TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, New York
August 19-20, 2023
CHEVROLET GOES FOUR-STRAIGHT AT WATKINS GLEN
Two of NASCAR’s top series are gearing up for round two of back-to-back road course races with the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) making its annual trip to Watkins Glen International. The seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course has a celebrated history in motorsports by hosting some of the world’s top series – Formula One, NTT INDYCAR Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and all three NASCAR national series.
In NASCAR’s premier series, Chevrolet accounts for over 50 percent of the wins at Watkins Glen International – collecting 21 victories in the series’ 39-race history at the venue. The New York circuit has seen the Bowtie brand take the victory in the past four NCS events – courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott (2018 & 2019) and Kyle Larson (2021 & 2022), each posting back-to-back victories.
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
First Career NCS Win
Watkins Glen International – Aug. 5, 2018
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chevrolet’s Fourth-Straight NCS win at Watkins Glen International – Aug. 21, 2022
Chevrolet is coming off five top-10 finishes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, including top-fives by three of Team Chevy’s playoff hopefuls (Chase Elliott – second; Daniel Suarez – third; and Alex Bowman – fifth). Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen marks the penultimate race of the series’ regular season, with those on the outside looking in seeking a victory to punch a ticket into the three remaining positions in the 16-driver playoff field.
REMEMBERING A WEEKEND SWEEP
Kyle Larson’s career season in 2021 saw the Team Chevy driver visit victory lane 10 times in NASCAR’s top series – one of which included a win at Watkins Glen International. Returning to the New York circuit in 2022 as the series’ defending winner, the California native took it one step further by sweeping the weekend – claiming the victory in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series.
Behind the wheel of the No. 88 Camaro SS for Hendrick Motorsports’ affiliate team JR Motorsports, Larson showed early speed with a top-three qualifying effort for his second NXS start of the season. Repairs to a mechanical issue forced the team to start at the rear of the field, but Larson quickly found his way into the top-10 by the end of Stage One. Running third in the closing laps, Larson was able to capitalize on contact made between the top-two drivers – taking the top position to lead the final five circuits en route to his first NXS victory since 2018.
24 hours later, Larson lined up his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 in the second position for the green flag of the NCS’ event. A two-stop strategy in Stage One put the Team Chevy driver deep in the field at the end of stage, but Larson progressively made his way into the top-10 to pick up valuable stage points in Stage Two. After the final round of pit stops, Larson cycled out just behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott. The pair lined up one-two for a series of late-race cautions, with the final restart seeing Larson take the lead and never looking back to not only sweep the weekend’s wins, but also go back-to-back in NASCAR’s top series at the circuit.
HOME OF A CAREER FIRST FOR ELLIOTT
During the NASCAR Cup Series’ annual appearance at Watkins Glen International in August 2018, Chase Elliott became a first-time winner in NASCAR’s top series. The victory came in Elliott’s 99th career start in the series – previously posting eight runner-up finishes before reaching the monumental victory. Elliott joined the likes of his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who also posted his first career NCS win on a road course (Riverside International Raceway – Nov. 1983). Elliott followed up the victory one year later with a repeat trip to victory lane at “The Glen” – marking the second of Hendrick Motorsports’ now four-straight triumphs at the circuit.
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Watkins Glen International – Aug. 5, 2018
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Watkins Glen International – Aug. 4, 2019
Elliott leads the series with seven career NCS road course victories – with the record also placing the Team Chevy driver third on the series’ all-time road course wins list behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Sitting in a ‘must win’ situation with two races remaining in the regular season, the 27-year-old Georgia native is one to watch heading into this weekend’s event. Elliott has three road course races under his belt this season – recording a top-five finish in each of those events. His season-best road course finish came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course last weekend after posting a runner-up result. Elliott also drove his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 to a third-place finish in the Chicago Street Race (July) and a fifth-place finish at Sonoma Raceway (June) – giving the driver a series-best average finish of 3.3 in those events.
Watkins Glen International is poised to be one of Elliott’s best tracks. In the past four NCS races at the New York circuit, Elliott has finished no worse than fourth, including his two wins (2018 & 2019) and a runner-up finish in 2021. The Team Chevy driver also leads the series with an average finish of 5.7 at the circuit.
TEAM CHEVY LEADS IN ACTIVE NCS WINNERS AT “THE GLEN”
Of the eight active NASCAR Cup Series winners at Watkins Glen International, four come from the Chevrolet camp. Topping that list is a tie among three Team Chevy drivers including Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch – all of which have two wins each. The trio are also the only three active repeat winners in NASCAR’s top series at the New York circuit.
Also adding to the wins list is AJ Allmendinger, who posted his first career NCS win at “The Glen” in August 2014 behind the wheel of the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. Also looking for a win to claim a playoff berth, the California native returns to the New York circuit looking to go one spot better from his runner-up finish in the series’ 2022 event at the track.
TRENDING IN TOP-10’S
With four of six NASCAR Cup Series road course races in the books, Chevrolet has proven to be a contender with the manufacturer taking 50 percent of the top-10 finishing positions in each event thus far. Taking it one step further, three of those races saw four different Chevrolet teams represented in the top-10 including Circuit of The Americas (March), Sonoma Raceway (June) and the Chicago Street Race (July). Of those results includes a history-making win at the Chicago Street Racing by PROJECT91’s Shane van Gisbergen – with the Chevrolet driver leading the manufacturer to a sweep of the top-five positions on the final leaderboard.
HILL BACK ON TOP
In a tight battle for the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ regular season championship, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill reclaimed the points lead following a fourth-place finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course last weekend. The result marked the 29-year-old Georgia native’s 13th top-five and 17th top-10 finish in 22 NXS races – a series-leading feat.
Falling just one spot short of back-to-back NXS road course wins, Chevrolet turns to Watkins Glen International as the series’ most recent winner – courtesy of Kyle Larson and the No. 88 JR Motorsports Camaro SS team (August 2022). In 28 NXS races at “The Glen”, the Bowtie Brand has amassed a series-leading 11 victories – including a string of eight-straight from June 1994 to July 2001. The manufacturer heads into the race weekend with two NXS road course wins this season – recorded by Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger at Circuit of The Americas (March) and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer at Road America (July).
ECKES LEADS TEAM CHEVY WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH AT IRP
In the opening race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) Playoffs Round of 10 at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP), McAnally-Hilgemann’s Christian Eckes led Team Chevy to the finish with a runner-up result. The 22-year-old New York native started his first championship campaign under the Chevrolet banner on a high note – driving his No. 19 Silverado RST to the pole win. Eckes collected valuable top-five points in each of the race’s first two stages before taking the checkered flag in second-place.
Eckes’ sixth top-five finish of the season at IRP moved the driver to the third position in the points standings, now with a 39-point advantage above the playoff cutline. Joining Eckes in the top-eight of the points standings includes Team Chevy’s Carson Hocevar in fourth (+ 35 points), Grant Enfinger in sixth (+24 points) and Nick Sanchez in eighth (+2 points). Matt DiBenedetto currently sits in the 10th position in the standings, but only three-points below the cutline.
The NCTS will be off this weekend before heading to the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday, August 27, for the Clean Harbors 175 – race two of the NCTS’ Playoffs Round of 10.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Watkins Glen International:
Kyle Larson – 2 (2021, 2022)
Chase Elliott – 2 (2019, 2018)
Kyle Busch – 2 (2013, 2008)
· Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have taken Chevrolet to victory lane in the past four-straight NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International. Six drivers in series’ history have posted consecutive wins at the New York circuit, with Larson and Elliott the only two active drivers to accomplish the feat.
· In 39 NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International, Chevrolet has amassed a series-leading 21 victories and 16 pole wins.
· Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane in 16 of the past 21 NASCAR Cup Series road racing events – dating from Chase Elliott’s victory at Watkins Glen International in August 2019 to Shane van Gisbergen’s victory at the Chicago Street Race in July 2023. Within that time span, the manufacturer notched a streak of 11 consecutive road course wins in the series.
· Three of the six repeat winners in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season come from Team Chevy:
William Byron: series-leading four wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington & Atlanta 2)
Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)
Kyle Larson: two wins (Richmond & Martinsville)
· In 24 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (12), top-fives (53), top-10s (102), stage wins (18) and laps led (2,407).
· Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 12 victories in 24 NASCAR Cup Series races, 11 victories in 22 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 10 wins in 17 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.
· With William Byron’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 297 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.
· Chevrolet’s series-leading 12 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 18 of the 48 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (seven; 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 55 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 51 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 46 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 Grant Enfinger’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway, GMS Racing is now the winningest Chevrolet organization in NCTS’ history with 44 all-time wins in the series.
· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 845 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: Go Bowling at The Glen
Sunday, August 20, at 3 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
· NASCAR Xfinity Series: Shriners Children’s 200
Saturday, August 19, at 3:30 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1
Do you remember your first time racing at Watkins Glen?
“Absolutely, I remember it like it was yesterday. It was in 2015 in the Xfinity Series and they had just repaved the track. I went to Todd Bodine who was in the series part-time and we were kind of in similar racecars, mid pack. I asked him for some tips because he had won a pole there. He gave me some advice for how he thought the track would be but he wasn’t really sure. Man, I went out there and about crashed because he was way too confident in how much grip the new asphalt would have. I had to back it down and he came running up to me after practice and said, ‘I hope you didn’t listen to me!’ I told him that I realized it and we were off on our estimation on the grip.”
Have you been able to accept that you are championship contender and realize what comes along with that instead of trying to hang onto your ride every week?
“This is year two of hopefully a long time competing in the Cup Series. There is nothing guaranteeing us though that this weekend, next year, or five or 10 years from now that we’ll be in this position. It has gotten a little easier but it’s probably still not where most people would expect. I guess I’m just a little different that way. I’m constantly waking up every day trying to work harder because I feel like there’s enough reasons too. Now is the time when I really have to work harder than ever.”
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MARK III EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CAMARO ZL1
What is it about Watkins Glen that fits so well with your driving style? In 17 races there you have won twice and averaged a 10th-place finish.
“I enjoy going to Watkins Glen. I think it’s a really fun road course. I’ve had good success there with a lot of top-10s. It’s just a neat racetrack. I always enjoyed going to Sonoma and to Watkins Glen when we only had two road races on the schedule. It was always kind of like off weeks where you just did something different. You turn right, you turn left, you didn’t really have to take it too seriously and be pretty good at it. Now there’s seven road courses on the schedule so everybody is getting better at it.”
What makes The Glen unique from other road courses?
“I think what makes Watkins Glen unique from other road courses is that it feels like a superspeedway because you’re going so fast there. Through the esses is pretty fast and it’s 190 miles per hour down the backstretch. Your minimum speed drops a little bit into Turn 1, Turn 11 and through the Bus Stop. It’s just a really cool place with good braking zones to make some passes. It’s just a fun course.”
NASCAR runs the “short course” at Watkins Glen. Would you be open to running the longer course? Do you think that’s practical for a Cup car?
“With our Cup cars, yeah, we could do the long course, that wouldn’t be a problem, it’s just that we would be shortening the race. We run 90 laps, that’s our race, so you’d have to shorten the number of laps because of the longer distance. It will take more time with the longer lap times, and longer times for the fans seeing us in particular areas where they’re sitting because you can’t see the whole track from one spot.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 CELSIUS CAMARO ZL1
“Watkins Glen last year was probably one of the most fun races I’ve been a part of. Our car was really good, conditions were tough with the rain early in the race and trying to drive up through the field. It’s always a racetrack that has a special place in my heart knowing it’s where I got my first Cup win at. I really believe we can go there, have a solid points day and hopefully have a shot at the win.”
JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
“Watkins Glen is one of my favorite road courses that we go to. Last year we were really competitive but had some things happen that were out of our control. I think if we can execute on our end, we have a chance to really contend.”
MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1
“We will have better preparation on our end, I have another week with the team to prepare. I look back at what we learned from Indy – I think qualifying in a better position will be crucial so it makes life hopefully easier in the race. From my end, I need to execute better and not make any mistakes like I did in Indy speeding on pit lane because it probably cost us a top-15 finish.
My experience at Watkins Glen should not hurt as I did race a Cup car last year but most of my time on the track has been in a prototype. I raced there this year in IMSA but it’s a different track configuration. Regardless, I love this place, Watkins Glen is a proper road course and I hope that all our work in the SIM sessions, debriefs and everything we do this week will be a buildup from Indy. we hope that we have a solid weekend. I am quite confident we can be better than last week.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1
“Watkins Glen has always been one of my favorite road courses, so I am excited to get back over there. I feel like our road course stuff has been getting better and better, we took a big step in Chicago. In Indy, we had a mechanical issue, and didn’t really have the chance to race, but I am excited to get to ‘The Glen’ and see what we’ve got. It is probably my favorite road course, so I am eager to see if we can do as well as last year with a top 10 or better.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY.COM CAMARO ZL1
What do you need to do to make the playoffs?
“We just need to keep doing what we are doing. That’s qualify well and earn stage points and get a good finish. There is still a lot of racing left and we know we can do this. If we have as good a car at Watkins Glen as we had at Indianapolis we know we can win there. That’s true about Daytona as well.”
Is this pressure?
“No, this is fun. This is what we like to do. If we are relaxed we will perform our best. We are excited about going to Watkins Glen. We want the trophy! That’s what matters. I don’t even think about points or what someone else is doing. We control what we can control.”
Thoughts on Indianapolis?
“It was heartbreaking. I have never been that upset with a third-place finish. But that’s a good thing. That only means we know what we are capable of. We will analyze everything and get better together.”
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: 12
Poles: 8
Laps Led: 2,407
Top-five finishes: 53
Top-10 finishes: 102
Stage wins: 18
· Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)
· William Byron – 7 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte)
· 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: 845 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 742
Laps led to date: 247,951
Top-five finishes to date: 4,274
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,814
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,179
Chevrolet: 845
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 825
Ford: 725
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.
