TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
August 27, 2022

NASCAR CUP SERIES REGULAR SEASON FINALE: DAYTONA

In February, Chevrolet drivers and teams of the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) took on Daytona International Speedway to not only kick-off the 2022 season, but make the competition debut of the Next Gen Camaro ZL1. A manufacturer-leading 14 wins in 25 races later; the series heads back to the “World Center of Racing” to bring the regular season to a close with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, August 27.

Daytona International Speedway has hosted 150 races for NASCAR’s premier series since its inaugural event in 1959. Within that time span, Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 48 victories at the famed Florida venue, including 21 in the track’s summer race. The 2.5-mile, high-banked, tri-oval first hosted the NCS regular season finale in 2020, where Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron not only captured his first career NCS win, but also a playoff berth for his No. 24 Chevrolet team after entering the race only four points above the cutline.

THE TWO FINAL PLAYOFF SPOTS GO TO…

160-laps around the high banks of Daytona International Speedway will determine the final two drivers that will complete the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field. Heading into one of the most unpredictable race weekends of the season; seven drivers from three different Chevrolet teams can breathe a sigh of relief, already securing their spots in the playoff field with a win:

Chase Elliott, No. 9 A SHOC Camaro ZL1 – 2022 NCS Regular Season Champion

Playoff Rank: 1st

Points Standings: 1st

Victories: 4 (Dover, Nashville, Atlanta 2, Pocono)

Stage Wins: 5; Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 17

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1

Playoff Rank: 2nd

Points Standings: 2nd

Victories: 2 (Auto Club, Watkins Glen)

Stage Wins: 3; Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 13

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Jockey Camaro ZL1

Playoff Rank: 3rd

Points Standings: 5th

Victories: 2 (COTA, Talladega)

Stage Wins: 5; Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 14

William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1

Playoff Rank: 5th

Points Standings: 10th

Victories: 2 (Atlanta 1, Martinsville)

Stage Wins: 3; Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 5

Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Camaro ZL1

Playoff Rank: 9th

Points Standings: 13th

Victories: 2 (Road America; Indianapolis Road Course)

Stage Wins: 2; Top-Fives: 7; Top-10s: 10

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1

Playoff Rank: 14th

Points Standings: 12th

Victories: 1 (Sonoma)

Stage Wins: 2; Top-Fives: 6; Top-10s: 10

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

Playoff Rank: 16th

Points Standings: 11th

Victories: 1 (Las Vegas)

Stage Wins: 1; Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 10

While a win stands between the rest of the field and the final playoff spot; a handful of superspeedway talents from the bowtie brigade may be below the cutline, but are top contenders for the win and one of the final playoff positions. Five active Chevrolet drivers have a Daytona NCS win to their name, four of which are on the outside looking in and a win could punch the final ticket to the playoffs:

Justin Haley – (July 2019)

Erik Jones – (July 2018)

Austin Dillon – (February 2018)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – (July 2017)

ELLIOTT NAMED 2022 NCS REGULAR SEASON CHAMPION
One title has already been secured prior to the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale race weekend at Daytona. For the first time in his NCS career, Chase Elliott has been crowned the 2022 NCS Regular Season Champion. After heading into the Watkins Glen race weekend just four points shy, Elliott went on to clinch the title at the conclusion of stage one of the race. Along with the crown, Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports will be granted an additional 15 playoff points to start the 10-race stretch to the championship.

“Congratulations to Chase Elliott and the entire No. 9 Camaro ZL1 team on winning the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “He has delivered consistent results all season. Chase, crew chief Alan Gustafson and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew are working together as one team, as they build momentum heading into the playoffs.”

The 2022 season will mark Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs. The 26-year-old Georgia native has made it to the Championship 4 round the past two season, with 2020 bringing him his first career NCS championship title. Through 25 races, Elliott leads the series in wins (4); top-10s (17); laps led (688); and playoff points (25).

CHEVROLET SWEEP AT THE GLEN
It was an all-Chevrolet victory lane at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International last weekend, with reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson performing the weekend sweep.

The doubleheader race weekend started out with the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), where the 30-year-old California native took over the driving duties for the No. 88 JR Motorsports Camaro SS for the weekend, marking Larson’s second NXS start of 2022. In the closing laps of the race, Larson was running third when contact between the leaders provided Larson with the opportunity to power the JR Motorsports-prepared machine to the lead. Holding off road course master AJ Allmendinger to the end, Larson took the checkered flag to capture his first NXS road course win. The victory was the ninth of 2022 for JR Motorsports, tying the record of wins scored in a single season for the Chevrolet team.

Sunday’s action for NASCAR’s premier series started under a lightning delay, with impending weather forcing teams to take the green flag under wet track conditions. Once underway, pit strategy became the name of the game all day, with teams varying between a two- or three-stop approach from atop the pit box. A late-race caution setup the field for a five-lap dash to the finish, led by Hendrick Motorsports teammates Elliott and Larson. Taking the final restart of the race, Larson made a pass for the lead for the first time of the race and never looked back, becoming a back-to-back NCS winner at the 2.45-mile upstate New York road course circuit.

Larson’s NCS victory – his second of 2022 – gave the Camaro ZL1 its manufacturer-leading 14th NCS triumph of the season. Chevrolet has now recorded the win in 15 of the past 16 NCS road course races, while also extending its streak to 11 consecutive on left- and right-hand circuits in NASCAR’s premier series. Larson led the bowtie brand to four top-five and six top-10 finishes. Five different Chevrolet teams were represented in the top-10, making it the third time this season that at least five different Chevrolet teams placed in the top-10 of the final running order of a single race.

ANOTHER CHECKERED FLAG FOR THE CAMARO SS
Kyle Larson and the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team’s win at Watkins Glen marked Chevrolet’s 15th trip to victory lane in 22 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, bringing the winning percentage for the Camaro SS to 68%. Of those wins includes 12 of the past 14 races, dating back to Noah Gragson’s Talladega win in April.

Part one of the Daytona doubleheader marks four races to go in the NXS regular season. In the 61 NXS races held at the 2.5-mile Florida venue, Chevrolet or its fellow GM brands have won 51 times. Chevrolet drivers have taken the past two Daytona NXS wins, dating back to Justin Haley’s victory in the August 2021 race, ultimately securing his playoff spot. The track’s most recent NXS winner came from series rookie Austin Hill, who took the season opener in February, his full-time NXS debut with Richard Childress Racing.

BOWTIE BULLETS

· NASCAR Cup Series victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Daytona International Speedway:

 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - one win (July 2017)

 Austin Dillon - one win (February 2018)

 Erik Jones – one win (July 2018)

 Justin Haley - one win (July 2019)

 William Byron - one win (August 2020)

· Of the 150 appearances made in NASCAR’s premier series at the “World Center of Racing”, Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 48 points-paying wins, with 21 coming during the summer NCS race.

· Chevrolet has won 94 times at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway across all three NASCAR National Series, making Chevrolet the winningest manufacturer at Daytona International Speedway in NASCAR history.

· Chevrolet has recorded 52 pole wins Daytona – with 22 in the summer NCS race – to lead its manufacturer competitors. Of the nine active drivers that are NCS Daytona pole winners, six come from the bowtie brigade: Chase Elliott (3), Alex Bowman (2), Kyle Larson (1), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1), William Byron (1), Austin Dillon (1).

· 11 of the 23 drivers who recorded their first career NCS win at Daytona International Speedway came in the track’s summer race, three of which are active Chevrolet drivers (William Byron – 2020); (Justin Haley – 2019); (Erik Jones – 2019). Haley, who needs a win to secure the final NCS playoff spot, leads the series in average finishing position in the Daytona summer race with a 3.5.

· With Kyle Larson’s win at Watkins Glen, Chevrolet has recorded wins in 15 of the last 16 NASCAR Cup Series road course races, while also extending the streak to 11 in a row.

· Kyle Larson led Chevrolet to four top-fives and six top-10s at Watkins Glen, with five different Chevrolet teams represented in the top-10. This marks the third time this season that Chevrolet has had at least five different teams place in the top-10 in a single race.

· Heading into the Daytona race weekend, Chevrolet’s Chase Elliott has already officially clinched the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship. 2022 will mark Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs, with the 26-year-old Georgia native making it to the Championship 4 the past two seasons. In 25 races, Elliott continues to lead the series in wins (4); top-10s (17), laps led (688) and accumulated playoff points (25).

· Chevrolet heads into the NASCAR Cup Series season finale with a manufacturer-leading 14 NCS wins in 25 points-paying races. The bowtie brand also continues to lead its manufacturer competitors in NCS top-fives (59), top-10s (109), laps led (2,946) and stage wins (21).

· Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 21 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:

  Tyler Reddick 2 - Fontana x2

  Alex Bowman 1 - Las Vegas

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

  William Byron 3 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega

  Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte

  Chase Elliott 3 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2

  Kyle Larson 3 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono

· Chevrolet leads the driver points standing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott remains in the top position in the NCS standings with a 134-point lead over second-place and HMS teammate Kyle Larson; and AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the NXS standings by 61 points. Chevrolet also remains atop both the NCS and NXS manufacturer points standings.

· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 828 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 Daytona International Speedway.

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

· Also making a special appearance in the Team Chevy Racing Display this weekend at Daytona will be the first-ever, all-electric Chevrolet Blazer RS.

· At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Friday, August 26

· AJ Allmendinger & Landon Cassill: 1:00 p.m.

· Justin Allgaier & Noah Gragson: 1:15 p.m.

· Josh Berry & Sam Mayer: 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 27

· Austin Dillon: 3:30 p.m.

· Alex Bowman: 3:55 p.m.

· William Byron: 4:10

· Chase Elliott: 4:45 p.m.

· Justin Haley & Daniel Hemric: 5:15 p.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Friday, August 26: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday, August 27: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Tune In:

NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 27. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, August 26. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1

Has it hit you yet that you’re going to be running for a Cup Series championship?

“Honestly, no. I know we are preparing to win races and have been working really hard all season. It’s the Cup Series, and its wild to me that we’re going for a championship. When I look back to the races I was running in the Truck Series in 2012, and I was starting and parking, it’s wild to think that as recently as 2018 I was still doing some start and parks – the truck race at St. Louis. It humbling to think just a few years ago I was doing that just to get to the track.”

When you’re doing autograph sessions and you see a big crowd, do you look out and think ‘wow, this really did happen?’

“I just laugh. I can’t believe anyone would want to come listen to me, or get an autograph. I just laugh.”

How does it feel to have someone come up to you and say they want to get involved in racing because of you?

“It feels good. I got into racing because Matt Martin, Mark Martin’s son, would race at my local track and that is who I wanted to be like. There’s avenues across the country at local tracks that kids can get into go karts, flat karts, champ karts, shifter karts, and then once you get above 10 years old now, there’s full size cars that you can race against other kids. It’s something that kept me out of trouble. Even if I never raced in NASCAR, from 12-18 it gave me that passion that I didn’t find in soccer. It gave me the desire to come home and work on my racecar with my dad and grand dad, and friends and family.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1

You’ve had success at Daytona International Speedway. How do you negotiate staying out of the wrecks throughout the race so that you can be in contention at the end?

“It’s tough. It’s a game of putting yourself in position. I call it high-speed chess because you know at some point in time you’re going to be vulnerable. You hope that someone doesn’t take advantage of that too much and cause a big wreck. It’s one of those things where you are constantly moving and trying to guess the flow of the pack. I think the best place to be is in the front most of the time, but it’s impossible now with the way we race to keep yourself up there for the entire race. You see guys do it for long periods of time. Denny Hamlin has been pretty amazing at putting himself in the right position as of late. I’m going to do my best this time around to put ourselves in position.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on how the team attacks Daytona International Speedway with so many points and playoff implications:

“It’ll be interesting. It’ll be a wild race – maybe not in the first two stages – but definitely in the last stage when drivers will be going for it. In our case, there are four or five of us close to second place in points. The No. 5 team can’t forget about that. We need to go chase points to try and stay up front all race long to finish second in regular season points and get those 10 extra bonus points. Our goal will be to get to the finish and beat those guys behind us in points.”

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

Daniels on earning points Saturday night to possibly secure second in the regular season standings:

“We certainly want to get all the points we can and we’ll try to be smart in the first two stages to be in position to get points. It’s really going to be about staying clean. A lot of guys are going to try to get that win to get themselves in the playoffs. We need to be smart about positioning ourselves in the field and hopefully call a good strategy. Would be nice to have a good finish and good points in all the stages to just get what we can.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 A SHOC CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on what the feeling is as the team prepares to run for another championship:

“The feeling is good, honestly. Our group, amongst our team, is just such low drama and we just put our work in, we go to the track, we give it our best effort and we go home. If it went good, great. If it didn’t, we’re going to try harder to do a better job when we go back. That’s really all you can control. So that’s really where our mindset is every week whether we’ve had a good year, a bad year, a mediocre year, a good month or a bad month, coming off a win or a loss. That is something about our team. I’m super privileged to have a group of guys that have their priorities so straight that performance (is what matters) and putting things first that need to go first ahead of things that don’t matter in order to be successful. I feel like our team is just solid and we look forward to going to battle with each other every weekend, and regardless of the result, we’re ready to re-rack and try harder to do better the next week.”

Elliott on superspeedway racing:

“When I sit back and I look at the plate races, yes there are a lot of things that need to go your way, but we see the same guys up front winning those races more times than not. To me, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin are two guys that I see putting themselves in position to win those races as consistently as one can. I think that it’s just a balance that you really have to try to find and it’s one that I can’t say that I’ve really found quite as good as those guys to have odds as good as them. You’ve got to have a knack for it. You’ve got to enjoy it and embrace it. To me, that’s kind of step one of figuring it out is just embracing it. I feel like I’ve embraced it. I don’t know about the figuring it out part, but it’s been embraced.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 16 CIRKUL CAMARO ZL1

“Heading to Daytona, I am excited to have a fresh start after Watkins Glen. Our guys at Kaulig Racing have been working super hard to prepare our superspeedway cars. I’m also excited to be back in the cup car with Kaulig Racing after a couple really good runs together earlier in the season, including the Daytona 500. Our awesome partner, Cirkul, will be onboard for both races, which is extremely special. Hopefully we can stay clean until the end with our teammates.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1

Byron on the last race before the playoffs:

“I’m excited to get to Daytona (International Speedway) this weekend. This is the first year that we have been solidly locked into the playoffs with multiple wins, meaning there’s less stress heading into this race compared to normal. That doesn’t mean, though, that we are going to take it easy by any means. There’s still playoff points on the line this weekend, and with how much of a wild card Daytona can be, any extra points we can get before the first round (of the playoffs) gets underway, the better. Daytona is a track we’ve always been fast at, and we were for sure fast in the (DAYTONA) 500 earlier this year. We just need to do a good job of managing the details we can and put ourselves in position to battle for the win at the end and carry some good momentum into Darlington for the Round of 16.”

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

Fugle on what he expects at Daytona:

“The No. 24 team has always seemed to have speed at Daytona (International Speedway) in both last year’s car, the Next Gen car as well as the Hendrick Motorsports organization as a whole over the years. I feel like this weekend should be no different. We were fast in the DAYTONA 500 and could really make moves it seemed like. The main difference this time, though, is that it will be much warmer now then it was at that time. That means handling will play a bigger factor than it did in February. We won’t have any practice time but I feel like we have a good idea of what to expect. It will just be about adapting early on and putting ourselves in a position to be there at the end.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1

“Daytona has always been a great track for me. It’s super special that Matt and Chris are letting me drive their race car. I always enjoy that Friday night Xfinity Race. It’s also cool to bring a new sponsor to the sport (DaaBIN Store), and it’s a huge deal for them to be at a big race like Daytona. Having a good team, strategy and spotter are vital. Everything just needs to sync up to be able to pull off a win at Daytona. It’s a pretty cool opportunity for Matt to have four shots at getting a trophy. I am excited for it, as well as competing in the race on Friday night in our No. 31 Celsius Camaro in a race that I have won in the past.”

TY DILLON, NO. 42 THORNTONS CAMARO ZL1

“I’m excited to go to Daytona this week with our Thorntons Camaro ZL1. Superspeedway racing is always exciting, you never know what the result can be, and you’ve got to put yourself in a good position to be at the end of the race. I’ve done well at that in the past, so it is a great opportunity to get ourselves into the playoffs.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1

You are in a must win situation heading into this weekend’s race at Daytona. How do you feel about your chances?

“We’re focused on Daytona. We’ve been putting a lot of work into our Daytona car to get it better, get it ready and prepped the way we want too. I feel like our superspeedway stuff has been good, we just need to take advantage of it. We’re definitely focused on winning and making our way into the Playoffs.”

How do you approach a race at Daytona where there can be a lot of chaos to be there at the end with a chance to win?

“Earlier this season at Talladega, we kind of just pushed hard all day and we were up front and had a shot to win. I hope to have a similar race like that. Just be up front and avoid the chaos for the most part. We’ll see. It’s different every week, every race on the superspeedways. You have to be mindful of how everyone’s running and judge it from that.”

You’ve won at Daytona and have run well at Talladega, so that has to be good for your confidence. What is the mindset heading into the race this weekend?

“It’s confident. I know we can go do it, I know we can run well there, and I know we can have a shot to win. We just have to execute and hope we’re staying out of trouble and avoid a lot of the chaos and be up there and have a shot. We’ll see. It’s going to be tough for sure to just be there at the end to have a chance, but I feel good about our speed we’re going to have for sure.”

Do you think you will be able to find friends to push you or help you throughout the race?

“I think we’ll have a fast car for sure, so I think there’s going to be people who will want to work with us just because of that. I think speedway’s get a little separated from the other races of the year because of who’s fast and who has a chance. If we’ve got a fast car, I think we’ll find some friends throughout the race.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / NOS CAMARO ZL1

“I feel good going into Daytona. I feel like we have unfinished business there. We were able to lead the Daytona 500 and with six laps to go, we were battling for the win until we got wrecked. We still have something to finish there.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on making the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year with Hendrick Motorsports:

“Obviously, I am excited to be back in the playoffs again. It’s no secret that we have had our struggles this summer, but I know we have a lot of smart people at the shop working really hard to get us out of the summer slump we have been in. Two years ago, we struggled to make the playoffs and then had one of the best playoff runs I have ever had. We all know what we are capable of. It’s time to go out there and execute and try to win Hendrick Motorsports’ 15th championship.”

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

Ives on heading to Daytona:

“Daytona (International Speedway) is a place that you can get caught in someone else’s mess pretty quickly. So for us it’s all about doing the fundamentals – bringing a fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and continue to work on the ability to be aggressive. I think you have to be a little aggressive at these speedway-style racetracks, be able to make moves quickly and have confidence in the car in order to have success. We are going to continue to work hard and execute on Saturday.”

NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 62 BEARD MOTORSPORTS / SOUTHPOINT CAMARO ZL1

You recently announced that you’ll compete in the NASCAR Cup Series fulltime next year with Petty GMS Racing. With the slate of Cup Series races you’re running this year, do you feel like you’re in a much better position to succeed next year because of the seat time you’re getting this year with the NextGen car?

“I think the opportunity with Beard Motorsports and Kaulig Racing have helped. I know how raw I was getting into the Cup car to start the season and how much I’ve learned since then with more experience. That’s definitely been a big help. And with these guys having a full season under their belt this year, if I were to hop in cold turkey next year, it’d definitely be a lot more challenging. But just getting the understanding of the car and how they feel and the level of competition, all of that has helped.”

You now have 10 career NASCAR Cup Series starts under your belt, all with the NextGen car. What is it like to drive that car compared to the Xfinity Series car you race fulltime?

“There are differences just with the car itself. I’ve noticed you have to drive it a lot straighter than the Xfinity car, but I’ve gained more and more experience and more and more confidence each and every race. We’re a little behind just because these guys get to race them each and every week. Every gain that I’ve made during each of my 10 starts this year, they’ve been making them every week and can re-adapt to that week in and week out. It’s a little bit challenging, but I feel like I’ve gotten a better feel for it than I had at the beginning of the season.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1

With a playoff spot secured, what is your strategy Saturday night?

“We are going down there to win both stages and then win the race. That’s always our strategy. We want trophies. If you do that the points will always take care of themselves.”

Do you think this team can make a deep playoff run? Are you a championship team?

“I think we are. I think we are. The beautiful part is that we get stronger as we go. If you were asking me that question three months ago, I was going to tell you, man, we have work to do. We have the potential, but we have work to do. Two months ago I was starting to believe more. A month ago I would say, heck, yeah. Right now, of course we are here. We just keep getting stronger. I guarantee you in a month from now we’re going to be stronger than right now. We’re going to keep working.”

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: 14

Poles: 7

Laps Led: 2,946

Top-five finishes: 59

Top-10 finishes: 109

Stage wins: 21

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

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 828 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 730

Laps led to date: 244,282

Top-five finishes to date: 4,197

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,664

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,162

       Chevrolet: 828

       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: 167

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.

In his debut run with the Wood Brothers, Harrison Burton drove the No. 21 Mustang into the lead in the season-opening Daytona 500 only to be collected in a crash that sent him airborne and prematurely ended a promising start.

As Burton and the DEX Imaging team return to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, the goal is to pick up where they left off in February.

“Our first goal for the weekend is to run up front like we did the last time at Daytona, but this time keep all four tires on the ground,” said crew chief Brian Wilson. “The first trip to Daytona was a great start to the year for the No. 21 team.

“We qualified in the top 10, raced near the front in our Duel and led laps in the 500.

“The wreck in the 500 was unfortunate, but we showed that we can compete at superspeedway races.”

Saturday night’s race is the 26th and final event in the Cup Series regular season, the last chance for teams not already assured of a Playoff berth to win a race and join the 16 drivers who will begin the chase for the Cup Series championship.

Wilson said that despite the team’s struggles at times, the No. 21 DEX Imaging team isn’t conceding anything yet.

“As the regular season winds down we know that we’re still building and looking for more consistency in our program,” he said. “But this weekend presents a great opportunity to compete for win No. 100 for the Wood Brothers organization.

“We’ll look to work with our manufacturer teammates to keep Ford at the front on Saturday night.”

There will be no practice at Daytona this weekend. Qualifying for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 is set for Friday at 5:05 p.m., and the 160-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to start just after 7 p.m. on Saturday with TV coverage on NBC.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 35 and 95.

About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

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.

KEVIN HARVICK
Daytona Advance
No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 26 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 27
● Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
● Layout: 2.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 160 laps / 400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 35 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 65 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN Radio / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● There are more than 4 million miles of road in the United States, but none embody the love of driving more than famed Route 66. Yet the small businesses that are the lifeblood of the Mother Road need help. Mobil 1 aims to inspire a journey on the open road, specifically by exploring the small businesses of Route 66 and meeting people along its 2,400-mile path from the shores of Lake Michigan to Los Angeles, right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Route 66 crosses the country, connecting not only east and west, but past and present. Mobil 1 aims to Keep Route 66 Kickin’ with its recently debuted Mobil 1 Muffler Man – an homage to the larger-than-life Muffler Men that dot Route 66. Molded in fiberglass and polyester resin on steel frames that stand 14- to 25-feet tall, Muffler Men became icons of the Route 66 landscape – square-jawed men with arms outstretched promoting the business on which they stood. Now, Mobil 1 is taking its Muffler Man to promote the small businesses of Route 66. Its journey begins Aug. 25 at California’s Santa Monica Pier before visiting Seligman, Arizona, on Sept. 10 to see the world’s most milkshake flavors at Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In. It then travels to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sept. 24 to stand alongside the world’s largest corn dog at Clowndog Hot Dog Parlor before culminating its journey Oct. 9 in Litchfield, Illinois, to witness the most dogs attending a film screening at Litchfield Skyview Drive-In. Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) are helping Mobil 1 kick off its Keep Route 66 Kickin’ campaign with a special paint scheme in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

● When Harvick takes the green flag for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, it will be his series-leading 43rd NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona. Harvick made his Cup Series debut at the track on July 7, 2001, starting 10th and finishing 25th, one spot ahead of his SHR car owner, Tony Stewart. In his 42 starts at the 2.5-mile oval, Harvick has won twice – the 2007 Daytona 500 and the 2010 Coke Zero 400 – and scored 11 top-fives and 16 top-10s while leading 283 laps.

● Harvick’s 11 top-fives are tied with Denny Hamlin for the second most among active Cup Series drivers. Harvick’s 16 top-10s are also the second most among active Cup Series drivers. Kurt Busch is the leader in top-fives (13) and top-10s (18) at Daytona.

● Harvick’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona was one of the biggest of his career. Harvick won the 2007 Daytona 500 by edging Mark Martin for the victory by .02 of a second in a frantic, green-white-checkered finish. It remains the second-closest finish in Daytona 500 history, trailing only Hamlin’s .01-of-a-second margin over Martin Truex Jr., in 2016.

● Harvick was efficient in his second win at Daytona. When he won the 2010 Coke Zero 400, Harvick started from the pole and led eight times for a race-high 28 laps to take the victory by .092 of a second over runner-up Kasey Kahne.

● Harvick has proven prolific in the non-points NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona. He is a three-time winner of the Busch Clash when it was held on the 2.5-mile oval (2009, 2010 and 2013) and he is a two-time winner of the Duel (2013 and 2019), twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500.

● Outside of the NASCAR Cup Series, Harvick has made 19 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona and three IROC starts. Of Harvick’s 47 Xfinity Series wins, only one is at Daytona – the 2007 season opener. And Harvick’s best IROC finish at Daytona is seventh, earned twice (2003 and 2004). Harvick is a two-time Xfinity Series champion (2001 and 2006) and the 2002 IROC champion.

● The Mobil 1 branding on Harvick’s No. 4 Ford Mustang goes more than skin deep as the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand gives Harvick an added advantage. Mobil 1 products are used throughout his racecar and they extend beyond just engine oil. Power steering fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil and driveline lubricants from Mobil 1 give Harvick a technical advantage over his counterparts by reducing friction, heat and rolling resistance.Mobil 1 is a sponsor whose technology makes Harvick’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang faster.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

You haven’t missed the playoffs since 2009. Is the key to that consistency your experience?

“Well, there are just different ways to race, right? There are different ways to solve the equation, and sometimes we’re going to run fourth, and we have to accept that and be able to say, ‘If we have a fourth-place car, we need to finish fourth.’ On the days when stuff is chaotic and there are cars torn up everywhere and you finish ninth with a 20th-place car, those are really big wins. I’ve done all that. I’ve been on that side of the fence where you’ve had 20th-place cars all year and you have to figure out how to make something out of it. They’re going to have the races, regardless, and you still have to show up. You can’t just quit because your cars are slow. So you just have to figure out how to manage that, and also manage it when you have fast cars, medium cars, know what you have that day and get the most out of that day.”

After one race already at Daytona and another at its sister track in Talladega, Alabama, do you have a good idea of what makes the NextGen car tick in the draft, or is there still a learning curve that’ll continue in the Coke Zero Sugar 400?

“It’s pretty straightforward now. It’s pretty basic stuff, and as we’ve gone through the first two races, you kind of know how hard you can push and shove, and things that you’ve done right and you’ve done wrong, so you should have a pretty good playbook at this point.”

Does blocking remain the necessary evil it’s seemingly always been when it comes to superspeedway racing?

“It is, and blocking’s just part of the game now. You have to utilize blocking and that’s usually what causes half the crashes, either pushing or blocking. And we usually wreck going straight. I don’t like blocking, but it’s a necessity. Blocking is something that has evolved over the years as people have figured out trying to time the runs, and people have figured out when you can block and when you can’t. It’s just a matter of putting yourself in a position where you think you’re making the right move, and sometimes you make the wrong move. It’s just a game of inches. It just really is a high-speed chess match that you have at 200 mph – and Saturday night will be absolutely no different. There will be a big crash. There will be mistakes made. There will be pit errors made. There will be strategy played. But I can promise you we’re all going to race in a pack – and that’s the way Daytona should be.”

What’s the patience level of drivers in the regular-season finale at Daytona?

“You see so many people on different agendas. It’s a chance for everybody to win. It’s a door wide open for everybody.”

Pack racing at Daytona is always dicey, but what is it like when it’s a cutoff race to make the NASCAR Playoffs?

“It’s a way different vibe. There’s not a better spot for it to be than Daytona because it is the ultimate saying – and you say it with an exclamation point – anyone can win, and that is never more true than at Daytona. Everyone knows going in that it’s their last-ditch effort to either make the playoffs or put yourself in position to score more points for the playoffs. Everybody kind of has that, ‘Screw it. I’m going for it,’ mentality in that particular race because they know whatever the scenario is, it’s the last chance to score points, it’s the last chance to put you in.”

Describe the intensity of racing at Daytona.

“You have to be aggressive just for the fact that if you’re not aggressive, it always seems like you’re not going to be where you need to be. Nine times out of 10, the aggressor is going to be the guy who comes out on the good side of things just for the fact that you’re making things happen and you’re not waiting for something else to happen. When you wait for something else to happen, that’s usually when you get in trouble because it’s usually someone else’s mess. It’s best to stay aggressive and try to stay up front.”

When you get to the halfway point at Daytona, is there a sense of accomplishment?

“I think as you look at it, if you can make it through the second stage, hopefully you’ve taken some points out of there, but you’ve at least made it through the second stage. It seems like, especially at the beginning of stage racing, we all kind of lost our minds at the beginning of the first stage, or at the end of the second stage. We’ve had cars torn up before we got started. We could find a way to wreck regardless, whether it’s the first stage, the first lap, the last lap. We can figure it out, you just never know when it’s going to happen.”

No. 4 Mobil 1 Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith
Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer
Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Stephen Doran
Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard
Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks
Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal
Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Richie Bean
Hometown: Bradford, Vermont

Mechanic: Nick DeFazio
Hometown: Orange, California

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski
Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell
Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

ARIC ALMIROLA
Daytona Advance
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 26 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 27
● Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
● Layout: 2.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 160 laps / 400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 35 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 65 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● History at Daytona: Almirola scored his first career Cup Series win in the rain-shortened July 2014 race at Daytona, when he led 14 laps. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he started on the pole in his first Daytona outing in July 2007, and he captured a win there while piloting the No. 98 Biagi-Den Beste Ford Mustang in July 2016. Last year, he won his Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500 for the first time in his career. Almirola also has three Daytona starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a best finish of 12th in the 2010 season opener. Almirola finished fifth in this year’s season-opening Daytona 500.

● In the 2018 Daytona 500, Almirola was a half lap away from becoming a Daytona 500 champion. As he was leading the field to the checkered flag, he made an aggressive block on the No. 3 car of Austin Dillon before he was turned into the outside wall, ending his bid. In last year’s Daytona 500, Almirola showed strength by running at the front of the field on occasion, but his day ended when he was caught in a multicar accident on lap 190.

● Playoff Points: The No. 10 Ford driver sits 19th in the playoff standings, 219 points behind the top-16 cut line. With Saturday night’s race bringing the regular season to a close, Almirola and the No. 10 team’s only path to the playoffs is with a win.

● Driver Points: Almirola arrives at Daytona 18th in the driver standings with 560 points, 362 out of first.

● Almirola’s career: In 413 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has earned three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 91 top-10s, three poles, and has led 899 laps.

● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series: In 2022, Almirola is once again sharing his life beyond the No. 10 Smithfield Ford with season three of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and it gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.

● Almirola was the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to finish in the top-10 in this year’s opening three races. He finished fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, sixth at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Almirola’s top-10 streak ended with a 12th-place finish at Phoenix despite running inside the top-10 throughout the race.

● One More Time: On Jan. 10, Almirola released a video on his YouTube channel announcing his retirement from fulltime NASCAR Cup Series racing after the 2022 season. This year marks Almirola’s 11th fulltime Cup Series season. The official press release can be viewed here.

● Smithfield Foods is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.SmithfieldFoods.com, and connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How do you race this weekend knowing you have to win to make the playoffs?

“You take more chances and you put yourself in positions you wouldn’t typically put yourself in – especially when it comes down to the end of the race. Typically you try to win the race, but I think on a normal day if you can get out of there with a top-five finish and some good points, then you take those in and you always weigh out that risk versus reward. Right now, as we go to Daytona for the final race of the regular season, you’re willing to go with extremely high risk because the reward is extremely high. It’s the last opportunity to get in the playoffs.”

How do you formulate a plan with how tight the racing is at extreme speeds?

“You have different ideas multiple times per lap. That’s the crazy thing about superspeedway racing. I would relate it to a quarterback going up to the line of scrimmage and calling an audible once he sees the defense, but he’s going up and only looking at one defense. We’re on the racetrack with 39 other defenses and everybody else on the racetrack is making moves and you have to adjust what you’re doing. You have to react based on what they’re doing and you’re trying to make the move that’s best for you to put yourself in the best position. You’re constantly calling audibles and it’s mentally draining, but we’re trained for that amount of focus and concentration.”

What do you remember about Daytona growing up as a kid?

“Daytona is a home track for me. I grew up going to kart week with my family after Christmas and I remember seeing how big of a deal this sport is. To look back now, knowing that I made it and have had the opportunity to race here every year is humbling. It’s just a special place that kids dream of. To have turned it into reality is a dream come true.”

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Davin Restivo
Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Robbie Fairweather
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Rusty Davidson
Hometown: Mount Juliet, Tennessee

Transporter Co-Driver: Steven Casper
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia