NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

Thoughts on Daytona this year?

“Yeah I feel there was a lot that I learned in those two races last year. Especially being so close to winning last year at Daytona. The first one was tough because I hadn’t been in a Next Gen car in two years so figuring out when to make the moves and how aggressive you can be, I think I learned a lot from that. The second Daytona I think you just try to keep knocking at the door as much as you can to try to win one of these things and eventually it’s going to be your day.”

How many friends do you have out there?

“I hope a lot (laughs). At the end of the day, I think everyone is out for themselves everyone wants to win that trophy over there. For us as a single car team, we’re going to be looking at ourselves.”

Do you have drivers that you work with or is there planning?

“Everyone kind of talks a big game before the race that they are going to work together and then lap one happens and no one works together (laughs). But I feel like at the end of the day it’s different every year and for us, switching to Chevrolet this year, we’re trying to understand that dynamic. How everyone at Chevrolet works together and how they want to attack this race.”

William Byron has won this race they last two years, does it help having an alliance with Hendrick Motorsports?

“It’s huge, they are the champions from last year and having an alliance with Hendrick and they also are the champions from last year. So, if there are some little things we can learn throughout the year and build that relationship to get better and better as a team and also help each other, that is the goal.

Thoughts on the new playoff format:

“I’m excited about it. I’ve always kind of liked points racing honestly because I’m kind of consistent and this is what it is going to take. Not having the DNFs and the wrecks that get you no points. If you can keep yourself in the game week after week, that’s going to mean a lot in this format.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

TOYOTA RACING – Ty Gibbs
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Why do you think Dale Earnhardt Sr. still has the reputation he has to this day?

“Well, I think it’s that way because he was one of the best to ever do it, statistically, right? I think that Dale had a lot of fans and a lot of people rooting for him, as well as people booing him, but everybody respected him. I think the older generation (pause), the sport was at its peak, he was the biggest name in the whole deal. But I also think old-school racers like him are awesome – A.J Foyt, Mario Andretti, Ayrton Senna, there’s a lot of great guys that were racers back then. I just think their names were big in the sport, and the sport was at its biggest at that time.”

What advice would you give to a rookie after your experiences so far in the Cup Series?

“I don’t know. You’re young and have to look at the big picture, right? I’m only 23. People in life don’t have it figured out until they’re maybe in their 30s, mid-30s. So, you’re young, just have to look at the big picture and take it all in.”

What’s your relationship with superspeedway racing now?

“I’ve had some good and bad runs here (Daytona International Speedway). But I think on average, our superspeedway stuff was pretty decent last year with some decent finishes. You can see that anyone can win this race, and if you’re in the right spot at the end of the race, I think you can (win it). Just have to work well with my teammates and the other Toyota guys to see where we end up towards the end of the race. Hopefully we’re all up front and have a chance to win.”

What would it mean to you to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday?

“It’d be really cool. As a family business, it’d be really awesome to share that success with them. Would love to do that. I’ve been able to do it before with the (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) championship and stuff like that, but to have my name in there and know that was me, would be super cool. I’ve grown up in the shop, looking at all the banners on the ceiling and having some of my own in there is super cool, and (I) have been very blessed in life. Just work hard and do the best I can, and very fortunate to win some races and win a championship, but to win for your family is really cool. Blessed to have a family business and have great role models in my life in my family.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

No Mic…

“JR Motorsports is jumping in both feet first trying to understand what this looks like. It wasn’t easy. I look back all the way until Thursday night. I can remember the emotions of Thursday night probably, they haunt my sleep, right? It was up and down and up and down.

Going back 365 days later, it’s not any different. There’s still that stress, there’s still that want. But it’s more so now, how do we do better? How do we qualify tonight and not have to worry about tomorrow? How do we finish better in the Daytona 500?

All these things last year, we just wanted to make it in, we just wanted to finish. We didn’t necessarily have a set goal. I feel like this year we’ve just elevated our game and want to be better. So far so good.”

No Mic…

“I’m going to smile a lot because I actually went around and I saw Jim (Pohlman) today in the Cup Garage. I gave him a big hug, told him proud of him I was.

He’s been in the sport for a long time. He’s been so understated. I’m so glad that we had the opportunity to work together, just really show that I’ve known about Jim for the last 25 years of my life, right, known who he was.

He exceeded all expectations, right? I thought I knew how good he could be, and he exceeded that expectation. I just feel like for him, having the opportunity to go with Kyle, who is an amazing race car driver, try to elevate to a point of where they would like to get back to, I have no doubt that they can go be successful, have a lot of fun with it.

I’m pumped for him. It’s going to be tough, there’s no question. Andrew Overstreet has done an amazing job this off-season. We’ve jumped in and hit the ground running. I have no doubt that with the notes that we had, with his knowledge and success, we have all the tools that we need to go back, take another stab at it.

We’ve been close to winning a championship a lot. We got one. I’d love to have multiple. 2026 looks like a great opportunity to go do that again.”

What steps have been taken in the buildup to this to make sure you were in a position?

“Yeah, I mean, I think when you look back last year, we had a lot more calmness going into qualifying than what we should have. I think we all thought we were in a little bit better position, thought we were a little bit smarter, little bit more prepared, a little bit all the things, right?

When qualifying didn’t go the way we wanted it to, I think it caught all of us a little bit off guard, right? I think we had higher expectations.

Now that being said, I go into 2026. I go, the stakes are just as high. We are held to that same standard of we have to go execute. Qualifying is going to be tough. I feel like every year I look at the entry list and there’s more and more and more good cars.

I think we’ve done all the right work. We’ve put all the pieces of the puzzle together the best we can, with the knowledge we had last year. We just have to go execute.

If we do that, we’ll have a great opportunity at not only qualifying well but having a great Daytona 500. See what happens.”

Does that challenge get more difficult because it’s a different body than you had a year ago? “Well, I think one of the hardest parts about the Cup Series is while things may not change a lot, when they do change, it’s a big change, right?

All of your notes, everything we do, I’m not going to say you’re kind of guessing, because the engineering side is so incredible and how detailed they’re able to get anymore. You still don’t know what that could look like.

So while I don’t think the change on the Chevrolet side, on the body, is significant as far as it is a significant change, especially there’s some pretty big visual changes within the body, a lot of the stuff that we see is very similar to what we had last year.

Those are easier. Probably the biggest change is just not going in this garage for a year, right? All the processes and how the cars of bolted together, getting through inspection, all the little details that if you’re not doing it week in, week out, you just don’t know, right?

I think for us, we understood what we needed to do last year. We just have to tweak on that and fine-tune it, make sure we’re in a better position for this year’s qualifying.”

You’ve been asked a lot about the meaning of the Daytona 500. For you personally, what is the value and importance of having a Cup Series win?

“I mean, it would be amazing. I don’t know that you could put any better Cup Series win on your résumé than the Daytona 500. That would be pretty special.

But when I look at the field, this year there will be 40 other cars, that they equally want that win just as bad as I do. Everybody wants to take their car out to the Daytona Experience. Everybody wants that trophy that’s right behind me somewhere on the wall. There’s something about this event that everybody wants to be a part of it and win it.

Just having the opportunity. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller, everybody that’s at JR Motorsports, they could have picked a lot of candidates to be the driver behind the wheel of this car. Last year when they told me, I was blown away they gave me the opportunity. To come back a year later and do it all again, it’s unbelievable.

Chris Stapleton, the Traveller Whiskey brand, they were all 100% invested. As soon as we left Daytona last year, they were 100% invested coming back this year. That’s special. That means a lot to a driver.

We’ll do everything we can. Last year we came out of here with a top 10. I’d love to do that better. You could just as easily be sitting on a flatbed on lap one. This race is so unique in how it plays out that you won’t know until the checkered flag falls.”

Were you expecting such a moment of catharsis once y’all qualified last year? It was really emotional. Were you expecting that?

“I think for us, what was interesting was the highest of highs need a low to judge them off of, right? And Wednesday night when qualifying ended, that valley was deeper than anything I can ever remember. Not only did we not qualify for the event, we were very underwhelming and missed our target by a lot.

I think what you saw on Thursday after the Duel was knowing the position we were in, knowing how close it was. Shoot, it was the last lap. I think coming to the white was when we finally made the pass for that spot. Super, super last second.

I think that lowest of low on Wednesday really transcended that highest of high on Thursday.

What was cool about it was it made Sunday fantastic because everybody was riding that high of emotion. Really, I don’t know that there was even a discussion of, like, what position we could finish or should finish. It was, Hey, we’ve done all the heavy lifting, let’s go have fun. I really believe that 2026 is the same.

I would love to make Wednesday exciting and Thursday boring, I really would. No offense to anybody. At the same time, I know I have the team behind me that can do it. You know what, if it’s the last lap to get in tomorrow night as well, I’m going to go make the most of it and do what we can.”

Back to the engineering aspect. From when you started in NASCAR to Sunday, how has it evolved?

“I don’t even know there’s enough paper in the world to describe the difference between what it was like whenever I started and what it is today.

It’s so interesting, right? I sit here and say that, and then I see pictures of cars that raced on the beach in the ’50s and the ’40s, just what those looked like.

I listen to the stories of Richard Petty. They put a two-by-eight, they bolted it to the seat so you would stop sliding across the bench seat. I never had to deal with those things. I came in, and technology had already well surpassed that.

I look at the engineering side, the safety, just what we’re able to do now. It’s so wild to see where the racing is at today.

Teams were able to make speed. I think about speed runs back in the day, qualifying runs back in the day, of being well over 200 miles an hour. We’re not there today, but really we are. If we were able to do whatever we wanted to do, we could probably get there.

The difference was we saw races that were won by two or three laps. Today you can throw a blanket over the top 30 at the finish of these races.

I think just the tolerances and how quickly everything has kind of evolved and the cars have become so close and the parity is so great, it’s just wild to watch.

But when you see these engineers, you see these crew chiefs, how smart they have to be, not just in one area, we’re asking them to be all-encompassing, to be great at all aspects of the sport. It’s unbelievable and really fun to watch.

It’s given me a better appreciation for all forms of motorsport, right? I watch F1, I watch INDYCAR, I watch IMSA, I watch Trucks. I watch all the dirt stuff. I grew up racing dirt, short tracks.

When you sit down and look at it, it’s crazy what it’s evolved to. It’s pretty special to be part of the sport all the way through that transition. I know it’s going to keep going long after I’m gone.”

A lot of these engineers are coming up so young, learning in schools, is there something you’ve learned from them over the years?

“Oh, my knowledge of engineering in this sport has grown so tremendously just from listening. When I listen to a lot of these young guys and gals that come in, we have so many great, smart engineers in our shop that are so far advanced than anything I could ever imagine. Then you hear some of how their schooling went, some of the job experiences they’ve had, kind of what has driven them to be who they are, it’s wild. It truly is wild.

I’m learning with them. They’re learning at a rate that is way faster than I could have ever learned at. I also think the tools we have today have helped them increase to learn, right? You’re seeing that with fuel strategy, car setups, simulation, right? We’re able to do things in the simulator that I never would have dreamed of 10 years ago or 15 years ago, that you’re able to simulate real live conditions that we never could have before. It’s just wild to see what they’ve been able to accomplish.

At the end of the day, technology of allowing multiple people put their heads together… Used to be you had one smart person or two smart people, you were pulling from a pool of a few smart individuals. Now we’re pulling from hundreds and thousands of smart individuals from this sport that really have elevated the game, have taken it to a place I never could have imagined.”

Dale was very active last year being around the car, being there for the experience. Is that translating this year, as well?

“He may not have shown up at 6:00 this morning, but he’s definitely hugely active in it. His appreciation for this event and for what we’re accomplishing is huge. I said it last year, I’ll say it again. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has accomplished everything in this sport that you could ever want. He could have walked away a long time ago and nobody would have ever batted an eye. He’s not done that. He stayed involved, he stayed invested, right, whether that be on the O’Reilly side, whether that be in the CARS Tour, whether that be on the Cup Series side.

If I’m being honest, I’m sad that JR Motorsports doesn’t have a charter. I know we could do great things for the sport. That’s a big ask from a time management standpoint, from a money management standpoint. Those are all big things to kind of accomplish.

I just love what he’s done for the sport. I love what him and his sister both have done for the sport. I believe they truly are a big part of why this sport is in the position it’s in. It’s cool to have this opportunity to be able to come here with him.”

What do you remember from your first Daytona 500?

“Whew, I remember a lot. I think different scenario for me, very different scenario, very different opportunity. Wish I would have put more pressure on myself back then, right? I know that sounds crazy, but I was a lot younger than I am now, probably just didn’t understand the gravity of this race like I do now.

Probably would have done things a little bit differently. But at the end of the day, I think that’s what makes it all who we are, right? You don’t have all the knowledge when you start. That’s kind of why we become the people that we become.

This is, what, 12 years since my first 500. It feels like yesterday. I can remember it very well.

Cool to be back. Cool to be a part of it. BRANDT was on the car back then, and they’re still on my car in a capacity this year. That’s a big moment.”

If you flash forward to last year, being part of JR Motorsports’ first Cup race, this was Dale Jr.’s first Cup race as a team owner, what did you pick up from him in that time, knowing you had to race your way in?

“When Dale Jr. is nervous at a NASCAR race, you’re nervous, right? I feel like if anybody understands the gravity of it, it’s him.

When we didn’t have the qualifying we wanted, when we didn’t have the days go the way we wanted, it was hard. Because I’m watching him, I’m somewhat living vicariously through him. He’s doing somewhat the same with me.

But to see his eagerness to be a part of it, want to be there, be in the garage opening, I think it drove home the gravity of the event for me. I think that, look, JR Motorsports had an opportunity to put a lot of drivers behind the wheel of this 40 car. I’m so proud of the fact that they chose me, but also just trying to make sure that I make the most of every moment because they deserve that, right? I know that they’ve given me every detail and everything that I could ask for to have this opportunity. We just got to make the most of the opportunity in front of us.”

No Mic…

“If I put myself in Dale’s shoes, it’s a hard position to be in because I don’t know what the emotions are, right? He’s been very vocal about it. They had the documentary. He’s never been shy to not talk about it.

At the same time, I want it to be a big moment for him. I look at when he won here, the emotions that he had. I mean, I remember everything he had in that moment when Mike Helton flashed on the screen and had that conversation. It was one of the darkest days of our sport, right? Followed by some extremely bright moments in a young Dale Jr. that took the reins and really turned the sport into something that his dad would have loved to have seen where the sport’s at today.

So it would be special and it would be cool, but I don’t want that to tarnish or provoke the wrong emotion for Dale or for any Dale Earnhardt Sr. fans. At the end of the day, we want to make sure this is a good experience and everybody’s proud of what we’re accomplishing. I think Dale Sr. would be proud if he knew his son had a car in the 500 and was able to do this.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

TOYOTA RACING – Riley Herbst
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – 23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.

RILEY HERBST, No. 35 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Denny Hamlin talked about what his expectations were for you this year. Can you talk about the conversations you’ve had with the team?

“There’s no shying away from it, we want the results to be better on the 35 car. We had good enough racecars, we have good enough team members and I’m a good enough driver to have better results this year. It’s as simple as that. I think we are all on the same page with what we expect and what we want, and that’s to be better this year than last year.”

You’ve been competitive in the O’Reilly Series in the past, does that give you confidence heading into your second year in the Cup Series that you can keep improving?

“The narrative was really similar in my first year in the Xfinity Series and even into the second and third year. I’ve worked as hard as I can and surrounded myself with really good people and try to improve every day.”

What kind of conversations have you had with your team about running at a high level?

“Everyone at 23XI and Airspeed work a little bit different than most fundamental race shops. All three of us are pretty cohesive and work hand to hand together. There wasn’t much separation last year, nor will there be this year. We are all trying to run better on all three accounts. You can ask Tyler (Reddick) and Bubba (Wallace), that wasn’t the year they wanted last year either. I think all three of us and four this weekend want to succeed for Denny (Hamlin) and MJ (Michael Jordan) and everyone at Airspeed and how hard they work.”

From the outside looking in, what does everyone not see about team building with a race team?

“It’s always going to be difficult to make the jump from the O’Reilly Series to the Cup Series. And starting a new team, hiring people, and understanding the way 23XI and Airspeed handle things. Get everything right, get the fundamentals right. That’s just going to show and pay dividends this year as well. On top of that, I think I’m a way more experienced driver. I’ve grown mentally and physically in my racecraft so I’m excited for this year. I think everyone on the 35 has grown. More than anything we are all in it together, all of our teams, we work together cohesively me, Tyler, and Bubba each week. We study together and we review our races together and we want for each other to finish 1-2-3 each week. That hasn’t happened yet, but I think this weekend is a really good shot for that.”

What are your expectations for the season ahead?

“Specifically, I worked really hard this offseason. We’re way stronger mentally and physically. We’ve got some new faces to Airspeed to help the 35 team this year. Looking forward to it, that first year in the Cup Series is always rough. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t make big improvements this year and succeed pretty well.”

Have you been able to talk with Michael Jordan this offseason and what has been the message?

“The contact is always been consistent with ownership, Denny (Hamlin) and Michael (Jordan) are always at Airspeed encouraging us and giving us the tools we need to succeed at the highest level. Hopefully we can succeed, and that’s what all three of us want to do during the year and the fourth racing with us this weekend as well. Just give Denny and MJ a real big trophy and a lot of money to go along with it.”

What is the best part of Daytona 500 week?

“I love it. I’ve been telling everybody, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. The anticipation, the excitement, the weather, Daytona is a really fun racetrack. The history that the 500 presents all of us and the challenges we will face for 500 miles on Sunday is really cool and I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great year for us on the 35 and the 45 and 23, all of us together. We are ready to go.”

What’s the coolest activation you’ve been able to do with Monster Energy?

“I’ve been with them for so long, they’ve been great partners. But the coolest on is the commercial we filmed at the end of the year last year called Dust of Smoke on YouTube. It’s a really video. We got to rent out right down the strip and drive the Cup car down the strip in Vegas and take the car down through the Valley of Fire, that was really fun. We had Vaughn (Gitten Jr.) join us for some drifting too. Monster Energy is top notch in everything they do and the activation to grow their brand and action sports is second to none.”

You seemed to hit your stride a few years into your O’Reilly Series career. Is that something you can take over here to the Cup Series?

“The belief in myself has never wavered. I’m confident in my ability, I’m confident in every single man and woman at Airspeed to provide us with really fast racecars. To answer your question, I knew it was going to be very difficult last year. People didn’t think so I guess, I don’t know. Yes, it’s difficult, it’s hard. These are the best stockcar drivers in the world and if it was easy, it would not be correct. I’m looking forward to this year. The gains we showed at a few tracks last year hopefully we can magnify it to every single track this year. The confidence is sky high, everyone over at Airspeed with all three cars to try and get more trophies, so that’s what we are looking to do.”

Do you think Daytona is one of your better tracks?

“I think I have a really good spotter and a good racecar, I’ve been fortunate to sit in really good racecars and that produces really good speed. You only need a couple of ingredients here at Daytona to have success and having great racecars is one of them. Hopefully we can have another solid run this year and we won’t be sliding through the grass.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

Your thoughts on the contract extension:

“I don’t know who was more excited, me or Jeff (Dickerson) or all my guys. I didn’t feel like fielding any calls and I felt like declining all of them and I think Jeff and I just looked at each other and said ‘I don’t really feel like leaving anytime soon.’ And he said, “Well, I don’t want you leaving anytime soon either.’ So we just started adding years and more years and I think we were finding out legally you could put if I have a pulse I can still race for him and we just change it as we go. So its joyful for that. It’s good on their marketing side as well because I think we have a car full for the next how many years which is great. It just helps on all things, if we’re all locked in and bought in, let’s just be official about it.”

What does it say about Jeff (Dickerson) that he feels like you are someone that can bring a championship to Spire?

“Yeah I think we can do it. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that. I think we realistically over the next 10 years we can build this into a championship threat. I think we can get our cars there and I think I can get there. I think we have all the pieces with Jeff and everyone on the management side they have championships and a ton of wins throughout all of them combined. So I’m excited and the talented people just keep coming in through the door and not leaving, so they are just going to get us faster.”

Have you met Tony Stewart yet and how excited are you to race against him on Friday?

“I haven’t met him yet, but he seems excited, which is cool. I don’t know that any of us had on the bingo card that Tony Stweart would be excited to run a truck race and a truck race at a superspeedway. I know the heat wave guys, I have a sunglass deal with them and he’s part of that so between myself, (Travis) Pastrana and Cleetus (McFarland) are on their deal, they are all pumped were all in the same race.”

We’ve heard Brad Keselowski say that winning at Michigan is important because it is his home track. You being from Michigan, is there another race that is important to you?

“The Brickyard is really high, and I really want to run the Indy 500 one day. Jeff (Dickerson) is an Indy native and never won that race as an agent or spotter and he’s had Kyle (Busch) and Jeff (Gordon) as his spotter or clients, he’s had them all but he’s never won there. Dan Towriss is from Indy and Gainbridge and all the money and resources they put in that facility, it’s really high for me, but it’s also important to the two guys that are really heavily involved in wanting our program to succeed. I almost halfway argue that it’s probably bigger for them if it happens.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

After being with different organizations over the years, how nice is it to come back to Daytona with the same organization that you worked with the previous year?

“It’s huge. It’s probably the first time in six years that I am working with the same team two years in a row, and I am not showing up to Daytona trying to learn names, functions, systems, and things that are going on with the team and how everything operates. It usually takes a couple of months to even feel comfortable with a new team. Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience doing that, but don’t have as much experience coming back with a team for the second year. It’s a lot easier doing this than it is learning a new team for sure. It just helps the confidence in knowing that I pretty much have the same guys that I raced this race with last year and we can build off of things from there and we can build on past experiences for the first time in a long time.”

What have you learned about balance from earlier in your career to now being married with three children?

“I think most people go from being very selfish and everything is about you to you have a child or you get married. First, you get married and it’s less about you and it’s about your spouse. Then you have a child and you realize nothing is about you anymore and sometimes that can be a shock. And then you realize the things you do from the point you have children matter so much beyond your life. You are leaving an example for your child behind. So now I look at things as ‘okay how would I want my child if they are going through a career or whatever they are chasing in their dreams, how would I want them to approach it’. I would want them to get an example from their dad and how would he treat people, treat his career, treat his wife. I want them to see that in the best light possible so that they leave a good legacy behind. You just start changing your view and I believe that is the beauty of life and having a family and having kids.”

What is the best part of this week for you?

“I think the best part of it for me is driver intros and the madness of the fans around the cars and the energy around the gentlemen start your engines, the pace laps and the start of the green flag. You won’t get that anywhere else in your life. That feeling, that high, that chaos when everybody is buzzing. I think finding perspective that there are only a few times you are going to get to do this in your life. It’s not going to happen every year of your whole life, so you have to take it in. I look forward to that moment every year and I let it get ahold of me, I get emotional, I get anxious, I get nervous because how many people get that opportunity to be in the middle of the spotlight of one of the biggest events in the world.”

What has this offseason been like this year in looking ahead at all the things you have to do?

“I think as many things that are important that we lost, we gained just as many unique abilities. We won’t find out total gain and loss of what has happened until throughout the season. I think it’s a measure that we as a team are all like, what is it going to be like. Everyone has a new body with Chevy, so we don’t really understand where we are going to be at but qualifying at Daytona will teach us a little bit. We are going to have to go to all the tracks at this point to see what is different. I think the car is so similar underneath the body that you should be able to set up similar to what you found success with (before). There are going to be some differences, different programs, usages of different technology from different things. So we are going to have to navigate that and to be very clear in our communications, but also there is a point when you get away from over thinking things you can find some clarity within a team. I think that might help us too. I think there is going to be a loss in not having the technical alliance from Chevy, but we can grow from that.”

Inaudible

“Its massive. You know, I have been attempting this race….this will be my 10th or 11th time in the Daytona 500 and I have had some close opportunities, never been in the top-two coming to the white flag, but real close. Top-three or top-four, and you feel it. It would mean a lot to me because my family has had so much success here. And it’s one of those races that changes your life forever, no matter what is going on. It would be awesome to be a part of the history here with the Harley J. Earl trophy and to have your name etched on it and be able to lift that big trophy up.”

Regarding the Daytona 500, is there any kind of brotherly rivalry with Austin?

“It would be nice to have a trophy too. It would be nice to have a Harley J. Earl with both our names on it. Two Dillons on that trophy would be special, and I don’t know if brothers have done it, so it would be cool to do it first if nobody has done it. I have been putting in my time for this race with ten or eleven attempts, and this obviously means a whole lot to our family and our race team as a family’s legacy. So, I would love to win this race.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

TOYOTA RACING – Corey Heim
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – 23XI Racing driver Corey Heim was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.

COREY HEIM, No. 67 Robinhood Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

What do you feel like is the goal this weekend for you?

“I don’t know if there’s a specific goal in mind in the race I think I obviously want to be a good Toyota teammate, and not only for my 23XI (Racing) teammates, but to get Toyota to victory lane as a whole. In general, I think our main goal is to make the race (Daytona 500), and 23XI and Toyota are on board to help me do that, so that’s a promising feeling, to be actively supported like that. Number one, get in the race. Number two, kind of just take it one-by-one in terms of the stages go and hopefully be in the mix at the end.”

Were you hoping that you’d be full time somewhere this season?

“I think as a competitor you always want to compete for a championship. But, at the end of the day, being able to get a feel for the Cup Series and the top level, maximizing my schedule as far as increasing the amount of races. Last year, I only had four starts versus 12 this year, so being able to my schedule a little bit was good for me from the beginning but also hitting some really good races. Kind of getting a feel for the higher-pressure races in general, just going forward that a little bit extra because it’s the big races. Getting a feel for is always good, so feel pretty good about it.”

Do you feel any pressure to go out and prove yourself this year?

“Yeah, I relate it back to when I was first starting out of the Truck Series. It didn’t feel like I was not ready by any means, it just feels like you’re yet to prove yourself. You don’t have those statistics and those runs behind you to look back on and be like, ‘I can’t do this.’ We had some good runs last year and definitely a lot of promise but getting out there and running in the top five is definitely not an easy thing to do in the Cup Series and it’ll probably take a little longer than it did in the Truck Series for me. Looking back at 2021, when I was running select races for KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) at the time, it was a similar feeling to just you don’t have that proof that you can run up there yet. I know it’s inside of me, but to go out and actually execute that is yet to be done. That’s definitely my priority this year.”

What do you feel you can bring to 23XI Racing and what can you learn?

“Yeah, think I can help them more as I get more laps. I’m pretty green to Cup Racing and it’s hard to help them a ton as I don’t know as much about the car as Bubba (Wallace) and Tyler (Reddick) do. But I’m hoping by the end of the year that I’m acclimated enough to have a good enough understanding of the race car and provide better feedback. It’s cool Tyler said that (that he learned from Corey at Kansas last year). Glad I could help him in some way. It’s kind of a one-way street, he helps me a lot more than I help him at this point, but I have great teammates and they’re doing a great job helping, and so are my Toyota teammates as well.”

What does it mean to have the chance to qualify for and race in the Daytona 500?

“Yeah, certainly a lot of pressure not being locked in the field, but to be here in general is very cool. Being here is really cool and seeing how many people care about this event, show up for this event and it being the first points-paying race of the year, and my first race of the year. Great to knock the rust off as well, to compete at the highest level, in the biggest race, at least to have a chance at it, is a rewarding feeling. When I was a kid, I was so excited to wake up and watch the Daytona 500 and to now hopefully wake up and race in it. It’s a cool feeling and just hoping tonight and tomorrow go well.”

Is there any good advice you’ve received?

“I don’t know of anything specific. I’ve gotten a lot of advice, not only from drivers, but a lot of the people at 23XI Racing, just from their experience of racing their way in. It’ll be interesting to see what everyone takes away from the Duels. It’s hard to give advice without having a sample, right? I’ve hardly been around a (super)speedway in a Cup car yet. Think it’s all been good advice so far. Everyone at 23XI is trying to accomplish the same goal. Happy to be around a great group of people.”

How are you approaching these next few days?

“Yeah, at the end of day, have to take it one event at a time. Depending on how qualifying goes, we may be able to breeze through the Duels no problem, and not worry about it. You don’t really learn to expect the worst as a race car driver, but to prepare for the worst. Prepared to race in through a Duel if need be and I feel prepared to go out there and execute that without making any crucial mistakes. That’s not something that’ll be easy by any means with so much out of your control on a speedway, but prepared to execute to the best of my ability.”

How important is it to maximize every opportunity you get this season?

“I still consider myself a developing driver, so any anything I can get into, from a Truck, to a Cup car, to a late model, whatever it is, to continue to develop, continue to learn and maximize, potentially for Sunday racing. It’s definitely a big chapter in my life. The last three years, I’ve gotten really used to Truck racing. Not that you’re not racing under a big spotlight, but this is obviously the biggest stage in American Motorsports, so being able to start it off at the Daytona 500 in a part-time season is a big deal for me. Hoping to maximize that and set myself up in the future.”

Did your start in the Bristol night race last season add confidence?

“Yeah, for sure. We had a pretty tough stretch leading up to that race. We started off really well at Kansas with a top-15, and then didn’t have good races after that. Ending the year as far as how well we were able to do in our last race and to brush off those past races. Definitely glad to have ended the year on a high note and know the potential is still there, if I can just piece a race together the way I need to. That’s the motivation for this year.”

Can you learn from what happened at Chicago last year in preparing for qualifying here?

“Honestly, probably less than you would think. I felt like from the Chicago practice, I felt like we had a good shot to qualifying top-10, top-15, and my mindset was, ‘I’m going for pole. Going to go like heck and see if I can be in the top-10 at the end of this thing.’ And just pushed too much and wrecked in qualifying, and missed the show. And missing the show was never even in my head, I was just going for it. But, you come to Daytona and so much is out of your control. You have eight open cars for four spots. I feel like now, all you’re fixated on is making the race. In a way, I missed the (Chicago) race last year, I don’t want to do that again this weekend. At the end of the day, the mindset is so different. The way you make it in is so different. Still in the back of my mind that I don’t want to do it twice.”

Since joining 23XI Racing, have you had a chance to speak to Michael Jordan and if so, what was that like?

“Yeah, he’s (Michael Jordan, team co-owner) a lot more involved than most people think. After pretty much every Truck win last year, he reached out to me with congratulations and every time I ran good, bad or indifferent in a Cup car, he’d reach out and share some words. I always thought that was motivating to have an owner, but also an owner that’s very involved and motivated. Think everyone knows he’s probably a busy guy but seems like he always makes time to pay attention and stay in the loop with the 23XI side of things. Him and Denny (Hamlin, team co-owner) have been just awesome so far. Didn’t know what I was expecting getting into it, but definitely a lot of support.”

Is it hard to be patient in your specific scenario?

“I’ve actually had several of these years where it’s been sort of a transition from part-time to full-time. I don’t exactly know what I’m doing in 2027 yet. I think full-time is close, but when I went from late model to ARCA, I had a sort of a part-time ARCA year in there before I was full-time. ARCA to Trucks, same thing, kind of weird part-time year in the Trucks. So, kind of used to these transition years. But, the thing that’s kind of nice is not having the championship points in the back of your head. Of course, as a competitor, you always want to compete for points and a championship, but it kind of helps you digest the races a little easier to not have that points situation looming in the back of your head. So yeah, no stranger to that by any means and I think these opportunities will be good this year.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

What has it been like working with (Jim) Pohlman (new crew chief)?

“Working with Jim has been good. He’s a very determined guy. He wants to make a difference and be the difference maker here at RCR and the 8 car and having us have a better chance of being able to reach Victory Lane each and every week. It’s all about being able to extract the most out of the people, whether it’s everybody at the shop or whether it’s your team at the racetrack, the pit crew, all those guys. I feel like he’s got everybody really looking up to him and believing in him and his way. That’s been good.”

Some drivers what to run up front, some want to be further back. What is the strategy? Where do you want to run during the race? Where do you want to be at the end of the Daytona 500?

“I don’t know. Two years ago, when we were here, Austin Dillon and myself got the lead. We were in the control of the race. We were running first and second when we came off of Turn 4. I saw the white flag in the flag man’s hand, and unfortunately, a caution came out as we got to the front side of pit rod entry. And after that, we weren’t able to hold the lead on the restarts, but I led mile marker 500. That’s just the way it goes… you just never know how it’s exactly gonna end. So, to be out front, you feel like that’s the safest spot to be, but sometimes you see guys spun out of the lead and they’re not the ones to win. There are guys that win coming out of Turn 2 and they’re in 7th place or they’re in 11th place, It just depends, you never know.”

How long into the season will it take before you can assess and gauge the new Chevy body?

“I think we’re going to see some speedway prowess of how good it is. When we get to Atlanta, same thing. And then we get to some short track stuff, and we’ll see how the downforce on it is.

Obviously, you look at over the years, the brands that have come out with new bodies have been pretty competitive. Although, you look and you see Kyle Larson won the championship last year with the oldest body out there. Now, we’ve got a fresh one, and a new one, and maybe the advantages on Team Chevy.”

How do you feel about this year with the challenges you’ve had? Challenges can make you stronger and probably the best thing for you…

“Challenges can be tough, it’s just the nature of how well you handle those challenges. You can obviously beat yourself down and get low. It’s all about trying to build yourself up and keeping yourself at the top level that you can be to go out there and achieve success. It hasn’t been the greatest the last few years. We’ve had some close calls and sometimes where maybe we could have won a race. We certainly haven’t been dominant forces of being up front leading laps and having those chances be at the regular each and every week. If you only have two opportunities to win races through the year versus having 20 opportunities to win races through the year, you’ve got a bigger opportunity, a bigger window, to get those wins having the 20 chances.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

TOYOTA RACING – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2026) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

What are your feelings about racing in Daytona and has it changed over the years?

“I don’t think racing at Daytona has really changed for me over the years. It’s always exciting to come down here to kick off our year. Biggest race of the year, for sure, in my opinion, and probably one of the hardest races to win, in my opinion, as well. I’m super excited to get this year kicked off. I felt like we ended on a strong note, towards the end of the year, with having some really solid runs, and finding speed in our Toyota Camrys, and really looking forward to getting 2026 kicked off. I’ve had this one circled on the calendar for a little bit of getting back to the racetrack, getting the year kicked off, and trying to continue that momentum from last year, but also be better than we were last year. I feel like we’ve made some major gains, major strides over the last 16 months at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, and feel like that’s going to continue on, hopefully, with this team, and really just building this team from the ground up, and getting ourselves to where we can contend for race wins and championships.”

Where do you like to be at the end of the race?

“I mean, you want to be leading. That’s definitely the best place to be, but at the same time, in the front couple rows, to have a shot to win it. I think that that’s the best opportunity to win, unless they all wreck, and you walk into it, but definitely in the first couple of rows.

How much confidence does that give you coming back to Daytona?

“It definitely gives me a lot of confidence. I feel like we’ve had some really strong runs at superspeedways. I feel like we’ve shown that we have really good Toyota Camrys when we come to superspeedways, as well, within the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB stable. So, I’m excited to kind of get this year kicked off here, and hopefully we can have another solid run and try and go win this race. We’ve improved my finish every year from the time that I started running this race until last year, finishing fifth. So, a lot of confidence. We’ve led quite a few laps on superspeedways as well, especially in the fall races here. So, I’m excited to see what we can do as a team, as an organization, and having a third car with Jimmie Johnson in it, definitely isn’t going hurt us as a team as well, coming down here for Speedweeks.”

Do you feel like the chase format benefits you as a driver and a team?

“I think consistency is going to be key for us this year. It’s something that we focused on the last couple years, but also trying to get more speed in our race cars and trying to bring better equipment to the racetrack and give us shots to go win races and be up front and be competitive every single week. I think consistency with being quick every week and being able to contend for wins, top-fives, top-threes, top 10s, everything else under the sun. t’s definitely going be super important. I think stage points are going be important, as well. So, I hope that it rewards us from the format changing, but who knows? We’ll see. I feel like we have been consistent in most of our runs. We’ve had some really good runs, and then eh runs over the last year, but we’ve definitely grown as a team, as an organization, and hope to continue that through this year.”

So, if you wind up in a situation where it’s you, or Erik (Jones), or both of you, and Jimmie’s behind you, toward the front at the end, how confident are you in your owner being content with being a wingman for you or Erik, and not trying to go around you guys to take the win for himself.

“I think the team owner hat comes off at the end of a race. Everyone wants to win, right? But I definitely feel like if it’s a move where neither one of us are going win, he won’t make it, and probably the same thing if we’re in his shoes, right? But as a race car driver, when you put the helmet on, sometimes you change, and the team owner hat goes out the window, and you go, and you race to try and win. But I do think that, overall, us as a team at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, we can all work together and be the best that we can be.”

How much confidence does I give you in the direction of the team?

“Yeah, I’m really excited. I think that this year is definitely going be a really solid year for us. I feel like the momentum that we’ve been able to create towards the end of last year, the runs that we’ve been able to have over the last year, definitely some more changes within the organization over the off season. And all for the better in my opinion. I think that there’s a lot of things shaping up to be a successful year for us. I think when we had successful runs last year, they may not have shown in the point standings or things of that sort, on paper, but I’m really looking forward to trying to have that show up on paper this year, as Jimmie (Johnson) would say, compared to just having good results here and there. It’s going be about consistency for us this year, and showing up every week to maximize our runs and have really good Toyota Camrys, and be the best that we can be as race car drivers, and be the best team that we can be at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB each and every week.”

What’s this race mean to you specifically and how big would it be if you could be in a position to win the race?

“I mean, it would be huge to win this race and get your first Cup win here. I think it would be absolutely amazing.I’m excited for it. I really, really am excited for it. I have good feelings about coming down here more relaxed than I feel like I have been in years past. So, hopefully, that’s a really good thing for us this year.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2026

Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – 2026 DAYTONA 500 Media Day Quotes:

What’s the best part of this week as a driver?

“I mean, obviously the best part is the race on Sunday, but you have to get there. So there is a lot of things that you have to do to be able to get there. I’m just trying to enjoy every single day, to be honest. I’m just trying to be present and enjoy it. And right no, I’m sitting here with you guys. I’m just trying to be in a good mood, in a happy phase. I’m trying to enjoy it.

So it’s all good. I’m happy and I know that I’m going to have a great shot to win probably one of the biggest races of my life.”

No Mic…

“Yeah, so every team has a different culture, a different structure. Every team owner is different. Every team president is a little different. So, you know, getting to know everyone is important and also understand what are the strengths and weaknesses of each place and how can you make them better, right? Because that’s what is the goal at the end of the day as a driver, right? It’s not just about going fast, but how can you be the best possible leader out there? So yeah, that’s something that is already very important.

I believe that Spire Motorsports has a great structure; great leaders, very, very good people in place. It’s been a lot of fun to work with this group for the last couple of months.”

On the importance of having a good run at the Clash:

“It definitely helps. You know, it was like a good warm up. You know, the highlight of my night, it wasn’t the result. It was to see the smiles on every single member of my team. That’s priceless to me; to be able to see them happy and excited and looking forward to battle. That’s what it’s all about. You know, you want them to be fired up.

You want them to want this. This is not easy, man. Every single person and team right now is super excited for the first of the year. But as you start getting throughout the season, people start getting tired and things like that. So it’s very important to see that excitement in your group, and for me, that was the highlight. I want to continue to work very hard with this group and to continue to bring those kind of memories.”

On building together as a new team:

“I mean, it only takes time. I believe that we’re in a very good spot for being a new team, but it takes time to clean up a few things here and there. To be quite honest, we are starting way more ahead than what I thought we were going to start, so that’s promising. We worked very hard in November and in January to be able to try to be in a good spot. But you know how it is… you aim for this and sometimes you end up here, or you aim here and sometimes you end up here. It’s very rare that you aim here with a new everything and then you actually hit close to that, and we actually did. So I was very, very pleased with that. The team did a great job.

We have a lot of new guys. I have a very young group. You know, my car chief is younger than me, but he’s very experienced. So it’s a very, very young, talented group and I’m super excited for that. I feel very blessed to have this kind of group with me.”

Where do you like to be at the end of a superspeedway race?

“Well, every circumstance is a little bit different. I would love to be in the front; controlling the gap, controlling the race in the middle. I would say the middle is normally the best place, at least that’s what I think. And controlling the race. I feel like it’s much easier to be up front, controlling that gap, because the further back you are, the more intensity and the more Hail Mary’s people are going to be throwing. So if you are up front, there are higher chances of a crash or something happening that most likely you can avoid if you are up front.

But you never know what is going to happen. William Barron won the Daytona 500 last year being probably in the most dangerous spot on the outside third row and somehow he made it through that crash, so you never know.”

Do you feel like there’s pressure coming into this season?

“I mean, honestly, no different than any other year. I mean, there is always pressure, but this is what we do. Even Kyle Larson (reigning champion) has pressure. Everyone has pressure. Everyone wants to win. Everyone has to perform.

So yeah, it’s no different than any other year. I mean, you just have to look forward to the next thing and do it the best possible way. And whatever that is, trying to do it better the next race and better and better and trying to continue to improve.”

On being teammates with Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell:

“I like them both a lot. They’re completely different. They’re completely different guys. Michael is a super experienced guy; very organized, very structured kind of guy. A lot like myself, probably even more than me. And Carson is the opposite. You know, he’s a very, very young guy. He does a lot of things on the fly. Very, very talented.

I think I actually feel like I’m helping the team a lot because I’m that middle man guy. I’m very experienced. I’ve been doing this already for a while, but I’m still young and I feel like I can connect with both extremely well. So it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.