Race Information

• Round: NASCAR Cup Series race No. 27 of 36 (Playoffs Round of 16)
• Track Location: Darlington Raceway – Darlington, South Carolina
• Race Name: Cook Out Southern 500
• Broadcast: Sunday, September 3rd at 6:00 PM ET live on USA Network (TV), MRN (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
• Team Entrants:

No. 42 | Carson Hocevar & Luke Lambert – Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
No. 43 | Erik Jones & Dave Elenz – Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Darlington Raceway Stats

-Carson Hocevar will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington on Sunday
-NXS: Starts: 1; Best Start: 28th (2023), Best Finish: 6th (2023); Top 10s: 1; Laps Led: 3
-NCTS: Starts: 4; Best Start: 5th (Fall, 2021), Best Finish: 2nd (2022); Top 5s: 3; Top 10s: 3; Laps Led: 10

2023 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats

-Starts: 1; Best Start: 26th (WWT Raceway); Best Finish: 36th (WWT Raceway)

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

-Starts: 18; Wins: 3 (Texas, Nashville, Richmond); Best Start: 2nd (North Wilkesboro); Top 5s: 9; Top 10s: 10; Laps led: 223; Current Points Position: 4th

About Sunseeker Resort: Opening in 2023, Florida’s newest luxury resort located in Charlotte Harbor is the first resort property of Sunseeker Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company. Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor occupies over 22 waterfront acres with 785 guest rooms, including 189 Signature Sunsuites™. Set upon the Peace River and Florida Gulf Coast, this premier resort offers 20 original food and beverage concepts; including seven stand-alone restaurants, eleven bars and lounges, two poolside offerings and a 25,000-square-foot multi-dining experience. Additional hotel amenities include a waterfront promenade, two unique rooftop and waterfront pool experiences, 60,000-square-feet of combined convention space, full-service spa and salon, a 7,100-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness center with four group exercise studios with specialty instructor lead classes, three retail and market shops, and an 18-hole championship level golf club exclusive to hotel guests only. The resort is conveniently located within a short drive of Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Tampa airports. For more information, visit www.sunseekerresorts.com. Follow us on Instagram: @sunseekerresorts and like us on Facebook: @sunseekerresorts.

Welcome to the Club: On Monday, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB announced that NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series standout, Carson Hocevar, would join the team to drive the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway. Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 will mark Hocevar’s second career Cup start, and a link to the full press release from the announcement can be found here.

NASCAR Cup Series Debut: Carson made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway in June, filling in for the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team. He impressed early on, qualifying ahead of his teammate in the 26th position, but would be relegated to a 36th place finish due to a brake rotor failure which led to a crash.

Focusing on Cup: Hocevar was originally slated to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet entry for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington this weekend, but has opted to skip the event so he can pour all of his focus into competing in the Cup race. In five NXS starts this season, Hocevar has finished inside the top-10 on two occasions and earned his best finish of sixth place in the spring race held at Darlington.

Darlington Success: Carson can dance quite well with the Lady in Black. Counting five total starts at Darlington, Hocevar has finished inside the top-10 in every single race except for one, where he finished 11th. In last year’s Truck Series race at the historic track, he came close to taking home the checkered flag, and would wind up finishing in the runner up spot.

Championship Contention: 2023 has been an incredible season for Carson Hocevar in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Back in April, the driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet was finally able to break through and secure his first career win at Texas Motor Speedway in an exciting finish. As the year went on, Hocevar would capitalize and win two more races at Nashville Superspeedway and Richmond Raceway. Most recently, at the Milwaukee Mile, Hocevar would challenge GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger for another win, ultimately finishing second. Currently seeded fourth in the playoffs standings, he has a large buffer to the cutline and has his sights set on advancing to the Round of 8.

Lambert at Darlington: Luke Lambert has 13 starts on top of the pit box in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway. His first race as a Cup crew chief at this track came in 2013, and since that time, his cars have finished in the top-10 five times. In the spring race, the No. 42 team finished in 26th position. Lambert has made three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington, and last year, his team finished second in the spring race and won in the fall.

Quoting Carson Hocevar: Hocevar’s thoughts on competing at Darlington Raceway:

“Darlington is a place that I’ve ran really well in the past, and whether that be in the Xfinity car or the truck, it’s always been a place that I found very familiar right off the bat. It’s a track that I really enjoy racing and running around, so to be able to go there in a Cup car now, a car that I’m hoping to continue to grow on and learn more about, at a place I feel really comfortable at, hopefully brings me up to speed with it. We get to have some fun this week; I’ll definitely be leaning on Erik (Jones). Being from Michigan, we were teammates at one point when we were racing late models, and now to be teammates with him on Sunday will be cool. Obviously, he won this race here last year, so I’ve got a lot of tools and resources to get myself comfortable for Sunday. I’m very thankful of this opportunity from Maury (Gallagher) and Jimmie (Johnson), and look to give the guys on this Sunseeker Resort team a good run and continue to build my notebook with their car.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Darlington Raceway Stats

-NCS: Starts: 11; Best Start: 7th; Wins: 2 (2019 and 2022 Southern 500s); Top-5s: 5; Top-10s: 7; Laps Led: 132
-NXS: Starts: 2; Best Start: 10th; Best Finish: 4th (2017); Top-5s: 1; Top-10s: 2

2023 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats

-Starts: 26; Best Start: 8th; Best Finish: 6th (Talladega); Top-10’s: 5; Laps Led: 17; Current points position: 28th

About Allegiant: Las Vegas-based Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) is an integrated travel company with an airline at its heart, focused on connecting customers with the people, places and experiences that matter most. Since 1999, Allegiant Air has linked travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class vacation destinations with all-nonstop flights and industry-low average fares. Today, Allegiant’s fleet serves communities across the nation, with base airfares less than half the cost of the average domestic roundtrip ticket. For more information, visit us at Allegiant.com.

Daytona in the Rearview: Jones’ aspirations for securing his second Coke Zero Sugar 400 victory and his final opportunity to enter the playoffs were cut short at Daytona. After successfully avoiding the initial major wreck of the night, Jones surged to the front. He even managed to restart from the front row; however, an untimely pit stop during the final stretch cost the No. 43 valuable track position. Consequently, Jones faced a disadvantage in the closing laps, coming home with an 18th-place finish. This outcome effectively eliminated the No. 43 from playoff contention.

First Southern 500 Win: Erik Jones triumphed his first Southern 500 at the track revered ‘Too Tough to Tame’ in 2019. Beginning the race from the 15th position, Jones earned stage points with a 10th place finish at the conclusion of stage one, and then climbed into the top-five by the end of stage two, adding to his tally of stage points on the day. Jones restarted the final stage in the front row, and would hold the lead for the final 41 laps. When the second-place threat, Kurt Busch, got into the wall with just two laps to go, Jones was able to pull away and took the checkered by an almost four-second margin. Erik led for a total of 79 laps that day, ensuring a dominant victory in his 100th career start.

The No. 43 Returns to Victory Lane: To have your face grace the Southern 500 trophy is a prestigious honor, but achieving this feat twice is an accomplishment held only by a select few drivers in NASCAR’s storied 75-year history. Erik Jones is among the fortunate few who have won a second dance with ‘The Lady in Black’. Last year, Jones was at the helm for one of the most memorable races of the year in the Southern 500, overcoming the odds stacked against him to bring the iconic No. 43 car back to the winner’s circle. His victory, which was the first for the organization, marked the historic 200th win for the No. 43 car, and was its first win since the July race held at Daytona in 2014. Notably, Jones became the first non-playoff driver to secure victory in the playoff opener at Darlington.

Dave at Darlington: Dave Elenz has found success in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series, taking home the checkered flag in his most recent attempt in the Xfinity Series in 2020, on top of his most recent attempt at the Southern 500 last year. Elenz has three starts in the Cup Series, including last year’s victory, and has led for a total of 24 laps. In nine Xfinity starts, Elenz holds one win, one pole, 142 laps led, six top-fives, and eight top-10 finishes. Elenz’s Xfinity cars have finished inside the top-10 in all but one of his starts.

A Track with History: Darlington is known to be one of NASCAR’s oldest tracks and with Richard Petty being one of the drivers with an extensive history, he holds stats that will most likely never be touched again. ‘The King’ holds the record with 65 starts at the 1.36-mile asphalt track, and in those 65 starts Petty holds 4 poles, 3 wins, a record-breaking 25 Top-5s, 34 top-10s, and 2,391 laps led.

One Short of the Bosses: Jones has the opportunity to join some elite company should he be able to pull off a third win at Darlington. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s own Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty each hold three race wins at the historic track. Johnson won back-to-back in 2004 and later followed up with another victory in 2012, while Richard Petty won his first race in 1966 and then went back-to-back the next year in 1967. Combined, Johnson and Petty have led for a staggering 2,954 laps at “The Lady in Black”.

READwithErik: Fans are in for a special treat as they can join Erik Jones and his furry friend Oscar in the NASCAR Fan Zone at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday for a #READwithErik session. During this event, Jones will read “Hot Rod, Hot Dog” by Todd H. Doodler and donate copies of the book to a limited number of attendees.

Quoting Erik Jones: “Darlington is always a place I am excited to go to. Darlington for me has always been a good track; I always look forward to getting there and having an opportunity to run well. We were fortunate to win this race last year, so with us going back, hopes are high. I think everyone has gotten better, but I believe we have a good car and a solid opportunity to run really well. So, I always look forward to going to Darlington and having an opportunity to win a third Southern 500; that would be an awesome accomplishment.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.

In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Darlington Raceway
Darlington, South Carolina
September 2-3, 2023

FIVE CHEVROLET DRIVERS SET FOR 2023 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) playoffs officially get underway at Darlington Raceway this weekend with one of the sport’s crown jewel events – the Cook Out Southern 500 – marking the first of three races in the Round of 16. Since the debut of the playoffs in 2004, the ‘Track Too Tough to Tame’ has held a spot in the post-season four times with Sunday’s 500-mile event marking the track’s fourth consecutive season hosting the playoff opener.

Five Chevrolet drivers have found victory lane in NASCAR’s top series this season, earning a spot in the post-season to compete for the manufacturer’s 34th NCS Driver Championship title. Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff format in 2014, at least five Chevrolet drivers have been represented in the post-season each year. This season’s elite playoff lineup features a record-breaking 10 different organizations, including four Chevrolet teams: Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Trackhouse Racing and JTG Daugherty Racing.

At the top of the playoff standings is Team Chevy’s William Byron. Already shaping into a career season for the 25-year-old North Carolina native, 2023 marks the first time that Byron has entered the series’ post-season as the top-seeded driver. Heading into his fifth consecutive playoff appearance, Byron leads the series in wins (five), laps led (877), stage wins (eight) and playoff points (36). The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team has extra momentum heading into the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway – returning to the South Carolina oval as the series’ most recent winners at the track (May 2023).

A look at the Team Chevy NCS playoff contenders:

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings

Victories: 5 (series-leading)

Top-Fives: 9

Top-10s: 13

Laps Led: 877 (series-leading)

Average Finish: 12.8

Stage Wins: 8 (series-leading)

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Byron’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs – his first entering the post-season at the top of the standings.

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

· Byron has one NCS win at the tracks featured in the Round of 16, which came in the series’ spring appearance at Darlington Raceway. 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 – 5th in Playoff Standings

Victories: 3

Top-Fives: 8

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 233

Average Finish: 14.1

Stage Wins: 2

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.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 6th in Playoff Standings

Victories: 2

Top-Fives: 10 (series-leading)

Top-10s: 12

Laps Led: 624

Average Finish: 16.0

Stage Wins: 3

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).

· 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.

· Similar to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, Larson has wins at all three of the tracks in the Round of Eight – two of which have come in the series’ most recent appearance at the track (Las Vegas Motor Speedway – March 2021; Homestead-Miami Speedway – Oct. 2022; Martinsville Speedway – April 2023).

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 8th in Playoff Standings

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 6

Top-10s: 9

Laps Led: 482

Average Finish: 15.3

Stage Wins: 5

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 – 14th in Playoff Standings

Wins: 1

Top-Fives: 2

Top-10s: 7

Laps Led: 25

Average Finish: 16.7

Stage Wins: 0

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 16.7.

 
CHEVROLET AT THE ‘LADY IN BLACK’

All three NASCAR national series have already paid a visit to Darlington Raceway this season – a tripleheader weekend that ended with a Chevrolet sweep courtesy of wins by William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1) in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson (No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Christian Eckes (No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Silverado RST) in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

In NASCAR’s top series, Chevrolet leads the way with 43 all-time victories at the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval. Of those victories includes triumphs in the series’ past two races at the track, dating back one year ago to Erik Jones’ playoff upset win in the crown jewel event (Sept. 2022). Most recently, Team Chevy’s playoff contender William Byron found redemption at the ‘Lady in Black’ – collecting his third of now five wins on the season (May 2023). Both were also milestone wins for the two iconic car numbers, with Jones giving the No. 43 its 200th all-time win and Byron taking the No. 24 to its 100th all-time win.

 
…AND THEN THERE WERE TWO

Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway will mark the series’ penultimate race in its 26-race regular season. Four positions remain in the series’ 12-driver playoff field for teams to either win or point their way into the post-season.

JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier not only picked up his second NXS win of the season at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, but he also moved one position closer to the top of the points standings. The 37-year-old Illinois native took over the second spot in the standings – sitting just 27 markers behind the series’ points leader and fellow Team Chevy driver Austin Hill.

Three of Team Chevy’s playoff hopefuls also made big gains in the playoff standings in last weekend’s visit to the ‘World Center of Racing’. Despite getting caught up in a late-race incident that resulted in a 17th-place finish, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry took advantage of his points cushion – continuing to hold onto the sixth position in the points standings and a 110-point advantage over the cutline. Joining Berry above the cutline includes fellow Team Chevy drivers Sheldon Creed, Daniel Hemric and Parker Kligerman, who drove their Chevrolet’s to second through fourth-place finishes, respectively, at Daytona International Speedway. The results paid dividends in each driver’s playoff pursuit – taking Creed from 22-points to 60-points above the cutline; Hemric from 27-points to 56-points above the cutline; and Kligerman from three-points below to 20-points above the cutline.

Chevrolet NXS: By the Numbers at Darlington

Chevrolet’s first NXS victory at Darlington Raceway came in 1985 with Darrell Waltrip, and the manufacturer has since earned a series-leading 22 wins at the track. A win in Saturday’s 200-mile race would mark the third consecutive season that the Bowtie brand has swept both races at the South Carolina oval. Most recently, it was Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson that took the victory behind the wheel of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS (May 2023). Larson will look to go back-to-back this weekend as the 31-year-old California native will take the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS to its final NXS start of the season.

In the past two seasons, it was JR Motorsports that took over victory lane at Darlington Raceway with Justin Allgaier taking the wins in the NXS’ spring races (May 2021, May 2022) and Noah Gragson collecting the victories in the fall events (Sept. 2021, Sept. 2022).

 
ENFINGER WINS, ECKES POINTS INTO NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES ROUND OF EIGHT

In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ return to the Milwaukee Mile, GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger posted a dominate day in his No. 23 Silverado RST – taking the pole position, sweeping both stage wins and leading a race-high 95 laps en route to the win and an automatic berth into the Round of Eight. The win is Enfinger’s third of the season and 10th all-time win in the NCTS – with each of his career wins coming at 10 different tracks. The 38-year-old Alabama native is only the second driver in the series to hit three wins this season, joining fellow Chevrolet driver Carson Hocevar who accomplished that feat with his win at Richmond Raceway in July. Enfinger led the Bowtie brand to a sweep of the podium at the Wisconsin venue with Team Chevy playoff drivers Hocevar and Christian Eckes finishing in the second and third positions, respectively. 

Enfinger wasn’t the only Team Chevy driver to leave the Milwaukee Mile with a guaranteed spot in the Round of Eight. Eckes drove his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Silverado RST to a 48-point day after top-five finishes in both stages and taking the checkered flag in the third position – his seventh podium result of the season. Now sitting at 61-points above the cutline, Eckes has also punched his ticket into the second round ahead of the elimination race at Kansas Speedway on Friday, September 8.

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway:

Erik Jones – two wins (2022, 2019)

William Byron – one win (2023)

Kyle Busch – one win (2008)

· In 124 NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 43 victories, including the series’ past two visits at the track (William Byron – May 2023; Erik Jones – Sept. 2022).

· 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.

· Three of the six repeat winners in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season come from Team Chevy:

William Byron: series-leading five wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington, Atlanta 2 & Watkins Glen)

Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)

Kyle Larson: two wins (Richmond & Martinsville)

· In 26 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (13), top-fives (56), top-10s (109), stage wins (19) and laps led (2,514).

· Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 13 victories in 26 NASCAR Cup Series races, 13 victories in 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 11 wins in 18 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.

· With William Byron’s win at Watkins Glen International, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 298 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.

· Chevrolet’s series-leading 13 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 19 of the 52 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (three), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).

· Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 66 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 82 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 54 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 846 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

 
 
TUNE IN:

NASCAR Cup Series: Cook Out Southern 500

Sunday, September 3, at 6 p.m. ET

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

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200

Saturday, September 2, at 3:30 p.m. ET

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

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 UNISHIPPERS CAMARO ZL1

Do you like going to Darlington?

“I love going to Darlington. For whatever reason, it’s one of the tracks that I’ve always liked. It’s one of our crown jewel racetracks and everyone wants to a get a win there. It’s a challenging track, but man, when you have a car that drives good there, there isn’t anything better.”

Going into the first race, first playoff round, how important is Darlington to kind of setting the tone?

“It’s important to get the playoffs started on the right foot. Get some points and have a strong car because it can really set the tone for that round. We started working on Darlington stuff a couple of weeks ago already. Working in the simulator, working on the setup and things like that. Obviously, we ran well there in spring so I feel like we have a good understanding of how the car needs to be. Everyone wants to do well at Darlington, no one wants to find themselves in a desperate situation at the end of the first round.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 MORGAN & MORGAN CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Darlington Raceway?

“Darlington Raceway is a fun track. It’s challenging. The track gets slick and wears tires quite a bit. The key to Darlington Raceway is trying to race the track and not the competition. Darlington could set the tone for the rest of this year, but also next season. It would be nice to knock another Crown Jewel off. I’ve got two of them and another one would be pretty special.”

Do you like racing at Darlington Raceway?

“I just love Darlington Raceway. It’s a racer’s track, and the history there is so special. It’s one of the hardest races to win. It’s a constant battle and anytime you win at a challenging track. It just feels good.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MCLAREN CUSTOM GRILLS CAMARO ZL1

How important is it to start the Playoffs with a solid finish at Darlington?

“Darlington is the start of the Playoffs so it’s really important to get a solid run in that first race of the Playoffs. It’d be perfect to win it. We were so close there in the spring I felt like we had a really good, legitimate, shot to win that race. So do a little bit of tweaks on the setup that we had from the spring race and go back there and be better and race for a win.”

Why do so many drivers like Darlington and say it’s so special to win there?

“I think Darlington is a drivers track so the drivers really like racing there because it brings out the driver. Yeah, you’ve got to have a good car, but it kind of lets you have a little bit more opportunity of saving tires or pushing hard and getting lap time or suffering later in the run. It’s hard to move around there. You don’t really move around a whole lot there, top bottom or whatever, so it’s always kind of up around the wall. I think that’s what makes it fun for the drivers as well too is just that challenge and knowing how many different challenges there are and how hard it is. I think that’s what makes it so special to win there.”

The Southern 500 at Darlington is one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races. Growing up in Las Vegas, did you have an appreciation of how special that race is?

“The Southern 500 at Darlington is really cool being a crown jewel race. When I was growing up I remember the race vividly of Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton going at it for the finish. It was the Winston Million-dollar date car for Jeff Gordon. He had the right-side flattened on that thing and Jeff Burton was getting a run on him and he blocked him all the way to the bottom. This day and age, you’d be wrecked. Jeff Burton was very, very nice and very kind in that situation and I guess maybe knew what Jeff (Gordon) was racing for, obviously a million bucks. That could have turned out vastly different given it being a different driver in second place.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on racing for the owner title:

“I’m glad the car got in. That’s a big deal and a testament to Alan (Gustafson) and our team for just continuing to fight while I was gone. There is a lot of opportunity on that side of things, and it is a really big deal. I would like to go and make some noise on that front.”

Elliott on learnings from previous playoffs:

“The sample sets for the rounds are very short. It can work one of two ways, right? You have a bad race and very little time to make it back up, but also it only being three races, it is not over until the end of that round is over. A lot can change in one race, a lot can change in one half of an event and a lot can change within the opening two stages. Three races is just a compact time period in the grand scheme of the season. I’m always reminded every year that there is something crazy that happens. It comes down to the last race and somebody that you thought would never make it through the round, somehow makes it through the round. Just goes to show you that things can change quickly.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson on preparing for this weekend’s race at Darlington:

“The spring race was good and I thought we had a solid car. Not as good as we wanted to have, but it’s nice going back there. It’s the first non-restrictor plate track we’re going back to with Chase (Elliott), which is good. That’s made this week feel a little different too as far as preparation goes. Because we raced it with him, we have a little bit clearer direction on what we need to improve on. So, that’s really been the difference this week.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1

“Darlington is a place that I’ve had success at in the Xfinity car. Our first race there this year in the Cup car was not as good as we hoped, but we’ve improved our race cars since then so I’m looking forward to getting back there and seeing what we have. We’ll use these next 10 races to build momentum and continue to get better as a team.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1

“Darlington is a place that I’ve ran really well in the past, and whether that be in the Xfinity car or the truck, it’s always been a place that I found very familiar right off the bat. It’s a track that I really enjoy racing and running around, so to be able to go there in a Cup car now, a car that I’m hoping to continue to grow on and learn more about, at a place I feel really comfortable at, hopefully brings me up to speed with it. We get to have some fun this week; I’ll definitely be leaning on Erik (Jones). Being from Michigan, we were teammates at one point when we were racing late models, and now to be teammates with him on Sunday will be cool. Obviously, he won this race here last year, so I’ve got a lot of tools and resources to get myself comfortable for Sunday. I’m very thankful of this opportunity from Maury (Gallagher) and Jimmie (Johnson), and look to give the guys on this Sunseeker Resort team a good run and continue to build my notebook with their car.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1

“Darlington is always a place I am excited to go to. Darlington for me has always been a good track; I always look forward to getting there and having an opportunity to run well. We were fortunate to win this race last year, so with us going back, hopes are high. I think everyone has gotten better, but I believe we have a good car and a solid opportunity to run really well. So, I always look forward to going to Darlington and having an opportunity to win a third Southern 500; that would be an awesome accomplishment.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY.COM CAMARO ZL1

What are your plans for the final 10 races?

“You saw last year how the non-playoff drivers won races. That shows you how deep the field is. Martin Truex Jr. missed the playoffs last year and has scored the most points this year. Chase Elliott was in the Final Four last year and missed this year. There isn’t much difference between the playoff and non-playoff teams. We feel like we are a good team and we plan to show it in these final races.”

Thoughts on Darlington’s Southern 500?

“I love this race. It’s going to be hot, slick and such a challenge. I put a lot of effort into physical conditioning and hope that gives me an advantage on Sunday. It’s so easy to get into trouble at Darlington, but it’s such a rewarding track if you stay patient and run well. We had a really good car here in May so I am optimistic about Sunday night’s race.”

 
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: 13

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 2,514

Top-five finishes: 56

Top-10 finishes: 109

Stage wins: 19

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

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

· Kyle Larson – 3 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono)

· Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)

· Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 846 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 742

Laps led to date: 248, 058

Top-five finishes to date: 4,277

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,821

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,180

       Chevrolet: 846

       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: 177

 

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.