Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH (February 15, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to media prior to the Daytona 500 on Wednesday:

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Did the win at the Clash give your team more motivation coming into this weekend?

“Yeah, I mean I think it all started the day we left Phoenix. Just the motivation and determination to try to fix all our issues and make sure we don’t make more mistakes this year. We’ll see, but so far so good, right. I think it was just good for confidence, good for momentum. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team so fired up to get to the race track as my guys have been. I think that’s a good thing and hopefully we can just keep that momentum going.”

Having won at Fontana, does it make it bittersweet that the track might be going away?

“It does, I love the race track, it’s one of my favorites and I’m not one to pick favorites. I’m going to miss it and hopefully we have a good last showing out there, it’s been good for us.”

With the challenges of the new car on the short tracks, do we need another short track on the schedule?

“I think we need a lot of short tracks, but we have to fix the car. I think there’s been work done in that area. We’ll see how it turns out, but we have to have short tracks. They’re part of the sport that we all started doing. We have to figure out how to make the short tracks good again and hopefully the changes will do that.”

What are you able to learn from your past experience here and finishing second before to go after the win this year?

“Just experience and understand those situations and maybe make the right decision or do things a little bit differently, but I don’t really think too much about the past when we talk about racing other than recently or something I can take something from that could help. But just that we were second, okay, whatever. That was a while ago.”

Do you have a general idea with 10 laps to go in this race on where you want to go or where you want to be on the track?

“It’s so circumstantial based on where you are in the field and who’s around you and you know how your car’s driving. There’s a lot going on, you’re just trying to make the best decisions you can for yourself at all times. And that can be different depending on a lot of things. Do you have damage? Something as simple as that. Can you even make a move? Who’s with you? So many things to think about in those situations.”

Do you think about things ratcheting up at the end of the race?

“You can tell when it’s coming usually, sometimes you can’t, but usually you know things are pretty wild. A lot of times if you think something is going to happen and you get out of the gas or you try to drop back and it doesn’t happen, then you’ve just put yourself behind. It’s so hard to make those decisions at the right time. Like you can say you’re going to bail out and go to the back for a while, but it’s so hard to get through the field with this car. You can’t just go to the back and ride for a while and wait until the last stage and go to the front because then they could just crash because they all want to go to the front at the same time. You just never know. You never know what’s going to happen or when it’s going to happen. I just think the safest spot is always to try to stay near the front.”

Is it a huge relief to get the monkey off your back to get the win in the Clash?

“Yeah, absolutely. I think points or whatever, it’s a big deal. Winning in the Cup Series is a big deal. It’s a big win. Going winless last year and then to be able to go out and do that, it’s huge for us, it’s huge for me. I feel so good about our team and what we’re doing and what we can do. We showed that last year at times, but not consistent enough and then we did have some heartbreakers that were disappointing. Hopefully this year we’ll have a little better luck and we’ll be able to take care of a lot more things ourselves.”

Have you put thought into your retirement if you were to win races this season or win the championship?

“No idea. Literally no idea, I’m not even lying. I’m going to make that decision when the time comes and until then I’m going to go out and try to win a bunch of races. If that’s the case and it’s happening then I’ll probably be back. Pretty simple really.”

How difficult was last season on you?

“It was tough, we never gave up. We worked hard and had a lot of headwinds, a lot of things working against us. At the end of the day, we didn’t win and we need to win so missing the Playoffs by three points and just all these things that happened. We were just right there. We could have turned the season around by just one of those things going right. We were fourth in points at the end of the regular season and we didn’t make the Playoffs. It’s crazy to think about it. That’s the way the season played out and we had to have one of the little things turn our way and they never did. This year we’re just going to work hard. I’ve never seen a team more determined. We’re fired up for the year and going out and winning the Clash showed us that we’re doing the right stuff and we’re going to be fine.”

Is there an advantage or disadvantage to not having practice for this race?

“These days, not really. It’s so sophisticated and there’s so much technology in the background. All the big teams are prepared as well as each other and it’s just a matter of what have we got. What have we got when we get on the track tonight qualifying and then really the Duels tomorrow are the ones I look forward to. Get to see how your car’s driving and what you need to work on to be prepared for Sunday. That’s always a fun race.”

Do you feel it will be more aggressive on track this season because people know the cars better?

“I don’t know on the aggression side, but I think if you look at certain races like if you look at the Duels tomorrow night, they have the potential to me more aggressive because there’s more guys trying to race their way in than normal. If these cars, if everybody’s cars are closer on speed this year and the pack stays bigger then there’s going to be more chance of crashes and more aggression or looking like aggression. If the pack’s smaller, everyone’s aggressive, but you can’t get close so the pack kind of dictates that. That’s going to be a big thing tomorrow night to see how it plays out, but if the pack stays tight and large and grouped together, then it’s going to look more aggressive because you can make those moves and get to each other’s bumpers and push and things like that. Just totally depends on the race tracks , but I don’t think people say that they know the cars now so they’re going to be more aggressive. There’s probably more comfort level with guys now and that just leads to guys getting more out of the car not being more aggressive.”

What does it mean to have an action sports athlete and an IndyCar driver trying to make the Daytona 500?

“Yeah, it’s great to have him (Travis Pastrana) here. He’s done so many things and he’s so popular. He’s done so many different things and for him to have interest in doing what we do is really, really cool. For all of us, it’s neat to have him here and I hope he has a good weekend.”

How do you manage the fact that there are less Toyotas than other manufacturers in the field when it comes to draft packs?

“It’s kind of hard to manage and things that can happen that you can’t really control. If you’re around each other, you try to help each other and you try to work together. I think this car has changed that slightly. Two years ago, we were talking about the last gen car, you would get a line of Fords, a line of Chevys and a line of Toyotas and we would all try to pit together to get separated and then try to make our group go to the front. You really can’t do that now with this car. You can’t afford to give up track position so everybody just seems to get mixed up and you end up working with whoever you’re around to make your line go forward. Then when it comes down to the end, you just hope you’re around somebody that’s going to be loyal. Usually that’s teammates, but if they’re not around there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re at the mercy of the circumstances and what goes on and you try to make the best decisions from there.”

Have you felt the effects of Kyle Busch leaving Joe Gibbs Racing?

“I think it’s too early to tell. It’s one race. We’ll see how it plays out.”

How were you able to score so many points on superspeedways last season and were you surprised by that?

“No, I honestly felt like this car for me on superspeedways felt more comfortable and I guess the way I like to do things, it fit my style better. I guess more ’04, ’05, ’06 era with those cars being straight up and not so bad on the side draft. Then we had a little bit of luck too. Also our cars were really fast on speedways lasty year so it takes all those things to come together.”

Does it feel likely for this race to go into overtime?

“I think when you get down to the end and everybody just holds it wide open and just throws caution to the wind and makes holes that aren’t there and push too hard, cut people off, block and just all the things that cause wrecks all happen at the end because people have to do that to try to stay up front or get there. There’s a damn good chance it happens again.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 20 electrified options, with more in showrooms later this year.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH (February 15, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to media prior to the Daytona 500 this Wednesday:

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt – Rheem Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

So, no practice, how do you approach tonight?

“It’s not really going to affect I would say the regulars very much. Looking to the right, I think (Travis) Pastrana is in for a treat and just really the guys who don’t have experience on this track or in these cars. That is going to be the guys who it affects the most.”

How are the qualifying races going to be affected?

“That is going to be affected a little bit more by not having practice, because typically you would get in the draft and know what your car has before you get in the race, but that is okay. The Duels is the best practice that you can get over the course of the weekend. It is going to be a very valuable test session. If you are good in the Duels, I don’t foresee you doing very much practice between the Duels and the 500, but if you struggle there is practices in between to try to work on your car to get it better.”

How important is it to help Travis Pastrana if you are in his Duel race tomorrow?

“It’s going to be very important. He’s going to be a very valuable asset to us if we can get him into the 500, so that is going to be a very important goal.”

Is that something you have talked about?

“We will tomorrow. We have a meeting scheduled.”

How much more confident are you and how different do you feel coming into Daytona after your season last year?
“I don’t really feel a ton different, but I am excited about building off of last year. Daytona is just its own animal, and I don’t really think that anything that happened last year will have an effect on what will happen at the Daytona 500, so just trying to finish one of these races. I haven’t been able to do that yet, so hopefully this is the year.”

Is driver momentum carrying in from one season to the next a real thing?

“I think so. Driver confidence is for sure. There are so many changes throughout the offseason with body design and manufacturers changing their cars, so nobody really knows what we have until we get on the track, and Daytona being a speedway is not really indicative of what we are going to see for the rest of the season. The 500 is the granddaddy of them all, and I’m excited. It’s been a while since I’ve been this excited to go racing.”

What would make this year a successful year?

“Really the goal stays the same every year – try and win races and make it to the final four. We checked off that box last year and hopefully we can do it again, but it’s a very tall order and really it starts in the regular season – trying to get more Playoff points, which comes from stage wins, race wins. If we can do that in the regular season, it should make our Playoffs a lot easier. That’s our goal.”

Where do you feel like you are at as a Cup driver?
“That was my goal, whenever you start in the sport – you want to be known as a driver that can win every week, so that is something that I’ve focused on every week – I don’t want to have a weakness. I want my team, myself, you and everybody else to know that I could win every single race, regardless of where we are at. Unfortunately, the places that I do struggle at are here, Talladega and Atlanta – the superspeedway style tracks. That’s definitely a place that we are going to put some emphasis on to try to do better than we’ve done in the past.”

Is there a worry that you won’t be able to continue to work on your racing craft with not as much dirt racing on your schedule?
“I hear you. I do believe that racing as much as you can, makes you better, but I haven’t done a lot of dirt racing in the last 12 months. It is not really anything new for right now. I’m enjoying focusing on my Cup stuff right now, and so hopefully, I can continue to win races and hopefully do some Truck or Xfinity races, who knows.”

With your schedule less full, what are you doing to fill your schedule?

“I would love to get to do more Truck and Xfinity races. Whenever I moved up to Cup in 2020, I told people that I wanted to do more racing if I can. I would love to do it – if there are opportunities out there.”

Where is your confidence as you head into the season?

“My confidence is high. You never really know until you get into the car. Here at Daytona it is different too, so once we get unloaded in California and in that first practice session you will find out where you stack up in the beginning of the year. Expectations are more of the same – I was talking a little bit earlier about getting stage points, getting Playoff points in the regular season and I think that is going to be the next step in my career to help me perform better in the Playoffs especially, to get those points. Chase Elliott had a pretty easy ride to the Final 4 last year, and that starts by winning stages and races in the regular season.”

Has there been any significant change in the dynamic at Joe Gibbs Racing?

“It is hard to say because we haven’t really gotten into the weeds in our weekly meetings and stuff like that, but I’m sure there is going to be a huge change. Kyle’s (Busch) feedback and attention to detail and constructive criticism was incredible, and probably unmatched in the series, so losing that is not ideal, but we are getting another young face in there that is going to provide another element to our debriefs. I’m excited to see what Ty (Gibbs) can bring.”

How much would having another Toyota help you on Sunday?

“I think it is always positive to have more cars at speedway races. I think all of us Toyotas are going to be focused on trying to get him into the 500.”

Has your career progression gone as you expected?

“I think the pandemic really hindered my timeline of getting up to speed in the Cup Series. Myself and others, Cole (Custer), (Tyler) Reddick, you can throw John Hunter (Nemechek) in there – all of those rookies in 2020 got dealt a bad hand. I could have been in that position a couple of years ago, if everything would have been a little more normal.”

How does one get through a season like that?
“I don’t know. You just have to fight through it. You have to take the positives out of it. Looking back at 2020, specifically, 2020 and 2021 was just a snowballing effect of good runs lead to good runs and bad runs lead to bad runs, because of the way the lineup was and how pit selection was, and in our organization, pit crew selection and pit crew assignment to your team and stuff like that. In 2020, it was a snowballing effect that just kept going downhill. In 2021, I finished 12th in points and was just kind of another guy out there, but I felt like if we would have had practice for me and Adam (Stevens) to communicate and get to where we are today, sooner. We could have done a lot better in 2021 too, but just taking the positives. I remember me and (Jason) Ratcliff debriefing about Richmond and I think at that Richmond race I ran like 15th or something in 2020. We were discouraged about it because we ran well in Xfinity and he’s looking at lap times over a course of a green flag run, and we were as fast as the leaders, we just started in the back, and we had pit crew issues that race and never got the opportunity to run up front. That was a positive I took out of that, and said hey, if I would have started up front or my pit crew would have gotten me up front, we would have been okay.”

How do you approach the last laps of the Daytona 500?

“It’s unbelievable. Anyone that has not driven in a Cup Series superspeedway race, I don’t feel like they understand the difference between lap one, even lap 150 to lap 200. The light switch goes off and the intensity just skyrockets, and guys just start pushing and shoving, where you are not supposed to be pushing and shoving. The thing I hate about superspeedway racing is you never feel like you are in control in those moments when you are getting pushed around. It changes dramatically in those last couple of laps.”

Do you have a spot that you want to be in those final laps?
“Ultimately, you don’t want another manufacturer behind you because you are going to be left out to dry, but even if it is a teammate, you are not going to just push you to the end. The best thing you can hope for in the end is to have a shot – everyone asks the magic question – would you like to be leading or second going into the last lap? Well both of them are going to have a shot to win, so either one of them is not too bad. You just want to have an opportunity to take the checkered flag and you have to be in the top x rows to be able to do that.”

How do you learn from those experiences?
“I will be honest; I haven’t seen a ton of last laps on the superspeedway races. I would just love to see the checkered flag on Sunday. I’m 0-for-3 on finishing the Daytona 500 in my Cup career. We’ve got to change that this year.”

Have you talked to Denny Hamlin?

“It’s unbelievable. I have studied Denny (Hamlin) and studied Denny. I’m pretty sure last year, both Daytona races, I’m like the 11 car somehow finds its way to the end and I wrecked both Daytona races and I’m pretty sure I was around the 11 car both times. I said I’m going to do what Denny does, because he has won it three times. If I remember right, it was a couple of the speedway races last season – it might have been the two Daytonas, or a Talladega. Denny has a knack for it – he’s won it three times. Guys that get good at speedway racing, somehow, someway are able to duplicate it.”

What have you looked at, so you are more prepared for this year’s Playoffs?
“The Phoenix race, I don’t look at it. We were in position to win the championship and the yellow flag came out and we had a mishap on pit road. I’m kind of throwing that one out of the window. We know we need to do a better job at Phoenix, but in the end, we put ourselves in position. The biggest thing is the regular season. We need to accumulate more Playoff points and the only way to do that is by winning stages and winning races. That’s our big focus – executing the regular season better to make our Playoff run easier.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 20 electrified options, with more in showrooms later this year.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 15, 2023

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:

Talk about re-signing with Hendrick Motorsports.

“It means a lot obviously to have Mr. Hendrick and Ally have that much faith in me for that long is really special, so glad it’s signed and done before the season started and we can get that out of the way and just focus on going and winning races. The constant questions about it every week definitely are not my favorite thing, so glad to have it done and over with and excited for what the future holds.”

When you were injured last year, did you have any concerns on what’s going to happen next in your career?

“Absolutely. You go through days when you feel like I did you just want to be able to live your life normally let alone driving a race car for a living. Wasn’t a lot of fun; was a lot of hard work to come back but glad I’m feeling good now and ready to go.”

Did anything at the Clash bother you at all?

“Nothing bothered me as far as my concussion went but definitely those stack-ups like you may as well be crashing and hitting walls just how stiff the cars are on those small impacts. I don’t know what the answer is there.”

Were you disappointed that here you were first race and it wasn’t any more improved?

“It’s hard to say; that’s such a unique environment the way we run into each other there and the way everybody stacks up it’s tough. Yeah, you’d like it to be better. If you took the old cars there, I don’t think half the guys who finished would have finished. It’s just different and part of adapting to this race car.”

Is it more controlled here? The nature is to push each other, but is it more controlled than the Clash?

“You certainly don’t have the stack-ups and those impacts as hard as you did at the Clash, so definitely different and hopefully it’s better here.”

What do you have to do to finish?

“If I knew the answer to that questions we would have finished already so I’m going to do my best to make it happen and hopefully we can. It’s been tough. We’ve had a lot of really fast race cars down here and hopefully we can put ourselves in a better position to finish the job on Sunday. Some guys have been able to figure out how to be really good at speedway racing and consistently be there at the end, so obviously there is something to it. Just have to figure that out on my end as well.”

How nice is it to have Ally along for another few years?

“It’s really cool. For Ally to have that much faith in us to sign back up for that long is really cool. Excited. Just have to go win some races now.”

Will there be any extra bragging rights if you qualify or finish ahead of Jimmie in his old number?

“No, I don’t think so. It’s just the same deal, racing everybody. It’s really cool to see Jimmie come back but just focus on our deal.”

Talk about this season and being ready to get behind the wheel.

“I’m excited, ready to go. Have done enough media days already so ready to get behind the wheel of a race car and do my real job.”

Does it seem strange to not have practice before pole qualifying?

“I think the hardest part for me is going to be getting the launch right. You definitely don’t have an idea of what you actually have before qualifying, but I think it will be fine. It’s the same for everybody, so I don’t think it’s an advantage or disadvantage.”

What if you were one of these six non-charter teams trying to get in?

“Obviously, it’s stressful. I came down here not locked in twice and it’s really stressful to be part of that, but it’s the same for everybody. We just have to go do our job.”

How much pride do you take in your five front-row starts here?

“It’s really cool. I’m not a huge part of that, I just have gotten to drive some really fast race cars down here. It’s cool to be part of that and have my name attached to that and we’ll make it six tonight.”

What does it take to change your luck on Sunday?

“A lot of times I feel like we just put ourselves in bad positions. Hopefully we can do a better job of staying out of the mess and make it to the end for once.”

Do we need another short track?

“It depends on how the short track package is. Our intermediate racing is the best racing we have right now, so why take one away?”

What does your extension do for Hendrick Motorsports as a whole?

“We obviously have a really good group between the four of us. We all bring something different to the table and I feel like having that and building on that for the foreseeable future is really cool. It’s a great group and I think it’s a positive thing.”

What has been your relationship been like with Kyle (Larson) especially since he’s been in house for three years?

“It’s been fun to get to learn with him. Obviously, I’ve leaned a lot of him with the sprint car and the midget stuff, so just trying to do the best job I can there and learn quickly. Also, just being friends with him; we’ve traveled a lot to different places. It’s been really neat.”

What does NASCAR’s 75th anniversary mean to you?

“It’s just cool to be a small part of it. Obviously, so many great moments, great drivers, great history of the sport. It’s just really cool to be a small part of it. My common answer for favorite moment has been the Terry Labonte-Dale Earnhardt stuff at Bristol.”

How do you view racing in the Daytona 500?

“Speedway racing is tough. I think a lot of the time the guy that causes the crash doesn’t end up in the crash, which is kind of interesting. So you’re almost better off to be that guy than not be. It’s hard to make it to the end. I haven’t figured out how to do it yet. I’ve been caught up in a lot of crashes. The magnitude of the event is really huge. It’s cool to be a part of it and hopefully we can end up toward the front.”

What would a win mean to you?

“It would mean a ton. Obviously, it’s the Super Bowl of our sport so we’re going to do all we can to make it happen.”

Is there a priority at Hendrick Motorsports to get a spectacle win like this?

“For sure. I think it’s been a long time since we’ve won a 500 so just trying to get that trophy back at Hendrick Motorsports means a lot.”

The team had to most wins last season. How do you keep that up in ’23?

“The biggest thing is everything is developing and changing pretty constantly, so just trying to stay ahead of the curve on that. A lot of things are changing going forward so just trying to learn quicker than the next guys. Can’t take what you took the last time at a racetrack and think you’re going to be competitive. It’s changing pretty rapidly.”

What has the process been working through those changes from last year to this year with a new crew chief as well?

“It’s been really cool working with Blake (Harris). It’s been fun to see a new perspective and I’m looking forward to this year.”

Is it easy to get a negative mindset about this race when you don’t win it?

“I don’t think I really have a negative mindset. It’s just a tough race to make it to the end of, so just trying to figure out how to make that happen is the hardest thing for me and it’s not really black or white. It’s trying to figure out what works for you, what areas of the race to push in, it’s really subjective to how you feel on the ebbs and flows of the race. Trying to figure it out better than the next guy.”

How is it working with Blake, meshing with each other’s styles?

“Working with Blake has been really cool. He’s all-in on everything. Excited to get kind of normal races going and see how it goes. Just getting communication rolling has been important to us. It was good to get reps in (at the Clash). Obviously, that’s a unique event but to have it go well and the communication be going well was really important. We made the right adjustments at the halfway break and we were really strong for the second half of the race. Having that communication lead to the right adjustments was good and a good confidence-builder going forward.”

Is there any one race besides Daytona that you have your finger pointed at?

“Phoenix. I’m really excited for Phoenix. It means a lot to me and hopefully we can go have a good run there.”

What are you looking for in the Daytona 500 when you’re getting down to those final laps?

“It’s tough. I haven’t made it to the final laps clean. I’ve typically been in a crash. I feel like the big one can happen at any point. Just trying to put ourselves in position to have a chance at winning. It definitely gets pretty intense and we’re typically caught up in it, so hopefully we can avoid it this year.”

 
 
 

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 15, 2023

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: I feel like it’s been solid over the years. I feel like there’s been a lot of mutual respect. Our disagreement there at Bristol is probably always going to stand out. But it goes much deeper than that.

Kevin has been a great ally of mine early in my career, I’ve referenced that, the questions here lately. I’m very appreciative of that, him being able to lend a hand there early in my career. I appreciate his time and willingness to help me learn and help get me and steer me in a good direction going into some of those tracks for the first time in my rookie year of Xfinity.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, no, first off I think it’s great. I think Alex deserves it. Alex is a really good dude. He’s worked really hard to be where he’s at. He does a good job. He brings a lot to the table behind the scenes that you guys will never see. I know me personally being a teammate of his, I appreciate his efforts, his willingness to help or talk about whatever it may be.

Yeah, I’m super glad to have him. Look forward to these coming years together.

Q. How did you feel last week at the Clash, any contact you took from behind?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I didn’t think it was a ton different, to be candid. So we’ll have to see.

Q. Now here at a track where by nature you push each other, any concerns?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, the speedways, they were pretty violent last year, too. Yeah, last week was probably more. I felt like those hits that were going on last week were more aggressive than a standard push here. I would say from a pushing aspect, last week was worse than what you’ll have here.

Q. Was last week embarrassing for NASCAR drivers?

CHASE ELLIOTT: You really want to get me in trouble, don’t you (laughter)?

Q. I don’t. Just want you to tell us more.

CHASE ELLIOTT: I don’t think it was the greatest show. I’ll say that. I don’t think it was the greatest show. I thought last year’s show was better. I thought the racing was better last year.

It seemed like going out there this year, everybody kind of knew how robust the bumpers are on these things, and we didn’t know that going into the race last year, so people were just really aggressive with moving people out of the way. If I didn’t get a good run out of corner exit, I’m going to drive in there, drive into you. That was just how the race went.

It was like a Legend car race, the problem is these cars are really big and really heavy, it makes it difficult.

The unknown of whether or not you were going to hurt your car last year is what kept it tame. This year that was out the window. It turned into not as good of a showing, in my opinion.

Q. With that comfort now, do you feel that’s something you have to think about going forward?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, maybe. I think it depends on the track that you’re at. There’s certainly places that will apply to more than others. Maybe Martinsville. Nothing like the Clash at the Coliseum, just how short that track is, how tight the turns are. Nothing will be that extreme, I don’t think.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: I think just trying to continue to push in the areas that we feel like we need to be better in, right? Then also trying to improve the areas that we did excel in last year.

You’re always pushing trying to be better. Things are going to change through the off-season. You always have to assume when you’re going into a new year that all your competitors are going to be better, the other manufacturers are going to improve. Body resubmissions over the winter from all three manufacturers, I believe, if I’m not mistaken. That’s going to bring everyone even closer together yet.

Just put some more emphasis on the area that has the biggest variable. To me the biggest variable is what happens on pit road throughout an event. It makes your weekend be even more important when you go to qualify because if your pit stops matter more, then so does your pit stall. If your pit stall matters, then your qualifying effort matters more.

All those things start to add up, you start putting emphasis more and more on the smaller details, the things such as qualifying, such as pit stops, such as restarts and things like that.

Q. Will we see 19 winners again? Seems to be a consensus we won’t. How do you feel about that?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I doubt it. I doubt it.

Q. Why?

CHASE ELLIOTT: That’s just my opinion. I doubt it. I mean, you might. You might. I don’t see it.

Q. Do you feel like the legitimate championship field is a lot wider?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I would say so. I mean, I think potentially a little bit. But I also think that the really good teams and the really good drivers are always going to rise to the occasion regardless of the configuration or the car or this or that.

Yeah, I mean, I would say it’s probably a little wider than it once was. But any time you come into a new season, at least me personally, I have a really hard time guessing. Like, if I looked at y’all and I was, We’re going to be awesome this year, or, We’re going to struggle really bad, I honestly don’t know. Things change over the winter. You have body resubmissions, little rule tweaks here and there. Things just change.

Until you get on the track and until you get that firsthand grade as to where you stack up, I think it’s really hard to tell kind of where you’re going to be from just a couple months being away from the track.

Q. When you talk about changes, when you look at the changes they’ve made in the rear clip, how do you feel about those changes?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I think they’re going in the right direction. They’re thinking about the things that they need to be thinking about.

We just have to see. Until some of those impacts that were causing issues last year, they happen again, with success, I don’t know. I think everyone’s probably in the same boat.

But I do feel good about just the conversations that were had over the winter. The changes, I’m no scientist, right, but logically thinking about things, it seems like they’re going the right direction.

I hope that’s the case. So we’ll find out.

Q. The way they opened up the front of the cars, the rubber not catching on fire.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Not catching on fire. We definitely don’t want to be catching on fire (smiling). We don’t want to be catching on fire and we don’t want guys to be out with concussions over impacts that would have not been out with concussions with the same hit in years past, right?

No reason for either one of those things. Two things we had not been experiencing for many, many years in the sport, we shouldn’t be experiencing them now. Let’s hope all those things are fixed.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, honestly until we get in that scenario and see, I don’t want to give you a false answer. I really just don’t know until I kind of experience it a little bit.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, we’ve had a couple good opportunities at it. We’ve had some really fast cars down here, too. I’ve done a good job of messing some of those up, as well (smiling).

Yeah, just hope we can be around there at the end of the race. We were around at the end of the race last year, but at the tail end of that pack that was still rolling.

One thing that I am proud of about last year is I thought we had one of our better plate races at Talladega last fall just from a decision-making standpoint, our car had pace, we were able to do a lot of the things we’ve been striving to do at plate races in the past.

I know we’re not at Talladega obviously, and things can be different. I hope that some of those things are able to translate and we can put ourselves in a similar position as what we were able to do at that race. If we can do that, then I think our chances of having a good day are higher.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: A little bit. Little bit. But they’re different.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: A little. A little. But those two are just such different animals.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, believe it or not, it is.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Kind of hard to know what to expect. I’m not sure what to think about that.

Yeah, Jake and Stevie came to me about running the race. I’ve gotten to know them a little bit over the last couple years. Really that was it. They asked. I appreciated them asking, thinking about me, being willing and wanting me to help with him.

He turns 18 next week. I hate it for him because he’s in a position where that’s unfortunate, right? You’re just a few days away from your 18th birthday and you can’t run the first race of the year.

Yeah, it was really just because they asked. They’re a good family. Enjoy being around them.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I don’t know that it matters a whole lot.

Q. What is going to constitute a good year for you this year?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Winning the championship.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, to me, Corey stands out because I don’t feel like he’s gotten a really good opportunity yet because he was one of those guys that was very, very good and successful. He was fun to race around. Always felt he was extremely talented.

I’m sure there’s someone else I’m missing, out of left field a little bit. Corey does come to mind in my opinion because I think if he had a really good opportunity, I think he would do somebody a really good job.

He’s got a good opportunity now, not a great one, but he’s got a good one. I’m not knocking them there at all. Please don’t take me the wrong way on that. I think they’re in a position where they can grow.

Him being and having a hand in that would make it even sweeter to go and to build a program and have a lot of success because he helped them do it.

Q. He had a chance at Atlanta last year.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah.

Q. People might be surprised when you say that. What were some things that you saw that maybe the fans haven’t had as much of an opportunity to see, he hasn’t had as many of those opportunities? What was that Corey LaJoie like?

CHASE ELLIOTT: The guys you referenced were really the ones who I raced against in the K&N deal there for a year or two. I didn’t race against really any of that crowd much, aside from those couple years in K&N.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: He ran really well.

The first year I think that I did it, he hadn’t been doing it very long either. They were struggling really bad that first year, too. I always had a lot of respect and admiration because they did all their work on their own, and he was very hands-on with a lot of that, so I respect that.

But they went to work over the winter and they came back swinging the next year. He was really good from there on out. I just always thought that was cool, that he and I were both running terrible, they were able to go to work and put themselves in position to be one of the best cars the next season.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, no, it definitely does. We have a great group of guys. They have been around long enough to know how to have success in really tough situations. That’s the piece of the puzzle that I think really is important.

We know each other really well, too. All those things matter and they help. We’ve grown a lot together. We’ve experienced a lot together. I think they have a really good opportunity to have a great year again. I think that they will.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: That’s a long time. Long time being around. But for me personally, I haven’t been around for the majority of those, right? I grew up around the sport. This sport really has been about all I’ve known for the majority of my life.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for NASCAR, what it has meant to my family and the opportunities it’s brought that I have seen firsthand. That’s what comes to mind for me personally.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: I’ve been there, yep.

Q. What did you think about that place? Much in there to check out?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I would imagine it changed a lot since 1948 to when I saw it.

Q. You talk about the little things. The cars being equal, wouldn’t the driver be a major component of the little things?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah.

Q. How do you view the driver component of this now?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, the driver’s always going to be an important aspect of the race, right? The driver is a huge variable. I think it’s always mattered personally. You still have to have a horse to ride.

Q. Have you run the road course there?

CHASE ELLIOTT: No, I’ve not.

Q. 75 years in NASCAR, what does that mean to you being a family that has so much gravitas in this sport?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, for me, I haven’t experienced the majority of those years firsthand. This is my eighth year here in Cup. There’s been about 10 of ’em that I guess I have been a part of personally. The majority of the rest of my life I was around it just from going to the racetrack with dad as a kid and things.

There’s obviously a large chunk of those 75 years I didn’t experience or didn’t see or didn’t witness firsthand. It’s hard for me to speak on that.

I think the piece of the puzzle I can speak on is just what the sport and the opportunities the sport has allowed for my family, and the things that I know we’re extremely grateful for. That’s because the sport is what it is, right? My dad had a good career. I was able to grow up and watch some of the tail end of that. The sport’s been good to me thus far.

I’m appreciative of the opportunities and things it has supplied for my family and the things we’ve been able to do because of it.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: He hopes he makes it to a hundred?

Q. I don’t think behind the wheel.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Heck, I don’t know. He owns a team now, right?

Q. That’s right.

CHASE ELLIOTT: He can do whatever he wants, whether he wants to drive or hang around. I’d say that’s up to him.

Q. If you get shuffled to the back of the pack, how long do you need to get back up front?

CHASE ELLIOTT: If you’re Ryan, less than the rest of us. He’s really good at it. That dude could have probably won about every plate race for the last three years if things had gone just a little differently.

More time than him. I don’t know how much time, but more than him.

Q. Tougher with the Next Gen?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Sure seems to be. Sure seemed to be last year in some of those events. Track position was really, really vital.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Time-wise? Like TV slot time-wise?

Q. A TV window works.

CHASE ELLIOTT: I think two and a half hours, somewhere in there, will probably be a really good length. I think the Xfinity races are a really solid link for attention span of, like, outsiders that I watch races with. I feel like that’s a good length of time.

Yeah, I would say two, no more than two and a half. But two, two and a half, somewhere in there.

Q. You’re not losing your buddies when you’re watching Xfinity races?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Or F1 races. I think they’re about hour and a half, two hours, somewhere in there. I think that’s a good time frame. What do you think?

Q. As long as there’s a post-race show, too.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, that’s true. I agree with that. So you’re including that in the time?

Q. Two and a half hours, two-hour race.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I like that. I like that. I would say two and a half total. So you have 20 minutes or so before the race to kind of lead things up, maybe talk a little bit, then get going the race, then a good post-race show. I agree.

Q. If they get rid of California, will you miss having the two-mile racy track?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, no, I enjoy going out there. It’s a cool place. Kind of odd because you don’t see it a lot. You only see it once in a year, you see it early in the year, you kind of forget about it till you go back the next year.

That whole deal has been really weird. Does someone want to explain it to me? We’ve been hearing for like, what, three years now, they were going to tear it down, then they decided we’re going to go one more year. Here we are. It’s kind of odd. I feel like most of the time they have a pretty good plan on what they’re going to do with some of that stuff. Kind of weird.

Q. Do you need another sports track before we fit the short track package with this car?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I think it takes longer. I shouldn’t say that.

I think short-track racing is good. It’s a good environment to watch races for the fans. I think that’s fine. I’m good with that.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: That would be good.

Q. Are you optimistic there’s going to be a fix along those lines?

CHASE ELLIOTT: When we fix it, I’ll be happy (smiling).

Q. Wait and see?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah.

Q. Do you feel more comfortable with the Coliseum event? I kept waiting for you to be a factor.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Was never a factor, was I? Crazy (laughter).

Yeah, we weren’t very good at all, then we got in that wreck there early on. Feel like we were better in the race. I mean, Martin was really good. He and Denny I thought were the class of the field by far. Even on Saturday I felt they were the standouts. We weren’t very good at all. Qualified bad. We were better in the race. Then got in that wreck with Ryan. I forget, Daniel maybe.

It hurt our car pretty good after that. We were just trying to get to the end.

Q. You and Dale watching your dads, studying your dads, coming down here. Every year your life pretty much. You have to pick up stuff in your head whether you realize it or not. You look at the guys who haven’t won this race, five of you are champions among the active drivers. Still kind of surprised that that one is still out there for you to grab?

CHASE ELLIOTT: There’s a lot of great drivers that have had great careers in the sport that have not won this race, right? You look at Tony Stewart never having won this race, right? Tony never won it. Look at Kyle Busch, a guy that has not won it either. The list goes on from there, too.

It’s a difficult race to win. You have to have a lot of things go your way. You can do everything perfect and still not win this race. It’s a tough one.

For me, yes, this will be my eighth Daytona 500, would love to check the box, no doubt. I think if we keep putting ourselves in good positions, I think we’ll have our chances.

Q. What would the party be like at home?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about that. My partying days aren’t what they once were, so it might be pretty tame.

Q. Can’t pull the ‘old’ thing on us yet.

CHASE ELLIOTT: I know. It’s a bad deal (smiling).

Q. You seem to have a lightness to you. Are you super optimistic for the season?

CHASE ELLIOTT: I’m always in a good mood. C’mon now (laughter).

No, I don’t know. Yeah, I’m just looking forward to getting going. This week is exciting. I was coming in last night, there’s a lot of campers a lot of people here. We’re pretty dang lucky to be doing what we’re doing as a job, you know?

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: I hadn’t even thought about that. I’m not sure I deserve to be on that list or not.

Yeah, that would be a great honor, for sure. But in my head I’m just like, Man, there’s been a lot of extremely, extremely talented guys that have been around for a long time.

Yeah, that would be a great honor. I haven’t put a lot of thought into it, though.

Q. Your dad is on it.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, and he should be, in my opinion.

Q. You were talking about the campers, all the people coming. If you had to pitch the Daytona 500 to somebody that’s never watched the sport, been to a race, what would you say to them?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, it’s certainly different from a lot of the races that we have throughout the year. It’s just one of those events and one of those spectacles that are here in the United States that you need to see. Simple as that.

Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, going to the Super Bowl, going to a World Series game, to me, all those things are kind of looped into one. Whether you’re a race fan, football fan, baseball fan, going to those types of spectacles, those types of events, I think anybody, no matter what you’re into, would have a good time with.

I have no doubt that someone who’s the biggest baseball fan, doesn’t like motorsports at all, could come here and have a good time.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: No, look, Kevin has had a massive impact on this sport, has been around for a long time. You look at early 2000s to now. He’s had a great career, a lot of success. A guy that has had success for a very long period of time. That to me is one of the best impressive pieces of what he’s done, is to be winning in year one, and I have no doubt he’s going to be winning in his final year, too. That’s a tall order.

Q. Have you been able to talk to Travis so far?

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah. I haven’t seen him yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing him. He’s become a good friend. I’ve been around him more being involved in some of the Nitro Rallycross stuff of his. I think it’s really cool that he’s giving this a shot. A tall order for him. This is a tough event. The fact that he’s not ever run one of these cars, just going out and qualifying later tonight, that’s a tough thing.

I’m pulling for him, though. It’s tough because Jimmie is one of those guys that he’s got to race his way in, too. I know… Two of my motorsport heroes. It’s going to be really tough to pick and choose if I have to between the two of them. But I’m looking forward to watching.

I guess they can both get in, right?

Q. (No microphone.).

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, so we’re going to pull for both of them. How about that?

Q. The last laps of the Daytona 500, does your mindset change? Alex said the big one can happen at any point.

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah.

Q. How do you prepare for something like that?

CHASE ELLIOTT: He is right, it can happen any time. Not just at the end of the race. To me at the end of the race, I’m hoping I’m up front. I’m hoping we’re still part of the event.

If you get to the end, that’s a feat in itself. Just hoping we’re still involved.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: I don’t really have an opinion one way or the other. I’m good with whatever they do on that. It’s not my decision anyway. What does it matter if I have an opinion? That’s the way I feel.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, no, I think it’s great that NASCAR has continued to expand, and that popularity has grown outside the United States. I think motorsports is extremely popular in Europe. I’m a huge fan of traveling and seeing different parts of the world. I think it’s great that they’re expanding. I hope it will continue to grow and make motorsports stronger regardless of what background it is.

 
 

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 15, 2023

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:

IS IT TOO EARLY TO COMPARE RICHARD’S (CHILDRESS) MANAGEMENT STYLE WITH COACH’S (JOE GIBBS)?

“Yeah, I mean its certainly early, but the way the companies are run are entirely different. Which is good, fine, different. Nothing wrong with that, its just a matter of trying to continue to figure out what the pluses and minuses all are. Certainly, there are some plusses with the new team at RCR and the management and the things that are going on there. I enjoy working with the whole group, whether it’s the office or the competition side. It’s been really fun. Obviously too, the JGR side had its plusses as well. Just trying to incorporate all the things that I have been accustomed to and been around for the last 15 years. Not all the processes and procedures that I am used to, but I am definitely trying to work my way into what RCR is and how they work first, and then just say ‘but, have you guys thought about doing something X,Y,Z like this?’ So, I think its been pretty good thus far and Richard has been great, Torrey (Galida), everybody and looking forward to a great relationship here.”

HOW HAS IT BEEN WITH ALL THE NEW SPONSORS LIKE CHEDDARS? I HEARD YOU WENT IN TO SEE WHAT THE MENU WAS ABOUT?

“Yeah, it’s been fun. Like I said, the management side of RCR has been great and that has been a part of all the sponsorship groups and things like that, that I have been getting around, meeting and spending some time with. Certainly been great to meet all those folks and I went from the candy man to the adult candy man. The nickname still works and still fits. So certainly, looking forward to the relationships with all these guys and girls and teams of people. You know, with 3CHI thankful for them for returning, Alsco and Cheddar’s and Lenovo. Just excited to have some people that have jumped on board to go race with Kyle and go out there and hopefully reward them by winning and going to Victory Lane.”

SPEAKING OF ODDS OF WINNING THIS RACE, MARK MARTIN, TERRY LABONTE AND RUSTY WALLACE NEVER WON THIS RACE. NOW YOU AND MARTIN (TRUEX) HAVE HAD LONG RUNS WITHOUT IT. DO YOU THINK ITS CIRCUMSTANTIAL OR IS THERE SOME DYNAMIC THAT IS GOING ON THERE?

“Definitely I think circumstantial. I think the whole thing kind of changed probably 2012-2013-ish where it just became a complete disaster and a total wreck fest at the end. Before that, I felt like there were times where there were some good races and some good racing. You had to be a fast car, you had to have a good handling car, and you had to put yourself in the right spot at times. It was a bit of a chess match, but I am sure that Denny (Hamlin) could come in here and say, ‘no, I have won three of them in that timeframe and its not luck’. So, he has just been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, making the right moves, and I have been the one that just kind of waits and sees everything that is going to happen and I try to go with 10 to go. But sometimes that’s too late and I am not in the right spot at that point, so I kind of mess myself up. Overall, the last few years I have not watched 10 years in a row of footage, but I am going to guarantee you that there are not very many cars finishing and there are a lot of wrecks happening, especially last lap crashes..(even) from the lead guys are getting crashed. It happens.”

DO YOU STILL LOOK AT THIS RACE IN A NEGATIVE WAY, OR DO YOU STILL HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT IT?

“No, you just come in here and treat it as if its any other race. There is great opportunity to be able to win the race and if you put yourself in the right spot, you can. Its just not happened yet for me. So, its obviously a difficult race to win. There’s a lot of different winners. Some guys, this is the only race they ever win. Other guys, they win it two or three times over again. It’s the Super Bowl of our sport and its hard to accomplish this one. It’s a race where you rely on a lot of different factors than you do just yourself. You go to a race track like California, or the old Atlanta, and places like that…it’s a lot more driver that is involved in how you are and what your destiny will be. Where here, a lot of your result can be in the hands of the other driver around you and the circumstances around you. That’s just the nature of it, but you know, we all have the same race to go out there and run in. As far as being positive about it, yeah, I would be positive about it. Having a new fresh look and outlook with my new team, and being with the No. 8, its exciting for me anyways. So, I would love nothing more than to win the Daytona 500 with RCR, Chevrolet, 3CHI and everybody to really put an exclamation point on the offseason and what this year will hopefully bring.”

HOW MUCH HAS THIS BEEN A MENTAL RESET FOR YOU?

“Yeah, I mean a lot of it is. There has been a big reset in general obviously with joining forces with RCR and Austin (Dillon). Thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to the many sponsors that we have and working with them. Its just a fresh outlook and its nice to be in a place where you are wanted, and you are accepted. To having that chance to just go racing again is going to be fun. We have done a little bit of that already with the COTA race that we ran, the test that I had, and spending some time with Austin doing stuff off-track has been pretty cool. So, we will continue to evolve and get better and RCR will again become a powerhouse like it once was…and to win races and championships.”

REGARDING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH KEVIN HARVICK AND HOW THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS

“He finally grew up and its nice to have a relationship with other veteran-type drivers. That is what we call each other, veterans. Or just the old crowd. He has got me by a few years but it still fun to mess with him a little bit. He actually gave me a ride over here this morning, from the short track. We rode together and that is kind of weird, right? Almost like ‘Days of Thunder’ where we should have gotten our own rental cars. It would have been a Ford versus a Chevy and that would have been funny. But yeah, him having Keelan and me having Brexton and us having things outside the race track, and different things in life like you mentioned to focus on and what it will teach you, has meant a lot to the both of us in how we can relate and work with one another.”

HOW IS YOUR BROTHER KURT DOING THIS OFFSEASON AND STILL DEALING WITH CONCUSSION ISSUES?

“He seems fine to me. Everything is day by day with him and he is very busy. I see him doing a lot of different things and looking at his schedule and talking with some of the folks around him, he is somewhere doing something every day. He is fine off the track, as much as it can be inside a Busch’s head anyway. So, he’s good.”

WHY DID YOU RESUME YOUR XFINITY SERIES CAREER? WAS IT SPONSOR DRIVEN OR MISSING THE SEAT TIME OR OTHER?

“Actually, it was just the relationship that I grew over the time in which I was talking to other teams and things like that through last year. Talking with Chris Rice and Matt Kaulig especially and the relationship that we developed and the communication and things that we had over that timeframe. When it came down to decision time and I had to let everybody know who wasn’t the choice for going Cup racing with, I told them that I would still love to drive for them and have a chance to go race his cars. It just wouldn’t be on Sunday. They were gracious enough to let me run in their Xfinity program and I would love to go over there and help those guys out. I feel like they are really, really, really close and right on the brink of a force to be reckoned with in the Xfinity Series and I would love to help carry that torch to the next level.”

A LOT OF TIMES THEY SAY A CHANGE OF SCENERY CAN BE GOOD. WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED BY HAVING THAT CHANGE OF SCENERY AT THIS POINT OF YOUR CAREER?

“It’s a lot. All the things that I have mentioned so far. The difference of the competition side at RCR and how they do things is entirely different than what they do at JGR. The management side is completely different. Differences are fine and its just a matter of exploiting the good things of all that and sometimes the not so good pieces of that and making it all good. I feel like there is room for me to help the group that we are with learn from the group that I came with and vice versa. I am not really going to be teaching the old group, but you get my point. Its just a matter of that I really enjoy working with Randall (Burnett) so far and the communication with him has been great. We are always back and forth, and we talk about every day. That has been really good, which has been different than my past couple of relationships. So far, so good.”

 
 

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.

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH (February 15, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media prior to the Daytona 500 on Wednesday:

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx 50 Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

How are you enjoying the podcast?
“It’s good. Learning as we go. It’s pretty effortless right now. You all know I like to talk.”

Any upcoming plans for it as of right now?

“Just week by week every Monday morning.”

Did you have any idea that you had this in you? The first couple of shows have been hits.

“I don’t know. When he (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) pitched me on it, a lot of it was my concerns that we were diluting the market a little bit. But to the Dale Jr. Download, they said I was the second highest rated and then on BBC, we were the first rated. So people are listening even if they may not like you. It’s good, it will be a good, honest way for me to inform people about our sport and if anything, I think it’s helps grow our sport with the content.”

How do you feel about where the car is going into this weekend?

“I felt pretty good about it. Certainly, the updates we’ve been given from NASCAR about it have been good. The thing is that what we think happened in my scenario is that there’s just not very much room in that rocker box for the muffler and when they put the muffler in there, there is just no clearance anywhere. As soon as you door bang with someone or get some damage on the sides, it just knocks it into the frame rail which then roasts the door pad. Just not enough tolerances around that area yet. But I feel okay about the car itself. Certainly, I know they’re testing bumpers, they haven’t gotten anything better yet than what we’ve got. So they’re still working on it as far as I know. It jars you pretty good for sure. The hit is super solid and especially at the rate that guys were laying into each other. It was as hard as anything we do without it crumbling for sure.”

Would you trade your Daytona 500 trophies for one Cup championship?

“No. I got asked that last year. No way. No chance.”

When did you get into pickleball?

“I’m actually looking to purchase a stake in one of the professional teams. It’s really exciting from my standpoint. It’s like tennis, only better for my shoulder. Anything that’s better on my joints is something I appreciate. All of my golfing buddies, we really can’t golf in the winter. It’s great for us to be able to do it indoors, which is a blast.”

Do you feel a relationship with Trackhouse and 23XI since you came in at the same time?

“Certainly, we’re trying to change status quo, but status quo isn’t terrible either. I mean, it’s been this way, the teams have done things for a while because they’ve found the best way to do it over time. We’re challenging different things with our designs, our employees, how diverse we are. There are a lot of things we’re doing differently within the sport, but a lot of that you don’t see by just looking at a race car. Last year we were the only team to have all black wheels. Something that just spiced it up a little bit. Something that made us look as professional as we possibly could, which is something I’m keen on my team is making sure we look as professional as we can at all times. I’m excited about where that team is going. Just some of the stuff they were working on in the off season, I’m excited.”

How do you balance your driver role versus your owner role at the track?

“Once I’m here this weekend – I’m all 11 FedEx car for Joe Gibbs Racing. That’s what I will focus on. Certainly, I will have a special interest in Travis (Pastrana) tonight. The work has already been done. There is nothing else that I can do other than have meetings with them post-practice, post-qualifying to work on race strategy, but I’m not going to wrench on the car this weekend. The work has been done and I’ve hired a lot of people that I trust to make sure that team is running well.”

You have any good offseason stories? Austin Cindric told us he sat on a jury of a murder trial.

“Listen, I never want to see murder happen, but that would be very captivating to me. I love true crime. I’m a true crime junkie. That would have been really interesting.”

How has it been adjusting not having Kyle Busch in team meetings?

“Well, we have only had one meeting this year. Really just people took over the spaces where he was at. We all kind of had – it’s very unassigned seating in our meeting rooms – it’s just new people sitting in. All of the people that have been there are sitting in their seats, and you’ve just got a new face in there. Not really – it hasn’t really changed anything for us so far.”

Is there something that he brought that can’t be replaced or will be missed?

“He certainly had some valuable information that you listen to. He’s well accomplished and can win anywhere, so I certainly listened to him whenever he’s speaking. You have to have a thick filter in figuring out what’s true and what’s not, but I think he’s an asset anywhere he goes because he is very good. It is going to be different when you have a younger guy in there, Ty (Gibbs), who is learning as he goes, so I think he will be less vocal for his first year or so.”

Why is it so hard to win this race?

“There are so many factors in it. Just because a lot of times you don’t decide your own fate. People talk about getting in a wreck here is a 50/50 chance – I think it is probably a little higher than that and most times you don’t create the wreck, you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It takes three facets to win at this – you’ve got that luck factor, that’s a part of it. 20 percent, whatever it might be, 30 percent. Execution, and skill set. You’ve got to have all three to win this race and it is hard to get all three of those lined up on any given day, which is why probably the best driver ever here – Dale Earnhardt – won a billion races but didn’t win this one because on that he didn’t have all of those things line up for him. On any given weekend, the fast cars make it to the front no matter what, there is less attrition, less luck when it comes to being involved in wrecks, so I just think that is part of it.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 20 electrified options, with more in showrooms later this year.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 15, 2023

CONOR DALY, NO. 50 THE MONEY TEAM RACING CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:

How about your first Daytona 500?

“I don’t know what to expect yet, but it’s just super cool to be here. I’ve done the Rolex twice, I raced go-karts here when I was 12, 13, 14, so I’ve spent a lot of time here growing up and I’m just excited for the chance; just to take in a lot of learning at a very high rate of speed. It’s going to be tough. It’s the biggest uphill battle that I’ve probably had to make a race. 2018 Indy 500 was going to be tough for me to make that race, but we made it fine so that was good. But this one is going to be a real challenge. Lot of good drivers, lot of good teams that are also trying to qualify so we’ll see what happens.”

What has been the reaction from people about you doing this?

“It’s been very cool. Honestly, I have an incredibly supportive fan base that’s been with me for a lot of my career but even a lot of folks that have been new to following me since I’ve been with 31 Media and Dale Jr.’s company and the podcast that I’ve had, so there’s been a lot of really nice people that are like ‘we didn’t really know about you but we like what you say about racing and we like what you do.’ That’s been cool to be a part of and I just love this sport. There are a lot of fan bases that are like we’re only NASCAR, we’re only INDYCAR, we’re only F1. I like them all, so I don’t know why we can’t do more of that and hopefully there is a little bit more of love spread to all of them as we try to do a little bit of both NASCAR and INDYCAR at the same time.”

Have you discussed racing at this place with Dale Jr.?

“He has been a great resource. He is on my team of supporters, which is really nice. Him and Tony Eury Jr. my crew chief has been a great resource to lean on. He’s got so much experience in this world and at this track specifically. It’s great to be where I’m at even though it is a massive challenge ahead. I still feel very lucky to be here with this group around us.”

As a kid growing up in snowy Indiana, how cool was it to turn on the TV every February and watch the Daytona 500?

“The Daytona 500 means that the race season has started. Thankfully, that means we’re going INDYCAR racing very soon after – March 5th in St. Pete – so it also means that everything is finally going again. Football is over sadly; we love football. But it’s time to go racing. I’m excited.”

What do you anticipate the nerves being tonight?

“I’ve had the qualifying described to me multiple ways. One way was it’s easier than driving down the highway, so that’s good. And the biggest learning experience with be with all the other cars me. The qualifying will be very much about feeling the platform of the car into one for the first time, into three for the first time, obviously running high to generate momentum and low obviously for the qualifying runs. So kind of feeling just how the track is and after the checkered flag continuing to drive hard all the way around to the pits so you get an extra half lap of practice. Anything will help, anything will matter. There’s a lot where these cars efficiently run in the draft, where they don’t efficiently run behind other cars, so it’s figuring that out on the fly because I can be told all of that but until I literally physically feel it in the seat you won’t really know how to best react to it.”

How much of a bummer is it not to have that practice before this year?

“It sucks, honestly. Practice sounds great but honestly all of my NASCAR stuff – actually all of it – both my truck races, the Cup race, the Xfinity race I did have practice and qualifying and that went well. But there’s been no practice for the roval for me; there’s been six laps before it broke and the truck races there’s been no practice either. I guess I’m kind of used to it in the NASCAR realm, but I will always take practice.”

There’s not much that translates from your only other Cup start on a roval to this place.

“There’s not a lot but there is when it comes to the systems of the car and like the gearbox and feeling how that works, the brakes. The brakes will be different obviously for the oval, and the pit speed. The pit speed was something I had to get used to because we have a nice, handy dandy pit speed limiter in INDYCAR. That is something that I do have experience with and that is good but it’s all at a different place now.”

Did you have to take this opportunity now because it may never come around?

“Exactly. We have a sponsor, which is the only reason this is happening. There’s a lot of business that goes into motorsport. BitNile.com has been a huge supporter of mine and they love motorsport, what racing is doing in general. I think everyone is seeing how big motorsport is right now, whether it’s NASCAR or INDYCAR or F1, everything seems to be all tides raising all ships. So we’re using it and a lot of other companies are using this sport to do great things. This was an opportunity that was presented to me and it was debatable for a little while. You never know if you get another shot at it so why not. It’s a great upside and the downside is really not big because we’re still going to have our sponsor, we’re still going to go to COTA to race there.”

How did it present itself to you?

“Helio (Castroneves) will have an opportunity to do this race pretty much any time he wants, so when he looked at it he was like ‘well, you know, that is going to be tough to make it, maybe I don’t need to do it,’ which is fair because he’s Helio. He has plenty of rings and trophies to lean back on. For me, it’s a bit of a different scenario. I’m also a bit younger than he is so I don’t know what’s going to happen but I could just take this opportunity and run. But it did happen quickly.”

Is this a one and done for you?

“I never do anything one and done. I’d love to do more as much as I can, but obviously you never know when those opportunities come about. My goal would be to learn a lot this race and learn a lot in the Dual to use in the race we get to do on Sunday top then hopefully come back next year and feel way better. Who knows? I can’t tell the future, but I’ll do anything anytime any place.”

This team did qualify for the race last year. How helpful is that?

“It’s great, for sure, and it was a crazy scenario for them last year with the pit road speeding penalty and having the help of Kurt Busch, too. I talked a lot with Kurt last week at the Clash and he’s been a helpful resource as well. I’ve tried to find some friends to hopefully help me in the Duals as well. We’ll see what happens when the qualifying decides who’s in what Dual.”

Will you be in COTA?

“As far as I know. It was announced that we’ll do COTA, too, so that will be cool.”

Do you know how many race you will do this year?

“Definitely we want to do four with the potential to maybe do seven. But I think that all depends on how the scheduling works out and how everything is going as well. We want to do the Indy road course double. The others we aren’t really set on yet.”

Does making this race play into the other races?

“Honestly, whether we make this race or not doesn’t affect the rest of our schedule, which is why we’re doing it. It’s like massive upside, low downside.”

What have you been able to do to prepare?

“Thankfully, Chevrolet has been really helpful. To be part of that team, we use that INDYCAR simulator a lot and right next door is the Chevy NASCAR simulator. I basically just went from one door to the other last week and Kyle Busch is on the simulator before me but I got in at the end of the day with Tony Jr. there, too. It’s cool to be a part of that Chevrolet Racing team. I’ve been with Chevrolet now for years. Helpful to get in, but like Kyle told me ‘you’re not going to learn much on this simulator for Daytona,’ which is understandable because again I think a lot of what makes this race so challenging and so difficult is what happens in the pack, what happens in the dirty air, in the movement of the cars that affects each side of the car and affects everything. That’s something that’s impossible to simulate.”

Learning those launch points for qualifying in the sim must have been helpful?

“That’s what we worked on most – leaving pit lane and shift points and then kind of the process of how that is going to work. Because, again, the shift points were something that I guess I didn’t know needed to be different and certain rev ranges, so there’s a whole lot that will be new to me but it was nice to get in that rhythm of how we’re going to leave pit land and here’s how it’s going to happen.”

Any tips for Kyle Larson for the Indy 500?

“I think he’s going to be really good. He’s going to be with a really good team, which is super important. I think he’s going to love it but it’s going to be hard. I don’t think he’s going to be bad at all. I think he’s going to be in a good position. I think the best part about that is that we do have a week of practice. That week every single day of Indy 500 practice is so important because it is so hard to get that car I the right window for qualifying and a completely different race car as well. I think he’s going to enjoy the process of it because who doesn’t enjoy driving race cars more? That guy does because he drives race cars every day. It’s really cool and I hope to be a part of it as well.”

Have there been individuals that have given you advice?

“AJ Allmendinger was the first guy I called. He’s been helpful and really honest with me. Corey LaJoie and Chase Briscoe, those have been guys that I’ve leaned on a lot. Denny (Hamlin) I’ve spoken to a little bit. I also don’t want to bother people. You can get advice but until you actually feel it though the seat that’s what will adjust how that advice filters through my brain.”

Has the cross pollination of drivers from one series to another helped rise the tide of motorsport?

“The funny thing about the cross pollination is I don’t think I’ve seen anyone – whether you’re Jimmie Johnson going to INDYCAR or Kyle Larson going to try the Indy 500 or even me coming to try the Daytona 500 or Fernando Alonso coming from Formula One to try the Indy 500 – I haven’t seen anyone say I actually didn’t want to see that. Of course you want to see that. Especially if you’re a passionate NASCAR fan, why would you not want one of your guys go try to fight with some of the best in the world in the Indy 500 or wherever it is? It’s got to help every sport because it’s fun to watch, it’s something different. We’re always craving something new, something different to be entertained by and that’s pretty cool to watch and I’m a race fan.”

The Daytona 500 qualifying is different from the Indy 500.

“It’s a different program in general. There’s a couple of different ways of making it whereas Indy you’re either fast enough or you’re not. It’s very challenging but there’s one process. This is going to be a new experience and hopefully you end up on the right side of it.”

 
 
 

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 15, 2023

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:

What are you look to for this year?

“Offseason was pretty good. I feel physically, mentally, I’m in the best place I’ve been going and prepared for the season. I joined Josh Wise’s group with Chevrolet, so that was cool. I think that’s going to help me throughout the year. I’m already seeing some benefits with that, and thank Chevy for putting that program together too. And for having Kyle [Busch]. Obviously, the Clash went well for both of our cars at RCR and now we’re at Daytona. It’s one of my favorite places that in the past hasn’t been Kyle’s favorite, so we’re going to try and make it one of his favorite places.”

What has been building that relationship like between the two of you?

“I think, Kyle, one of the cool things when we got Kyle was he actually offered me a job to go race for him. He already had a mutual respect for me to give me an opportunity like that. When he came over here, I think that a lot of the things we do in a racecar, obviously his credentials are way higher than mine. We think about racecars the same. Our setups are very close together at the Coliseum, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that goes throughout the year. When we go to different place, I think we’ll be closer together and happy about our racecars. He’s a competitor. I love his drive, his fire. He does not like to lose. He’s all about winning. In that, he puts a lot of effort to do that and a lot of behind-the-scenes things go on to make sure we’re prepared to get to the track. I’m excited. Obviously, we had momentum last year, and it was a good year for RCR. We want to keep that going and bringing in Kyle just does that.”

What’s it like going from a competitor [with Kyle Busch] to now a teammate?

“You feel a little better about racing around him for sure. He takes every inch out on that track and it was nice to help us at the Clash. Obviously, we had a fast racecar and knew that. He was about one thing, and that was getting that win for RCR. It was good to see. I’d say in a points-paying race, it might be a little different, but I want to repay the favor as much as I can because he’s already bringing a lot to our company. People are really excited in the shop, and they want to do well for him and everybody there.”

You’re the only Chevrolet driver to win the Daytona 500 in the last eight years. Is that coincidence or…?

“I like this place. I like coming here. We obviously won the last race here at Daytona, and a lot of it is being there at the right time and right place. Putting yourself in good positions. The good Lord has blessed us with two trophies here and hope we can get some more. I’ve also been in the fence. We stay away from those, and I’ll be happy.”

When someone like Kyle [Busch] comes in, how does that change the pressure you put on yourself?

“I think it, obviously, pushes me. I love the push that he brings. I definitely want to step up our level for the No. 3 team and compete each and every week to push him. I think the cool part about Kyle, everything you can accomplish in this sport, he’s a Hall of Famer. For him, there’s only one thing he looks like, and that’s how he can win a race. He’s not worried about what I’m doing. I’ve had a lot of competition within teammates throughout the years. Now I think it’s organic that we’re both trying to do one thing and that’s make RCR the best we can and bring home trophies and championships.”

Having a teammate like Kyle, does it raise to perform yourself and that expectation?

“I think every year I’ve had to make sure I put out a good level for the No. 3 team. The number alone brings its own pressure. I feel like this year with Kyle, I feel like he’s established so much and for me, I’m establishing and creating that establishment as a pretty solid driver in the sport. More than anything, I want to improve on what we did last year. We both made the Playoffs last year. Kyle obviously, made the Playoffs, but how do we take RCR to the next level, and that’s consistently getting multiple wins, and multiple wins is what it takes to win a championship. You’ve got to win more than once, so for me, that’s the goal.”

In the offseason, you spent a lot of time reviewing tape, and working on things with RCR. How has that helped you prepare for 2023?

“I think more than anything getting ready for the season, preparation-wise, using the Wise-optimization program has been the best thing that I’ve done. Trying to get things kicked off right and be ready for the season. I do feel good.”

Do you think it’s been rejuvenating for [Kyle Busch]?

“I think it’s rejuvenated him for sure. I think he’s excited to get to the track. He knows that each and every weekend our organization is going to deliver. I know he’s pumped to be going to the track.”

It’s been five years since you’ve won here with the Daytona 500. Does it seem like it’s been that long?

“2021 was so close to winning it again, and that sticks out in my mind. 2021 was probably my best Daytona 500 truthfully. Even 2018, we won it, but 2021 I felt like we dominated the weekend. Won the Duel, ran upfront the entire race and I was so close in that one. I’d love to have another one of those but get two spots from there. It’s not like we just disappeared from the 500, and we’ve been up front for a lot of them. I want to go out there and try to do it again.”

Of the ones that got away, is 2021 the Daytona 500 that stands out the most?

“That one just flowed so well. It just felt so good the entire weekend. Things came naturally, and I made some moves that were really good. The car was fast. Some Daytona 500s are a grind from the time you go out on the track; that one just flowed. That’s one thing why it sticks out in my mind. Probably the biggest heartbreak was the Coke 600 last year. That one hurt the most because it was just right there in my grasp. Had four tires and made a good move and then it all came crashing down in about 500 feet. That one hurts the worst, but the 500 was a good race. If you can finish third in this race, second or third, you have to be happy with the situation, I feel like. You’re putting yourself in a great position. Obviously you want to take home that trophy, but you performed well at a high level and got yourself to the end of it, especially in that type of form. It’s not like it came down to the last lap and we were there; we were there the whole weekend.”

As a Daytona 500 winner, you know this place. You know this car. What do you look at in the Duel? What does that mean for you?

“I think this year is a bit different than last year. We’re in a little bit better of a position than last year with cars. I’d like to be a little more aggressive personally, to see what we have. Use it as practice, and I’d say most guys are going to. The hype is gone as far as having the backup. Guys raced hard last year. You take a winter break, and I think the Clash is a good thing where you beat and bang on each other for a little while to kind of soften the Duel a bit, maybe. If you just came to this race and it was the first race of the year, I’d say you’re going to tear a lot of stuff up in the Duel. So it’s kind of nice to get the Clash underway. You have to use it as a testing ground. You can’t just go out there and ride around to get to the race, but I know some guys will. I’d like to know what we have so I know I can race when I have to.”

What is your mind set up when racing doesn’t go your way? When you don’t the win? How do you take it in stride?

“I do a pretty good job of it, keeping my mindset the same. Consistency overtime usually pays off. That’s a big thing with me, being consistent in how I react to things. The [Coke] 600 did hurt. I did lose some sleep over that one, but past that, it’s been pretty good. I usually don’t lose much sleep at night.”

Is that how you’ve stayed even-keeled through changes like teammates, crew chiefs, etc.?

“I think so. If you take the highs and the lows hard, it’s hard to sustain in this sport. You’ve got to be able to stay level, even on the high days. I like to have a good time when you win because you don’t know when your last one is, but you also have to get over it quick and to the next race.”

 
 

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.