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Brett Moffitt | AM Racing Darlington Raceway May NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Darlington (S.C.) Raceway | Shriners Children’s 200

Fast Facts

No. 25 AM Racing Team:

Driver: Brett Moffitt

Primary Partner(s): AM Technical Solutions

Manufacturer: Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Joe Williams Jr.

Spotter: Tony Raines

Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. 1028

Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

Driver Championship Point Standings: 16th

Team Championship Point Standings: 18th

Notes of Interest:

Inaugural Journey: After spending the past several seasons as a full-time team in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, AM Racing will embark on its inaugural journey in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season with driver Brett Moffitt for the entire 33-race tour continuing with Saturday afternoon’s Shriners Children’s 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Future Focused: With AM’s inaugural Xfinity journey set to continue at the track dubbed Too Tough To Tame in Darlington, S.C., the team has chosen veteran driver Brett Moffitt to lead the team’s campaign from the driver’s seat aboard the No. 25 Ford Mustang.

Moffitt, a native of Grimes, Iowa hails numerous starts across all three of NASCAR’s National Series, including the 2018 Truck Series championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises.

Moffitt, 30, arrives on the scene at AM Racing after a stint at Our Motorsports.

Back For More: The Statesville, N.C.-based team will sport the signage of AM Technical Solutions on the No. 25 Ford Mustang for the 11th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.

Headquartered in Austin, TX, AM Technical Solutions (AMTS) was founded in 1994.

AM Technical Solutions is a Global Architecture, Engineering & Construction firm specializing in the high-tech markets. AMTS has managed over $20B of global capital projects for over 170 different customers in 24 countries and across five continents.

Throwback Weekend!: AM Racing will be one of several teams participating in the official Throwback Weekend in NASCAR at Darlington Raceway.

Moffitt’s No. 25 Ford Mustang is “throwing” back to the mid-1980s and honoring 13-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Tim Richmond and specifically his 1986 No. 25 Folgers Chevrolet livery at Hendrick Motorsports.

Richmond, a native of Ashland, Ohio made 185 NASCAR Cup Series starts between 1980 and 1987, 12 of them at Darlington Raceway.

AM Minute: AM Racing’s ARCA Menards Series program was back in action this past weekend at Kansas Speedway.

Rookie driver Christian Rose had a season-high weekend. After producing competitive results during the open ARCA test on Friday afternoon, the AM Racing development driver qualified a career-best seventh on Saturday morning and ran competitively inside the top-10 throughout most of the race.

The team encountered hiccups on pit road which put them one lap down, but a fast No. 32 West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services Ford Mustang allowed Rose to get back on the lead lap and race back to a ninth-place lead lap finish.

Thanks For Your Support: With more than 30 percent of the 2023 season complete, AM Racing and Brett Moffitt would like to thank their associate marketing partners for their support: AIRBOX Air Purifier, CForce Bottling Company, Concrete Supply, Destiny Homes, Flying Circle, Kreuz Market, Lane Frost Brand, Mechanix Wear and Mobil 1.

Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Darlington Raceway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Shriners Children’s 200 will mark Moffitt’s fifth Xfinity start at the iconic 1.33-mile speedway.

In his previous four efforts, he has delivered one top-10 and three top-15 finishes. His track-best result occurred during the 2021 Steakhouse Elite 200 when Moffitt steered to an eight-place finish after starting 13th for Our Motorsports.

In addition to Xfinity, Moffitt also has one NASCAR Cup Series and one NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series start at Darlington.

Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Speedway Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a speedway, Moffitt has made 4 starts throughout his career earning 16 top-10 finishes. He also holds an average finishing position of 15.4.

Brett Moffitt NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 94 career Xfinity Series starts, Moffitt has earned two top-five and 26 top-10 finishes, including a second-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021. During that tenure, he also holds an average finishing position of 17.7.

He earned a career-best Xfinity Series qualifying effort of fourth earlier this year at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway with AM Racing.

In addition to 93 Xfinity Series starts, he has achieved 45 NASCAR Cup Series and 92 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to his credit.

Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway | A-Game 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway, Brett Moffitt and the AM Racing team tackled Miles’ Monster Mile.

Without the benefit of practice or qualifying, Moffitt lined up his black and white No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang 14th on the grid.

A solid start to the race was disconnected after Moffitt was tagged for a speeding penalty on pit road. Under tough racing conditions and passing at a premium, Moffitt fought hard to drive back through the field for a 15th place finish at the checkered flag.

In 10 races this season, Moffit has delivered three top-10s, six top-15s and an average finish of 17.1.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Brett Moffit’s crew chief.

He will be crew chief for his 109th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday and his seventh race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

In his previous 108 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), seven top-five and 24 top-10 finishes.

Follow on Social Media: For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

For more on Brett Moffitt, please visit BrettMoffitt.com, like his Facebook page (Brett Moffitt Racing) or follow him on Instagram (@brett_moffitt_racing) and Twitter (@brett_moffitt).

Brett Moffitt Quoteboard:

On Darlington Raceway: “Darlington Raceway is definitely one of the more challenging race tracks on the schedule. Despite the challenge, I embrace the track characteristics and look forward to the opportunity to collect another top-10 finish this weekend for everyone at AM Racing.

“I think our throwback scheme is perfect for our car number and honoring a driver that many people had respect for. Hopefully, we can honor Tim and his fans with a strong finish Saturday afternoon.”

On 2023 Season Outlook: “Through the first 10 races, we have definitely showcased speed, but we know we have to turn that speed into performances.

“We are approaching a crucial summer stretch for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and we are doing everything we can to make sure we are prepared to attack and put ourselves in the Playoffs.”

Race Information:

The Shriners Children’s 200 (147 laps | 200.8 miles) is the 11th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, May 12 from 5:05 p.m. – 5:35 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 5:35 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag the following afternoon, Saturday, May 13 shortly after 1:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

About AM Racing:

AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its seventh year of competition.

The team has named Brett Moffitt and Christian Rose as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series seasons.

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS ROAD COURSE: TEAM CHEVY MEDIA ADVANCE

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GMR GRAND PRIX
THE ROAD COURSE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
MAY 12-13, 2023

CHEVROLET LOOKS TO ADD TO MAY SUCCESS AT THE GMR GRAND PRIX

DETROIT (May 11, 2023) – The month of May in Indianapolis kicks off this weekend for Team Chevy NTT INDYCAR Series drivers and teams with the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway near Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dominant on the road course in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injection era, the Bowtie brand has won six events in nine races (since 2014’s debut of the event), seven pole awards, 11 podiums, and holding 393 laps led on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn permanent road course integrated within the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Last year’s winner Alexander Rossi, who joined Chevy-supported Arrow McLaren INDYCAR in the offseason, carries both momentum from the early season as well as success on both courses at Indianapolis. He is looking to the weekend to deliver a repeat win as well as hand Chevrolet their 109th victory in the series since 2012.

”Entering the Month of May and Indy GP, I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead,” noted Rossi. “Last year’s victory has me eager to perform well, and as a new group, we’re close to having our breakout weekend. With rain in the forecast, adaptability will be key, but we’re prepared to face any conditions on race day. I’m excited to tackle the challenges, and I hope we can put on a great show for the fans, rain or shine.”

With Chevrolet’s success that includes a win and/or pole award in each year since 2015, 2021’s event winner, Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing, has his sights set on kicking his month of May off at this weekend’s GMR Grand Prix with a return visit to victory lane.

“I am very excited to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course again,” exclaimed VeeKay. “Of course, it’s the place where I won my first race and it’s great to come back as a previous winner. Hopefully double it up this year! I am ready to get back to good results and if there’s a perfect place to do it, it’s at IMS for the road course and the Speedway itself! I can’t wait to get the Month of May started. I’m ready for the adventure!”

“The GMR GP on the IMS Road Course sets the stage for the Chevrolet-powered teams in the NTT INDYCAR Series for the remainder of the month of May leading into the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500,” said Rob Buckner, INDYCAR Program Manager at General Motors. “While there aren’t many similarities between the road course and the speedway packages, the GP is an important step in helping our teams start to get the rhythm of The Speedway, and the atmosphere of events.

Coming off a win at Barber Motorsports Park, our Chevrolet engineers with our teams are fine-tuning what we learned at Barber with the goal of winning on the IMS Road Course. In addition, drivers will be able to deliver feedback on track conditions relative to tire wear. We are ready to kick off May with a victory on Saturday.”

The GMR Grand Prix kicks off with Practice 1 Friday, May 12 at 9:30 a.m. ET, with Practice 2 starting at 1 p.m. ET. Qualifications then start at 4 p.m. ET Friday. A final warm-up will start race day Saturday at 11:15 a.m. ET. All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 160. The 85-lap, 207.32-mile race Sunday, May 13 will take the green flag at 3:30 p.m. ET live on NBC.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“Last year, the Indy GP was one of the craziest races that we’ve had in a couple years. I’m looking forward to starting the Month of May and trying to finish better here than we did last year.”

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

”It’s good to be back at the GP. It’s probably one of my best qualifying tracks with two poles here, including one last year. I think the race has been a bit more difficult for us historically, especially when it’s warm. We race twice here every year, so it’s important for us to get all the data we can for when we come back later in the summer. I’m ready for the Month of May to get going.”

Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“For as often as we get to race at the Indy GP, it’s always surprising how different the track behaves each time we race here. And with mixed weather in the forecast, I’m sure we’ll get something different again. The team’s focus is unchanged; we’re happy to go racing again and we take each race as a chance for us to grow and get better as a team. If we keep that mindset, the results will take care of themselves in time.”

Conor Daly, No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“The GMR Grand Prix is one of my favorite events! The IMS Road Course has been a successful place for me in the past, both in qualifying and the race. Just need to get on the podium now! We hope that we have the same speed we had last year, if anything be faster! We will all work together and get a good result. We need the season to turn around now, it has been really difficult to handle so far. Hopefully, all smiles and happiness this month and starting off strong at the Indy GP always helps!”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“I’m looking forward to this weekend. I like the IMS road course because I feel it fits my driving style pretty well. The track is very flowy, very fast. It’s always been an enjoyable race for me, an enjoyable time to be inside IMS. So, hoping that we can bring that spirit this weekend and carry on with our development of the Sexton Properties Chevy.”

Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“Very excited for this weekend for the GMR Grand Prix. I’ve raced here in the past in INDY NXT, but obviously, not here in INDYCAR, so really looking forward to that. Have had really good success here in INDY NXT. There’s a chance of rain. Feeling very optimistic, and really looking forward to this weekend in the Sexton Properties Chevrolet.”

CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS ROAD COURSE:

Wins at GMR Grand Prix (since 2012): 6

2015 – Will Power

2016 – Simon Pagenaud

2017 – Will Power

2018 – Will Power

2019 – Simon Pagenaud

2021 – Rinus VeeKay

Chevrolet Driver with the Most Indianapolis Road Course Wins (since 2012): Will Power, 3 (2015, 2017, 2018)

Number of Team Chevy Pole Awards at Indianapolis Road Course (since 2012): 7 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022)

Chevrolet Driver with the Most Indianapolis Road Course Pole Awards (since 2012): Will Power, 4 (2015, 2018, 2020, 2022)

Number of Team Chevy Podiums at Indianapolis Road Course (since 2012): 11

Number of laps led by Team Chevy at Indianapolis Road Course (since 2012): 393

2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS

186: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.

108: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.

121: Earned poles since 2012.

7: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.

7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.

26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.

14: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including the past 11 with Chevrolet power.

9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.

44: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.

*Will Power’s career total of 68 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

DEX Imaging Team Throwing It Back to ’99

For this weekend’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway, Harrison Burton and the DEX Imaging team will throw it back to 1999 with the No. 21 Mustang carrying a paint scheme like the one Jeff Burton, Harrison’s dad, carried on his No. 99 Roush Racing Ford that swept both Cup races at Darlington that year.

Harrison Burton, who wasn’t even born back in ’99, said on a teleconference Wednesday that he got to help choose the paint scheme.

“Obviously, the one where he won in the rain at Darlington – swept that year at Darlington – was an easy answer,” he said. “So, that was a cool moment and something I’m excited to drive.”

Burton said that as he looks forward to this weekend’s Goodyear 400, he knows that like all races on the Lady In Black it’s going to be a challenge.

“It’s going to be a tough race,” he said. “It’s a fairly long race, it’s going to be hot, it’s going to be really slick with the worn-out surface.

“You’re going to have all this tire wear, which creates some interesting scenarios – who puts on the tires when – and the green flag pit-stops are really interesting.

“The biggest thing for me is who’s versatile enough to be able to get off the wall in [Turns] Three and Four.” There are other factors as well.

“You have to be on your game,” he said. “You’re going to be inches off the wall for four hours, probably going to kiss it once or twice, and you’re just going to ride that ragged edge for a long time. So, staying focused and locked-in for four hours at Darlington is really tough when you add the heat to it.

“I think it’s going to be a tough race for a lot of guys. Hopefully that leads to opportunities as well for others. I think it’ll be fun. It’s always one of my favorites, that’s for sure.”

Burton and his crew chief Brian Wilson said the speed of the No. 21 midway through last Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 gives them encouragement heading into Darlington.

“The No. 21 Ford showed some of our most competitive speed this year,” Wilson said. “We were the highest-ranked Ford on pass ratio, and several times posted the fastest lap through the race.

“Seeing that gave everyone on the team a nice boost of confidence.”

Wilson also is heartened by the team’s performance last year at Darlington.

“The races at Darlington were some of our more competitive of the season,” he said. “This week we have a in large stagger change in the tires from Goodyear. We’ll use the notes from last year’s races as well as previous stagger changes to have our Mustang ready to rip when practice starts.”

Like his driver, Wilson is looking forward to Darlington’s annual throwback weekend, which this year will include appearances by two Wood Brothers’ favorites – the 1971 Mercury driven by David Pearson and the 1981 Thunderbird piloted by Neil Bonnett. (The Woods are Ford’s all-time winningest team at Darlington with eight Cup wins in 100 starts.)

“As we head to Darlington, the industry celebrates our history with the throwback weekend,” Wilson said.

“It’s only fitting that the Wood Brothers team has a great scheme this week.”

“The pink-and-black DEX Ford throws back to one of Harrison’s father’s iconic schemes. I’m sure it will look great running the high line at Darlington.”

Practice for the Goodyear 400 is set for Saturday at 10:35 a.m. Eastern Time to be followed by qualifying at 11:20.

Sunday’s 293-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to start just after 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 90 and 185. FOX Sports 1 will carry the TV coverage both days.

About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

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.

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Darlington

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 8th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

NECK AND NECK IN KANSAS: Kyle Larson was leading with one lap to go in Sunday’s 400-mile race at Kansas Speedway, poised to earn his third win of the season. However, contact with another competitor on the back straightaway sent his No. 5 entry into the outside wall. Despite this setback, Larson was able to secure a second-place finish and led the most laps in the race (85). He moved up two positions to eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings (trailing the leader by 66 points).

LEADING LAPS: Larson has led the second-most laps of all Cup Series drivers so far in 2023, with 299 more circuits out front than the third-place competitor. Through 12 races, the 30-year-old driver has paced the field for 553 laps. In all of 2022, he led only 635 laps. This season, Larson has run the third-most laps in the top five (1,369) and second-most laps in the top 10 (2,044). He is also part of a four-way tie, which includes his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, for the most top-five finishes (five) this year.

DARLINGTON DOWNLOAD: Larson ranks second among all Cup Series drivers (with more than two starts) at Darlington Raceway with a 9.20 average finish. Since the start of 2016, the Elk Grove, California, native has led the most laps (683) of any driver at the 1.366-mile track. His 686 laps out front at the track in his Cup Series career are the third-most at any one circuit behind Bristol Motor Speedway (850) and Dover Motor Speedway (899). Larson has earned the second-most stage wins (three) of all drivers.

WAITING ON THE WIN: The venue “Too Tough to Tame” is known for its unique egg-shape, differentiating racing surface and preferred racing line that runs close to the track’s retaining wall. Larson has yet to conquer the challenging track, with three runner-up finishes (second-most at Darlington without a win), five top-fives and seven top-10s in 10 starts. His 686 laps led at Darlington are the fourth-most prior to a win behind Richard Petty (978), Donnie Allison (859) and Geoff Bodine (710). Allison and Bodine never won at this track.

THROWING IT BACK TO SMOKE: Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Darlington. The paint scheme is a tribute to the No. 80 Chevy that Tony Stewart drove to a NASCAR Xfinity Series win for Hendrick Motorsports in 2009. Check out every angle of the car here.

PIT CREW POWER: The HendrickCars.com pit crew is ranked as the fourth-best team on pit road based on their average four-tire stop time of 11.253 seconds. In Kansas, the No. 5 pit crew performed the sixth-fastest four-tire pit stop of the season at 9.576 seconds. The team’s five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman), and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).

ONE OF 75: Larson was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers last month. He is tied for 38th on the all-time wins list with 21 victories. NASCAR will recognize the group during pre-race ceremonies on Sunday.

HENDRICKCARS.COM TAKES ON XFINITY: Larson and HendrickCars.com will partner with Kaulig Racing to run in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. He will be driving the No. 10 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet in Saturday’s race, which starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Larson will also run the Xfinity race at this venue in September in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports entry. Last fall, the 13-time Xfinity Series winner rallied from an early incident in the No. 17, which left him two laps down, to almost win the Xfinity race at Darlington. Larson took the lead approaching the white flag but contact on the final lap while battling for the top spot led to a fifth-place finish.

JINYA RAMEN BAR CLIMBS ABOARD: Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team have landed an Official Restaurant partner in JINYA Ramen Bar. As a part of the deal that goes through 2024, JINYA will have branding on his fire suit, team apparel and a post-race hat when the No. 5 team reaches victory lane. Larson is the first Asian-American driver to become a Cup Series champion (2021). JINYA, which is a contemporary Japanese dining establishment, is known for its slow-cooked approach to ramen, made from broths simmered for 20 hours in-house. Read more about the partnership here.

JOIN HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP: Become one of 10,000+ others nationwide in working at Hendrick Automotive Group. Hendrick is hiring technicians and other positions at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Individuals who are interested can apply at HendrickCars.com.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 29th

No. 9 LLumar Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

LOOKING BACK: Last weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, Chase Elliott started from the 21st position and finished the first two stages in 13th. Early in the final stage, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native powered his way to the lead before ultimately finishing the race in seventh. It was the third top-10 finish of the season for Elliott, who missed six races due to a fractured tibia. He now has a streak of five consecutive finishes of 12th or better in just six starts in 2023. The five-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winner’s result at Kansas marked the ninth top-10 finish in his 15 career Cup Series starts on the 1.5-mile track.

DARLINGTON DATA: Sunday marks Elliott’s 13th start at Darlington Raceway in the Cup Series. In his previous 12 races at the 1.366-mile oval, he has collected three top-five finishes and five top-10s. His best finish of fourth came in the first of the track’s three races in 2020. Last spring, Elliott finished fifth at Darlington after starting at the rear of the field because he moved to a backup car. Outside of the Cup Series, he has made three Darlington starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning a win at the track during his rookie season in 2014.

KEEP IT GOING: Since Elliott’s return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Martinsville Speedway in April after recovering from a fractured tibia, he’s gained 53 points on the playoff bubble. He currently sits 29th in the Cup Series point standings, just 81 markers outside of the provisional cutline for a playoff spot. Elliott would need to gain an average of six points per race to make the playoffs as the standings are currently. In the four races since the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s return, he’s earned the sixth-most points in the series (129).

WIN AND IN: While it’s still possible for Elliott, who missed six races this season due to his injury, to make it into the playoffs on points, a win would all but guarantee a spot for the 27-year-old driver. The 2020 Cup Series champion has had a lot of success on the 14 tracks coming up on the schedule before the playoffs kick off in September. Six of his 18 career Cup Series wins have come at tracks left in the regular season.

AG IN SC: On Sunday, Alan Gustafson, No. 9 team crew chief, is set to call his 23rd Darlington race in the Cup Series. In his previous 22 starts at the track with five different drivers (Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Elliott), Gustafson has accumulated one win (2009 with Martin), five top-five finishes and nine top-10s with 222 laps led.

FITTING THROWBACK: This weekend, Elliott and the No. 9 team, along with primary sponsor LLumar, are running a special throwback look that is a nod to the driver’s father Bill Elliott’s return to the No. 9 with Evernham Motorsports. The bright red scheme flaunts the iconic stylized numeral from the original scheme, which first hit the track in 2001. The elder Elliott scored the final four victories of his legendary NASCAR Hall of Fame career in the red No. 9 paint scheme. See all the angles of the No. 9 LLumar throwback here.

75 GREATEST: The father-son duo have each been named to the coveted list of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers – Bill as one of the original 50 drivers in 1998 and Chase as part of the new 25 names announced leading up to this weekend’s race. NASCAR will recognize the group during pre-race ceremonies on Sunday at Darlington.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 9th

No. 24 Axalta Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

KANSAS KAN-DO: William Byron captured the pole on Saturday and led the opening two laps at Kansas Speedway. However, the handling of his No. 24 Chevy swung loose, forcing him into the wall and causing rear-end damage. A pit road speeding penalty and further damage led to him going three laps down. After making repairs and using strategy, the No. 24 team was able to reclaim all of their laps, making it back on the lead lap before the end of stage two. Byron regained the lead on lap 213. Continuing to run up front through the remainder of the race, he ultimately crossed the finish line in third – his third consecutive top-10 finish which is the longest active streak by any driver.

24 POWER: Byron and the No. 24 team continue to be one of the front runners during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. So far this year, he is tied with two other drivers, including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, for the most wins in the series (two). Byron ranks first in laps led (589), laps run in the top five (1,531) and is tied with three other drivers (including Larson) for the most top-five finishes (five). He also ranks fourth in laps run in the top 10 (1,991). The Charlotte, North Carolina, native holds the second-best average running position this season (9.66) – one of only two drivers to have a top-10 average running position.

DARLINGTON DEETS: Entering Sunday’s race with nine previous Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Byron is looking to capitalize on his previously strong showings and continuing to have a little luck along the way. Despite running well in most of his Darlington starts, his results do not accurately represent the strength he has shown. Byron has a track-best finish of fourth (September 2021) among his two top-five finishes and three top-10s. In this race last year, Byron was leading with two laps to go before being moved out of the way and ultimately finishing 13th.

THE FUGLE FILES: When the Cup Series returns to Darlington, it will mark the fifth trip to the South Carolina track for crew chief Rudy Fugle at the top level of NASCAR. In his past four Cup Series starts, Fugle has collected one top-five finish, two top-10s and 74 laps led. Prior to his Cup Series career, Fugle had only three previous starts at Darlington – two in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

THROWIN’ IT BACK: For this weekend’s historic race at the 1.366-mile track, Axalta unveiled Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet for this weekend’s throwback event last month. Paying tribute to Jeff Gordon, the No. 24 Axalta Chevy dons the iconic Chromalusion paint scheme that Gordon ran during the 1998 All-Star Race. That season, Gordon won 13 points-paying races and seven pole awards en route to his third Cup Series championship. That car also recognized NASCAR’s 50th anniversary. Similarly, Byron’s will sport the 75th anniversary logo. For a closer look at Byron’s throwback scheme, click here.

DOUBLE UP: In addition to his full-time driving duties in the Cup Series behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Byron will also compete in the Truck Series race this weekend with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) at Darlington. This is the third time Byron has pulled double duty in 2023 and will mark his second Truck Series start of the season. Byron is returning to the team that he got his NASCAR national series start in and will run the No. 51 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado on Friday. With KBM, Byron has 25 starts, winning an unprecedented seven race wins en route to collecting rookie of the year honors and narrowly missing the Championship 4 race in 2016.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: Through 12 races, the No. 24 pit crew tops the board with the fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.227 seconds. The group consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler). They also had the fastest four-tire pit stop in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway at 11.278 seconds.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE OF MIND: While the fueler on the No. 24 team hails from North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Walker also has significant ties to the southernmost Carolina state, having played football at Clemson University. The former college offensive tackle earned a scholarship to Clemson in 2007 after being named an All-American offensive lineman in his hometown at East Wilkes High School. At Clemson, Walker recorded 3,131 snaps with 49 starts at tackle through four seasons at the university. In 2011, Walker was named team captain, the same season Clemson went on to win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. The college football standout was then recruited by Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 and earned a position as the starting fueler for the former No. 5 (now No. 24) team in 2015.

48 Josh Berry

Age: 32 (Oct. 22, 1990)

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 12th (owner’s points)

No. 48 Ally Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

BACK IN THE GAME: NASCAR’s throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway returns in 2023 and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet will don a familiar scheme. Alex Bowman paid homage to his spotter, Kevin Hamlin, who ran the red, black, and white scheme in 2007 for Chip Ganassi Racing in what was then-known as the NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series). With Bowman sidelined by injury, Josh Berry will drive the car at Darlington. Click here to see all the angles of the throwback scheme for Sunday’s race at Darlington and click here to see how Bowman surprised his spotter.

BERRY AT THE LADY IN BLACK: Heading into this weekend’s races, Berry has made four Xfinity Series starts at Darlington. He has tallied one top-five finish, two top-10s, and completed 581 of 589 laps at the 1.366-mile venue (98.6%). Berry’s best result was a runner-up finish in May 2021.

SHOT CALLER: Crew chief Blake Harris has been successful at the track “Too Tough to Tame.” In his two NASCAR Cup Series starts at the egg-shaped venue, Harris’ driver has started outside of the top 10 in both starts and helped guide his driver to two top-10 results. In addition to completing every lap in both events (100%), his driver posted an average finish of 6.5. Harris has also been part of three wins at “The Lady in Black,” including Regan Smith’s 2011 victory, which was the first victory for Furniture Row Racing.

IN GOOD COMPANY: Berry is the 12th driver in Hendrick Motorsports history to earn at least three top-10 finishes in his first six starts with the team. Those top 10s came at Phoenix Raceway (10th), Richmond Raceway (a career-best second) and Dover Motor Speedway (10th). Among the other drivers to earn three top 10s in their first six starts for the company: Jeff Gordon, Geoff Bodine, Benny Parsons, Tim Richmond and Ricky Rudd. Fellow fill-in drivers Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Randy LaJoie also accomplished this.

LET THEM COOK: The No. 48 pit crew flexed their muscles, completing the fifth-fastest four-tire pit stop of the 2023 Cup Series season in 9.576 seconds on lap 140 at Kansas Speedway. The team also had the best four-tire stop average in last month’s race at Richmond at 10.388 seconds. The five-man crew consists of Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Allen Holman (jackman), Scott Riddle (tire carrier) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /

Hendrick Motorsports

2023All-TimeDarlington
Races121,32164
Wins4*295*14*
Poles5*244*8
Top 515*1,205*52*
Top 1023*2,068*87*
Laps Led1,226*78,543*3,643*
Stage Wins9*883

*Most **Most (tie)

CLOSING IN ON 300: Hendrick Motorsports is five points-paying victories away from 300 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 295 wins, which is the most in the sport by any one team. With four wins this season, Hendrick Motorsports has posted its 36th multi-win season in the Cup Series. The organization has won at least two races in each of the last 30 seasons.

FAN FEST IS COMING: Hendrick Motorsports will hold its annual fan appreciation event on May 26-27, 2023. Fan Fest will feature driver appearances, food trucks, activities for kids, photo opportunities, engine building demonstrations, pit stop exhibitions and more. Guided tours of the Hendrick Motorsports team shops will also be available. For more information about the festivities, click here.

NEW PARTNER ONBOARD: Hendrick Motorsports welcomed Hexagon to the fold this week as its official metrology hardware and software provider. Running through 2032, the 10-year agreement includes Hexagon’s presenting sponsorship of a 3,000-square-foot advanced Quality Control Lab on Hendrick Motorsports’ Concord, North Carolina, campus. For more information on the partnership, click here.

THE BEST 75: In honor of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, Darlington Raceway will recognize the sport’s 75 Greatest Drivers during the throwback weekend. Among those honored are current drivers Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. To learn more about those being honored with ties to the 14-time championship-winning squad, click here.

ON TOP AT DARLINGTON: The company’s 14 wins at the South Carolina track are the most all-time by a team. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon’s seven wins account for half of the total. Jimmie Johnson posted three wins at the 1.366-mile track, including the organization’s 200th Cup Series win in 2012. Terry Labonte, Mark Martin, Tim Richmond and Ricky Rudd each tallied one trip to victory lane at the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

SPRING REVIEW: In last year’s spring race at Darlington, Elliott led the team with a fifth-place finish in a backup car. William Byron held the lead with three laps to go (and led 24 laps on the day) but was moved out of the way by the eventual race winner coming to two to go. Larson led 30 laps before a mechanical issue impacted him in stage two.

OUT IN FRONT: Hendrick Motorsports has led the most laps this season with 1,226 circuits out front. The team has led laps in all but one race this season (Atlanta Motor Speedway in March) and has controlled the race for 38% of the laps run. Byron (589) and Larson (553) rank one-two in that statistical category. The team’s total is more than double the total of the team that ranks second (593). The 1,226 circuits in front are the fifth-most ever for the organization through 12 races. Each of the years with higher occurrences: 1996 (1,771 laps led), 1995 (1,629 laps led), 2010 (1,398 laps led) and 2007 (1,384 laps led) were championship seasons for the Concord, North Carolina, based squad.

STAGE SAVANTS: In the 2023 season, Hendrick Motorsports has a series-best nine stage wins. Three of its drivers have tallied a stage victory. Byron leads all drivers with six, while Larson has two and Elliott has one. In the stage racing era, this is tied for the second-most stage wins through 12 races. The high to this point in a season is 11 stage wins, which was accomplished by this organization in 2020.

NEXT GEN NUMBERS: Elliott and Larson are among the three drivers with the most wins in the Next Gen era. Since the start of the 2022 season, both drivers have five victories. Byron is in a three-way tie for fourth in the category with four wins.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Darlington Raceway: “I always look forward to going to Darlington (Raceway). I want to win everywhere, but especially at tracks I haven’t won at yet. Darlington would definitely be one of the top on my list of tracks I hope to win at. I’ve been really fast there before and I’m excited to race at ‘The Lady in Black’ again.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what makes Darlington a challenging track: “Kyle (Larson) loves Darlington (Raceway). I love Darlington. It is such a a great track because it is so challenging. Every aspect of the track is so much fun. It’s got the character of bumps, different lanes and different age asphalt. You’ve got the patch of (turns) one and two that is newer pavement and has a lot of grip and then the rest of the track doesn’t have much grip. It’s a track that we love going to. What it takes to get it done there, of course, is in the department of having a fast car, great execution and all of those things. I feel like we’ve done that before and it still hasn’t quite paid off for us. Hopefully, we find whatever the final tokens are that we need to get it done.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what this weekend’s throwback scheme means to him: “This one means a lot. Those years were extremely crucial, not only for the number, but I’m not even sure I would have found racing had those years not been going on. If I wasn’t exposed then, I don’t know that I’d find it. Those years impacted me heavily and certainly sparked my interest to want to try to do it.”

Elliott on racing at Darlington: “Darlington (Raceway) has been a struggle over the years. We ran really good there my first trip (in the NASCAR Xfinity Series), but really ever since then it’s been hard to be consistently strong there. Both ends of the track are really different and it’s always kind of hard to get your car exactly like you want it on both ends. Obviously, I haven’t quite figured out how to do that. If I had to give a one-word answer on racing at Darlington, it would be challenging.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what is key for running well at Darlington: “To be good at Darlington (Raceway), I think you’ve got to have a good handling car. (Turns) one and two are really fast. You have to be able to drive up the hill with security and turn and race across the center of the corner, run a lot of throttle and then turn down off of two with good front-end turn and stability. In (turns) three and four, you typically get loose into that corner and then tight through the center and free off, so it’s a barrage of issues. It’s very different loading end-to-end and how the car responds from the accelerations. It makes it tough, but it makes it really fun and gives you the opportunity to make a difference, you know, both with the car and the driver. I love the place. It’s one of the most unique tracks we’ve got and it’s super specific.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what he expects for this weekend: “Darlington (Raceway) is one of the tracks I really like racing at. You have to manage tires throughout a run because the surface is so old and really uses tires up. We had a hot slick surface last weekend to race on and had a couple tires ‘slip’ because of it. This weekend will be similar in that situation but you really have to manage them throughout the entire run as well. You can’t go too hard early on because you’ll fall off too much in the end. I think running the truck race on Friday will help with that as well. It will help me get up to speed on what the track characteristics are like since we were there last fall.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what makes Darlington a good race: “You have two completely different ends to Darlington (Raceway). (Turns) one and two you will run a lot of throttle and you’ll be pretty close to the wall. Going into (turn) three you’re going to have to stomp on the brakes, and you can get fairly low or you can rip the wall, but just know you’ll get loose at that end of the track if you do. It makes for a heck of a race. It’s one of those races that you don’t get the full experience unless you watch it in person. If you could get down there and sit in turn four to see how sideways the cars are, you’ll see how crazy it is to drive those things.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for Darlington: “Darlington (Raceway) is one of my favorite tracks. It’s a little older and it has a lot of character. It burns tires off and is one of the highest tire degradation tracks we go to, so typically I think it is one of the best races we have. There are a lot of driver inputs and guys who are good at managing their stuff can utilize their ability to do that this weekend. There is a lot that comes into play from the set-up perspective as well. I have had a couple of Southern 500 wins there with other drivers before joining Hendrick Motorsports. When I went to Colorado to join Furniture Row (Racing), we were kind of an underdog team and winning the Southern 500 was the victory that put us on the map. So, I think because of that win, it’s always been a special place for me – and it’s close to home, so I get a little more time at home with my family.”

Harris, on what it takes to win at Darlington: “Darlington (Raceway) is one of those places that if you win a race, it doesn’t matter which one, there is something gritty about that. The guys that can just get up on the wheel, get after it all day, put it all together and survive show a lot of talent. The evolution of the race is the toughest part. You have guys that are going to get into the wall or blow a tire or slide into someone else and lose their cool and there are a lot of pit stops. Darlington is one of the places that has so many layers just to get to the final stage on the lead lap and that doesn’t even take into account the fact that you need a good handling car.”

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Preview: Darlington Raceway

Race Information

  • Round: NASCAR Cup Series race No. 13 of 36
  • Track Location: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C.
  • Race Name: Goodyear 400
  • Broadcast: Sunday, May 14th at 3:00 PM ET live on FS1 (TV), MRN (Radio) Sirius XM NASCAR Ch. 90
  • Team Entrants:

No. 42 | Noah Gragson & Luke Lambert – Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet Camaro Zl1
No. 43 | Erik Jones & Dave Elenz – Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL

Noah Gragson, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Darlington Raceway Stats

  • NXS Starts: – Starts: 7; Best start: 1st Best finish: 1st (2021 & 2022) Top 5s: 5, Top 10s: 7; Laps led: 253

2023 NCS Season Stats

  • Starts: 12, Best start: 10th; Best finish: 12th (Atlanta); Laps led: 2; Current points position: 32nd
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Win Races, Climb Fences: Noah Gragson hasn’t competed at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series, but he and crew chief Luke Lambert have a very good track record in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 1.366-mile speedway. Gragson’s first win at the South Carolina track came on Sept. 4, 2021, when he snapped a 49-race winless streak with a wild overtime finish. To commemorate the breakthrough win, Gragson and the team climbed the catchfence to celebrate the victory with the fans. Gragson followed it up by dominating the same race one year later on Sept. 3, 2022, by leading 85 laps and once again celebrating with the fans and team by climbing the fence.

Darlington Throwback Inspiration: The paint scheme Gragson chose for this weekend’s Goodyear 400 is the same red-white-and blue livery driven by LEGACY MOTOR CLUB co-owner Jimmie Johnson in the 2014 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson started that race on the pole and led 164 laps en route to his first win of the 2014 season, and his fourth win in NASCAR’s longest race. This dominating performance and iconic paint scheme led to the inspiration behind Gragson’s decision for the tribute paint scheme on the No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet.

Tribute Decal: Gragson was only three years old when LEGACY M.C. co-owner Jimmie Johnson made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 7, 2001. Johnson did so with the heaviest of hearts, as he mourned the loss of his best friend, Blaise Alexander, who had lost his life at the track just three days before. Alexander, who was 25 at the time, suffered fatal injuries in an on-track accident in the ARCA Series event on Oct. 4, 2001. One of Johnson’s crew members, who was also friends with Alexander, drew flames and Alexander’s initials (BR for Blaise Racing) on the front left bumper of Johnson’s car. Johnson made the next 686 starts of his Cup Series career with the decal on his racecar, winning 83 times. Years later, Johnson would add tail number “501RH” inside the flame, to honor the 10 members of the Hendrick Motorsports family lost on Oct. 24. 2004, in a tragic plane crash. Gragson wanted the throwback to be special for Johnson, and the addition of the decal made it even more meaningful.

JJ Is Also ‘Too Tough to Tame’: Seven-time Cup Series champion Johnson knows a thing or two about Darlington Raceway. He has three wins after sweeping both events in the 2004 season and then scored a third win eight years later. In 24 starts at Darlington, Johnson qualified second three times, has nine top-five, 13 top-10 finishes, and has 563 laps led. Johnson and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Herb Thomas are the only drivers to win at least three times at Darlington without ever winning a pole there.

Quoting Noah Gragson: “I’m really excited for Darlington this weekend, I’ve had some success there in the past and the throwback paint scheme honoring Jimmie Johnson is going to be really special . It’s a great track for this team, Luke and I really had some good runs there in Xfinity and Erik (Jones) is really strong there. It should be a solid weekend for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Darlington Raceway Stats

  • NCS Starts: 10; Best start: 7th; Best finish: 1st (2019 & 2022); Top 5s: 5; Top 10s: 7; Laps led: 132
  • NXS Starts: 2; Best start: 10th; Best finish: 4th

2023 NCS Season Stats

  • Starts: 12; Best start: 8th; Best finish: 6th; Top 10s: 2, Laps led: 17, Current points position: 24th

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Stage points in Kansas: After starting 19th, Erik Jones had a roller coaster of a day at Kansas Speedway. He recovered from two spins, collected points by finishing fourth in Stage 2 and battled until the end to finish 21st. Jones remains 24th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings.

‘Petty’ like it’s 1968: In 1968, Richard Petty drove the iconic black-top Plymouth to victory lane 16 times. That season, Petty won 12 pole positions, while scoring 25 top-five, and 34 top-10 finishes in 49 starts.

Throwback Inspiration: A key highlight of that 1968 season came when Petty was leading the Daytona 500 and sustained damage to the top of the windshield, causing the roof to separate from the windshield. Petty brought the No. 43 to the pits and the attention of his crew chief Dale Inman to fix. To everyone’s surprise, Petty jumped out of the car, grabbed a hammer and began hitting the roof of the car in an effort to fix the damage. Inman and crew brought out duct tape, and taped the windshield in place, sending the No. 43 back into the race. Petty and Inman finished eighth on the day, despite the major disruption to their race.

The Lady and The King: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team ambassador Richard Petty leads all drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway with 65 starts. ‘The King’, who holds the all-time wins record with 200, won just three times at “The Lady in Black’. He has 25 top-five and 34 top-10 finishes and has led 2,391 laps at the South Carolina egg-shaped track. All three of Petty’s wins came in a stretch of four races from 1966-1967.

Dave knows Darlington: Crew chief Dave Elenz has 11 starts at Darlington in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series combined. He won the 2021 Xfinity Series race with Noah Gragson and most recently won the 2022 Southern 500 with Jones, ending a 110-race drought for the driver and giving team owner Maury Gallagher his first NASCAR Cup Series win. Additionally, Elenz was the lead engineer on the No. 48 team of Jimmie Johnson when they won the Southern 500 on May 11, 2012. Johnson started second, finished first leading 134 laps, and scored the historic 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports that night.

Jones is “Too Tough To Tame”: Jones is a two-time winner at Darlington Raceway. The 26-year old has 10 starts at the Darlington, S.C., track throughout his NASCAR Cup Series career, scoring two historic wins, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes with 132 laps led.

Erik in the FOX Booth: Jones will be in the FOX broadcast booth on Saturday, May 13th for the NASCAR Xfinity Series coverage of the Shriners Children’s 200. Coverage begins at 1:30 pm ET on FOX.

May is Melanoma Awareness Month: The month of May is Melanoma and Skin Care awareness – a cause very dear to the Jones family, as early cancer detection and care is one of the three pillars of the Erik Jones Foundation (EJF). Cancer detection and care have been a priority for Jones since his father, Dave, succumbed to the disease in 2016. Last October, Jones and his family attended the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) Gala in New York City, where Jones accepted the 2022 Courage Award on behalf of his late father. For more information visit: www.erikjonesracing.com/foundation/.

Quoting Erik Jones: “Darlington will be a cool weekend. The ‘throwback’ weekend is always fun especially with the No. 43 Chevrolet the last few seasons. Just being able to run that car with the “Petty Blue” on it is an honor. I always love going there, Darlington has been a good track for me, been a good track for our team. So, hopefully we can get there, have the same kind of speed that we had last year, put a good race together, and contend. I look forward to it and hopefully we will have a great race.”

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 ZL1 for drivers Noah Gragson and Erik Jones, 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.

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TEAM CHEVY NASCAR RACE ADVANCE: Darlington Raceway

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Goodyear 400
Darlington Raceway
Darlington, South Carolina
May 14, 2023

CELEBRATING THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

As the celebration of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary continues, all three of NASCAR’s national series are on the horizon of the annual “Throwback Weekend” at Darlington Raceway, where drivers and teams across the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will pay tribute to the sport’s history.

The 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval has been a staple piece of NASCAR’s history, holding a spot on the series’ schedule since 1950. Famously known as the “Lady in Black”, the South Carolina venue has been the site of the annual “Throwback Weekend” since 2015. The sixth tripleheader race weekend of 2023, Chevrolet will head to Darlington Raceway as the winningest manufacturer of the season across all three NASCAR national series.

TOO TOUGH TO TAME? 

Known as one of the most challenging tracks on the circuit, Chevrolet has a storied history at the “Track Too Tough to Tame”, collecting a series-best 42 wins in 123 NASCAR Cup Series races. 21 different drivers have contributed to Chevrolet’s win record at Darlington Raceway including Herb Thomas, who produced the Bowtie brand’s first win at the track in 1955 behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Bel Air.

The NCS’ most recent appearance at Darlington Raceway saw Erik Jones park his No. 43 Camaro ZL1 in victory lane for a playoff upset win in the Cook Out Southern 500 (Sept. 2022). The triumph in the crown jewel event was also a monumental feat for the iconic No. 43 with Jones’ victory giving the car number that was made famous by Richard Petty its 200th all-time win.


WIN STREAKS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

In NASCAR’s more than 70 year history at Darlington Raceway, 13 different drivers are credited with posting consecutive wins at the track in NASCAR’s premier series. Topping that elite list is Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was the first driver to post three consecutive wins at the track – all behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine (Sept. 1989, April and Sept. 1990). Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon went on to match Earnhardt Sr.’s three-race winning streak at the track – collecting three of his seven career NCS victories at Darlington Raceway in the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

FIGHTING FOR FIVE-IN-A-ROW AT DARLINGTON

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will return to the track after a one-week break with Saturday’s Shriners Children’s 200 at Darlington Raceway – the series’ 11th race of the 2023 season. The NXS made its debut at the 1.366-mile oval in 1982 and the South Carolina track has since hosted 65 races for the series. Chevrolet has amassed 21 all-time NXS wins at the track – including wins in the series’ past four races at the track courtesy of JR Motorsports (Justin Allgaier – May 2021 & May 2022; Noah Gragson – Sept. 2021 & Sept. 2022).

Three of Chevrolet’s NASCAR Cup Series regulars will be doing the Darlington double, also climbing behind the wheel of a Camaro SS for Saturday’s 200-mile event.

  • Kyle Larson will add his name to the star-studded lineup for Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Camaro SS – marking his first NXS start of the season. The former NCS Champion will be the fifth NCS regular to get behind the wheel of Kaulig Racing’s “All-Star” car this season, joining fellow Team Chevy drivers Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Haley. Darlington Raceway is the site of Larson’s most recent NXS start, collecting a top-five finish in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS.
  • For the first time since September 2018, Ty Dillon is set to return to the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) NXS stable behind the wheel of the No. 3 Camaro SS. The 31-year-old North Carolina native has 134 career NXS starts in the RCR entry, collecting 84 top-10 finishes. The No. 3 RCR Camaro SS made its series’ debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2002 and the entry has since seen an elite group of drivers behind the wheel including the Dillon brothers (Ty and Austin), Mike Porter, Jeff Green, Ron Hornaday Jr., Steve Park and Shane Lee.
  • Ross Chastain will take over the driving duties of the No. 91 DGM Racing Camaro SS for his second NXS start of the season. Chastain first joined DGM Racing last season, with the 30-year-old Florida native driving the team to a fourth-place finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (July 2022). Chastain will also make his third consecutive NCTS start of the season this weekend, returning to the seat of the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Silverado RST. In four NCTS starts this season, he’s powered the team to a pole win (COTA) and two top-five finishes (COTA and Kansas).  
    ENFINGER’S WIN MOVES GMS RACING CLOSER TO MILESTONE VICTORY WITH CHEVROLET

GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 Silverado RST team will head to Darlington Raceway with added momentum as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ most recent winner. Sporting a special Chevy Military Appreciation paint scheme, Enfinger drove his No. 23 Silverado RST to the team’s first win of the season at Kansas Speedway last weekend – also securing a berth into the series’ playoffs for a run at the championship title. The triumph marked Enfinger’s eighth career NCTS victory – with each of those victories recorded at a different race track on the series’ circuit.

The 38-year-old Alabama native’s victory moved GMS Racing one step closer to a milestone victory with Chevrolet. Enfinger delivered GMS Racing its 43rd all-time NCTS win – all of which have been recorded with Chevrolet. The organization now ties Kevin Harvick Incorporated as the winningest Chevrolet team in NCTS history, playing a large part in the manufacturer’s storied history in the series.

“Chevrolet has been a partner of Maury’s (Gallagher) since the team’s inception 10 years ago,” said Enfinger following the win. “They’ve been a huge part of this truck series team. Chevrolet has been great to us.”

The victory marked Chevrolet’s 266th all-time NCTS victory – extending its record as the winningest manufacturer in NCTS history.

“Chevrolet has been a heck of a partner and continues to be a great partner,” continued Enfinger. “They were on our truck with a beautiful paint scheme with the Chevy Military Appreciation initiative, so just very, very thankful. It’s not just been Mike (Beam), Maury (Gallagher) and the guys at GMS Racing that has put the effort behind this – it’s been Dayne (Pierantoni, Chevrolet Program Manager – NASCAR Truck Series) and everybody at Chevrolet that has been behind this effort and they continue to stand behind it.”

NCTS HITS HALFWAY POINT IN REGULAR-SEASON

At the drop of the checkered flag at Kansas Speedway last weekend, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is officially halfway through the series’ 16-race regular-season. A look at Chevrolet’s 2023 NCTS season highlights, to date:

· Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading four wins in eight NCTS races thus far this season – recorded by four drivers from four different Chevrolet teams. The manufacturer’s first NCTS win of the season came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when Kyle Busch drove his No. 51 KBM Silverado RST to victory lane – the organization’s first win since joining Chevrolet at the beginning of the season. Chevrolet NCTS regulars that have also collected a win for the Bowtie brand this season includes Christian Eckes (Atlanta Motor Speedway), Carson Hocevar (Texas Motor Speedway) and Grant Enfinger (Kansas Speedway).

· Team Chevy drivers account for four of the top-10 positions in the NCTS’ driver points standings – with each driver coming from a different Chevrolet team. GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes lead the Bowtie brigade from the fifth- and sixth-positions, respectively – both already securing a playoff spot by virtue of a win. NCTS rookie contender Nick Sanchez (No. 2 Rev Racing Silverado RST) is ninth, and Matt DiBenedetto (No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Silverado RST) rounds out the top-10.

· Chevrolet continues to lead in the NCTS’ manufacturer points standings, heading into the second-half of the regular-season with a 10-point advantage over its competitors.


BOWTIE BULLETS:

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

Erik Jones – 2 (2022, 2019)

Kyle Busch – 1 (2008)

· In 123 NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 43 victories, including the series most recent visit at the track (Erik Jones – 2022).

· 13 drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history have captured consecutive wins at Darlington Raceway. Dale Earnhardt Sr. (1989-1990) and Jeff Gordon (1995-1996) top the list with three consecutive wins each – all recorded with Chevrolet.

· Only three drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are repeat winners this season, all coming from Team Chevy (William Byron – Las Vegas & Phoenix; Kyle Larson – Richmond & Martinsville; Kyle Busch – Auto Club and Talladega).

· In 12 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (seven), top-fives (28), top-10s (51), stage wins (13) and laps led (1,619).

· Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with seven victories in 12 NASCAR Cup Series races, six victories in 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and four wins in eight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.

· Grant Enfinger’s win at Kansas Speedway marked GMS Racing’s 43rd all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, tying Kevin Harvick Incorporated as the winningest Chevrolet organization in NCTS history.

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

· Chevrolet drivers have recorded 13 of the 24 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (six; series-leading), Ross Chastain (four), Kyle Larson (two) and Chase Elliott (one).

· Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 30 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 28 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 10 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 840 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 – Goodyear 400; 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 14

(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series – Shriners Children’s 200

(FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Buckle Up South Carolina 200; 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 12

(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)


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

Can you talk about driving the Worldwide Express, UPS scheme this weekend?

“It was really cool that Worldwide Express chose a Dale Jarrett UPS paint scheme. There is a natural connection for Worldwide Express to select that scheme. WWEX is actually the largest UPS authorized reseller. So there’s a business connection for them choosing it and Dale made that paint scheme very visible during his career. So many fans and people remember Dale driving the brown and white scheme, and all of the commercials they used to do.”

What do you think about Darlington?

“I like going to Darlington. It’s such a unique track and I love how challenging it is. Every corner is so unique and it’s so challenging to get your car set to turn well at the track. This weekend I’ll be able to get a lot of laps in by running all three series. It’s a fun weekend with it being throwback and all of the excitement that surrounds it.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Darlington Raceway?

“I’ve always loved Darlington Raceway. It’s a historic track and a lot of drivers and teams circle it at the beginning of the year as a place they would love to win at, myself included. We finished second at Darlington a couple of years ago. It’s a demanding track. Darlington is a place that falls off, so tire management becomes important, and I really like that. It’s nice that we’re going to place that long run speed matters a bit.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1

Larson on racing at Darlington Raceway:

“I always look forward to going to Darlington (Raceway). I want to win everywhere, but especially at tracks I haven’t won at yet. Darlington would definitely be one of the top on my list of tracks I hope to win at. I’ve been really fast there before and I’m excited to race at ‘The Lady in Black’ again.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1

Daniels on what makes Darlington a challenging track:

“Kyle (Larson) loves Darlington (Raceway). I love Darlington. It is such a great track because it is so challenging. Every aspect of the track is so much fun. It’s got the character of bumps, different lanes and different age asphalt. You’ve got the patch of (turns) one and two that is newer pavement and has a lot of grip and then the rest of the track doesn’t have much grip. It’s a track that we love going to. What it takes to get it done there, of course, is in the department of having a fast car, great execution and all of those things. I feel like we’ve done that before and it still hasn’t quite paid off for us. Hopefully, we find whatever the final tokens are that we need to get it done.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 LUCAS OIL CAMARO ZL1

What is the key to running well at Darlington? Can the driver make a bigger difference in the car’s performance at Darlington than at another track?

“The biggest thing about Darlington is that it’s a very comprising racetrack. Turns 1 and 2 are so different than Turns 3 and 4 so having a good compromise between the two ends of the racetrack really means a lot there to have a good day. You also have to search around and find different grooves throughout the race and what works for you and your car and also traffic. If you’ve got a guy in front of you that’s running your line, you’ve got to find another line that you can run just as well so you can get some clean air on your car in order to make a pass. With the fast speeds that you have at Darlington, even though it’s a tight mile-and-a third racetrack, aerodynamics is a huge factor. Getting clean air on your car, especially through the majority of the run, is important because now tire falloff is so big that you have to have that grip as much as you can have of it.”

How special is your win at Darlington in 2008? You led the most laps and beat Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon for the victory.

“Winning at Darlington in 2008 was cool because that was my first Crown Jewel win. It was also early on in my first year at JGR. It was a repave at Darlington so it was a new surface and it made passing and racing around that track very challenging because the speeds were so high. I remember bouncing off the wall a few times and maybe it made the car faster each time I did, I don’t know, but it seemed like we kept on digging and kept on going fast. That was really cool to score that win there and I’ve been close a couple of other times, which is very frustrating, because I want to win there again and be more than just a one-time Southern 500 winner.”

You have recently experienced more than your share of misfortune at Darlington. How important is it to turn that around in a few weeks?

“It’s just been really, really frustrating. Last year we had an engine blow up while leading. I think two or three years before that we were running second and just couldn’t pass the leader in the last run of the race and finished second. There was another year there where I blew a right-front tire with two to go and there was another year where I was leading in the final run, had a flat tire and I had to pit. It’s been a lot of misfortune at Darlington but it would certainly mean a lot to get another win there.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on what this weekend’s throwback scheme means to him:

“This one means a lot. Those years were extremely crucial, not only for the number, but I’m not even sure I would have found racing had those years not been going on. If I wasn’t exposed then, I don’t know that I’d find it. Those years impacted me heavily and certainly sparked my interest to want to try to do it.”

Elliott on racing at Darlington:

“Darlington (Raceway) has been a struggle over the years. We ran really good there my first trip (in the NASCAR Xfinity Series), but really ever since then it’s been hard to be consistently strong there. Both ends of the track are really different and it’s always kind of hard to get your car exactly like you want it on both ends. Obviously, I haven’t quite figured out how to do that. If I had to give a one-word answer on racing at Darlington, it would be challenging.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson on what is key for running well at Darlington:

“To be good at Darlington (Raceway), I think you’ve got to have a good handling car. (Turns) one and two are really fast. You have to be able to drive up the hill with security and turn and race across the center of the corner, run a lot of throttle and then turn down off of two with good front-end turn and stability. In (turns) three and four, you typically get loose into that corner and then tight through the center and free off, so it’s a barrage of issues. It’s very different loading end-to-end and how the car responds from the accelerations. It makes it tough, but it makes it really fun and gives you the opportunity to make a difference, you know, both with the car and the driver. I love the place. It’s one of the most unique tracks we’ve got and it’s super specific.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1

Byron on what he expects for this weekend:

“Darlington (Raceway) is one of the tracks I really like racing at. You have to manage tires throughout a run because the surface is so old and really uses tires up. We had a hot slick surface last weekend to race on and had a couple tires ‘slip’ because of it. This weekend will be similar in that situation but you really have to manage them throughout the entire run as well. You can’t go too hard early on because you’ll fall off too much in the end. I think running the truck race on Friday will help with that as well. It will help me get up to speed on what the track characteristics are like since we were there last fall.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1

Fugle on what makes Darlington a good race:

“You have two completely different ends to Darlington (Raceway). (Turns) one and two you will run a lot of throttle and you’ll be pretty close to the wall. Going into (turn) three you’re going to have to stomp on the brakes, and you can get fairly low or you can rip the wall, but just know you’ll get loose at that end of the track if you do. It makes for a heck of a race. It’s one of those races that you don’t get the full experience unless you watch it in person. If you could get down there and sit in turn four to see how sideways the cars are, you’ll see how crazy it is to drive those things.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1

“We had a really great finish at Darlington last year, one of my best in the Cup Series, so I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to turn our luck around. Darlington is a track that has been up and down for me – it’s definitely a driver’s track. I feel like tires will wear and strategy will be really important. Hopefully we can get some speed back in our race cars and have another good showing at the Lady in Black.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1

“Darlington will be a cool weekend. The “throwback” weekend is always fun especially with the No. 43 Chevrolet the last few seasons. Just being able to run that car with the “Petty Blue” on it is an honor. I always love going there, Darlington has been a good track for me, been a good track for our team. So, hopefully we can get there, have the same kind of speed that we had last year, put a good race together, and contend. I look forward to it and hopefully have solid day.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / COUNTRY CROCK CAMARO ZL1

”Darlington is one of the most physical tracks we go to. Timewise it feels like it’s as long, if not longer, than the Coca-Cola 600 sometimes because it’s just a grueling race. It’s tough on equipment, tough on the driver, tough on the pit crews. We will be making a lot of pit stops. Every time there is a caution, we will come in and get tires. It’s a tough race on everyone. For us, it’s about having a good balanced race car. You don’t have to be the fastest, but you have got to have a car that’s driving good and maintaining the same speed throughout the run. It’s also about eliminating mistakes. You are going to have some green flag pit stops, which is tricky at Darlington. The heat will be a factor. We’ve had a couple hot races the last two races, but I feel good in the race car and my training is good. I’m not really worried about that issue. It’s going to be a tough test for everyone.”

BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1

Harris on preparing for Darlington:

“Darlington (Raceway) is one of my favorite tracks. It’s a little older and it has a lot of character. It burns tires off and is one of the highest tire degradation tracks we go to, so typically I think it is one of the best races we have. There are a lot of driver inputs and guys who are good at managing their stuff can utilize their ability to do that this weekend. There is a lot that comes into play from the set-up perspective as well. I have had a couple of Southern 500 wins there with other drivers before joining Hendrick Motorsports. When I went to Colorado to join Furniture Row (Racing), we were kind of an underdog team and winning the Southern 500 was the victory that put us on the map. So, I think because of that win, it’s always been a special place for me – and it’s close to home, so I get a little more time at home with my family.”

Harris on what it takes to win at Darlington:

“Darlington (Raceway) is one of those places that if you win a race, it doesn’t matter which one, there is something gritty about that. The guys that can just get up on the wheel, get after it all day, put it all together and survive show a lot of talent. The evolution of the race is the toughest part. You have guys that are going to get into the wall or blow a tire or slide into someone else and lose their cool and there are a lot of pit stops. Darlington is one of the places that has so many layers just to get to the final stage on the lead lap and that doesn’t even take into account the fact that you need a good handling car.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 QUAKER STATE CAMARO ZL1

How do you feel going to Darlington?

“We have had speed in the car this season, but for a variety of reasons we haven’t gotten the finish we deserve. It’s going to come here soon. Hopefully this weekend in Darlington.”

What do you think about your Darlington paint scheme?

“I watched a video of Ricky’s career the other day and it’s obvious that he was a great driver and one tough man. We hope this paint scheme reminds the older generation of fans of happy times watching Ricky Rudd race and teaches the younger generation about his accomplishments.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

Now that you and your team have a win in the bank, what are some of your most important goals before the playoffs start?

“Our immediate goals for how we approach Darlington don’t necessarily change. However, if there’s a strategy play, we can be more aggressive with our calls and I can drive more aggressively. That mindset can change for some of the other races, but we are focused on getting better as a team and clicking off more wins. The countless hours of hard work that everybody at GMS has put into our Champion Power Equipment Chevy paid off for us last week, but we are always hungry for more and I’m excited to see where we can stack up before the time the playoffs roll around.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RST

Kansas was a great sign of competitiveness for you and your team, how can you parlay that into a better weekend in Darlington?

“It’s a big vote of confidence and a testament not only to the capability, effort and sacrifices of the men and woman on my 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Silverado, but also the work of everyone at GMS Racing, GMS Fabrication, our body hangers, General Motors and Chevrolet. I can’t wait to tackle another historic NASCAR facility and hopefully make it to the end with a solid result.”

DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 RACE TO STOP SUICIDE SILVERADO RST

Darlington is undoubtedly one of the tougher tracks for a rookie to go to for the first time, what comes to your mind racing here?

“As a driver, you always hear about Darlington being tough. I’m looking forward to the challenge and will be leaning on my teammates and their experience and utilizing our sim time to make the most of our weekend. We’re going to take advantage of practice as much as we can and learn throughout the entire race with our No. 43 team at GMS Racing.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST

You had a tough race at Kansas. Are you glad that there is another race on the schedule right away?

“I’m glad that we are strapping right back into our trucks not even a week later. That’s a really good thing mentally as a driver — having an opportunity to get a good finish and quickly get your confidence back.”

Darlington is a unique race track. How do you attack the race Friday night?

“Obviously it requires a lot of focus and it’s a driver’s race track. It’s important to have a truck that is stable enough and has enough security to run up against the wall and be aggressive. I think the driver who can run on top and run against the wall the best is going to be the driver to beat. You have to keep the nose on it and stay clean — don’t make mistakes like we did last weekend. It’s back to the drawing board this weekend and it’s an opportunity to have a good point’s day and put ourselves back in contention — if we do everything right maybe even come out with a win.”

At what point do you start looking at where you stand on the playoff grid?

“I’ve already started looking at it and it’s already been on my mind. I know we are 11th in driver’s points and we’re sitting 12th in playoff points — I think we’re 18 points out or something like that. Realistically we are only one good day away from being in, but obviously we’d like to win and guarantee ourselves a spot.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 51 HENDRICKCARS.COM SILVERADO RST

Are you looking forward to racing in a truck at Darlington?

“I really, really love racing at Darlington and I’m looking forward to racing there for the first time in a truck on Friday night. It was really fun being back in the Truck Series with KBM at the Bristol dirt race. It’s funny when I got in the truck it was the same smells and same feelings inside the truck — that was the cool part. I felt all those feelings I used to feel, and it was really fun. Obviously, it was on dirt and things were a little bit different than normal, but now that I’ve got a race under my belt with everybody on this No. 51 HENDRICKCARS.COM team and I was able to get reacclimated to driving a truck, we’re ready to go out and do everything we can to try and win a couple races these next two weeks.”


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: 7

Poles: 4

Laps Led: 1,619

Top-five finishes: 28

Top-10 finishes: 51

Stage wins: 13

· Ross Chastain – 4 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover)

· William Byron – 6 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover)

· Kyle Larson – 2 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt)

· Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 840 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 738

Laps led to date: 247,163

Top-five finishes to date: 4,249

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,763

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,174

       Chevrolet: 840

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 821                                                           

       Ford: 721

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 174

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

Sanchez Throws It Back to a Racing Legend at Darlington Raceway

Concord, NC- As part of NASCAR’s “Throwback Weekend” at Darlington Raceway, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez will honor racing legend Mario Andretti at the Buckle Up South Carolina 200 this Friday (5.12).

With primary sponsorship from Gainbridge, Sanchez’s No. 2 Chevrolet will run the Andretti scheme, which found its way to Victory Lane in the 1967 Daytona 500. To date, Andretti remains the only driver to win an Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and the Formula One Championship.

Andretti will also join Sanchez and Rev Racing in Darlington to see the Holman-Moody paint scheme on Sanchez’s Chevy Silverado. Both Andretti and Sanchez are both very excited for the upcoming festivities. Sanchez has already had an incredible rookie start this season, compiling 1 top-5, 3 top 10s and 2 poles in 8 races. He also led the most laps in the 2023 NCTS at 187. Sanchez hopes to recreate this victorious moment in history in honor of Andretti and Darlington’s Throwback Weekend.

“The name Mario Andretti is synonymous with auto racing,” said Nick Sanchez. “To get to honor his legacy and his famous Daytona 500 win in 1967 is very special. The chance to meet a legend like Mario is also incredibly special. As a young driver, what he’s accomplished in motorsports is something I can only dream about for my future. Thanks to the Gainbridge and Rev Racing team for organizing this special throwback opportunity.”

Andretti is humbled and sincerely appreciative that Rev Racing and Gainbridge will honor and recognize a livery so important to his career.

“I was full of pride when I learned that Gainbridge and Rev Racing were paying tribute to me this way,” said Andretti. “The effort they are going through to present this commemorative truck is flattering. Thank you to the team for that effort and also for acknowledging my part in NASCAR history. I look forward to seeing Nick carry the design from my 1967 car. I hope this winning paint scheme will be a good omen for him and that he’ll get a victory. “

Andretti and Sanchez will be doing a Live Q&A at the Goodyear Legend’s Display in the Fan Zone starting at 5:00 PM ET, followed by a NASCAR Legends Autograph Session from 5:20 – 5:40 PM ET on May 12. Sanchez and Andretti will be autographing and donating Nick’s throwback firesuit, post-race, for auction with all proceeds going to the NASCAR Foundation.

The NCTS practice session is set for 3:05 PM ET, before a qualifying session at 3:35 PM ET. The green flag will wave at 7:30 PM ET and can be watched on FS1, MRN, Sirius XM and live streamed on the Fox Sports App or Rev social media.

About Rev Racing: Rev Racing seeks to obtain the highest quality applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. Started by Max Siegel in 2009, Rev Racing manages the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Rev Racing currently operates and manages drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and a youth racing initiative.

Kris Wright NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series News and Notes

KRIS WRIGHT
No. 02 WrightCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series News and Notes
Event: Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Date: Friday, May 12
Venue: Darlington Raceway
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Track Description: 1.366 miles
Race: 147 laps / 200.8 miles

Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR … Kris Wright pays tribute to Chip Ganassi with a throwback paint scheme that will appear on the Young’s Motorsports No. 02 WrightCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST at the Darlington Raceway. Wright will honor the Pittsburgh, Pa., – native with the recreation of the Chip Ganassi Racing 2007 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) red and black scheme that was victorious at the Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

Earning his first career win, Juan Pablo Montoya made history as the third foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series event. The hard-charging Colombian displayed his road-racing prowess, overcoming a 32nd place qualifying effort climbing through the field, using NASCAR’s new Car of Tomorrow chassis for the first time on a road course. He became the first driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway after starting further back than 13th place.

On Board … Family-owned and operated, WrightCars.com adorns the Young’s Motorsports No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST at the Darlington Raceway. As a respected Wexford dealer serving the Pittsburgh, Cranberry and Beaver areas, Wright Automotive Group’s six locations carry an extensive inventory of new and used luxury cars and SUVs.

The Lady in Black Statistics … This weekend marks Kris Wright’s fourth NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) appearance at the Darlington Raceway, one of the oldest and most historic racetracks. The Pittsburgh, Pa., – native has three starts at the Darlington Raceway. Wright made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series track debut at the Darlington Raceway on May 7, 2021.

In addition, Wright has one NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) start (2022) at the Darlington Raceway. Speedway Stats: This weekend marks Kris Wright’s 23 rd speedway (tracks 1 to 2-miles in length) start in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

Wright also has five combined NASCAR Xfinity Series starts on speedways.

QUOTE WORTHY

Kris Wright, driver of the No. 02 WrightCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST for Young’s Motorsports
On the Darlington Raceway:

“Our throwback paint scheme for this week at the Darlington Raceway means a lot to me because of the connection to Chip Ganassi – he is a good friend of our family, and from Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). We wanted to honor him and his legacy in the industry, along with Juan Pablo Montoya. He was one of my favorite drivers and is a huge part of why I got into racing in the first place.”

Kris Wright on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit KrisWrightMotorsports.com, or connect with Kris Wright on Facebook (/KrisWrightRacing), Twitter (@KrisOnNASCAR) or Instagram (@krisonnascar).

Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series History at the Darlington Raceway … This weekend will mark Young’s Motorsports’ 12th, 13th and 14th NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at the Darlington Raceway. The organization posted a team best finish at the track of 14th-place with Jesse Little on May 6, 2022. The 11 previous starts at “The Track Too Tough to Tame,” a moniker the track earned due to its unforgiving and treacherous nature that shows no mercy for even the slightest of on-track errors in judgment, have earned Young’s Motorsports an average starting position of 26.4 and an average finish of 25.4.

Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series History … Since entering the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2012, the Mooresville, N.C.,-based organization has logged 430 starts from 51 drivers, resulting in solid performances that include two victories (Talladega Superspeedway 2019, 2021), seven top-five finishes and 31 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 22.2 and an average finishing position of 21.4.

Catch the Action … The Buckle Up South Carolina 200 at the Darlington Raceway will be broadcast on FS1 on Friday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. (ET) beginning with NASCAR RaceDay – NCTS: Darlington. It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 7:30 p.m. (ET). In addition, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series practice and qualifying at the Darlington Raceway will air on Friday at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Fujitsu AI supports Toyota GAZOO Racing’s real-time driving analysis during World Endurance Championship

TOKYO, May 11, 2023 – (JCN Newswire) – Fujitsu today revealed that it leveraged AI technology to support the development of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s (TGR)(1) new video analysis system, which debuted in competition at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps event, held from April 27 to 29 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

Fujitsu started sponsorship of TGR, a participant in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)(2), in 2022, supporting the development of TGR’s video data analysis system that leverages Fujitsu’s AI technology. The newly developed system will allow TGR to adapt to continuously evolving racing conditions based on video data from vehicle-mounted cameras.
The system will also be applied to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to be held in France from June 7 to 11.

In the field of motorsports, Fujitsu aims to develop technologies that not only maximize performance to help teams win in some of the world’s toughest races, but also enrich the viewing experience for fans, boost audience engagement, and promote sustainable race management. Fujitsu will further utilize the technology and knowledge gained through this initiative to realize a safe and secure transportation society and smart cities.

Video analysis system to transform “Hypercar” racing

TGR, which competes in the “Hypercar” class, the top-tier category in the FIA WEC, has been increasingly focused on the use of data to maximize performance and win races, collecting real-time data from hundreds of sensors mounted on vehicles and using data delivered to the pits to adapt actual racing strategies. Until now, however, this data-driven approach still relied heavily on time-consuming data reviews and video analysis.

Fujitsu supported the development of TGR’s video data analysis program leveraging its AI technology to analyze video data in real time, allowing race crews to rapidly evaluate and adapt racing strategies according to race conditions in which victory depends on split-second decisions and near-instant adaptation to new challenges.

Overview of the new video data analysis program

The new video data analysis program enables TGR to analyze video data of the in-vehicle camera in real time using AI and output data on the situation surrounding the vehicle.
Fujitsu further optimized the AI’s configuration parameters to ensure video analysis not only during daytime, but also at night and under bad weather conditions, enabling TGR to use the program during endurance races such as the FIA WEC for real-time race strategies.

(1) TOYOTA GAZOO Racing:
Motorsport division of the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota
(2) FIA World Endurance Championship:
International sportscar championship operated by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Federation of Western Automobiles (ACO) of France
Fujitsu’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 represent a set of common goals to be achieved worldwide by 2030.
Fujitsu’s purpose — “to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation” — is a promise to contribute to the vision of a better future empowered by the SDGs.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.7 trillion yen (US$28 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.