Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Moving Forward After Stage 1 Incident at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 37th
Start: 33rd
Points: 36th

“Not the most memorable Daytona 500 for the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet team. Thankful for all of the employees at RCR and ECR for building a great race car. I hate that we never really got a chance to show what we have. Only way to move is forward and to get ready for Atlanta Motor Speedway.” -Austin Dillon

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet Team Lead Laps and Avoid the “Big One” On the Way to a 12th-Place Finish In The Daytona 500

Finish: 12th
Start: 34th
Points: 8th

“We had a strong zone Camaro for sure tonight at Daytona International Speedway. All the guys on the zone Chevrolet team did a great job preparing the backup car. We ran up front and led some laps tonight and scored points in both stages. At the end of the race we tried to pick off a couple of spots and just got shucked out of line and shuffled to the back. It’s always disappointing when you don’t win, especially at Daytona.” -Kyle Busch

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/DEX Imaging team were knocked out of Monday’s rain-delayed Daytona 500 after just six laps.

Burton had his Mustang Dark Horse just outside the top 10 when a driver running to his outside got a push that caused him to suddenly turn left into the No. 21 Mustang. The contact shoved Burton off the racing surface into the grass on the inside of the track.

With matters out of his control, Burton eventually slid back up onto the banking, where he was hit by oncoming cars. Six other drivers were involved.

Burton was uninjured but the Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Mustang was too damaged to continue. He was credited with 39th place.

“I don’t remember exactly who it was on my outside,” Burton told reporters at the track after being checked at the track’s care center. “It just looked like they either got a bad push or got loose and just hit me in the right side and sent me across.

“The grass was so wet that once I got in the grass I thought I’d be OK, but the car just kept going and going, so really sad that our day is over as quick as it was.”

Burton said the wreck was especially disappointing because the No. 21 Mustang had been fast in the preliminary events at Daytona and finished a strong fifth in Thursday’s second Duel qualifying race.

“We had a really fast Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Ford Mustang,” he said. “It’s just a bummer. There’s nothing we can do but just move on and try to win next week.”

Burton said it’s not uncommon for drivers to push one another at Daytona, and to run three-lanes wide, but it requires drivers to be precise in the moves they make.

“I don’t mind top of three-wide,” he said. “We should be good enough to do that, but I guess just the pushing end and the placement of the pushing was not ideal, obviously.”

Once things go awry, there’s not much a driver can do at that point, Burton said.

“It’s a pretty helpless feeling, but I’m OK,” he said. “I felt fine. All good. I’m just over wrecking early that’s for sure.”

Burton and the Wood Brothers team will return to the track later this week for the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.”

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough EVs along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford is pursuing mobility solutions through Ford Next, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 177,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.

About Ford Performance
Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with RedBull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.

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.

Race Recap | Daytona 500

 AJ ALLMENDINGER

No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL1

• AJ Allmendinger qualified 28th for the 66th running of the Daytona 500.
• When the caution came out on lap six, Allmendinger reported his No. 16 Celsius Chevy was fast and handling well. After pitting, Allmendinger felt a vibration and returned to pit road to ensure the lug nuts were tight. The team received a penalty on the restart on lap 12. Allmendinger finished the opening stage in 34th.
• The No. 16 received the lucky dog at the end of the first stage and restarted stage two in 32nd after pitting. Allmendinger rode around until the pit cycle began and came to pit road for fuel only on lap 113. The No. 16 came off pit road 10th and moved as high up as fifth before finishing the stage in ninth.
• After coming to pit road, the No. 16 restarted seventh. Three laps into the stage, Allmendinger took the lead running the bottom lane. Allmendinger led nine laps before falling back to save fuel. The No. 16 avoided the wreck on lap 193 and was scored in ninth when the red flag was displayed. Allmendinger went on to finish sixth in the Daytona 500.

“We had an up and down night but everyone at Kaulig Racing did a great job this weekend. We had great pit stops, great strategy and we had a car that could hang up there. We gave ourselves a shot at it and that’s all we can do. It’s the biggest race we have in the sport and I’m really proud of everyone’s effort this week.” – AJ Allmendinger  

DANIEL HEMRIC

No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

• Daniel Hemric started 37th in the 66th running of the Daytona 500.
• After the first caution on lap six, Hemric restarted in fourth and ran as high as third before pitting on lap 39 for fuel only. He radioed to crew chief, Trent Owens, that the balance of his No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1 felt good, as he went on to finish the stage in 31st.
• Hemric pitted for four tires and fuel during the stage break before starting the second stage in 31st. Within the first three laps, Hemric made it back into the top 10. He made it as high as third before pitting on lap 113 for fuel only and went on to finish the second stage in 15th.
• Hemric pitted for four tires and fuel during the second stage break and started the final stage from 17th place on lap 136. By lap 143, Hemric found teammate, AJ Allmendinger, where the pair ran 1-2 for a number of laps. The two bailed out to conserve fuel shortly after, and Hemric made his final fuel-only pit stop on lap 178. Heavy nose damage from a late-race wreck on lap 193 forced Hemric to pit for repairs before finishing 16th under caution.

“I’m proud of the fight this No. 31 Cirkul team showed from the start of the weekend getting our backup car ready to race. We wanted to get to the front early in the race if possible, which was a little bit of a different approach than what I’ve typically had at these kind of tracks. Trent [Owens] made some great calls, and we were able to do just that and stay up there to show everyone we can push successfully and accept pushes successfully while battling up front. That goes a long way when you get down to the end of these races. I thought it was going to workout there at the end, but unfortunately we got some nose damage we couldn’t avoid with about 10 to go. Not quite the finish we wanted, but I’m looking forward to what’s to come with this team.” – Daniel Hemric  
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Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and added a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. In 2024, the team will once again field two, full-time entries in the NCS and continue to field three, full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
FEBRUARY 19, 2024

William Byron, Chevrolet Takes 2024 Daytona 500 Victory
Chevrolet’s 26th Win in the ‘Great American Race’

· William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1, captured the victory in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 – his first career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series’ crown jewel event.

· The victory marked Chevrolet’s second consecutive – and 26th all-time – triumph in the ‘Great American Race’.

· Byron is the 19th different driver to take Chevrolet to victory lane in the Daytona 500.

· The victory is Chevrolet’s 51st NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway, and the manufacturer’s 852nd all-time win in NASCAR’s top division – both of which are series-leading feats.

· Byron delivered Chevrolet its 101st win in the NASCAR national ranks at Daytona International Speedway, extending the Bowtie brand’s record as the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR history at the ‘World Center of Racing’.

 
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1
2nd Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
4th Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Chili’s Catch-a-Rita Camaro ZL1
6th AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL1

 
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1

Finished: 1st

HOW DOES DAYTONA 500 CHAMPION SOUND TO YOU?

“It sounds really damn good! Just thanks to an awesome crowd coming out. I have so many emotions. Obviously, I hate what happened on the backstretch. I just got pushed and got sideways.

I am just so proud of this team – this whole No. 24 Axalta Chevy team, winning on the 40th anniversary to the day (of Hendrick Motorsports’ first race). Just extremely blessed and thankful for all the opportunities and we just want to keep it going. We have a lot to prove this year and this is a good start, obviously. Daytona 500, its freaking awesome. Let’s go.”

YOU HAD NOT EVEN HAD A TOP-TEN IN THIS RACE BEFORE. WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE TONIGHT TO GETTING IN POSITION TO WIN?

“I don’t know, just really good strategy. We obviously laid back and tried to save fuel for most of the race. We would get up there at the end of the stages and make some moves. Just thankful for the power under the hood, all of our partners, Chevrolet, and everybody that allows us to do this. I’m just a kid from racing on computers and now winning the Daytona 500. I can’t believe it. I wish my dad was here, he is sick, but this is for him, man. We have been through so much and we sat up in the grandstands together and watched this race. This is so freaking cool.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

Finished: 2nd

“Proud of William (Byron) and his team – they deserved it there at the end. They did all the right things, and I feel like we did too there at the end. Had to go up and block the top lane and that just killed the middle for a bit. We got the middle back rolling and then they all started crashing.

Just proud of everybody on this No. 48 Ally Chevy team. Super pumped for everybody at Hendrick Motorsports – it’s 40 years to the day since the first HMS race, so really cool to see William in victory lane, and obviously a good day for our Ally Camaro, as well.”

Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Chili’s Catch-a-Rita Camaro ZL1

Finished: 4th

“Really stoked to start the year with a top five in our Chili’s Catch a Rita Chevy Camaro. Super happy with our team’s execution to start the season. Our Spire Motorsports team brought a great race car with good speed & executed throughout the course of the day. We gained some track position, led some laps and after getting shuffled back continued to fight & claw our way to the front. The 500 begins a marathon season, so it’s great to start off on the right foot. We have 35 more to execute one run at a time & one race at a time to keep this 7 car up front where should be.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

Finished: 11th

TELL US HOW YOUR RACE WENT.

“Yeah, obviously the first stage went well and then the next two stages just got caught in the wrong lanes at pivotal points and lost track position. So, yeah, kind of cost us a good shot to win there at the end, but was able to miss that big wreck mostly. Got a left, front flat from sliding them and had to pit, but thankfully we missed the last one and awesome to have a Hendrick Chevrolet win that race and cool to see William win.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1

Finished: 14th

“I made a mistake and I saw Kyle was coming really hard on the top and I tried to pick that lane up and he gave me a big shove down the short shoot, and I thought I could sneak back to the middle but the 20 was wanting to be there too. Just made a mistake there on the last lap and not sure I would have got to the front row, but certainly would have been a better finish for us. I hate that because we had a solid day otherwise. Happy for William to kick off the 40th year of Hendrick Motorsports with the win.”

Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

Finished: 16th

“I’m proud of the fight this No. 31 Cirkul team showed from the start of the weekend getting our backup car ready to race. We wanted to get to the front early in the race if possible, which was a little bit of a different approach than what I’ve typically had at these kind of tracks. Trent [Owens] made some great calls, and we were able to do just that and stay up there to show everyone we can push successfully and accept pushes successfully while battling up front. That goes a long way when you get down to the end of these races. I thought it was going to workout there at the end, but unfortunately we got some nose damage we couldn’t avoid with about 10 to go. Not quite the finish we wanted, but I’m looking forward to what’s to come with this team.”

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Busch Light Camaro ZL1

Finished: 21st

ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH HOW YOU RACED THERE?

“I am. To learn the fuel saving game and really get aggressive and match these guys, so that we can pit when we need to…..I have burned up too much fuel in the past couple of races and to put ourselves in position on the final pit stop to come out with the lead, cover the other OEM when they caught up to us, and just work with some legends of the sport, and have control over the race there at the end. I know the top is the logical thing and it makes sense when the third lane is split up. It just pulls us back and we still had a shot though. I really do feel content. It’s weird to say it, but we did everything right.”

CAN YOU BE TOO AGGRESSIVE ON THE FINAL LAP?

“When you crash, I think so. Happy for William and Chevy and General Motors to win. It was really awesome for us to control some of the cycles, the green flag pit cycles, and kicked their butts. So that was really cool and then to have a bunch of Chevys left there at the end there made me feel good. It was cool Alex (Bowman) pushed me there at the end and I felt like there was minimal chance that a Chevy wasn’t going to win and one of them got it done. But yeah, too aggressive is when I don’t finish.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Boost by Kroger Cottonelle Camaro ZL1

Finished: 31st

“I didn’t see what happened there. I know I got us in that position, made a bad move once I got to the lead. The outside lane had a run coming and I thought I could get there, and I didn’t, and I got hung there in the middle so that kind of got us back there kind of in the middle of that pack there and I didn’t see what happened there obviously. Someone got turned around and caused a melee. I thought I was going to get through, I got clipped just there at the end and broke a right rear. So, unfortunate for our Boost by Kroger/Cottonelle Camaro because it was really, really fast and I felt very strong about it in the draft and what I was doing out there, but just didn’t make it to the end.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1

Finished: 34th

It’s very heartbreaking right now because the car was very strong, and the team did an amazing job calling the race strategy-wise. We got points in both stages, and this was my strongest Daytona 500. The car was capable of winning the race, we just needed things to fall our way, and unfortunately, they didn’t. I haven’t seen the replay, but I was told that we almost missed the wreck. Just part of it.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 GAINBRIDGE / ZEIGLER AUTO GROUP CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 40th

HOCEVAR ON THE ACCIDENT THAT ENDED HIS RACE IN STAGE ONE:

“I didn’t really see anything. I was just going where I could go. Just a bummer.. bummer for my No. 77 Gainbridge / Zeigler Auto Group Chevy team. There’s a lot of people here from Gainbridge and Zeigler here, and I wanted to be able to put on a good showing. Just really disappointing to have our race end early.”

HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU HAVE TO REACT?

“0.1 seconds, basically. It happened right in my lap. I tried my best not to slide across the grass, but obviously with two-plus days of rain, it’s going to be really slick. I just kept sliding. It felt like I was all alone sliding across the grass and just hoping that nobody hit me. It’s just unfortunate that was the case.”

 
 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
FEBRUARY 19, 2024

William Byron, Chevrolet Takes 2024 Daytona 500 Victory
Chevrolet’s 26th Win in the ‘Great American Race’

• William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1, captured the victory in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 – his first career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series’ crown jewel event.
• The victory marked Chevrolet’s second consecutive – and 26th all-time – triumph in the ‘Great American Race’.
• Byron is the 19th different driver to take Chevrolet to victory lane in the Daytona 500.
• The victory is Chevrolet’s 51st NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway, and the manufacturer’s 852nd all-time win in NASCAR’s top division – both of which are series-leading feats.
• Byron delivered Chevrolet its 101st win in the NASCAR national ranks at Daytona International Speedway, extending the Bowtie brand’s record as the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR history at the ‘World Center of Racing’.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2024) – Enduring a rain-delayed start and an intense late-race battle to the finish, it was Chevrolet’s William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team that earned the title as the 2024 Daytona 500 Champion. A first-time winner in the ‘Great American Race’, Byron became the 19th different driver to take Chevrolet to victory lane in the crown jewel event – extending the manufacturer’s record to 26 all-time Daytona 500 wins.

“Congratulations to William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team on their win in the 2024 Daytona 500,” said Scott Bell, Vice President, Global Chevrolet. “Winning NASCAR’s most iconic race is a goal for Chevrolet each season, and we are proud to have William bring home our 26th victory in the Great American Race.”

NASCAR’s season-opening weekend started with Chevrolet reaching a milestone feat at Daytona International Speedway with Chevrolet’s Nick Sanchez and the No. 2 Rev Racing Silverado RST team earning the manufacturer’s milestone 100th NASCAR victory at the famed 2.5-mile Florida Superspeedway in Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.

“The victory added to an already special weekend for Chevrolet at Daytona,” added Bell. “We are honored to have Nick Sanchez and William Byron add their names to an elite list of drivers who have taken Chevrolet to 101 NASCAR wins at Daytona International Speedway.”

The triumph marked Hendrick Motorsports’ return to victory lane in the Daytona 500 for the first time in nine years, with Bryon’s win taking the organization to a record-tying nine victories in the crown jewel event. Making the triumph even more special, the win came exactly 40 years since Hendrick Motorsports’ first-ever start in NASCAR’s top division to mark a storybook beginning to the organization’s anniversary season.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Atlanta Motor Speedway the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, February 25, at 3 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

BELL AND WALLACE LEAD FOUR CAMRYS IN THE TOP EIGHT IN THE DAYTONA 500
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB places two in the top-10 in official Toyota debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 19, 2024) – Christopher Bell earned his second consecutive third-place finish in the Daytona 500, which was rain-delayed until Monday. Bell, who won his Duel race on Thursday evening, led 22 laps around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

Bubba Wallace continued his strong Daytona performance with a fifth-place run, while LEGACY MOTOR CLUB earned two top-10 finishes in their official race debut with Toyota with John Hunter Nemechek finishing in seventh and Erik Jones scored in eighth.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Daytona International Speedway
Race 1 of 36 – 500 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, William Bryon*

2nd, Alex Bowman*

3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL

4th, Corey LaJoie*

5th, BUBBA WALLACE

7th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

8th, ERIK JONES

15th, MARTIN TRUEX, JR.

17th, TY GIBBS

19th, DENNY HAMLIN

28th, JIMMIE JOHNSON

29th, TYLER REDDICK

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT – Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How were you able to pull out a top-five finish today?

“Honestly, we got really fortunate. With those two wrecks, you know. The race was not playing out our way at the end. And after the green flag stop, I was pretty much in the back. But being on the bottom lane, I was able to squeeze by that last wreck. I don’t know, we had an awesome Interstate Batteries DEWALT Camry. We showed a lot of pace between the Duel and the early part of the race. When we had track position, we were fast. But I don’t know, didn’t go our way and we need to study it.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

What more did you need for a potential win tonight?

“Got to give yourself a chance if you want more. We don’t give ourselves chances in the 500. We’re always trying to come from behind, whether that’s my doing or just not executing. Unfortunate, you know? We got lucky with that big caution as we were going to need to pit for an unscheduled stop. Luck was on our side, but that’s not something we needed because we lost all our track position there. Feel like you need to be in the top three rows to have a shot at this race. While we came from 14th, our McDonald’s Toyota Camry was fast enough to get to fifth, but you don’t know, right? What if we restarted fourth or in the lead? I don’t know, man. I’m so frustrated, but proud of this team. This was the cleanest 500 car I’ve ever had. That’s nice! Lot of positives. The team, 95% execution, but you got to have 100. I don’t know exactly what happened. Just didn’t need that, but proud of the race we ran. Have a full race under us to go debrief and come back stronger for the next race here.”

What happened to you on the backstretch?

“I locked up the brakes. We’ve got to figure that out. Usually, I feel like I’m pretty aware when wrecks happen especially we were out of the race at that point. As soon as I touched the brakes I locked up and slid into AJ (Allmendinger) pretty hard, but the Next Gen cars can take a hit, so we were able to make it through with a scrape and we were okay.”

Were there any surprises about the race?

“I think we scared the hell out of each other on that first wreck – lap two. But, yeah, just the fuel mileage stuff is a little crazy.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 7th

How was your race?

“Solid Daytona 500, solid start to our year. P7. Ran up front for a little bit, rode around for a while and stayed out of the carnage. Overall, really proud of everyone at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB with this Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE.”

How did your Toyota Camry XSE feel during the race?

“It felt good. We’ve got some things to clean out on the pit road side, but overall, it felt really good in the draft. I felt like I could push, I could ride, I could be pushed. Overall, a solid day. I feel good about where we are at. Decent start to the year.”

ERIK JONES, No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 8th

How was your race?

“A top-10 it looks like, so a good day for the AdventHealth Camry. It went the way we needed it to. We had some issues on pit road. We had a fast car; it just didn’t work out. We were out front there and then got caught up in a wreck there, and then came back and finished top-10. Good solid start.”

How do you feel about the top-10?

“It’s good. It’s a good start to the season. I’ve not had good luck at the start of the season at Daytona, so we will take a top-10. I wish it was more. I think we had a car capable of more – I just struggled to make much happen throughout the day, getting in line and getting to the front. The AdventHealth Camry was good. Just didn’t play out at all throughout the night like we needed. We finally had something rolling there in the middle and it got choked up and we got caught up in that wreck, but we will take it. We will go to Atlanta and try again.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, No. 84 Carvana Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 28th

How tough was it to get caught up in a wreck so early in the race?

“I’m very thankful to be in the race, but I hoped to race a little longer before we got in a wreck. It’s just a matter of time before you get caught up in something around here it seems like. It was pretty disappointing.”

What’s going through your head the rest of your race?

“There’s optimism in the beginning, hopeful we could straighten out the suspension and then at least run in the draft. Then, as time went on, we realized the severity of the damage and we just had too much damage to even really hang in the draft unless I had a unique situation. So then, at that point it was just wondering if there were going to be more cautions and if we would gain some positions through the cautions.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 29th

Can you take us through what happened there in that crash?

“Well, it looks like (pause). You know, you get to the end there and no one’s really lifting, right? We’re pushing really aggressively, trying to be in the conversation, right? Trying to be one of the front cars in the top or bottom lane. Looks like the 24 (William Byron) and 48 (Alex Bowman) are pushing really hard and you know, at some point when you’re pushing that hard, you’re going to get out of shape a little bit. Unfortunately, I got into the 6 (Brad Keselowski). I saw everyone wrecking there in front of me, just got caught up in it.”

How was your day overall?

“Pretty solid day for us on the speedway, honestly. Our Nasty Beast Toyota Camry was fast. We didn’t do the best job in Stage 1 to get points, kind of let that one get away. We were right in the mix there, they just started wrecking at the end. Tried to get by them on the apron, just didn’t make it.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.