Richard Childress Racing at Martinsville Speedway … In 180 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, RCR has seven victories, five by Dale Earnhardt (1985-fall, 1987-spring, 1988-spring, 1991-spring, and 1995-fall). Ricky Rudd won the 1983 fall race at Martinsville, which was RCR’s first Cup Series win on an oval. Kevin Harvick won the 2011 spring race at Martinsville, his first victory at the .526-mile paved speedway. The team owns 30 top-five and 64 top-10 finishes entering Saturday night’s race. Team owner Richard Childress made his first start at Martinsville Speedway on April 10, 1972 and reeled off four top-10 finishes sprinkled across the 1976-1978 seasons.

Xfinity Series Stats at Richmond … RCR has one NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Martinsville Speedway. Kevin Harvick captured the 2006 event followed closely by teammate Clint Bowyer. Harvick and Bowyer combined to lead 207 of the event’s 250 laps enroute to a 1-2 finish. Bowyer also captured his first career Xfinity Series short-track pole position.

Catch Friday’s Action … The Call 811 Before You Dig 250 at Martinsville Speedway will be televised live on Friday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Saturday’s Action in Martinsville … The Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 will be televised live on Saturday, April 9 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Get Bioethanol Camaro ZL1 at Martinsville Speedway … In 16 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Dillon earned his best finish in April 2016 at the half-mile short track. He scored a fourth-place finish, rallying back from a 29th-place starting position. Dillon also owns a fifth-place finish at the .526-mile speedway (April 2017). He has made four NASCAR Truck Series starts at Martinsville, earning his best finish of third in October 2011.

Delivering Performance On the Track and For the Planet … Austin Dillon will race the Get Bioethanol Chevy in Martinsville, showcasing the performance benefits of racing with earth kind and engine smart bioethanol blended fuel, Sunoco Green E15. Whether it’s delivering cleaner and cooler high octane on the racetrack or a more affordable option for spring break road trips, plant-based bioethanol makes a positive impact on our planet. Learn more about bioethanol at getbioethanol.com.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
How do you feel about short tracks like Martinsville Speedway?
“I’m really excited for Martinsville Speedway. Martinsville is a place where you can really race hard. It’s a short track. It’s one of those places where you go through so many emotions during the course of the race. Someone might bump you and that give-and-take can get frustrating. It’s a short little paperclip, with hard-braking corners. We’ve had some solid runs there, and I think that we can go back and do it again. We have Get Bioethanol on the car, and everyone on our team will be pumped up when we get there. Martinsville is a race we circle on the schedule every year because we know we have a shot to win. We raced at a similar short track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum earlier this year and Tyler and I both ran well. It was a good start to the season for us with this Next Gen Chevy. We finished third and based on that, I think we’ll be able to back that up with a strong run this weekend at Martinsville.”

This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Martinsville Speedway … Tyler Reddick will take on Martinsville Speedway, also known as ‘The Paperclip,’ for the fifth time of his NASCAR Cup Series career on Saturday under the lights. Reddick made his first Cup Series start at the Virginia track in 2020 starting 14th and finished 16th. At the spring race last season, Reddick grabbed his career-best track finish of eighth in the No. 8 Chevrolet. During his time competing in the NASCAR Truck Series, Reddick made six starts at Martinsville. He had two top-five finishes and three top 10s to his name. His best finish of fifth (twice) came at both races in 2015.

3CHI Stands with Ukraine, Donates Proceeds in Support … This weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Tyler Reddick will pilot the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet with a special decklid in support of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The decklid features the colors of the Ukrainian flag with the words “Stand with Ukraine.” 3CHI is making this donation because they want to do their part to help, as an organization and in association with Richard Childress Racing, and to inspire others to step forward. 3CHI will donate 10 percent of online sales this weekend on 3CHI.com toward Ukraine relief efforts to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

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’s the mindset heading to Martinsville Speedway this Saturday?
“With the speed that we had at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for The Clash in the beginning of the season, we are very intrigued and curious to see how the speed that we had at a short track that is very similar to Martinsville’s shape and banking translates to the bigger of the two racetracks. With this new car, we saw that, at Richmond in particular, that with a similar tire, it raced a lot more like last year’s car than we’ve seen at other races. I’m assuming that the tire isn’t much different, I haven’t heard anything about the tire yet. If that remains fairly close then I would think that the race will play out a lot like the races did with the last car, too. Richmond is always a long race filled with lots of opportunities to make a mistake that really changes the outcome of your day, that’s how it will be this weekend at Martinsville, too. Hopefully our setup is right for Saturday, and we can take the things we learned from Richmond and put them into our plans. Track position and staying up front all day long is going to be very important. Outside of that, we just need to keep executing clean races and make the most out of our days.”

How do you feel your season is going so far?
“There have certainly been a lot of highs and lows this season. Being so close to that first win has been tough but also has just added more motivation. My team and everyone at ECR have been working around the clock on these new cars to bring us fast Chevys every single week and they have. Everyone has been working so hard on the ins and outs of the car as well as strategy, setup, everything. We have consistently brought strong and fast cars to every racetrack. Sometimes luck hasn’t been on our side, but I know that if we continue to execute the right way and work on improving certain elements, our time is coming. Looking back, we’ve been able to run up front for most of the races and we’ve also been able to fight back from a lot of deficits. Richmond last week showed that. None of us were necessarily happy with how the car was running but we were able to salvage a 12th-place finish and stay in it the best we could. I’ve learned a lot as a driver about this new car and I know everyone at RCR has, too. This season is long, and we’ve got so much racing left to do. I’m proud of our results this far and know we will achieve even better ones.”

This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Martinsville Speedway … Sheldon Creed will be making his first Martinsville Speedway start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Friday night. He has two top-10 finishes in five Truck Series starts at Martinsville with a best finish of eighth in 2020. He is 12th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers standings, 27 points outside of the top 10.

About Whelen Engineering … 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:
The race at Martinsville is relatively short (250 laps) and track position is very important. That is a challenge with a limited amount of practice before qualifying.
“You’ve got to be up front at the beginning and you’ve got stay relatively close to the front pretty much the whole race because the race is so short and it is so hard to pass there. That will be our goal. Hopefully we have the speed to do it and can run up front all day. I’ve had good races there in the past and felt like I should have won there in the Trucks in 2020. I’ve had speed, led laps and been in the top five a lot there, I just feel like the finish never goes our way. I’m looking forward to getting back there and being able to click off a top-five.”

How challenging is pit road at Martinsville?
“Martinsville’s pit road is tough but I wouldn’t say it’s the hardest that we go to on the circuit. Phoenix is tough just because the boxes are different and then you have the long corners. Pit road at Martinsville is tough but not quite that challenging.”

Is it easy to lose your temper at Martinsville?
“It is easy to lose your cool at Martinsville, not so much if you’re running inside the top 10 though. If you get outside the top 10 and start getting bumped around, it can get pretty frustrating.”

This Week’s Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Martinsville Speedway … Hill will be making his first Martinsville Speedway start in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition on Friday evening. He scored a second-place in the 2021 Truck Series race at Martinsville and owns three top-10 finishes in 11 starts at the paperclip-shaped oval. Hill enters the Martinsville event ninth in the series drivers standings. With his victory in the season-opening event at Daytona, Hill has clinched a spot in the 2022 NASCAR Playoffs.

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:
How big of a factor is taking care of your brakes at Martinsville?
“There’s a balance to taking care of your brakes at Martinsville Speedway. The first few times I went to Martinsville it seemed like the brake pedal would get a little soft, but we were also running in a little bit warmer weather. I’m planning to use the brake pedal a lot. Even though it is a short race you can still burn the brakes off it if you’re not careful so we have to be mindful of that. You definitely want to have brakes to use when you need them.”

Is track position more critical at Martinsville than at any other track?
“I think track position is very critical. Last year in the Truck race we lost some track position but I was able to work my way back up. If you have a car that’s good enough, you can do it, but it makes life a lot easier when you run inside the top five all day. Hopefully we have a fast Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet and we can stay out of harm’s way. It can get wild at the end of these races at Martinsville so we just want to stay out of all the mess and melee that’s going on and have a solid top five day.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
BLUE-EMU MAXIMUM PAIN RELIEF 400
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
RIDGEWAY, VIRGINIA
APRIL 9, 2022

RACE #8 – MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
Celebrating its monumental 75th anniversary, Martinsville Speedway gears up for an historic weekend as the host of all three NASCAR National Series for the second of three-consecutive short-track races. The action-packed weekend marks the only time this season that all three series will compete under the lights at the same venue as Chevrolet teams have their eyes set on winning the prestigious grandfather clock. The bowtie brand returns to Martinsville Speedway as defending winners after Chevrolet claimed the victory in all three series during NASCAR’s last appearance at the venue in October 2021.

The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) will take on the .526-mile paperclip in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 on Saturday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The 400-lap event marks the first of just four night races on the 2022 schedule for NASCAR’s premier series. Chevrolet has captured the victory at Martinsville Speedway 58 times to lead all manufacturers. In the series last appearance at the track, Alex Bowman piloted his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory, his third-career NCS short-track victory and his first at Martinsville Speedway.

Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will take the green for the Call 811 Before You Dig 250 Powered by Call811.com on Friday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Camaro SS swept both race wins in the series at Martinsville Speedway last season. The spring 2021 race saw Josh Berry, the short-track phenom who was competing a part-time schedule for JR Motorsports in 2021, lead a race-high 95 laps to capture his first-career NXS victory. In the series return to the venue in the fall, Noah Gragson wheeled his Chevrolet-powered machine to victory lane, a win that secured his spot in the Championship 4.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) will start the three-race weekend with the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 on Thursday, April 8, at 8 p.m. ET. The 200-lap race will be the only appearance by the series at the Virginia-based track this season. The 2021 Martinsville race for the series saw GMS Racing claim the victory, marking Chevrolet’s 257th all-time NCWTS win. NASCAR Cup Series regular, William Byron, will be take on the NCWTS behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado. The 24-year-old Charlotte native is no stranger to the series. Byron ran a full season in the NCWTS in 2016, capturing seven wins that season to set a NASCAR record for a first-year driver. In 25 starts in the series, Byron has also recorded 11 top-five’s, 16 top-10’s and three pole wins.

ALL-TIME NCS WIN LEADER AT MARTINSVILLE
In the 146 NASCAR Cup Series races that have been held at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane a record-58 times to top all manufacturers. Chevrolet team, Hendrick Motorsports, leads all organizations in NCS wins at Martinsville with 26 victories, including holding the title as the most recent winner at the venue following Alex Bowman’s win in the fall 2021 event. Other drivers that have contributed to Hendrick Motorsports triumphs at Martinsville include: Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (nine), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoffrey Bodine (one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one) and Chase Elliott (one).

CHEVROLET REMAINS ON TOP IN STANDINGS
Heading into the eighth points-paying race on the season, Chevrolet remains on top of the driver and manufacturer points standings in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. 2020 NCS Champion, Chase Elliott, leads the bowtie brigade into the NCS driver standings, tied for the top position. Chevrolet drivers occupy two of the top-five and four of the top-10 heading into the Martinsville race weekend.

The winningest brand in NASCAR also continues to lead in the NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer standings. The Camaro ZL1 has recorded four wins thus far this season with four different Chevrolet drivers, the most of all manufacturers. The bowtie brand also continues to top all manufacturers in top-five’s (20), top-10’s (32), laps led (786) and stage wins (7).

Following the Richmond race weekend, Chevrolet remained in the top position of the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and manufacturer points standings. Five of the top-six and seven of the top-10 of the driver points standings are occupied by Camaro SS drivers. Chevrolet’s most recent winner in the series, AJ Allmendinger, took over the top spot in the driver standings following his fourth top-five finish of the season at Richmond.

DALE EARNHARDT JR. BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL
Career Chevrolet driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is set to make his only appearance behind the wheel during the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, piloting the No. 88 Hellman’s Fridge Hunters Camaro SS. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made 35 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the .526-mile venue, claiming one win (2014), 13 top-five’s and 18 top-10’s in his NCS career. Since retiring from full-time competition in 2017, Earnhardt Jr. has raced four times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with this weekend marking his first appearance at Martinsville Speedway since retirement.

BOWTIE BULLETS
· Active NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet drivers who have won at Martinsville Speedway:
Alex Bowman (2021)
Chase Elliott (2020)

· In 146 events at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in wins (58) and pole awards (53). The bowtie brand has also recorded 269 top-five’s, 511 top-10’s and led 28,078 laps at the .526-mile paperclip.
· Heading into the eighth race of the 2022 season, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in NASCAR Cup Series wins (4), top-five’s (20), top-10’s (32), laps led (786) and stage wins (7).

· Five Team Chevy drivers have combined seven NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:
Tyler Reddick 2 – (Fontanax2)
Alex Bowman 1 – (Las Vegas)
Ross Chastain 1 – (Las Vegas)
William Byron 2 – (Phoenix)(Atlanta)
Daniel Suarez 1 – (COTA)

· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships; 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships; and 818 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet holds the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.

· Chevrolet leads in the driver points standing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott is tied for the top spot in the NCS standings; and AJ Allmendinger leads in the NXS standings by 20 points. The bowtie brand also sits atop both the NCS and NXS manufacturer points standings.

TUNE IN
FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 9. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Call 811 Before You Dig 250 Powered by Call811.com at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, April 8. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 7. Live coverage of all three events can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 GOPRO CAMARO ZL1
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TRACKHOUSE RACING’S SUCCESS IN 2022?
“There have been smiles this year. You’ve probably heard some of us talk about it, but it is different. For the same building and most of the same employees, it’s different. This car gives us a lot of things to smile about and we’ve been fast.”

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO BE PART OF THE TRACKHOUSE TEAM THAT HAS MADE SUCH A LEAP IN 2022?
“I’ve been grateful and I keep telling the boys and girls that at Trackhouse (Racing). Thank you for giving me fast cars because nobody’s car is comfortable to drive right now. We’re spinning out; I’ve wrecked. I’ve over-corrected. But as we’ve went through each race, they’ve made it tolerable. Just that extra little bit where I can start to hustle it. I have to keep reminding myself – come off of 100 percent because they are hard to drive. You see guys, we’re all spinning out and bottoming out. It’s been a grateful feeling for me that they’re giving me cars with speed. Our car at Auto Club was fast and I plugged it in the wall, head-on, off turn four. I can’t be doing that.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 GET BIOETHANOL CAMARO ZL1
“I’m really excited for Martinsville Speedway. Martinsville is a place where you get in there and can really race hard. It’s a short track. It is one of those places where you go through so many emotions during the course the race. Someone might bump you and that give-and-take can get frustrating. It’s a short little paper clip, with hard-braking corners. We’ve had some solid runs there, and I think that we can go back and do it again. We have Get Bioethanol is on the car, and we’ll be pumped when we get there. It’s a place we circle on the schedule every year because we know we have a shot to win. I haven’t gotten that Martinsville clock yet, but we raced at a similar short track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum earlier this year. It was a good start for us in this Next Gen Chevy. We had a top-three finish and based on that, I think we’ll be able to show up when it comes to Martinsville.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
LARSON ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY:
“I love racing at Martinsville, but I haven’t been that fast there in the past – at least fast enough to win. I always go there with enthusiasm, with the mindset to continue to work hard and evolve and to become better. Hopefully we can battle for the win.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
DANIELS ON PREPARING FOR THE FLAT SHORT TRACK:
“The closest track we’ve raced this year is the (Los Angeles Memorial) Coliseum where we ran the Clash. Still, it’s very, very different compared to Martinsville. We try to piece together from that data point, from the Phoenix test, the Phoenix race and from Richmond. None of those are like Martinsville, but we can base our approach on the differences of those tracks compared to Martinsville in years past.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1
WHAT’S THE MINDSET HEADING TO MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY?
“With the speed that we had at the LA Coliseum for The Clash in the beginning of the season, we are very intrigued and curious to see how the speed that we had at a short track that is very similar to Martinsville’s shape and banking translates to the bigger of the two racetracks. With this new car, we saw that, at Richmond in particular, that with a similar tire, it raced a lot more like last year’s car than we’ve seen at other races. I’m assuming that the tire isn’t much different, I haven’t heard anything about the tire yet. If that remains fairly close then I would think that the race will play out a lot like the races did with the last car, too. Richmond is always a long race filled with lots of opportunities to make a mistake that really changes the outcome of your day, that’s how it will be this weekend at Martinsville, too. Hopefully our setup is right for Saturday, and we can take the things we learned from Richmond and put them into our plans. Track position and staying up front all day long is going to be very important. Outside of that, we just need to keep executing clean races and make the most out of our days.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR SEASON IS GOING SO FAR?
“There have certainly been a lot of highs and lows this season. Being so close to that first win has been tough but also as just added more motivation. My team and everyone at ECR have been working around the clock on these new cars to bring us fast Chevys every single week and they have. Everyone has been working so hard on the ins and outs of the car as well as strategy, setup, everything. We have consistently brought strong and fast cars to every racetrack. Sometimes luck hasn’t been on our side, but I know that if we continue to execute the right way and work on improving certain elements, our time is coming. Looking back, we’ve been able to run up front for most of the races and we’ve also been able to fight back from a lot of deficits. Richmond last week showed that. None of us were necessarily happy with how the car was running but we were able to salvage a 12th-place finish and stay in it the best we could. I’ve learned a lot as a driver about this new car and I know everyone at RCR has, too. This season is long, and we’ve got so much racing left to do. I’m proud of our results this far and know we will achieve even better ones.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1
ELLIOTT ON THE TEAM’S PERFORMANCE IN 2022:
“I feel like we’ve been solid at times. Other than Vegas, I felt like there’s been signs of pace for us. We just haven’t put a whole day together yet. We’ll keep doing our thing and continue to move forward. That’s really all you can do. This deal pays in November. We’ve got a long ways to go, and I feel like we have a great team, and that’s the part of the year we want to be prepared for most. We want to win and we want to gain as many bonus points as we can, don’t get me wrong, but a lot of racing to be done.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1
GUSTAFSON ON HEADING TO MARTINSVILLE IN THE NEXT GEN CAR:
“Martinsville is super unique and that’s what I like about it. I really like going there. With this new car, it’s just going to be a huge difference for us to get it to do what the old car did setup-wise, so that’s going to be a learning curve for us.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
BYRON ON HOW HE APPROACHES RACING AT MARTINSVILLE:
“I think Martinsville has always been a good track for us especially with two top-five finishes last year. We just need to hit on the things that are crucial there and work on it. With the shape of the corners and the rhythm it takes, I feel like I have an eye for what a car should look like to get around there just from coming to so many races growing up. I think some of that translates to inside the car when you’re thinking through what lines to take and how to pass somebody. Growing up short-track racing helps too. Similar to Denny (Hamlin), I grew up racing around the Southeast and running a lot of late model races. I’ve gone back and done some of that this year and that helps reaffirm how I race at tracks like this.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
FUGLE ON HIS THOUGHTS OF RACING 400 MILES AT MARTINSVILLE:
“I’m excited to race under the lights this weekend at Martinsville, especially for 400 laps. I’m excited to have a little bit of a shorter race honestly. I like that style. It’s a bit more up my alley of racing from the other series. You really have to try to get all the work done early. You won’t have as much time to recover from mistakes now, so you really have to minimize those. Realistically the way we race these races is we race to the end of stage one, we race to the end of stage two and then to the race end. It makes them all shorter races essentially. With every call you make, and even how you start the race, you can’t be as far off and need to make better decisions early on. I like those situations and the pressure it brings. I welcome that challenge.”

TY DILLON, NO. 42 CHEVYLINERS.COM CAMARO ZL1
WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR SO FAR? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS NEW MODEL?
“I love it. Anytime there is a massive change, it opens the door for massive opportunity. That is the way that I choose to look at it. I don’t like to get stuck on change and why it shouldn’t work, but why it is going to work. It has been a lot of fun to drive. There are a lot of nuance things that I still don’t know why it feels a certain way or why it does certain things, but that is something over time that we will learn and build a notebook on. Time is only going to tell when you’ve had so many years of experience in a certain style and build of a car. There are so many new components of the car and as a driver, you become more connected to the car with more laps that you have in it. I’m growing in it, we are all growing in it, and it’s only a matter of time before it feels second nature to drive it.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1
HOW ARE YOU ADAPTING TO THIS NEW CAR? DOES IT FIT YOUR DRIVING STYLE?
“You are constantly learning. Every time you hit the racetrack, you are going through figuring out what this car likes from a driver standpoint – of what you can do as a driver to make it better, what you need to ask for to make it better. People are having to drive a tighter racecar at this point. No one is super comfortable with driving it free and figuring out what the limits are. But that is part of a new car and learning through it. Overall, I feel pretty comfortable with it. I do feel like it suits my driving style, especially on short tracks and so far, the mile and a half as well. I’ve been pretty happy with the race car and how it’s drove to this point.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
BOWMAN ON HIS CURRENT MOMENTUM:
“We have had three back-to-back top-10 finishes, which is getting us closer to our goal of being consistent. Having a great race at COTA and then following that up with an eighth place at Richmond boosts the confidence of everyone on the team, not just myself. Greg (Ives) and the rest of the guys at the shop work really hard to give me the best Ally Chevy they can put together and it’s showing. Going back to Martinsville, a place that I won late last year, is something that keeps us looking in the right direction. I think we can go down there and repeat our success from last season.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
IVES ON HIS APPROACH TO MARTINSVILLE AND THE WAVE OF CONFIDENCE THE TEAM HAS:
“Martinsville has been a great racetrack for Hendrick Motorsports. You always want to go there and perform well. It definitely boosts our confidence coming off our recent win there at the end of last year in addition to how we have been performing at short tracks recently. We are going to go there with a solid race car and a strategic plan. Barring any mistakes, I feel like we have what it takes to go out and contend for another win.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOPRO CAMARO ZL1
DO YOU THINK HAVING A TEAMMATE THIS YEAR HAS BEEN THE KEY TO TRACKHOUSE SUCCESS?
“I think it’s a combination of things. Definitely having a teammate helps. That’s part of the success. Having that information and sharing that information; knowing exactly what they’re going to do and what we’re going to do. But I think that probably the biggest improvement from last year is the people. Having our own people working towards the speed and having a lot of support from Chevrolet. I think that’s the combination. I feel very, very fortunate to be in this position. We have everything that is required to go out there and be successful. Now, it’s up to us to do the job.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST
“Martinsville is always an intense race from all angles. As a driver, you have to manage your brakes, tires, fenders, and emotions. GMS Racing has shown some great success at that track in years past, and I personally love the short tracks, so I am really looking forward to this race. My No. 23 Champion Power Equipment team has made some great strides and we are ready to take it to the next level this weekend.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 24 CHEVYLINERS.COM SILVERADO RST
“I’m looking forward to returning to Martinsville for the second time with my No. 24 team. The truck schedule has been all over the place to start out the year, going to different types of disciplines each week, so I am excited to get back to some short track racing. I feel confident heading back this weekend because we showed a lot of speed last year, but just never really got the track position that we needed to do anything with it. Hopefully the weather will allow us to qualify so we can have a good spot to roll off from, and the goal will be to stay up there as much as possible.”

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: 4
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 786
Top-five finishes: 20
Top-10 finishes: 32
Stage wins: 7
Tyler Reddick (Fontanax2)
Alex Bowman (Las Vegas)
Ross Chastain (Las Vegas)
William Byron (Phoenix), (Atlanta)
Daniel Suarez (COTA)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 818 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 724
Laps led to date: 242,122
Top-five finishes to date: 4,158
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,587

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,152
       Chevrolet: 818
       Pontiac: 154
       Oldsmobile: 115
       Buick: 65

       Ford: 813                                                         
       Ford: 713
       Mercury: 96
       Lincoln: 4

       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
       Dodge: 217
       Plymouth: 191
       Chrysler: 59

       Toyota: 163

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.

Petty GMS at Martinsville Speedway

• Continuing the Legacy: While Petty GMS continues in its inaugural season, both the Petty and GMS organizations have a storied history at Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at the Virginia short track with a total of 15 wins (1960, 1962, 1963, 1967 sweep, 1968, 1969 sweep, 1970, 1971, 1972 sweep, 1973, 1975, 1979), marking the most any driver in the series has won at a single track.

Maury Gallagher’s GMS Racing has earned four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series checkered flags at the track affectionally known as “the paperclip” – two with Johnny Sauter (2016, 2018), one with Chase Elliott (2017), and one with Zane Smith (fall 2021).

- Tune In Alert: The green flag will wave for the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET. FS1 will carry the live television broadcast, while the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 will provide radio coverage of the 400-lap event.

Ty Dillon, No. 42 ChevyLiners.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Dillon at Martinsville Speedway:

• Dillon has competed in eight NASCAR Cup Series events at Martinsville Speedway, finishing inside the top 22 positions in six of those starts. The North Carolina native has also participated in six NASCAR Xfinity Series races, earning two top-five results.
• Run with the Best: ChevyLiners.com will serve as primary partner on Dillon’s Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday night’s race at Martinsville, marking the third consecutive event that the grey and mustard colors of Chevrolet Accessories have adorned the No. 42 machine. - About ChevyLiners.com: When it comes to floor protection for your Chevrolet, be sure to run with the best. For ultimate interior protection, Premium All-Weather Floor Liners by Chevrolet Accessories are the solution. Offering precision coverage around interior trim, driver pedals, seat tracks, and door sills, they’re constructed of quality materials that provide optimum carpet and interior trim protection, isolating debris and moisture while remaining removable for cleaning.
• From the Drivers Seat: What has your experience been with the Next Gen car so far? What are your thoughts on this new model?

“I love it. Anytime there is a massive change, it opens the door for massive opportunity. That is the way that I choose to look at it. I don’t like to get stuck on change and why it shouldn’t work, but why it is going to work. It has been a lot of fun to drive. There are a lot of nuance things that I still don’t know why it feels a certain way or why it does certain things, but that is something over time that we will learn and build a notebook on. Time is only going to tell when you’ve had so many years of experience in a certain style and build of a car. There are so many new components of the car and as a driver, you become more connected to the car with more laps that you have in it. I’m growing in it, we are all growing in it, and it’s only a matter of time before it feels second nature to drive it.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Jones at Martinsville Speedway:

• Jones has competed in 10 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, posting an eighth-place finish in the fall of 2021. The 25-year-old also has five starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, collecting two top-five and four top-10 finishes.
• Sharp Focus: FOCUSfactor will serve as primary partner on Jones’s Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday night’s race at Martinsville. As the anchor sponsor on the No. 43 machine, FOCUSfactor’s blue and green colors have been on display for every race so far this season.
• In the Booth: Jones will join Adam Alexander and Austin Dillon in the television booth for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Virginia short track on Friday evening. Tune in to FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET to hear Jones provide driver insights to the broadcast. - 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 Drivers Seat: How are you adapting to the Next Gen car? Does it fit your driving style?

“You are constantly learning. Every time you hit the racetrack, you are going through figuring out what this car likes from a driver standpoint – of what you can do as a driver to make it better, what you need to ask for to make it better. People are having to drive a tighter racecar at this point. No one is super comfortable with driving it free and figuring out what the limits are. But that is part of a new car and learning through it. Overall, I feel pretty comfortable with it. I do feel like it suits my driving style, especially on short tracks and so far, the mile and a half as well. I’ve been pretty happy with the race car and how it’s drove to this point.”

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 over 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.

Martinsville Speedway
Saturday, April 9, 2022
.526-Mile Oval
7:30 PM ET
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (8 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: 12th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE FOR NO. 5: On Sunday at Richmond Raceway, Kyle Larson drove the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to a fifth-place finish – his third top-five finish of 2022. The Elk Grove, California, native is tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for second in that statistical category, trailing only Ross Chastain who has four finishes this season in the top five. Along with that fifth-place result, Larson has a victory at Auto Club Speedway and a runner-up finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR: After seven races in 2021, Larson’s deficit to the points leader was 85 markers. He was able to erase that gap in the remaining 19 regular season races to be crowned the NASCAR Cup Series regular season champion. This year, Larson trails the points leader by 58 after seven events.

NIGHTTIME IS THE RIGHT TIME: There were eight Cup Series night races in 2021 and Larson posted top-10 finishes in seven of those with wins coming at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and Bristol Motor Speedway in September. Only six drivers led 100 or more laps total in those events with Larson leading the way with 767.

APRIL SHOWERS: In April 2021 at Martinsville Speedway, Larson started 19th and finished fifth in the rain-delayed event. Overall, he has two top-five finishes and three top-10s in 14 starts at the .526-mile Virginia short track.

GETTIN’ DIRTY: On Sunday, Larson is scheduled to participate in a dirt late model race at Port Royal Speedway in Pennsylvania. Sponsor HendrickCars.com will appear on Larson’s car, uniform, gloves and helmet.

STOP AND GO: At 12.491 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew is tied for the 12th-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 Martinsville, 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-Tied

No. 9 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

MARTINSVILLE MOJO: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will make his 14th Martinsville Speedway start in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday. The 26-year-old driver made his Cup debut at the track for Hendrick Motorsports on March 29, 2015, and has since led a total of 718 laps there – his most laps led at any track. Across his 13 starts at Martinsville, he has one win (November 2020), five top-five finishes and seven top 10s. Elliott is tied for the most stage wins (four) at the track. In this race last spring, he drove to a runner-up finish.

SHORT-TRACK STATS: On Saturday, Elliott will make his 38th short-track start in the Cup Series. In those races, he has garnered one win (Martinsville 2020), 12 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s and led 1,251 laps.

GUSTAFSON’S PAPERCLIP PAST: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 35th Martinsville race from atop the pit box this weekend. In his previous 34 Cup Series starts at the track, he has three wins – most recently with Elliott in November 2020 to solidify the No. 9 team’s spot in the Championship 4. Gustafson also has 15 top-five finishes and 24 top 10s at the venue. His other two wins at the paperclip-shaped track came with Jeff Gordon in 2013 and 2015.

POINTS LEADER: Seven races into the 2022 season, Elliott continues to be a front runner in the Cup Series point standings and is currently tied with Ryan Blaney for the top spot. Elliott is one of only six drivers to score at least four top-10 finishes in 2022. His best result of fourth came at Circuit of The Americas just two weeks ago.

RECAPPING THE WIN: Elliott’s November 2020 victory at Martinsville was his first Cup Series short-track win. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native won the second stage and led 236 of 500 laps en route to the victory, locking himself and the No. 9 team into the Championship 4. The following week Elliott came from the back of the pack to win at Phoenix and secure his first Cup Series championship.

LLUMAR COLORS: LLumar will have its colors carried on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Martinsville. It’s the second of two races that the Eastman Performance Films brand is serving as the primary partner during the 2022 season. It was also on board Elliott’s Chevrolet during his fourth-place run at COTA in March. LLumar’s window tint and paint protection film is produced at Eastman’s manufacturing facility located just over 10 miles from the Virginia track.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th

No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Martinsville Speedway media center on Friday, April 8, at 3:45 p.m. local time.

REVVED-UP RICHMOND: Qualifying second for last Sunday’s race at Richmond Raceway, Byron maintained that position until the end of stage one. With issues on the right rear during the stage break pit stop, Byron restarted deeper in the field for the start of stage two. Crew chief Rudy Fugle was able to use pit strategy later in the run to get Byron back to the front of the field. In the final stage, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native took the lead and commanded the field for 122 laps – the most he has led in a single race – and was poised to take home his second win of the season. However, with varying pit strategy taking place, two cars with fresher tires were able to catch him with five laps to go, leaving Byron with a third-place finish – a personal best for him at Richmond.

POINTS, POINTS, POINTS: So far in 2022, Byron has captured two stage wins, both coming in stage one of the races at Phoenix Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. His two stage wins are tied for the third-most this season. Byron has collected the most playoff points (7), most stage points in the opening stage of races (46) and the second-most stage points overall (64).

SUCCESS AT SHORT TRACKS: With the Cup Series taking on its second short track of the 2022 season, Byron has momentum on his side after his third-place finish in last weekend’s short-track race at Richmond. In his last three short-track starts, he has collected three top-five finishes – the longest active streak in the Cup Series and his longest streak on short tracks. He and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman are tied for second with the longest active streak of top-10 finishes (three) on short tracks behind only Martin Truex Jr., who has six.

MARTINSVILLE MINUTES: Despite his young age, Byron’s time at Martinsville goes back to when he attended his first Cup Series race at the paperclip-shaped track in 2006 as a fan. Since then, the 24-year-old driver has moved through the NASCAR ranks and is now poised to make his ninth Cup start at the half-mile venue. Of his eight Cup Series starts there, Byron has a personal-best finish of second in the fall of 2019 when he came within car lengths of scoring the win. Last season, Byron raced to back-to-back top-five finishes – one of only two drivers (Truex) to do that at Martinsville in 2021. He has three top-five finishes total at Martinsville – the most at any track in his Cup career.

NIGHT MOVES: In eight night races in 2021, Byron battled to three top-five finishes – tied for the sixth-most. In those events, he ranked fourth with 140 laps led.

THE FUGLE FILES: Sunday’s race will mark Fugle’s third in the Cup Series at Martinsville. Last season, he and the No. 24 team raced to two top-five finishes, a fourth in the spring and fifth in the fall at the Virginia track. Aside from his Cup starts, the Livonia, New York, native has 14 races at the paperclip-shaped track already under his belt, all in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In those 14 races, Fugle has accumulated one win (May 2019), six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. Two of those previous starts were with Byron, both in 2016, where the duo grabbed a top-five finish and two top-10s.

TWO-FOUR: The No. 24 has won at Martinsville nine times – tied for the fourth-most Cup Series wins by a car number at the venue, all coming with Jeff Gordon. If Byron were to end up in victory lane Saturday night, the No. 24 would tie the No. 48 for the third-most wins at Martinsville.

TRUCKIN’: In addition to his full-time driving duties in the Cup Series behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Byron will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Thursday night at Martinsville for Spire Motorsports. Byron will wheel the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado with Axalta highlighted in Thursday night’s race. Byron has two Martinsville starts on his résumé in the Truck Series, both coming in 2016 when he qualified seventh for both events and raced to one top-five finish and two top-10s.

RAPTOR® TOUGH: Unveiled earlier this season, Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet will sport the RAPTOR® brand this weekend at Martinsville. Making its debut for 2022 at Circuit of The Americas, RAPTOR® will return in 2022 for multiple races with Byron and the No. 24 team. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating and bed liner that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of substrates from steel, wood, concrete and plaster to plastics and composites. Resistant to common fuels, U.V., scratches and stains, RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores and can also be purchased from online retailers like Amazon. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, 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

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Martinsville Speedway media center on Friday, April 8, at 3:15 p.m. local time.

NO WASTED TIME: Alex Bowman won the penultimate race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season at Martinsville Speedway in October. The driver led nine laps, including the final eight before tallying the fourth and final win of his career-best year. The 28-year-old driver finished eighth in the first stage and second in the second stage en route to his victory.

MR. CONSISTENT: Bowman is tied for the most top-10 results (four) in the 2022 Cup Series season. He is joined by teammate Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch. Bowman has two top-five finishes this year, making him one of nine drivers with multiple top-fives this year.

ON REPEAT: Driving the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Bowman is one of two competitors in the Cup Series to earn multiple wins on short tracks since the start of the 2021 season. Bowman is tied with Truex for two wins on the small circuits after winning at Richmond Raceway in April 2021 and Martinsville in October.

SHORT-TRACK STREAK: Bowman is tied with teammate William Byron for the second-longest active streak of top-10 finishes on short tracks (three). His three consecutive results mark his longest streak of top-10s on short tracks in his Cup career. Only Truex holds more with six consecutive top-10 results at the smaller venues.

RICHMOND REWIND: Continuing to show consistency in 2022, Bowman garnered his third straight top-10 finish after his eighth-place result at Richmond last Sunday. Following a 28th-place start, he finished the first stage in 14th and the second stage in 11th. His string of early-season success positions the No. 48 team seventh in the regular-season standings through seven points-paying events.

IVES AT THE PAPERCLIP: Greg Ives will make his 15th Martinsville start atop the pit box in the Cup Series on Saturday. The 42-year-old crew chief has garnered one win (October 2021), two top-five finishes and six top-10s in his 14 starts.

CLOCKING IN: Hendrick Motorsports’ 26 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Martinsville Speedway are the most for the organization at any one track. The total includes victories in two of the last three races held there.

MASTERS OF MARTINSVILLE: If Hendrick Motorsports leads 18 laps Saturday night at Martinsville, it will become the first to lead 10,000 laps at a single track in the Cup Series.

REMEMBER THE FIRST: On April 29, 1984, at Martinsville, driver Geoff Bodine earned the first of Hendrick Motorsports’ 283 NASCAR Cup Series victories. Last season, the organization surpassed the legendary Petty Enterprises as the winningest team in Cup history. Car owner Rick Hendrick founded Hendrick Motorsports in 1984.

VIRGINIA IS FOR VICTORY: Entering Saturday night’s race, Hendrick Motorsports has grabbed 37 victories in the Commonwealth of Virginia — its most in any one state. That mark is followed by North Carolina (32 wins) and California (22). Only Petty Enterprises (44) has more Virginia wins.

SHORT-TRACK SAVVY: Hendrick Motorsports will seek its Cup Series-best 55th points-paying win on a short track under the bright lights of Martinsville. The team has won 54 times on short tracks with 13 different drivers, which is 10 more victories than next-best Joe Gibbs Racing.

APPROACHING 2,000: Hendrick Motorsports is nearing its 2,000th top-10 finish in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. With 1,997 results inside the top 10 since the team was founded in 1984, it is only three away from the milestone. The organization holds the record for the most top-10 finishes in Cup Series history – nearly 600 more than anyone else.

AND 100,000: Since Hendrick Motorsports was founded in 1984, it has led a record 99,023.61 miles in points-paying Cup Series races. The team is less than 1,000 miles from hitting 100,000 led at NASCAR’s top level. Last season, Hendrick Motorsports led 5,662.77 miles. Through seven races in 2022, it has led 566.14 miles.

RACKING UP THE WINS: Since the beginning of the 2021 Cup Series season, Hendrick Motorsports has won 20 points-paying races. During that period, all other teams combined have posted 23 victories.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Martinsville Speedway: “I love racing at Martinsville, but I haven’t been that fast there in the past – at least fast enough to win. I always go there with enthusiasm, with the mindset to continue to work hard and evolve and to become better. Hopefully we can battle for the win.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for the flat short track: “The closest track we’ve raced this year is the (Los Angeles Memorial) Coliseum where we ran the Clash. Still, it’s very, very different compared to Martinsville. We try to piece together from that data point, from the Phoenix test, the Phoenix race and from Richmond. None of those are like Martinsville, but we can base our approach on the differences of those tracks compared to Martinsville in years past.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s performance in 2022: “I feel like we’ve been solid at times. Other than Vegas, I felt like there’s been signs of pace for us. We just haven’t put a whole day together yet. We’ll keep doing our thing and continue to move forward. That’s really all you can do. This deal pays in November. We’ve got a long ways to go, and I feel like we have a great team, and that’s the part of the year we want to be prepared for most. We want to win and we want to gain as many bonus points as we can, don’t get me wrong, but a lot of racing to be done.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to Martinsville in the Next Gen car: “Martinsville is super unique and that’s what I like about it. I really like going there. With this new car, it’s just going to be a huge difference for us to get it to do what the old car did setup-wise, so that’s going to be a learning curve for us.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he approaches racing at Martinsville: “I think Martinsville has always been a good track for us especially with two top-five finishes last year. We just need to hit on the things that are crucial there and work on it. With the shape of the corners and the rhythm it takes, I feel like I have an eye for what a car should look like to get around there just from coming to so many races growing up. I think some of that translates to inside the car when you’re thinking through what lines to take and how to pass somebody. Growing up short-track racing helps too. Similar to Denny (Hamlin), I grew up racing around the Southeast and running a lot of late model races. I’ve gone back and done some of that this year and that helps reaffirm how I race at tracks like this.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts of racing 400 miles at Martinsville: “I’m excited to race under the lights this weekend at Martinsville, especially for 400 laps. I’m excited to have a little bit of a shorter race honestly. I like that style. It’s a bit more up my alley of racing from the other series. You really have to try to get all the work done early. You won’t have as much time to recover from mistakes now, so you really have to minimize those. Realistically the way we race these races is we race to the end of stage one, we race to the end of stage two and then to the race end. It makes them all shorter races essentially. With every call you make, and even how you start the race, you can’t be as far off and need to make better decisions early on. I like those situations and the pressure it brings. I welcome that challenge.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his current momentum: “We have had three back-to-back top-10 finishes, which is getting us closer to our goal of being consistent. Having a great race at COTA and then following that up with an eighth place at Richmond boosts the confidence of everyone on the team, not just myself. Greg (Ives) and the rest of the guys at the shop work really hard to give me the best Ally Chevy they can put together and it’s showing. Going back to Martinsville, a place that I won late last year, is something that keeps us looking in the right direction. I think we can go down there and repeat our success from last season.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his approach to Martinsville and the wave of confidence the team has: “Martinsville has been a great racetrack for Hendrick Motorsports. You always want to go there and perform well. It definitely boosts our confidence coming off our recent win there at the end of last year in addition to how we have been performing at short tracks recently. We are going to go there with a solid race car and a strategic plan. Barring any mistakes, I feel like we have what it takes to go out and contend for another win.”