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Burton, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Prepping for Bristol Night Race

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Official Release
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Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed into Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway not exactly sure how the race will play out other than it is expected to be a crowd pleaser.

The 500-lap race will be the first Cup Series event contested on the high-banked, half-mile concrete racing surface since the introduction earlier this year of an all-new car. The first Cup race of the season at Bristol was run with a dirt surface atop the concrete.

Brian Wilson, crew chief of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, said he’s looking forward to racing at Bristol and the challenges that come with it.

“Bristol always gets everyone in the industry excited, and personally I’m no different,” he said. “It’s certainly in my top three for favorite tracks.”

He said the information the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team gathered at Bristol in April, won’t be any help this time around.

“We were able to get a top-20 finish in the first race there, but there’s absolutely nothing we can take from the dirt race that can help us this weekend,” Wilson said, adding that nonetheless he and the team are doing all they can to be ready for Saturday night’s 500-lapper. “In our prep this week a majority of the discussion has centered around how the track will change throughout the weekend.”

A lot of the changes will be related to NASCAR’s application of PJ-1 to the bottom groove of the race track.

“How well this added grip lasts through the race is the first question,” Wilson said. “Historically you’ve wanted to run in the PJ-1 when the tires are new. As the run progresses you’ll move up the track. At times the high groove will rubber in to a point where you’ll start to move back down on a really long run.

“Lately our Goodyear tires have put down a decent amount of rubber so we expect that this may be the case on Saturday night.”

But Wilson pointed out that to be successful will require more than just staying in the fastest lane especially when it comes to dealing with race traffic, which is common at Bristol.

“Harrison and I have talked about the best ways to be versatile, both with the car setup and in his driving style,” he said. “We know that to have a good night we’ll need to run where the other cars aren’t and be aggressive in making passes.

“The action happens so quickly at Bristol that there isn’t a lot of time to think through situations. Doing our homework during the week will hopefully allow us to read and react to anything that’s thrown at the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford team on Saturday night.”

Practice for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race is set for Friday at 4:35 p.m. to be immediately followed by qualifying.

Saturday’s race is scheduled to start just after 7:30 p.m., with TV coverage on USA Network.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 125 and 250.

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

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

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

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 187,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.

*See seller for limited-warranty details.

Wood Brothers Racing

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

15-Year-Old Katie Hettinger Takes Pioneering Spirit to ARCA Menards Series West

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Official Release
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Winningest Female Racer in Hickory Motor Speedway History Will Make ARCA Debut
Oct. 14 at Las Vegas Bullring Before Competing Again Nov. 4 in Season Finale at Phoenix Raceway

DRYDEN, Mich. (Sept. 15, 2022) – At just 15 years old, Katie Hettinger’s racing resume is already filled with some trail-blazing accomplishments:

● Won the 2020 Champion Racing Association (CRA) Junior Late Model Series title to become the first and only female champion in the CRA’s 25-year history.

● In the span of two weeks in September 2021, Hettinger became the youngest female race winner at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway when she won the 50-lap Limited Late Model feature Sept. 4 as part of the Bobby Isaac Memorial event. She then became Hickory’s youngest female Late Model race winner on Sept. 18 when she won the track’s 75-lap feature, further burnishing Hickory’s moniker as the Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.

● Hettinger has won four more Late Model races at Hickory in 2022 to become the winningest female racer in the track’s 72-year history.

With those accomplishments firmly in hand, despite a Michigan driver’s license remaining out of reach until the Dryden native turns 16, Hettinger is preparing for her next step on the racing ladder. On Oct. 14 at the Las Vegas Bullring, Hettinger will make her debut in the ARCA Menards Series West. In fact, it will be the first of two ARCA races for the high school sophomore, as Hettinger will also compete in the West Series finale Nov. 4 at Phoenix Raceway.

“Anytime I get in a racecar, my goal is to win, but ARCA is a step up with strong teams and talented drivers, so the more realistic expectation is to finish Las Vegas among the top-five and, ideally, the top-three,” Hettinger said. “Phoenix is a bigger track – the biggest one I’ll have ever been on – so that will be a little more challenging. A top-10 at Phoenix would be great.”

Hettinger will compete in both races with Young’s Motorsports, driving the No. 02 Chevrolet with support from Wheeler Trucking, a leader in automotive transportation services, and bradCM Incorporated, a privately owned and operated general contracting firm.

The .375-mile Las Vegas Bullring is akin to many of the short tracks Hettinger has experienced in Late Models. Phoenix, however, is a fast and flat, 1-mile oval that hosts the championship finales for NASCAR’s top-three series – Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck.

“Every time I get into a new car, I just drive it like I normally would,” said Hettinger, who has made over a hundred starts in Late Model and Limited Late Model competition. “I don’t usually struggle with switching classes or cars or anything like that.”

Nonetheless, Hettinger is aware that ARCA represents a new style of racing, and she is already putting in the time to adapt to the 3,400-pound ARCA car.

“I want to make sure I’m successful when I get to the Las Vegas Bullring and when we race at Phoenix, so we’re testing with the ARCA car and I’m doing a lot of sim training before and after those tests,” Hettinger said.

“The main thing that I’ve found to be different with the ARCA car is you have to back up your entry into the corners. With the Late Model, you can drive it deep into the corner, which is what I like. With the ARCA car, you have to be a little more patient. You have to wait a little bit longer to get back to the gas.”

Hettinger is a third-generation racer who attended her first race at only four weeks old. Her grandfather, Jim Hettinger, raced open-wheel Midgets and Sprint Cars and won two Midget championships in 1984 and 1990, accolades that earned him a spot in the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. Her father, Chris Hettinger, was also a winning open-wheel racer, primarily in Midgets. It wasn’t long before Katie’s name began appearing on entry lists and at the top of race results.

By age five, she was racing Quarter Midgets. At first, it was only locally, but soon Hettinger was racing regionally and then nationally, collecting more than 40 wins.

At nine, she moved up to Junior Sprints and 600cc Micro Sprints, competing on dirt from 2016 through 2018. But pavement beckoned. An 11-year-old Hettinger transitioned to full-bodied stock cars in the CRA Junior Late Model Series and she proved to be a quick study.

After finishing fourth in the 2019 championship and earning the Sportsman of the Year award, Hettinger upped her game in 2020. She took two wins and earned three fast-time awards, one of which set a new track record at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, and ended the season as the 2020 CRA Junior Late Model Series champion.

Since turning 14 in June 2021 and getting her NASCAR license, Hettinger scrapped the “Junior” tag from her Late Model. She regularly competes at the highest level of local stock car racing, commuting from Michigan to race in the southeastern hotbed of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, with the .363-mile Hickory oval being one of Hettinger’s more frequented tracks.

“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish at Hickory, but I didn’t go there to become the winningest female racer. I went there to win races, just like all the other guys there,” Hettinger said. “I’m the same as everybody else. I’m just there to win races.”

With four wins in her eight visits to Hickory this year, Hettinger has accomplished her goal. Making those triumphs even more impressive is that Hettinger has done it while juggling school in her home state of Michigan. Three of her wins this year came while she was a freshman at Almont High School – April 30, May 7 and May 21. Her most recent victory on July 23 was the only one to come while she was out of school on summer break.

“I juggle everything I do with sports and school and it can be hard sometimes, but a lot of people are very understanding and I’m able to stay on top of it,” said Hettinger, an avid outdoorswoman who also enjoys hunting and fishing. “I still get mostly A’s and some B’s, and I play a lot of school sports, so sometimes I miss a volleyball game or a basketball game but, overall, I’m able to manage it.”

Beyond the pit crew that helps her at the track, Hettinger has the full support of her family as she chases her NASCAR dream. This includes her 12-year-old sister Grace and 4-year-old brother Keith.

“My mom and dad are very supportive and understanding, and my sister is a competitive dancer and plays volleyball. My little brother loves racing and he always wants to go see Katie’s racecar. They’re all in this dream as much as I am.”

HUNGRY GROUP OF DRIVERS CHASING XFINITY SERIES REGULAR SEASON CROWN AT FOOD CITY 300

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Official Release
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Trio of drivers will be battling to stay above the cut-off line and advance to the Xfinity Series Playoffs with strong Bristol run

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 13, 2022) – It’s going to be hard to top the insanely crazy finish from last year’s Food City 300, but you can bet the drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series will give it their best shot.

An instant classic by every measure of the phrase, last year’s Food City 300 featured incredible drama at the finish as championship rivals A.J. Allmendinger and Austin Cindric raced hard to the checkered flag in an effort to capture the Xfinity Series regular season crown.

The two drivers crashed into each other as they crossed the finish line with the checkered flag waving. Allmendinger’s Chevy took the win by a nose in the photo finish.

It’s extremely rare when the winning car is so heavily damaged that it doesn’t make it to Victory Lane and the winning driver has to be interviewed live from the infield care center. That’s how last year’s Food City 300 ended. After being cleared from the care unit, a pumped-up Allmendinger walked swiftly to Bristol’s famed rooftop Victory Lane to accept his BMS Trophy and BMS Gladiator Sword.

It was definitely a surreal moment.

Allmendinger once again finds himself in the thick of the battle for the Xfinity Series championship and is the current points leader in his No. 16 Chevy for Kaulig Racing. His rivals are rising star Ty Gibbs and veteran Justin Allgaier. Noah Gragson, the circuit’s most recent winner, is mathematically out of the running for the regular season title but is currently projected as the No. 1 seed in the Playoffs.

Allmendinger says there’s a possibility that it could all come down to that type of finish once again this year, given how tight the regular season points are.

“With Bristol you just never know,” Allmendinger said. “It’s all situational. You could easily get caught up in someone else’s mess early in the race and you are out of it. Or, it could come down to another finish like we had last year where we are all battling in the final laps. My team knows that if we are in that situation racing for a win at Bristol and a regular season championship, that I am going to do whatever it takes and put it all on the line to get the job done.”

Gibbs is having an outstanding season at the controls of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing machine with five victories. Meanwhile, Gragson is a four-time season winner and a past Bristol winner with 12 top 10s in the No. 9 Chevy for JR Motorsports. Defending Food City 300 winner Allmendinger has three victories this season and veteran Allgaier, who has won at Bristol in the past and always runs well on the concrete high-banks, has three wins this season at the controls of the No. 7 Chevy for JRM.

Several other drivers who have already clinched their spots in the Xfinity Playoffs include Josh Berry, who pilots the No. 8 Chevy for JRM and talented rookie Austin Hill, a two-time winner this year in the No. 21 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing. Brandon Jones in the No. 19 Gibbs entry has also clinched a spot as has the driver of the No. 51 Chevy, Jeremy Clements, who won a few weeks ago at Daytona.

Sam Mayer in the No. 1 Chevy, defending Xfinity Series champ Daniel Hemric in the Kaulig No. 11, and Riley Herbst in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 98, are all yet to qualify for the Playoffs and should factor into the mix at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.

Sparks are sure to fly once again during the Food City 300 as the teams race hard to secure one of the 12 Playoff positions. After the checkered flag waves, the 12 Playoff spots will be locked in. Drivers around the bubble in positions 11-13 looking to advance to the Playoffs include Landon Cassill and Ryan Sieg, who sit 11th and 12th and the first driver on the outside looking in, Sheldon Creed.

Creed, who has ran well at Bristol in the Camping World Truck Series, has cut the deficit quite a bit in recent races in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevy and now only trails Seig by 13 points for the final transfer spot into the Xfinity Series Playoffs. Creed, who thought he was going to move inside the top 12 with a strong run at Kansas this past weekend, will need a great Bristol finish to earn a spot in the Playoffs.

“When we fired off at the beginning of the race (at Kansas), I thought we were really good and then we weren’t good when the track starting building rubber,” Creed said. “I tried running at the bottom, top and middle and tried different lines. I just couldn’t get anything to work or make speed. I don’t know where we missed it there because we weren’t as good as we thought we would be. It looks like we gained three points, so that will make things interesting in Bristol. I’m proud of everyone at RCR and ECR.”

The action on the track begins with Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes and defending winner Chandler Smith battling for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Thursday night in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (Sept. 15, 9 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio). The rising stars in the ARCA Menards Series also will take on the challenging half-mile bullring in the Bush’s Beans 200 as part of the Thursday night doubleheader (Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio).

The stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take to the track on Saturday for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio), you’ll get to see all of your favorite drivers racing hard to advance in the first elimination race of the Playoffs.

To purchase tickets, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and in 2021 began converting to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.

Young’s Motorsports Bristol Motor Speedway September Truck Series Team Preview

By
Official Release
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Young’s Motorsports | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway | UNOH 200

Fast Facts
No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Team:
Driver: Jesse Little
Primary Partner(s): David’s Electric
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST
Crew Chief: Steven Dawson
2022 Driver Points Position: 26th
2022 Owner Points Position: 18th
Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

Little’s Back: This weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Young’s Motorsports welcomes back Jesse Little as the driver of the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST. Little returns to the organization for his 10th of 12 confirmed races aboard the team’s flagship entry.

Little returns to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition aboard the team’s No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the first time since Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in June where he recorded a strong top-20 finish in the Rackley Roofing 200.

Since Nashville, Little has competed in three additional races for Young’s Motorsports driving the team’s No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado RST, where he earned a numbered-best 15th place finish at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Sponsor Intel: For the 20th Truck Series race of 2022, Young’s Motorsports welcomes new partner David’s Electric as the primary marketing partner on Little’s No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the UNOH 200.

David’s Electric specializes in commercial services. David’s Electric provides commercial electrical services for a variety of businesses and industries.

David’s Electric provides a thorough consultation to explain your available options.

With that information, you can choose the scope of work that’s right for your home or business and for your budget.

David’s Electric strives to save you both time and money by combining experience, high-quality parts and equipment, and exceptional service. They will stick with the job until you are satisfied.

Local Support: For the penultimate short track race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Jesse Little welcomes back long-time partner Visit Kingsport in an associate marketing pole on his No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado.

Kingsport is a city full of originals. Pal’s Sudden Service was born here, as was the recipe for the Original Long Island Iced Tea.

The hand-carved carousel is a beloved original too, as are our music, brews, cultural experiences, and outdoor adventures.

Kingsport, Tennessee is also home to many scenic trails, outdoor activities and unique restaurants and breweries.

Kingsport, Tennessee is within a day’s drive of 70 percent of the United States population.

You can find out more information on the Visit Kingsport website.

More Support: Visone RV, another long-time partner of Little will support his 13th Truck Series race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Visone RV, based in East Bernstadt, Kentucky has the world’s largest selection of new and used Motor Home parts in the nation.

Visone RV takes great pride and pleasure in selling new and used RVs and specializes in finding the most hard-to-find motor home and camper parts regardless of make or model year.

Visone RV strives to provide the best products and unequaled service for our customers. Visone’s great success and countless happy customers are a direct result of the relentless effort to acquire quality items and make them available to the public at wholesale or below prices.

Visone supplies RV motor home repair facilities across the country with a goal to always describe and disclose as much information to the best of their ability about all parts they sell.

Approaching Stretch Drive: Thursday night’s UNOH 200 indicates Jesse Little is approaching the stretch drive of his 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program with the veteran Mooresville, N.C.-based team.

Little kicked off his partial schedule with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team with an impressive sixth-place finish aboard the No. 02 Shriners Children’s Hospitals Chevrolet Silverado RST after starting a season-high ninth in the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February.

Overall, he has captured one top-10, three top-15s, six top-20s and holds an average finish of 20.4 entering the second race of the 2022 Truck Series season from “Thunder Valley.”

Jesse Little Truck Series Bristol Motor Speedway Track Stats: Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway will mark Little’s fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 0.533-mile short track.

In his previous four starts, Little earned a track-best of 13th after starting 10th in a collaborative effort between ThorSport Racing and JJL Motorsports in the 2017 UNOH 200.

Jesse Little Truck Series Short Track Stats: At NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tracks classified as a short track, Little has made nine starts throughout his career with two top-10 finishes, while also carrying an average finishing position of 18.6.

Kansas Speedway | Kansas Lottery 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, Kaz Grala took the helm of the No. 02 Buchanan Hauling & Rigging Chevrolet Silverado RST.

After starting the race from the 30th place starting position, Grala progressively moved forward during the 134-lap and utilized pit strategy in Stage 3 to collect a respectable 18th place finish.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Little as crew chief of the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST is crew chief Steven Dawson.

A long-time Young’s Motorsports employee, Dawson will serve as crew chief for just his 20th Truck Series race. The UNOH 200 will be his second race as crew chief at the track dubbed the “World’s Fastest-Half Mile.”

Dawson, 34, is a native of Concord, N.C.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Jesse Little, please like him on Facebook (Jesse Little Racing) and follow on Instagram (@JesseLittle97) and Twitter (@JesseLittle97).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Jesse Little Pre-Race Quote:

On Bristol Motor Speedway: “The Bristol night race is always a special one. This Thursday I’ll get to run the high banks with my No. 02 Young’s Motorsports team and some of my most long-standing partners, David’s Electric, Visit Kingsport and Visone RV will be riding on board for the 200 laps.

“I have always been so thankful to have their support and really look forward to giving all of them and the team of guys the strong run they all deserve.”

No. 12 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Spencer Boyd

Primary Partner(s): RimTyme

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

Crew Chief: Ryan “Pickle” London

2022 Driver Points Position: 27th

2022 Owner Points Position: 30th

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

Back To Familiar Territory: Fan favorite Spencer Boyd returns to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway aboard his new Truck number and leadership eyeing his first top-10 of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and second win of his Truck Series career.

No. 139: This week at Bristol, Boyd will make his 139th career NASCAR start. Boyd has three starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, 50 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and will make his 86th start in Trucks when the green flag waves Thursday night.

The highlight of his NASCAR career is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October 2019 driving for Young’s Motorsports.

Anchor Partner: This week at Bristol, Spencer Boyd and Young’s Motorsports welcome back RimTyme as the primary marketing partner for the 20th race of the 2022 Truck Series season.

RimTyme will serve as the primary marketing for seven races this season while serving as an associate marketing partner for the remaining 15 races.

RimTyme Custom Wheels and Tires carries more custom rims than the traditional wheel shop. They have a large selection of name-brand custom wheels available in the latest styles, finishes, colors, and sizes.

In addition to a variety of wheel brands, RimTyme carries popular tire brands for everyday driving needs at affordable prices to fit any budget.

Spencer Boyd Truck Series Bristol Motor Speedway Stats: Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway will mark Boyd’s third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 0.533-mile short track.

In his two previous efforts, he has earned a track-best of 27th after starting 22nd in the 2020 UNOH 200 for Young’s Motorsports.

He holds an average finish at Bristol of 29.0.

Spencer Boyd Truck Series Short Track Stats: At NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tracks classified as a short track, Boyd has 13 starts throughout his career carrying an average finishing position of 24.8.

Kansas Speedway | Kansas Lottery 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, Boyd made his 85th career Truck Series start.

After starting his 19th race of the Truck Series season from the 34th place starting position, Boyd persevered during the race after suffering a mechanical failure which left him 33rd at the checkered flag.

To The Point(s): Entering Bristol, Boyd sits 27th in the championship standings.

107 points separate Boyd from 20th in the championship standings currently held by Timmy Hill with four races remaining this season.

177 points separate Boyd from 15th in the championship standings occupied by Corey Heim.

Young’s Motorsports’ No. 12 team secures 30th in the Truck Series owner standings.

Chasing That W: Boyd is eyeing his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory for himself and Young’s Motorsports.

In 2019 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Boyd pulled an upset during the Truck Series Playoffs by winning the Sugarland Shines 250 at the 2.66-mile superspeedway edging Todd Gilliland by 0.027 seconds.

Truck Series Rundown: In six years of Truck Series competition, Boyd has 85 career Truck Series starts with one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes, and a championship best of 17th in 2019 and carries an average finish of 23.5.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Boyd as crew chief of the No. 12 RimTyme Chevrolet Silverado RST is veteran crew chief Ryan “Pickle” London.

He will crew chief his 65th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Thursday night. In his previous 64 races, he has one win, two top-five, and four top-10 finishes to his resume.

This weekend marks his fourth race as crew chief at the track dubbed the “World’s Fastest-Half Mile.”

Follow on Social Media: For more on Spencer Boyd, please like him on Facebook (Spencer Boyd Racing) and follow him on Instagram (SpencerBoydpr) and Twitter (@SpencerBoyd).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports) and follow on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Spencer Boyd Pre-Race Quotes:

On Bristol Motor Speedway: “Glad to be back at a short track. Bristol night racing under those lights is just a different but electric vibe.

“I hope we can have a good run with our No. 12 RimTyme Chevrolet Silverado RST and carry some positive momentum to Talladega Superspeedway in a couple of weeks.”

No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Leland Honeyman Jr.

Primary Partner(s): LH Waterfront Construction

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

Crew Chief: Andrew Abbott

2022 Driver Points Position: N|A

2022 Owner Points Position: 29th

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

Graduation Day: Young’s Motorsports ARCA Menards Series East driver Leland Honeyman Jr. will graduate from the developmental series and make his NASCAR National Series debut in Thursday night’s UNOH 200.

About Leland: Honeyman, 17, aligns with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team after a successful 2021 season competing in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series, where he earned championship-runner-up honors and picked up an astounding victory in the annual Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway Fall Brawl.

The Phoenix, Ariz. native began honing his racing skills at the tender age of two racing Quads. By four years old, he moved into Trophy Karts and then subsequently collected three series championships in off-road racing Trophy Karts.

After an instrumental tenure in Go Karts, he moved into Bandolero competition in 2015 and two years later was crowned a Bandolero National Champion. From there, he moved into Limited Late Models before graduating to the Carolina Pro Late Model Series division in 2021.

Sponsor Intel: For the 20th Truck Series race of 2022, Young’s Motorsports and Honeyman welcome ARCA East partner LH Waterfront Construction as the primary marketing partner of the No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado RST this week at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Since 1995, LH Waterfront Construction has been building custom homes and performing remodels at the highest level.

Double Duty: In addition to Thursday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol, Honeyman will also compete in Thursday’s Bush’s Beans 200 in the ARCA Menards Series East.

The annual trip for the ARCA Menards Series East at Bristol is a combination event with the premier ARCA Menards Series and is the seventh and final event on their 2022 schedule.

2022 ARCA East Season Recap: In six ARCA Menards Series East starts this season, Honeyman has earned three top-five and five top-10 finishes, including a pole at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway and a career-best second in the same event. He has controlled the field for 27 laps thus far in 2022.

Overall, he holds an average start of 5.3 and an average finish of 6.0 entering Thursday night’s combination race between the premier ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East.

Leland Honeyman Jr. Truck Series Bristol Motor Speedway Stats: Thursday night’s UNOH 200 will mark Honeyman’s inaugural debut at “The Last Great Colosseum.”

Kansas Speedway | Kansas Lottery 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, Jesse Little drove the No. 20 National Carwash Solutions Chevrolet Silverado RST.

After starting the race from the 33rd place starting position, Little progressively moved forward during the 134-lap and had hoped to utilize pit strategy during Stage 3 to their advantage, but the team was forced to make a pit stop late in the race which relegated them to a frustrating 28th place finish.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Honeyman as crew chief of the No. 20 LH Waterfront Construction Chevrolet Silverado RST is veteran crew chief Andrew Abbott.

He will crew chief his 100th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Thursday night.

In his previous 99 races, he has one pole, two top-five and seven top-10 finishes

to his resume.

This weekend marks his ninth race as crew chief at the track dubbed the “World’s Fastest-Half Mile.”

Follow on Social Media: For more on Leland Honeyman Jr., please visit LelandHoneymanRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Leland Honeyman Racing) and follow on Instagram (@lelandhoneymanjr) and Twitter (@lelandhoneyman3).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Leland Honeyman Jr., Pre-Race Quote:

On Bristol Motor Speedway: “I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to make my NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on Thursday night with Young’s Motorsports.

“Thursday night is already going to be huge for me because it will mark the last race of the season in my first year of the ARCA Menards Series East, but I’m hoping we can transfer any success from the ARCA car to the Trucks and leave the track on Thursday night with a huge smile on our face.

“I cannot thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this week possible.”

Race Information:

The UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (200 laps | 106.6 miles) is the 20th of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Thursday, September 15, 2022, from 4:30 p.m. – 5:05 p.m. Qualifying will follow immediately beginning at 5:05 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 9:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

Uber Driver and Passenger Die in a Tampa Accident

By
SM
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Photo by Hassan OUAJBIR

According to statistics released by the state, around 333 deaths in 2021 resulted from crashes caused by distracted driving. Compared to the past eight years, this is the highest known record in Florida. Over one thousand distracted driving crashes occurred weekly in the United States last year. Over 3,100 people succumbed, and more than 424,000 sustained injuries from accidents caused by distracted driving.

In July 2022, an accident on the exit of Tampa Road killed an uber driver, Tracy Carson, and her passenger, Daniel Whitefield. Tracy Carson was heading to the airport to drop off her passenger, Daniel Whitfield, when a pickup driver trying to retrieve his phone from the floor collided with their car’s rear end.

When Carson picked up Daniel Whitfield at his residence in St. Petersburg that Monday morning, both were strangers. Whitfield was heading to the Tampa International Airport to catch a flight to Washington, D.C. On their way to the airport, they talked about Whitefield’s little child commemorating her first birthday, his copyrighting career, and his recently published first novel. Carson, on the other hand, served in the Air Force in the U.S, and her hobby was traveling the world.

They crossed over the Howard Frankland Bridge at around 7 a.m., but the traffic congestion from the intersecting roads made them stop on the exit ramp. According to a highway patrol officer’s report, the pickup truck rammed into the back side of the Toyota Camry that Carson and Whitfield were driving. Whitfield and Carson succumbed to the injuries.

In the best case scenario after an Uber accident, the parties share insurance information and come out unharmed. However in this case, the estate representatives of the victims have initiated a legal proceeding for the pickup driver and his employer to respond to charges of careless driving. The deadly crash is yet another indication of how distracted driving has taken innocent lives. According to the officer’s report, the pickup driver accepted that the accident occurred when he tried to pick up his phone, which had fallen to the floor while he was driving.

The Life of Daniel Whitfield

Daniel Whitfield, an ambitious man, desired to be a recognized author and have a big family.

He was a Birmingham, England native. In his early days, he loved different things; he performed in musical comedies and Shakespearean plays. He was also a wrestling fan who followed his favorite stars closely.

Upon completing his studies at the University of Nottingham, Whitfield won a scholarship to further his studies at Wisconsin University. He focused on the history of different countries and was an assistant lecturer teaching British history. He had no intention of staying in the United States, but he got an internship here, where he subsequently met his wife, Nena.

Later, he got a job in McLean working for a copywriting and fundraising services company. He married Nena in 2014 and together welcomed their first daughter, Dagny, in 2015. He later welcomed two more children; Zora and Magnolia.

Whitfield launched “Eagle Ascending,” his debut novel, in 2021. It is a thrilling story about a police officer in New York enquiring about a deadly Museum bombing. He would discover later that an infamous Nazi general, his grandfather, was part of the culprits who participated in planning the bombing. Daniel’s second novel will become known next year.

On the morning of the accident, Nena Whitfield waited for the usual text message from his husband that he would send telling him about his progress on the journey. But around that moment, a trooper came to their home to inform her about the demise of her husband.

In a social media post, Nena remembers how her husband would bring her flowers anytime he went to the market. She, in another post, acknowledges she was still grieving and had difficulty accepting the loss of her husband.

The Full Life of Tracy Carson

The tribute to Carson portrayed a person who lived an adventurous life. She was born in Illinois and served her country. After leaving the Force, she got a job in the government, and later became a coffee shop owner. Before moving permanently to St. Petersburg, she visited and lived in various parts of the world.

She was an intelligent, funny, kind, and thoughtful person. She loved outdoor activities; her game was skiing, scuba diving, and skydiving. She viewed life positively and would pass the vibe to people around her. She could start a conversation with people she met. Carson was a mother of three children, and one of her kids was a minor when the representatives initiated the legal proceeding.

Mr. Hientzelmeier’s Tragic Mistake

The day when Ms. Carson was heading to the airport to drop off a passenger, Mr. Howard Hientzelmeier was behind them in a 2021 Dodge Ram truck. Sunroom, a solar cell firm, owned the vehicle Hientzelmeier was driving.

The initial crash report indicated that the driver slammed into Carson’s car, making it spin around and drift to the roadside. The pickup smashed into the back of a Hyundai luxury Sedan, causing a back-end crash involving more than three vehicles.

According to the road patrol report, the pickup driver said that his phone had fallen and was attempting to find it when the accident occurred. The record indicates that he drove the truck carelessly and negligently, however, he has not been criminally charged yet because of a traffic homicide investigation currently running.

State officials describe distracted driving as a health problem, and the institution whose duty is to prevent and control the disease has on its social platforms addressed the menace. From 2010 to 2019, more than three thousand people died in accidents resulting from distracted driving.

There have been campaigns by troopers and other bodies mandated with highway behaviors to warn drivers from using their phones while driving. Unless people change their attitudes and behaviors, these tragic accidents are likely to continue.

How to Choose SUV Tires for Snow

By
SM
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Photo by Isaac Mitchell on Unsplash

Almost every passionate driver loves an SUV as it lets them command the road. With plenty of cargo space and the ability to drive anywhere one wants, SUVs are the functional and stylish mode of transportation that is adored by almost all. When it comes to traveling in the snow, proper attention must be given to the tires, which do the bulk of the work. SUV tires for snow are manufactured by many brands, but how do choose them? Let’s find out. 

  1. Knowing your tire size 

The first thing an SUV owner should know about the vehicle is its tire size. Normally winter and summer tires should be the same size. To get an accurate size, you can take a look at the sidewall. Purchasing tires that are too big or small, or too narrow or wide will have negative effects on the vehicle’s components as well as fuel efficiency. 

  1. Type of roads

This is a crucial factor to consider when choosing winter tires.  Is your SUV traveling on city roads, side roads, or highways? In case you drive a lot, only high-quality winter tires would do the trick. This is especially important for smaller SUVs which tend to skid in poor conditions. If the SUV is driven mostly on city roads, any tire with a good price-quality ratio would suffice. 

  1. Visual comparison

One of the best ways to ascertain a tire’s quality is to go to a store and compare them visually. Pay more attention to the different tires available and their grooves, flexibility, and lateral stiffness. Larger grooves tend to provide better traction on winter surfaces, helping the car to displace snow and slush. 

  1. Snow vs. ice tires

Many people have confused between snow and ice tires, thinking them to be the same.  However, ice tires are considered superior as they offer excellent traction on snow as well as ice. They are useful for application on highways and dry surfaces. You can opt for normal snow tires if you mainly drive downtown to travel through snow banks. 

  1. Handling and braking

Winter tires are considered mandatory in colder seasons as they have a major impact on handling and braking. Normal season tires lose much of their traction and flexibility when temperatures drop.  Choosing specialized winter tires for SUVs will help the vehicle brake more effectively and reliably and provide better turning. 

  1. Do not mix and match tires

It is never a good idea to fit tires of different brands on the same vehicle. This can affect your driving and handling, and can also cause premature damage to some parts. It is always recommended to install identical tires of the same brand to avoid extra stress on your vehicle. 

  1. Considering tread design

When traveling on icy or snowy roads, a tire’s tread pattern plays an important role. The winter tire you choose must have a raised tread design which should be able to repel snow and ice and reduce contact with the road. Some models also have a large number of incisions in the rubber to stabilize the SUV. 

  1. Considering tire composition

Winter tires for SUVs not only have a special tread but also a special composition. These tires normally consist of a softer rubber compound which prevents the tires from getting too hard when temperatures fall. It is radically different from summer tires, which become hard in cooler temperatures, causing reduced handling. 

  1. Sipe style

Siping refers to the creation of small slits across the tread of tires. This method is particularly used for winter tires, helping them function properly on icy surfaces and snow-covered roads. With siping, tires get additional edges in the tread which enhances grip. The tires expand and contract to push snow and slush away from the tread. The more siping a tire has, the better it performs on snow and ice. However, the sipe gap should be smaller in size to avoid road noise. The siping should be done in multiple directions to maximize grip when cornering. 

Why should you buy winter tires for SUVs?

Many people make the mistake of overlooking the purchase of tires for snow, especially if they already have all-season tires. Winter tires are ideal for rear-wheel-drive cars. Since these vehicles are powerful, it can be dangerous to travel in snowy conditions without the right type of tires in place. No matter what tire brand you choose, you should choose one with plenty of tread depth for icy conditions. 

Conclusion

No two SUV models are created equal, which makes choosing the right winter tires even more important. Whether it’s a compact SUV or a larger one, considering factors such as tire size, type, and lifestyle come into play. Fortunately, there are multiple choices available for your SUV tire preferences whatever your needs are. 

NASCAR’s Top-5 Racetracks in the US

By
SM
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NASCAR betting has surged in popularity in recent years, and races at these five top tracks are the most compelling on the circuit. 

Massachusetts Sports Betting has been legalized and will soon be operational in the Commonwealth. Kansas recently launched legal sports betting, and Ohio will be up and running on January 1, 2023.

For bettors in all three states, make sure to wager on events at these tracks to enhance your viewing of NASCAR races. 

NASCAR’s Top-5 Most Exciting Racetracks

Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR is different from other sports in the fact that its biggest race — the Daytona 500 — is the first event of the season. Daytona also hosts a night race during the July 4 holiday weekend.

Daytona is a 2.5-mile superspeedway where restrictor plates are used to slow cars down and prevent airborne wrecks. Restrictor-plate racing tasks teammates to work together in an aerodynamic draft. 

This type of racing often produces “The Big One” with multiple cars wrecking at the same time. It also produces some fantastic finishes. 

This year, rookie driver Austin Cindric used drafting help from Penske teammate Ryan Blaney to beat Bubba Wallace by .036 seconds at the finish line.  

Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega is the second of two superspeedways on the NASCAR circuit. The same brand of restrictor-plate racing is used to produce some harrowing wrecks and tight finishes at this 2.66-mile track in Alabama.

I was traveling with the NASCAR circus in 2000 when Dale Earnhardt Sr. won what would be his final Cup race at Talladega. Earnhardt craftily moved from 17th-place with four laps left to win in thrilling fashion. Check it out here:

Earnhardt died early the next year after a last-lap wreck in the Daytona 500. NASCAR redoubled its efforts to create safer racing conditions at restrictor-plate tracks. It’s one of the many racing legacies left behind by Earnhardt.       

Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol’s a little half-mile bullring located in the Tennessee mountains, and it’s historically put on some of the best short-track shows in NASCAR history. Bristol’s night race is a true spectacle in this Coliseum-like complex. Tempers often flare at Bristol, as they did at the finish of last year’s night race.

Watkins Glen International

We go from a short track to a road course for more excitement on the NASCAR circuit. Watkins Glen hosts its annual Cup race during the summer in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. 

Dig this last-lap excitement from arguably the best-ever finish at the Glen in 2012. 

Darlington Raceway 

Darlington is quintessential NASCAR. It’s known as “The Track Too Tough to Tame.” The annual Labor Day weekend race is one of the most anticipated night races of the season. Here are some of the best finishes in the Southern 500 at Darlington.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdu3npzJTRI

6 Best Free VPNs for Netflix That Still Work

By
SM
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Are you struggling to find a good, free VPN that still works with Netflix? You’re not alone. A lot of VPNs have been blocked by Netflix in recent years. But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. We’ve tested several different VPNs and found six that still work flawlessly with Netflix. So whether you’re looking to get Japanese Netflix in Australia or just want to keep your data safe online, we have something for you. Read on to learn more!

  1. ExpressVPN 

ExpressVPN offers a vast network comprising 3,000 servers spread over 94 nations. You can use it to access 20+ Netflix collections, including Netflix Japan, France, Australia, UK, US, and many more. 

This implies that you won’t have trouble locating a dependable server for Netflix streaming. ExpressVPN is among the few virtual private networks (VPNs) that work in limiting countries like China, allowing you to watch Netflix practically from anywhere in the world.

You get unrestricted data usage and extremely high speeds to view Netflix uninterrupted. The average ExpressVPN speed on servers in Australia, the UK, and the US is 67.8 Mbps. Without pausing, you may watch all your favorite Netflix programs in one sitting.

Various hardware and systems, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Smart TVs, routers, Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows, are compatible with ExpressVPN.

You can stream Netflix using ExpressVPN MediaStreamer (Smart DNS) on devices that do not support VPNs. You can connect up to 5 devices simultaneously with ExpressVPN without lag or buffering. You should only log into your VPN account and paste a supplied code into the network settings of your smart TV.

ExpressVPN is far superior to any free VPN for Netflix streaming, although it isn’t free. Additionally, a 30-day money-back guarantee is included, so you may risk-free test out all of ExpressVPN’s premium features. If you’re unhappy with it, getting a refund is simple.

  1. Avira Phantom VPN

Installing, utilizing, and accessing Netflix with Avira Phantom’s mobile apps couldn’t be simpler, and you have full access to its server network. However, using a Mac or Windows device, the VPN will only allow you to connect to the nearest location. 

Although its speeds are slower than those of ExpressVPN, using its US servers will still provide you with good speeds which are adequate for HD streaming. You can use it on as many devices as possible because it supports unlimited device connections with only 500MB of data per month.

The premium subscription of Avira Phantom, which offers unlimited data, live support, and additional security features, also comes with a 7-day free trial. Aside from the meager 500MB of monthly data, a free user is not permitted to use live help. But you can discover solutions to frequently asked questions in its helpful online knowledge base.

  1. hide.me

Hide.me will provide consistent speeds so you may stream your preferred programs without buffering. The server’s speed will never be below 24.5 Mbps, regardless of how far it is from your location. Although it doesn’t give unlimited data like CyberGhost or ExpressVPN, it allows you to watch in HD for roughly 5 hours with 10GB of data each month.

Even though the free plan of hide.me doesn’t support streaming, 4 Netflix libraries will still be unblocked. The servers are in the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and Canada (East & West).

However, hide.me only allows one device to be connected simultaneously. You cannot reach this limit without making several accounts because you must register to utilize them as the free plan does not allow you to configure it on your router.

Its customer service is available around-the-clock, which is extremely uncommon with free VPNs. Additionally, hide.me provides a comprehensive knowledge section with simple setup instructions.

  1. CyberGhost

With the help of servers designed particularly for the platform, CyberGhost enables its customers to unblock Netflix. It has an extensive server network with 8,935 servers spread over 91 nations. With its streaming-optimized servers, you can use it to access more than 15 Netflix libraries, including those from the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Sweden.

Fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth make it perfect for uninterrupted Netflix streaming. Even if ExpressVPN is faster, it still provides outstanding speeds. Although the program from CyberGhost is simple to use, it cannot be utilized in China due to a ban.

While not entirely free, CyberGhost offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee that allows you to use it risk-free. In case you’re dissatisfied, you can always request a refund. They also have a fantastic customer service team that always quickly answers your inquiries.

  1. ProtonVPN

You can stream for as long as you’d like with ProtonVPN since it’s among the few free VPNs that deliver unlimited data. You won’t experience annoyances during your favorite movie viewing because ProtonVPN’s 100+ free servers – in Japan, the Netherlands, and the US – all have respectable speeds. You can watch your preferred shows in HD thanks to the quick speeds.

ProtonVPN allows users with Linux, Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and routers to use it for free. This implies that even though you only have access to one device, you may still use a router to stream free Netflix on all your devices.

Using the app is simple on both mobile and desktop devices. The fantastic thing with ProtonVPN is that you can view the load on each server, saving you time from having to look for the fastest one. Furthermore, there are no ads at all with the ProtonVPN software. This is a huge advantage because most free VPNs contain endless adverts.

One drawback is that, in contrast to other free VPNs on our list, ProtonVPN’s free servers exclusively unblock Netflix Originals. There is a ton of helpful information in the knowledge base; however, support can only be reached by email.

  1.  TunnelBear

Contrary to most free VPNs, this one provides unlimited free access to all servers. Finding a trustworthy server is made simpler due to the decrease in crowding. It gives you access to libraries from more than five Netflix countries, including France, Canada, the UK, and the US.

At least with close servers, it offers sufficient speeds for Netflix streaming. You may, however, stream Netflix in SD.

With only one click, you may establish a connection to a server, and TunnelBear is available for all popular OS systems to download. If you’re unfamiliar with VPNs, the user-friendly interface from TunnelBear is excellent.

The free plan only offers 500MB per month, which is only enough for 30 minutes of SD video – which is highly disappointing. Additionally, they provide a helpful customer service staff who will always help you if needed.

Conclusion

A VPN is the perfect solution if you’re looking for a way to watch your favorite shows and movies from any country. Netflix isn’t the only one that can use a VPN. All of the VPNs on our list are still working with Netflix so that you can stream without worry. Have you tried using a VPN to watch Netflix? Which one was your favorite?

NCS AT BRISTOL: Team Chevy Advance

By
Official Release
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TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
September 17, 2022

NCS PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 16 ELIMINATION: BRISTOL

500-laps around the high-banked, .533-mile, concrete oval of Bristol Motor Speedway will determine the 12 drivers that will continue in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) championship title hunt. Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the famed short track known as “The Last Great Colosseum” is the third race of the 2022 NCS playoffs, marking the first elimination race in the post-season run to the championship. This season is the third consecutive year that Bristol Motor Speedway has held the role as the Round of 16 cutoff race for the series.

NASCAR’s premier series first made its debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1961; and since the inaugural event, the track has hosted 121 races for the series. The winningest manufacturer in the NCS at Bristol, Chevrolet leads the way in wins with 46, most recently coming with Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team in the 2021 playoff race at the track. That triumph at the Tennessee short track was Larson’s first of five in the 2021 playoffs.. a feat that tied Tony Stewart’s record for the most wins recorded in a single post-season.

With the first two playoff races being won by non-playoff drivers and only one driver locked-in by points; stakes are even higher for drivers and teams across the playoff field. Coming off consecutive top-10 finishes in the first two races of the Round of 16; William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team leads the bowtie brand in the playoff standings in second, 48-points above the cutline.

Sixth through 11th in the playoff standings are currently taken by Chevrolet drivers with Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman (6th), Chase Elliott (7th) and Kyle Larson (8th); Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain (9th) and Daniel Suarez (10th); and Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick in 11th. While Reddick’s teammate Austin Dillon might be on the outside looking in, the No. 3 RCR Camaro ZL1 team is just three-points below the cutline.

A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into Round of 16 elimination race, including season numbers and career stats at Bristol Motor Speedway:

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings (+48 points above the cutline)
2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 2
Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 7; Laps Led: 671;
Average Finish: 17.3; Stage Wins: 4

At Bristol Motor Speedway:
Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 2; Average Finish: 18.143
Of Note:

  • The 2022 season marks Byron’s fourth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.
  • Bryon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs came in 2021, finishing the season 10th in the final standings.
  • Byron has recorded back-to-back top-10 finishes in the first two races of the Round of 16 (Darlington – 8th; Kansas – 6th).

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 6th in Playoff Standings (+30 points above the cutline)
2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 1
Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 12; Laps Led: 136;
Average Finish: 15.1; Stage Wins: 2

At Bristol Motor Speedway:
Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 3; Average Finish; 20.455

Of Note:

  • The 2022 season marks Bowman’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.
  • Bowman has raced his way into the Round of 12 in each of his NCS playoff appearances; making it to the Round of Eight in the 2020 season to score a career-best sixth in the final standings.
  • Bowman scored a stage win and led a race-high 107 laps en route to a fourth-place finish at Kansas; moving him from 10th to sixth in the playoff standings and 30-points above the cutline.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 7th in Playoff Standings (+28 points above the cutline)
2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion
2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 4 (series-leading)
Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 17; Laps Led: 719; Average Finish: 11.5; Stage Wins: 5

At Bristol Motor Speedway:
Pole Wins: 1; Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 5;
Average Finish: 13.273

Of Note:

  • For the first time in his NCS career, Elliott was crowned the 2022 NCS Regular Season Champion.
  • The 2022 season marks Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.
  • Elliott has advanced to the Championship 4 the past two seasons, winning his first career NCS Driver Championship in 2020.
  • Six of his 17 career NCS wins have come in the playoffs.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 8th in Playoff Standings (+27 points above the cutline)
2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 2
Pole Wins: 3; Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 14;
Laps Led: 307; Average Finish: 14.0;
Stage Wins: 3

At Bristol Motor Speedway:
Victories: 1; Pole Wins; Top-fives: 3; Top-10s: 8; Average Finish: 13.385

Of Note:

  • In 2021, Larson scored his first career NCS Regular Season Championship, going on to win his first career NCS Driver Championship.
  • The 2022 season marks Larson’s sixth appearance in the NCS playoffs, with 2021 bringing Larson his first trip to the Championship 4.
  • During the playoff era (2004-present); Larson leads the series in ‘multiple playoff race wins in a single season’ with five in 2021 (Bristol, Charlotte ROVAL, Texas, Kansas, Phoenix).
  • Larson is the series’ most recent winner at Bristol Motor Speedway (September 2021).

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 9th in Playoff Standings (+26 points above the cutline)
2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 2
Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 15; Laps Led: 584; Average Finish: 14.5; Stage Wins: 5
At Bristol Motor Speedway:

Average Finish: 26.8

Of Note:

  • The 2022 season marks Chastain’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs.
  • Chastain secured a playoff berth with his first career NCS win at COTA in March; also marking Trackhouse Racing’s first win in the organization’s second season in the series.

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 10th in Playoff Standings (+6 points above the cutline)
2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 1
Top-Fives: 6; Top-10s: 11; Laps Led: 246;
Average Finish: 16.3; Stage Wins: 2

At Bristol Motor Speedway:
Top-10s: 2; Average Finish: 16

Of Note:

  • The 2022 season marks Suarez’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs.
  • Suarez earned his playoff berth following his first career NCS win at Sonoma Raceway.

Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 11th in Playoff Standings (+2 points above the cutline)

2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 2
Pole Wins: 2; Top-Fives: 9; Top-10s: 12;
Laps Led: 369; Average Finish: 16.8;
Stage Wins: 2

At Bristol Motor Speedway:
Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 1; Average Finish: 17.333

Of Note:

  • The 2022 season marks Reddick’s second consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs, with his first coming in 2021.
  • Reddick earned a playoff berth following his first career NCS win at Road America; going on to win his second of the season at the Indianapolis Road Course.

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 14th in Playoff Standings (-3 points below the cutline)
2022 Season To-Date:
Victories: 1
Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 8; Laps Led: 21;
Average Finish: 16.6

At Bristol Motor Speedway:
Top-10s: 1; Top-10s: 3; Average Finish: 16.867

Of Note:

  • The 2022 season marks Dillon’s fifth appearance in the NCS playoffs.
  • Dillon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs is 11th, accomplishing that feat in 2017 and 2020.

Chevrolet All-Time NASCAR Cup Series

Championships:

Manufacturer Championships:

1st Chevy Title: 1958

Most Recent Title: 2021

Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 13 (2003-2015)

Driver Championships:

1st Chevy title: Buck Baker (1957)

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 7 (2005-2011)

 
GRAGSON CONTINUES A CAREER-SEASON

As the season winds down, Noah Gragson and the No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SS team continues to heat up. Edging out teammate Justin Allgaier to capture the stage two win at Kansas Speedway – his series-leading 13th of the season – Gragson was at the top of the leaderboard when the skies opened up, with rain forcing the race to be called official. The victory was Gragson’s career-best and now series-leading fifth of the season, including second in a row.

Continuing its winning ways, the Camaro SS now sits at 18 victories in the series’ 25 races, more than double its manufacturer competitors combined. Chevrolet is also well on its way to its sixth consecutive NXS Manufacturer Championship, with another dominate weekend extending Chevrolet’s lead in the manufacturer points standings to 115-points over second.

NXS REGULAR-SEASON FINALE AT BRISTOL

While the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs are already underway, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will head to Bristol Motor Speedway to conclude its regular-season and complete the 12-driver playoff field that will compete for the NXS championship title.

Heading into Friday’s Food City 300, only two spots remain for drivers to either point or win their way into the 2022 NXS playoffs. Of the 10 drivers that have already clinched their playoff berth, seven come from the bowtie brigade. Six of those Chevrolet drivers have won their way into the playoff field, including NXS points leader AJ Allmendinger; JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson and Josh Berry; RCR’s Austin Hill; and Jeremy Clements. Following his 13th top-10 finish of the season at Kansas, JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer secured his spot in the playoffs by points and the seventh Chevrolet driver to advance to the post-season.

Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger is heading into the series’ regular-season finale looking to not only go back-to-back in wins at Bristol, but also defend his NXS regular-season championship title. The 40-year-old California native has been at the top of the points standings leaderboard for much of the season; and currently sitting at a 38-point lead over second, Allmendinger is a favorite for the regular-season title and the playoff bonus points.

ENFINGER REPRESENTING TEAM CHEVY IN NCWTS ROUND OF 8

Chevrolet’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff contender, Grant Enfinger, took the first round of the series’ playoffs by storm. Right out of the gate, Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team solidified their spot into the Round of 8 with their win in the series’ playoff opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Enfinger went on to make it three-for-three in top-five finishes in the Round of 10; following up his victory with a fourth-place finish at Richmond Raceway and a fifth-place finish at Kansas Speedway last weekend.

The NCWTS Round of 8 is made up of three races on three very different racetrack configurations. First up is the short track of Bristol Motor Speedway, with Thursday’s UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics also kicking off the NASCAR tripleheader race weekend. The second race of the Round of 8 will take place on a superspeedway (Talladega Superspeedway, October 1), with the 1.5-mile oval of Homestead-Miami Speedway hosting the elimination race that will determine the NCWTS Championship 4.

BOWTIE BULLETS

· Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway include:

   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 (2021)

· Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 46 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Bristol Motor Speedway. Chevrolet’s first win at the track came in July 1971 with Charlie Glotzbach, with the bowtie brand going on to win seven in a row.

· Erik Jones leads all active drivers in average finishing position at Bristol Motor Speedway with a 12.444 in nine career starts.

· Three of the top-five NASCAR Cup Series drivers that have led the most laps thus far come from the bowtie brand, led by the 2022 NCS regular-season champion Chase Elliott (719 laps). Joining Elliott in the top-five of that chart includes William Byron in second (671 laps) and Ross Chastain in fourth (584 laps).

· In 28 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying racing, Chevrolet continues to lead all manufacturers in NCS race wins (16), top-fives (66), top-10s (122), laps led (3,295) and stage wins (23). With a double-digit lead in wins over its manufacturer competitors with only eight races remaining; Chevrolet has already clinched the most NCS wins recorded in a single season among all manufacturers.

· Chevrolet’s manufacturer-leading 16 NASCAR Cup Series wins in 2022 have been recorded by nine drivers from four different Chevrolet Teams. Eight of those drivers won their way into the 16-driver playoff field, giving Chevrolet 50 percent of the playoff field in the opening round.

· Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 23 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:

Tyler Reddick 2 – Fontana x2

Alex Bowman 1 – Las Vegas, Kansas

Ross Chastain 4 – Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono, Richmond

William Byron 4 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington

Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte

Chase Elliott 3 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2

Kyle Larson 3 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono

· Reigning NASCAR Cup Series and NASAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer Champions, Chevrolet, continues to lead in the manufacturer points standings in both series. The bowtie brand leads the NCS manufacturer points standings by 92-points, with the manufacturer’s lead in the NXS standings expanding to 115-points.

· Heading into the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway, AJ Allmendinger will look to capture his second-career NXS regular-season championship title; entering the race with a 38-point lead over second. Of the 10 drivers that have already clinched their playoff berth in the series, seven come from the bowtie brand.

· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 830 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.

FOR THE FANS

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Bristol Motor Speedway.

· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Tahoe Z71, Blazer RS, 1500 Silverado Crew ZR2, 2500 Silverado Crew LTZ, Equinox RS, Traverse RS, Corvette Z51, Camaro ZL1.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Thursday, September 15

· Rajah Caruth: 1:30 p.m.

· Grant Enfinger & Jack Wood: 1:45 p.m.

· Carson Hocevar & Lawless Alan: 3:30 p.m.

Friday, September 16

· Kris Wright: 12:15 p.m.

· Brandon Brown: 12:30 p.m.

· Nick Sanchez: 12:45 p.m.

· Jeremy Clements: 4:45 p.m.

Saturday, September 17

· Corey LaJoie: 4 p.m.

· Ty Dillon: 5 p.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Thursday, September 15: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Friday, September 16: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 17: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Tune In:

USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 17. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, September 16. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 15. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1

This weekend is a playoff cutoff race, what’s it going to be like?

“I’m so happy to be racing on the concrete at Bristol this time. It’s going to be an intense race because it’s an elimination race and I’m sure NASCAR knew what they were doing when they made it an elimination race. The atmosphere is always a little wild – walking through all of the fans and their excitement.”

What do you think the race at Bristol is going to be like?

“I don’t think I have an answer for that. With the new car its changed how we drive so many tracks with the shifting and different things, so only time will tell, especially on the concrete at Bristol.”

Do you ever take time to think about all of the stuff you’ve been through in your career, and now you see your name and think ‘wow?’

“I do. It’s interesting because with this current car, watching a ton of old races for each track you’re at doesn’t really apply anymore. You can really only look at the race earlier this year. So when I go back and look at races from earlier this year when we are headed back for the second time, and we had a winning car, that’s where I go ‘wow, that’s crazy to me.’ Seeing my name at the merchandise hauler is cool but where I really feel it is when I think about all of the winning cars I’ve had this year.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on if high-intensity dirt-track racing helps “slow down” the racing action at Bristol Motor Speedway for him:

“I think Bristol (Motor Speedway) is definitely higher paced, higher intensity and more chaotic than any other track we go to. I’m used to high-intensity racing almost every week, so maybe the action ‘slows down’ a little bit for me at Bristol. I guarantee it doesn’t feel slow in the cockpit. It feels crazy and chaotic, and that’s why I love it.”

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

Daniels on if characteristics of concrete Dover Motor Speedway track carry over to Bristol:

“We’ve studied the most relevant data points we can pull from for comparison from years past – Dover (Motor Speedway) being one of them and other short tracks being another. Bristol is not really a short track and it’s not really an intermediate – it’s a super-fast short track. There are characteristics from both styles of tracks that kind of blend for Bristol, so how we have blended things in the past is how we are preparing for this weekend.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on the approach you must have heading into the first elimination race:

“No one is safe in this grid and this format. You have to be willing to accept a hard challenge or accept a must-win situation. I’ve said that a lot over the last few years. Phoenix (Raceway) is a must win, so you are just preparing yourself to embrace moments like that more and be more comfortable in situations of that magnitude. We’ll see what it brings.”

Elliott on the unknowns of racing the Next Gen for the first time on the concrete Bristol layout: “That one is really interesting in my opinion. I’m excited to get to Bristol (Motor Speedway). It’s a really iconic event on our schedule. That fall night race is one that I always look forward to going to. I’m excited about that. Hopefully, you get it (the setup) right because it will be a bit of a guess for everyone.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson on the challenge of the Next Gen car at Bristol:

“It’s going to be a challenge for sure since we haven’t raced there with this car. Bristol (Motor Speedway) is super unique. There’s not a whole lot you can find a lot of parallels with. It’s going to be a clean sheet of paper setup and you have no experience running there. This is going to be one of the tougher ones for sure. The key is to have a good car and have good speed. That will open up a lot of opportunities to score a lot of points and I certainly think that we’re capable of doing that.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1

Byron on what it will take to continue momentum through the final race of the Round of 16: “I think we need just one more solid, smooth race to say that we’ve turned things around from the summer. We’ve had two good races so far to open this round. It’s really about continuing to limit the damage and mistakes in the first round especially with how a lot of things are different this year. The competition seems to fluctuate more at different style tracks. It’s more about racing your own race and not the competition. You need to be the best version of yourself and can’t overthink too much. It’s race the way we know how and definitely not do anything too crazy right now to jeopardize that. We just need to make sure we continue to have all the little details buttoned up so we don’t cost us our own race and we’ll advance on.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1

Fugle on the strategy involved for Saturday’s race:

“This weekend is a little bit of an unknown since we haven’t race at Bristol (Motor Speedway) yet with the Next Gen car, not on dirt. We have a good short-track package from previous races this season that gives us a good starting point. I think historically this race, similar to the first two races of the playoffs, have more of a strategy element to them. You have a chance of long green-flag runs and having to manage lap traffic. That brings up the decision on when to pit or when not to pit. Those types of races are the ones we live for. If a caution comes out at the right time, you can’t control that. Once and awhile you have a straight forward race where everything lines up and you consistently pit within the same five-lap window. Those races are nice but it doesn’t happen often. We get paid to make those decisions on what to do when. It makes it interesting to watch especially with points on the line. Saturday night’s race could come down to who made the right calls when.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on his approach to Saturday’s race at Bristol:

“I think we have a lot of momentum heading to Bristol (Motor Speedway) and our team is focused on making a championship run. Greg (Ives) and the team back at the shop have been building really fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaros and our pit crew has been firing on all cylinders. Getting a top-10 finish at Darlington Raceway and then a top-five finish at Kansas Speedway really puts our best foot forward this postseason.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Ives on heading to Bristol for the first elimination race:

“We are in a good place heading into the elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway – 30 points ahead of the cut line is nice but more is always good. Alex (Bowman) has done a great job the last couple of weeks, maximizing every opportunity and getting all the points we can. We are going to approach Bristol like we do every other weekend and try to maximize points.”

TY DILLON, NO. 42 EG3 TECHNOLOGIES CAMARO ZL1

When we last visited Bristol in the spring, you fought hard to secure your first Top-10 of the season. What mindset do you bring as we head back there this weekend?

“For sure, when we raced on Bristol’s dirt configuration in the spring time, our No. 42 team put together a fantastic race. We were able to win our heat race, which gave us the track position that we needed to be in contention throughout the entire race. However, as we return this weekend, it’s going to be a completely different animal because nobody has any laps on this surface with the NextGen car. At the end of the day though, Bristol will always be Bristol in the sense that you need to survive all 500 laps to have a shot at a decent result. If we can unload our EG3 Technologies Chevy with speed right off the truck, I think we can have another solid showing.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1

William Byron said you are the most dangerous driver in the playoffs and the driver to watch out for that might win it all. How does that make you feel?

“He said I’m the most dangerous in the playoffs? I get goosebumps by you saying that because I’ve been working really hard to do that. I’m the kind of guy where I like to do it that way. If you think about it – the year I won the (Xfinity) championship – not a lot of people would bet on me. I did and I won it. I like it that way. I like to be under the radar and not to make a lot of noise. Go out there and beat them, but quietly.”

What are the challenges of racing the Next Gen car on the concrete at Bristol for the first time?

“That’s a very good question. The only racetrack that we’ve been that is similar to Bristol – but not the same by any means – is Dover. Nobody really knows what to expect at Bristol. It’s a racetrack that is by itself. It’s completely different than anything else and it’s a tough place. With 20 minutes of practice; if you miss it during the week, you’re going to have a long weekend and a long 500 laps.

I love Bristol. It’s actually one of my favorite racetracks and I’m really looking forward to the challenge. I’m not really thinking about it too much once I’m in the race. But during the week, there are a lot of conversations about that. I think the preparation we do during the week is going to be important because nobody really knows what is going to work in Bristol, just because it’s so different than everything else that we’ve done.”

Are you satisfied with your season?

“Somebody asked me if I was happy and excited to be in the playoffs, and honestly it feels normal to me. This is not a surprise. I think the fun part is about to begin. The winning was a lot of fun. I proved to myself that I can do it. I knew I could do it, but now everybody knows as well. They do know that I can do it and my team can do it, and we have everything that it takes to get it done. Now we have to do it on a consistent basis. In the last two months, we’ve been extremely consistent.”

As a first time playoff driver, are you at a disadvantage going up against drivers who have already won a championship?

“I feel like those guys are already champions, they already know the feeling. So the advantage that they have mostly is mental, not so much physically in the car. But they already know what it feels like. I’ve had this feeling in the Xfinity Series, which is different. But at the same time, it’s the same thing, just multiple it by three or four. I think if we can stay calm, relax and continue to do exactly the same thing that we’ve been doing the last few months, we’re going to be in good shape.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

Enfinger’s thoughts on beginning this next round of the playoffs at Bristol:

“Honestly, our strategy for the other races in this round won’t matter until we get past Bristol. Jeff (Hensley, Crew Chief) and the rest of the No. 23 Champion Power Equipment team have put a lot of effort behind our chassis this week – it’s the same one that we raced at IRP with. So hopefully, that goes well for us, but you never know how it’s going to play out at that track. There are eight of us that want to go out there and lock ourselves into the championship, so it’s going to be a tough fight no doubt. We can’t really look past this race, because depending on how our race at Bristol goes to open this next round will determine our outlook moving forward.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 24 CHEVYLINERS.COM SILVERADO RST

Wood’s thoughts on making his first truck start at Bristol:

“I’m excited to return to short track racing this weekend; I think Bristol is a track that provides us with an opportunity to have a solid night, but there is also an opportunity to showcase a lot of attrition. If we can just keep our nose clean and put ourselves in the right spot at the right time, it should hopefully allow for us to have a good finish which will help us build momentum for the final four races of the season. It will be a short trip up to Tennessee, and I’m excited to hit the high banks with my No. 24 ChevyLiners.com Silverado RST.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 40

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

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)

2022 STATISTICS:

Wins: 16

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 3,295

Top-five finishes: 66

Top-10 finishes: 122

Stage wins: 23

Tyler Reddick (Fontanax2)
Alex Bowman (Las Vegas), (Kansas)
Ross Chastain (Las Vegas), (Darlington), (Charlotte), (Pocono), (Richmond)
William Byron (Phoenix), (Atlanta), (Talladega), (Darlington)
Daniel Suarez (COTA), (Charlotte)
Chase Elliott (Martinsvillex2), (Charlotte), (Atlantax2)
Kyle Larson (Bristol Dirt), (Sonoma), (Pocono)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 830 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 731

Laps led to date: 244,631

Top-five finishes to date: 4,204

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,677

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,164

       Chevrolet: 830

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 817                                                           

       Ford: 717

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



      Toyota: 168

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.

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Bristol

By
Official Release
-

Bristol Motor Speedway
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022
.533-Mile Oval
7:30 PM ET
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (29 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 8th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

TENNESSEE TITAN: Last September on the .533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson led a race-high 175 laps en route to his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series victory on the Tennessee track. The win, which was his sixth of a 10-victory championship season, was his first of two consecutive playoff elimination race wins.

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW: Larson finished eighth on Sunday in the 400-mile event at Kansas Speedway – his 14th top-10 in 28 Cup Series races this season. He has also garnered 10 top-five finishes which is tied for the series lead with Ross Chastain and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott.

THIRD AND 12: Heading into the final Round of 16 race, Larson is currently eighth in the driver point standings. He is 31 markers behind the leader and 27 markers ahead of the cutoff position entering the elimination event. No matter how the other competitors finish in the two stages or the race, the defending race winner will advance to the Round of 12 if he secures at least 29 points in the race scheduled for 500 laps.

FANTASY STATS: Along with last year’s win, Larson has three top-five finishes and eight top-10s in 13 starts on the Bristol concrete track. He has led 816 circuits around the high-banked short track – second most for the 30-year-old driver and trailing only Dover Motor Speedway (899 laps led) in that statistical category.

NICKEL BACK: In 12 playoff starts while driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, the Elk Grove, California, native has visited victory lane in five of those events. He trails three drivers in that statistical category for the 14-time championship organization. Elliott has six playoff wins while Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon has seven. Larson trails seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson by 24.

DOUBLE-DIGIT FAVORITE: With 12 wins since the beginning of 2021, Larson is the only double-digit winner over that span. The 30-year-old driver has six more than Elliott and seven more than Alex Bowman – his Hendrick Motorsports teammates that rank second and third during that timeframe.

AWAY UNIFORMS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and wear his blue “away” uniform. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 94 dealership locations nationwide and provides the complete home and away schedule.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 7th

No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Bristol Motor Speedway media center on Friday, Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m. local time.

COVER FOUR DEFENSE: After a solid run at Kansas Speedway allowed him to gain 14 points on the cutoff line from the previous week, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team currently sit 28 points above the elimination line. Elliott is seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings heading into this weekend’s Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway. No matter what other playoff drivers do, Elliott will advance to the Round of 12 if he scores at least 28 points. This is his seventh consecutive playoff appearance. The previous two seasons he advanced to the Championship 4, earning a Cup Series title in 2020.

TENNESSEE SLOBBERKNOCKER: This Saturday, Elliott will make his 12th Bristol Cup Series start on the track’s concrete oval. The 26-year-old driver has three top-five finishes – a best effort of third – five top-10s and 439 laps led at “The Last Great Colosseum” – his third-most at active tracks on the Cup Series circuit. Elliott tops the category of the longest active streak of races led on the concrete surface with six. He’s led 423 laps in that span, which is the most of any driver. While the driver of the No. 9 is winless in Cup Series points races at Bristol, Elliott and the team captured the NASCAR All-Star Race win there in 2020.

DUAL-THREAT QUARTERBACK: This weekend also marks Elliott’s 250th Cup Series start, all of which have been with Hendrick Motorsports. So far in his career, he’s earned 17 wins, 84 top-five finishes, 134 top-10s and led 4,762 laps. He garnered top rookie honors in 2016 and captured the Cup Series championship in 2020. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native is also the reigning NMPA Most Popular Driver Award winner, an honor he’s received for four consecutive years.

FORCED FUMBLE: Last fall at Bristol, Elliott led 129 of 500 laps, finishing inside the top five in each of the first two stages. In the final stage, the 2020 Cup Series champion had a tire go down, forcing him to pit under the green flag late in the race. The unscheduled stop relegated him to a 25th-place finish, which was still good enough for Elliott to advance to the Round of 12.

MAN IN MOTION: Elliott will make his 40th short-track start in the Cup Series this Saturday at Bristol. In those previous 39 races, he has garnered one win (Martinsville Speedway 2020), 13 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and led 1,437 laps. Elliott currently leads the field with 604 laps led over the last five short-track races. This season across three paved short-track starts, he has one top-five finish, two top-10s, the fifth-most points on that track type and 186 laps led, earning a best effort of fifth last month at Richmond Raceway. He also scored the pole earlier this year at Martinsville.

THE GUNNER: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 33rd Bristol Cup Series race on Saturday night. In his previous 32 starts at the track, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has one win (Kyle Busch in 2007), nine top-five finishes and 16 top-10s with 1,039 laps led. This season marks Gustafson’s 15th playoff appearance, second to only Hendrick Motorsports’ Chad Knaus. The duo is also 1-2 in most wins by crew chiefs in the playoffs – Knaus with 29 and Gustafson with 12. Six of Gustafson’s playoff victories have come with Elliott.

DOWN, SET, HOOT HOOT: Hooters is back on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend for its second of three races in 2022 Saturday night at Bristol. In conjunction with the race, Elliott will stop by the Johnson City, Tennessee, Hooters (2288 North Roan Street) for an autograph session from 11 a.m.- 12 p.m. local time on Friday. Hooters will also be the primary partner for the No. 9 team next month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Get a look at all of the angles of the 2022 Hooters paint scheme here.

WING FORMATION: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles when Elliott finishes in the top 10. If he wins, customers receive free boneless wings with any 10-wing purchase. Get more details at hooters.com/racing.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 2nd

No. 24 Acronis Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

COVERING THE POINT SPREAD: With two races complete and one to go in the Round of 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, William Byron sits second in the standings and is 48 points above the cutoff line heading into Bristol Motor Speedway. His sixth-place effort at Kansas Speedway saw him gain 16 points on the elimination line. No matter what other playoff drivers do, the 24-year-old will advance to the Round of 12 if he scores at least eight points in Saturday night’s race.

DRIVING THE FIELD: Byron continues to hold the statistic of leading the second-most laps so far this season with 671 behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who has led 719. Those 671 laps led by Byron are not only his most in a single Cup Series season but have come across 15 races.

SECOND AND TEN: In the first two playoff races, only five drivers have finished in the top 10 in both races. Byron is one of those five drivers with an eighth-place finish at Darlington Raceway and a sixth-place effort in Kansas. The others to accomplish this are his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman as well as Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace.

ALL-PRO: With the Cup Series taking on its fourth paved short track of the 2022 season, Byron has momentum on his side. In the three previous paved short-track races this year, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has collected 133 points – the most of any driver. In the last five short-track races, Byron has one win, four top-five finishes with 334 laps led – the second-most laps led in the last five races on that track type behind teammate Elliott. In fact, Byron is the only driver to finish in the top five in four of the last five short-track races.

BATTLE IN THE TRENCHES: This weekend, Byron will make his eighth Cup Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has a best qualifying effort of second at “The Last Great Colosseum,” lining up alongside teammate Elliott in April 2019. In his seven starts at Bristol, the fifth-year Cup Series driver has a track-best finish of third coming in last year’s fall race which helped lock him into the next round of the playoffs.

CALLING AN AUDIBLE: Saturday night’s race will mark crew chief Rudy Fugle’s second Cup Series start on pavement at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” In last year’s showing, Fugle and the No. 24 team qualified 14th and went on to score a third-place finish in the playoff elimination race. In nine other NASCAR national series starts (seven in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and two in the NASCAR Xfinity Series), Fugle has one win at the .533-mile track, coming in the summer of 2013 with Kyle Busch. His drivers have collected three top-five finishes, along with six top-10s in his Truck Series starts atop the pit box.

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!: Earlier this year it was announced that Acronis would extend its partnership with Hendrick Motorsports through 2025. The extension included two primary races with Byron and the No. 24 team, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course earlier this season as well as Saturday night’s race at Bristol. With its unique combination of automation and integration, Acronis offers complete cyber protection. Its solutions safeguard data, applications, systems and productivity against loss, theft and downtime – from cyberattacks and hardware failures to natural disasters and human error. Hendrick Motorsports protects its data, applications, systems and overall racing operations by utilizing Acronis for cyber protection, security, backup, anti-ransomware and disaster recovery. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 Acronis Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Greg Ives

Standings: 6th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

LAST DRIVE: Last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Alex Bowman took home his fourth top-five finish of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, crossing the finish line in fourth. The No. 48 driver finished the first stage in 17th and won the second stage, leading a season-high 107 laps at the 1.5-mile venue.

PICK SIX: Bowman’s top-five performance at Kansas bumped the 29-year-old driver’s playoff ranking to sixth, gaining 20 points on the cutoff line and moving up four positions with one race to go in the Round of 16. He is 30 points above the elimination line heading to Bristol Motor Speedway. No matter what other playoff drivers do, if Bowman earns at least 26 points on Saturday night, he will lock himself into the next round.

ALL-OUT BLITZ: As the Cup Series heads to Bristol this Saturday, Bowman has 11 starts at the .533-mile venue. In those appearances, the Tucson, Arizona, native has two top-five finishes and three top-10s. His most recent result on the concrete layout of “The Last Great Colosseum” was a fifth-place result in September 2021.

IN THE RED ZONE: Bowman is one of five Cup Series drivers to finish in the top 10 in the first two races in the Round of 16. The driver of the No. 48 is joined by teammate William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace as the lone drivers to do this.

TWO-MINUTE DRILL: In the last 10 races at short tracks in the Cup Series, Bowman has taken home hardware with wins at Richmond Raceway (April 2021) and the penultimate race of the 2021 postseason at Martinsville Speedway. In addition to Bowman, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick also have two short-track wins over this stretch.

FOUR-THREE FORMATION: Crew chief Greg Ives celebrated his 43rd birthday on Tuesday. The veteran crew chief has tallied a total of 10 wins, 50 top-five finishes and 107 top-10s across his eight-year career atop the pit box in the Cup Series. Ives has called the shots for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Bowman in NASCAR’s premier series. Last month, the Michigan native announced he would be stepping down from his crew chief duties at season’s end and transitioning to a different role at Hendrick Motorsports.

REVVING TO A MILESTONE: The engine shop at Hendrick Motorsports sits one win away from 500 victories. To date, the company’s engine program is responsible for 337 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, 125 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, 22 wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and 15 wins in the ARCA Menards Series and the K&N Pro Series (now ARCA Menards Series East and West) ranks.

LEADING THE WAY: With nine wins through 28 Cup Series races in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has earned the most victories so far this season. It is the only four-car team to see all of its drivers win a race this season. The organization is also the only one to have multiple drivers with at least two wins – Chase Elliott (four), Kyle Larson (two) and William Byron (two). On top of that, Elliott and Byron rank 1-2 in laps led this year.

FITS LIKE A GLOVE: For this weekend’s on-track activity at Bristol Motor Speedway, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers will wear skeleton driving gloves as part of The Dale Jr. Foundation’s Driven to Give Gloves Program. The drivers will sign the right hand glove, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will sign the left hand glove and the pair will be auctioned off on The Dale Jr. Foundation auction page starting on Friday, Sept. 16 and ending on Friday, Sept. 23. The money raised will help launch several important research programs and projects through the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

PUSHING THROUGH THE PLAYOFF PILE: All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are above the cutoff line to advance to the Round of 12 heading into Saturday’s race at Bristol. Should that happen following the race at the .533-mile track, it will mark the third time in the nine-year history of the four-round format that all four of its drivers advanced on to the next round. In 2021, the quartet of Larson, Elliott, Byron and Alex Bowman each advanced to the second round. In 2014 – the first year of the elimination-style playoff – the foursome of Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne each advanced to the Round of 12.

RUNNING THE GO ROUTE: Hendrick Motorsports has won the last seven elimination races in the playoffs. In its history, the organization has won 12 of 32 elimination races and has scored a victory in at least one elimination race in each of the last four seasons.

HITTING THE PARLAY: With 55 short-track wins, Hendrick Motorsports has the most all-time victories on that track type. The next closest team is 11 wins short of their total. Gordon’s 17 wins are the most among the 14 drivers that have recorded a short-track victory for the organization.

SHORT-TRACK BLITZ: The Rick Hendrick-owned organization has won five of the last nine short-track races. Each of the four drivers in the current lineup have a win on that track type over this span. Bowman’s two wins – at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway in 2021 – are the most for the team in that stretch of time. Elliott won at Martinsville in 2020, Larson won at Bristol in 2021 and Byron won at Martinsville in April.

COLOSSEUM CLOSERS: The organization has 12 wins at “The Last Great Colosseum.” Gordon (five wins) and Johnson (two wins) are the only drivers in team history to win multiple times at the venue. Kahne, Larson, Kyle Busch, Terry Labonte and Darrell Waltrip each have one triumph for the team.

BACK IN PRIMETIME: Last year’s night race at Bristol saw three Hendrick Motorsports cars finish in the top five. That marked the fifth time a team has placed three drivers in the top five of a race at the Tennessee track. Larson won the event, while Byron finished third and Bowman placed fifth. Elliott also led 129 laps on the evening before a late-race flat tire took him out of contention.

NIGHT MOVES: In the last seven races to end at night, the 14-time Cup Series championship-winning organization has earned the victory in three of those events. Larson started it off with his Bristol win last year. Byron’s win at Martinsville and Elliott’s win at Nashville Superspeedway came this season.

RECORD SETTERS: Hendrick Motorsports has posted a series-best 53 wins in the playoffs – 20 more than the next closest organization. Johnson has the most wins with 29. Among the current driver lineup, Elliott tops the board with six wins, followed by Larson with five and Bowman has one. Nine different drivers have won a playoff race for the team, which is the most in the Cup Series ranks. The company has won a race in the playoffs in 17 seasons and that mark is also the most among all Cup Series teams.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on if high-intensity dirt-track racing helps “slow down” the racing action at Bristol Motor Speedway for him: “I think Bristol (Motor Speedway) is definitely higher paced, higher intensity and more chaotic than any other track we go to. I’m used to high-intensity racing almost every week, so maybe the action ‘slows down’ a little bit for me at Bristol. I guarantee it doesn’t feel slow in the cockpit. It feels crazy and chaotic, and that’s why I love it.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on if characteristics of concrete Dover Motor Speedway track carry over to Bristol: “We’ve studied the most relevant data points we can pull from for comparison from years past – Dover (Motor Speedway) being one of them and other short tracks being another. Bristol is not really a short track and it’s not really an intermediate – it’s a super-fast short track. There are characteristics from both styles of tracks that kind of blend for Bristol, so how we have blended things in the past is how we are preparing for this weekend.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the approach you must have heading into the first elimination race: “No one is safe in this grid and this format. You have to be willing to accept a hard challenge or accept a must-win situation. I’ve said that a lot over the last few years. Phoenix (Raceway) is a must win, so you are just preparing yourself to embrace moments like that more and be more comfortable in situations of that magnitude. We’ll see what it brings.”

Elliott on the unknowns of racing the Next Gen for the first time on the concrete Bristol layout: “That one is really interesting in my opinion. I’m excited to get to Bristol (Motor Speedway). It’s a really iconic event on our schedule. That fall night race is one that I always look forward to going to. I’m excited about that. Hopefully, you get it (the setup) right because it will be a bit of a guess for everyone.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the challenge of the Next Gen car at Bristol: “It’s going to be a challenge for sure since we haven’t raced there with this car. Bristol (Motor Speedway) is super unique. There’s not a whole lot you can find a lot of parallels with. It’s going to be a clean sheet of paper setup and you have no experience running there. This is going to be one of the tougher ones for sure. The key is to have a good car and have good speed. That will open up a lot of opportunities to score a lot of points and I certainly think that we’re capable of doing that.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what it will take to continue momentum through the final race of the Round of 16: “I think we need just one more solid, smooth race to say that we’ve turned things around from the summer. We’ve had two good races so far to open this round. It’s really about continuing to limit the damage and mistakes in the first round especially with how a lot of things are different this year. The competition seems to fluctuate more at different style tracks. It’s more about racing your own race and not the competition. You need to be the best version of yourself and can’t overthink too much. It’s race the way we know how and definitely not do anything too crazy right now to jeopardize that. We just need to make sure we continue to have all the little details buttoned up so we don’t cost us our own race and we’ll advance on.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the strategy involved for Saturday’s race: “This weekend is a little bit of an unknown since we haven’t race at Bristol (Motor Speedway) yet with the Next Gen car, not on dirt. We have a good short-track package from previous races this season that gives us a good starting point. I think historically this race, similar to the first two races of the playoffs, have more of a strategy element to them. You have a chance of long green-flag runs and having to manage lap traffic. That brings up the decision on when to pit or when not to pit. Those types of races are the ones we live for. If a caution comes out at the right time, you can’t control that. Once and awhile you have a straight forward race where everything lines up and you consistently pit within the same five-lap window. Those races are nice but it doesn’t happen often. We get paid to make those decisions on what to do when. It makes it interesting to watch especially with points on the line. Saturday night’s race could come down to who made the right calls when.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his approach to Saturday’s race at Bristol: “I think we have a lot of momentum heading to Bristol (Motor Speedway) and our team is focused on making a championship run. Greg (Ives) and the team back at the shop have been building really fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaros and our pit crew has been firing on all cylinders. Getting a top-10 finish at Darlington Raceway and then a top-five finish at Kansas Speedway really puts our best foot forward this postseason.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to Bristol for the first elimination race: “We are in a good place heading into the elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway – 30 points ahead of the cut line is nice but more is always good. Alex (Bowman) has done a great job the last couple of weeks, maximizing every opportunity and getting all the points we can. We are going to approach Bristol like we do every other weekend and try to maximize points.”

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