TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
GEICO 500
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Alabama
April 23, 2023

DOUBLE AT ‘DEGA

Shifting gears from a short-track to NASCAR’s longest oval, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will head to Talladega Superspeedway for a doubleheader race weekend. The 2.66-mile Alabama venue will be the first trip to a superspeedway since the series opened the 2023 season at Daytona International Speedway in February.

Chevrolet was the only manufacturer to find victory lane at Talladega last season across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. The NCS and NXS made two appearances at the Alabama superspeedway in 2022. Team Chevy’s Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson swept the April race weekend, with Chase Elliott and AJ Allmendinger following up with victories in the series’ return in October. Rackley W.A.R.’s Matt DiBenedetto added to Chevrolet’s victory count when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) took on the track in October, driving his No. 25 Silverado RST to the victory in the Chevrolet Silverado 250.

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1

April 24, 2022

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1

October 2, 2022

Noah Gragson, No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SS

April 23, 2022

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS

October 1, 2022

Matt DiBenedetto, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Silverado RST

October 1, 2022

 
WINNING WAYS AT TALLADEGA

On top of Chevrolet’s recent success at Talladega Superspeedway, the NASCAR Cup Series’ winningest manufacturer also has a rich history at the track, collecting a series-best 43 victories in NASCAR’s premier series. Darrell Waltrip is credited with Chevrolet’s first trip to victory lane at Talladega in May 1977, leading the Bowtie brand to a one-two-three-four finish in the event. Chevrolet went on a notable run from April 1999 to October 2007 when the manufacturer collected wins in 17 of the 18 NCS races held at the track in that time span.

 
FOUR WINS, FOUR DRIVERS, FOUR DIFFERENT CHEVY TEAMS

NASCAR’s trip to Talladega Superspeedway one year ago started a streak of superspeedway victories for the Bowtie brand. Heading into Sunday’s GEICO 500, Chevrolet is riding the momentum of four consecutive superspeedway victories in NASCAR’s premier series – a feat accomplished by four drivers from four different Chevrolet teams.

Chevrolet’s superspeedway streak began in April 2022 when Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 collected their second win of the season. NASCAR’s top series next visited a superspeedway in August when Daytona International Speedway hosted the series’ regular-season finale. Entering the race in a must-win situation to make the playoffs, Austin Dillon did just that by powering his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 team to the victory. Returning to Talladega in October, it was Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team that prevailed with a win that advanced the team to the series’ Playoffs Round of Eight. Most recently, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. captured his first crown jewel event when he drove his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1 to the win in the 2023 Daytona 500.

 
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER MILESTONE

Only a few days after being named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list, Kyle Larson scored a career-first by capturing the win in Sunday’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway. The victory – Larson’s second in the series’ past three races – brought Hendrick Motorsports one step closer to a milestone triumph with the organization now sitting at 295 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins.

The winningest organization in series’ history tallied its first NCS win at Martinsville Speedway in April 1984 with Geoff Bodine. To-date, 20 different drivers have contributed to the organization’s series-leading win count, all of which have been behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.

ELLIOTT RETURNS WITH TOP-10 FINISH

After being sidelined with a leg injury for six-races, Chase Elliott made a valiant return to the driver’s seat with a top-10 finish at Martinsville Speedway. The 27-year-old Georgia native ran mid-pack for much of the day, but the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team made adjustments on their Chevrolet throughout the race. With a four-tire call by crew chief Alan Gustafson during the race’s final caution, Elliott was able to power his way through the field to a 10th-place finish – advancing 12 positions to become the fifth-biggest mover in the final stage.

The 2020 NCS champion is on the horizon of two tracks that he’s found success at in his career. In fact, Elliott is the most recent winner at the next two stops on the series’ schedule, collecting wins at both Talladega Superspeedway (October 2022) and Dover Motor Speedway (May 2022) last season.

 
TWO-YEAR MARK FOR CONSECUTIVE NXS SUPERSPEEDWAY WINS

Dating back to Jeb Burton and Kaulig Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2021, Chevrolet has been triumphant in every NXS superspeedway race to-date. Approaching the two-year mark since the Bowtie brand’s NXS superspeedway streak began, seven different Chevrolet drivers have recorded a combined eight-straight superspeedway victories:

April 24, 2021 (Talladega) – Jeb Burton, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS

August 28, 2021 (Daytona) – Justin Haley, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS

October 2, 2021 (Talladega) – Brandon Brown, No. 68 Brandonbilt Motorsports Camaro SS

February 19, 2022 (Daytona) – Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS

April 23, 2022 (Talladega) – Noah Gragson, No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SS

August 26, 2022 (Daytona) – Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Camaro SS

October 1, 2022 (Talladega) – AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS

February 19, 2023 (Daytona) – Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS

Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 will mark the NXS’ 35th appearance at Talladega. Chevrolet has recorded a series-best 22 NXS wins at the track, including a streak of the past eight – dating back to Spencer Gallagher and GMS Racing’s victory in April 2018. Chevrolet earned the win in the series’ inaugural race at Talladega with Ernie Irvan in 1992, with the Bowtie brand going on to win the next two with Dale Earnhardt (1993) and Ken Schrader (1994).

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway:

Chase Elliott – 2 (2022 & 2019)

Ross Chastain – 1 (2022)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – (2017)

Kyle Busch – 1 (2008)

· In 107 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in race wins (43) and pole wins (37). Of those wins includes a record streak of 13 consecutive trips to victory lane captured by five different drivers from April 1999 to May 2005.

· Chevrolet was the only manufacturer to win at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022 across all three NASCAR national touring series with NASCAR Cup Series wins by Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott; NASCAR Xfinity Series wins by Noah Gragson and AJ Allmendinger; and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win by Matt DiBenedetto.

· The NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2022 started Chevrolet’s streak of superspeedway victories with the Bowtie brand taking the win in the series’ last four races on a superspeedway – recorded by four drivers from four different Chevrolet teams.

· Kyle Larson’s win at Martinsville Speedway brought Hendrick Motorsports to 295 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins – all of which have been with Chevrolet.

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

· Heading into the 10th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race of the season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (six), top-fives (22), top-10s (39), stage wins (10) and laps led (1,147). Chevrolet’s win count, top-five finishes and stage wins thus far this season is double its manufacturer competitors.

· Chevrolet’s series-leading six 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 10 of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (five; series-leading), Ross Chastain (three) and Kyle Larson (two).

· Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman continues to lead the series with an average finish of 10.0. The Chevrolet driver is also tied at the top of the leaderboard for top-10 finishes this season with six.

· Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 29 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 13 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and four points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 839 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS:

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway.

· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Tahoe Premier, Trailblazer RS, Traverse Premier, Silverado 1500 Crew ZR2, Silverado 2500HD, Crew Carhartt Diesel, Corvette Coupe 3LT Z51, Camaro ZL1, Blazer RS.

· Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car at the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Midway.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Saturday, April 22

· Gray Gaulding: 11:30 a.m.

· Sam Mayer: 11:45 a.m.

· Brandon Jones: 12 p.m.

· Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m.

· Josh Berry: 12:30 p.m.

· Sheldon Creed: 12:45 p.m.

· Derek Kraus: 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 23

· Erik Jones: 9:45 a.m.

· Austin Hill: 10 a.m.

· Austin Dillon: 11 a.m.

· Alex Bowman: 11:15 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

· Saturday, April 22: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

· Sunday, April 23: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Tune In:

NASCAR Cup Series – GEICO 500; 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 23

(FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series – Ag-Pro 300; 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 22

(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1

Do you like racing at superspeedways like Talladega?

“Superspeedways are such wild cards and we see that time and time again. In the April race last year, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I held the wheel straight and people wrecked around me and we won the race. That doesn’t always happen at superspeedway tracks though. You have so many things out of your control that you have to have a little bit of luck at them.”

This weekend at Talladega will be a year since you’ve won a race. You’ve had a lot of success since then with running well, finishing runner up in the Championship, does it feel like you haven’t won in a year to you?

“I don’t really think a whole lot about the timelines and things like that. I’m so far ahead of where I ever thought I would be in my career, and this sport. I don’t get caught up in the timelines. I just wake up every day and try and put forth the effort to be the best racecar driver I can be. I have a lot of support from Trackhouse and Chevrolet and I certainly work on my race craft, but I don’t focus a lot on timelines.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on superspeedway racing:

“We had a good race there (at Talladega Superspeedway in April of 2022) and thought that maybe we figured something out, or at least for me. I feel like I’ve always struggled on superspeedways and that race I just never left the bottom lane. That’s kind of what I would love to do every time. It seems like superspeedway stuff changes a little bit every time you go back, at least a little bit, and makes the style different.”

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

Daniels on racing at Talladega Superspeedway:

“(I’m) looking forward to Talladega (Superspeedway). I think it was an okay race for us at Daytona (International Speedway) with the way our cars performed. Obviously, we pressure ourselves to qualify up front. (We) did that in Daytona and raced reasonably. Our car hung around in the top 10 for most of the day. We are still trying to find a little bit to some of those other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) that are a little bit stronger at the plate races than we are. Folks at Hendrick Motorsports have been hard at work trying to find that and hopefully we’ll see it show up on Sunday.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MCLAREN CUSTOM GRILLS CAMARO ZL1

Are you optimistic entering Talladega considering how well you ran at Daytona?

“You know considering how well we ran at Daytona I would say that there is optimism going into Talladega. We definitely had some fast race cars in Daytona but I’ve also found over the years that Daytona cars aren’t the same as Talladega cars and it doesn’t correlate. You can take the same car from Daytona and go straight to Talladega with it and be slow. I’m optimistic and certainly looking forward to going to Talladega, although I’ve been known to get myself caught up in crashes there. I think the only three or four times I’ve ever finished a race there with a clean race car I’ve finished in the top three, top four including winning once. It just goes to show you that if you can stay clean then you can have a good day.”

Why were you and your RCR teammate Austin Dillon able to work so well together at Daytona?

“Austin and I were really able to work together well at Daytona, I think, because we both had fast race cars. We were both able to find each other and continue to work together and help each other. Austin was my wingman there towards the later stages of the race and really gave me a good push to get to the lead and then we were riding there together to finish it out strong before that late caution came. Overall, it’s been really fun to work with Austin. I think he’s been a great piece to the puzzle of our success early on in the year and I want to continue that at Talladega.”

You won the 2008 spring race at Talladega and didn’t lead a lap until late in the race. How special was that win?

“Winning that race in 2008 was super-cool. Being up front and having a fast car and dicing through traffic was cool. We got pushed by Juan Pablo Montoya there, got some really big pushes that got us to the lead. Once we got the lead, we were able to control it there the last couple of laps. The race was actually cut short while we were out front and we were able to win. Winning at Talladega in 2008 was pretty special because it gave me a win at Talladega, although I haven’t been able to back it up since then. I feel like there’s been plenty of other opportunities to win a race there that haven’t come to fruition. There’s a lot of other guys who are a lot more aggressive in restrictor plate racing and the draft and pushing the issue at times and putting themselves in some sticky situations.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on racing at Talladega:

“It’s a bit of a mystery every time you go there. I mean, you kind of know what you’re going to have, but certainly it seems like when you show up to a race for the first time, a lot of times they’re the same players. It does seem like sometimes when you go back you can have a manufacturer that has found a little something that might be improved that trip to that specific style of track. So, a lot of times we kind of have to wait until we get there, see where we stack up and kind of address the weekend after that.”

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

Gustafson talks about making his 650th start this weekend and reflecting on his career:

“For this to be my 19th season and just to survive this long in this sport and continue to be competitive, it’s a big deal to me. There’s been a lot of great people I’ve met over the years that have had a major impact on my career here at Hendrick (Motorsports), from Mr. Hendrick himself to Terry Labonte and Gary DeHart to both Jeffs (Jeff Gordon and Jeff Andrews). I really appreciate those relationships. To me, having the success and accomplishments is great, but really, it’s the people and the relationships I’ve made that make me enjoy my job the most. So, yeah, this weekend will be really cool. I’m looking forward to it.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Byron on his thoughts about Talladega:

“I feel like we’re pretty good on superspeedways but there’s more to it than just being fast. I feel like we have a good handle on Daytona (International Speedway), but Talladega (Superspeedway) has still been a bit of a challenge results-wise. Obviously, you can only control so much in that style of racing, but Talladega really does depend more on handling and how well you can push or receive a push. That’s where I think we need to focus on for this weekend. If we can do either of those things well, we should be in a good position at the end.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Fugle on his approach to superspeedway racing:

“It’s not necessarily about having the fastest car at a superspeedway. It’s about having a car that can push better, run as a group better, make good decisions and out execute them. That’s our goal to work on this week. It’s always fun to go speedway racing when you have Hendrick (Motorsports) power but we want to work together better as a group to out run the others.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1

“Talladega is always a fun racetrack. I’ve won there a few times in other series, and it’s a style of racing I always enjoy. We had a good finish as a team last year in the spring at Talladega, so I know there’s an opportunity for us to excel. My teammate, AJ (Allmendinger), is always great to work with at the superspeedways. It’s definitely helped having him at these types of tracks.”

NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 WENDY’S BIGGIE BAG CAMARO ZL1

“Wendy’s is such a fun brand – I love the new paint scheme of the No. 42 Biggie Bag Chevrolet and they have some fun stuff planned for the fans of Talladega. Talladega is such a party – it’s always one of the most fun races of the year for me and a good show for the fans – I’m really excited.

To pass at Talladega is tricky, I try to use the air, but you can’t side draft with this Next Gen car, so it’s pretty hard to pass. We are really optimistic for our speedway program and had a great race in Daytona and a strong car at Atlanta. You have to stay out of trouble, pick a good line and race your race. Being there at the end with a shot is what we want to do in the No. 42 Wendy’s Chevrolet. I have a ‘biggie’ paint scheme and Talladega is just going to be a good show all around.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1

“Talladega this weekend is going to be a good one for us to try and get a win. Our speed has been a little off here in some places this season, so I am hoping Talladega is somewhere in which we can have some good speed in the No. 43 US Air Force Chevy and get out front to contend. I am definitely looking forward to that.”

Jones on track position at the end:

“It is tough to be the leader at the end sometimes, but the race at Talladega is a long one and you just have to put yourself in a position where you have a chance at the end. So hopefully this time if we are up there at the end it will be our turn. When you have a fast car and don’t win, it is frustrating because wins are hard to come by especially at speedway races. Just trying to make it to the end of them is hard, but if you have a car that is capable of winning you want to take advantage of that.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on heading to Talladega this weekend:

“Our team always brings really fast race cars. I have just figured out every way to get caught up in something at superspeedways, so hopefully this weekend we can keep our car clean and contend for a win. Blake’s (Harris, crew chief) guy did pretty good here last year and I think we have a good foundation, so I am optimistic about what we can accomplish.”

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

Harris on how his first year as a crew chief will help him this Sunday:

“Statistically, last year we had some really good superspeedway runs. Michael (McDowell) did a really good job in those races. Alex (Bowman) did a really good job at staying clean this year at the DAYTONA 500 and got our first top five in our first race – that was big. Then, we go to Atlanta (Motor Speedway) and we ran basically inside the top 10 all day and got shuffled there at the end. There is a big part of just surviving these races and to be able to be there at the end, you have to be aggressive enough during the race to know what you need to get through the field. That approach stays the same for this weekend. We need a little luck on our side to get through all the wrecks, but at the same time we have to make sure we have ourselves in a position to win at the end of the race. Hopefully we can continue what we started in Daytona (International Speedway).”

AUSTIN HILL, NO. 62 REALTREE CAMARO ZL1

Talladega and Daytona are both superspeedways but tend to produce different races in that it seems cars can get really strung out at Talladega. What has been your experience with racing at Talladega versus Daytona?

“I’ve had success and have found myself up front at both Talladega and Daytona. I’m a firm believer that every superspeedway race races a little bit different than the last. You have to go into superspeedway weekends with a clear mindset. The things that maybe worked for you in Talladega last year, may not work for you this year. A lot has to do with the temperature outside, track temperature, the wind. There are a lot of different factors that play into the superspeedways with how the draft is that day. Every time we go to a superspeedway, it feels like I have to do something a little different inside the car to still get the performance out of the car that I’m looking for. When you get behind someone, the bubble is a lot different in each race that you run. I led laps and had a shot at winning at Talladega last season in the Xfinity car and it’s not a guarantee that what I did last year will work going into this weekend.”

You are making your second career Cup Series start this weekend at Talladega, but you have found success so far this season in the Xfinity Series. Does this affect your confidence getting in the Cup car? What are your overall expectations for this weekend?

“With it being a superspeedway, my confidence level is probably as high as it’s going to get on a Cup race. The Cup and Xfinity cars are going to draft different – just the way that the energy is going to work on a superspeedway track in each car. But in saying that, it’s still a superspeedway. You are still drafting, still need to take the runs and pull out of line when you get the chance – you just have to do it differently in the two cars. My philosophy hasn’t changed though. I’m going to learn as much as I can in Stage 1, and then by the time we get to Stage 2 and 3, I can take a lot of the stuff that I’ve learned from the first stage and use it to our advantage. We may work on our Realtree Chevrolet during the first stage to get the car driving where I want it, and then be aggressive when we get to the final stage. I think we can win just as good as anybody can. The way these superspeedway races play out, you have to miss the big one and be aggressive all day. If you are there at the end, anything can happen.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1

Do you like racing at Talladega and Daytona?

“At the beginning of my career I really didn’t but the more I have raced at those two tracks the more I have enjoyed it and I the better I have become. We have been really close a few times and I think we will win one of these soon.”

What is your Talladega strategy?

“Talladega is very unpredictable and a lot of things can happen as we all know. As a driver you can put yourself in good positions and bad positions. You just have to be smart and keep yourself in good positions all day. Of course there is a lot of luck in that.”

 
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: 6

Poles: 3

Laps Led: 1,147

Top-five finishes: 22

Top-10 finishes: 39

Stage wins: 10

· Ross Chastain – 3 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2)

· William Byron – 5 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond)

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

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 839 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 737

Laps led to date: 246,691

Top-five finishes to date: 4,243

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,751

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,173

       Chevrolet: 839

       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: 172  

 

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.

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY APRIL 23, 2023
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama – 2.66-mile Superspeedway
EVENT: GEICO 500 – 188 laps / 500 Miles
RACE: No. 10 of 36
TUNE IN: Sunday, April 23 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Noah Gragson

No. 42 Wendy’s Biggie Bag Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2023 NASCAR Cup Series Season

Starts: 9; Best start: 10th (COTA); Best finish: 11th (Daytona); Current points position: 31st

Career Talladega Superspeedway Statistics

NASCAR Cup Series

Starts 2; Best start: 7th; Best finish: 19th

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Starts: 8; Best start: 2nd; Best finish: 1st; Top 5’s: 3 Top 10s: 6; Laps Led: 64

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Starts: 2; Best Start: 8th; Best finish: 13th; Laps led: 3

Wendy’s on the No. 42: Wendy’s was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Dave built his business on the premise, “Quality Is Our Recipe®”, which remains the guidepost of the Wendy’s system. Wendy’s is best known for its made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef*, freshly prepared salads, and other signature items like chili, baked potatoes and the Frosty® dessert. The Wendy’s Company (Nasdaq: WEN) is committed to doing the right thing and making a positive difference in the lives of others. This is most visible through the Company’s support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® and its signature Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program, which seeks to find a loving, forever home for every child in the North American foster care system. Today, Wendy’s and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across approximately 7,000 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world’s most thriving and beloved restaurant brand. For details on franchising, connect with us at www.wendys.com/franchising. Visit www.wendys.com and www.squaredealblog.com for more information and connect with us on Twitter and Instagram using @wendys, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wendys.Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada.

The “Biggie” One: On Monday, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB partner Wendy’s announced a fresh look on the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro, driven by Noah Gragson. Wendy’s and Gragson are going big with a Biggie™ Bag paint scheme to highlight the best, and biggie-st, deal in fast food. The latest paint scheme is set to be another big crowd favorite at Talladega.

Wendy’s After Dark: Wendy’s will be celebrating on-site at Talladega Superspeedway by bringing fans a one-of-a-kind arcade and dining experience coined, “Biggie’s.” While at “Biggie’s,” fans can play nearly 20 different classic arcade games, get an up-close and personal look at the No. 42 Biggie™ Bag, and score FREE Biggie Bags, frozen Blueberry Pomegranate Lemonades and exclusive, limited-edition Wendy’s and Gragson co-branded merchandise. Once night falls, stick around because “Biggie’s” transforms into “Biggie’s After Dark” — the ultimate glow in the dark party for race fans.

No rookies here: This weekend marks the third outing for Noah Gragson at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. His best run in the series came when he filled in for the No. 48 of Alex Bowman last fall – Gragson qualified seventh and finished 19th.

From Xfinity and Beyond: One year ago, Gragson was victorious at Talladega Superspeedway in the Xfinity Series. He only led seven laps that day but lead the most important one, to take the checkered flag for his second win of the 2022 season.

Noah Gragson Appearances at Talladega: Fans at Talladega will have multiple chances to see Noah this weekend.

Wendy’s Fan Experience: Noah will be at the Wendy’s Fan experience in the infield at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, April 22 at 1:30 pm.

NASCAR Fan Experience: Noah will participate in a Q&A session on Sunday, April 23 at 10:30 am at NASCAR Experience Stage.

NASCAR Legends Stage: Noah will participate in a Q&A session at 10:50 am at the NASCAR Legends stage in the GEICO footprint in the fan midway.

Quoting Noah Gragson: “Wendy’s is such a fun brand – I love the new paint scheme of the No. 42 Biggie Bag Chevrolet and they have some fun stuff planned for the fans of Talladega. Talladega is such a party – it’s always one of the most fun races of the year for me and a good show for the fans – I’m really excited.”

“To pass at Talladega is tricky, I try to use the air, but you can’t side draft with this Next Gen car, so it’s pretty hard to pass. We are really optimistic for our speedway program and had a great race in Daytona and a strong car at Atlanta. You have to stay out of trouble, pick a good line and race your race. Being there at the end with a shot is what we want to do in the No. 42 Wendy’s Chevrolet. I have a ‘biggie’ paint scheme and Talladega is just going to be a good show all around.”

Erik Jones

No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2023 NASCAR Cup Series Season

Starts: 9; Best start: 8th (COTA); Best finish: 8th (Atlanta); Top 10s: 1; Current points position: 28th

Career Talladega Superspeedway Statistics

NASCAR Cup Series

Starts: 12; Best start: 6th; Best finish: 2nd; Top 5s: 2, Top 10s: Laps Led: 73

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Starts: 3; Best start: 4th; Best finish: 5th; Top 5s: 1, Top 10s: 1; Laps Led: 5

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Starts: 2; Best Start: 3rd; Best finish: 4th; Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 2; Laps led: 7

The United States Air Force on the No. 43: The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win – airpower anytime, anywhere. Whether full time, part time, in or out of uniform, everyone who serves plays a critical role in helping us achieve mission success. For 2023, the Air Force Recruiting Service is hiring over 26,000 new Airmen. An emphasis is on recruiting people with no prior military service into one of over 130 enlisted career opportunities. The Air Force recruits to retain, so we recruit the brightest candidates possible, then provide them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America’s Air Force. For more information, visit www.airforce.com

Two out of last three: Erik Jones has twelve starts at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series scoring three consecutive top-10 finishes, two of which were in the top-5. He has led 73 laps, 25 of which came in the last outing at the 2.66-mile Superspeedway in the fall of 2022. In the last two Talladega races, Jones has led a total of 48 laps.

The one that got away: Jones had a strong No. 43 Chevy at Talladega last fall, leading 23 laps on the day – and was less than 10 miles from his second victory of the season. With just three laps to go, Jones was leading, but the outside line was overtaken and the team would have to settle for a sixth-place finish.

Dave knows Superspeedways: Crew chief Dave Elenz is no stranger to success at superspeedways. He has nine starts with five different drivers at Talladega in the Xfinity Series, and has recorded one top-five and five top-10 finishes. Elenz also has had a noticeable record at Daytona. In fourteen starts with six different drivers, Elenz has four wins, five top-fives, and nine top-10’s.

Riding with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds – The partnership between LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the United States Air Force was announced prior to the start of the 2023 season-opening DAYTONA 500. In its 15th season with the team, The U.S. Air Force uses their partnership with the team to activate at-track for recruiting efforts. Jones will pilot a red, white and blue-themed U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds paint scheme on the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

Salute to Lieutenant General Healy: Lt. Gen. John P. Healy will be joining the No. 43 team in Talladega. Lt. Gen. Healy is the Chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia, and Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. As Chief of Air Force Reserve, he serves as a principal advisor on reserve matters to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff. As Commander of Air Force Reserve Command, he has full responsibility for the supervision of all Air Force Reserve units around the world.

A Diamond Anniversary: The Air Force Reserve Command recently celebrated its “Diamond Anniversary”, for 75 years of service. Over the last 75 years, Reserve Citizen Airmen have answered the nation’s call with a record of combat-proven readiness while also transforming for the future. In celebration of this milestone, Lt. Gen. Healy recently hosted a celebration with a cake-cutting ceremony and dedication of a new Profiles in Leadership display at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on April 14.

Erik Jones Appearances at Talladega: Fans attending this weekend’s GEICO 500 will have several opportunities to meet Erik Jones on Sunday, April 23. (All times local).

Chevrolet Fan Experience: Jones will participate in a Q &A at the Fan Zone Display at 9:45 am.

Read with Erik: Jones will read a book to kids in the NASCAR Kids Zone in the midway from 10:10 am.

United States Air Force Display: Jones will appear at the U.S. Air Force mobile display unit in the midway at 11:00 am.

Quoting Erik Jones: “Talladega is going to be a good one for us to try and get a win. Our speed has been a little off at some places this season, so I am hoping Talladega is somewhere in which we can have some good speed in the No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevy and get out front to contend. I am looking forward to that.”

“It is tough to be the leader at the end sometimes, but the race at Talladega is a long one and you just have to put yourself in a position where you have a chance at the end. So hopefully this time if we are up there at the end it will be our turn. When you have a fast car and don’t win, it is frustrating because wins are hard to come by, especially at speedway races. Just trying to make it to the end of them is hard, but if you have a car that is capable of winning you want to take advantage of that.”

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional motor racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates two full-time entries, the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Erik Jones. The team also fields a third part-time entry, the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, for Johnson’s limited racing schedule in 2023.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates alongside GMS Racing, which fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS Racing in 2012, Gallagher, along with one of the NASCAR garage’s most accomplished figures, Team President, Mike Beam, built a victorious organization, capturing the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

Our mission at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is to create an inclusive environment for auto-racing enthusiasts, celebrate the past and future legacies of our partners and team members, and to compete for race wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content visit www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

AUSTIN HILL
Talladega Advance
No. 62 Realtree/Turkeys for Tomorrow Chevrolet Camaro

Event Overview

● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36)

● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 23

● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

● Layout: 2.66-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles

● State Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps

● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Beard Motorsports will make its 2023 NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend in the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. This is Beard Motorsports’ seventh season participating in select NASCAR Cup Series events. The team’s resume includes a total of 21 starts in Cup Series competition. Piloting the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro for the Beard family is NASCAR Xfinity Series standout driver Austin Hill.

● This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega will mark the second career start for Hill. The native of Winston, Georgia, made his Cup Series debut last season at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing (RCR). He raced his way to an 18th-place finish after starting 31st. While Hill may have limited experience behind the wheel of a NASCAR Cup Series car, he goes into this weekend’s race with a growing prowess for superspeedway racing. Driving for RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Hill has a resume that features a total of five series wins. Among those victories are a pair of wins at Talladega’s sister track, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

● Realtree, the world’s leading designer, marketer, and licensor of photorealistic camouflage, will serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 62 Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega. The scheme will highlight Realtree’s Timebr® camouflage pattern and feature a special promotion for Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT), the 501(c)3 non-profit group dedicated to wild turkey conservation. Formed in 2021 by veteran turkey hunters who were concerned about the future of the wild turkey and the turkey hunting tradition, the group has continued to grow and be at the forefront of cutting-edge wild turkey research projects.

● The 2023 NASCAR season is Beard Motorsports’ seventh participating in the series on a limited basis. Matriarch Linda Beard, along with her children, carry on the pursuit of their late husband and father, Mark Beard Sr., in racing and in business. Beard Motorsports and its family-owned company, Beard Oil Distributing – a certified women-owned business – is a distinctive qualifier in the male-dominated sport of auto racing. While Linda Beard’s name appears as car owner on the entry list, the team is managed with ample support from her children, Amie and Mark Beard Jr., along with help from crew chief Darren Shaw and Brendan Gaughan, the former NASCAR Cup Series driver who made 17 of his 67 career series starts with Beard Motorsports.

● While Sunday’s GEICO 500 will be the first race of the 2023 season for the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet team, it is not the group’s first attempt. The Beard family fielded the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro with Hill during Speedweek at Daytona with plans to race in the season-opening Daytona 500. The team was poised to advance to the starting field for the 500 when the No. 62 Chevrolet was caught up in a multicar accident during the closing laps of its Duel qualifying race.

● Crew chief Darren Shaw leads the competition efforts for the No. 62 Beard Motorsports team and has been preparing for the races that will make up the rest of the team’s 2023 racing schedule since leaving Daytona in February. In addition to this weekend’s GEICO 500 at Talladega, the No. 62 Beard team is slated to compete at Michigan in August, the season’s second races at Daytona and Talladega in August and October, respectively, as well as the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October.

● The No. 62 Realtree/Turkeys for Tomorrow Chevrolet Camaro is powered by an ECR-built engine. Beard Motorsports has leveraged the power of ECR Engines since making its NASCAR debut with Gaughan in the driver’s seat in 2017. During the team’s seven seasons of racing, Beard Motorsports has participated in 21 Cup Series events, scoring one top-five and five top-10 finishes. Its most recent performances featured a top-five finish in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona last August with former driver Noah Gragson. Prior to 2022, Beard boasted a pair of top-10 finishes at Daytona during the 2020 season with Gaughan at the wheel – seventh in the Daytona 500 in February and eighth in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in August.

Austin Hill, Driver of the No. 62 Realtree/Turkeys for Tomorrow Chevrolet Camaro

You didn’t get to make a start in the Daytona 500 but you did get time behind the wheel of the No. 62 Chevrolet during the qualifying race. Were you able to learn anything about working with the Beard Motorsports team or crew chief Darren Shaw that may help you this week?

“For the number of laps that we ran in Daytona, we did find a few things that I like in the car on superspeedways compared to what we originally loaded with. Those are things that we are going to put into effect this weekend at Talladega. The car wanted to turn on its own a lot and you didn’t have to put much wheel in to it but I personally like to tug on the wheel and be on the tight side at superspeedways. I feel like you can do more with that and not be as cautious with getting pushes.”

You will be making only your second career Cup Series start this weekend, but you’ve been having a great run in the Xfinity Series. Talk about how that affects your confidence as you get ready to make the start in the Cup Series this weekend.

“With it being a superspeedway race my confidence level is probably as high as it’s going to get for a Cup race. The Cup and Xfinity cars are going to draft different – just the way the energy is going to work on a superspeedway track in each car. But in saying that, it’s still a superspeedway. You are still drafting. You still need to take the runs and pull out of line when you get the chance. You just have to do it differently in the two cars. My philosophy hasn’t changed though. I’m going to learn as much as I can in the first stage. Then, by the time we get to the second and final stages, I can take a lot of the stuff I learned from the first stage and use it to our advantage. We may work on our Realtree Chevrolet during the first stage to get the car driving where I want it, and then be aggressive when we get to the final stage. I think we have as much a chance to win as anyone. The way the superspeedway races play out, you have to miss the big one and be aggressive all day. If you are there at the end, anything can happen.”

Talladega and Daytona are both superspeedways but tend to produce different races in that it seems cars can get really strung out at Talladega. What has been your experience with race at Talladega versus Daytona?

“I’ve had success and have found myself up front at both Talladega and Daytona. I’m a firm believer that every superspeedway race races a little bit different than the last. You have to go into superspeedway weekends with a clear mindset. The things that maybe worked for you in Talladega last year, may not work for you this year. A lot has to do with the temperature outside, track temperature, the wind. There are a lot of different factors that play into the superspeedways with how the draft is that day. Every time we go to a superspeedway it feels like I have to do something a little different inside the car to still get the performance out of the car that I’m looking for. When you get behind someone the bubble is a lot different in each race that you run. I led laps and had a shot at winning at Talladega last season in the Xfinity car and it’s not a guarantee that what I did last year will work going into this weekend.”

You’ve had a lot of success on superspeedways in your career. How much can translate to your efforts in the Cup car?

“The biggest thing for me is I feel like Derek Kneeland (Xfinity Series spotter) and I are really aggressive from the start of the race. During the first stage we learn to set ourselves up for the second and final stage. That is not going to change – it’s just something that we have always done. If we get big runs, we pull out of line to see if it works. The more that you can learn in the first stage to apply later in the race sets you up better for when you get to the final 10 or 20 laps. You can apply everything that has been learned early in the race. This is something that is carried over for every race I’ve ever run on a superspeedway and probably won’t change going forward.”

No. 62 Beard Motorsports Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Austin Hill

Hometown: Winston, Georgia

Crew Chief: Darren Shaw

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Drew Mickey

Hometown: Walkerton, North Carolina

Spotter: Chris Osborne

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

President: Linda Beard

Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

VP of Racing Ops: Brendan Gaughan

Hometown: Las Vegas

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Tim Sheets

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Rear Tire Changer: David Mayo

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Damien Wermes

Hometown: Huntersville, North Carolina

Jack Man: Garrett Crall

Hometown: Hicksville, Ohio

Fuel Man: Bobby Grant

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Jack Gagnon

Hometown: Quebec, Canada

Mechanic: Mark Sanders

Hometown: Springfield, Ohio

Mechanic: Nic Hill

Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida

Tire Technician: Mike Harrold

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jason Watkins

Hometown: Ridgeway, Virginia

Transporter Driver: Terry Burger

Hometown: Lexington, North Carolina

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Talladega Superspeedway Advance | Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Doug Yates, CEO, Roush Yates Engines, looks ahead to this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. This marks the 20th anniversary season for Roush Yates Engines, whose inaugural season of 2004 produced a championship for Jack Roush and Kurt Busch. Coincidentally, Wednesday’s media call marked birthdays for both founders of the company, Roush and the late Robert Yates.

TODAY IN PARTICULAR IS A SPECIAL DAY, AS IT IS JACK ROUSH AND YOUR DAD, ROBERT YATES’, BIRTHDAY. TAKE US THROUGH THE EARLY YEARS, UP UNTIL TODAY. “It’s a really special day – special year for being our 20th season since our founders Jack Roush and Robert Yates decided that we were going to join forces and allow me to lead this company. It’s a really big day… my dad’s been passed on – it’ll be six years in October, but we still celebrate him. His twin brother, Richard, is still a part of our company. He’s going to join us tomorrow for a company lunch, fish fry, that we’ll have. Jack will be here, and Richard will be here to celebrate them and give them the chance to speak to all 215 employees to appreciate what they do. When we founded the company, it really happened fast. I know most of you guys have heard the story a million times, but it was basically – at Atlanta we met, said, ‘Yes, we want to do that,’ put this company together. The next weekend, Jack won the championship with Matt Kenseth at Rockingham. I got on a plane with him – Jack was flying and I was in the back. We went up to Michigan and put our deal together. When my dad and him started talking, they said, ‘Right now, what’s important to you?’ – and vice-versa. They listed 20 things that were important to each one of them. All but maybe two of them matched up. We started even before we had the business stuff done, but it came down to ‘How are we going to name this company?’ My dad and Jack share the same birthday – Jack being one-year older than my dad, it was just, ‘Well, you’re older. So, you go first.’ So, that’s how we came up with Roush Yates. It turned out to be a good partnership – a great partnership. Jack’s been an amazing guy to work with. I just remember sitting there in my office in the early days when Jack and my dad would come in and share their opinions about engine design and philosophy… a lot of heated discussions, but cool discussions and I’m proud to be here in it all, for them and with them, today. It’s interesting to me. I went to North Carolina State, have a degree in mechanical engineering, but working with Jack Roush felt like a final exam every Tuesday, when he would fly down from Livonia, have his debrief with his teams. He’d come meet with me and say, all right we had eight cars at the time, ‘What jet was in this carburetor, what piston and ball bearings are we running’ – he would just find the toughest question that he could just to test me. Every Monday night after debriefing from the race, and getting ready for the next race, I’d literally pour through our engine build books and records to try to make sure I was prepared for the toughest question, as he was kind of checking me out and making sure I passed the test. But, it made me a better engine builder. Working with Jack has made me a better person and he’s such a great guy – it’s just an awesome, awesome partnership. I just appreciate him. But yeah, those early days – my dad and I just love to make power. We wanted to make as much horsepower as we could, and we were making 700 fairly early out of college, 800 and then 900. Jack loved to run his engines hot. He wanted to run the most temperature and the most rpm, and back then, we didn’t have a gear rule. So for people who haven’t been around that long, there was unlimited. So we were turning these engines, basically what we race today, about 10,500 rpm – push-rod, V8, same architecture, and today, it’s at about a 8,500 rpm limit. So, it’s changed quite a bit, but learned a lot, and together we’ve won a lot of races and won a championship our very first year out with Kurt Busch in 2004, put five of Jack’s cars in the playoffs the next year, and I wish we could say we won the championship, but came up just short. But, we’ve had a lot of success since then, including most recently, winning the championship with Joey Logano last year and in 2018 with Ford Performance. So, it’s been fantastic – I could talk for days on end about some of the things we did together, but it’s been a great partnership, and it’s all possible because of Edsel Ford, Jim Farley, Bill Ford and Ford Motor Company. They’re the ones to make that happen, and I’m fortunate enough to be able to lead this company.”

WOULD ADDITIONAL HORSEPOWER, LIKE WE’VE SEEN IN THE PAST, IMPROVE THE SHORT TRACK PACKAGE? “I love power. I’m an engine builder. But, I’m also a race fan. What I want to see, just like you guys and everybody else, is great racing – passing and the opportunity to pass, and what creates that. We all have our opinions, right? Could you ever imagine staying out on tires at Martinsville? Or putting two tires on and winning the race? That just doesn’t seem right. But, every race is different, and we had a great weekend. Stewart-Haas was really fast. To give a little bit of history on how we got here, I think and in my opinion, is that we were making about 900 horsepower on these engines we have today. We were running faster than a lot of people probably needed to go, especially at places like Michigan. And we could only run the engines one race, which is really extensive. Back then, the engine programs were over four million dollars per car – what it’d cost for the season. We went and did some testing at Michigan, the way I remember it, and reduced the power and NASCAR liked what they saw and reduced the power significantly. The goal was to close-up the racing, make it more pack racing and reduce the cost of engines by being able to run them further. So we went down this path. If you go way back, we used to have a qualifying engine, a practice engine and a race engine – back in the day when we were really pushing the limits and just had a one-race engine. And really, before we had a lot of engine technology, we didn’t have the amount of testing capabilities that we have for durability, etc. We went to one engine per weekend which was helpful for cost, and since then we’ve reduced the power and run the engines two to three events per engine today. Could we add more power? What would it take? What would it cost? I think that’s the big thing. If you remember two years ago, we had a 750 horsepower, 9,000 rpm package, and last year we went to a sixth set with the Next Gen car, which is a 670 hp, 8,500 rpm package in an effort to extend the life of these engines, and it fit with this car. We have the same base engine as we had last year, so I think very easily in my opinion, we could go back to 750 horsepower – pretty quickly. I think that’s not too hard, and it would not really increase the cost very much. Could we add 80 horsepower back? Yes. Could we go back to 900? That would be a pretty long runway to get there, and probably add a lot of expenses due to just that the life of the engine will be short. So to summarize: Yes, we can add more power. Probably 50-100 horsepower with not a lot of expense, in my opinion. I think we could do that pretty quickly. To go to 900 or 1,000, that’s a whole different discussion.”

HOW MANY CARS ON THE TRACK WOULD IT TAKE TO GIVE YOU AN ADEQUATE SAMPLE SIZE IN ORDER TO DECIDE IF IT’S WORTH TAKING THAT STEP? “I think if you took three or four cars on track and just did some long runs, you’d be able to figure it out pretty quickly – like we used to. I don’t personally think that this is something simulation could do a good job of, just because you need multiple cars and all the tracks are so different. But go back to Martinsville: We always say, you’re going back on Monday. This is the question we ask every week. We didn’t like the results we got, with our team and package – what would we do differently if we went back tomorrow, or raced again tomorrow? I think that’s something you’d want to do, is take three or four cars, add 100 horsepower, and go do some long runs to see how it works. That’s just my opinion, but there are a lot of dynamics, a business behind this thing and ultimately, it’s really the OEMs and NASCAR driving these types of decisions.”

LET’S SAY THEY WANTED TO TRY 750 HORSEPOWER. DO YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL THE PARTS AND PIECES TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT, AND DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHETHER OR NOT THE ENGINES WOULD LAST? “I think the first thing we’d do honestly is go to the dyno, change the taper spacer back to the 1170, do some tests and run a durability test with what we have today and make adjustments from there. There would probably have to be some changes to the calibration of course, which are things we do anyways. Just to see if all the hardware is ok as well. I think, with some tweaks, it could be done.”

IS THIS BROUGHT UP IN MEETINGS WITH NASCAR, AND IS THIS SORT OF ADJUSTMENT ON THEIR RADAR WITH ENGINE BUILDERS? “I don’t think that it’s one of our bullet points that we discuss every meeting, no. It’s more podcasts and media today. I think that’s kind of the world it’s in today. I think NASCAR is very aware of trying to make sure we’re having the right powertrain at the track, keeping costs in mind, and we’re also keeping the future of the sport in mind with what would attract a new OEM to come into the sport. All those things are strategic discussions that we do have with NASCAR.”

NASCAR ANNOUNCED ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES YESTERDAY. HOW MUCH ARE YOU AND ENGINE BUILDERS INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS TO DECIDE WHAT’S FEASIBLE? “John Probst has done a really good job leading the engine-builder group, and having regular meetings to discuss those things, and sustainable fuel is one of the key topics. So, all the engine builders and OEMs are aware and ready when they make a decision of what the chemistry is going to be and what the fuel is going to be. We’ll be ready to test. That’s what it’s about on our end. We got to go have the sample, do all our testing for validation and durability, and see if we have to make adjustments accordingly. So yes, we’re all up to speed on those things.”

HOW SOON DO YOU NEED TO START DISCUSSING THE 2024 ENGINE PACKAGE? “The sooner, the better. If we were to make a power change, we’d want to know that as soon as we could. Mid-year is probably a great point. We have a lot of long lead items… but I don’t think it’s going to change the bottom-end necessarily, which are the longer lead components we have to order. We would just need to know, probably mid-year would be a good time. I heard Jeff Andrews say now, and I agree with him in the point that now would be nice to know if we were going to change something. Like I said, this really hasn’t been on our radar screen. We all have those opinions, we’ve watched the races and we’ve heard the commentary and listened afterwards. This is something that would be nice to know.”

WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE ROUSH YATES ENGINES STACK UP AGAINST THE COMPETITORS SO FAR THIS SEASON? ARE YOU ON TRACK TO MEET YOUR GOALS? “We’ll start with the positives. Daytona was fantastic for us. We won both Duel races, and I think we may have won the 500… I don’t know. But anyways, we were there. Then Atlanta was really the story for us with qualifying first and Joey [Logano] winning the race, and having a really strong day. I’m looking forward to going to Talladega this weekend, and hopefully we can carry on that success. We felt like we had a really good shot to win in Phoenix. [Kevin] Harvick was really driving away from the field before the caution came out, so that was really encouraging. Then in Martinsville, the Stewart-Haas guys were fantastic. It was a tough race to pass as we all are talking about now in different ways. But yeah, the Stewart-Haas guys were great – Kevin Harvick, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece were good until they got in the back. We’ve had some highlights, but we’d definitely love to have more wins. Today, we’re sitting here with one win in nine races, which is not good enough for sure. I think intermediate tracks are probably our biggest concern. Vegas was a tough race for us, so we’ll see with Kansas and other tracks coming up here soon. We’re not where we want to be. Everybody here is working extremely hard. I think the lesson we learned last year was that we started off ok, the summer was tough, and then we peaked really well in the playoffs and won the championship. So, we don’t really want to go back to that strategy again, but it seems like, ‘here we go again.’ We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we have a great team here at Roush Yates and great race teams that we are partnered with at Ford Performance. We’re going to have to really work hard to try to get more wins, and be ready when it comes the time to win a championship.”

WHAT KIND OF TIMEFRAME DO YOU THINK IF NASCAR WERE TO INCREASE 50-100 HORSEPOWER? “You’re talking to a guy who used to rebuild engines overnight and put them back in the car. The answer you get from me is probably going to be different from other people. At the end of the day, we’re here to do whatever NASCAR, Jim France and Ford Performance want to do. I think that’s a pretty easy change. I don’t know if I could envision them doing it this year, but I don’t think it’s impossible to do that. We were at Charlotte Motor Speedway testing with the Next Gen car and on Day 2 of the oval test, Greg Zipadelli calls me and says, ‘Man, we’re struggling with this 550 hp package. Can we add more power?’ We changed the spacer and here we are today, so not easier for a test engine where the stakes aren’t as high, but I think there are a lot of smart people in this sport and if we needed to do something to make the racing better from an engine perspective, we’ll try to do that.”

IS IT WORTH THE EFFORT TRYING TO INCREASE BY A SMALLER INCREMENT OF 50-100 HORSEPOWER, AND WILL IT MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE ON-TRACK AS OPPOSED TO MAKING A GREATER LEAP TO 900 HP? “I think the answer is that we have to go test and figure it out. I don’t think it’s just the power – it’s the tire, aero combination. In some ways, it’s a moving target. One package doesn’t stick forever. It worked for awhile, but you have to continue to adjust and change to make it better. You have to go test. That’s what we do for a living – we try things and test things and we try to continually come up with a better package. That’s what I’d guess. And I know these things cost money – the test costs money, the engine development costs money. I get all that, but our job is building a great race for our fans, creating excitement and our job specifically is to try to get our Fords to victory lane. I’m not lobbying for it. You guys asked the question. Can we do it? Yes. If that’s what it takes to make better racing, then I think we should take a look at it.”

ANY FOND MEMORIES OF NORTH WILKESBORO AHEAD OF THE RACE THIS SEASON? “I have a lot of great memories growing up. We lived in Ronda, North Carolina when my dad worked for Junior Johnson from about 1971-1975. I always went to the track. I remember the first time my mom took me there for qualifying. We sat on the concrete bleachers, and I was immediately taken by the sport – the sound, the excitement. After that, my dad would take me down there in the pits, but there was no pit road wall back then. You just backed the trailer up to the track, and we’re all sitting there with Junior Johnson, the Wood brothers, Richard Petty. Man, it was so awesome. I just remember, as a little kid, Richard Petty was just like how he is today. He was just so nice, would come up and talk to me, and I was just so fascinated. Racing Wilkesboro is really special. For Junior Johnson, it was his Daytona 500. Being a part of that team, it was our Daytona 500. It was a lot of good times and good memories. Even when my dad had his team, we won there with Davey [Allison] after he had his bad wreck at Bristol. he had cracked ribs, got into the car. Jimmy Hensley qualified the car, and Davey was not going to get out of his race car and won the race. Just a lot of great memories, and I can’t wait to get back. Thanks to Marcus Smith, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR to put that race back on. There’s a lot of excitement. Look, my sister, who’s not a race fan and four years younger than me, called me and asked me for tickets. If that tells you anything… I think it’s going to be a huge success and a lot of people are going to be excited for North Wilkesboro.”

WAS NORTH WILKESBORO “THE SPARK” TO JUMPSTART YOUR LOVE FOR RACING, OR DID THE ATMOSPHERE JUST ADD TO YOUR PASSION FOR THE SPORT? “It’s kind of appropriate that we’re talking about this on my dad’s birthday, because what excited me about getting into racing is that my dad was my hero and I wanted to be like him. Whatever he did, I wanted to do – trying to carry that on. So, when I’d go to Junior’s shop, it was pretty small back then, he would do all his machine work during the day, and put his engines together at night. He would always come home for dinner and go back to work. Our house was just down the road from the shop, and I’d go back to the shop with him after dinner. I’d stay all night with him. I even had a little cot there I’d sleep on. I’d help him sort nuts and bolts or do whatever he asked me to do. I’d stay there all night as he built the engine. Junior would come through and pat him on the back and say, ‘Boy, we’re going to win this race.’ Man, that was awesome. I thought my dream growing up was that I wanted to own my own race team, and I wanted my house right next to my race shop – just like Junior. That’s what I knew. That’s how it was. I just thought that was so awesome. I still did. He’s a great American hero, and we got to be a part of that. It’s an awesome deal.”

IF THERE WAS A PUSH FOR MORE HORSEPOWER, HOW DOES IT CHANGE THE ENGINE ROTATION? “It’s all over the board. Reason being, if you wreck a car, overheat a car or over rev an engine, sometimes you have to take those apart, inspect it and restart. Basically, have two mulligans during the season. I think we’d have to get some sort of pass on those things to be able to make this happen. That would be a discussion and a great point to bring up.”

DO MOST TEAMS USE A FRESH ENGINE DURING TALLADEGA, OR IS THIS A DAYTONA 500 ENGINE? “The way we did it is the Daytona engines, the short blocks, went to Atlanta and then they’re fresh for Talladega. But some guys had issues at Daytona, which changed their rotation up a little bit. But for the most part, these are fresh engines for Talladega that will go on to Atlanta for their second race.”

WHERE IS NASCAR WITH ELECTRIFICATION, AND WAS YOUR DAD WORKING ON ANYTHING THAT ALIGNED WITH SUSTAINABILITY HAVING BEEN SO PASSIONATE IN IT? “His passion for that goes all the way back to 1989 when he took a break from NASCAR and moved to South Carolina to work on, at the time, alternative fuel which was ethanol. So, he spent a year down there building and testing engines, working on fuel – which he was very informed and excited about. Ultimately, he came back to NASCAR and started his own engine shop in 1986. My dad was always the kind of guy to look ahead and not behind him. He was a big proponent of what’s the next engine platform, what’s the next technology that we can have to move this sport forward. Those things are ahead of us, I think. I think IMSA is a leader in that. Jim France and his team do a great job with working with OEMs on hybridization and electrification. I know NASCAR is working on some things along that line. At the end of the day, in regards to electrification, the facts are that the technology is not there to run a race, as we know, in NASCAR today. I think it’s in the future still, and we’ll continue to work with NASCAR. But I think the path is sustainable fuel and continuing to look at hybrid systems, and then down the road, electric. All those things are definitely on NASCAR’s radar and they’re actively talking about them, but I think it’s a longer road to get there.”

STATESVILLE, N.C. (April 19, 2023) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB today announced a partnership with Bommarito Automotive Group to be featured as the primary partner of Erik Jones and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the NASCAR Cup Series event on June 4 at World Wide Technology Raceway just outside of St. Louis.

Bommarito Automotive Group, Missouri’s No. 1 automotive dealer, partnered with Jones and the No. 43 in 2022 for the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the track. Led by President John Bommarito and Vice President Chuck Wallis, Bommarito Automotive Group has been a staple in the St. Louis marketplace for more than 50 years. With over 1,000 dedicated team members, the Bommarito Automotive Group currently operates 20 automotive franchises throughout every St. Louis neighborhood. With a mission of having “one Bommarito vehicle in every driveway”, the Bommarito Automotive Group continues to experience unprecedented growth.

Jones turned out a stellar performance at last year’s event, starting 21st, leading four laps and finishing with a respectable seventh place finish in the No. 43 Chevrolet.

“I’m proud to partner with Bommarito Automotive Group for the second year in a row for the race in St. Louis,” said Jones. “There was a ton of excitement for this race last year, we ran really well and Bommarito had a huge presence at the track. I’m excited to get to the track and hope to put on a good show in front of their hometown crowd.”

“We are honored to be a partner in bringing NASCAR back to the St. Louis region thanks to the support of race fans across the country”, said John Bommarito, President of the Bommarito Automotive Group. “As a leading brand since 1971 in the Midwest marketplace, the Bommarito Automotive Group could not be prouder to once again adorn the legendary LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team, now co-owned by racing legend and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson with “The King” of stock car racing, Richard Petty serving as Team Ambassador, with the No. 43 Bommarito Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2nd Annual NASCAR Cup race right here in St. Louis.”

“Partnering once again with Richard Petty and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB goes down as one of our most iconic collaborations to date,” said Chuck Wallis, Vice President and General Manager of the Bommarito Automotive Group. “It’s a dream come true for Bommarito’s involvement in motorsports to be at such a competitive level. Incorporating Petty blue and the most celebrated brand in motorsports with ours is legendary. Great partners and friends.”

Jones and the No. 43 Bommarito Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will take to World Wide Technology Raceway for the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 4 with coverage on FS1, Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

ABOUT BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP:

What Frank Bommarito started over 50 years ago, as a single point Oldsmobile dealer, has now successfully grown into Missouri’s No. 1 automotive group, also ranked top 50 in the nation. With over 1,000 employees and 20 locations offering 20 brands, Bommarito Automotive Group continues to grow its brand while also growing its involvement in motorsports. Our vision was to have a vehicle in our portfolio for every type of buyer. We now can drive home our mission: One Bommarito vehicle in every driveway. Once a vision, today a reality.

Bommarito began its motorsports involvement in 2015 with Jordan Anderson Racing and since has evolved into Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport and are owners of the No. 31 and No. 27 NASCAR Xfinity Series teams and the No. 3 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Bommarito also holds the title sponsorship for the Bommarito 500 NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Worldwide Technology Raceway since 2017. Thanks to you and the millions of dedicated race fans, Bommarito’s success and involvement in racing continues to demonstrate when you win on Sunday it generates sales on Monday. Visit us at bommarito.com 24/7 and follow us on all social media platforms @bommaritoautosport.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional motor racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates two full-time entries, the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Erik Jones. The team also fields a third part-time entry, the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, for Johnson’s limited racing schedule in 2023.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates alongside GMS Racing, which fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS Racing in 2012, Gallagher, along with one of the NASCAR garage’s most accomplished figures, Team President, Mike Beam, built a victorious organization, capturing the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

Our mission at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is to create an inclusive environment for auto-racing enthusiasts, celebrate the past and future legacies of our partners and team members, and to compete for race wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

ARIC ALMIROLA
Talladega Advance
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 23
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Aric Almirola has led laps in both superspeedway-style races this year. He led 16 laps in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, as well as 17 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Both are career highs for Almirola at those respective tracks. His day was cut short at both events when he was involved accidents not of his doing.

● History at Talladega: In 25 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Almirola has one win, nine top-10 finishes, five top-fives, and has led 107 laps. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series on the 2.66-mile oval, Almirola visited victory lane in May 2017. Statistically speaking, Talladega is the track where he’s shown the most consistency. With his third-place finish in the June 2020 race there, Almirola tied the record of eight consecutive Talladega top-10s set by Dale Earnhardt Jr., from April 2001 to October 2004. Despite seeing his streak come to an abrupt end thanks to a multicar accident on lap 57 of the October 2020 race, followed by his 15th-place finish there a year ago this weekend, Almirola’s average finish in his last 10 Talladega outings is 12.9 – second-best among all Cup Series drivers.

● Almirola earned his season-best finish of sixth last weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It was also the first race of the season during which Almirola earned bonus points after both of the opening two stages. He finished ninth to earn two bonus points, and second in Stage 2 to earn another nine bonus points. Combined with the 31 points he earned for his sixth-place finish in the race, Almirola’s 42 total points earned Sunday was fourth-most among the 36 drivers entered.

● Driver Points: Almirola arrives at Talladega 27th in the driver standings, 159 points out of first.

● Almirola’s career: In 433 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 92 top-10s, three poles, and has led 1,007 laps.

● Fans will see the iconic white, black, and gold Smithfield Foods scheme adorn Almirola’s Ford Mustang this weekend. Smithfield has been a sponsor of Almirola’s for the entirety of his fulltime NASCAR Cup Series career – making it one of the longest-lasting partnerships in NASCAR. Smithfield is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities.

● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series:In 2023, Almirola is continuing to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season five of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and the show gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How hard is it to win at Talladega?

“It’s really hard to win at Talladega. It is such a tough place. The opportunity to get involved in a wreck is really high, so you’re constantly trying to battle risk versus reward – how hard you’re going to work to get aggressive and make moves, trying to lead the draft versus playing it safe. It’s a really tough place to win because you can so easily have the fastest racecar and get taken out of the race. However, Talladega is certainly an opportunity race for us. The Fords have been notoriously strong at speedway races and we were really strong at Daytona and Atlanta. I’d expect to be really fast at Talladega, too. That’s an opportunity race for us and I hope we can go out there and capitalize on it.”

What makes Talladega such a spectacle?

“It’s the biggest oval racetrack that we race at and it produces a lot of exciting racing and wrecks, and the fans are hardcore fans, creating a really unique atmosphere. When you show up to Talladega and you see all of the big flags that surround the track and all of the fans camping out in the infield, it’s a spectacle. If you’ve never been to a NASCAR race, or you’ve been to 50 NASCAR races, you know it’s different.”

What is your favorite Talladega memory?

“My favorite memory is winning back in 2018. I was able to win in the playoffs and that catapulted me into the next round and it was just a great feeling. My wife and kids were there with me and I got to share victory lane with them. It was just a really special day.”

Do you enjoy speedway racing?

“I really enjoy speedway racing. I think, of all of the racing we do, there is a level of confidence that you have to have going into it. For me, I always go into those races with a lot of confidence because I’ve won there before. When you have success at places and you feel like you’re good at it, that confidence bleeds over to your success on the track. I feel like every time we go to Talladega or Daytona we have a really good shot at winning, and I know that at some point in the race we’re going to find ourselves up front and, at that point, you just have to execute.”

You’re coming off your best finish of the year. After so much bad luck this year, how good does it feel to finally put it all together and have a clean day?

“It’s nice to be frustrated with a sixth-place finish. We had the speed to contend for a win last weekend and we finally didn’t have terrible luck or mechanical issues. Our short-track program has been good all year so far. We should have had a top-10 or a top-five at both Phoenix and Richmond, too, if it weren’t for bad luck, so it’s great to see the results of a clean day.”

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Davin Restivo

Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds

Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Jacob Cooksey

Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Russel Simpson

Hometown: Medford, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Steven Casper

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia