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.
