hopefully we can keep that up. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is always a very consistent car. It helps to have consistency every lap and having a lot of confidence in the car over bumps. That makes for a stable platform that you can get everything out of and fight hard all day long.”
Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was good to get the endurance cup win at Daytona. We were really hoping for better than that, obviously, and this year we have a little bit of a different mindset on how we are approaching the races. Rather than trying to optimize the endurance cup points, we are going to try to optimize the strategy to get the result at the end. One strategy can hinder the end goal, and at Daytona we just kind of lucked into being in the right place at the right time. If that happens again at Sebring, great, but hopefully we get the win. It was good to come test here a few weeks ago, especially with the new compound of the new Michelin tire.”
Scott Andrews, Driver – No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “After a successful yet seemingly anticlimactic Rolex 24 At Daytona, I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 can do around Sebring. AJ Petersen and the team always prepare an amazing car. We definitely have a lineup of drivers and crew to do the job. We just have to make sure we do everything to the best of our ability, and we will see where we end up. It’s a difficult track mechanically for the cars and physically for the drivers, but we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Bristol Motor Speedway President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell (left) and longtime BMS employee Gail Hulse, who is set to retire after this season, unveiled the Bristol King's Hat Tribute monument Thursday afternoon in the BMS Fan FUNZONE.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 14, 2024) – This season all 28 tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit are paying tribute to the King, Richard Petty, and his legendary family in their milestone 75th anniversary season in the sport by erecting special Petty hat monuments positioned prominently in their fan zone areas.
Bristol Motor Speedway’s Petty hat is black with Petty blue, just like the ones he wore during so many visits to the northeast Tennessee track over the years. The hat statue is made of concrete and fiberglass and is approximately six-foot tall and weighs 1,000 pounds. The design on the hat pays homage to his affinity for Petty blue and also is adorned with the three stars of Tennessee, which has a double-meaning for Petty at Bristol, since he earned three of his record 200 Cup Series victories at the challenging high-banked short track.
“It’s always special to be recognized and this does take it to the very top,” Petty said about the creative honor. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history, and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time, and effort to make this happen and our family is honored by that.”
The hats are meticulously hand-crafted by TivoliToo, Inc., the same company that designed and built the Charles Schulz Peanuts® character tribute in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. Brother and sister duo, Randi and Hart Johnson have personally worked with each track to bring the creative vision to life. All one of a kind and thoughtfully designed, the hope is that these special statues will become landmarks for fans to visit and pay tribute to the Petty legacy for many years to come.
“My dad’s cowboy hat is iconic and is a part of who Richard Petty is,” said Kyle Petty. “If you see that hat, you know it’s Richard Petty. It’s been his signature look for as long as any race fan can remember. This is a great way to celebrate our family’s heritage and a fun way for fans to honor and learn about our history within the sport. We can’t thank LEGACY M.C., and all the tracks enough for working together to bring this to life.”
Fans are encouraged to use #PETTY75 when they post photos socially. Fans can go to www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com to find the locations for each hat.
During the Food City 500 weekend, March 16-17, The King’s Hat will be on display in the Bristol Motor Speedway Fan FUNZONE throughout the weekend.
“There is only one King in the sport of NASCAR Cup Series racing and this tribute is perfect to honor Richard Petty and his family for all they have done and meant to this community over the years,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We decided on black because it seems he always has a black hat on when he visits with us here in Tennessee and also because Bristol is the home to the famed Night Race. The Tennessee Tri-Star is also a nice addition to the design as it aligns perfectly with the three Cup victories Petty earned at Bristol. We look forward to our guests enjoying their time with the monument and of course taking a lot of social media photos with it.”
The Bristol race weekend will feature action in the NASCAR Cup Series with the tradition-rich Food City 500 on Sunday afternoon, March 17 (3:30 p.m., FOX and PRN Radio) with current champ Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Daytona 500 winner William Byron, Joey Logano, Atlanta winner Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin leading the way.
Saturday afternoon’s (March 16) Bush’s Beans Practice and Bush’s Beans Qualifying for both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will set the starting lineups for each race and precede Saturday night’s WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stars Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger, Nick Sanchez, Las Vegas winner Rajah Caruth, Corey Heim, Ty Dillon and Christian Eckes, among others, are scheduled to take the green flag at 8 p.m. ET for the 250-lap thriller (FS1, MRN Radio).
To purchase tickets for the Food City 500 or the WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race, please visit the BMS website, or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.
About Bristol Motor Speedway Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and from 2021-2023 converted to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States.
In four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), including both pavement and dirt surfaces, Spire Motorsports has notched one top-10 and three top-15 finishes. Chase Elliott drove the team’s No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado to a seventh-place finish in the 2022 Truck Race on Dirt at BMS. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NCTS. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.
The Weather Guard Truck Race from Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Saturday, March 16, beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The fourth of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado
Kyle Busch will be making his third of five NCTS starts for Spire Motorsports in Saturday night’s Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. This will be his first NCTS start at Bristol since he led a race-high 109 laps en route to victory in August of 2017.
Across NASCAR’s top three series, Busch has accumulated 22 victories at “The Last Great Colosseum,” including five in the NCTS. In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top-three series at one track on the same weekend. He repeated the feat at Bristol in August of 2017.
The 38-year-old driver opened his 2024 Truck Series campaign at Atlanta Motor Speedway by picking up his series-record extending 65th career victory in his Spire Motorsports debut. It was his first Truck Series victory for a team other than his own since Kyle Busch Motorsports originated in 2010. Most recently, Busch started fourth and led 13 laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before being relegated to a 15th-place finish after the team received a safety violation late in the race and he was forced to complete a pass-thru penalty on pit road.
The Las Vegas native will get behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet for two additional races in 2024: Texas Motor Speedway (4/12) and Darlington Raceway (5/10).
Group 1001 will serve as the primary sponsor on Busch’s Chevy Silverado this weekend. Group 1001 is a collective that empowers companies to create positive growth. Our insurance and annuities are easy to understand and accessible to all. Our online investing platform gives individuals control over their savings. Our technology and innovation help companies succeed. And our strategic partnerships bring people together through education and sports. Group 1001 comprises the following brands: Delaware Life, Gainbridge®, Clear Spring Health, Clear Spring Property and Casualty Group, Clear Spring Life and Annuity Company, and RVI Group.
In addition to being the winningest driver in NCTS history, he also leads the series all-time with an average finish of 6.4 and ranks second in laps led (7,833).
‘Rowdy’ has won 37.8% (65/172) of the Truck Series races he has entered going into the 2024 season and has finished first or second in 56.9% (98/172). Over his last 31 Truck Series starts he has posted an average finish of 2.9, while registering 16 wins and nine runner-up finishes.
With his win at Atlanta, he extended his series-best streak of winning at least one race to 12 consecutive NCTS seasons (2013-2024).
Busch will be pulling double duty this weekend, as he heads into his second season behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Kyle Busch Quotes It’s been a few years since you’ve raced a truck at Bristol. Are you looking forward to it? “With having the dirt on Bristol for the first race of the year the last few seasons and the pavement race moving into the Truck Series playoffs, it’s been a while since I’ve raced there in the truck, so I’m looking forward to Saturday with (Brian) Pattie and my No. 7 Group 1001 team. Obviously, I have a lot of fond memories of running a truck at Bristol with being able to start the weekend sweep back in 2010 with the truck win and then being able to repeat it the last time I was in the truck race back in 2017. It won’t be a triple this weekend, but my goal is to go sweep the weekend and add to the Bristol trophy collection.”
Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado
Rajah Caruth heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday’s Weather Guard Truck Race with momentum on his side after picking up his first NCTS victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. HENDRICKCARS.COM will serve as the primary sponsor for Caruth and Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado throughout the 2024 season.
Caruth earned his first pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and went on to lead 38 of 134 laps, securing the win by 0.851 seconds.
After 30 NCTS starts, Caruth joins NASCAR Hall of Famer, Wendell Scott and current NASCAR Cup Series regular Bubba Wallace as the third African American to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race. Caruth currently sits fourth in the NCTS driver standings, three races into the 2024 campaign.
HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop thousands of new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protections programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
The Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University senior has finished all 370 laps contested this season and boasts three consecutive top-10 finishes. His current average finish in 2024 is fourth place.
Fans can meet Caruth on Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m. for a question-and-answer session at the Food City Fan Zone Stage.
The Washington, D.C., native has two previous NCTS starts at the famed half-mile oval and one start in the NXS. He also secured an 11th-place finish in the 2023 NCTS race on the dirt track at Bristol. Caruth looks to improve on his best track finish of sixth place in Saturday night’s 250-lap race.
Rajah Caruth Quotes Coming off your first ever NCTS win at Vegas, what’s your outlook heading into Friday night’s race at Bristol? “Going into Bristol, there’s not any different of an outlook than before. I feel excited because I truly enjoy racing at that place – after all, it’s the opening track from Cars. Overall though no different prep. It’s just any other race.” What did it mean to you to win on the 50th anniversary of Wendell Scott’s first NASCAR start? “It’s pretty special because of the relationship I’ve developed with the Scott family. It’s great to add to their legacy but in that same vein, I’m ready to start my own.” You’ve had a fantastic start to the year. How do you keep momentum high and not lose focus? “I think it just comes down to doing the same thing each and every week, with minor adjustments as necessary. The success I feel comes in the process and consistency, not in big swings or big moments. One step, one punch, one round at a time.”
Chase Purdy – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado
Chase Purdy will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday’s NCTS Weather Guard Truck Race at BMS.
In three NCTS starts at “Thunder Valley”, Purdy has logged a 15.3 average start and 22nd-place average finish, including a venue-best eighth-place finish in 2023.
The Weather Guard Truck Race will mark Purdy’s 79th NCTS career start and his fourth as a Spire Motorsports driver. Purdy comes into the fourth event of the season 18th in the NCTS championship point standings.
Purdy is looking to bounce back and take a step forward in the Weather Guard Truck Race. After a 15th- place finish at Atlanta, and a 16th-place finish at Las Vegas, Purdy is looking to take the confidence learned from Bristol 2023 and bring it to 2024 for another top-10 finish.
Purdy’s crew chief Jason Trinchere earned the checkered flag in the in the 2021 Food City 300 NXS race with driver AJ Allmendinger.
Chase Purdy Quotes What does it take well to run well at Bristol? “In years prior to run well there, you have to stay on the apron and wrap all the way around on both ends. Discipline is key, and trusting your team and plan will help you succeed at the end of the race.”
After last year’s run on the concrete, what can you take away and apply to this weekend’s race? “I believe being able to use last year’s notes is going to be extremely beneficial. Same truck with the same set up, we should be able to know a lot of what to expect and know what we can get out of the truck.”
What have you learned over the first three races that you’re able to take away and apply moving forward? “I think for me, it’s just been about continuing to build and make not only myself better but as a team get better and overcome some early adversity we have faced. I believe in this Bama Buggies group and I’m looking forward to getting to Bristol.”
From the Top of the Box
Brian Pattie – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado
Brian Pattie earned two victories last year, both with Kyle Busch. The duo started off the 2024 campaign with a victory at Atlanta last weekend.
In addition to his three NCTS triumphs with Busch, he also won with Ron Fellows at Watkins Glen International in 1999.
Pattie was atop the pit box for six wins across 14 seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series and has 11 career victories as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Jack Wood qualified seventh but was relegated to a 36th-place finish after getting caught up in an early accident last year in Pattie’s lone start on the pavement at Bristol in the Truck Series. His best result across 28 cup starts at Bristol was fourth with Clint Bowyer in 2012 and equaled by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2018.
Chad Walter – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado
Chad Walter has over two decades of experience and began his career with Hendrick Motorsports in 1996.
He comes to Spire Motorsports with Caruth after spending last season in the same role with GMS Racing.
Some of his most notable accomplishments include a pair of Daytona 500 victories (2001 & 2003) with Michael Waltrip, along with Cup Series wins with Steve Park and Terry Labonte.
Jason Trinchere – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado
Jason Trinchere earned his Bachelor of Science from Penn State University and began his professional career in 2005 as the race engineer for the iconic No. 75 Spears Manufacturing NCTS team, owned by series’ pioneers Wayne and Connie Spears.
Notable accomplishments include Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 wins with both Ganassi Racing and Penske Racing. He was a key member of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Championship team with driver Joey Logano.
He comes to Spire Motorsports from Kaulig Racing where he began as an engineer before being promoted to crew chief in 2021, ultimately serving in that capacity for all three of the organization’s NXS teams.
About Spire Motorsports … Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023, when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Fan Suite, hat statue, Monster Monument appearances among opportunities to see NASCAR Hall of Famers.
Johnson, Dover’s all-time wins leader, to compete in Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race.
Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to order NASCAR tickets and keep up with all track announcements.
DOVER, Del. (March 14, 2024) – The yearlong celebration of the Petty Family’s 75th anniversary in NASCAR comes to Dover Motor Speedway this spring with multiple opportunities for fans to see and personally meet NASCAR legends Richard Petty, Dale Inman and Jimmie Johnson, the Monster Mile’s all-time leader in victories.
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.) and co-owned by Johnson, is partnering with NASCAR tracks across the country to produce one-of-a-kind sculptures featuring “The King’s” famous cowboy hat. Richard serves as LEGACY M.C.’s Club Ambassador.
The design of each hat is unique to each facility and honors Petty’s family racing legacy, which began when Richard’s father Lee entered the June 1949 race in Charlotte – the first event sanctioned by NASCAR.
“It’s always special to be recognized and this does take it to the very top,” Petty said. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history, and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time, and effort to make this happen and our family is honored by that.”
Richard made an early mark at the Monster Mile in 1969, winning Dover’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, the Mason-Dixon 300, by six laps, an event he later called “NASCAR’s invasion of the North.” Richard won seven NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover, with the last coming in 1984 for his 199th career victory.
Inman was Richard’s crew chief for three decades, 198 race wins and seven NASCAR Cup Series titles. Inman earned his eighth title with Terry Labonte in 1984 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.
Richard’s son Kyle’s last NASCAR Cup Series victory came in the Monster Mile’s debut weekend with a concrete surface in 1995 while Kyle’s son Adam made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Dover in 1999.
Meanwhile, 11-time Monster Mile winner Jimmie Johnson will make his first Dover Motor Speedway Cup Series start since 2020 in the Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 28 (2 p.m., FS1).
The newly inducted NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and seven-time NASCAR champion is driving the No. 84 Toyota part-time for LEGACY M.C. this season.
Johnson’s 83rd and final Cup Series victory to date came at Dover in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism on June 4, 2017.
“Across more than half a century of action, Richard Petty, his crew chief Dale Inman and Jimmie Johnson are some of the Monster Mile’s top performers,” said Mike Tatoian, Dover Motor Speedway’s president and general manager. “We are thrilled that these racing legends will be at Dover this spring and hope our fans take advantage of these unique opportunities to see these Hall of Famers and honor the Petty family’s NASCAR legacy.”
See below for more details on the April 26-28 Petty 75 weekend events and offers:
SUNDAY, APRIL 28
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB FAN SUITE: A limited-capacity suite for 48 fans honoring one of NASCAR’s cornerstone families for their 75th Anniversary season. Includes the following amenities:
Meet & greets with Petty, Johnson and Inman.
Petty and Inman: NASCAR Hall of Famers who won 188 races and seven championships together as a driver and crew chief, respectively.
Johnson: Driver of the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
Includes the opportunity for a selfie with Petty, Inman and Johnson and an autograph from each.
Limited-edition, numbered, “Petty 75” ballcap
Pre-Race Track Pass access, including an exclusive viewing area on the frontstretch for pre-race driver introductions.
“THE KING’S HAT”: The six-foot tall, 1,000-pound fiberglass and concrete statue, to be placed near the Monster Monument, features a collection of photos of Richard and Kyle at Dover, including from Richard’s 199th career NASCAR Cup Series victory in May 1984.
The hats are hand-crafted by TivoliToo, Inc., the same company that designed and built the Charles Schulz Peanuts® character tribute in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.
Fans are encouraged to use #PETTY75 when they visit Dover’s statue and post photos socially. Visit www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com for more information.
SUNDAY, APRIL 28
MONSTER MONUMENT APPEARANCES: Johnson, Petty and Inman are scheduled to appear at the famous 46-foot Monster Monument at Victory Plaza.
Johnson, 11:45 a.m.
Petty and Inman, Noon
The Monster Mile’s full 2024 race schedule includes:
Friday, April 26: General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race (5 p.m., FS2)
Saturday, April 27: A-GAME 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (1:30 p.m., FS1, PRN, SiriusXM)
Sunday, April 28: Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race (2 p.m., FS1, PRN, SiriusXM)
Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to register for the Speedway’s email list to receive updates and announcements.
The Würth 400 is the Monster Mile’s 106th NASCAR Cup Series race. 2024 marks 55 consecutive years that Dover Motor Speedway has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series event. The Monster Mile is one of only 10 tracks in the country to host 100 or more NASCAR Cup Series races.
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$1 Million Challenge Rules To Feature Unique Format in Nationally Televised Spectacle
INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, March 14, 2024) – One of the most unique race weekends in the history of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will take place March 22-24 at the picturesque The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California.
Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, just down the road from the world’s premier entertainment market of Los Angeles, The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge event weekend includes a crucial two-day Open Test, group qualifying sessions, two heat races and a 12-car “all-star” race with $1.756 million at stake – the largest purse for an INDYCAR SERIES race outside of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES non-points paying The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge is the first non-championship INDYCAR SERIES race since the Nikon Indy 300 in 2008 at Surfers Paradise, Australia.
The Thermal Club also is opening its gates to a few thousand guests as it hosts a public event for the first time. Spectators will include members of The Thermal Club – a private, world-class facility featuring an expansive 490-acre property known as the ultimate destination for driving-minded celebrities, corporate executives and motorsports enthusiasts.
“This will be an incredible new event for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles said. “The unique format and record-setting purse will bring extra energy and drama to a competition set against a scenic and compelling backdrop. We can’t wait for viewers across the country to tune in on NBC and look forward to an amazing weekend with Tim Rogers and his team at The Thermal Club.”
At a draw party, Thursday, March 21, The Thermal Club members will be paired with the 27 full-time teams scheduled to test and compete Friday, March 22-Sunday, March 24. Members will be embedded with their respective teams with immersive integration, including – but not limited to – team meetings, driver question-and-answer sessions, racecraft instruction and tips, and use of premium, authentic race team gear. A previously announced sharing of total prize money between paired members and drivers who finish in the top five will not occur but will not impact the purse total for drivers and teams.
Announced earlier, the total driver and team portion of prize money for The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge:
Total: $1.756 million (Largest purse in INDYCAR SERIES history outside of Indy 500)
First Place: $500,000
Second Place: $350,000
Third Place: $250,000
Fourth Place: $100,000
Fifth Place: $50,000
Sixth through 27th Place: $23,000 each
“The Thermal Club will be a phenomenal setting for the paddock, and a record purse only adds to how special this weekend will be,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “It is a unique and challenging knockout format that will test the drivers and teams in new ways and bring out the best of both. The facility was a perfect backdrop for the Open Test last year, and we look forward to adding this layer of excitement and competition.”
The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge Qualifying
The Thursday, March 21 draw party also will include a random draw to divide the field into two groups. Each group for qualifying, which starts at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, March 23, receives a 12-minute qualifying session on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile layout to determine the starting order of their respective heat race the following day.
For the first time in a NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying session, push-to-pass will be available to the drivers, with each driver receiving 40 seconds.
Timing of the session begins at the declaration of the green flag, with timing stopping at the first red flag condition for each group but not for subsequent red conditions.
The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge Heat Races
Two NTT INDYCAR SERIES heat races at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, March 24 will determine the 12-car field for The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge. It is the first time since 2013 (Iowa Speedway) that heat racing has been featured in the INDYCAR SERIES.
Each heat race will consist of 10 laps or be timed at 20 minutes. Laps under full course yellow will not count; however, the race clock will continue. A lap is deemed complete when the leader crosses the start-finish line. The cars’ position on track will be determined by the last timeline crossed on track at the moment of the full course yellow condition.
A new set of Firestone Firehawk tires will be allotted for the heat races. Pit stops for emergency service only will be allowed. Tires used during qualifying will be the only approved replacement tire(s) and must be approved by INDYCAR. A car making an adjustment not deemed emergency in nature will be disqualified.
As in qualifying, cars will receive 40 seconds of push-to-pass in each race.
The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge
The top six advancing cars from each heat race will make up the 12-car field for The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge. The pole position and odd number starting positions are determined by the heat race winner, with the fastest time from qualifications occupying the pole and the remainder of that heat race line up in positions 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11.
The final will consist of 20 laps divided into two 10-lap sprint segments with a 10-minute “halftime” break following the completion of Lap 10.
During the break, all cars will return to their pit boxes and only allowed to:
Add Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel
Adjust front and rear wing angles and wickers
Adjust tire pressure
Attend to the driver
All rules from the heat races will apply except:
A time limit shall not apply.
40 seconds of push-to-pass will be reset after the “halftime” break.
During the second 10-lap segment, should a full course yellow occur, the cars’ actual position on track will determine the restart lineup.
Tires used during the heat race will be the replacement tire for the final, if needed and approved by INDYCAR.
Additional rules of The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge:
Peacock will provide coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test from The Thermal Club from noon-2 p.m. ET and 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 22. The INDYCAR Radio Network will supplement Peacock with Open Test coverage from noon-2 p.m. ET and 4-6 p.m. Saturday, March 23, followed by coverage of The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge qualifying beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Coverage of The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge begins at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, March 24 on NBC broadcast television, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
NOAH GRAGSON Bristol Advance No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVs Ford Mustang
Event Overview
● Event: Food City 500 (Round 5 of 36) ● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 17 ● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway ● Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval ● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.5 miles ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps ● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● With three finishes of 12th or better in the four NASCAR Cup Series races run this season, Noah Gragson is rolling. The driver of the No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVS Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing has an average finish of 15.8, with his only blemish being a 36th-place result in the year’s second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he was collected in a multicar accident on just the second lap. In his 39 career Cup Series starts prior to this season, Gragson has never had such a stretch of front-running consistency. Now, the 25-year-old Las Vegas native turns his attention to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Food City 500, where he will make his first Cup Series start on the concrete-clad, .533-mile oval.
● Gragson has raced a NASCAR Cup Series stock car at Bristol, it just hasn’t been on the concrete. His only two Cup Series starts at the East Tennessee short track came when it was covered in 23,000 cubic yards of red clay. Count Gragson among the crowd happy to see the return of Bristol’s gleaming white concrete. In two starts in the Food City Dirt Race in 2022 and 2023, Gragson finished 27th and 33rd, respectively.
● Despite that limited experience, Gragson is very familiar with Bristol’s high banks and short straights. He has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol with an average finish of 7.8. Two wins and two other top-10s helped aid that number.
● Gragson finished ninth in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol in April 2019. When he returned to the track a little more than year later, Gragson left a winner. After starting ninth in the Cheddar’s 300, Gragson took the lead on lap 46 and paced the field for the next 46 laps. There were other strong contenders, most notably Justin Allgaier, who led a race-high 156 laps. In fact, the race came down to a battle between Gragson and Allgaier, who were teammates at JR Motorsports. On lap 296, Gragson got by Allgaier, who then slipped up into the wall to bring out the caution. That set up a green-white-checkered finish where Gragson held on to the lead, beating his now teammate at Stewart-Haas, Chase Briscoe, to the line by .328 of a second.
● Gragson’s second NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Bristol came in his last Xfinity Series start at the track. In the 2022 Food City 300 – the cutoff race for the NASCAR Playoffs – Gragson again started ninth and again his main rival was Allgaier. This time Allgaier led a race-high 148 laps, but a late-race speeding penalty doomed his race and handed the lead to Gragson on lap 276. However, earning the victory was no walk in the park, as Gragson had to hold off a hard-charging Brandon Jones over the last 20 laps, with Gragson besting Jones by just .145 of a second. It was Gragson’s third straight Xfinity Series victory, a run that would continue the very next week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where he won his fourth consecutive race.
● Gragson has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Bristol. He finished 15th in 2017 and then bettered that performance with a ninth-place drive in 2018, when he led seven laps.
● Gragson first experienced Bristol in the NASCAR K&N Series East. He made two starts in this developmental division, debuting in 2016 when he finished 12th. He returned in 2018 for his second K&N Series race at Bristol, and with three more years of racing experience under his belt, Gragson won the pole and led the first 54 laps before finishing third.
Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVs Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Are you happy to see the spring Bristol race return to concrete, or are you one of the guys who enjoyed the dirt race?
“I am definitely pumped up to have the concrete race because I was not ever a very good dirt guy. I ran alright at Eldora in the Truck Series, but Cup at Bristol in the dirt, I always struggled, so that was always a tough one. I kind of figured I would finish close to last, so anything better was a successful day, which isn’t a very good mindset to have at all. But now that we have concrete Bristol back, I’m extremely excited.”
You’ve never raced a Cup car on the concrete at Bristol, so you’re a Cup rookie in regard to Cup racing at Bristol. How challenging is that and what have you been doing to prepare for it?
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the sim getting ready for Bristol. I like that track a lot. I feel like I know where I need to be around that track, at least in an Xfinity car and a Truck. Going there in a Cup car, it’s going to take constant learning and being aware all day and seeing how we can improve from the start of practice, qualifying, the race, and then, hopefully, when we go back there for the night race in the fall we can be even better and fire off with more confidence. But we’re going into it pretty open-minded right now.”
We’ve talked about how different the current Cup car is to an Xfinity Series car, but with six Xfinity Series starts at Bristol – two of which ended in victory lane – do you feel you have a good handle on the racetrack despite not having Cup experience at Bristol?
“I think having a good game plan and preparation is good, but you don’t fully know what your car is going to handle like until you get there and see how the grip levels of the traction compound are going to be. Is it going to be faster to run around the bottom? Will the race move up? Those are kind of unknowns until you see just how the rubber’s being laid down. The preparation’s there to have a solid idea of what we’re going to need to have or need to do.”
Bristol is a tough place, period. It’s an even tougher place to win. How satisfying was your first Bristol win in June 2020, which came during COVID?
“It was definitely different during COVID. It felt a little eerie, just because that place has so many grandstands and you’re surrounded by it, so when you don’t have anyone there, it’s a little awkward. But at the same time, it was still really special. I think the coolest part about winning at Bristol is driving up on top of the building to victory lane, and the trophy’s pretty cool – you get a sword, so that’s awesome. Then to do it in 2022 again, with fans there, it was super cool, the whole place just cheering your name and cheering you on. I always like to do a burnout up that driveway up onto the second floor, up on top of that building. That’s always super cool.”
Do you feel like you’ve conquered something when you win at Bristol?
“Yeah, it was the coolest track as a little kid, probably the most unique track that we go to. I feel like every driver probably has that on their bucket list of, ‘Man, I want to win there one day.’ There’s nothing like it.”
How important is patience at Bristol, but when do you also have to determine when enough is enough and assert yourself so you’re not getting taken advantage of out there on the racetrack?
“You have to be disciplined at Bristol, but I don’t know if you necessarily have to be patient. You have to go from the get-go and make as much lap time as possible because, if you get stuck or can’t make a pass, the leaders are coming and they’re not slowing down for anything. You’ve got to be on your game from lap one all the way to the checkered flag.”
You first saw Bristol back in 2016 when you competed in a NASCAR K&N East race. Was that an eyes-wide-open moment?
“I don’t want to say I was scared, but I was just nervous because I didn’t know what to think. It was definitely intimidating because you’re like, ‘Oh, man, this place looks pretty fast.’ You don’t really know when you’re a 15-, 16-, 17-year-old kid going there, but after having reps of doing it, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable. But I remember my first laps on the racetrack and I remember looking around and wondering how did I just manage to get around this track with the amount of throttle I was carrying. It’s definitely a daunting racetrack and there are some big moments. I feel like Bristol probably has the highest sensation of speed of any track, even though we’re probably going the slowest of any track. It feels like you’re going the fastest because things happen so fast and you’re around other cars and you’re constantly up close to other cars, or you’re side-by-side with other cars, two-, three-wide. It gets pretty intense. You think, man, I don’t think this thing is going to grip up and it does. It’s a pretty wild feeling.”
No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVs Team Roster
NASCAR’s experiment with racing on a dirt surface at Bristol Motor Speedway seems to have run its course, and even some of the most ardent dirt-racing aficionados are happy to see this weekend’s Food City 500 contested on concrete.
“As much of a fan of dirt racing as I am, I have to say I’m excited to be back on the concrete at Bristol,” said Jeremy Bullins, crew chief of the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang Dark Horse driven by Harrison Burton.
Even when the spring races at Bristol were run on dirt in the past three seasons, the clay was removed for the night race later in the fall. Bullins plans to use his notes from last fall’s race to prepare for Sunday’s 500-lapper on the high-banked concrete short track.
“We found some speed in the middle portion of the race last fall before some steering issues caused us to have a poor finish,” he said. “I’m confident that we can build off what we learned in the fall and go have a competitive weekend with our DEX Imaging Ford.”
Practice for the Food City 500 is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time to be followed by qualifying at 5:50. FOX Sports 1 will carry the TV broadcast.
Sunday’s 500-lap, 266.5-mile race is expected to get the green flag just after 3:30 p.m., with TV coverage switching to FOX.
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 125 and 250.
About DEX Imaging DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES: Reducing Operating Costs Reducing Paper Consumption Increasing Productivity
DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.
Wood Brothers Racing Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.
IT’S BRISTOL BABY: In 15 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson has one win (September of 2021), five top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. The 0.533-mile track is home to the second-most laps led (870) by Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series and that total is the fifth-highest among active drivers at Bristol. In his three starts with Hendrick Motorsports on the high-banked concrete oval, the Elk Grove, California, native has posted one win, a runner-up finish and a fifth-place result. Since the beginning of 2018, Larson has four top-two finishes in seven starts at Bristol. At this track, he has run the second-most laps in the top five (660) in the Next Gen car (since 2022).
LEADER OF THE PACK: Larson’s 205 laps led, two stage wins and seven playoff points accumulated through four races in 2024 are the best in the Cup Series. He is tied for first with three career stage wins at the Tennessee track.
SHORT-TRACK ACE: In the last seven Cup Series starts on short tracks, the 2021 Cup Series champion’s 5.14 average finish and two second-place finishes are best in class. During that span, Larson is tied for the most wins (two), pole positions (one), top-five finishes (five) and top-10s (six). The two wins came last season at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway. He was also victorious in last year’s All-Star Race on the short track of North Wilkesboro Speedway.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE(S): At Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month, the race marked the fifth time Larson has won for Hendrick Motorsports when leading more than 65% of the laps in an event. Based on the percentage of laps led, Larson has five of the eight most dominating wins in the Cup Series since the start of 2021.
TOP OF THE BOARD: Since joining Hendrick Motorsports at the beginning of 2021, the driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet has visited victory lane a series-leading 18 times in points-paying events. Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron ranks second in that statistical category with 10. Larson also has two victories in the non-points All-Star Race within this timeframe.
CLIFF’S NOTES: No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels and Larson have teamed up for 17 wins since Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 – the third-best total among active driver and crew chief pairings. Daniels and Larson have accomplished those wins in 104 races while the best active combination has posted 19 victories in 177 starts.
YOUR CAR NEEDS: Larson will drive the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend. From the convenience of HENDRICKCARS.COM, customers can select 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. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.
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: 9th
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
SEASON UPDATE: Through four races in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has consistently remained inside the top 10 in the points standings. The six-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winner sits ninth in points, just 28 markers behind the leader. Elliott and the No. 9 team have the sixth-best average running position this season (12.52) and the eighth-best average finish (15.00). They are also one of only four teams – along with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron – to finish all four races on the lead lap.
LAST YEAR’S BATTLE: In the Cup Series’ most recent visit to Bristol Motor Speedway last September, Elliott qualified seventh and held the eighth-best average running position (10.34) in the field throughout the 500-lap race. The 28-year-old driver finished 10th in stage two before taking the checkered flag in seventh to score his seventh top-10 result at the track.
BRISTOL DEETS: Elliott will make his 14th Bristol Cup Series start on the track’s concrete surface. The 2020 premier series champion has four top-five finishes, seven top-10s and 439 laps led at “The Last Great Colosseum” – his third-most at active tracks on the Cup Series circuit, behind Martinsville Speedway (1,040) and Phoenix Raceway (546). Elliott has finished inside the top seven in four of the last six races on concrete at the 0.533-mile track, with a best effort of second coming in the fall of 2022. He also has an active streak of two consecutive top-10 finishes there, tied with two other drivers for the fourth most. In addition, Elliott has three stage wins at Bristol – tied with his teammate Kyle Larson and two others for the most among active drivers.
NO POINTS ABOUT IT: While Elliott has yet to win a points-paying race at Bristol, he and the No. 9 team captured the All-Star Race victory at this venue in 2020. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native won stages two and three before crossing the finish line first in the final stage to earn the $1 million prize. The event was the only All-Star Race held at this short track and on a Wednesday. Elliott was the third-youngest all-star winner at 24 years, five months and 17 days.
SHORT TRACK STATE OF MIND: The Bristol race marks Elliott’s 46th short-track start in the Cup Series. In his previous 45 races, he garnered one win (Martinsville in November of 2020), 14 top-five finishes, 23 top-10s, two poles and 1,574 laps led. In the Next Gen era (since 2022) on short tracks, he has the fourth-best average finish (9.78) and has scored the seventh-most points (311). Across the last eight short-track races, Elliott has six finishes inside the top 10.
AG IN TENNESSEE: Crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 35th Bristol Cup Series race on Sunday. In his previous 34 starts with five different drivers – Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, team vice chairman Jeff Gordon and Elliott – the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has one win (2007 with Busch), 10 top-five finishes, 18 top-10s and 1,039 laps led. In addition, he and Elliott captured the All-Star Race victory when it was held there in 2020, leading 60 of 140 laps.
FOUR TIRES FAST: Last weekend at Phoenix, the No. 9 pit crew was a force to be reckoned with. With an average four-tire stop of 10.318 seconds, the No. 9 crew ranked third on pit road in that statistical category at the 1-mile track. They gained six spots on pit road, which was tied for the third-most in the race with their teammates on the No. 48 pit crew. The five-person team 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 Bristol, the blue and yellow colors of NAPA Auto Parts return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This marks the seventh Cup Series race the Atlanta-based company has served as the primary partner for the 2020 Cup Series championship-winning team on the concrete oval. Get a look at all the angles of the 2024 scheme here.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
24 IN ’24: William Byron’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is off to a strong start with a win in the prestigious DAYTONA 500 and two top-10 finishes. Through the four races this year, Byron has an average finish of 11.50 – fifth-best among drivers. The Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of only four drivers – including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott – to finish on the lead lap of all four races this season. He sits fourth in the 2024 Cup Series points standings, just 17 points behind the leader. Byron has 11 career Cup Series wins, with 10 coming since the start of 2021 – second to teammate Kyle Larson (18).
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. The duo leads teammates Larson (eight wins) and crew chief Cliff Daniels (seven wins).
SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS: Byron’s short-track success ramped up once the Next Gen car was introduced. Since the start of 2022, Byron has scored the fourth-most points (331) on short tracks and is tied for the sixth-best average finish (11.50). He also has one short-track win in the Next Gen car (Martinsville Speedway in April of 2022).
BRISTOL BULLETS: Byron will start his 10th Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. In his nine previous starts at the 0.533-mile track, he has four top-10 finishes in the last five races. With three top-10 finishes in a row, the driver of the No. 24 Chevy is tied for the longest active top-10 streak at Bristol with two others, including his teammate Larson. In fact, in last fall’s Bristol race, Byron held an average running position of 7.33 – fifth-best in the field – before finishing ninth.
FUGLE FILES: Sunday’s race will mark crew chief Fugle’s fourth Cup Series start on the pavement at “The Last Great Colosseum.” Fugle and the No. 24 team have collected two top-five finishes (consecutive third-place finishes in ’21 and ’22) and three top-10s in those three previous starts at the sport’s highest level. He has nine additional national series starts, with seven in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Fugle has one Truck Series win at the half-mile track coming in the spring of 2013 and his drivers have collected three top-five finishes and six top-10s.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: The No. 24 pit crew has continued their success from last season. Their season-best four-tire pit stop of 9.909 seconds came this past weekend at Phoenix Raceway and they were one of only two teams to post two four-tire pit stops under 10 seconds at the 1-mile track. The crew was credited with five spots gained on pit road – tied for fifth in Sunday’s field. 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: For Sunday’s race at Bristol, Byron will sport Liberty University on board his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the No. 24 Liberty University Chevy 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: 13th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
FAMILIAR TERRITORY: Last weekend, the No. 48 Ally Best Friends Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ran at Alex Bowman’s home track, Phoenix Raceway. This weekend, the Ally Racing team returns to their 2024 primary scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 0.533-mile Tennessee short track sported a dirt surface the past three spring races but returns to a concrete layout.
BRISTOL BACKGROUND: Bowman has 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol’s traditional track. In those starts, he has two top-five finishes and three top-10 finishes, with a pair of fifth-place runs as his top results. The 30-year-old driver has also completed 91.8% of his 6,514 laps attempted.
CONSISTENT ON CONCRETE: Last fall at “The Last Great Colosseum,” Bowman ranked ninth (11.23) in average running position and finished the race in 13th. In that race, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers ranked amongst the top nine in average running position.
SUCCESS AT SHORT TRACKS: Two of the Tucson, Arizona, native’s seven Cup Series wins with Hendrick Motorsports have come at short tracks. Bowman drove the No. 48 Ally Chevy to victory lane at Richmond Raceway in April of 2021 and Martinsville Speedway in October of 2021.
SPEEDY SERVICE: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew delivered the fastest four-tire stop among all four Hendrick Motorsports teams at Phoenix. During the stage break before the final segment of the race, the team busted out a pit stop of 9.777 seconds on lap 190. In the race, they gained six spots on pit road, tied for the third-most with their teammates on the No. 9 pit crew. 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).
WIN A SPECIAL EDITION CHEVY: Ally and Hendrick Automotive Group have teamed together to celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary by giving away a 40th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro 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.
OLD FRIENDS WITH BEST FRIENDS: 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. The beneficiary for Bristol is Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, on the outskirts of Nashville. Senior dogs, especially those with medical problems or disabilities, face a much greater chance of euthanasia at shelters than younger dogs because it is difficult to find adopters for them due to their shorter life expectancy. Most of these wonderful senior dogs are able to live happily with a good quality of life if given a chance.
Hendrick Motorsports
2024
All-Time
Bristol
Races
4
1,349
77
Wins
2*
303*
12
Poles
0
246*
12
Top 5
3
1,235*
67*
Top 10
4
2,116*
118*
Laps Led
240
79,997*
6,404
Stage Wins
3*
101
4
*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 that the team has scored at least two victories and it is the record 31st consecutive season that the team has won at least two times.
LEADERS IN THE FIELD: Entering Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports is three laps led away from 80,000 circuits out front in the sport’s top series. To date, the organization’s 79,997 laps led equals a distance of 105,321 miles. 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 for a look at laps led and wins by track, year and driver.
EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: The organization’s second of 10 Xfinity races will take place next weekend at Circuit of The Americas. Larson will drive the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro and 2014 Xfinity Series champion crew chief Greg Ives will be atop the pit box. In its history, Hendrick Motorsports has 26 victories in the series and won the 2003 championship.
NO SHORTAGE: Hendrick Motorsports leads all active Cup Series teams with 57 points-paying victories on short tracks. Gordon’s 17 short-track wins lead all drivers in team history. The active driver lineup has combined for seven short-track successes: Larson (three), Alex Bowman (two), Byron (one) and Chase Elliott (one).
COLOSSEUM CLOSERS: The organization has 12 wins at “The Last Great Colosseum.” Gordon (five wins) and Jimmie Johnson (two wins) are the only drivers in team history to win multiple times at the venue. Larson, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Terry Labonte and Darrell Waltrip each have one triumph for the team.
PREVIOUSLY AT BRISTOL: The last time the Cup Series visited the concrete layout of Bristol was in September of 2023. After starting last, Larson led 20 laps en route to a runner-up finish, while Elliott (seventh) and Byron (ninth) each earned top-10 results. All four of the team’s drivers were in the top nine in average running position for the race: Byron (fifth at 7.33), Larson (seventh at 8.27), Elliott (eighth at 10.34) and Bowman (ninth at 11.23).
THREE TIMES TWO: On seven occasions, a team has placed three of its drivers in the top five at Bristol. Hendrick Motorsports has achieved this twice at the track located on the Tennessee and Virginia border. The first came in September of 2021, with Larson winning, Byron finishing third and Bowman taking fifth. The second time occurred in September of 2022 when Elliott was the runner-up finisher, Byron took third again and Larson was fifth.
STREAKING THROUGH THE VALLEY: Larson and Byron are tied with one other competitor for the longest top-10 streak at Bristol with three. Elliott is tied with two others for the fourth-most consecutive top 10s at the 0.533-mile track with two.
NEXT GEN NUMBERS: The Rick Hendrick-owned team is tied for the Cup Series lead with victories on short tracks since the Next Gen car debuted in 2022. Last season, Larson won the spring races at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville. Byron triumphed at Martinsville in the spring of 2022. Larson is one of three drivers with multiple short-track wins in the Next Gen car. In the two races on the concrete Bristol layout in this generation of vehicle, Larson has scored the second-most points (86), Byron has the fourth-most markers (78) and Elliott has the sixth-most (73).
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on having two races on the concrete surface of Bristol Motor Speedway: “I’m glad we’re back to two races on the concrete at Bristol (Motor Speedway). Even growing up on dirt, I prefer the high banks on the concrete. It’s one of the coolest places to race at and I have had a lot of success there. I’m hoping for another great result this weekend.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the importance of Bristol: “It’s going to be exciting for us to head back to Bristol (Motor Speedway) and run on the concrete in the springtime again. It’s been a little while…the cooler temps are definitely going to provide a lot of speed and grip in the track. Hopefully, the weather is nice for the weekend. It’ll be great to learn a thing or two that we can apply to the fall and just work through executing a really good weekend. Kyle (Larson) loves the track, so I love Bristol and the whole team loves Bristol. In general, we’re looking forward to the weekend.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on Bristol’s unique environment: “I enjoy going to Bristol (Motor Speedway) just as much today as I did 10 years ago. The racetrack is a lot of fun and it is something super different from the norm. I think the energy level that the stadium environment kind of brings to our world is just not something we see every week. I think for that reason alone, it makes it unique.”
Elliott, on the impact that attending races at Bristol had on him in his childhood: “When I was a kid, Bristol (Motor Speedway) was one of the main reasons I wanted to be a race car driver. That environment was unbelievable. I remember being a kid, going up there, watching the races and they had tickets sold out for like seven years. You couldn’t get a ticket. It was that big of a deal. I mean that’s as good as it gets.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s performance so far in 2024: “We’ve been competitive in each race. We’ve had opportunities. Atlanta (Motor Speedway) would be the one place that, you know, crashing on lap two certainly changed the complexion of that race. Even with that, we were able to compete and generate some opportunities. I feel like at Vegas and at Phoenix (Raceway) the same thing holds true. I hate that we haven’t capitalized on the running position or the speed of our Chevrolets, but I think there’s been some really positive things. Speed in the cars is one and the pit crew’s been really good. The team’s working well. I really like the effort, the positivity and the vibe the team has. So, you just have to trust the process. If you keep focusing on improving, the results will come.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on returning to the concrete surface for the spring race at Bristol: “I’m excited to get back to racing on the concrete track in the spring. The dirt was cool, but I think it had its time. The concrete track always puts on a good race, and selfishly, we run better on the concrete. We have a good notebook setup-wise for the concrete track, but we’ll have to do some tweaking to it since we will be racing more in the day compared to the night race like the last few years. We’ve had a couple of weeks where we haven’t gotten the results we wanted, but I think this will be a good track for us to turn it around.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the challenges of racing at Bristol: “I really look forward to racing at Bristol (Motor Speedway). You see a lot of two-wide and sometimes even three-wide racing and it brings a lot of challenges. It’s 500 laps around that place, which is just super tough for crew chiefs and teams to keep the car dialed in the whole time. We also haven’t raced in the daytime there in a few years, so that will change setups some as well. While the night race is a crown jewel, any time you can drive up on top of the media center and get a sword, it’s just special. I’m hoping we can do just that.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Bristol: “I think this weekend may play out similar to the fall race even though it’s not a playoff race. It’s going to be exciting; Bristol (Motor Speedway) always is that. I’m looking forward to it. It would be an awesome place to win and hopefully, we can make that happen.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s outlook for Bristol: “The fall race at Bristol (Motor Speedway) was pretty strong for the No. 48 Ally team. We had a top-10 run going and sat in the sixth to eighth position most of the day. (We) didn’t have the speed to get in the top five. Track position is super important, so we need to go qualify well and I think we have pretty good baselines. A couple of teammates ran really well in that race and we were just outside the top five ourselves. With a few tweaks off of our notes, I feel good about where we are going.”
Proceeds from Laps for Charity, Live Auction and Fan Assistance Golf Cart Rides will benefit children in need in the Austin, Texas area through Speedway Children’s Charities.
Advanced registration is encouraged for Laps for Charity.
AUSTIN, Texas (March 14, 2024) – For the third year, Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the official charity of Speedway Motorsports, will encourage race fans to make a difference in the lives of Austin-area children while providing more fun ways to enjoy the March 22-24 NASCAR weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) with their friends and family.
“NASCAR at COTA fans have been so generous the past two years allowing us to grant $40,000 to local children,” said Speedway Children’s Charities Texas Chapter Executive Director Marissa Chaney. “We are excited to bring these fundraising opportunities to Circuit of The Americas next weekend, allowing race fans to enhance their NASCAR experience while raising more money for Austin kids in need.”
Fans attending NASCAR at COTA can take part in any of the following events to benefit children in need in the Austin, Texas community:
Laps for Charity | Friday, March 22 from 8-10 a.m.
Enjoy the thrilling once-in-a-lifetime experience of driving your personal vehicle around the 20 turns that make up Circuit of The Americas! You and your passengers will experience the world-class circuit from behind the official COTA pace car.
Don’t miss your chance to bid on unique experiences and autographed memorabilia at the Live Auction, hosted by Jose Castillo with a special appearance from NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie during the THOR Family of Companies Camper Appreciation Party in Lot N! Auction items include:
Meet-and-Greet with Multi-Platinum Country Music Superstar Riley Green
NASCAR VIP Passes
Cowboy Hat Autographed by Diamond-Certified Country Music Star Darius Rucker
Fan Assistance Golf Cart Rides | Friday, March 22 – Sunday, March 24
SCC will be accepting donations on all Fan Assistance Golf Carts during NASCAR at COTA. Fan Assistance Golf Carts will be running from 1-7 p.m. Friday, from 8 a.m. to one hour post-race Saturday and from 9 a.m. to one hour post-race Sunday.
More information: SpeedwayCharities.org/Events/#COTA
Funds raised from these events will be distributed in the form of grants to local organizations that focus on children’s services in the greater Austin area. Earlier this year, SCC distributed $25,000 to Dell Children’s Hospital’s Mental Health Family Fund. The grant resulted from fundraising efforts during the 2023 NASCAR at COTA event.
Fans can purchase tickets and camping for the 2024 NASCAR at COTA weekend by visiting NASCARatCOTA.com. Three-day weekend packages start at $79 for adults and just $10 for kids 12 and under. Further details can be found on the NASCAR at COTA website.
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Keep track of all things NASCAR at COTA by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NASCARatCOTA). Keep up with all the latest information on the NASCAR at COTA website and mobile app.
About Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC)
The mission of Speedway Children’s Charities is to care for children with educational, financial, social and medical needs to help them lead productive lives. Founded by Bruton Smith in 1982, Speedway Children’s Charities is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations that meet the direct needs of children. Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $69 million in grants. The goal is to ensure that every child in need be given the tools to build a better, brighter and healthier future.
Green Flag Flies on Ticket Renewals for the 2024 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto; Public Ticket Sales Begin April 5
TORONTO (March 14, 2024) – The Ontario Honda Dealers has been announced as the new title sponsor of the annual race weekend in downtown Toronto. Headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is the new name of the iconic event set for July 19-21, 2024, previously known as Honda Indy Toronto.
Starting immediately for the 2024 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, returning ticket holders who purchased 2-Day Grandstand seats for the 2023 event will have the opportunity to secure their same seats through Monday, April 1 at 5 p.m. ET. All customers who renew their seats will receive free complimentary paddock access and have the chance to upgrade or adjust their seating location on Tuesday, April 2. General public sales will begin on Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. ET.
The Ontario Honda Dealers has served as a premier partner for many years, notably supporting Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Fan Friday, which annually grants spectators free general admission to the festival grounds on Friday with a voluntary charitable donation. With additional backing from the Honda Canada Foundation, this fan event has raised over $1 million since its inception in 2010.
“The Ontario Honda Dealers are excited to become an even bigger part of this Toronto tradition which spans nearly four decades,” said Chris Gauthier, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association. “We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to help grow and expand this landmark event for the province and we can’t wait for July to see all the great fans and race cars at Exhibition Place!”
Ontario Honda Dealers becomes the title sponsor of this legendary Toronto event which dates back to 1986 running at Exhibition Place. Honda Canada Inc. served as title sponsor 2009-2023.
“Honda Canada has been the proud title sponsor of the Honda Indy Toronto since 2009. The Toronto Indy has embodied the spirit of Honda’s racing pedigree and has allowed us the opportunity to engage closely with our associates, dealers, customers and their families,” said Dave Jamieson, senior vice president sales and marketing and chief operating officer of Honda Canada. “We are very proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and we will continue to cheer on our Ontario Honda Dealers with the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, Honda racing teams and their drivers as they hit the streets of Toronto in 2024!”
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with the Ontario Honda Dealers taking the title sponsor role. The organization’s ongoing support of Your Honda Ontario Dealers Present Fan Friday has been instrumental in transforming the event experience into a family-friendly festival,” said Jeff Atkinson, president of Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. “We also want to thank Honda Canada for 15 years of tremendous support. This event would not be where it is today without Honda Canada, and we look forward to building on that success with the Ontario Honda Dealers into the future.”
The 2024 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto will add to a rich tradition dating back to the inaugural Molson Indy Toronto won by Bobby Rahal in 1986. With 37 races run over the past 35 race weekends, the event is INDYCAR’S second-longest running street race behind the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Michael Andretti holds the event record as a seven-time winner followed by six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon with four wins on the streets of Toronto, most recently in 2022. Christian Lundgaard of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will be the defending winner in 2024 after taking the checkered flag in Toronto last year, notching his first career IndyCar win.
The 2024 race weekend will again see the stars and cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES take on the 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary circuit on the streets surrounding Exhibition Place. Exciting sports car action from Sports Car Championship presented by Michelin and Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin will add to the schedule. The Radical race will again feature a race-within-race format with the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America series. The next generation of open-wheel stars from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire will also compete. Off track, fans can enjoy numerous interactive displays and diverse food and beverage options.
A downloadable logo kit is available for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on the Media page of hondaindy.com. Find event updates throughout the year at hondaindy.com or by following Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on social media using #indyTO.
About Ontario Honda Dealers Association:
The Ontario Honda Dealers Association, which was founded in 1989, represents 82 Honda dealers in communities throughout Ontario, which is also home to the Honda of Canada Mfg. assembly plans that produce Civic and CR-V models. Honda dealerships in Ontario, which have a proven track record for providing maximum customer satisfaction, employ over 3,000 associates.
About Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto:
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary circuit using the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Honda Fan Friday offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation. Since 2010, event fundraising has raised over $1 million for charity. As one of Ontario’s largest annual sporting events with the first race held in 1986 first known as the Molson Indy, it has become a prestigious meeting place for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers including past NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power as well as Canadian racing greats Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens and more. Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (March 8-10, 2024), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid (July 5-7, 2024) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 23-25, 2024).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @IndyToronto or follow the event on Twitter @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.
