Bristol Motor Speedway
Sunday, April 17, 2022
.533-Mile Dirt Oval
7:00 PM ET
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (9 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 13th-Tied
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Bristol Motor Speedway media center on Saturday, April 16, at 4:15 p.m. local time.
DIRT TRACKIN’: Last year in the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson was scheduled to start first but was forced to the back of the field due to an engine change in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The Elk Grove, California, native motored his way up to fourth before being collected in a multi-car accident in turn two on lap 53. Larson lost several laps while the crew repaired the damage, ultimately finishing 29th in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series dirt event at the Tennessee track.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR: After eight races in 2021, Larson’s deficit to the points leader was 99 markers. He was able to erase that gap in the remaining 18 regular season races to be crowned the Cup Series regular season champion. This year, Larson trails the point leader by 87 after eight events.
VOLUNTEER’ING: On Thursday at Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee, some of the top dirt Super Late Model drivers are scheduled to compete in the Kyle Larson Late Model Challenge. Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron will join Larson at the “World’s Fastest Dirt Track.”
MORE SEAT TIME: In early April, Larson competed in a Super Late Model at the Bristol Dirt Nationals. He finished fourth in the main event on April 1, but after winning his heat race on April 2, Larson was unable to take the green flag in the main event that evening due to a mechanical issue.
TRUCKIN’: Larson won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the dirt track at Eldora Speedway in Ohio in 2016. The reigning Cup Series champion led 51 laps en route to a second-place finish in the inaugural Truck Series event at Eldora in 2013.
STOP AND GO: At 12.524 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew has the 11th-quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2022. The over-the-wall crew is comprised of fueler Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear).
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend at Bristol, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.
WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HendrickCars.com.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 1st
No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
BRISTOL DIRT REWIND: In last year’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series dirt event at Bristol Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott came home with a top-10 result, scoring a 10th-place finish after starting the race from the 26th position.
EIGHT INTO ‘22: Through eight Cup Series races in 2022, Elliott has led 276 laps – the third-highest total in the series – with 185 of those circuits coming in last weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway. He also earned his first pole position of the season at the Virginia short track. Elliott has scored two stage wins and five top-10 finishes, which is tied for the most in the series. His average finish of 11.3 tops the field.
OUTRIGHT LEADER: After two stage wins and a 10th-place finish at Martinsville last weekend, Elliott retook the outright lead of the Cup Series point standings by three points over Ryan Blaney. The two were previously tied following the race at Richmond Raceway. Including the tie, Elliott has been atop the standings for four consecutive weeks.
RUNNIN’ AT THE FRONT: Elliott has consistently shown speed through the first eight races of 2022, spending 885 laps running inside the top five, third most in the series behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron and Blaney. He’s also tied with Byron for the second most stage points earned (82).
KBB IS BACK: This weekend at Bristol, Kelley Blue Book will make its 2022 debut on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The Atlanta-based Cox Automotive Group company has two primary events this year and will also have its colors displayed at Watkins Glen International in August. The long-standing Hendrick Motorsports partner has one win with the No. 9 team coming at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2020. Earlier this year, KBB unveiled a new look for its 2022 paint scheme. See all the angles of the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet here.
DIRT TRUCKIN’: Elliott is pulling double duty this weekend on the Bristol dirt, piloting the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevy Silverado in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event with NAPA AUTO PARTS to serve as an associate partner. Elliott has made 16 Truck Series starts over his career, scoring victories at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2013), Martinsville Speedway (2017) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (2020). All totaled, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has garnered three wins, 11 top-five finishes, 13 top-10 finishes and 412 laps led in Truck Series competition.
A SHOC ENERGY DAYTONA RACE EXPERIENCE: A SHOC Energy is giving fans the opportunity to win a VIP trip to the Cup Series race at Daytona on Saturday, Aug. 27. One grand prize winner and guest will get flight and hotel accommodations, tickets to the regular-season finale and a $500 Visa gift card. The sweepstakes is open now through July 15, and fans can enter by texting “ASHOCTRIP” to 97579.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
TICK TOCK TIMES TWO: Last Thursday night, William Byron climbed behind the wheel of the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevy Silverado for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Leading the final 84 laps of the 200-lap event, Byron captured his first win at the .526-mile track. His dominance didn’t stop there. On Saturday night, Byron ran second during stage one and stage two in the NASCAR Cup Series race before taking the lead off pit road for the start of the final stage. Byron paced the field for 212 laps before securing his second victory of the weekend and leaving Martinsville Speedway with two of the coveted grandfather clocks.
LAST FOUR: In the last four races, Byron has scored two wins – the first time he has scored multiple wins in a Cup season. He is also the first multi-time Cup Series winner this season. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has three top-five finishes which ties a previous best for him in a four-race span in the Cup Series. With 445 laps led in this stretch, that already eclipses Byron’s season-best mark in that category. The 24-year-old driver also has an average finish of 4.25 – his best-ever in a four-race stretch.
TO THE POINT: Byron has captured the most stage points this year in the opening stage of races (55), is tied for the second-most stage points overall (82) and has the most playoff points as well (12). In fact, over the last six races, Byron has earned the most total points overall (262).
TWO-FOUR HISTORY: With Byron’s win at Martinsville, he has now added his name to the already hefty history the No. 24 has at the half-mile paperclip. The No. 24 now has 10 wins at Martinsville – nine with Jeff Gordon and one with Byron – tied for the third-most wins there by a car number with the No. 48. Byron’s win also brings the No. 24 closer to the total win mark set by a car number in the Cup Series – currently fifth with 97 wins behind the No. 3 in fourth with 100 and the No. 2 in third with 101 wins.
SLINGIN’ DIRT: This weekend’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway will mark the second consecutive year that the Cup Series will race on dirt. Last season, Byron started eighth for the dirt event and raced his way to a sixth-place result. In fact, Byron spent 239 laps running within the top 10 and 169 laps run inside the top five – both marks were the fourth most by any driver in the race. He does have one other start on dirt at the national level of NASCAR. In 2016, Byron competed in the Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway. After finishing fourth in his heat race, Byron went on to score a top-15 finish, crossing the finish line in 14th.
FUGLE, DIRT SPECIALIST: Crew chief Rudy Fugle was on the pit box to guide Byron to a sixth-place finish in last year’s inaugural dirt race at Bristol. However, what most don’t know is that Fugle has an extensive background in dirt racing. Growing up in Livonia, New York, Fugle got his start in the dirt racing world competing in a 600cc micro sprint and worked on a friend’s dirt modified at the local track level. Other than the one Cup Series race on dirt last year, Fugle has six Truck Series starts at Eldora Speedway collecting a track-best finish of fourth in 2015 with Erik Jones.
FIRST TIMER: This Thursday night, Byron is going to try his hand at a dirt Super Late Model, competing in teammate Kyle Larson’s Late Model Challenge at Volunteer Speedway. For the race, Byron will run a Valvoline-sponsored late model for Mike Nuchols Warrior Chassis. While this will be the first time he has raced a dirt late model in competition, Byron was able to get some laps behind the wheel of a dirt late model last week in a test session at Carolina Speedway in preparation.
LIBERTY U IS BACK: Returning for the third time in 2022, Byron will climb behind the wheel of his No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the dirt race at Bristol. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty University is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s new Liberty University paint scheme, click here.
SEE THE 24 FOR $24: For this weekend’s race at Bristol, Liberty University and the track teamed up to offer fans the opportunity to attend Sunday’s race for $24 to cheer on the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. For more information or to purchase the Liberty University ticket offer, click here.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 7th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
BOWMAN AT BRISTOL: Alex Bowman has 11 starts on the .533-mile venue when it is not covered in a layer of dirt. In those starts, he has tallied two top-five finishes and three top 10s.
DIRT STAINS: In the inaugural event on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt, Bowman started the race seventh and made his way to a race-high second-place on lap 32 before trouble on a late stage one restart left him in 15th. He finished the second stage in 21st after suffering from mechanical issues shortly after the competition caution in that stage. He would ultimately finish the race in 22nd.
PLAYING IN THE DIRT: Bowman has continued to refine his dirt racing skillset in the early parts of the 2022 season for his team, Alex Bowman Racing (ABR). He made three starts in the World of Outlaws series in February. More notably, he qualified for the feature race in his first appearance in the series, an event where 10 drivers did not make the main event. As the year progresses, Bowman will more dirt races, including upcoming events in Bridgeport, New Jersey, and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
TO THE FRONT: Bowman is currently tied with six other drivers with four top-10 finishes in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. He is tied with Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, and teammate William Byron. Of those drivers, only Bowman and Byron have wins so far this season. Four drivers are tied for the most with five top-10 finishes apiece including Bowman’s teammate Chase Elliott.
RACK THEM UP: Bowman has garnered the third-most points in stage one of the 2022 season, notching 33 points. He trails teammates Byron (55) and Elliott (34). Across the last six races, Bowman has tallied the fifth-most points in those events, gaining 207 points.
BOX, BOX: The No. 48 Ally Racing team currently holds the 15th-best average four-tire pit stop in the 2022 Cup Series season, clocking in at 12.64 seconds. The five-man pit crew is made up of fueler Jacob Conley, jackman Eric Ludwig, tire carrier Allen Stallings and tire changers Scott Brzozowski (front) and Devin DelRicco (rea
SIGN OF FUTURE SUCCESS: Through eight races in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has won four times. Hendrick Motorsports won four of the first eight races in 1995, 1996 and 1997 as well as five of the first eight races in 2007. In the previous instances of winning at least four of the first eight races, a Hendrick Motorsports driver has won the NASCAR Cup Series title.
TAKE ME TO THE LEADER: Hendrick Motorsports has led 833 laps this season – the most in the Cup Series. That total is more than double of the team with the second-most laps led (Team Penske at 405) and more than second and third combined (Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing at 752).
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES: By leading 397 of the 403 laps in Saturday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports posted a new organization-best mark for the largest percentage of laps led in a race. The 98.51% mark eclipsed that of the 95.5% laps led (382 of 400) last year at Dover Motor Speedway for the team.
APPROACHING 2,000: Hendrick Motorsports is nearing its 2,000th top-10 finish in points-paying Cup Series competition. With 1,999 results inside the top 10 since the team was founded in 1984, it is only one away from the milestone. The organization holds the record for the most top-10 finishes in Cup Series history – 600 more than anyone else.
AND 100,000: Since Hendrick Motorsports was founded in 1984, it has led a record 99,232.44 miles in points-paying Cup Series races. The team is less than 800 miles from hitting 100,000 led at NASCAR’s top level. Last season, Hendrick Motorsports led 5,662.77 miles. Through eight races in 2022, it has led 774.96 miles.
RACKING UP THE WINS: Since the start of the 2021 season, Hendrick Motorsports has 21 points-paying wins. That mark is the most among Cup Series teams in that span. During that period, all other teams combined have posted 23 victories. Hendrick Motorsports is also the only team to have each of its drivers win multiple times since the start of last year.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing on dirt at Bristol earlier this year: “I think running the dirt late model at Bristol a few weeks ago just helps me get eyes on the track to see what’s different. It’s a temporary track and it’s never going to be exactly the same as it was the year before. Getting to run some laps to see how the dirt transitioned throughout the night was helpful and hopefully it pays off this weekend.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on challenges of preparing for Bristol dirt race: “Probably one of the hardest things is having Kyle Larson in your car knowing you have the highest expectation to live up to – which is a great thing. The other big thing in dirt racing that doesn’t get as much attention is what we have to do to make sure the car is durable and will last the whole race – like the right cooling to the proper systems in the car – like gear cooling and engine cooling. That’s step one. Step two, of course, is to have a fast car and to tune on it correctly during the race to be there at the end.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on returning to the Bristol dirt for the second year: “Last year, I think we got pretty fortunate to run where we did. We had a lot going on there at the end of the race and were kind of hanging on. This year, I think is just going to be a completely different ball game with this car. Being able to adapt quickly is going to be the key, because I think this year is going to be different than last. Whoever hits on that quickly and figures out what it’s going to take to be fast is likely going to be rewarded for it.”
Elliott on racing at night at Bristol: “I think it’s a great thing moving this event to night. I think it’s going to help with a lot of the issues we had, keeping some moisture in the track hopefully and then obviously keeping the dust down. I think everything we learned last year has been a great tool of how to go about it this season. It seems like we’re doing all the right things and hopefully it can be a good show. I think it has a lot of potential.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts racing on dirt this weekend: “Even though we raced there last year, this weekend’s race is still a pretty big unknown with the Next Gen car. We ran well last year, but other than watching the videos from the test that NASCAR had a little while ago, it’s hard to know how this new car will race on dirt. I know NASCAR looked at making some changes to the car, but I’m not biased either way. We’ll all be in the same situation when we get there and it will be all about how you manage the heat races to set you up for the actual race on Sunday. My hope is that the dirt late model race on Thursday may help me get up to speed a little bit faster so we can start fine tuning during practice at Bristol on Friday.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how the team will prepare to race on dirt this weekend: “I’m really excited to get back to Bristol. William (Byron) did a good job there last year, especially for not having much experience on dirt. I grew up around it, so we tried to lean on that a bit more last year. Now we’re going to try a blend of last year’s car and the Next Gen car. We have some notes from the NASCAR test that they did last week. The difference with dirt racing, though, is how fast the track conditions change. They change just about every lap. How much rain that comes through this week will play a factor and then how the track is prepped plus how they handle all 36 trucks being there before our race. Those are things that simulation can’t predict, you just have to go off of history and experience. It’s a little old school, which I like.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he is approaching the Bristol dirt with the Next Gen car: “There are a lot of new challenges with the Gen-seven car. The car is designed to look like a streetcar and has parts that are similar to the production car, so it makes it tough to take it on dirt. The guys at Hendrick Motorsports do a great job of putting together really fast cars and giving me what I need to be competitive every week. We don’t have any notes for the event, but I think some of the changes to even, like making it a night race, will help us put on a better show for the fans. Hopefully, we can get another win this year and take home another cool trophy.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at the Bristol dirt layout with the Next Gen car: “Last year, I feel like we had a great car. Alex (Bowman) was complimentary of the car. We had a mechanical issue that took us out of contention but feel we had a shot to win. Obviously, this year we have an entirely new car and new tire package, but the goal is still the same – we want to go to Bristol, have a solid race, and win at ‘The Last Great Colosseum.'”
