TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix
Circuit of The Americas
Austin, Texas
March 26, 2023
CHEVROLET SEEKING THREE-FOR-THREE AT COTA
All three NASCAR national touring series will take on the first road course event of the season this weekend with the 3.41-mile, 20-turn Circuit of The Americas (COTA) set to host its third NASCAR tripleheader.
Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with a NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win at COTA, recording momentous wins in each of the series’ two appearances at the circuit.
The series’ inaugural event at the Austin, Texas, circuit in 2021 saw Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team take the victory in the rain-shortened event. Elliott’s win delivered Chevrolet its 800th all-time NCS win, extending the manufacturer’s record as the winningest manufacturer in NCS history. The victory also brought Hendrick Motorsports to a tie with Petty Enterprises’ all-time win record, with the Chevrolet organization going on to break the all-time win record the following week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports currently stands at 293 wins in NASCAR’s premier series, all recorded behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.
The series’ 2022 appearance at the circuit saw the Bowtie brand back on top, this time with Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 team. The victory marked Chastain’s first career win in NASCAR’s premier series, as well as Trackhouse Racing’s first win since the organization started competing in the series. The victory was the start of a breakout season for Trackhouse Racing with the organization going on to win two more races and ultimately ending the season with both drivers in the top-10 of the final points standings (Chastain – second; Daniel Suarez – 10th).
ROAD COURSE WARRIORS
Chevrolet drivers have been the ones to beat in NASCAR Cup Series road course competition in recent seasons, with the manufacturer recording wins in 15 of the series’ past 17 road course events. Within that timespan includes a streak of 11 consecutive wins, starting with Chase Elliott’s victory in the inaugural NCS event at Circuit of The Americas in May 2021. Six drivers from four different Chevrolet teams contributed to that win streak:
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet:
(Circuit of The Americas; May 2021)
(Road America; July 2021)
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet:
(Sonoma; June 2021)
(Watkins Glen; August 2021)
(Charlotte ROVAL; October 2021)
(Watkins Glen; August 2022)
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet:
(Indianapolis Road Course; August 2021)
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet:
(Circuit of The Americas; March 2022)
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet:
(Sonoma Raceway; June 2022)
Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet:
(Road America; July 2022)
(Indianapolis Road Course; July 2022)
In 156 all-time road course races in NCS history, Chevrolet has recorded 62 wins, dating back to Buck Baker’s win at Watkins Glen International in 1957.
WELCOME TO THE LINEUP
Chevrolet’s already stout driver lineup has an added boost of experience for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The compelling entry list includes a Formula One world champion, a four-time IMSA champion, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and an INDYCAR phenom – all of whom will be behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.
Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor will take over the driving duties for the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 for the weekend, marking Taylor’s first career start in NASCAR’s premier series. The four-time IMSA Drivers Champion competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing, while also playing a key role as the reserve driver and driver coach for the Garage 56 project. The 31-year-old sports car standout is familiar with victory lane at COTA, having two IMSA wins to his name at the 3.41-mile circuit.
Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 will make its return to NCS competition with a familiar face behind the wheel: Kimi Räikkönen. The 2007 Formula One World Champion was the first driver for Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 last season at Watkins Glen International, also marking Räikkönen’s first career start in NASCAR’s premier series. “The Iceman” has already logged laps at COTA, competing at the circuit eight times in his Formula One career – one of which included a trip to victory lane in the 2018 U.S. Grand Prix.
After making his return to the driver’s seat at the 2023 Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson is set to make his second start of the season this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 84 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Camaro ZL1. The 47-year-old California native has 84 all-time NCS wins and seven NCS championships to his name, but this weekend will mark his first time competing at the Austin, Texas, circuit.
Conor Daly will be back behind the wheel of the No. 50 The Money Racing Camaro ZL1 this weekend, marking Daly’s second NCS start of the season. The Team Chevy NTT INDYCAR Series driver has made only five career starts in NASCAR’s national ranks, most recently in the 2023 Daytona 500 when the driver raced his way into the series’ crown jewel event.
NXS: CHEVROLET LOOKS TO DEFEND COTA WIN
Notable road course favorite AJ Allmendinger drove Chevrolet to its first NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) win at Circuit of The Americas in 2022. The victory by the 41-year-old California native was the start of a dominant season for the manufacturer in the series’ road course competition with the Bowtie brand going on to take wins in five of the six NXS road course races last season. In addition to his win at COTA, Allmendinger tallied three more road course victories in 2022, including the series’ debut at Portland International Raceway, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and the Charlotte ROVAL. Kyle Larson also added to last season’s win count, driving the No. 88 JR Motorsports Camaro SS to the win at Watkins Glen International.
Allmendinger will be pulling double-duty this weekend, returning to a familiar seat in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS as the driver looks to defend his race winning title. Allmendinger’s win in the series’ most recent road course race (Charlotte ROVAL) brought the Chevrolet driver to a double-digit win count in NXS road course victories with 10, making him the first driver in series’ history to accomplish that feat. With two NCS road course wins also on his résumé, Allmendinger has recorded 12 career road course victories at the NASCAR national level.
Hendrick Motorsports will again field the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Camaro SS in the series for select races this season, kicking off with William Byron behind the wheel this weekend. Byron made three starts in the series in 2022, recording a best finish of second at Texas Motor Speedway. In his young career, Byron competed in only one full-time season in the series (2017) before getting the call up to NASCAR’s premier series. He had an extraordinary rookie campaign in the NXS, taking both the 2017 Driver’s championship title and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. To date, Byron is the second-youngest champion in series’ history (19 years, 11 months, 20 days).
NCTS: CHEVROLET’S QUEST FOR THREE IN A ROW
In just his third start with the Chevrolet organization, Christian Eckes drove McAnally-Hilgemann Racing to its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend. The triumph came after Eckes battled with fellow Chevrolet driver Nick Sanchez in an overtime finish, ultimately surging to the lead on the backstretch of the final lap en route to the victory and a playoff berth. The victory also marked back-to-back victories for the Silverado RST, following up to Kyle Busch’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks prior.
Chevrolet drivers will head to Austin, Texas, with a mission to get the Silverado RST to victory lane at Circuit of The Americas for the first time. Three of Chevrolet’s NASCAR Cup Series regulars will join the NCTS lineup, including the series’ winningest driver Kyle Busch (No. 51 KBM Silverado RST), Alex Bowman (No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST) and Ross Chastain (No. 41 Niece Motorsports Silverado RST).
ON TOP IN THE STANDINGS
With a strong start to the 2023 season, Chevrolet will head to Circuit of The Americas as the manufacturer points standings leader across all three NASCAR national series.
Corey LaJoie (No. 7 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1) recorded a career-best fourth-place finish to lead Chevrolet to the checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend. In addition to the manufacturer’s four NASCAR Cup Series wins this season, Chevrolet continues to lead in the series’ standings by 20 points. With five points-paying NCS races in the books, the Bowtie brand leads the series in wins (four), top-fives (12), top-10s (24), stage wins (seven) and laps led (724).
With Austin Hill’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Chevrolet maintained the lead in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ manufacturer points standings, now sitting nine points ahead of second. Chevrolet’s three NXS wins this season have all come from the 28-year-old Richard Childress Racing driver, making Hill an early championship favorite. Hill also continues to lead in the NXS driver points standings, extending the gap to 46-points over second. Joining Hill in the top-10 of the points standings includes series’ rookie Chandler Smith (fourth), JRM Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier (fifth), Sam Mayer (sixth) and Josh Berry (eighth), and former series’ champion Daniel Hemric (10th).
Recording his first win under the Chevrolet banner, Christian Eckes also powered the Bowtie brand to the lead in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series manufacturer points standing. Eckes’ win at Atlanta Motor Speedway also took him back to the top spot in the series’ driver points standings. The 22-year-old New York native has become an early force to be reckoned with since joining the Chevrolet team, leading the series in top-10 finishes (three), laps led (54) and stage wins (two) thus far. Five drivers from five different Chevrolet team will head to COTA in the top-10 of the NCTS driver points standings including Eckes (points leader), GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger (sixth), Rackley W.A.R.’s Matt DiBenedetto (seventh), Kyle Busch Motorsports’ Chase Purdy (eighth) and Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar (ninth).
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Chevrolet has won both NASCAR Cup Series races at Circuit of The Americas with Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1) in 2021 and Ross Chastain (No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1) in 2022.
· Chevrolet’s Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain are the only two drivers in the series to record top-five finishes in both NASCAR Cup Series races at Circuit of The Americas, both having an average finishing position of 2.5.
· Chevrolet has recorded wins in 15 of the past 17 NASCAR Cup Series road course races, including a streak of 11 consecutive wins that started with Chase Elliott’s victory at Circuit of The Americas in May 2021.
· Six active Chevrolet drivers have at least one career NASCAR Cup Series road course win:
Kyle Busch – 4 (Sonoma – 2008 & 2015; Watkins Glen – 2008 & 2013)
Kyle Larson – 4 (Sonoma – 2021; Watkins Glen – 2021 & 2022; Charlotte ROVAL – 2021)
AJ Allmendinger – 2 (Watkins Glen – 2014; Indianapolis Road Course – 2021)
Jimmie Johnson – 1 (Sonoma – 2010)
Ross Chastain – 1 (Circuit of The Americas – 2022)
Daniel Suarez – 1 (Sonoma – 2022)
· Chevrolet leads its manufacturer competitors in wins this season across all three NASCAR national series with four NASCAR Cup Series wins, three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins.
· Chevrolet’s four 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) and William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports).
· Chevrolet drivers have recorded seven of the 10 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: Ross Chastain (three), William Byron (three) and Kyle Larson (one).
· With five points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races in the books, Chevrolet leads the series in wins (four), top-fives (12), top-10s (24), stage wins (seven) and laps led (724).
· Chevrolet sits atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 20 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, nine points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and seven points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 837 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 Circuit of The Americas.
· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles the Fan Midway including: Silverado 1500 ZR2 Bison, Traverse 2LT, Corvette Convertible 3LT, Tahoe RST, Bolt EUV 2LZ, Silverado 2500 HD Crew.
· 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, March 25
· Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth & Daniel Dye: 9:45 a.m.
· Chase Purdy & Jack Wood: 10 a.m.
· Nick Sanchez: 10:15 a.m.
· Matt DiBenedetto: 10:30 a.m.
· Justin Allgaier & Miguel Paludo: 11:30 a.m.
· Brandon Jones: 11:50 a.m.
· Josh Berry: 12:00 p.m.
· AJ Allmendinger: 12:45 p.m.
· Sam Mayer: 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 26
· Erik Jones: 10:30 a.m.
· Noah Gragson: 11 a.m.
· Ross Chastain: 11:15 a.m.
· Jordan Taylor: 11:30 a.m.
· Kyle Busch: 11:45 a.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Friday, March 24: 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 25: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 26: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tune In:
· NASCAR Cup Series – EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix; 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 26
(FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).
· NASCAR Xfinity Series – Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today; 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 25
(FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).
· NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – XPEL 225; 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 25
(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1
You have your same crew from last year. Can you talk about the significance of that?
“I’m so happy to have the same group of people around me for this season. It’s so hard in this sport to keep the same groups together whether it’s because someone wants a different travel schedule, they get another opportunity at another team, or they have some other reason. We are the exact same group, from crew chief, to engineers, to crew guys, the pit crew, truck drivers – I mean everyone is the same. That’s very valuable to have in this sport and it’s rare that it happens, so I think it’s very significant that we’ve been able to do that.”
Now that it has been a year since your first win, what do you think was so special about it?
“Last year’s win was huge for so many people and so many different reasons. It was my first win, it was Justin’s first win as a team owner, it was my crew chief’s first win in his position, my spotter’s first win, and some of the crew guys, it was their first win. These people all put so much effort into making the car go fast and I have to execute to the car’s fullest extent, and when that happens and we win, there’s no greater feeling. I also got to share a special moment with my brother who was one of my spotters and I got to pick him up out there after he climbed over the fence, and we rode in the car together all of the way to victory lane. Those are the moments are so special. He’s six years younger than me but we are so close and he’s watched me have great opportunities and watched me have great opportunities go away.”
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1
Larson on racing at Circuit of The Americas:
“We’ve gotten both COTA’s I feel like. (We got) the monsoon the first year, which was my first-ever time really racing in the rain. So that was a blast. We came up a little short there because it started raining a little too hard and we had to call the race short. We were in position to win that one. Last year, I didn’t qualify well, didn’t race well and did a terrible job on restarts. I look forward to going back to hopefully do a better job behind the wheel, having a better setup under us and having a better opportunity to race for a win would be great.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Netspend Camaro ZL1
“I enjoy road course racing and COTA is really fun. It’s obviously high prestige with it being a Formula One track when Formula One comes to the United States that those guys get to race on there, so it’s nice to have a shot on a big stage like that. Our cars are really big, really heavy and makes it for a big challenge getting those vehicles around there fast. There’s a lot of rhythm sections to the esses and down through the back area in the stadium section. It really is tough to kind of get a car that is really good set up for there. Our big, heavy stock cars are a challenge to try and slow them down in the braking zones. We obviously have to brake well earlier than many other divisions that get to race there but it still makes it for a fun road course.
Road course racing has definitely gotten a lot tighter and has increased on the competition level for sure. It used to be easy to kind of go to a track and think that you can come away with a top-five. Now you kind of go to a road course and you think you can come out of there with a top-10 and you’re hoping for a top-five. I think a lot of it, obviously, has to do with driver preparation. Everybody is getting more accustomed to road racing and with more road courses on our schedule plus the parity within the car and everybody running much of the same stuff. You don’t really have teams that are able to splurge on brakes or suspension components and things like that to make your stuff better than someone else’s. That makes it tough.”
Was the extra track time you had at COTA in the offseason with the Goodyear tire test a big help to you as you prepare for the Cup race?
“Getting to go there and run the Goodyear tire test earlier this year was really important for the chemistry of the team and just getting started off on the right foot. I think, though, with the aero changes that have now come about, we weren’t prepared for that, so we didn’t test that aero package that we’re going back to the road course with this weekend. We did get laps, but it wasn’t laps and reps in the proper setting.”
Jordan Taylor, No. 9 UniFirst Camaro ZL1
Taylor on the expectations and preparation for his first NASCAR Cup Series start:
“Any driver wants to be at the front and battling for the win, but I think I have to keep my expectations in check. Everyone in the Cup Series these days is good on every form of racing, whether it’s a superspeedway, short track or a road course. I know that it’s going to be a big uphill battle, battling these guys. I’m glad we do have an extra (practice) session to kind of understand it. From a driver’s perspective, I have the belief that I can figure out how to drive the car and then it just comes down to the little details of pit stops, pit lane speed. I’m used to pushing a button on the steering wheel and it controls my pit lane speed. In NASCAR, you have to control it all yourself. So little details like that are the things that I’ve been bouncing off Chase (Elliott); little tricks of the trade and what to expect. Even little things like coming into the pit box, knowing how to launch the car and things like that. I know it’s going to be a big challenge, but I’m looking forward to it. I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Farmsmart Camaro ZL1
“Obviously last year we had a really good shot to win the race. It’s a completely different year with a completely different package. Hopefully we’ll unload close to what we had last year and just build off of that as the weekend goes on. New way of racing without stages there, so you have to qualify well and try to run up front because there isn’t much you can do strategy wise. We know this is a weekend we can run up front, score good points and hopefully give ourselves the chance to win which is the ultimate goal.”
William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
Byron on running two races at COTA:
“I’m really optimistic for this weekend, especially running double duty. We’ve always seemed to run well at COTA but just need to be a step better. I think the No. 24 team has shown that this year already. The only real difference for this race is that there are no longer true stage breaks, but that just changes how we work our strategy. If we go out and execute, we should be in a good spot for both races in the end. Hopefully, we can go out and not only get Mr. (Rick) Hendrick a win in the No. 17 but also Liberty University a win in the No. 24.”
Justin Haley, No. 31 Celsius Camaro ZL1
“I’m looking forward to the first road course of the year. COTA was the first track that we made the final round of qualifying at last year. We showed a ton of speed in both qualifying and the race along with my teammate, AJ (Allmendinger). It’s one of those tracks I’ve enjoyed racing at in other series and have some confidence going into the weekend.”
Noah Gragson, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Camaro ZL1
Gragson on running at COTA:
“We finished fourth last year in the Xfinity car and we have put a lot of work in this season to get better at COTA. It’s a really fun track with some awesome energy from the crowd. We have a great looking Chevy Camaro ZL1 with the Black Rifle Coffee Company partnership and I was able to make it to victory lane with them in Xfinity and looking forward to the challenge. We had a great run last weekend at Atlanta and I want to keep this momentum going.”
Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1
With there being no stage breaks for this race, how will that affect the strategy in how you approach this weekend?
“I think it opens up some more options, the old stages how we’ve had the last few years, you were kind of locked in to one way or the other – take stage points or take a higher finishing position. We will see how it used to be I think with running the race backwards and trying to make sure you have enough fuel to get to the end of the race. We will see how much tires matter; I think they are going to be pretty important with probably some more fall off than what we’ve seen in the past with the track aging and getting more slick a bit. I think it will be a fine balance between tires and trying to pit as early as you can to make it on fuel, so we will see how it plays out with our Allegiant Chevy.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger / Blue Buffalo Camaro ZL1
“We’re excited to get to COTA. It will be our first race with our partners at Blue Buffalo and the pain scheme looks amazing. I’m excited to get there. COTA is obviously a road course with a lot of shifting and a lot of crazy things going on. Weather could be an issue with rain. We’ve had a rain race there before and it was kind of chaotic. I’m looking forward to turning left and right. COTA is a really fun racetrack and it’s in a really cool town. There’s a lot of fun things there to do and I’ve got a lot of friends coming out to the race.”
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
Bowman on pulling double duty at COTA:
“I am excited to go truck racing at COTA this weekend. Last year, we had a lot of speed and I am hopeful we have the same this weekend. It would be really neat to have wins in all of NASCAR’s national series and this weekend gives me another chance to add that to my resumé. I also like running the truck because it helps me for Sunday’s Cup race.”
Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Club Wyndham Camaro ZL1
Johnson on running at COTA:
“This is going to be such a great weekend. I’ve had this race on my bucket list for a really long time and I’m thankful for a partner like Club Wyndham for making it possible. I’m looking forward to the challenge of the track, these NextGen cars with the low downforce, and thankful we have a practice on Friday to see what we have to work with. Todd Gordon and the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team have prepared a great car back at the shop. From everything I’ve heard this track puts on a heck of a show, and from a venue standpoint, it’s such a great stage for this sport. I’m looking back to getting back to the track, we have spent some time in the SIM to prepare and I’m ready for the weekend.”
Todd Gordon, Crew Chief, No. 84 Club Wyndham Camaro ZL1
Gordon on running at COTA:
“I ran COTA with Ryan Blaney in 2021 in the rain. Neat venue, really long and lots of different facets to this place. There are high speed straightaways and some rhythm stuff through the esses, lots of short, tight 90-degree corners and it’s got some sweeping right handers through the stadium section. So, it’s really a track that has all the facets of road course racing. This track asks a lot out of the team, car and driver and it’s the first time we’ve gone there with this low downforce and the package we ran at Phoenix. It’s a really cool opportunity. I’m looking forward to the practice and see what Jimmie likes – he is a really good student – and I think his INDYCAR road course experience is going to be key because he understands how to race his way thought a road course. It’s great to have a very detailed driver who knows how he can affect the racecar. Should be a great weekend.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1
Are you looking forward to COTA?
“Yes, I feel like that track owes me one. We had a very fast car there last year and I felt like we were going to win the race if we didn’t have any problems. Unfortunately, we did but Ross was able to get the win for Trackhouse. I was glad to see that, but I really thought we were going to be in victory lane.”
What has allowed Trackhouse to stay near the front over the last year since that last win?
“That’s a very good question. I think it’s a combination of many things, starting with our people. We have great people; great engineers, good pit crews. I think that if we look back to one year ago…one year ago we were a team that was very promising. I feel like right now, Trackhouse is a reality. I think we have shown that we’re here to stay and to be competitive. Last year was a very good year and this year, so far, has gone in a very good way. We have to continue to work; not feel comfortable and not stay still because everyone is working very hard. I feel like that has been one of the keys of Trackhouse to continue to evolve and continue to move forward.”
Are you excited to have Kimi Räikkönen join the team this weekend?
“Of course. Kimi was a lot of fun last year when he raced with us in Watkins Glen. You can certainly see his talent. He picked up NASCAR racing so quickly last year. It’s going to be interesting to see how he does this year on a track where he has won in Formula One. I think he will be very quick.”
Chase Purdy, No. 4 Bama Buggies Silverado RST
Do you enjoy road course racing?
“I used to hate it, but now I actually kind of like it — COTA specifically. COTA is probably my favorite road course that I get to race and that I have raced. I’m actually really excited to get to Austin this week and to race COTA.”
What do you think not having stage breaks will do to the flow of the race on Saturday?
“I think it will affect people’s strategy — when they come to pit road and where they want to position themselves for the end of the race. Kind of going back to how it was years ago when you didn’t have stage breaks and you just ran until there was an actual caution or the end of the race. I think there will be a lot of green flag stops, I think that opens the door for that. Just being mindful of the rules changes this weekend and positioning yourself to where you can be there at the end of the race without having stage breaks.”
Evaluate how your team has performed over the first three races.
“I think we are obviously figuring out how to put together races and run consistently up front. We only want to get better from here. I think that if we can continue to get better every week and just get a little bit more at a time, I think one of these days we can finish one off and lock ourselves into the playoffs. Then we can concentrate on continue to have consistent finishes and run strong every week.”
Kyle Busch, No. 51 Zariz Transport Silverado RST
You already have a win in trucks this year. What is your outlook on getting a second win Saturday?
“I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Zariz Silverado this weekend at COTA. We were able to get Zariz a win at Las Vegas in their first race as a primary NASCAR sponsor — that was pretty cool, and they were pretty pumped about it. Vegas was also the first race for me working with (Brian) Pattie in trucks and a few other new people on the 51 team, so to have that much speed out of the gates shows how hard everyone at KBM has worked to make sure that we didn’t skip a beat with the manufacturer change and the other changes that we had with our crew chief lineup and such over the offseason. Hopefully we can make it two-for-two on the year with a win at COTA Saturday. The goal every year in trucks is to go five-for-five with my five truck races — we’ve been able to accomplish that before and I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again, just have to click them off one at a time. We had a really fast truck at COTA last year, felt like we deserved the win and kind of got one taken from us. We just need to go out there Saturday and execute our race, control what we can control and try to be the first one to the finish line this time around.”
Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Silverado RST
Though you don’t necessarily consider yourself a road course racer at heart, your COTA track record may say otherwise. How well do you enjoy racing at this facility?
“I would say that I’ve definitely put a lot of effort into my road course racing over the last couple of years, and I think COTA is one of those tracks that has a little bit of everything – there are some technical sections, there are some slow-speed corners and high speed corners. Obviously, that back straightaway is really, really fast, and it forces you to almost have to get the truck completely stopped at the end of it. But yeah, it’s a place I really enjoy; I enjoy the challenge of it and I’ve worked really hard at learning the layout. I know [Jeff] Hensley and the rest of my guys at GMS Racing have put a lot of effort into this Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet, so hopefully we will have something to contend with.”
Rajah Caruth, No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Silverado RST
You’ve never seen the racetrack at COTA before, so how big of a help has iRacing been to you in preparing for this weekend?
“So since I’ve never been to COTA before, iRacing is going to be so pivotal to me this weekend. Albeit, I’m pretty much on the service all the time for any of the tracks that we go to, but for COTA, since I’ve never raced there before, it’s going to be even more useful for me before I hop in my actual Wendell Scott Foundation Silverado RST. I’m excited to give it a whirl, and I think we will have a strong weekend, especially with all of the prep that Josh Wise and Scott Speed have us Chevrolet athletes doing, and I think the GMS Racing trucks should be pretty sporty across the board.”
Daniel Dye, No. 43 Dell Children’s Medical Center/Nyle Maxwell Supercenter Silverado RST
COTA will be the first road course that you run with in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, can you tell us a little more about your previous road racing experiences?
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I mean, COTA is a whole different beast compared to Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, and Portland that I’ve raced at before. I loved road course racing last year in the ARCA Series. It’s going to be fun to try it out in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series; there’s a lot more trucks and competition out there, but to go to a huge place like COTA with 20 turns is going to be super cool. It’s going to be fun; we’re just going to stay on our toes and learn all day to be the best we can be by the end of it with our No. 43 Chevy.”
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: 4
Poles: 2
Laps Led: 724
Top-five finishes: 12
Top-10 finishes: 24
Stage wins: 7
· Ross Chastain – 3 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2)
· William Byron – 3 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix)
· Kyle Larson – 1 (Phoenix)
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 837 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 736
Laps led to date: 246,268
Top-five finishes to date: 4,233
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,736
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,171
Chevrolet: 837
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: 170
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
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.
