TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
September 14-16, 2023

CUE THE LIGHTS

With all three NASCAR national series now officially in playoff competition, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will head to one of the most iconic short-tracks in motorsports – Bristol Motor Speedway. The first time this season competing on the track’s concrete surface, the 0.533-mile Tennessee oval holds an integral position on each series’ playoff schedule – opening the Round of Eight for the NCTS, the first race of the NXS playoffs and the first elimination race of the NCS playoffs.

Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Chevrolet is the winningest manufacturer across all three NASCAR national series at Bristol Motor Speedway – earning 46 NCS wins, 36 NXS wins and 10 NCTS wins. The manufacturer has been victorious in the past two NXS visits to the Tennessee short-track with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in 2021 and, most recently, one year ago with JR Motorsports and Noah Gragson.

 
FIRST ELIMINATION RACE FOR THE NCS PLAYOFFS

Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race will mark the first elimination race for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – determining the 12 drivers that will continue in the championship title run. Only two drivers have solidified their spots into the Round of 12, including Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson, who claimed an early ticket to the next round with his win in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. The 31-year-old California native followed up the win with another strong run at Kansas Speedway – recording a stage win and leading a race-high 99 laps en route to his series-leading 12th top-five finish of the season. Larson was able to maintain the top position in the points standings, now holding a six-point lead over second.

The current points standings sees four Team Chevy playoff contenders at a double-digit advantage over the playoff cutline. Despite suffering from a spin early in last Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, William Byron was able to rally back to a 15th-place finish – still holding the fourth position in the standings with a 41-point cushion above the cutline. Kyle Busch was also able to overcome early weekend struggles in the Midwest – starting from the rear of the field and driving to a seventh-place finish, leaving Kansas Speedway seventh in the standings and 24-points above the cutline. Rounding out the top-eight of the standings is Ross Chastain, entering this weekend’s elimination race 18-points above the playoff bubble.

 
A look at Team Chevy’s playoff contenders heading into the Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings

• Advanced to Round of 12 by virtue of a win at Darlington Raceway

Victories: 3

Top-Fives: 12 (series-leading)

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 778

Average Finish: 15.1

Stage Wins: 4

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

Wins: 1

Top-Fives: 4

Top-10s: 9

Average Finish: 12.786 (second-best)

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Larson’s seventh appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Larson has one NCS Regular Season Championship and one NCS Driver Championship title to his name – both coming in 2021.

· The 31-year-old California native has made it to the Championship Four once – the season that delivered the Team Chevy driver his first championship title in NASCAR’s top series (2021). In his other playoff appearances, Larson reached the Round of Eight (2019), Round of 12 (2017, 2018 and 2022) and Round of 16 (2016).

· During the playoff era (2004-present), the 2021 season saw Larson earn a series-leading five post-season victories – tying the record set by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2011.

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 4th in Playoff Standings; 41 points above the cutline

Victories: 5 (series-leading)

Top-Fives: 10

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 877 (series-leading)

Average Finish: 12.6

Stage Wins: 8 (series-leading)

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

Top-Fives: 2

Top-10s: 3

Average Finish: 16.250

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Byron’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Bryon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs came in 2022, finishing the season sixth in the final points standings.

· Among Byron’s nine career wins in NASCAR’s premier series, five have come at tracks in the playoffs, including each of the final four races.

· While he was eliminated in the Round of Eight last season, it’s projected to be his strongest trio of tracks in the post-season – having found victory lane at all three venues (Las Vegas Motor Speedway – March 2023; Homestead-Miami Speedway – Feb. 2021; Martinsville Speedway – April 2022).

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 7th in Playoff Standings; 24 points above the cutline

Victories: 3

Top-Fives: 8

Top-10s: 15

Laps Led: 233

Average Finish: 13.8

Stage Wins: 2

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

Wins: 8 (series-leading)

Top-Fives: 14

Top-10s: 19

Poles: 2

Average Finish: 13.667

Of Note:

· In his debut season with Richard Childress Racing and his return to the Bowtie brigade, 2023 marks Busch’s 16th appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Busch is one of only two active drivers with multiple championships to his name – taking the title in 2015 and 2019.

· In Busch’s 63 career wins in NASCAR’s top series, eight of those triumphs have come in the post-season.

· The 38-year-old Nevada native has made it to the Championship Four on five different occasions – most recently in 2019 en route to his second title.

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 8th in Playoff Standings; 18 points above the cutline

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 7

Top-10s: 10

Laps Led: 482

Average Finish: 14.9

Stage Wins: 5

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

Top-10s: 1

Average Finish: 23.333

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Chastain’s second appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Chastain’s first time competing in the NCS playoffs came in 2022 – going on to advance to the Championship Four and ultimately leading Team Chevy with a runner-up finish in the final points standings.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1 – 15th in Playoff Standings; 22 points below the cutline

Wins: 1

Top-Fives: 2

Top-10s: 7

Laps Led: 25

Average Finish: 16.9

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

Top-Fives: 4

Top-10s: 6

Average Finish: 18.278

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Stenhouse Jr.’s second appearance in the NCS playoffs. His first time competing in the playoffs came in 2017, ultimately ending the season 13th in the final points standings.

· The 35-year-old Mississippi native was the first driver to claim a playoff berth this season following his win in the 2023 Daytona 500.

· One of Stenhouse Jr.’s three career NCS victories was recorded at Talladega Superspeedway (May 2017) – one of the three tracks in the Round of 12.

· Stenhouse Jr. has already put together a career season in 2023, heading into the post-season with a career-best average finish of 16.9.

BUSCH AT BRISTOL

Undoubtedly a favorite to contend for the win at Bristol Motor Speedway is Team Chevy’s Kyle Busch. In his two-time championship career, the 38-year-old Nevada native has recorded a series-leading nine NASCAR Cup Series wins at “The Last Great Colosseum” – eight coming on the traditional concrete surface and one on the dirt. Of those wins included a milestone victory for Chevrolet in March 2007 with Busch taking a Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet to the win in the debut of the “Car of Tomorrow” and delivering the manufacturer its 600th all-time NCS win.

The former champion has found success across all three NASCAR national ranks at Bristol Motor Speedway, also adding nine NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins to his resume. Within that time span, Busch successfully accomplished a “Bristol Triple” on two separate occasions – sweeping the NCTS, NXS and NCS events in a single weekend in the 2010 and 2017 seasons. The feat made Busch the first and only driver in NASCAR history to win all three national series races in a single weekend.

 
A WINNING PERCENTAGE

For much of the 2023 season, Chevrolet has led the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series. Taking it one step further, the manufacturer currently holds a win count that is double its manufacturer competitors combined. Chevrolet sits at 14 wins in 28 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races (Toyota – eight; Ford – six) and 13 wins in 26 NASCAR Xfinity Series races (Toyota – 10; Ford – three) – a winning percentage of 50 percent in each series. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Christian Eckes’ win at Kansas Speedway last weekend delivered the manufacturer to its 12th win in 19 races (Ford – five; Toyota – two), bringing its winning percentage to 63.2 percent in the series. The season’s success has kept Chevrolet consistently atop each manufacturer’s points standings, with the Bowtie brand inching closer to its fifth-ever manufacturer championship sweep across all three NASCAR national series.

HILL CLAIMS FIRST NXS REGULAR SEASON TITLE

In only his second full-time season in the series, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship. Heading into the series’ regular season finale at Kansas Speedway last weekend, the 29-year-old Georgia native held a 23-point lead over second and was able to secure the title following his series-leading 15th top-five finish of the season. With the playoff standings reset, the Team Chevy driver will enter the opening round in the second position and just 10 points out of the lead.

The NXS’ seven-race post-season schedule sees each style of race track in which the series competes, but the diverse lineup of venues doesn’t phase Hill’s confidence in his title chances. In fact, among his eight wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and six in the NXS, he’s found victory lane at each race track configuration including superspeedways, 1.5-mile intermediate ovals, a short-track on dirt and a road course.

 
CHEVROLET DOMINATES NXS PLAYOFF FIELD

Following the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season finale at Kansas Speedway, Team Chevy’s Daniel Hemric and Parker Kligerman nabbed the two remaining positions in the series’ 12-driver playoff field. Hemric, a former champion in the series, held a 55-point advantage over the cutline leading into Kansas and merely needed to start the event to clinch his playoff spot. It was a greater task at hand for Kligerman, who sat on the outside looking in ahead of the regular season finale. With no new winner, Kligerman was able to point his way into his first career NXS playoff appearance after driving his No. 48 Big Machine Camaro SS to a fourth-place finish.

With the addition of Hemric and Kligerman, nine Team Chevy drivers will compete for the 2023 NXS driver championship – giving the manufacturer 75 percent of the playoff field. Five different Chevrolet teams are represented in this season’s post-season competition, including Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed; JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Sam Mayer; Kaulig Racing’s Chandler Smith and Hemric; Jordan Anderson Racing’s Jeb Burton; and Big Machine Racing’s Kligerman.

The first opportunity for Team Chevy’s playoff contenders to claim an early berth into the Round of Eight comes in Friday’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. A very diverse opening round sees the series take on the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile”, followed by the 1.5-mile intermediate oval of Texas Motor Speedway and concluding with the 2.28-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.

AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT..

In a three-wide battle during the final restart of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Round of 10 elimination race at Kansas Speedway, it was Team Chevy’s Christian Eckes that came out on top – piloting his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST to the front and leading the final two circuits en route to his third win of the season. Eckes is now the third driver to hit the three-win mark in the series this season, joining the likes of fellow Team Chevy drivers Grant Enfinger and Carson Hocevar.

The series’ Round of Eight gets underway Thursday with the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway. With the playoff standings reset, Chevrolet continues to occupy 50 percent of the playoff field with Eckes, Enfinger and Hocevar sitting in the second and fourth positions, respectively. NCTS rookie Nick Sanchez also pointed his way into the round, entering Bristol in the eighth position in the standings and only 16-points below the cutline.

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Chevrolet will pace the field in the tripleheader race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Silverado RST lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in Thursday’s UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics; the Camaro SS 1LE will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Friday’s Food City 300; and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

· Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway include:

Kyle Busch – eight wins (2019, ’18, ’17, ’11, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’07)

Kyle Larson – one win (2021)

· Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 46 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Bristol Motor Speedway. Chevrolet’s first win at the track came in July 1971 with Charlie Glotzbach, with the bowtie brand going on to win seven in a row.

· Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff field and elimination rounds to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, at least five Chevrolet drivers were represented in the playoffs each season.

· In 28 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (14), top-fives (61), top-10s (119), stage wins (20) and laps led (2,730). Chevrolet’s 2023 NCS win count is double its manufacturer competitors combined.

· Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 14 victories in 28 NASCAR Cup Series races, 13 victories in 26 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 12 wins in 19 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.

· With Kyle Larson’s win in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 299 all-time victories in NASCAR’s premier series – all recorded with Chevrolet.

· Chevrolet’s series-leading 14 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).

· Chevrolet drivers have recorded 20 of the 56 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (four), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).

· Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 67 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 72 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 62 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

· Chevrolet has swept the Manufacturer Championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996).

· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 847 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

 
FOR THE FANS:

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Bristol Motor Speedway.

· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Silverado 1500 ZR2, Silverado 2500HD High Country Diesel, Tahoe RST, Equinox Premier, Colorado Z71 2.7L, Corvette Coupe 3LT Z51, Camaro ZL1.

· Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Thursday, September 14

• Nick Sanchez: 1 p.m.
• Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, Daniel Dye: 1:30 p.m.
• Matt DiBenedetto: 2 p.m.
• Christian Eckes & Jake Garcia: 2:15 p.m.
• Carson Hocevar & Bayley Currey: 2:30 p.m.

Friday, September 15

• Austin Hill: 1 p.m.
• Parker Kligerman: 4:45 p.m.
• Chandler Smith: 5 p.m.
• Sheldon Creed: 5:15 p.m.
• Brandon Jones: 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 16

• Ross Chastain: 3:15 p.m.
• Austin Dillon: 3:30 p.m.
• Alex Bowman: 3:45 p.m.
• Chase Elliott: 4 p.m.
• Kyle Busch: 4:45 p.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

• Thursday, September 14: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• Friday, September 15: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Saturday, September 16: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.  
  TUNE IN:

NASCAR Cup Series: Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Saturday, September 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET

(USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Food City 300

Friday, September 15, at 7:30 p.m. ET

(USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics

Thursday, September 14, at 9 p.m. ET

(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1

What are some of the challenges with Bristol?

“You can’t control much at Bristol other than your own car, most of the time. It’s happening so fast and you can’t see around the corner to the next straightaway. Something silly can happen. The cars are under immense stress and we as drivers are under stress. Its so loud for the crew chiefs and engineers, spotters and everything is so tightly packed in there. We aren’t as in control at Bristol as we are at some of the other tracks.”

Why do people like coming to Bristol so much?

“It’s an awesome place. If I wasn’t driving in a Cup car, I would still be there because I went the Bristol night race before I ever raced. And then when I was running in the truck series, I would stay over for the Cup race because the race is so awesome. If I wasn’t racing in it, I would definitely be in the stands with friends.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1

Larson on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway:

“The night race at Bristol (Motor Speedway) is one of my favorites. It’s such a prestigious track and race. The fans always show out there and it’s a great atmosphere. I’ve had some good runs on the concrete track, including a win in the Valvoline Chevy in 2021. Valvoline is back this weekend and it would be great to get another win before the round of 12!”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1

Daniels on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway:

“Our team has great momentum right now. It’s been nice to have two good runs the past two weeks, but there is certainly a lot of racing left ahead in the playoffs. We’ve got to stay focused and stay grounded. We take every week as it comes and this week is at Bristol (Motor Speedway) which is just an amazing track. I love Bristol, Kyle loves Bristol. He’s always just super good at Bristol in anything that he drives. The team’s been executing well and hopefully we have a fast Chevy to be in contingency there at the end. I’m sure it’s going to be an exciting race.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN / ALSCO UNIFORMS CAMARO ZL1

Why is the Bristol pavement race your favorite?

“Bristol concrete is my favorite track just because I’ve always enjoyed that racetrack. I’ve always enjoyed watching it as a kid on TV and seeing all the races there. And then it being a short track and high banked is cool and fun and reminds me of some tracks that raced at as a kid coming up through the ranks. I look forward to going there. Bristol is a challenging track. You’ve got to be on top of your game all the time. You can really push the car and try to get the most out of it on the bottom or on the top. I’ve always loved being on the bottom there and have found most of my wins from the bottom but still you’ve got to be agile and move around.”

Pitting at Bristol is unique with the frontstretch and backstretch pit roads. How difficult is that and how big of a challenge is that since this is the only time all year you do it?

“Pitting at Bristol is unique because you have two pit roads, the frontstretch and the backstretch. Typically, you don’t really pit there under green a whole lot but if you did you have only one pit road, so you’ve got to remember if you’re on the backstretch or frontstretch where you would come off of the racetrack and get down to get to pit road. It’s not that big of a deal but I’ve always had my pit selection be on the backstretch just so there’s never any confusion so we’ll see if we can get that pit selection that I prefer.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA GOLD FILTERS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on the unique environment of Bristol:

“My favorite (track), I would say, and probably my favorite race of the year. I just think that the environment up there is so unique and it’s so different. I love going (there). It’s close to home and up in the mountains of Tennessee. It’s just a cool deal from top to bottom. And they’ve always done a good job up there making that environment fun and energetic for the drivers and the fans. I think when that’s the case, everybody has more fun.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA GOLD FILTERS CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the Next Gen car at Bristol and what to expect on Saturday night:

“It’s hard to say. We’ve had one race there with this car and it seemed ok. The tire’s changing slightly for this race, so that’s always a bit of an unknown. We’ll see what that has in store for us and how it affects the racing. Hopefully, there’s multiple lanes. To me, when we have multiple lanes and the top comes in, the racing’s better and you have more opportunity to pass.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 BARGER PRECAST CAMARO ZL1

“Bristol was a really good race for us last year. We had a really strong run, a top-10 finish, and I was very happy with the car. Over the last couple months, we’ve found more speed in our race cars, and I’m look forward to getting back to Bristol with the same aero package and everything as last year. I’m excited to get on track and hopefully have a strong run.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1

You’ve had two top-20 finishes in two weeks with the Club, so what has been the biggest factor in acclimating yourself with the NextGen car? Do you think the Truck Series race will help you prepare for 500 laps on Saturday?

“The last two weeks has been a lot of fun, being able to now race a Cup car and truck on the same weekend have just helped myself become better and more in the rhythm lately. Super excited to run a lot of laps at Bristol, the truck isn’t too far away from the Cup car in terms of throttle points and the track stays the same, so looking for a good showing on Friday to get me as up to speed as I can for 500 laps on Saturday night with my No. 42 LEGACY M.C. group.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1

“Bristol has always been fun for me. I’ve come so close there a couple of times to winning that night race and really would love to close that one out. It is always one of my favorite races. The Bristol night race is one that I tell people all the time, ‘If you haven’t been to a NASCAR race, try and make it out to that one.’ It is one of my favorites of the year and one that I have been really close to winning before, so hoping we can close it out.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 SCOTT BRAND CAMARO ZL1

“Going into Bristol, just survive. I feel like watching the Playoffs there last year, just surviving 500 laps really hits the nail on the head. There were so many parts failures and crashes in that race last year.

For me, Bristol is by far my favorite racetrack, and I’m going to not overthink or overdrive my favorite track. I’ll make sure I put myself in a good position all night. I’ve never run Bristol in the Playoffs. So, it will be the first time for me to race it in the Playoffs at the Colosseum.

It’s an intense racetrack. 15 second laps. You’re on edge all the time. You’re constantly pushing your car to its limits whether you run the bottom or top of the racetrack. You also have to look super far ahead. I’ve had a crash well in front of me take me out because you just can’t get slowed down in time. Every battle there is super intense and we’re ready for battle with our No. 47 SCOTT Brand Camaro.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST

Even though you didn’t get the result you wanted, does showing speed last week at Kansas build confidence?

“I think some of the struggles I’ve had this year have been from some of my execution. We showed up for practice and we were fast in practice and the fastest one in qualifying and sat on the pole. Those are the kind of things that we’ve had to improve on, and we did a good job of that at Kansas. We’re hoping to bring that same pace and execution to Bristol.”

Do you enjoy racing at Bristol?

“Yeah, it’s a really neat place to go race. We had a lot of speed this past weekend at Kansas and the weekend before at Milwaukee. We’re hoping to bring that same speed into Bristol, a high-banked short track, more of my wheelhouse. Like I’ve mentioned before, Kansas and Bristol are two of my favorites. I’m really excited to get there and get a little redemption after our weekend in Kansas and have a race where we execute as a team to our capability and reach our full potential. It seems like we are a little bit snake bitten with our luck and the weeks that our Bama Buggies Silverado is really fast we have something go wrong like it did last week with the loose wheel. I’m just excited to get to Bristol.”

What does it take to be fast at Bristol?

“Well, if it’s anything like last year, I feel like the driver who qualifies up front and can wrap the bottom the best is going to be the one to beat there. It’s so hard to pass there, so qualifying is very crucial. Track position will be everything this weekend.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, NO. 19 GATES HYDRAULICS SILVERADO RST

Eckes on beginning the second round at Bristol with momentum:

“We performed really well as a team in the first round, but we need to do it all over again now. Bristol is one of the most demanding tracks that we go to, but I have all the confidence in our Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet, Charles (Denike), and our entire team that we can keep this momentum going. Last week was a big moment for our team to win a playoff race at Kansas after running so well for the last couple months. We’re all focused on continuing to do the things that got us here and hopefully we can be one of the trucks to beat at the end of the night at Bristol.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

How much pressure, if any, are you putting on yourself in the Round of 8? Which race is going to be the most important to shine in?

“Obviously this Round of 8 is tough, and we have three very different tracks in this round. Our GMS team puts a lot into every race, but we’ve put everything we have into Bristol. It’ll be important to have speed, but it’s just as important to have a truck that you can drive hard every lap. Everything happens so fast at Bristol so you have to be on your game all race long. GMS Racing has had a lot of success at Bristol in the past, and we are hoping to add to that on Thursday.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RST

Has anyone given you any advice for preparing for a double duty weekend at a physically-demanding track like Bristol?

“Double duty shouldn’t be too much of a challenge this weekend. I prepare just as diligently as I would for any other race weekend, and having had a few doubleheaders under my belt certainly helps. This weekend at Bristol, I feel a really good opportunity is in place for us at a track that both myself and Chad have a great track record at.”

JAKE GARCIA, NO. 35 QUANTA SERVICES SILVERADO RST

Garcia on his second start on Bristol’s concrete:

“I love short track racing, so it’s always exciting when these races come up on the schedule. Bristol is such a different short track than most and everything happens so quickly. You really need to stay on your toes and be able to find a rhythm quickly once the green flag drops. Our Quanta Services Chevrolet has been really fast the last few weeks, but we need to execute through the whole race on Thursday. 200 laps goes by really fast at Bristol, but we’re looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we can be up front at the end of the night.”

DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 CHAMPION CONTAINER SILVERADO RST

You’ve had the chance to race at Bristol a few times in the past, so do you like this track? What do you think is going to be the most important goal for you on Thursday night?

“I like Bristol for the most part, for sure. Having two ARCA races under my belt is going to be helpful, I also ran fourth there in a Super Late Model as well a couple years ago, so I’ve got quite a few laps around that joint. Just looking forward to getting there with Champion Container on board. It’s their last race with us for this year, and it’s been a pleasure having them at the racetrack. I think one of the most important things will be track position. You hear that about a lot of places on our schedule, but Bristol is so tiny and fast, so we have to make sure that we can turn well enough to get under guys and pass them, but we also have to qualify good and maintain our track position.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 51 ROWDY MANUFACTURING SILVERADO RST

Where does Bristol rank on your list of favorite tracks?

“I’ve run there a couple times. It’s a pretty cool venue, it’s tough to race around, it’s tough to pass there. I think our trucks are going to be good. For me, I am just mentally preparing on how I’m going to run up front and what I want to do on restarts. Running both the truck race and ARCA race will be a long day for me running 400 laps. I’m just trying to get prepared to go out and have ourselves a good weekend.”

How beneficial will it be to you to run the ARCA race before the Truck Series race?

“Hopefully it will be very beneficial. I think every time I’ve done it this year it has helped me knock the rust off, especially at a track that I haven’t been to since last year. Hopefully the ARCA car will be good, and we can go out and make laps and run up front the whole race. It’s really just to compliment what we’re doing in the truck and if it can help us just five percent than it’s more than worth it.”

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

“I just want to put together four solid races to end the year on a high note. I think we just need to turn the tide. We’ve shown speed most weeks and there’s just things that have happened that have kept us from reaching our full potential with our finishes — some of it being my own doing and some of them random things that happen like a pit gun breaking in the middle of a stop last week.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2022): 41

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

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

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

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

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2023 STATISTICS:

Wins: 14

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 2,730

Top-five finishes: 61

Top-10 finishes: 119

Stage wins: 20

· Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)

· William Byron – 8 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte), (Watkins Glen)

· Kyle Larson – 4 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono), (Kansas)

· Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)

· Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 847 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 742

Laps led to date: 248, 274

Top-five finishes to date: 4,282

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,831

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,181

       Chevrolet: 847

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 826                                                           

       Ford: 726

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 178

 

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.

Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m. EDT on USA

• Kaulig Racing has made two NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a top 10 and top-15 finish with AJ Allmendinger and Justin Haley in the 2022 Bass Pro Shops NHRA Night Race.
• So far in the 2023 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned three top fives, 10 top-10 finishes and led 40 laps.

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Barger Precast Camaro ZL1

• AJ Allmendinger has made 22 NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway and has led 54 laps and earned two top-10 finishes, including a seventh place finish in 2022 with Kaulig Racing.
• So far in the 2023 NCS season, Allmendinger has led 17 laps and earned two top five and five top-10 finishes.

“Bristol was a really good race for us last year. We had a really strong run, a top-10 finish, and I was very happy with the car. Over the last couple months, we’ve found more speed in our race cars, and I’m look forward to getting back to Bristol with the same aero package and everything as last year. I’m excited to get on track and hopefully have a strong run.” – AJ Allmendinger on Bristol Motor Speedway

Justin Haley, No. 31 Mountain Dew Camaro ZL1

• Justin Haley has made two NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a best finish of 12th in the 2022 Bass Pro Shops NHRA Night Race.
• So far in the 2023 NCS season, Haley has earned one top five and five top-10 finishes with a best qualifying effort of third.
• Haley’s best finish of the season came from his runner-up finish in the first-ever race at the Chicago Street Course where he led 23 laps, the most he has led in a single race.
• After completing the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 and Alsco Uniforms 300, Haley now holds the record for the most NASCAR National Series miles completed in a single day by any driver in NASCAR history.

“The Bristol night race is one of my favorite events of the year. We had two really fast Kaulig racing cars there last year and I’m looking forward to getting on track in our beautiful Mountain Dew/ Food City Chevy. ” – Justin Haley on Bristol Motor Speedway

Food City 300
Bristol Motor Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Friday, September 15th at 7:30 p.m. EDT on USA

• Kaulig Racing has made 19 NXS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. The team earned its lone win at Bristol when AJ Allmendinger won the 2021 Food City 300, earning the NXS regular-season championship.
• The team has also earned two top fives, nine top-10 finishes and led 126 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• So far in the 2023 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned four wins, six pole awards, 17 top five and 41 top-10 finishes.

Daniel Hemric, No. 10 Cirkul Chevrolet Camaro

• Daniel Hemric has made seven NXS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway and has earned two top five and five top-10 finishes. Hemric has also led 147 laps at Bristol.
• Hemric enters the NXS Playoffs in 11th, five points below the cutline. He has earned five top five and 13 top-10 finishes so far in the 2023 season.

“I’m excited to get to Bristol; the track has such interesting character as far as what it takes to get around there. The track evolves throughout the race weekend from where the rubber builds up, to what kind of versatility your car has to change lanes. I look forward to that challenge this weekend, and I know this No. 10 group is up for it. I’m thankful to be a part of another playoff run. No days off; time to go to work!” – Daniel Hemric on Bristol Motor Speedway

Derek Kraus, No. 11 Hardscape Construction/Crav’n Chevrolet Camaro

• The Food City 300 will mark Derek Kraus’ first start at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NXS.
• Kraus has previously made three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a pole award and a best finish of sixth.
• In his five previous starts with Kaulig Racing in 2023, Kraus three top-10 finishes.

“I’m excited to go back to a short track with Kaulig Racing. the Bristol night race is such an iconic race, and I’m looking forward to getting our No. 11 Hardcsapes / Crav’n Chevy under the lights and continue building on our great finish from last week.” – Derek Kraus on Bristol Motor Speedway

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Barger Precast Chevrolet Camaro

• Chandler Smith will make his first start at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NXS in the Food City 300.
• Smith won the 2021 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Bristol and earned three top fives in four starts there.
• Smith enters the NXS Playoffs in sixth, three points above the cutline. He has one win, five top five and nine top-10 finishes this season.

“I’ve had a lot of success at Bristol, and I hope we can keep that going on Friday. With the playoffs starting and the points resetting, we need to take advantage of races like these where we expect to run well and compete.” – Chandler Smith on Bristol Motor Speedway  

 
About Kaulig Racing™

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 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

This Week in Motorsports: September 12-18, 2023

· NCS/NXS/NCTS/ARCA: Bristol Motor Speedway – September 14-16

· NHRA: Maple Grove Raceway – September 17

PLANO, Texas (September 13, 2023) – NASCAR heads to Bristol for its annual night race, while the NHRA kicks off its Countdown at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Reddick clinched into the Round of 12… Tyler Reddick delivered in the final laps at Kansas Speedway and earned his second victory of the season to move on to the Round of 12 for the first time. The California-native had a clutch final restart the score the win, and now can rest easy going into Bristol Motor Speedway. Reddick has one top-five in four career starts on the pavement in Bristol.

Hamlin plans to clinch early… Denny Hamlin should be able to clinch his spot in the next round early in the running at Bristol as he holds a 49-point advantage over the cut line heading into Saturday night’s race. The Virginia-native has won the race twice, most recently in 2019.

Truex, Wallace look to move above the cutline… After cut tires in Kansas, Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace head to Bristol Motor Speedway looking for strong runs. Truex, the 2017 Cup Series champion, sits in 13th – just seven points below the cut line. He has multiple strong runs at Bristol but is looking for his first win. His best finish – a second – came in 2011. Wallace, who is 19 points below the cut line, has a best finish of 10th in 2020.

Nemechek starts Xfinity Series from top spot… John Hunter Nemechek heads into Bristol off another dominating performance. He earned his series-leading sixth win this season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, leading 145 of 200 laps. It was also a major race for Toyota, as Nemechek earned the 200th Xfinity Series win for Toyota. The points leader is making his first Xfinity Series start at Bristol since 2019, where he finished in third.

Bayne returns for back-to-back races… Trevor Bayne will compete in the next two races for Joe Gibbs Racing in their Xfinity Series no. 19 Toyota GR Supra. Bayne, who is a Tennessee-native, has seven top-10 finishes in 10 starts for Joe Gibbs Racing over the last two seasons. In his season debut in Daytona, Bayne led 26 laps before being caught up in a late-race incident.

Heim plans to continue top-10 streak… Corey Heim added another strong run to his tally at Kansas Speedway. The Toyota development driver led 40 laps of Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race before finishing fourth for his 12th consecutive top-10 finish, which ranks amongst top-15 all-time in NASCAR history. Heim begins the Round of 8 atop of the Truck Series points lead, eight points above the Playoff cutline. The Georgia-native finished in the top-10 in his pavement debut on Bristol last season.

Gray impresses in Kansas… Taylor Gray earned his career-best finish at Kansas Speedway on Friday night as he brought his Toyota Tundra TRD Pro home in the runner-up spot. Gray, who is making his third pavement Bristol start, finished third in the ARCA Bristol race last season.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Sawalich looks to earn first title… William Sawalich comes into Thursday’s ARCA race looking to clinch his first ARCA Menards Series East title. The 16-year-old has a 20-point advantage coming into Bristol. He has earned top-five finishes in every ARCA East race this season, including three wins. Sawalich will also run the NASCAR Truck Series race later that evening for TRICON Garage.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Brown, Capps look to continue streak… Former champions Antron Brown and Ron Capps come into Maple Grove after winning back-to-back races. Brown, who moved up to the third seed in the Countdown in Top Fuel after the victories in Brainerd and Indy, earned a semi-final finish last season at Maple Grove, while defending Funny Car champion Capps started his championship run with a final round appearance.

Toyota Top Fuel looks to continue streak… After Brown’s victory in Indianapolis, Team Toyota has won the last five Top Fuel races this season starting with Steve Torrence scoring Toyota’s 200th NHRA win in Seattle, followed by back-to-back wins from points leader Justin Ashley in Sonoma and Topeka and Brown’s last two victories.

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 24 electrified options.

In the two weeks they’ve been paired as driver and crew chief, Harrison Burton and Jeremy Bullins seem to be making progress getting speed from the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang only to see potential good finishes derailed by crashes.

Bullins figures it’s just a matter of time before Lady Luck smiles on the No. 21 team and the finishes will better reflect their performance.

“It would be easy to be disappointed with our finishes the last two weeks, but the reality is we had two solid races going that both ended in getting caught up with other cars and crashing,” Bullins said. “Once we get that bad luck behind us, I feel like we are ready to string together some good finishes.”

He’s hoping the change will begin this weekend in the 500-lap Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Bristol Motor Speedway’s high-banked, concrete, .533-mile oval.

“Bristol has always been a favorite track for me, and I was lucky to be there with the 21 team when they won back in 2001,” he said. “This race will be wild as a Playoff cut-off race, but hopefully we can make some good set-up decisions and good strategy calls and get ourselves in contention this week.”

Practice for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race is set for Friday at 4:35 p.m. Eastern Time to be followed by qualifying at 5:20.

Saturday’s 500-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 7:30 p.m. with Stage breaks at Laps 125 and 250.

USA Network will carry the live TV coverage all weekend.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood 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 Omnicraft®
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
*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, that is 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 and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 176,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
*See seller for limited-warranty details.

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bass Pro Shops Night Race Advance | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 6 and co-owner of RFK Racing, met with the media on Tuesday as a part of a NASCAR hosted Zoom meeting to discuss the playoffs, the upcoming round at Bristol Motor Speedway and more. Keselowski currently ranks fifth in the NASCAR Playoff points standings ahead of the final race in the Round of 16.

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Castrol Edge Ford Mustang – HOW DOES RFK RACING APPROACH BRISTOL THIS WEEKEND, HAVING EXPERIENCED GREAT SUCCESS FROM LAST SEASON? “It’s good to have both cars in the black, and not in the red when it comes to points. Of course, the No. 6 car having a good 30-something point cushion, which is enough to feel pretty comfortable as long as we just don’t have a complete disaster of a race. The No. 17, still having a cushion somewhere over 10 points – I think he’s 12 or 13 up – that’s better than nothing certainly and better than being in the red. But, not as much as we’d hoped – with Chris [Buescher] having the failure there with the tire at the end of the race in Kansas really shook things up. So that was unfortunate, but I’m pretty confident that we can have two strong cars and good runs this weekend. Looking forward to repeating our results from last Fall at Bristol. A lot of energy, a lot of excitement for RFK with both teams, and certainly pumped to go to Bristol this week – it’s one of my favorite tracks.”

THEY ANNOUNCED SOME CHANGES TO THE CHARLOTTE ROVAL, WHICH INCLUDES USING THE FRONTSTRETCH CHICANE FOR RESTARTS. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? “I had the opportunity to meet with NASCAR sometime last week or the week before – it’s all running together – to discuss it all. You know, I think the restart thing is trying to avoid some Turn 1 calamity. These cars are just so durable that they race a lot differently. They need to be stretched out a little bit just to keep everybody from running over each other on the restarts. So, I think it’s a pretty welcomed move. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like that restart zone change, at least from my perspective.”

TIRES BECAME A TOPIC AFTER THIS PAST WEEKEND’S RACE AT KANSAS. AS THE WINNER OF THE OPENING STAGE AND RACE LEADER UNTIL A TIRE FAILURE LAST SEASON AT BRISTOL, HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE TIRES FOR THIS UPCOMING RACE? “Yeah I think we look at these three races – Kansas, Bristol and next up Texas – and they’re just tough tracks on the tires – really tough tracks on the tires. You try to be smart, which is always a double-edged sword. You lay off too much and slow down, and you have no chance at winning. Push it too hard, you blow a tire and that’s not good. So, there’s certainly a line to walk, and we’re all trying to figure out where it is in real-time. Sometimes you step over and sometimes you don’t push hard enough. So, it’s just really questionable where to be on that. I think going back to last year at Bristol, I was certainly very happy that Chris was able to win the race. But also, very frustrated that there were two or three guys that blew out tires and got a yellow, and when we blew out a tire, we didn’t get a yellow. I think it significantly changed the outcome of the race. Really in that sense, all you can really hope for is just consistency with that – either nobody gets a yellow or everybody gets a yellow when they blow a tire out. That’s easy to ask for. I know when I’ve watched races from up-top, it’s harder to do. There’s a lot going on. But, it’s part of the game.”

HOW DO YOU BE AGGRESSIVE BUT NOT LET THESE SITUATIONS AND FAILURES AFFECT YOU? “Thankfully, our points position does that for us. But, it’s difficult. You look at these scenarios and there’s a lot of opportunities to be aggressive and gain some positions, but they come at a higher risk. You’re just constantly doing risk analysis. In real time, it does make it harder but again, it’s part of why the drivers make the money they do and what makes them special. They have to always be performing in real-time risk analysis, the moves that we make and how hard we drive the car. That’s a lot of the fun for me.”

HOW DO YOU STAY COMPOSED AND RELAXED THIS TIME OF THE YEAR? “Last week, I got to go to the Lions game with my friend that I haven’t seen in a long time from Detroit, which was an incredible experience. My wife has some things planned while we’re in Bristol, and one of the benefits of having the limited practice time is having some down time during the weekend for reading and some family getaways. This weekend, my family will be with me at the racetrack. MRO has the National Anthem with the kids at Bristol. Certainly a great family event. The points position I’m in just really affords us to take a breath as a team. We can’t go to Bristol and lay up – we aren’t planning on doing that. We plan on going there to compete for a win. But, it also allows us to run a race without a lot of stress, and that’s important, because there is plenty of induced stress throughout the season – especially the playoffs.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE SWITCHING FROM DAD MODE DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM TO DRIVER MODE PRE-RACE? “It is interesting. I find myself having two girls, and I don’t want to miss the moment with them – it’s a really special moment for our family. And then you have to high-tail it because the cars are on the backstretch, like six minutes before the race starts. I find myself quite often asking NASCAR, ‘Hey, can you give us an extra minute or two so maybe we can not sprint to the car?’ They’ve been accommodating the last few years, but certainly it’s a big mental transition. But, it’s also a privilege when you get to do those things with your family. Not everybody gets to do it, and I enjoy those special moments. Once you get in that car, you have to put your game face on and go to work.”

WHERE DO YOU FEEL YOU STACK UP AGAINST THE COMPETITORS, AND DO YOU THINK THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH SPEED ON THE BIGGER TRACKS? “Yeah, it’s going to be difficult. The Toyotas: I don’t know. They have a little bit more speed than we do, but mostly, they just don’t seem to slow down. Our cars seem to slow down over the course of a run. Certainly they have front-end speed, too. You look at qualifying and how fast the No. 20 was – that was really impressive. But, the mile-and-a-halfs, we’re not where we want to be. We’re excited about next year’s car, and we think fundamentally, it’s going to make us a lot closer to the other OEMs. So, we’re not where we want to be right now, for sure.”

IT SEEMED TO BE A BIG RUSH TO GET OFF OF PIT ROAD AFTER THE FINAL STOP AT KANSAS. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THAT MOMENT? “Honestly, I didn’t know what happened until after the race, when I got to see the replay. I have such a limited view in the car, and that makes it really difficult. I had the No 20 car in front of me, who was still performing his pit-stop, and I launched into the furthest left lane – I don’t know if that’s the first lane or third lane, depending on which way you’re looking at it. But, I launched into the furthest left lane from inside my pit box, and I saw that I was really close to the No. 5 car once I got up to speed. I didn’t realize that those guys made contact. It’s just part of the deal when you have a late race pit stop and you have four cars that leave their box at the same time. None of us really know where everybody else is, and you just try to feel it out – it’s a little bit driving by braille. Sometimes, it doesn’t work out as smoothly as you’d prefer.”

IN THE NEXT ROUND, WE HAVE TALLADEGA. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GO INTO THAT RACE WITH A POSITIVE MINDSET? “That’s important anywhere you go, but especially for a track of that nature. I’m going there thinking that I’d like to have that seventh win. It’s been a good track for me there, and I dream about winning there all the time and I actually dreamt about it last night. It’s one of my favorite places to go. It’s a gigantic chess match. You just want to be there at the end to have a chance to play the game. I think last spring, I had a chance to win it – one or two little moves that likely made a little difference. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to do that. You look at the plate tracks for RFK this year, to say we had the nice one-two at Daytona… but beyond that, we have had great runs at all and had a chance to win all these plate races. It’s been a lot of fun. I haven’t got the win at Talladega in two years, but I’m ready to bring home another one. We’ve certainly been in position and primed to do so.”

WE’VE SEEN HOW DRIVER-OWNERS BALANCE THE RACE WEEKEND. HOW DIFFERENT HAS THE LAST TWO RACES BEEN FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, WHILE YOU’RE RACING FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP? “Usually, I don’t that much track on Chris during the race, but when it’s over, certainly want to know. It’s a balance. I have to focus on my race. I can’t run his race and my race at the same time, right? I just tell people at the time that I just feel like I have more opportunities to win on any given weekend. It might not always be as a driver, maybe it’s as an owner and a driver. That’s a good thing. We know we’re entering the playoffs with two cars that can win the championship, and I hope I win it with my car. If I don’t, and Chris wins the championship, I’ll still feel like I’ve won.”

THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES PLAYOFF STARTS THIS WEEK. HOW MUCH DO YOU FOLLOW THAT SERIES AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT PLATFORM? “I’m not a huge consumer of the Xfinity series. I used to be when I was allowed to race in it, but it’s a different series now than what it was. It’s gone through this huge identity change with kind of the banning of the Cup drivers and the severe reduction of what they can run. You’re seeing the team owner model change, and now you’re seeing the TV model change here in the next 12 months… 24 months or so. It’s a completely different identity from what I once knew it as. But, it’s still racing and we love to watch racing. So, we try not to miss it. It’s certainly different.”

YOU TWEETED AFTER SUNDAY ABOUT “SURVIVING” IN THE PLAYOFFS. BUT DON’T YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE INSTEAD THRIVING WITH THESE RECENT RESULTS? “Surviving and thriving may not always be the same. But, sometimes surviving is thriving in the playoffs with the way these things are set up. I guess I have a different perspective on it. I want to get through each round the best we can and then move on. Ultimately, if you get to the Championship Four, nobody else cares about the nine races before that. Conversely, you can win two or three races and not make the final four and it still not be considered a good year. I think the way that this thing is set up, you have to just continuously survive. It’s a survivorship mentality.”

AT DARLINGTON, THE REAR TIRE CHANGER ON THE NO. 17 HAD A SPARK FROM THE AIR GUN THAT INFLAMED. THERE WAS A SIMILAR INSTANCE AT KANSAS WITH ANOTHER TEAM. HAVE YOU TALKED TO NASCAR ABOUT THESE CONCERNS? “I think fires on pit road kind of go hand-in-hand unfortunately, but we’re doing everything we can over the years, innovations to try and mitigate the risk or the damage along the way. I think the design of the Next Gen wheel and nut lends itself to more fire risk. There’s no easy solution to it. We just try to make sure we have good equipment to cope with the fires, and we’ve done a good job with that – knock on wood. We try to practice for it and prepare for putting it out. Last week, we implemented a new training policy at RFK for how to put fires out faster. I think that was a good success for us. I don’t know if we’re ever going to get away from having fires. It would take a significant design change to do so. But we can try to mitigate the damage and try to put them out as fast as possible. I think our focus has been more internal with what do we do to put out a fire when it happens, and what do we do to prevent someone from getting hurt when it happens. Not necessarily external with respect to NASCAR. A redesign could certainly and their ball, in their court could play-in.”

WHY ARE THESE WHEELS MORE CONDUCIVE TO FIRES? “There are a couple things to go on. I think first-off: There’s one big nut rather than five little nuts, which is a change. The socket needed has many different points so the shower of sparks is different. Then last but not least – and this may be the most important – whether it be the Xfinity car or Truck, the old wheel we used to compete with had a really deep dish to it. The sparks would tend to roll in that dish and stay inside the wheel assembly, whereas this car has a really shallow dish to the wheel, and it tends to shoot out the sparks or expel the sparks onto the ground, where there’s going to be a little fuel spillage.”