TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nevada
March 5, 2023

 NASCAR GOES WEST: PART TWO

Las Vegas Motor Speedway will welcome all three NASCAR national series this weekend with the 1.5-mile oval hosting the second of three stops on NASCAR’s western swing.

The tripleheader race weekend kicks off with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ (NCTS) Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 on Friday, marking the series’ only appearance at the track this season. Saturday’s on-track action will feature the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ (NXS) Alsco Uniforms 300, with the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) capping off the weekend with the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube on Sunday. This weekend will be the first of two appearances at Las Vegas for the NCS and NXS, as the track will host the opening race for the Round of Eight for both series’ playoffs in October.

DOUBLE-DIGITS IN THE DESERT

NASCAR’s premier series made its first appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 1998 with Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube marking the series’ 31st race held at the Nevada oval. Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon delivered Chevrolet its first trip to victory lane at the track in March 2001. Since then, the Bowtie brand has collected 10 NCS wins at the track with three of those victories coming in the past five races. Chevrolet’s most recent victory came one year ago when Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman claimed the checkered flag, while also leading the manufacturer to a one-two-three finish (Kyle Larson – second; Ross Chastain – third).

 
GOING FOR THE TRIPLE

Coming off his first win since rejoining the Bowtie brigade, Kyle Busch will look to carry the momentum to his hometown track as the Las Vegas, Nevada, native is tapped to pull triple duty this weekend. In addition to looking to go back-to-back with his No. 8 Richard Childress Camaro ZL1 team, Busch also will pilot the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS in the NXS, as well as make his first of five NCTS starts of the season behind the wheel of the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Silverado RST. Busch holds the title as the only driver in NASCAR history to win all three NASCAR national series races in a single weekend. He was able to accomplish that feat twice in his career, both at Bristol Motor Speedway (2010 and 2017).

With his win at Auto Club Speedway last weekend, Busch has now recorded 225 career wins across all three NASCAR national series, the most all-time in NASCAR history. That record includes 61 career NCS wins (most among active drivers); 102 career NXS wins (series-leading); and 62 career NCTS wins (series-leading).

 
CHEVROLET WITH THE TOP-FOUR SWEEP

For the second consecutive season, Chevrolet drivers swept the top four finishing positions at Auto Club Speedway. In just his second points-paying race with Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Camaro ZL1 team took the victory, making Busch the second Chevrolet driver to claim a playoff berth this season. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott finished in the runner-up position, powering his No. 9 Camaro ZL1 through the field from the 33rd starting spot. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-four, driving their Camaro ZL1s to the third and fourth positions, respectively. The manufacturer was able to accomplish this feat on three separate occasions in 2022, one of which included a sweep of the top-five at Road America.

Last weekend marked back-to-back races that drivers from at least three different Chevrolet teams were represented in the top-10 of the final running order, proving the strength across the manufacturer’s teams in NASCAR’s premier series.

“GM built the new Tech Center (in Concord N.C.) and there is more communication between the teams,” said Randall Burnett, crew chief of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1, following the team’s Auto Club win. “We don’t share everything by any means, but there’s a lot more communication across the Chevy teams than there used to be, for sure, and I do think that helps. I think it’s a big part of understanding where everybody’s at and trying to learn from one another. I think that’s helped our group – and the Chevy group as a whole – be better overall.”

 
CONTENDERS ON THE INTERMEDIATES

Las Vegas Motor Speedway will mark the series’ first appearance on a 1.5-mile track in 2023. The Next Gen Camaro ZL1 is coming off a strong debut season on the intermediate-style ovals. Of the nine points-paying NCS races held at 1.5-mile tracks last season, Chevrolet drivers collected five victories:

· Las Vegas Motor Speedway – One win (Alex Bowman – March)

· Atlanta Motor Speedway – Two wins (William Byron – March; Chase Elliott – July)

· Texas Motor Speedway – One win (Tyler Reddick – September)

· Homestead-Miami Speedway – One win (Kyle Larson – October)

 
CHEVROLET LEADS IN THE STANDINGS

Heading into the second tripleheader weekend of the season, a Chevrolet driver sits atop the driver points standings across all three NASCAR national series.

NASCAR Cup Series

Following a sweep of the stage wins and a third-place finish at Auto Club, Ross Chastain took over the top position in the series’ driver points standings. Chastain has accumulated a series-leading three stage wins and 97 laps led, and is one of only four drivers to post top-10 finishes in both points-paying races.

Five drivers from four different Chevrolet teams currently sit in the top-eight of the series’ driver points standings. Joining Chastain is Alex Bowman (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1) in third and Chastain’s teammate Daniel Suarez (No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1) in fifth. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1) and Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1) sit in the seventh and eighth positions, respectively, with both drivers already notching a win and a playoff berth.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

The 2023 NXS season-opener winner, Austin Hill (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS), remains in the lead of the series’ driver points standing after earning a second top-10 finish this season at Auto Club. Fellow Chevrolet drivers joining Hill in the top-10 of the standings include JR Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier (third), Sam Mayer (seventh) and Josh Berry (ninth) as well as NXS rookie of the year contender Chandler Smith (fourth).

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

After a third-place finish in his debut appearance behind a Chevrolet-powered machine at Daytona, Christian Eckes (No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST) took the top spot in the NCTS driver points standings. Series veteran Grant Enfinger (No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST) is seventh, Colby Howard (No. 9 CR7 Silverado RST) is eighth, and Carson Hocevar (No. 42 Niece Motorsports Silverado RST) rounds out the top-10.

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· NASCAR Cup Series victories by active Chevrolet drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

Alex Bowman – 1 (March 2022)

Kyle Larson – 1 (March 2021)

Kyle Busch – 1 (March 2009)

· In 30 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 10 victories. Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at the track with seven, recorded among four drivers: Jeff Gordon (2001), Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010), Kyle Larson (2021), Alex Bowman (2022).

· Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010). Johnson is the only driver in series history to post three consecutive race wins at the Nevada oval.

· Kyle Busch is the only driver in NASCAR history to win all three NASCAR national races in a single weekend, accomplishing that feat two times in his career (Bristol Motor Speedway – 2010, 2017).

· The first two drivers to claim a playoff berth in the NASCAR Cup Series come from the Chevrolet camp: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1) and Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1).

· For the second consecutive season, Chevrolet drivers swept the top four finishing positions at Auto Club Speedway. The Bowtie brand accomplished this feat on three separate occasions in 2022, including a sweep of the top-five at Road America.

· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 835 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 GLOBALTRANZ CAMARO ZL1

What does it feel like to be the points leader for the first time in your career?

“Well, I’m certainly not used to it (laughs). It feels good to me but I think it also tells the story of a bigger picture with Trackhouse being fairly young and all the people there working together to help us get to this point. I certainly didn’t get here on my own. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and it’s showing. I don’t want to get ahead of myself though. This is a long season and there are so many variables, so we’ll just keep doing what we are doing and we’ll see how the season shakes out.”

You guys had a good result at Daytona which is kind of a wild card, but you also ran well right out of the box at Auto Club; what does that say to you?

“Daytona is such a wild card when it comes to finishes, so it is kind of hard to compare that style of race to the rest of the season. Yeah, running well at Auto Club without any practice on a more normal style of track was good. These men and women spend so many hours working on setups and things like that. You do wonder when you get to our intermediate tracks how things are going to shake out. Obviously, Auto Club was a great start, but we’ll keep focused each week on the task at hand and hopefully the trend will continue.”

Why do you still try and run as many races as you can each weekend?

“I’m a pretty firm believer that all laps are good laps so anytime I have the opportunity to hop in something besides the Cup car, I’m usually game. If me being in the truck this weekend helps Niece [Motorsports] on the competition side a little bit too, I’ll all for it. Worldwide Express is a great partner and they’re supportive of me in the truck as well as the Cup car, so it makes it fun to go out there and turn as many laps as I can.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

“Las Vegas Motor Speedway has always been one of my favorite tracks, so I’m looking forward to going there in the BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet this weekend. Being able to turn through the bumps in Turn 1 is very important. In Turn 3, you can’t miss the entry. The track has gotten a lot of character over the last couple of years, making it fun to drive on. You have to challenge yourself to be disciplined with your marks. We learned a lot at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022 with the Next Gen car, so I’m curious to see how much it has changed since then.”

Are the bumps and challenges at Las Vegas Motor Speedway similar to the bumps in Turns 3 and 4 at Auto Club Speedway?

“Turns one and two at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are high speed corners and the bumps have always been something that you work on your car to get through to make speed. The faster your car can go through there without having to unload and get the feel back in the front tires has always been an issue. The person that can skip through them the best usually runs really well. At Las Vegas Motor Speedway it’s an entry issue, unlike last week at Auto Club Speedway where it was an exit issue. At Auto Club Speedway, you’re leaving the corner with wheel in the car. I think the bumps at Las Vegas will be challenging this weekend, just as they always are. Although truthfully, from the simulator work I’ve done to prepare for the race, the bumps were not as upsetting as they were at Auto Club Speedway. The Auto Club Speedway bumps were pretty accurate to our sim. We were busting loose across those bumps. So, I’m hoping that it’s accurate again, as far as the bumps in Las Vegas not being as much of a problem as they were in Fontana.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on why he enjoys racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

“Vegas is a track that I like. It seems to be another one of those intermediate style tracks that suits my driving style because you can run different lanes. It has a lot of character with bumps and grip, so it’s been a place that I have enjoyed. I’ve led some laps, won a race and had a few other close shots. I look forward to going there again this weekend and hopefully getting another NASCAR Cup Series win.”

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

Daniels on turning the page to Las Vegas:

“We learned at Fontana after we had our issue. We made some adjustments to the car and learned quite a bit. Some of it can translate to Vegas (which) is a faster, higher load track. It was nice having a fast car. I obviously hate what happened in Fontana but having all that corrected and building another fast car can hopefully give us another good shot for the weekend.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ALSCO UNIFORMS CAMARO ZL1

Since Las Vegas is your “hometown” race, is that an event that you circle on your calendar?

“I don’t really put any extra emphasis on it to run well there. I’ve done that in years past and it’s always bit me because I’ve always tried too hard at the home track in order to win there and put too much emphasis on it that it gets me in trouble, so I just go in there and treat it like any other race just let the race kind of come to me. We work on the car and make it better throughout the day in order to be there at the end to be fast. I enjoy Vegas and it’s been a fun place over the years. I liked it a lot more when it was flatter but since it’s gotten some age on the banking track now it’s been pretty fun. You get to move around, and you can run all the way up to the wall and run that high line.”

You have four top-five finishes in the last four races at Las Vegas. What will it take for you to finish a few positions better?

“Vegas is a place that I always feel like I’m close, you know, but it sucks because it’s like close but no cigar. It’s kind of frustrating with that just a little bit. I try to always run well there; do a good job and we have been able to do that. I just have been locked out of being able to win there. I feel like we had two wins there in the last two years that the finishes just turned into top-fives so that’s just a little frustrating. It’s nice to go to a track that you can run well and have confidence going into.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on heading to Las Vegas this weekend:

“I was really proud of the effort the entire team put in last week. We know we still have some work to do, but it was good to get a top five under our belts. Hopefully, we can head to Vegas this weekend and put together a good, solid finish and keep the momentum going.”

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

Gustafson on how the team can build off of its result at Auto Club Speedway:

“We struggled a little on intermediate tracks last year after the introduction of this new tire. Our team worked hard during the offseason to regroup and try to make some improvements. I feel like Auto Club (Speedway) was a step in the right direction. The goal is to be able to build off of that and continue to improve as we head to Vegas this weekend. Our last visit there was a tough one for us and obviously we want to do what we can to rebound from that.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1

Byron on racing at Las Vegas:

“Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) is a track that has a lot of character but it’s fast and really smooth compared to other mile-and-a-half tracks or even Auto Club (Speedway) last weekend. With it being so smooth, you really have to run and utilize all the lanes to be good. You can’t just stick to one lane all race long. The track changes a lot with rubber build up, so you have to keep up with that to not get behind early in the race. We’ve always seemed to run well there and I feel like we’re in a good position to do that again this weekend.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1

Fugle on the tire strategy for this weekend:

“We don’t have a ton of tires this weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) to just throw at the car every time there’s a caution. We’ll only have eight sets of sticker tires for Sunday. That gives you two to three extra sets to play around with really. You can make a decision at some point when you have six to seven laps on your tires where you could pit and then if there’s a long run after that, it’s going to pay off. If it’s a short run, you won’t re-pass all those who stayed out. I think that’s what you’re going to see a lot of at the stages. You can also look at taking two or four tires. Last year’s race was won on two tires and if you get the right scenario, that’s at play.”

NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORT CAMARO ZL1

“I’m excited to keep building momentum with our No. 42 Sunseeker Chevrolet and the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team. Coming back to my hometown is always good to see family and friends, it’s always great anytime I can get back there and there would be nothing sweeter than to run well at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1

“Hopefully Las Vegas will be a good race for us this weekend and we can get our season rolling. We struggled a little bit at Fontana, so looking forward to getting back to Las Vegas where we were pretty good in the Spring last year in this race and in the Fall I thought we were decent. I’m hoping we can make some gains, try some new stuff and get some good points from the weekend. Looking forward to getting there and hopefully having a good run in our No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on reflecting on his win last year at Las Vegas:

“It is an exciting time for the No. 48 Ally Racing team right now. We have had a lot of fast race cars. Running up front and finishing in the top-10 at Daytona (International Speedway) and Fontana gives us a lot of momentum to carry to Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) this weekend. Obviously, winning there last year is a great starting point for how we need to approach this race, but we are also looking at where we struggled and how we can strengthen those areas. I am looking forward to getting back out there and going for another win.”

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

Harris on how he is using the No. 48 team’s 2022 win to prepare for Sunday:

“With the win at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) last year and Alex (Bowman) not running the fall race, we are using all the notes from the spring race and our teammates notes from the fall race to prepare for this weekend. I think with our run at Auto Club Speedway and having top-five speed, I feel like what he had there is more applicable than last year’s notes. The run of intermediates at the beginning of the year is always tough when you leave straight from Daytona (International Speedway) and head to the West Coast. There is a lot of prep on the team, so to come out of the box with some speed last week will hopefully carry over to Las Vegas. Statistically, Las Vegas is one of Alex’s best tracks and he runs up front there a lot. I’m really looking forward to having a practice and qualifying session this week to start stepping through that normal process and see if we can get this thing tuned in for Alex on Sunday.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1

Does running well in the first two races make you even more eager for Sunday’s race in Las Vegas?

“This year has been a tribute to the men and women at Trackhouse Racing because they have given Ross and I rocket ships to begin the season. They have been a pleasure to drive. Not only that, but coming to pit lane has been an amazing experience. Our crews have been super-fast gaining us spots every time. So, yes, these days I can’t wait to get to the track.”

Was it important for you to get the contract done before the season started to have that out of the way and have your future settled?

“Yeah, it was. That was actually a topic of conversation that I had with the team. I’m the kind of person that once I start racing, I like to focus on that. Last year when we announced this 2023 extension that we did, we did it right before the Playoffs. I didn’t even want to talk about it. I was just focusing my thing. I was just so focused on my thing. I feel like at times it can be a distraction. This time, when we started having all these conversations, I said hey, let’s get it out of the way before the Daytona 500.”

Was it a really easy decision process?

“Yes, it is for me. I’m very, very happy where I am. Trackhouse, the future of Trackhouse, is very bright. I feel like I’m experienced enough now to understand those things and to understand how important people are. Everybody at Trackhouse believes in me. I believe in Trackhouse since day one. We’re building something great here. I think we have something special going on. It would be silly not to see that and to take advantage of that, to take it to the next level.”

What has been the biggest part of that evolution over the two years? Where have you noticed the biggest strides?

“Every year has been a process. I mean, we are still babies, man. This is going to be our third year only as Trackhouse. So the first year obviously Richard Childress Racing played a huge role. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here. Huge thanks to Richard and to everyone at RCR, Chevrolet. Then the second year obviously getting the whole team of Ganassi, that was a huge thing, Chevrolet jumping onboard with us. Right now it’s actually the first time that things are fairly calm. We were able to rebuild with less going on. So I feel very, very good about it. I feel we’ve been able to work and getting better instead of restructure the whole thing. I feel like every year has been something new. This year I feel like is going to be a great opportunity for us to go out there and compete in the highest level.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

What are your expectations and/or strategies going into the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

“The biggest goal for our Champion Power Equipment team this week at Vegas is really to see where we stack up with our intermediate track program at GMS Racing. There’s been so much work put into this part or our program, and we made a lot of improvements towards the end of last year. We are optimistic that we’ve made more gains over the off-season. This is our owner, Maury Gallagher’s, home race so we are going to do everything we can to make him proud.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RST

You’re returning to Las Vegas this weekend running in both the Truck and Xfinity Series. How much of a benefit do you think you will have with all of the extra track time?

“I think the extra track time is going to be a huge benefit for me, especially since I raced at Las Vegas last year. Having one constant that I’ll be used to, in the track itself, should help me get up to speed quicker, as this will be my first time at a mile-and-a-half track in a truck. Overall, I’m feeling pretty good about it; the Chevrolet simulator sessions that my Wendell Scott Foundation team has had has really helped me gain some experience, so I have high hopes for how our race should pan out. The preparation’s been there from the team and myself, so there’s no reason why we can’t go out there and have a lot of speed.”

DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 SOLAR-FIT / HALIFAX HEALTH SILVERADO RST

Last year in ARCA, you seemed to shine on the intermediate tracks. With Las Vegas being the site of your first intermediate race with a truck, how much of your knowledge from last year can you take with you into consideration for Friday night?

“I’m really looking forward to racing in Las Vegas this weekend. After running in a few intermediate track races last season with the ARCA car at Kansas, Charlotte, Michigan, and a few other places, I feel prepared and hope to use some of that experience on Friday night. I’ve heard that the two different types of vehicles definitely handle differently on these types of tracks, but I know that my No. 43 GMS Racing team will bring me a fast Silverado to compete with, and that’s all I can ask for. Having the opportunity to learn from both of my teammates who have raced here in the past will be key to me taking on the track, so I’ll be sure to bounce off of them and learn as much as I can.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST

Do you enjoy racing at Las Vegas?

“I like Las Vegas, I like when you go somewhere that you can run multiple lanes and you’re not just stuck running one lane. It’s a very racy track and the restarts are crazy. It’s just a really fun place to race at, especially at night under the lights and I look forward to getting out there and seeing what we can do with our Bama Buggies No. 4 Chevy.”

Talk about the opportunity to have Kyle as your teammate this weekend.

“Obviously he’s coming off a big win in the Cup Series, so I’m excited to work with him as a teammate in the Truck Series and hear what he has to say about the handling of his truck compared to what I’m feeling. I think it’s a really big opportunity for me to maybe learn some things that I need to do to be better since we’ll be unloading with trucks that are setup very similar.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 51 ZARIZ TRANSPORT SILVERADO RST

Will the extra track time in the Xfinity car and Truck this weekend help the performance of your Cup car?

“So to me I think the Trucks have the most resemblance of today’s current Cup cars, where years ago I would say the Xfinity cars were very similar. You know, just running the Xfinity Series again and being able to get back in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig is going to be fun and I look forward to that. Being with a new team and a new group of guys and you know just the chance to go out there and help their program and develop them a little bit and give them some of my expertise. I love the Trucks as well, being with KBM and racing my own stuff there, so it’s going to be fun to get back to Vegas and go for the triple. Hopefully everything goes well and we can win one, two or all three. That would be cool.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, NO. 19 NAPA AUTOCARE SILVERADO RST

On starting a new year with MHR and the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care team:

“Our NAPA Auto Care team had a great start to the year at Daytona and it’s always good when you can start with a big points day like that. We want to be a consistent race team this year and run towards the front every week. This week is another step towards that and hopefully we can have a similar result again. Everybody at MHR put a lot of effort in on this new NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado for Friday night, so it’d be great to be in the mix for the win at the end of the night.”

JAKE GARCIA, NO. 35 QUANTA SILVERADO RST

On making his first start at a 1.5-mile track:

“I’m super excited to finally race at an intermediate track this week in Las Vegas. It’ll make for a pretty cool 18th birthday, that’s for sure. I know my team has put a lot of work into our Quanta Services Chevrolet for this week and hopefully we can have a strong night to set the tone for our year. There’s definitely a lot for me to learn at the big tracks with aero and dealing with dirty air, so we’ll try to manage it the best we can and start building a notebook together.”

 
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: 2

Poles: 1

Laps Led: 184

Top-five finishes: 6

Top-10 finishes: 11

Stage wins: 3

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

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 835 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 735

Laps led to date: 245,728

Top-five finishes to date: 4,227

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,723

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,169

       Chevrolet: 835

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 820                                                           

       Ford: 720

       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.

Supports Gilliland in Third Front Row Motorsports Entry at Talladega

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 2, 2023) – Carl Ruedebusch, the owner of N29 Capital Partners, LLC and Ruedebusch Development and Construction (RDC), continues to build a future for Todd Gilliland. The successful Wisconsin-based businessman and venture capitalist will sponsor Gilliland at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on April 23 and complete a full NASCAR Cup Series season for the sophomore driver.

The specific company on the car will be announced later.

Gilliland will race the No. 36 entry for Front Row Motorsports (FRM). The team will be led by crew chief Chris Lawson with the support of the championship FRM NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team that was founded with Gilliland as the driver.

Carl Ruedebusch, his Ruedebusch Development and Construction company, and his partnership with gener8tor Skills will now support Gilliland for one third of his 2023 season. He wanted to complete the season for Gilliland.

“I wanted to ensure that Todd raced the full season in the NASCAR Cup Series this year,” said Ruedebusch. “He has proven that he can compete with the best of the best and be successful. We are thankful to Front Row Motorsports for making this opportunity available for Todd to reunite with his old teammates and friend Chris Lawson to race for a win at Talladega.”

FRM General Manager Jerry Freeze is thankful for the support of Ruedebusch and his commitment to Gilliland.

“Carl Ruedebusch has been a champion for Todd the past two seasons,” said Freeze. “He immediately stepped up to make this happen for Todd and we’re thankful for that. We have seen success with our third entry at the superspeedways in the recent past. We know that Todd and Chris working together again is a great opportunity to win at Talladega.”

Gilliland is pleased to have the full season in place and is ready to move forward.

“I really want to thank Carl Ruedebusch for everything he has done for me,” said Gilliland. “It is not just this year, but last year, and being a good friend to our family. Also, it’s important to be clear that Bob Jenkins has put more resources into my career than anyone outside my family. It was unfortunate that I can’t race all 36 races with FRM, but the team is working hard to build my program for the future. For now, I want to thank all our partners and especially Carl Ruedebusch for working together to make this happen. We will now put this behind us and go race to win.”

Gilliland will race the No. 38 Ruedebusch Development and Construction Ford this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”

For more information, visit www.ruedebusch.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 24th

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

AT THE BEGINNING: The NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March of 2021 marked the first win for Kyle Larson with team owner Rick Hendrick at Hendrick Motorsports. The victory was also the first for No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM crew chief Cliff Daniels atop the pit box. Larson led 103 of the 267 laps in the race and finished 3.15 seconds ahead of the second-place competitor at the checkered flag. The win sparked the beginning of a career-best 10-win, championship season for the No. 5 team.

BACK FOR SECONDS: Larson returns to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas track looking to build on his past success. He has two wins at Las Vegas – one in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series in 2018 and his Cup Series victory in 2021. In March of 2022, he led 27 laps and finished second to teammate Alex Bowman in the Cup Series race. This Sunday, Larson competes to score his third national series win and second with the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team at this track.

LARSON AT LAS VEGAS: The Elk Grove, California, native has made 13 Cup Series starts at the intermediate track. He has the fourth-best average finish – 11.15 – among all drivers with at least four starts at the facility. Along with his win, he has five top-five finishes, nine top-10s and 251 laps led. The 2021 Cup Series champion’s nine top-10 finishes are tied for his third-most at any one track. In four starts with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has led 225 laps on the West Coast track – the most by any one driver since the start of 2021. It is also one of eight tracks that he has led at least 200 laps on while driving for the 14-time Cup Series champions.

TAKE THE STAGE: Larson has two stage wins at Las Vegas, which is tied for the fourth-most among all drivers. In addition, his 14 top-10 stage results rank as the sixth-most among all drivers.

INTERMEDIATE TRACK SUCCESS: The last time Larson raced on a 1.5-mile track, he visited victory lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway in October of 2022. The 30-year-old driver ranked second in most points earned (261) on this track length in 2022 – just 35 markers behind Ross Chastain. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports ahead of the 2021 season, Larson holds the best marks on 1.5-mile tracks for wins (five), stage wins (13), laps led (1,642) and average finish (7.69). His three runner-up finishes and 13 top-10s are tied for the most in the series in that span of time. (The above statistics do not include Atlanta Motor Speedway in ’22 since that track used the superspeedway drafting package following its reconfiguration.)

WESTERN BOUND: With two wins at Auto Club Speedway and a win each at Las Vegas, Phoenix Raceway and Sonoma Raceway, Larson has five victories on the West Coast. That places him fifth among active drivers with left coast victories. Four of those triumphs have come in the last 13 races out West.

HIT THE JACKPOT: This Sunday, Larson will drive the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Las Vegas. While watching, hit the jackpot and shop from the convenience of your own home by browsing nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HENDRICKCARS.COM. Customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them. Prefer to shop in-person? Hendrick Automotive Group has 95+ dealerships nationwide to choose from.

WE’RE HIRING: Join 10,000+ others nationwide in working at Hendrick Automotive Group. Technicians and other positions are being hired 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: 14th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

CALI REWIND: Last weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series’ final visit to the 2-mile layout of Auto Club Speedway (ACS), Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team had their work cut out for them after rain washed out qualifying for Sunday’s race. Starting in the 33rd position, Elliott and the team made gains throughout the race, finishing the first two stages 10th and seventh, respectively. He took the checkered flag in second for his best finish at the Fontana, California, venue.

LET’S GO TO VEGAS: Elliott has 12 Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three top-five finishes, five top-10s and 178 laps led. His best finish on the 1.5-mile oval was a runner-up finish in September of 2021. In this race last year, Elliott finished inside the top 10 in each of the first two stages and ultimately scored a ninth-place result.

CENTER STAGE: Elliott has three stage wins at Las Vegas in the Cup Series, which is second among active drivers behind Martin Truex Jr. He’s also second to Truex Jr. on the list of drivers in top-10 stage results at the track with 18.

TOPS AT TOP TWOS: In addition to his series-leading five wins since the start of 2022, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native also tops the category of top-two finishes with nine. Elliott most recently added to that tally last weekend with his runner-up finish at ACS.

1.5-MILERS: Elliott will make his 73rd start on a 1.5-mile track this Sunday in Las Vegas. In his previous 72 races on this track length, he’s led 982 laps. The 2020 Cup Series champion has two career victories on mile-and-a-half ovals, most recently scoring a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the spring of 2020. Along with his two wins, Elliott has collected 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 36 top-10s on 1.5-milers.

BETTIN’ ON ALAN: This weekend, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 24th race at Las Vegas from atop the pit box. In his previous 23 races at the 1.5-mile oval, Gustafson has garnered six top-five finishes, 10 top-10s and 187 laps led.

NON-TRADITIONAL WIN: Last July, Elliott and Gustafson scored a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile track that was reconfigured prior to the 2022 season. With the debut of superspeedway-style racing on the Georgia oval last year, the track is no longer considered a traditional 1.5-mile oval.

GET UP AND GO: NAPA Auto Parts, the Atlanta-based company that has been a primary partner for all eight of Elliott’s seasons at Hendrick Motorsports, will be on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend in Las Vegas. This will mark the 10th time NAPA has served as the primary sponsor of the No. 9 team at the Nevada venue. NAPA colors adorned Elliott’s Chevrolet for his best finish of second at Las Vegas in 2021. Check out the paint scheme here.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 29th

No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING: William Byron’s results in the first two races in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series don’t quite depict how strong the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has been. In the four stages run this year, he has finished no worse than 14th. In fact, he’s run 182 laps in the top 10 – ninth-best in the field – and 74 laps in the top five – the 10th-most.

1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: Byron is no stranger to success on mile-and-a-half tracks during his Cup Series career. Since the start of 2021, he has one win, one runner-up finish, four top-fives, and 10 top-10s on traditional 1.5-mile tracks. In fact, three of those top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks came in 2022. On this style of track in 2022 – not counting Atlanta Motor Speedway after its reconfiguration – Byron scored 234 points, which was the fourth-most.

TURNING THE LUCK AROUND: Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks Byron’s 11th Cup Series start at the venue. Out of those 10 previous starts, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has a track-best finish of fifth (March 2022). In the last four races at the Nevada-based track, he has one top-five finish, two top-10s, with 40 laps led and an average finish of 11.00. Byron has finished within the top 10 at the end of a stage at Las Vegas 12 times – tied for the eighth-most times among active drivers.

VIVA LAS RUDY: Returning to Las Vegas for the fifth time with the Cup Series, crew chief Rudy Fugle is confident heading to a venue that he has had success at before. In his four Cup Series showings, Fugle has one top-five finish and two top-10s, with his best finish with the No. 24 coming in the spring of 2022 (fifth). Aside from those four starts, the Livonia, New York, native has called the shots for 10 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races and one NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas. He has collected one win (March 2019) with Kyle Busch, four top-five finishes, six top-10s, three pole awards and 238 laps led. With Byron in the Truck Series in 2016, the duo qualified 10th and raced to a fifth-place finish at the 1.5-mile venue.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL INTERMEDIATE WIN: While Atlanta is no longer classified as a traditional 1.5-mile track with the use of the superspeedway package and the prevalence of drafting, Byron led 111 laps at the Georgia venue last spring. The victory marked his third win in the Cup Series.

RAPTOR® TOUGH: Continuing the trend so far this season, RAPTOR® Tough and Tintable Protective Coatings will appear on Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Las Vegas. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of items, including truck beds, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and more. With 16 pre-mixed colors available, it’s easy to personalize anything you want to protect. RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores, and online retailers. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 3rd

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center on Saturday, March 4, at 9:30 a.m. PST.

FONTANA IN THE REARVIEW: Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team took home another top-10 finish at Auto Club Speedway (ACS) last Sunday, taking the checkered flag in eighth. He started from the fourth position at the 2-mile venue after qualifying was canceled due to rain. He finished the first stage in fourth and the second stage in eighth en route to his second straight points-paying top-10 finish. The Tucson, Arizona, native is the first Hendrick Motorsports driver since Kasey Kahne (in 2017) to open the season with back-to-back top 10s.

BIG FOUR-EIGHT: Through the first two points-paying events in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Bowman is off to a red-hot start with new crew chief Blake Harris. In his two starts at Daytona International Speedway and ACS, the 29-year-old driver has garnered one top-five finish, two top-10s, 29 laps led, an average starting position of 2.50 and an average finishing position of 6.50 – his best marks through two races. Furthermore, Bowman is one of just four Cup Series drivers to finish in the top 10 in both races, with Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez and Joey Logano joining the short list.

LAS VEGAS REWIND: Last year, Bowman took home his only win of the 2022 Cup Series season in the spring race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevy started 13th and won the first stage on his way to victory lane. His win solidified his position in the 2022 playoffs. All told on 1.5-mile tracks in 2022, Bowman earned a win, two top-five finishes, four top-10s and led 123 laps.

NOTHING BUT 10’S: Bowman has 11 top-10 stage finishes at Las Vegas, which places him 10th among all time at the 1.5-mile venue. Last year, he won the first stage before scoring the victory in an overtime finish.

WON IN THREE: The 29-year-old driver is no stranger to winning quick in the Cup Series, scoring wins in the third race of the season on multiple occasions. Bowman won the third race of the 2020 season at Fontana in March and did that again at Las Vegas in March 2022. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip and teammate William Byron have also accomplished this feat of winning the third race of the season for Hendrick Motorsports.

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 Northern Nevada, which serves the local community in Las Vegas. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and the SPCA of Northern Nevada. 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 adorn the “day” scheme. Check out all the angles of the new look here.

2023	All-Time	Las Vegas
Races	2	1,311	30
Wins	0	291*	7**
Poles	1*	240*	2
Top 5	2**	1,192*	28*
Top 10	3	2,048*	49**
Laps Led	36	77,353*	1,849*
Stage Wins	0	79	6*

*Most **Most (tie)

CLOSING IN ON 300: Hendrick Motorsports is nine points-paying victories away from 300 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 291 wins, which is the most in the sport by any one team.

SIN CITY SEVEN: With wins in the last two spring races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has tallied seven wins at the 1.5-mile track. That mark is tied for the most among Cup Series teams. Jimmie Johnson leads the way with four victories, while Alex Bowman, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson each have one win.

TRIP SWEEPS: Bowman and Larson’s one-two finish in last year’s March race was the track-best third time that Hendrick Motorsports swept the top-two spots in the final running order. In Johnson’s 2005 and 2007 wins, Kyle Busch and Gordon were each the runner-up finishers, respectively.

TWO FOR THE MONEY: In last spring’s race at Las Vegas, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers placed inside the top 10. In addition to the Bowman-Larson one-two result, William Byron came in fifth and Chase Elliott was ninth. That was the second time the organization saw each of its four drivers finish in the top 10 at this track. The other occurrence came in 2014 with the team’s drivers finishing second (Dale Earnhardt Jr.), sixth (Johnson), eighth (Kasey Kahne) and ninth (Gordon).

SETTING THE STAGE: Over the past six races at the Nevada venue, drivers from the four-car team have tallied a series-best six stage wins. In that stretch, Elliott has three stage wins, Larson has two and Bowman has one.

1.5-MILE MUSCLE: The Rick Hendrick-owned organization has won at least one race on a 1.5-mile track in each of the last 29 seasons. Last season on non-drafting 1.5-mile tracks, the squad won twice with Bowman’s win at Las Vegas and Larson’s triumph at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The two wins were tied for the most on 1.5-mile tracks last year, while their 705 laps led and six stage wins were the most in the series.

WEST SUCCESS: Hendrick Motorsports’ 41 wins on the West Coast are the most in the series and 18 more than the next closest team. Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway have been their most successful tracks on that side of the country with 12 triumphs each. Las Vegas and Sonoma Raceway have seen seven victories apiece. Riverside International Raceway was responsible for three wins as well. Johnson’s 15 wins are the most among all drivers on the West Coast. Gordon (11), Larson (four), Bowman (two), Busch (two), Tim Richmond (two), Geoff Bodine (one), Earnhardt Jr. (one), Elliott (one), Terry Labonte (one) and Mark Martin (one) have all visited Victory Lane for the organization out West.

TAKING STOCK IN THE TRENDS: Of the last 13 races on the West Coast, six have resulted in victories for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson has four wins, while Bowman and Elliott have one each. On last year’s three-race western swing following the DAYTONA 500, the organization won two of the three races (Larson at ACS and Bowman at Las Vegas).

ACE IN THE HOLE: Earning their first win of the year in the third race of the season has been a good omen for the Concord, North Carolina, based team. In the five years that Hendrick Motorsports has earned its first win in race number three, the organization has won the championship all five times. Those instance were: 1996-Gordon at Richmond Raceway (Labonte won the title), 2001-Gordon at Las Vegas (he also won the title), 2007-Johnson at Las Vegas (he also won the title), 2020-Bowman at ACS (Elliott won the title) and 2021-Byron at Homestead-Miami (Larson won the title).

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on why he enjoys racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: “Vegas is a track that I like. It seems to be another one of those intermediate style tracks that suits my driving style because you can run different lanes. It has a lot of character with bumps and grip, so it’s been a place that I have enjoyed. I’ve led some laps, won a race and had a few other close shots. I look forward to going there again this weekend and hopefully getting another NASCAR Cup Series win.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on turning the page to Las Vegas: “We learned at Fontana after we had our issue. We made some adjustments to the car and learned quite a bit. Some of it can translate to Vegas (which) is a faster, higher load track. It was nice having a fast car. I obviously hate what happened in Fontana but having all that corrected and building another fast car can hopefully give us another good shot for the weekend.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to Las Vegas this weekend: “I was really proud of the effort the entire team put in last week. We know we still have some work to do, but it was good to get a top five under our belts. Hopefully, we can head to Vegas this weekend and put together a good, solid finish and keep the momentum going.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how the team can build off of its result at Auto Club Speedway: “We struggled a little on intermediate tracks last year after the introduction of this new tire. Our team worked hard during the offseason to regroup and try to make some improvements. I feel like Auto Club (Speedway) was a step in the right direction. The goal is to be able to build off of that and continue to improve as we head to Vegas this weekend. Our last visit there was a tough one for us and obviously we want to do what we can to rebound from that.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Las Vegas: “Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) is a track that has a lot of character but it’s fast and really smooth compared to other mile-and-a-half tracks or even Auto Club (Speedway) last weekend. With it being so smooth, you really have to run and utilize all the lanes to be good. You can’t just stick to one lane all race long. The track changes a lot with rubber build up, so you have to keep up with that to not get behind early in the race. We’ve always seemed to run well there and I feel like we’re in a good position to do that again this weekend.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the tire strategy for this weekend: “We don’t have a ton of tires this weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) to just throw at the car every time there’s a caution. We’ll only have eight sets of sticker tires for Sunday. That gives you two to three extra sets to play around with really. You can make a decision at some point when you have six to seven laps on your tires where you could pit and then if there’s a long run after that, it’s going to pay off. If it’s a short run, you won’t re-pass all those who stayed out. I think that’s what you’re going to see a lot of at the stages. You can also look at taking two or four tires. Last year’s race was won on two tires and if you get the right scenario, that’s at play.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on reflecting on his win last year at Las Vegas: “It is an exciting time for the No. 48 Ally Racing team right now. We have had a lot of fast race cars. Running up front and finishing in the top-10 at Daytona (International Speedway) and Fontana gives us a lot of momentum to carry to Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) this weekend. Obviously, winning there last year is a great starting point for how we need to approach this race, but we are also looking at where we struggled and how we can strengthen those areas. I am looking forward to getting back out there and going for another win.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he is using the No. 48 team’s 2022 win to prepare for Sunday: “With the win at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) last year and Alex (Bowman) not running the fall race, we are using all the notes from the spring race and our teammates notes from the fall race to prepare for this weekend. I think with our run at Auto Club Speedway and having top-five speed, I feel like what he had there is more applicable than last year’s notes. The run of intermediates at the beginning of the year is always tough when you leave straight from Daytona (International Speedway) and head to the West Coast. There is a lot of prep on the team, so to come out of the box with some speed last week will hopefully carry over to Las Vegas. Statistically, Las Vegas is one of Alex’s best tracks and he runs up front there a lot. I’m really looking forward to having a practice and qualifying session this week to start stepping through that normal process and see if we can get this thing tuned in for Alex on Sunday.”

CONCORD, N.C. (March 1, 2023) – Spire Motorsports is pleased to announce that Bluegreen Vacations, the Official Vacation Ownership Partner of NASCAR®, will serve as the primary sponsor of Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Corey LaJoie in the April 2 NASCAR® Cup Series (NCS) Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway.

The 2023 season marks LaJoie’s fourth year collaborating with Bluegreen Vacations and the vacation company’s first as a primary partner with Spire Motorsports.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Spire Motorsports as sponsor of Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet during the NASCAR® Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway,” said Ray Lopez Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Bluegreen Vacations. “At Bluegreen, our mission is to help our owners enjoy memorable vacation experiences. This event will put our owners right in the middle of the action, providing them with what we hope will be an unforgettable experience.”

The Concord, N.C., veteran racer has logged 10 total Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway and calls a 21st-place finish a career best at the legendary three-quarter mile oval. He is currently 13th in the NCS points standings and has earned 16th and 14th-place finishes, respectively to open the 2023 season.

“I really appreciate Bluegreen’s support over the past four years,” said LaJoie. “My entire family enjoys staying at Bluegreen Resorts around the country. Aside from that, Bluegreen’s commitment to NASCAR® continues to expand year after year, so it’s exciting to see that growth and race the Bluegreen Vacations Chevy Camaro at Richmond Raceway.”

The Toyota Owners 400 from Richmond Raceway will be televised live on FS1 Sunday, April 2 beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The seventh of 36 points races on 2023 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a full-time, two-car NASCAR® Cup Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2023, Spire Motorsports will field the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for driver Corey LaJoie and No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Ty Dillon. The team also fields a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team in select events.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway.

About Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation …
Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation (NYSE: BVH; OTCQX: BVHBB) is a leading vacation ownership company that markets and sells vacation ownership interests and manages resorts in popular leisure and urban destinations. The Bluegreen Vacation Club is a flexible, points-based, deeded vacation ownership plan with 70 Club and Club Associate Resorts and access to nearly 11,300 other hotels and resorts through partnerships and exchange networks. The Company also offers a portfolio of comprehensive, fee-based resort management, financial, and sales and marketing services to, or on behalf of, third parties.