TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
EchoPark Speedway / Lime Rock Park
July 11-12, 2026
For the first time this season, the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will make a return visit to a venue as the sport’s top-two divisions head back south for a pair of events under the lights at EchoPark Speedway. Chevrolet rides into Saturday’s Focused Health 250 with five-straight O’Reilly Series wins at the 1.54-mile oval, a streak kept alive by Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed when he collected his first career win in the track’s February event. On Sunday, the Cup Series will step into the spotlight for the Quaker State 400, where the Hendrick Motorsports trio of Alex Bowman, William Byron and Chase Elliott will represent Chevrolet in Round Three of the In-Season Challenge.
SEASON SPEEDWAY AVERAGES
Sunday’s Quaker State 400 will mark the NASCAR Cup Series’ fourth superspeedway-style race of the season. Among the series’ full-time competitors, only five drivers have achieved a single-digit average finish on the configuration thus far this season. Two-time EchoPark Speedway winner, Chase Elliott, leads the pack for the Bowtie brigade – sitting third overall with an average finish of 6.3. Trailing just behind Elliott in fourth is Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar, who’s average finish of 7.7 includes his first career win that came in the series’ most recent drafting-style race at Talladega Superspeedway. Overall, six Team Chevy drivers have earned a spot in the top-10 with 2024 EchoPark Speedway winner Daniel Suarez tying Ross Chastain for sixth at 10.0; Kaulig Racing’s Ty Dillon in ninth at 14.3; and Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounding out the top-10 at 14.7.
STELLAR IN THE SUMMER RACE
Chevrolet’s long history of success at EchoPark Speedway has seen the Bowtie brand set the pace with 46 wins in NASCAR’s top division – a double-digit record over the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with 36 wins. That list includes five trips to victory lane that have been made in the track’s superspeedway-style era (Mar. 2022 – present), with three of those wins coming during the summer race. Georgia native Chase Elliott is one of just four active two-time EchoPark Speedway winners, with both of his triumphs coming in the track’s summer date (June 2025; July 2022). Joining the likes of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron has two EchoPark Speedway victories under his belt, with his most recent coming in the July 2023 event. In the four summer races that have been held since the reconfiguration, Team Chevy has owned at least half of the top-10 finishing positions in each event. Among those contributors includes Elliott and Daniel Suarez, who each earned top-10s in three of the past four summer races.
BYRON’S BACK
Heading into NASCAR’s return to Chicagoland Speedway, a strong points day was at the forefront of William Byron’s goals, and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team was able to achieve just that. In one of the team’s strongest runs of the season, the North Carolina native drove to a sweep of the stage wins, going on to lead a race-high, and season-best, 94 laps led en route to a strong fourth-place finish. The showing concluded with a 53-point day, which sat second-highest of the field, just behind the race winner. The effort kept the Rudy Fugle-led team in the 12th position of the standings, but now with a 92-point advantage over the cutline.
While EchoPark Speedway might be arguably one of the most challenging ovals on the circuit, this weekend is a momentum-building opportunity for the No. 24 team. Byron is one of just four active two-time EchoPark Speedway winners, both of which have been earned on the track’s reconfigured surface (July 2023; March 2022). Drafting-style racing, in general, is right in Byron’s wheelhouse, with the Team Chevy driver boosting a resume of five career wins on the configuration at NASCAR’s highest level.
HOCEVAR HOPING FOR A RESET
While it’s been a rocky start of the summer stretch for Carson Hocevar and the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team, they’ve managed to maintain a top-10 point position, with a triple-digit cushion over the cutline heading into the EchoPark Speedway race weekend. While superspeedway races are filled with chaos and unpredictability, it’s a style of racing that’s turned into arguably one of Hocevar’s strongest in his short NASCAR Cup Series career. This season alone, the Michigan native has turned in two top-four results on drafting-style tracks, with his most notable finish coming at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this spring when he became a first-time winner at NASCAR’s highest level. In just five career starts at EchoPark Speedway, Hocevar holds a streak of three-straight top-10 results – dating back to his best-finish of second that came in the Feb. 2025 event.
IN-SEASON CHALLENGE: ROUND THREE
Entering Round Three of the In-Season Challenge, just eight drivers remain in the battle for the one-million-dollar grand prize. The No. 32 seed, Alex Bowman, continues to make noise with yet another upset finish at Chicagoland Speedway – driving to a top-five result to knock-out No. 16 seed, Austin Cindric, and advance to Round Three at EchoPark Speedway. Bowman’s history at the Georgia-based venue includes back-to-back top-five finishes in the track’s summer race, including a career-best third-place result that came one year ago. Joining in on the upset action was William Byron, who’s fourth-place finish was enough to defeat his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, while Chase Elliott’s 11th-place finish topped Michael McDowell to advance. Among the eight drivers left in contention, Byron and Elliott are the only two-time EchoPark Speedway winners.
AUSTIN HILL: THE SUPERSPEEDWAY ACE
Austin Hill has earned the honors as one of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series most decorated superspeedway racers. Currently competing in his fifth full-time campaign in the division, 11 of his 16 career victories have come on a drafting-style track – a record that surpasses NASCAR Hall of Famers, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Sr., as the series’ winningest speedway driver. A big part of that success has come at Hill’s home track of EchoPark Speedway. In six of his first seven career starts at the Georgia-based venue, Hill earned results no worse than second, including five trips to victory lane to make him the track’s winningest driver in the second-level series.
HEMRIC LOOKS TO CONTINUE STRONG ROAD COURSE RUN
For the second-straight season, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will make the lone venture to Connecticut to take on Lime Rock Park – marking the start of the five-race countdown to the end of the regular season. With the Chase battle quickly nearing, it’s a trio of McAnally-Hilgemann Racing drivers that currently represent Team Chevy in the top-10 of the points standings. Christian Eckes’ fifth-place ranking leads Daniel Hemric and Tyler Ankrum in the eighth and ninth positions, respectively.
Hemric’s prowess on road courses this season makes him an arguable favorite for a big points day at Lime Rock Park this weekend. The North Carolina native is coming off his season-best finish of second, which came in NASCAR’s debut at the San Diego Street Course. The result extended a string of top-eight road course finishes during his 2026 campaign, with the Team Chevy driver also placing eighth at St. Petersburg and fourth at Watkins Glen.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
- Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for both the EchoPark Speedway and Lime Rock Park race weekends, with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in their respective events and the Silverado RST pacing the Craftsman Truck Series race.
- Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at EchoPark Speedway:
Chase Elliott – two wins (July 2025; July 2022)
William Byron – two wins (July 2023; March 2022)
Daniel Suarez – one win (Feb. 2024)
- In 124 NASCAR Cup Series races held at EchoPark Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 46 victories. Since the reconfiguration of the 1.54-Georgia venue prior at the start of the 2022 season, Chevrolet leads the series in wins in both of NASCAR’s top-two divisions, heading into the weekend with five Cup Series wins and seven O’Reilly Series wins.
- Since the debut of the Next Gen Cars in the NASCAR Cup Series at the start of the 2022 season, Chevrolet has won 14 of the 27 superspeedway-style races – recorded by eight drivers from five different Chevrolet teams.
- With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.
- In 162 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 73 victories – a winning percentage of 45.1%.
- Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.
- With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 887 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at EchoPark Speedway, which will feature a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: Silverado 1500 RST, Silverado HD LTZ, Tahoe RST, Traverse RS, Colorado Trail Boss, Trax 2RS, Bolt 2RS, Equinox RS, Corvette Z06.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Saturday, July 11: 12:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 12: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:
Saturday, July 11
Jeremy Clements: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Carson Kvapil & Sammy Smith: 1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sheldon Creed & Sam Mayer: 2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Justin Allgaier & Rajah Caruth: 2:40 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.
Sunday, July 12
Daniel Suarez: 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cole Custer: 3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Austin Dillon: 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Shane van Gisbergen: 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series (EchoPark Speedway)
Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart
Sunday, July 12, at 7 p.m. ET
TNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (EchoPark Speedway)
Focused Health 250
Saturday, July 11, at 7 p.m. ET
CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Lime Rock Park)
LiUNA 150
Saturday, July 22, at 1 p.m. ET
FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Do you think this Atlanta will be as exciting as the February race there?
“I think so. I don’t think there’s been a bad race since they repaved EchoPark Speedway. I’m looking forward to it, I know that.”
What do you think about the racing at Atlanta?
“I’ve been pretty close to victory lane a couple of times with the new surface at EchoPark. I really enjoy racing there and it’s so fun. It’s mentally draining because of all the jockeying you have to do to try and get in the correct lanes for a good run and get it at the right time. I’m a fan of the racing at EchoPark, that’s for sure. Maybe we can finally drive to victory lane there this weekend after being close before.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
You had a good day at Atlanta in the spring. How does that translate to Sunday’s race, and what are the biggest challenges when the track cools off under the lights?
“We know what we did in the spring and that gives us confidence coming back to Atlanta. Every race is its own story, especially Atlanta at night when the track cools off and the grip changes so quickly. You can be strong in one stage and just barely hanging on in the next if you don’t stay ahead of it. The biggest thing at Atlanta is patience. You’ve got to be there when it counts during the last run. That’s where races are won or lost.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
What are your thoughts on EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta?
“Atlanta has been a place that I have watched so many races at when I was a kid. Then I would come down here every Thursday night for the shootout with my Legends and Bandoleros and then got my first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win here also. I feel like it is a place we can win.”
Your Kaulig Racing team seems to be faster than earlier in the season. How do you feel about the team’s performance in the most recent races?
“I was really proud of our effort Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, and we were fast in the previous races at both San Diego and Sonoma. I got into the wall in San Diego, and we had mechanical issues in Sonoma, or we would have had good finishes. We are improving, and it has shown with our speed. At Chicagoland Speedway, we finally got the finish we deserved. We have something going now, and we need to build momentum and finish the second half of the season really strong.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
What are your thoughts on the intensity of racing at EchoPark Speedway?
“Atlanta is always intense. It’s probably one of the most intense—if not the most intense—pack-racing tracks we go to. During the summer race, it gets really hot and slick, so handling is going to be extremely important. It’s also a racetrack where anything can happen. We’ve had some decent runs there, along with a few really strong ones, so I feel like we’re capable of putting together a solid day for our No. 16 Campers Inn RV with Newmar entry.”
How do you mentally prepare for this race?
“Mentally, you have to go into the race knowing that anything can happen. From the first lap to the last, you’re on the ragged edge. You have to expect the unexpected, make the right moves, and hope you get a little bit of luck along the way. If we can stay out of trouble and keep the car clean, I think we have a shot to run in the top 15—maybe even the top 10—and put ourselves in a good position.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
“We’re excited to welcome Clemco to the team for the first time at EchoPark Speedway. It’s always cool bringing a new partner to the track and representing a company that’s passionate about what they do. EchoPark is a place where things happen fast and track position is huge, so qualifying well and staying aggressive all night will be important. Hopefully we can put together a strong run for Clemco in their debut with us.”
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
Atlanta features the same style of racing as Daytona and Talladega, but with Atlanta being a mile-and-a-half shorter than those venues, how is Atlanta different from Daytona and Talladega?
“At Daytona and Talladega when we’re in the middle of the corner, the whole track is wide, and when you’re in the banking, you can see a good bit through the corner. Even when you’re in the draft, even when someone’s bumper is right in your windshield, you can still see pretty well. But at Atlanta, the tight radius of the corners means you can only see three or four car lengths ahead. So, all the information about what’s happening way ahead of you needs to be portrayed to you really well, precisely and quickly by your spotter.
“You’ve got to have a good, close relationship with your spotter. Brent Wentz, my spotter, knows what I need to hear and he delivers what I need to know quickly and efficiently. It’s important, because I need to digest what he’s telling me and make judgments based off something I may not even see yet. That does happen to an extent at Daytona and Talladega, but nothing like what it is at Atlanta.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What makes Atlanta unique?
“Atlanta is a unique challenge because it races a lot like Daytona, but handling still plays a huge role. We’ve built a solid notebook there over the last few years. We swept both poles in 2024 and last season we showed a lot of speed, even after having a power steering issue. We had plenty of speed at Daytona, and all our cars have shown what we are capable of. That gives us confidence heading back to another drafting-style track, especially after Carson’s (Hocevar) win at Talladega. Hopefully, we can put together a clean race, build on the momentum we’ve shown, and put ourselves in position to contend for the win. Atlanta is a great opportunity for our No. 71 team to keep stacking points and put ourselves in position to point our way into The Chase.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Why do you enjoy racing at Atlanta?
“You are on offense at all times. At Daytona and Talladega, you can’t really pull out of line and make a move by yourself. You have to wait and hope when you try to make a move, the guy behind you will follow. At Atlanta, you can just continuously make moves on your own. If one doesn’t work, you get back in line and make the next one. I like to compare it to Daytona before the repave. I like to watch the old races and get jealous I never had a chance to race there. So, when we go to Atlanta, I am really just living out a childhood dream.”
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
How aggressive do you have to be and how important is it to keep track position during the race?
“You’ve got to be very aggressive and track position is very important. I enjoy it. I think it provides a lot of opportunities to race up front and do things a little differently than normal. It’s certainly different than Daytona and Talladega where you get a little more gridlocked. I feel like you get more runs and there’s a lot of stuff happening. You have to fend for yourself.”
Why do you enjoy racing to EchoPark Speedway?
“EchoPark Speedway is one of the few tracks I’ve raced at twice in a Cup car already and I feel like I’ve been pretty good there. It’s fast and there is a lot of three-wide racing at a track where handling has started to become a factor. It’s unique. It’s a superspeedway but it’s very chaotic. I just have to do my best to get through it all. EchoPark Speedway provides a lot of opportunity but it’s also another race where I have to watch my back and try not to get involved in an incident.”
You have been competitive in two previous starts at Atlanta.
“I had a start there last year in the Cup Series and we finished 11th in my first go at it. In the spring race earlier this year we ran well in the first stage and got stage points. Unfortunately, we got involved in an incident that was kind of out of our control.”
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
How different is the Atlanta track going to race in July, compared to earlier this year in February?
“Oh yeah, even last year we felt how much the track went off and it started sliding around a lot more in the heat. It’s (EchoPark Speedway) one of my better tracks. I always seem to go well there but it’s a crazy place to race.”
What makes EchoPark Speedway so crazy to race at?
“It’s like a superspeedway on steroids. Your brain is just fried at the end, you’re flat out the whole time and always in a battle. You’re hanging on, that’s for sure.”
Two victories on the season, but the big picture is making the chase. You’re 14th in the points, 26 points above that line. Is the Sonoma win enough momentum to get you to the post season?
“It certainly helps, but I need to really step it up on the ovals. We all do. Yeah, certainly helps us, but this is an oval championship, and I need to keep getting better at them. It’s tough, the next seven weeks are going to be crucial for us to get into the playoffs. We have to be consistent every week, do the best we can and don’t get involved in anything silly. Just continue to be there every week.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturer Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 44
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Most recent: 2025
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Driver Championships:
Total (1949-2025): 34
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)
Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2026 STATISTICS:
Wins: 6
Poles: 4
Laps Led: 1,514
Top-Fives: 36
Top-10s: 68
Stage Wins: 15
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 887 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 770
Laps led to date: 258,248
Top-fives to date: 4,472
Top-10s to date: 9,219
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,221
Chevrolet: 887
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 848
Ford: 748
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 215
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.
GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
