NASCAR CUP SERIES
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
ALLY 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

JUNE 24, 2022

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Nashville Superspeedway. Press Conference Transcript:

DANIEL, JUST TO START US OFF BEFORE WE GO TO OUR MEDIA FOR QUESTIONS, GIVE US A RECAP OF WHAT LIFE HAS BEEN LIKE THE LAST WEEK OR SO.

“Yeah, it’s been fun and it’s been busy at the same time. I feel very fortunate that I got some extra time to enjoy the moment a little bit more. As you guys know, we had the off week and I got the opportunity to celebrate with my team Sunday night on the plane. But also Monday night, I was able to celebrate with my mom, my dad, my sisters, friends and family. So, it was special. If it was any other week besides Sonoma, it wasn’t going to be like that. It worked out like that and it was great.

I’ve been trying to digest every single moment of it because your first win only happens once. But it’s been good. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, but now my focus is here at Nashville.”

THE PINATA – WHEN DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT IDEA?

“A few months ago, I had a few conversations with a few friends in Mexico about a piñata. They asked me what my celebration was going to be and I had no idea; and then a piñata came into the conversation. Then, I had a similar conversation with my teammate, Ross (Chastain), about it. Slowly, it just started making sense. Matt Norris, he works at Trackhouse Racing – he went to check for a piñata. He sent a few pictures of piñatas and a taco piñata was there, so we decided to pick the taco piñata. It’s been with us in the hauler for six or eight weeks, so it was about time to smash it.”

WHAT WAS IN IT?

“The one from the race track, there was candy in it. In Mexico, that’s a big culture thing. Since I turned one year old and all the way to 30 years old, for every birthday, I’ve had a piñata. And I will say that every kid does it; it’s a big culture thing. It was fun.

In Mexico, they put candy in the piñata. You break the piñata and everyone jumps in to get the candy. It’s kind of like that idea and it worked out great, really. It was pretty cool to see the comments from people connecting very well with the piñata idea.”

AND THEN YOU GOT TO GO TO THE SHOP AND PITBULL THROWS YOU A PINATA. YOU SMASH IT AND IT HAS MONEY IN IT. HOW WAS THAT?

“It was cool. I didn’t know that piñata had money. They told me it had something in it. I lifted it at one point and it was heavy (laughs). It was good. I have to say, thank you to Pitbull for throwing the piñata the right way because if it wasn’t for him, I was probably going to miss. But he threw it very, very good.

It was great. That day was also very special for me. That was the last day of celebration for me because that was the last day that I got to enjoy it with Pitbull and my team again. That night, I put it in my mind to flip the page. I enjoyed every second of it, but for me, it’s in the past. Now, it’s time to get some more.”

DANIEL, NOW THAT YOU’VE WON, YOU’VE QUALIFIED FOR THE PLAYOFFS. ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT?

“Yeah, honestly, I haven’t thought about the Playoffs yet. We still have 2 ½ months before that. I feel like there is still a lot of things to be done before that. It feels good to know that we’re locked-in. But as a race car driver, at least for me, we know that being locked-in doesn’t mean a lot. For me, it means a lot when you have a lot of points in the bank – when you have more than a win, but also at least a few Playoff points. That’s when you start becoming a strong contender in the Playoff races.

That’s the goal. We still have 2 ½ months to work on that. Hopefully we can get a couple more wins and some more Playoff points. That would be nice.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK, YOU RAN WELL AT COTA – YOU WON A STAGE, HAD A CHANCE TO WIN AND THINGS DIDN’T GO YOUR WAY. YOU SMOKED THEM AT SONOMA. FOR ROAD AMERICA, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO SAY YOUR THE NUMBER ONE GUY NOW GOING INTO THE ROAD RACE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE THE NUMBER ONE GUY?

“Honestly, I don’t know. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter to me. I think at COTA, we we’re extremely strong. Our car broke early and we did what we had to do to finish the stage and survive. But in my opinion, we were very, very strong; even stronger than Sonoma. In Sonoma, we had a very good car. We did a very good job calling the race.

It’s been good. I would be lying to you if I told you I’m not extremely excited about every single road course because I believe that we can win in every single one of them. We have good cars. I have a very good team behind me. I feel like I’ve done a good job with the tools that have been given to me and it’s been fun. So, I’m really looking forward to it.

Right now, I’m trying to put all my energy into here at Nashville. But next week at Road America, I know it’s going to be a lot of fun for me; and hopefully we can have another strong shot.”

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN HERE AND DO IT IN THE TOOTSIES CAR?

“Yeah, that would be really cool. I was at Tootsies last night. It’s been a long week, but it’s been fun. It would mean a lot for Tootsies, for Steve (Smith), the owner of Tootsies; and also for Trackhouse Racing. The whole idea of Trackhouse was actually born here. This is one of the homes of Trackhouse, so it would be very special. If you think about it, last year, Ross (Chastain) and I, we both had a pretty solid performance here at Nashville. So, why not? We really have come from a good couple months of racing, speed-wise. We haven’t had the results that we’ve wanted; but speed-wise, we’ve had speed for two months. So, I’m really looking forward to hopefully be contending for a win on Sunday.”

HOW MUCH MORE CONFIDENT DO YOU FEEL COMING INTO SUNDAY COMING OFF OF THE WIN AT SONOMA?

“Honestly, the people that know me, they would tell me that I’m very confident before or after the win. The biggest change for me is just that I feel relief. I feel more relaxed. I feel that now, I don’t have to answer the question of ‘when are you going to win’. I feel like I got that one out of the way, but I do feel more relief. Confidence-wise, honestly I feel just as confident right now as I did two months ago. I knew that I could win races. Now, the only difference is that everyone knows that other than just me. Hopefully we can carry that over and get a few more.”

WHAT WAS YOUR RECEPTION WHEN YOU WALKED INTO TOOTSIES?

“Everyone was having a good time last night when I walked in. It was good. It was a great time. It was a lot of fun to spend some time with my team, with my pit crew. And with a lot of media; a lot of media were there. A lot of folks from NASCAR. It was very, very cool to see a lot of people from this industry outside of the race track. Personally, I don’t get to see that very often. And the couple times that I have seen it has been at Tootsies (laughs). It’s been fun. I’ve had a good time.”

WE KNOW THE THING ABOUT THESE NEW CARS – AND WE HEARD EARLY ON ABOUT GETTING AIR TO THE DRIVERS AND HOW TO KEEP THEM COOL – THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE HOTTEST RACES THAT YOU’VE HAD SO FAR THIS SEASON. WHAT DO YOU DO EXTRA, THAT YOU CAN DO, TO COMBAT THAT?

“Luckily, I was just in Mexico for a week and it was hot down there (laughs). So I feel like I came here a little acclimated for the heat. But the reality is, I feel like every driver in the field prepares themselves for this situation. Try to get a lot of fluids. Try to do different exercises in the heat to prepare for this weekend. But it’s going to be fun. Honestly every time that we get to the summer part of the race season, I get excited because I personally try to prepare myself as good as I can to perform as good as possible in this part of the season.

I’m excited. Hopefully it gets very, very hot; and hopefully everybody gets very, very tired.”

HOW WAS THE RECEPTION FOR YOU BACK IN MEXICO GOING BACK WITH A CUP WIN?

“It was quite a special moment. It was probably the most special trip I’ve ever had to Mexico. Everybody was very, very excited for me. The people that have been with me on this journey for 10 years now in the U.S., they know how hard its been on this journey. They’ve known me when the lows were low; and known me when the highs are high. It was a lot of fun to see all the people that have stuck with me. All the people that I love. Honestly, if I could write down everything I wanted it to be for that first win, it’s exactly how it happened. So, I’m very, very blessed and very fortunate.

I enjoyed it a lot, but that’s now in the past. Now, I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

12 WINNERS IN 16 RACES – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THIS PLAYOFF FORMAT HISTORY. IT MIGHT TAKE MORE THAN ONE WIN. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT’S IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND?

“It’s not. I think that it’s very cool to see what is happening in the Playoffs right now. I feel like a big reason for this is the Next Gen car. These Next Gen cars really came to the game to change everything. The way that we work, the way that we approach things. Everyone is out there playing with pretty much the same tools and we’re seeing those results on track. You never know who’s going to be competitive. It can be a Chevy; it can be anyone really. That’s fun and I really enjoy that. Maybe I’m a little biased because we’ve been strong lately, but it’s been a lot of fun.

For me, I really try to focus on one week at a time. There is nothing I can do about Road America right now or the following race. I’m trying to put all my focus into Nashville. I take it one day at a time. I feel like we’re in a good spot. I believe that we can actually contend for more wins before the Playoffs start, so hopefully we can do that and put ourselves in a better position for the last few months of the season in the Playoffs.”

IT WASN’T ONLY YOUR FIRST WIN, BUT THE FIRST WIN FOR YOUR SPOTTER, FRANKIE KIMMEL. YOU AND FRANKIE DIDN’T REALLY KNOW EACH OTHER BEFORE YOU WERE PAIRED TOGETHER AND YOU GUYS HAVE HIT IT OFF REALLY WELL. WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WORKING WITH FRANKIE?

“Yeah, it’s been really special. I have quite a special team. And I say team because it’s everyone – Frankie (Kimmel II); Travis (Mack), my crew chief; Jose (R. Blasco-Figueroa) and Dusty (Zacharyasz), my engineers; my mechanics; pit crew and PR people. Everyone that makes Trackhouse what it is, is very special. I feel very, very proud to have such an amazing group of people around me. I was actually talking to Travis, my crew chief, on the plane back going home from Sonoma. For most of the guys on our team, it was the first win in the Cup Series in the position they have. Travis has won races in the Cup Series, but never as a crew chief. Frankie, the same thing. It’s very special because everyone now knows what it feels like. Everyone knows what it’s like to do that and what it takes. So, I feel like not just myself, but my entire team is way more relaxed and way more relieved. That’s quite exciting to know.”

YOU DON’T HAVE A NEW CONTRACT EXTENSION TO ANNOUCE, DO YOU?

“I’ve been so busy doing interviews the last week that I haven’t even had time to answer Ty Norris’s calls (laughs).”

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.

LEBANON, Tenn. (June 24, 2022) – – The ink is dry on a multi-year contract extension for NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JTG Daugherty Racing. Stenhouse Jr. joined media members in Nashville Superspeedway’s deadline room this afternoon to share the news that he’s returning to the team, which will enter its 29th year in the sport of NASCAR in 2023.

“We’re pleased to announce Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is returning to the company,” said Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing with Jodi Geschickter, Gordon Smith and Brad Daugherty. “Ricky has done a solid job on the racetrack and off the track during Kroger Racing in-store activations for our esteemed partners. We’re continuing to learn the new car and we’re making progress. We’ve led laps, earned stage points and been close to winning this year.”

Since joining JTG Daugherty Racing in 2020, Stenhouse Jr. won the Daytona 500 pole award (2/9/2020) and has collected five top-five, 11 top-10 and 26 top-15 finishes with crew chief Brian Pattie. Now with his path forward, he is set to increase his career stats that include two wins, two pole awards, 20 top-fives and 45 top-10s.

“I’m ready to continue our progress together as a team,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “We’ve made some strides with this new car at some tracks and we know there’s some work to do on others. I look forward to that process with the good group of people we have in place at JTG Daugherty Racing. I’m grateful to our partners for giving us an opportunity to continue to make our program better. I’m really happy with the first three years here at JTG Daugherty Racing.”

Although the Olive Branch, Mississippi native’s two wins occurred at superspeedways, his team has been strong at different styles of tracks this season. Entering Nashville Superspeedway, his best finish this year is second-place at the one-mile high-banked concrete oval of Dover Motor Speedway.

“We’re hoping for another good concrete track run at Nashville like we had at Dover where we finished second with our No. 47 Kroger/The Frozen Farmer Camaro,” said Stenhouse Jr. “This style of racetrack has been better for us than some of the other ones and I love Nashville. It was a really good track for us last year, but of course it’s a totally different car. The biggest thing for us is to have a good practice session on Friday and make sure we have a car that handles good and is easy on the tires for our race.

“It’s going to be hot at Nashville,” continued Stenhouse. “I love the heat that affects the physical side in the car and then the lack of grip the car has on the track. We were able to come away with a strong run there last year. We feel confident we can do the same with this new car on Sunday.”

Live coverage of the Ally 400 on Sunday, June 26th begins at 5 PM ET. The 300-lap event will be broadcast on NBC, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Dillon at Nashville Superspeedway: With the NASCAR Cup Series making its inaugural visit to the Lebanon, Tennessee track last season while not competing full time in the series, Ty Dillon will embark on his first start at the concrete speedway. Despite not running an actual race, Dillon has completed close to 1,000 test laps at the track when the sport was dormant at the facility. In addition, the 30-year-old spent eight hours on the simulator this week in preparation for Sunday’s event.
• Coffee Tyme: Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) will serve as primary partner on Dillon’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s 400-mile race. Founded by veterans and operated by principaled men and women who honor those who protect, defend, and support our country, BRCC stands for more than high-quality coffee.
• Meet Dillon: On Sunday, June 26 at 12:30 p.m., Dillon will be at the Black Rifle Coffee Company display in the Nashville Superspeedway Fan Zone. Stop by to meet the No. 42 driver, sample coffee, and grab an autograph.
• 10,000 Veterans: A large part of Black Rifle Coffee Company’s success is due to the outstanding work ethic and discipline of their veteran employees. The company is committed to hiring 10,000 veterans to provide opportunities to the military community. BRCC strives to help other service-members successfully transition from the military into entrepreneurship, providing assistance to veterans who seek to launch a business of their own. - About Black Rifle Coffee Company: Black Rifle Coffee Company is a Veteran-founded coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. Founded in 2014 by Green Beret Evan Hafer, Black Rifle develops their explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus they learned while serving in the military. BRCC is committed to supporting Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and the American way of life. With every purchase made, they give back.

To learn more about BRCC, visit www.blackriflecoffee.com, follow BRCC on social media, or subscribe to Coffee or Die Magazine’s daily newsletter at https://coffeeordie.com/presscheck-signup.

• From the Drivers Seat: Nashville is another track that you haven’t race at before. How are you approaching the weekend?

“While I haven’t actually raced at Nashville before, I have made a ton of test laps at the track – probably close to 1,000. We would come to Nashville and test when our sport didn’t race here, but that has also been seven or eight years since then. I spent around eight hours on the simulator this week, just making laps and doing everything I could before getting in the actual car for practice. I like the fact that we have another 50 minutes of practice this week. Hopefully that helps our team dial the car in and get myself acclimated to the track.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Jones at Nashville Superspeedway: With NASCAR’s return to Nashville Superspeedway and the Cup Series first appearance at the Tennessee track in 2021, Erik Jones made his lone start at the track where he started the race from the ninth position and finished 19th.
• USAF Sighting: Jones will be at the US Air Force display on Sunday, June 26, 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT. Stop by to get an autograph and meet Jones before the start of Sunday’s race.
• Points Racing: With 16 races complete in the 2022 Cup Series season, Jones currently sites 16th in the Point Standings with one top-five finish, five top-10 finish and eight top-15 finishes.
• Focused on Winning: FOCUSfactor will serve as the primary partner on Jones’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s race at Nashville Superspeedway.
• About FOCUSfactor: FOCUSfactor is sold at America’s leading retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com. FOCUSfactor, America’s leading brain health supplement, is a nutritional supplement that includes a proprietary blend of brain supporting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In December 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 8,329,227 covering FOCUSfactor’s proprietary formulation “for enhanced mental function”. The issuance of the patent marked one of the few times a patent has been issued for a nationally branded nutritional supplement. FOCUSfactor is clinically tested with results demonstrating improvements in focus, concentration and memory in healthy adults.
• From the Driver’s Seat: Considering we’ve seen some good races on the intermediate tracks with the new car, are you expecting something similar at Nashville Superspeedway?

“Yea, I think it’ll race good there. It’s hard to tell. It’s kind of surprising. We didn’t think Gateway would be good with these cars, but it was and it put on a good show. You just have to see how it plays out and what it does, but I think Nashville will race good. From what I’ve known with this car a little bit, I feel like it’ll put on a good show.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow Petty GMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Richard Childress Racing at Nashville Superspeedway … Nashville Superspeedway opened for business in 2001 and hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series event in 2021. Austin Dillon led RCR in the inaugural Cup Series event with a respectable 12th-place finish. Dillon also owns a victory in the Truck Series at Nashville in 2011. He won the pole, leading 56 of 150 laps with an average running position of 2.207.

Racing in Music City … NASCAR has a rich tradition in Nashville with the Cup Series competing at Fairgrounds Speedway dating back to 1958. Car owner Richard Childress made 20 starts at the .596-mile oval as a driver from 1971-1981. He had six starts there as an owner with drivers Ricky Rudd and Dale Earnhardt from 1982-1984. The duo combined to score three top-five finishes led by Earnhardt’s third-place effort in July 1984.

RCR In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Nashville … Richard Childress Racing has 38 starts in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Nashville Superspeedway. The organization has three wins at the 1.33-mile track with three different drivers: Kevin Harvick (2001), Clint Bowyer (2005) and Scott Wimmer (2008). RCR owns two 1-2 finishes at Nashville: Harvick and Bowyer in 2006; Wimmer and Bowyer in 2008. The Welcome, N.C., based organization has 16 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes entering Saturday’s race.

Introducing the Carolina Cowboys … Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the PBR Team Series, an elite new league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games beginning in July 2022. The team is operated by Richard Childress Racing with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon serving as General Manager. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys inaugural “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 9-11 at Wake Forest’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.

Catch the Action … The Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway will be televised live on Saturday, June 25 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Sunday’s Action at Nashville … The Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway will be televised live on Sunday, June 26 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Nashville Superspeedway … Austin Dillon raced in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021, finishing 12th after starting 28th. He made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Kevin Harvick, Inc. at the track in 2011, earning a third-place finish among two top-10 finishes. In Four NASCAR Truck Series starts at Nashville, Dillon has earned one win and one pole award.

Tracker Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.

Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

When you think of Nashville Superspeedway, what are some of the memories and experiences that come to mind for you?

“Nashville Superspeedway kicked off my NASCAR Cup Series career. One of my first Cup tests was at Nashville. I remember going there to test with the team leading into the season and having a really good time. We won there in the NASCAR Truck Series and finished third there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with KHI. We had fun at Nashville. It was a good track for me. I didn’t feel like the Cup race at Nashville was as good for our team as I had expected going into the race. We finished decent. I think we were 12th. But I know we are capable of running better than that at Nashville so I’m looking forward to going back.”

What is cool about Nashville Superspeedway?

I think what’s cool and what I enjoyed about Nashville is people fought for that bottom line and you really had to be disciplined and not miss your exit leaving the corner at Nashville. The car that rotated the most was pretty good. It’s been a good track for us in the past, and I think it will be interesting to go back there with a year of Cup racing under our belt at the track.”

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This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Nashville Superspeedway … Tyler Reddick has one start at Nashville Superspeedway, finishing 18th in the inaugural event in 2021. Reddick has four top-10 finishes on super speedways this season, ranking him fifth overall among active drivers on tracks over one mile in length. Reddick is also scheduled to compete in the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event this weekend at Nashville.

3CHI Blazed the Trail for Another Industry First … 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:

What are your expectations for Nashville this weekend?

“Nashville Superspeedway is going to be really hot and slick this weekend. We saw last year that the track was physical and hard on the race cars. The track time that I’m getting in the Xfinity Series will certainly help on the Cup side. It’s a new car with the new track again and we’ve been going through that a bit this year. We’ve been pretty good at races like that. The Next Gen car has been good pretty much everywhere we’ve been so our confidence is high. We’ll see how the heat and this new car come into play at Nashville. We’ve struggled a little bit on the concrete tracks so we’ll see if we’ve made that a little bit better. Nashville was good for us last year. We had a strong car and it will be good to get the extra seat time.”

Do you expect the track to change a lot during the weekend?

“We’ve got to keep an eye on how much the resin is going to wear off of the track during the race weekend. We saw that in the Cup and Xfinity races last year. It will start wearing out from the bottom up as the Goodyear tires burn the resin off. Most likely that’s going to move the line on the racetrack around as the race goes. The track should change a lot throughout the race. We’ll just have to keep up with it with our 3CHI Chevrolet as always.”

This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Nashville Superspeedway … Sheldon Creed will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday. Last season, he made his first and only national series start at the Tennessee track in the Truck Series. He started 24th and finished 14th, completing all 150 race laps. In his rookie season, Creed has six top-10 finishes in 14 starts with an average start of 9.9 and an average finish of 19.0. He’s led 28 laps and completed 92.4 percent of laps attempted. The Xfinity Series had the last two weekends off and the team heads to Nashville Superspeedway in search of their first victory and punching their ticket to the Playoffs. Currently, Creed is 17th in the driver standings.

About Whelen … Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

SHELDON CREED QUOTES:

You’re making your first Xfinity Series start at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. What are you looking forward to?

“When we went to Nashville Superspeedway last season in the Truck Series, it was a really fun race. The atmosphere was awesome and you could tell how excited people were for the race. With it being my first time in an Xfinity car at the track, the only thing I can really take from the truck race is the track itself. Our team has been taking a lot of notes and preparing for the race. It’s nice that we’ve got practice and qualifying to make sure our car is where we want it for the start of the race. I’m excited to get to Nashville. The off week has been really special for me as I welcomed my son, Axel, to the world with my wife, Cami. They’re both doing great and I’ve gotten to spend some quality time with them and now I’m ready to get to the track and go win for my team. We’ve had a really up and down season so far but ours win is coming.”

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This Week’s Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Nashville Superspeedway … Austin Hill will make his second Xfinity Series start at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday. Last season, he competed in the race and started 15th and finished ninth. Saturday afternoon’s race will be his first at the Tennessee track as a full-time Xfinity Series driver for RCR. Hill has one win so far this season as well as six top fives and seven top-10 finishes. He’s led 146 laps and completed 98.7 percent of laps attempted. The Xfinity Series had the last two weekends off and the team heads to Nashville Superspeedway looking for redemption after a hard-found third-place finish at Portland International Raceway. Currently, Hill is eighth in the driver standings.

About Bennett Family of Companies … McDonough, Ga.-based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 12 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:

You ran in the Xfinity Series race at Nashville last season and had a very decent result. What are you looking forward to for this weekend’s race?

“Last season’s race was a lot of fun and I was able to take home a ninth-place finish in a car that I didn’t drive every weekend. It’s nice to be able to have some notes from that race and use them for this weekend. The racetrack was really fun to run on and it felt like once you could get your car dialed in and figure out the best place to run on the track, you could move around in traffic. Hopefully it’s the same this weekend and we can be the car up front. Practice will be helpful and then we qualify on Saturday and jump right into the race so there will be some track changes to keep an eye on. I’m looking forward to getting back after these two off weeks. I think our team has really been dialed in and we’re ready to go.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
ALLY 400
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
JUNE 26, 2022

RACE #17 – NASHVILLE

Coming off the single off-weekend of the season for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), the 10-race stretch to the end of the regular season gets under way this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. The 2021 NASCAR season marked the return of racing at Nashville Superspeedway since 2011, but it was the first time in history that the 1.33-mile concrete oval hosted NASCAR’s premier series. All three of NASCAR’s national touring series will return to the Tennessee venue, with all eyes set on hoisting the coveted custom guitar in victory lane.

Chevrolet returns to Nashville Speedway aiming to not only go back-to-back in wins on the season but also defend its win from last year. Last season’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the track saw Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team post a dominating performance en route to the victory, marking a fifth-consecutive, points-paying win for the Bowtie brand – a feat that Chevrolet had last accomplished in 2014.

MAKING HISTORY AT SONOMA

Daniel Suarez had come close to notching his first career NASCAR Cup Series win on many occasions, but a trip out west to Sonoma Raceway was where he was able to record the triumph. Leading 47 of the final 50 laps at the 1.99-mile Northern California road course, Suarez powered his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 to a 3.849-second margin of victory to score his first win in 195 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

It was a monumental victory for not only Suarez, but one for the NASCAR history books. The win marks the first time that a Mexico-born driver has been victorious in NASCAR’s premier series. The 30-year-old Monterrey, Mexico, driver also became just the fifth foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, which was last accomplished by Australia’s Marcos Ambrose in 2012.

The victory marks the 12th different winner in 16 NASCAR Cup Series races held thus far, leaving just four spots open in the NCS Playoff field that can lock-in by virtue of a win. Suarez is also the fourth first-time winner this season, joining Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain on that elite list. Chastain grabbed his first career NCS win and the first for Trackhouse Racing at Circuit of The Americas earlier in March, while becoming a repeat winner at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

NXS BACK IN ACTION

Having been idle since AJ Allmendinger’s victory at Portland, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will return to competition at Nashville Superspeedway with the Tennessee Lottery 250 on Saturday. The 188-lap event marks the start of a 12-race stretch to the Playoffs for the series. Seven drivers have secured a spot in the 12-driver NXS Playoff field, five of which come from the Bowtie brigade.

Kaulig Racing’s Allmendinger arrives to Nashville Superspeedway as the NASCAR Xfinity Series points leader with a 43-point lead over second. The 40-year-old Chevrolet driver has not only recorded two wins in 2022, but also has a series-high 13 top-10 finishes in 14 races. Allmendinger is among four Chevrolet drivers in the top-five and eight of the top-10 in the NXS driver standings. Other Chevrolet drivers that have a win under their belt to secure their spot in the NXS Playoff field include JR Motorsports teammates Noah Gragson, Josh Berry and Justin Allgaier, who sit in the standings at third through fifth, respectively; and NXS rookie Austin Hill, who captured the season-opening victory at Daytona International Speedway.

JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer sits in the first points-qualifying position in the Playoff standings in the eighth position with a 137-point cushion over the cutline. While Mayer is in search of his first-career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, he’s recorded an impressive seven top-fives and eight top-10s in 2022, making him a strong contender to claim a spot in the Playoff field. Kaulig Racing teammates Daniel Hemric (ninth) and Landon Cassill (10th) round out the top-10 of the standings – 102 and 79 points, respectively, above the cutline.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer Points Standings continues to see Chevrolet in the top spot with a 67-point lead heading into the race weekend. In 14 NXS races in the books thus far, the Camaro SS has recorded nine of those victories. Of those victories includes a streak of the last six, dating back to Noah Gragson’s victory at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

FROM DIRT TO THE CONCRETE

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) will come to the end of a stretch of eight consecutive races in Friday’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. With just three races left in the series’ regular season, Chevrolet drivers have their eyes set on the five remaining spots in the 10-driver NCWTS Playoff field for their chance at the fight for the championship title.

The series is coming off its second dirt race of the season after taking on the famed half-mile dirt track of Knoxville Raceway last weekend. Passing and finishing points accumulated through qualifying races determined the starting lineup for the main event. Driving his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST from eighth to second in his qualifying race, Derek Kraus topped the points leaderboard to capture the third NCWTS pole award of 2022 for Chevrolet.

It was an all-Chevrolet front row to lead the field to the green in the 150-lap event, with Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar joining Kraus with a front row starting spot. Quickly taking the lead on Lap One, Hocevar went on to capture the Stage One win. Looking to be the truck to beat, Hocevar’s night came to an early end following an engine failure. While the result doesn’t depict the speed of the No. 42 Niece Motorsports team, Hocevar continues to sit in the eighth-position in the NCWTS driver standings, with a 61-point cushion on the Playoff cutline.

Kraus led Chevrolet to two top-10 finishes after piloting his Silverado to a season-best, sixth-place finish. The young Chevrolet driver had a strong performance throughout the night, recording top-five’s in both stages. The combination of a strong finish and valuable stage points moved Kraus up two positions in the NCWTS driver points standings to 11th; just 27 points below the Playoff cutline.

Joining Kraus in the top-10 was GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger, who drove his Chevrolet-powered machine to an eighth-place finish to give the No. 23 Silverado RST team its seventh top-10 finish of the year. Enfinger, who also scored top-10 finishes in both stages, heads into the Nashville Superspeedway race weekend in the ninth-spot in the NCWTS driver points standings and 58 points above the cutline.

PLAYOFF OUTLOOK: 10 TO GO

The NASCAR Cup Series’ trip to Nashville Superspeedway marks 10 races to go in the regular season. Following his win at Sonoma Raceway, Daniel Suarez became the 12th different driver to claim a NCS win and a Playoff berth, leaving just four spots open in the 2022 NCS Playoff field.

Of those 12 different winners and current Playoff contenders includes six Chevrolet drivers: Hendrick Motorsports’ Larson, Alex Bowman, William Byron and Chase Elliott; and Trackhouse Racing’s Chastain and Suarez. Those drivers have scored a combined eight wins in 16 points-paying races thus far, giving the Camaro ZL1 a current winning percentage of 50 percent.

For the 12th consecutive week, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott leads the series at the top of the points standings. While his win at Dover Motor Speedway solidified his Playoff spot, the 26-year-old Georgia native has also accumulated a series-leading 136 stage points in 16 races. Elliott leads Chevrolet to five of the top-10 in the NCS Playoff standings with Ross Chastain in second; and Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates Larson, Byron and Bowman sitting in the seventh through ninth positions, respectively. Below the cutline heading to Sonoma Raceway, Suarez’s win moved him up through the standings as the most recent driver to enter the Playoff grid by virtue of a win.

While on the outside looking in on the Playoff grid, Chevrolet’s Tyler Reddick (18th), Austin Dillon (19th) and Erik Jones (20th) are all within reach of a spot to compete in the Playoffs.

On top of its manufacturer-leading win count, Chevrolet also continues to lead its manufacturer competitors in NASCAR Cup Series laps led (2,333), top-fives (37), top-10s (74) and stage wins (16). En route to defending its NCS Manufacturer Championship title, Chevrolet heads into the final stretch of the regular season with a 41-point lead over second, with eight drivers among four different Chevrolet teams contributing to those points thus far.

FOR THE FANS:

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Nashville Superspeedway.

· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: 2022 Blazer Premier AWD, Camaro ZL, Corvette Z51, Equinox RS, Tahoe RST, Traverse Redline, Silverado 1500 ZR2, Silverado 2500 LTZ.

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:

Saturday, June 25

· Myatt Snider: 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

· Sheldon Creed & Austin Hill: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

· Jeremy Clements: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

· Bayley Currey & Ryan Vargas: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Sunday, June 26

· Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

· Corey LaJoie: 1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

· Justin Haley: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Friday, June 24: 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 25: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 26: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

BOWTIE BULLETS

· The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway was won by Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team (June 20, 2021).

· Austin Dillon is one of just three active drivers entered into the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway that have previously won in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Tennessee venue (2011).

· In the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, Ross Chastain scored a then career-best, runner-up finish behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Now, one year later, Chastain is a two-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series and heads into the Nashville race weekend second in the NCS driver points standings.

· Daniel Suarez became the 12th different NASCAR Cup Series winner this season following his win at Sonoma Raceway; and the sixth different Chevrolet driver to win and secure a NCS Playoff spot. Suarez’s first-career NCS win makes him the first Mexico-born driver to win in NASCAR’s premier series.

· Following Daniel Suarez’s win at Sonoma Raceway, Chevrolet now sits at eight-consecutive NCS road course wins, dating back to Chase Elliott’s victory at Circuit of The Americas in May 2021.

· With 16 NASCAR Cup Series races in the books, Chevrolet has recorded eight victories with six different drivers; a winning percentage of 50 percent.

· At the top of the NASCAR Cup Series driver points standings for the 12th consecutive week, Chase Elliott has also recorded a series-leading 136 stage points in 16 points-paying races.

· William Byron leads the NASCAR Cup Series in total laps led thus far this season with 570. Two other fellow Chevrolet drivers join Byron in the top-five of that list, including Chase Elliott in second with 471 laps led and Ross Chastain in third with 426 laps led.

· During the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports hit the milestone of 100,000 miles led in the NCS, all behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine. Hendrick Motorsports is the first team in the series’ history to accomplish that feat.

· With 16 NASCAR Cup Series races complete in the 2022 season, Chevrolet continues to lead all manufacturers in NCS wins (8), top-five’s (37), top-10’s (74), laps led (2,333) and stage wins (16).

· Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 16 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:

Tyler Reddick 2 – (Fontana x2)

Alex Bowman 1 – (Las Vegas)

Ross Chastain 3 – (Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte)

William Byron 3 – (Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega)

Daniel Suarez 2 – (COTA, Charlotte)

Chase Elliott 3 – (Martinsville x2), Charlotte)

Kyle Larson 2 – (Bristol, Sonoma)

· Of the four NASCAR Cup Series drivers that have recorded multiple wins this season, two come from the Chevrolet camp: (Ross Chastain – COTA, Talladega), (William Byron – Atlanta, Martinsville).

· 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 16-point advantage over second; and AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the NXS standings by 43-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 822 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.

TUNE IN

NBC will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 live at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 26. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

USA Network will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250 live at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 25. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 live at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, June 24. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1

TALK ABOUT THE NEW PARTNER YOU HAVE ON YOUR CAR FOR THIS WEEKEND AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO GET A WIN AT NASHVILLE?

“I’m super pumped to have the Jockey paint scheme on my car this weekend. It’s an iconic brand and the red, white and blue colors will look awesome on the track at Nashville. I hope I can finish one place better than I did last year and get them to victory lane. It would be awesome to get them their first win and to get one for Trackhouse in Nashville.”

YOU HAD YOUR BEST FINISH OF THE SEASON LAST YEAR AT NASHVILLE. IS THERE SOMETHING YOU PICKED UP ABOUT THAT TRACK?

“We were good off of the truck. We were second quick in practice, and I messed up qualifying and started mid-pack, I think. We marched our way up through there and ran top-10 most of the day. We were on the right side of the fuel and tire strategy to take advantage and finish second. I was able to hustle the car all weekend.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1

WHEN YOU THINK OF NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT COME TO MIND FOR YOU?

“Nashville Superspeedway kicked off my NASCAR Cup Series career. One of my first Cup tests was at Nashville. I remember going there to test with the team leading into the season and having a really good time. We won there in the NASCAR Truck Series and finished third there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with KHI. We had fun at Nashville. It was a good track for me. I didn’t feel like the Cup race at Nashville was as good for our team as I had expected going into the race. We finished decent. I think we were 12th. But I know we are capable of running better than that at Nashville so I’m looking forward to going back.”

WHAT IS COOL ABOUT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY?

“I think what’s cool and what I enjoyed about Nashville is people fought for that bottom line and you really had to be disciplined and not miss your exit leaving the corner at Nashville. The car that rotated the most was pretty good. It’s been a good track for us in the past, and I think it will be interesting to go back there with a year of Cup racing under our belt at the track.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

LARSON ON HOW HE EXPECTS NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY TO RACE THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR:

“It raced really well (last year). I had only tested there before and it was always kind of just right around the bottom. Last year, I think they put some resin on the track or something and we were able to move up the track. It was pretty slick and you could move around. I hope it’s similar to that. I think it should be and probably even better. It seems like these Next Gen cars slide around even more, so it should be fun.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

ELLIOTT ON RACING AT NASHVILLE:

“I think Nashville (Superspeedway) will be similar to the rest of the mile and mile-and-a-half tracks we go to. I don’t see it looking much different than last year. I think we have the potential to be really good there. We’ve had some pretty good speed this year, we just need to focus on putting everything together and getting more consistently strong finishes and hopefully another win or two during this stretch of races before heading into the playoffs.”

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

GUSTAFSON ON HEADING BACK TO NASHVILLE:

“I think for sure the heat will play a role and everything is going to be a bit more difficult for everybody. The car’s performance, your driver is going to be in a little more difficult situation. The grip of the tires is going to be a little worse, pitting the car on pit road is a little more difficult when it’s hot. It’s hard to get calm and cool. It’s a little bit more uncomfortable. It’ll make it a little bit tougher. I like it. I think those mental challenges are fun, for me. We were OK there last year. I wouldn’t say we were great, but we need to improve and get the car driving a little bit better. The car is typically loose in there and tight in the center and can be tight exit or loose exit depending on what you’ve got, but stringing that whole corner together is key.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 GOLD FISH CASINO SLOTS CAMARO ZL1

“I enjoyed racing at Nashville last year in the Xfinity Series. This will be my first time running both the Xfinity and Cup races. I think we are making progress in both of our programs and feel like Nashville will be a good test to see where we are at.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1

BYRON ON HIS THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND AT NASHVILLE:

“I think last year’s race at Nashville (Superspeedway) was a ‘learn as you go’ type of situation. With so few people having experience there, and even my short stint in the (Camping World) Truck Series race that weekend, we still didn’t know a lot of what to expect. We ended up having a really solid run though and that does offer some extra confidence for this weekend. You don’t want to be overly confident, though. Just because you had a good finish, that was last year’s car, and the Next Gen car handles differently. We have a starting point, and we’ll use practice on Friday to really dial the race setup in. Nashville presents its own challenges though as it looks like a superspeedway but it’s more similar to a short track in how tight the corners are.”

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

FUGLE ON HOW HE’S APPROACHING THIS WEEKEND AT NASHVILLE:

“I think this will be another weekend that we have a good starting point to work from when we unload. We ran well in last year’s race at Nashville Superspeedway. We had to start at the rear and were still able to race our way back to the front. I’m not sure if there will be as much passing this year as there was last year, but between our notebook and our teammate’s notebook (No. 5 team, defending winner), we have a good starting point. Plus, a full 50-minute practice really allows us to try some different things and make longer runs. It’s going to be hot, which will make for a slick track and with the resin down, we’ll want to practice with that as much as we can ahead of Sunday to get the balance right over a run.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1

“After a nice off week of downtime, I’m ready to get back to it and race Nashville. It was a new track to us last year, and it was fun to race on. This will be the first time these new Cup cars will be on this type of track. The last concrete track we raced on was Dover, and we showed some speed there. Hopefully that applies over to Nashville.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1

CONSIDERING WE’VE SEEN SOME GOOD RACES ON THE INTERMEDIATE TRACKS WITH THE NEW CAR, ARE YOU EXPECTING SOMETHING SIMILAR AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY?

“Yeah, I think it’ll race good there. It’s hard to tell. It’s kind of surprising. We didn’t think Gateway would be good with these cars, but it was and it put on a good show. You just have to see how it plays out and what it does, but I think Nashville will race good. From what I’ve known with this car a little bit, I feel like it’ll put on a good show.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / ENTENMANN’S CAMARO ZL1

“We’re hoping for another good concrete track run at Nashville like we had a Dover where we finished second. This style of racetrack has been better for us than some of the other ones and I love Nashville. It was a really good track for us last year, but of course it’s a totally different car. The biggest thing for us is to have a good practice session on Friday and make sure we have a car that handles good and is easy on the tires for our race.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY MUSIC CITY CAMARO ZL1

BOWMAN ON WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE PRIMARY SPONSOR ALLY BE THE TITLE SPONSOR OF THE RACE IN NASHVILLE:

“It is cool to see Ally have such a presence in NASCAR beyond just my team. Whatever Ally does, they do it to the best and fullest extent. Whether it is my Cup car, my sprint car and midgets at ABR, helping dogs with Best Friends – Ally does it right and I am happy to see them getting involved in NASCAR beyond just being the primary partner of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.”

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

IVES ON HIS EXPECTATIONS HEADING TO NASHVILLE FOR THE ALLY 400:

“We have a lot of data and notes to look back on from last year and the races we have completed this year, so we expect to go out to Nashville and have a competitive car. Having a weekend off last weekend and the race being sponsored by Ally, I feel like our team has a lot of positive, motivating factors to head to Tennessee with. Obviously, we want to win the race for Ally, but we have to take it one step at a time and that means getting the car ready during practice, qualifying well, and then getting it done on Sunday.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1

WHAT HAS LIFE BEEN LIKE SINCE YOU TOOK THE CHECKERED FLAG FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SONOMA?

“We were in victory lane a long time Sunday celebrating with my team, and some of the Amigos came down to join in. It was a fun flight home although I think we got home at 5:30 a.m. I took my girlfriend to the airport for an 8:30 a.m. flight to Brazil and then I went by the shop to see all of my team before flying to Mexico.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU SAW THEM IN MEXICO?

“I was so tired but when I got home my mom and sisters had a surprise party for me. Like I said I was so tired, but it was a lot of fun and I am glad they did it.

The win was great timing. We get to enjoy this for two weeks. But I am sure I’ll be ready to race again by this weekend.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS NASHVILLE?

“It’s very important. We are carrying Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on our car in Nashville. I think everyone who lives in Nashville or even been to Nashville knows all about Tootsie’s.

Nashville is where (Team Founder and Owner) Justin (Marks) lives, (Team President) Ty (Norris) live so they are going to have lots of friends and family out. We want to do well every week, but Nashville is special.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

“Nashville races similar to a mile and a half track, and I feel like we have made steady progress with our program this year. It took a while for the track to widen out for our race last year, so track position and qualifying will be very important. We’ve got a lot of guests from Champion Power Equipment that will be with us in Nashville so I’m hoping we can give them a reason to celebrate.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 24 CHEVYLINERS.COM SILVERADO RST

“I’m really looking forward to returning to Nashville; the race there last year was by far my best race that I had all year and I love this track layout. We were able to stay in contention all race long last time we raced here, which served as a big confidence boost for me. The way our season has gone this year has definitely been tough, but this track has been one that we’ve had circled on our calendars for quite a while now. I know how to get around this place as a driver, and I know that we are going to have a good setup to base ourselves off of, so we’re just going to stick with it all day. Hopefully we can put together another good practice and qualifying run to give ourselves an opportunity to succeed. If there’s been any race that I’ve had high hopes for, Nashville would definitely be the one on the top of my list, so I can’t wait to see what my No. 24 ChevyLiners.com team and I have in store for Friday as we return to one of my favorite cities in the country.”

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: 8

Poles: 3

Laps Led: 2,333

Top-five finishes: 37

Top-10 finishes: 74

Stage wins: 16

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

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 822 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 726

Laps led to date: 243,669

Top-five finishes to date: 4,175

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,629

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,156

       Chevrolet: 822

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 815                                                         

       Ford: 715

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 166

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.