NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
NOCO 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 13, 2023

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of his return to NASCAR Cup Series competition this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

CAN YOU GIVE US ANY DETAILS ON THE SURGERY THAT YOU HAD, LIKE DO YOU HAVE A ROD IN YOUR LEG OR ANYTHING? ALSO, CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE REHAB AND IF THERE ARE ANY MORE SURGERIES THAT YOU NEED?

“First off, sorry I’m late – we were doing another interview that ran long.

But nonetheless, yeah obviously had surgery on my tibia in a couple of different places. I have a few screws in the top of my tibia there. It’s really more I guess knee-located than it is lower leg. So yeah, I guess that kind of answers that.

Rehab has been I guess pretty standard for that type of injury. It’s not an uncommon injury by any means. It certainly could have been a lot worse. Fortunately, there wasn’t an ACL tear, meniscus or any of that, so that was all very positive and like I said, could have been a lot worse. Unless I injury it or hurt it again, no there shouldn’t be any lingering surgeries to have to remove any of that stuff or any of that.”

HOW COMFORTABLE DO YOU EXPECT TO BE IN THE RACE CAR THIS WEEKEND, AND HAS THE TEAM DONE ANYTHING TO MAYBE HELP WITH THAT?

“I don’t anticipate it being any different really from a comfort standpoint. Really the way that you sit in the car and kind of the way I like to sit – I guess as it revolves around my leg and my knee – all of that stuff is really stable and kind of tightly packed in there between the seat, the leg board, the knee knocker. All of those things really already have your left leg pretty tight anyways, so if I was going to change anything, I would really want that. And that was something the doctors and I talked about too kind of coming back in. I think that’s a really positive thing that was already the case, so I feel like things were already like I would want them if they weren’t.

So yeah, nothing really special from the interior standpoint that we worked on this week. I felt good about just where I had it previously.”

HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, DOES IT MAKE YOU REEVALUATE HOW YOU APPROACH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DURING THE RACING SEASON?

“Yeah, I mean I think it is for me. I feel like you have to enjoy your life and go and do things that are – I don’t want to say a distraction, but like a nice escape from this every week. There is a lot that goes into the racing thing and I think you have to have that way to escape and let your mind rest a little bit.

Look, the accident could have happened tripping down stairs, on a jog or anything. Snowboarding is something that I’ve been doing for a long time. I’m comfortable doing it. I wasn’t out doing anything that was wild or crazy. I don’t have a cool story to tell.. it was just that perfect storm that could happen at any point in time, honestly. It’s one of those things that I’ve used as a training tool over the years, as well. No different from riding bikes or any of the above. I don’t agree with that viewpoint of – well you shouldn’t have been doing this or you shouldn’t have been doing that. I feel like I make decisions with my career in mind first and I always have. This was no different. It was just the perfect storm and an unfortunate accident.”

HOW HARD WAS IT TO BE OUT OF THE CAR MENTALLY, ESPECIALLY INITIALLY, AND IS IT TOO SOON? HOW DID YOU DECIDE WHEN TO COME BACK?

“Listen, to the fans that have called into your show or reached out in any form – I haven’t seen all of them, but I certainly appreciated it. And it was very evident from the get-go that any true fans just care about you and your wellbeing, and are looking forward to having you back whenever that is. I think that’s been one of the best parts about this all process. From the fans, to our partners, to Rick (Hendrick), to everyone at HMS, to my teammates there, to my peers and other competitors at the racetrack – everyone has just been nothing but supportive and are behind me 100% in everything that has gone on and just want me to get back to feeling good before I come back to the racetrack. There hasn’t been a rush on it. Everyone has been just very supportive and very positive about the whole situation. So for that, I’m very grateful.

I think you have to step back and look at the situation. I think everybody needs to recognize that I wouldn’t go this weekend if I didn’t feel like I could do it. Ultimately that’s my decision. The doctors and I have been in conversations the whole time really, and we just feel like I’m to a point now where the integrity of the bone is to a point where I’m not going to hurt it in that manner. It’s about building that strength back and getting to a point where you’re comfortable with your range of motion and things of that nature to get in there and do a good job, and I feel like this is the right week to do it. I feel good and the doctors got to a point where they were comfortable with it, and they left it up to me to decide when I was ready. We had a good couple of days in the sim and that led to building some confidence in wanting to go ahead and move forward and go to Martinsville.”

THE DAYS IN THE SIM, DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY KIND OF DISCOMFORT AND DOES THAT GIVE YOU ENOUGH PROPER FEEDBACK ON YOUR LEG TO FEEL GOOD BECAUSE MARTINSVILLE WILL BE DEMANDING.

“Yeah, for sure. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t going to be tough. I mean it’s going to be tough. I was non-weight bearing for a number of weeks. When you’re not using a muscle on your body, you lose a large percentage of your muscle mass in just the first couple of weeks, so all of those things are very normal. So yeah, it’s going to be tough, for sure. But I feel like I’m to a point where I’m comfortable to go do it; I think I can go do it. We’ll have Josh (Berry) up there. He’s going to be hanging out and around in case I get to a point where I get uncomfortable or I have pain, all of those things that I didn’t experience yesterday. I felt really good driving. Just all of the normal things post-surgery I feel like I have going on and nothing beyond that. So that’s why we made the decision and like I said, Josh is going to be up there to help us out if I get to a point where I don’t feel confident or don’t feel comfortable in running, then he can jump in and help. But as of now, I feel good about it.”

THIS NEXT STRETCH OF RACES, YOU’VE WON AT EACH OF THE FOUR NEXT TRACKS. WAS THERE ANY EXTRA MOTIVATION TO GET BACK FOR THIS STRETCH, OR DID YOU HAVE A RACE CIRCLED THAT WAS YOUR GOAL TO BE BACK BY?

“No, I honestly didn’t even know that. That’s a good question and a good thought, but that didn’t go into my decision. When all of this happened and just in talking to the doctor and things post-surgery, I knew it was going to be about this time. I knew it was going to be around Martinsville or Talladega, which frankly I don’t think would have been my first two choices if I could have picked them based on the braking pressure at Martinsville and obviously your risk of high-impact at Talladega. But yeah, things progressed really well. All of the decisions were based off direction directly from the surgeon, doctors and everyone that has been involved this whole time.

The way I look at it is those people know a lot more about bones, injuries, surgeries and the rehabilitation aspect of it than I do – even now or ever will. So at their direction, if they were comfortable and as long as those guys are comfortable, then I’m comfortable. When you’re working with great doctors and people that have taken such good care of you over the last six weeks, it helps me have a lot of confidence in the decisions that they make and the decisions that they then put in my hands to make on my end, too. All of those things being said, I just feel confident in the group of people I’ve been working with and they all led to going here and now, so here we go.”

YOU SAID THE BREAK WAS CLOSER TO YOUR KNEE AREA. DR. BILL WITH ORTHO CAROLINA IN CHARLOTTE, KNEES ARE HIS SPECIALITY AND HE’S THE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS’ DOCTOR. WAS HE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM OR WHY DID YOU ELECT TO REMAIN IN COLORADO FOR REHAB BEFORE RETURNING IN MARCH?

“No, I didn’t have any dialogue with him. Obviously I work with the Ortho Carolina guys through HMS and they’ve been open to helping as much or as little as I need. Fortunately, I was in a place where the Steadman Clinic out there in Colorado is a very well-known orthopedic surgery center. I had been aware of some other athletes in different disciplines having surgeries there, even traveling there to get the surgery done. So a combination of that and a combination of some local folks in the area that I personally know and just building that confidence in knowing that was the right place. And I think some of it too is just kind of a feeling – like to me, it was the right place. Obviously you don’t want to ever have that happen, but to have it happen and have access to a facility like that, I’m very grateful for that. So it just felt like the right place for me and at the time, I thought that was going to be not only as good of a location to get the surgery done, but I thought the rehab center and how closely they work with the clinic, I thought that was going to be my quickest road back and the best road back for my long-term health, too. All of those decisions were made by me, with my health in mind, and what I felt like was going to be the best thing for me now and down the road. Part of it was professional; part of it was just that personal feeling of what you think is right.”

YOU REFERENCED TALLADEGA AND THE INCREASED RISK OF IMPACT THAT. THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE PAST WHERE DRIVERS RETURNING FROM INJURY AT TALLADEGA HAVE TAKEN A CAUTIOUS APPROACH; MAYBE STARTED THE RACE AND HANDED IT OFF TO A RESERVE DRIVER. I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT JOSH (BERRY) IS GOING TO BE ON STANDBY THIS WEEKEND.. IS THERE ANY CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR POTENTIALLY TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO TALLADEGA DEPENDING ON HOW THIS WEEKEND GOES?

“I think a lot of it depends on this weekend. I anticipate things to be fine and to continue forward next weekend. But look, this whole process has been week-to-week for quite some time. I think we’re at a position where we can do whatever we think is best for my health and for the team’s success and we’re going to make that decision. I don’t know what that is right now or today, but we’re going to focus on Martinsville right now. We have a tough race ahead; a tough weekend up there getting me back in the saddle and getting back in the swing of things. My focus is there right now. We’ll assess how I feel Sunday night and how I feel Monday. Look, if I’m feeling good after the race this weekend, then I anticipate that I’m going to go next week back to normal. If there’s something other than that, then we’ll re-assess and go from there.”

HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE IT WILL TAKE TO GET BACK INTO “RACE SHAPE” THAT YOU WERE IN BEFORE THE INJURY, AND DO YOU THINK MISSING OUT ON THE FIRST HANDFUL OF RACES WITH THE NEW SHORT-TRACK AERODYNAMIC PACKAGE IS GOING TO PUT YOU AT A SIGNIFICANT DEFICIT THIS WEEKEND?

“Yeah, for sure. I’ve tried to stay working out as much as I can. Obviously my legs were a big part of my routine and the things that I like to do to get my heart rate up and to work on those things. But yeah, there are other ways you can do it. The physical therapists that I’ve been working with have really helped guide me in a direction to try and stay on top of that stuff. I’m certainly not doing the things that I would normally do, but I think I’m in a position where I’m comfortable to go and I think I’ll be fine from that standpoint. We’ll just have to work through it. I don’t know what the timeline will be to go on runs or go on a bike ride – I don’t know what that’s going to look like just yet. I would imagine that I’m still a little ways off from those types of activities, but yeah, we’ll just assess it as it comes.”

WE SAW YOU IN THE BOOTH VIRTUALLY AT COTA. HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THE OTHER FIVE RACES AND HOW TOUGH WAS IT TO SEE JOSH (BERRY) AND JORDAN (TAYLOR) IN YOUR CAR?

“Yeah, I appreciate FOX having me. They were first class in how that was. There was probably too many of us in the booth that day, but it was nice to be there and nice of them to want to include me. That was cool I thought.

I just watched the rest of them on T.V. like everyone else. That was really about it. I certainly had my little station where I had a lot of the things that go on behind the scenes and conversations amongst our team. But just from a broadcast standpoint, I watched it on FOX or FS1 like the normal broadcast would be.”

YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO DO THE NORMAL ACTIVITIES OF RUNNING, BIKING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO TO MAINTAIN THAT SHAPE?

“Yeah, I mean I think a lot of it so far in my process has been focused on upper body. My arms are fine and my core is fine, things like that. But from a PT standpoint, it’s been just trying to get that range of motion back in your knee. That’s a very common thing with that injury; getting your quad to fire, getting your patella to move and get that stuff back going. I’ve never had a surgery, so it’s been pretty eye-opening at just how some of that stuff works and how your body reacts to being cut on. It was not super fun.

Just going at their guidance, honestly. I’ve had a great group. Man, I’ve gotten to know some of these guys and can certainly call a couple of them friends now. It’s obviously not been fun, but looking back on it, those relationships that you gain over the years will be something that you respect and appreciate down the road.”

RIGHT AFTER YOUR INJURY AND YOU’RE GOING TO THE HOSPTIAL – ARE YOU THINKING CAN I WALK AGAIN? ARE YOU THINKING CAN I RACE AGAIN? ARE YOU THINKING HOW AM I GOING TO TELL MY TEAM AND MR. H? TAKE ME THROUGH WHAT YOUR EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS WERE RIGHT AFTER THE INJURY?

“I think you know me, I don’t get super up or super down, for the most part. But kind of called it like I saw it. I knew when I got hurt that it was not good and I knew that pretty quickly. So I knew that those conversations were inevitably going to happen in the next couple of hours. I didn’t want to have those conversations for sure, but it was just something that had to be done. I was just super honest and straight-up with everyone. I told Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) exactly what was going on. I told Rick (Hendrick) exactly what was going on. I said – hey, this is what happened and this is what I’m dealing with. I talked to both of them while I was in the ER and I said – hey, I don’t have all of the answers yet, but I don’t think this is good and I think you need to be looking at getting somebody to fill-in this weekend because I really don’t think I’m going to be able to get to Vegas by in the morning and I don’t know that I’m going to be able to drive, but I’ll let you know as soon as I get X-rays back and get information, I’ll share and I did. It was very transparent. I tried to not be dramatic about it, I just told them like it was. I knew my knee was messed up. I can’t say I ever had the thought of not walking again.. I didn’t think it was that severe. I think it could have been a lot worse, but I certainly knew it wasn’t right and it was probably going to take a surgery. And to what extent it was, obviously I didn’t know at that point in time and was just hoping for the best. Whatever it was going to be, it was going to be. It was done at that point, right? I was more just thinking about tackling what it was and doing what the doctors told me to do to get back to 100% as soon as I could.”

FROM THE TIME THE INJURY TOOK PLACE, DAYS OR WEEKS, DID YOU KNOW HOW LONG OF A PAUSE YOU HAD WITHOUT GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF CAR, AND WAS THAT THE LONGEST YOU HAD EVER BEEN WITHOUT GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL?

“Well, it was right there at the beginning of March, so you’re over a month since then. But our off-season is longer than a month. I didn’t race anything over the winter this year, so I went from Phoenix to Daytona without being in a car. We didn’t get any off-season tests this year, just with the way the OEM hands out tests and the way that cycled through our group at HMS. I didn’t have any tests or anything, so I went from Phoenix last November to Daytona 500, and that was longer than this. So I guess no – I’ve been out of the car longer than that, but it does kind of feel like an off-season a little bit. Not quite that long, but it has a similar feeling to me, just because Daytona isn’t a real downforce racetrack, so I really only ran Fontana. I had one weekend at it and then a six-week break, so it’s kind of like restarting the year for us. Obviously we’re in a position where we have to win, so yeah, just a fresh start.”

WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH NOW TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS? OBVIOUSLY GETTING IN ON POINTS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, SO YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WIN. DOES THAT MAKE YOU MORE AGGRESSIVE? HOW DOES THAT CHANGE FOR YOU?

“Yeah, I haven’t even looked at the points. I have no idea how far back we are, but I just assumed that wasn’t even possible.

Yeah, I think for us, we’re in a position where we’re going to have to win. That’s at least how I’m looking at it and how I’ve been thinking about ever since this happened. I figured you miss a few weeks and you’re pretty much going to have to win. So yeah, that’s how I’m looking at it. I don’t think I really change my approach. Does that change how we call races from a strategic-standpoint? Yeah, it probably does. But does it change how I drive or how I want the car setup for the weekend? No, we’re always out there trying to win events. But I certainly think it can change your play, as far as a particular race day. You see guys shorten stages to try and get the win, or whatever going for points. Obviously we don’t need to go for points, so anytime you have those decisions to make, the decision is going to be very easy. You play the long game and try to win the event.”

WAS IT MENTALLY TOUGH TO BE OUT OF YOUR CAR? A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE ASKING ABOUT JOSH BERRY, WILL HE OR SHOULD HE GET A CHANCE? WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF WHAT JOSH BERRY DID? DID YOU HAVE THAT POINT IN THE BEGINNING WHERE IT KIND OF MADE YOU CRAZY OR IT BOTHERED YOU SO MUCH TO BE OUT OF YOUR CAR?

“I don’t know that it ever made me crazy, but it was certainly odd, I’m not going to lie, to watch your car go around the track and have your name on it. And watch your guys and everybody there, and you’re the only piece missing of what was normal. So there was certainly an aspect that was definitely strange. That became more normal – I guess you kind of got over that a little bit as time went on. But yeah, I think it’s just something that seeing that for the first time was a bit weird, but I definitely got used to that over the course of the last six weeks.

I think Josh (Berry) has done a really good job. I thought Jordan (Taylor) did a great job. Those are really tough things to jump in there and have to fill in like that, and do it on short notice. Like all of the above, that’s difficult and probably more difficult than people give them credit for. I’m not sure what Josh’s future plans are or what he has in the works behind the scenes, but I would assume that he wants to go Cup racing one day if the right opportunity presents itself. He’s done a great job with the opportunities that he’s had at JRM and I thought he did a great job with the opportunity he had to drive with our group. I asked him how one of the races went and he said – man, those guys are so good. I said I’ve been trying to tell everybody that for eight years how good they are, and I don’t do anything special and I just have a really good team. I said I’ve been trying to tell everybody that for a long time and nobody listens. So I’m glad to see somebody else gets to witness that first-hand. It’s been a pleasure working with him, and I hope if he has something in the works or if he as aspirations down the road to go Cup racing, I hope those solid runs that he’s had helps propel him and gets him the opportunity he deserves.”

COMPETITION-WISE, DO YOU EXPECT TO COME BACK AND NOT MISS A BEAT AFTER OBVIOUSLY GETTING OUT OF A RHYTHM THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, OR ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT OF A GRACE PERIOD TO KIND OF GET BACK UP TO SPEED?

“Yeah, I don’t really have the answer to that, honestly. But I think it’s going to be tough. What challenges are going to be presented this weekend, I don’t 100% know until I get there and kind of get going through it. But anytime you miss a period and your competitors are sharpening their skills and you’re not – I do think you’ve missed out, for sure. The good news is – as Josh (Berry) alluded to – our team is really talented and we have a great group. I think if we have our ducks in a row and we’re prepared, I think we can go and jump in and have a really solid run. That’s obviously my goal. We’ll just have to get up there and see what the challenges are and what they bring. Whatever it is, we’re going to work through it and continue to fight; make the most of not only this weekend, but the weeks to come. We’re going to have 17 races or so to get a win, so we’ve got plenty of time. Just have to get after it, execute at a high level and I think we’re very capable of doing that.”

I KNOW SOME OTHER DRIVERS IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES HAVE HAD INJURIES BEFORE. DID YOU REACH OUT TO ANYBODY WHEN YOU WERE INJURED TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THEIR PROCESS WAS LIKE TO GET BACK INTO THE CAR?

“Yeah, I talked to Kyle Busch a good bit through that. We’ve texted back-and-forth some and just kind of quizzed him. His injury was much different than mine and way worse too, I think. I think it was a good bit worse. They were just different, but I do think his was worse in the break and things. But yeah, just kind of quizzing him. We worked with different doctors right, so just kind of quizzing him on what his guys were telling him and comparing that with what I’m being told. Just gathering information for myself, personally, just to understand kind of what he went through – that rehab process, how he felt when he was getting back in the car, what things he was looking for, what was comfortable and what wasn’t, if anything. Just kind of talk through as much of it that I can to just gather information. Like I said, very different injury, but always good to get a second opinion on a somewhat similar situation.”

About Chevrolet
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5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 4th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

LEADING LAPS: Kyle Larson has led the most laps in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season through eight races. With 75 laps led on the dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway, he has now led 438 circuits. All of last season, he led 635 laps.

SETTING THE STAGE: In the Bristol dirt race, Larson picked up his second stage win of the season by leading the entire opening segment. He is tied for third in the statistical category this year. In the era of stage racing (since 2017), he has the third-most stage wins (44) in the series.

NO. 5 IN 2023: The Elk Grove, California, driver has earned one win, two poles and three top-five finishes this season. The most recent of those pole positions came last weekend at Bristol, where through his heat race win and passing points Larson earned the top starting spot. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has the second-most laps run in the top five (1,091) and the third-most laps in the top 10 (1,361). Larson is tied with four other drivers for the fifth-most top-10 stage finishes in 2023 (nine out of 16 stages run).

PAVING SUCCESS ON SHORT-TRACKS: Among the Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Larson holds the most short-track wins with three victories. The triumphs have come at Richmond Raceway (2017 and 2023) and the concrete layout of Bristol (2021). The Richmond win in 2017 came with a different organization. He has led in the last four paved short-track races, which is the longest active streak among all drivers. Larson has also finished in the top five in the last three paved short-track races and that is his longest streak of top-five finishes on short-tracks ever. Since the start of 2022, Larson ranks third for most points earned on short tracks (234) and sixth in laps led on that track type (206).

MARTINSVILLE MOJO: Last October, Larson won the pole and came very close to a victory. Ultimately, he scored the runner-up position at Martinsville Speedway – his best result at the Virginia venue. Larson has 16 Cup Series starts at the .526-mile track. He has led 180 laps, won one pole, tallied three top-five finishes and four top-10s at the track. Two of those three top-five results have come in the last four races at the venue with the Rick Hendrick-owned team.

PIT CREW RETURNS: Last weekend at Bristol, non-competitive pit stops were held at the stage breaks and crew members performed the stops instead of the pit crew. At Martinsville, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew is back. The team’s five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).

EXTRACURRICULARS: In addition to Larson’s full-time NASCAR schedule, he still races on dirt throughout the week. Last Thursday, April 6, Larson competed in his own Late Model Challenge race and won, taking the lead with 13 laps to go at Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee. On Tuesday, Larson finished fifth in the A Feature of the inaugural event of the High Limit Sprint Car Series season at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas. Along with his brother-in-law Brad Sweet, Larson has launched a series featuring a weeknight schedule where many of the nation’s top sprint car drivers compete at 11 different racetracks throughout the United States. Check out the full schedule at highlimitracing.com.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, but you can pick up your own keys from any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 95 dealerships nationwide. Customers can also shop from the convenience of their home selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com.

HENDRICK IS HIRING: Join 10,000+ others nationwide in working at Hendrick Automotive Group. Hendrick is hiring technicians and other positions at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Individuals who are interested can apply at HENDRICKCARS.COM.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 34th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

HE’S BACK: On Wednesday, it was announced that Chase Elliott would return to the seat of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Elliott, 27, suffered a fractured tibia last month and has missed the last six NASCAR Cup Series races while he’s been recuperating. After being medically cleared Tuesday, Elliott tested Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning in the Chevrolet Driver-in-the-Loop simulator in Concord, North Carolina, before making the final decision to return at Martinsville. Hendrick Motorsports has received a waiver from NASCAR to allow Elliott to be eligible for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

PAPERCLIP PERFORMANCE: Elliott is set to make his 16th Martinsville start in the Cup Series on Sunday. The 27-year-old driver made his Cup Series debut for Hendrick Motorsports at the track on March 29, 2015. Since then, he has led a total of 957 laps there – his most laps led at any track. Across his 15 Cup starts at Martinsville, he has one win (fall 2020), five top-five finishes and nine top-10s. He leads all drivers there with six stage wins – tied for the most stage wins by a Cup Series driver at a track. Elliott is also tied for the third-most top 10s in the last seven Martinsville races with five.

GOING BACK TO ‘22: In last April’s Martinsville race, Elliott and the No. 9 team started from the pole and swept the first two stages. The 2020 Cup Series champion led a total of 185 laps during the race, including the 10,000th lap led by a Hendrick Motorsports driver at Martinsville – the only Cup Series track to see a team lead over 10,000 laps in its history. Elliott ultimately took the checkered flag in the 10th position after the race was sent into overtime. In the fall, the driver of the No. 9 started the race in second and finished in the runner-up position in each of the first two stages, leading 54 laps en route to a 10th-place result. He’s one of only six drivers, including teammate William Byron, to finish in the top 10 in each race at the .526-mile circuit last season.

SHORT-TRACK STATS: On Sunday, Elliott will make his 42nd short-track start in the Cup Series. In those races, he has garnered one win (Martinsville 2020), 14 top-five finishes, 21 top-10s, two poles and led 1,491 laps. Since 2022 on that track type, Elliott is tied with seven other drivers for the second-most top-10 finishes (four), led the fourth-most laps on short tracks (240) and is tied for the seventh-most points (202).

WINNING GAME: Despite missing the last six Cup Series events, Elliott is tied for the lead among his peers in the number of victories scored in the Next Gen car with five. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native was in the running to earn his sixth earlier this season at Auto Club Speedway, ultimately finishing second in the 200-lap race. It was his last start prior to his injury.

AG’S PAPERCLIP PAST: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 37th Martinsville Speedway race from atop the pit box. In his previous 36 Cup Series starts at the track, he has three wins, 15 top-five finishes and 26 top-10s with 1,934 laps led at the venue. Gustafson most recently visited victory lane at the Virginia short track with Elliott in November of 2020 to solidify the No. 9 team’s spot in the Championship 4. The veteran crew chief’s other two wins came with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in 2013 and 2015.

GET UP AND GO: NAPA Auto Parts is back on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Martinsville. The Atlanta-based company has been Elliott’s primary partner for 10 of his 15 Cup starts at the short track, including his 2020 victory. This season marks NAPA’s 10th year partnering with the five-time Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award winner, dating back to his first season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Get a closer look at the 2023 paint scheme here.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 14th

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

24 POWER: William Byron and the No. 24 team are off to a hot start in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. Through eight points-paying races, Byron tops most statistical categories including wins (two), stage wins (five), laps run in the top five (1,139) and laps run in the top 10 (1,402). He is second in laps led (385) to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (438). The Charlotte, North Carolina, native is also tied for the most top-10 finishes in a stage (11).

STAGE WINNER: During the 2023 season, Byron has five stage wins – the most of any driver. In fact, he’s won stage one in four of the last six races this season. This also marks the most stage wins for him in a season – surpassing his four stage wins in 2021 and 2022. His five stage wins are tied for the most stage wins by a driver in the first eight races.

SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS: Heading into the second short-track race of 2023, Byron is no stranger to success at this type of track. Since the start of 2022, he has led the most laps on short tracks (451) and has collected the second-most points (234). In his last eight short-track races, Byron has one win, five top-five finishes, six top-10s, 451 laps led, an average starting position of 10.00 and an average finish of 7.13. Of those stats, his top-10 finishes and average finish rank the best of all drivers with his top-five finishes tied for the most among all competitors.

MARTINSVILLE MINUTES: Despite his young age, Byron’s time at Martinsville Speedway goes back to when he attended his first Cup Series race at the paperclip-shaped track in 2006 as a fan. Since then, the 25-year-old driver has moved through the NASCAR ranks and is now poised to make his 11th Cup Series start there. Of his previous 10 starts at the .526-mile short track, Byron has one win (April 2022), four top-five finishes (his most at a track), six top-10s (tied for his most at a track) with 221 laps led (his third-most laps led at a track). In fact, he is one of six drivers, along with teammate Chase Elliott, to finish in the top 10 in both Martinsville races last year. Byron currently holds the second-longest top-10 streak there with four. Over the last seven races there, he has the second-most top-10 finishes (six).

THE FUGLE FILES: This Sunday’s race will mark crew chief Rudy Fugle’s fifth in the Cup Series at Martinsville. In his first four Cup Series starts, Fugle has one win (April 2022), three top-five finishes and four top-10s with the No. 24 team. Aside from his Cup Series starts, the Livonia, New York, native has 14 races already under his belt at the Virginia venue, all in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In those 14 races, Fugle has accumulated one win (May 2019), six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. Two of those previous starts were with Byron, both in 2016, where the duo started seventh in both races and raced to a third-place result in the spring and an eighth-place finish in the fall.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: The No. 24 pit crew has an average four-tire pit stop time of 11.224 – the best average in the field. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler). They also had the fastest four-tire pit stop in the season-opening DAYTONA 500 at 11.278 seconds.

GOT 99 PROBLEMS, BUT WINNING AIN’T ONE: With his two victories to start the year, Byron continues to make his mark on the legacy of the No. 24 at the Cup Series level. Those two wins bring the No. 24 one victory away from 100. Currently fifth with 99 wins, the No. 24 is only behind the No. 3 with 101, the No. 2 with 102 wins, the No. 43 with 200 wins and the No. 11 with 228 wins on the all-time list. In fact, the No. 24 has 10 wins at Martinsville alone – with one of those being Byron’s. Those 10 wins are tied with another Hendrick Motorsports number, the No. 48, for the third-most by a car number at the short track.

LIBERTY U IS BACK: This Sunday, Byron will sport his Liberty University paint scheme for the third time in the 2023 season. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be sure to stand out on track. The school has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is now in his junior year through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s new Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 11th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

MARTINSVILLE MAGIC: Alex Bowman has had success at Martinsville Speedway in his NASCAR Cup Series career. In his 13 starts in sport’s top series, the Tucson, Arizona, native has one win coming in the penultimate race of the 2021 season, one top-five finish, four top-10s and has completed 6,203 of 6,404 laps (96.9%) across those starts. His win and three of the top-10 finishes have come in the last fives races at the Virginia venue.

SHOT OUT OF A CANNON: The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is poised to have one of his best seasons in NASCAR’s premier series. Through eight points-paying races, Bowman has the best average finish and is tied for the most top-10 finishes. In the season thus far, he has one pole position – at the DAYTONA 500 – three top-five finishes, six top-10s, an average starting position of 9.13 and an average finish of 9.88. Bowman is also tied for the fifth-most top-10 stage results this season (nine), the sixth-most laps run in the top five (581) and the seventh-most laps run in the top 10 (1,159).

RIGHT ‘ROUND: Heading into this weekend’s race at Martinsville, Bowman has completed all but two laps in the 2023 Cup Series season (1,983 of 1,985). Only three drivers have completed more laps in 2023.

HE’S DUE: Since the start of the 2021 season, Bowman is tied for the fourth-most wins with five. His most recent victory came last year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which locked him into the 2022 playoffs. In that span, one of those five wins came at Martinsville in October 2021.

SHORT-TRACK SPEED: Bowman has two wins on short tracks in his Cup career. The first came at Richmond Raceway in April 2021. In that event, Bowman finished the first stage in seventh and the second stage in fourth before leading the final 10 laps to victory. The other win was at Martinsville, where he finished eighth in the first stage, second in the second stage and led the final eight laps to capture the checkered flag.

PIT POWER: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew holds the ninth-fastest pit stop of the 2023 season. On lap 185 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the five-man crew made a four-tire pit stop of 9.776 seconds, which was the fastest four-tire stop of that race. The five-man team also holds the 10th-fastest four-tire pit stop average at 11.553 seconds. The over-the-wall crew is made up of rear-tire changer Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Allen Holman (jackman), Scott Riddle (tire carrier) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).  

CALL HIM PIG-PEN: After finishing the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Bowman flew to Lakeside Speedway in Kansas to run the No. 55 Ally sprint car for Alex Bowman Racing on Tuesday night. He finished 16th in the A Feature that was the first event of the High Limit Sprint Car Series co-created by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.

SAVE THEM ALL: Bowman and primary partner Ally are teaming up this year to bring back the Best Friends Animal Society donation effort. This week, the duo will make charitable contributions to the SPCA of Martinsville and Henry County, which serves the local community in Martinsville. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and the SPCA of Martinsville and Henry County. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.   

DAY ‘N’ NITE: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will adorn two versions of its primary scheme during the 2023 Cup Series season. The No. 48 Ally Chevy “day” scheme will host a white base with bright plum, grapefruit, and seafoam stripes down the side. This version of the primary scheme will appear at races that take place during the day. When the lights come on over the racetrack, the black-based No. 48 Ally Chevy “night” scheme will be sported with a similar design to its daytime counterpart. This weekend, the No. 48 machine will go back to the white-based “day” scheme. Check out all the angles of the new look here.

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /

Hendrick Motorsports

2023	All-Time	Martinsville
Races	8	1,317	78
Wins	3*	294*	27*
Poles	4*	243*	19*
Top 5	11*	1,201*	89*
Top 10	15*	2,060*	143*
Laps Led	873*	78,190*	10,501*
Stage Wins	7*	86	7

*Most **Most (tie)

CLOSING IN ON 300: Hendrick Motorsports is six points-paying victories away from 300 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 294 wins, which is the most in the sport by any one team. Their first win came at Martinsville Speedway in April 1984 with Geoff Bodine behind the wheel. With three wins this season, Hendrick Motorsports has posted its 36th multi-win season in the Cup Series. In each of the last 30 seasons, the organization has won at least two races.

BACK ON THE BOX: Sunday’s race at Martinsville will see the return of Cliff Daniels (No. 5), Alan Gustafson (No. 9), Rudy Fugle (No. 24) and Blake Harris (No. 48) as the crew chiefs for their respective teams. All four crew chiefs had been suspended for the previous four races due to penalties enforced by NASCAR.

IN THE KNOW: This weekend’s action will use the rules package designed to have a decrease in downforce for most short ovals and road courses. Hendrick Motorsports has won two of the three races with this rules package: William Byron (at Phoenix Raceway) and Kyle Larson (at Richmond Raceway). In the event of damp conditions, teams will be able to use “wet weather equipment” at the short track.

CLOCKING IN: With its 27 victories at the paperclip-shaped track, Hendrick Motorsports holds the Cup Series record for the most wins at a single circuit. Eight different drivers (the greatest number of different winners at Martinsville) have won at this track for the organization, led by Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson with nine victories apiece. Darrell Waltrip recorded four wins. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bodine and current drivers Byron, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott have each taken home one Martinsville victory. The team is the only one to lead over 10,000 laps at any one track with 10,501 circuits out front.

SPRING REWIND: Byron won the 2022 spring event at the .526-mile track for the organization’s series-best 27th victory at the Virginia venue. On the night, Hendrick Motorsports led a dominating 397 of 403 laps. At 98.51%, the performance set a record for the organization’s highest percentage of laps led in a single race.

STUDYING THE TRENDS: The 14-time Cup Series championship-winning organization has won three of the last five Martinsville races and one race at the facility over the past three seasons. Elliott’s playoff win in 2020 marked the start of that stretch. Then, Bowman won in October 2021 and Byron visited victory lane last spring.

NO SHORTAGE: Hendrick Motorsports leads all active Cup Series teams with 56 points-paying victories on short tracks – 11 more than the next closest team. Gordon leads all drivers in team history with 17 short-track wins.

VICTORY IN VIRGINIA: Team owner Rick Hendrick grew up in Palmer Springs, Virginia, and his teams have won 39 Cup Series races in his home state. Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane in Virginia at least one time in 28 different seasons, including the past four. The past 10 races in Virginia have seen one of his drivers emerge victorious on five occasions with each of the four active drivers winning.

STAGE SAVANTS: With seven stage wins in 2023, Hendrick Motorsports has the most stage wins in the series. Those stage wins have come between two drivers – Byron (five) and Larson (two). The seven stage triumphs through eight races are tied for the second-most by one team in Cup Series history. The team’s eight stage wins in 2020 stand as the most stage wins at this point in one season.

WINNING WAYS: Since the start of the 2021 season, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers rank among the top-six winningest drivers in the Cup Series. Larson’s 14 wins top the board, followed by Elliott’s seven. Byron and Bowman are in a three-way tie for fourth with five victories each.

NEXT GEN NUMBERS: Elliott is tied for the most wins since the launch of the Next Gen car (in 2022) with five victories. In that span, Larson and Byron each have four wins, which is tied with two other drivers for third.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his desire to get his first win at Martinsville Speedway: “I want to win at any track that I haven’t won at. Martinsville (Speedway) has been a place I’ve struggled at pretty regularly. Last year, we had two good races at Martinsville. I feel like it is potentially in our future to win a race there. If I did, that would probably be the all-time biggest win of my life, because any time you can accomplish something that is difficult to you or you don’t think you can accomplish, it means a lot.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on building on the foundation of last year’s results at Martinsville: “(I’m) certainly optimistic going to Martinsville Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports, as a whole with the Next Gen car last year, had decent performance there. It is a different aerodynamic package than what we had last year, so there are some question marks around that. We will just have to work through it this weekend. It’s nice knowing that we have the foundation of performance last year with our company and hopefully we can build on that.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his return to action at Martinsville: “The rest of the field has been racing and continuing to sharpen those tools and I haven’t. I do think it is going to be tough, but I certainly believe we can go up there, have a really strong performance and get back in the groove. We’ve got to have our ducks in a row. I think it will be a good opportunity to get back in the swing of things and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

Elliott, on the importance of Martinsville related to the NASCAR playoffs: “Martinsville (Speedway) has become an extremely important race because of where it falls on the schedule in the fall. When I go there in the spring, I’m thinking about if we are in a position here in the fall and we are still in the points deal, this race can be really important. Much like Phoenix (Raceway) in the spring, you are thinking about that championship weekend if you are fortunate enough to make it back. I put Martinsville kind of in that same bucket.

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Martinsville: “Martinsville (Speedway) is just such a unique place and it’s so tied to the roots of short-track racing that I came from and I think most people that compete in the sport have come from. I think that just makes it special. I enjoy racing there. You can see the car all the way around the track. You can see when you’re good and when you’re not good. You can see the contact. It’s just fun. A lot of things have changed over the years, generations of cars, tires and rules packages, but Martinsville for the most part stays pretty much the same, which is cool.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts about Martinsville: “Martinsville (Speedway) means a lot to me. I remember going there as a kid. Then, getting the win last April, especially with everything that was going on with my family, it meant a lot. I’ve always run well there, short tracks in general really. I think we have had really strong cars there lately, but we do have some room for improvement from the fall race last year. With how we’re running this season, though, I’m optimistic for this weekend.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what’s important at Martinsville: “I feel like we’ve always run well at Martinsville (Speedway). Not only run well but we finish well. I think the biggest thing, though, to be good there is to put together a solid weekend. We learned that in the fall when we didn’t qualify well and it put us behind almost all race. Qualifying is important any time, but it’s probably most important at a place like Martinsville. If we have a good Saturday, it will propel us to have a good Sunday, and that’s out goal this weekend.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on having crew chief Blake Harris back: “It’s nice having him back, obviously. I think not having him at the track in the early part of the season was a setback. At the same time, I had Greg Ives back and we had a lot of time together, so communication wasn’t something we had to develop. Blake and I still worked closely at the shop on what I needed in the car, so I think it will just go back to business as usual this weekend.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on getting back on top of the pit box: “I am excited to get to Martinsville Speedway this weekend and have my first trip there with Alex (Bowman). He’s had success in the past there as have I with other drivers. I think it is one of his best short tracks and he runs really well there. There are a lot of specifics and driver inputs at Martinsville that complement his driving style really well. Hendrick Motorsports has a massive history of success there. Last year, they had speed in qualifying and in the race. Alex has only raced there once in the Next Gen car, so we have a year’s worth of development to get through and will hopefully go have a good weekend.”

Harris, on reviewing the recent success of the No. 48 team for prep heading to Martinsville: “I think when you look at the past success and every week this year, we have had speed. Most of the tracks we have gone to, we have had top-five speed. Just carrying Hendrick Motorsports’ speed and performance that we have had all season and using that as a solid baseline will help us a lot.”

Harrrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are hoping to build on their recent good runs – in recent weeks and in prior races at Martinsville Speedway – in this weekend’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville, the home track of the Wood Brothers from nearby Stuart, Va.

“Last weekend on the Bristol dirt, everyone on the No. 21 car was excited to come away with a top-15 finish,” said crew chief Brian Wilson. “Over the last three weeks we have finishes of 22nd, 19th and 15th, so we feel like things are heading in a good direction as we go to Martinsville.”

The paper-clip-shaped, half-mile Martinsville oval has been one of Burton’s better tracks. He started 10th and finished 11th there in the Cup Series race last fall and won the Xfinity race there in 2020. He also qualified on the pole for the Xfinity race in 2021.

“Last fall’s race was one of our strongest weekends,” Wilson said. “We’ll look to build from those notes and incorporate what we’ve learned so far about this year’s short-track aero package.

“With the hotter temps forecasted and the lower downforce, we expect that all the drivers will have their hands full in trying to make speed.”

Wilson also pointed out that Martinsville races offer fans a chance to visit one of the best museums in motorsports.

“I’d encourage any race fans in the area of this weekend’s race to stop by the Wood Brothers’ shop in Stuart,” he said. “It’s an incredible walk down memory lane.”

Qualifying for the NOCO 400 is set for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be followed by qualifying at 5:20. FOX Sports 2 will carry the TV broadcast.

Sunday’s 400-lap race is set to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. with the TV coverage switching to FOX Sports 1. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 180.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Omnicraft®
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 176,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
*See seller for limited-warranty details.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.