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.”

Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 6, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to media prior to the Martinsville Speedway race this Wednesday:

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Yahoo Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Did you notice anything with the Bristol test with Stewart Friesen?

“The track conditions look really good. Hopefully we are able to continue that, and I think we will see a dirt race. The thing about dirt racing is track conditions dictate a lot of it.”

Are you familiar with the changes that are going to be made to the car for the dirt race?
“So, I’m not really familiar with the changes that they are doing at all. I know they are doing a lot of underbody stuff, but I’m not sure what they are doing with that. I know that dirt build up has always been a problem with last year’s car and is very concerning with this too. I’m glad they are taking action and going out there with Stewart (Friesen) this week to do the test and learn some more about it before we go there for racing.”

How important was it to you to have two strong runs?

“It’s very important for sure and it’s just nice to be able to get some good solid races in. Looking back at last week in Richmond, we capable of a lot more than sixth and was ultimately disappointed with a sixth-place finish, but all-in-all, after the season started, it’s been rewarding to be able to get two good runs in a row. I think we have the capability of doing that week-in and week-out – having good finishes, having strong runs. Hopefully we can build on that and go to Martinsville and run strong again.”

How cool is it to have Yahoo on your car this weekend and this season?

“You want to talk about a dream come true – that’s pretty much it. I remember as a kid I would always watch Yahoo Sports and that’s pretty much how I got updated, so to be able to carry the Yahoo colors is really cool. We’re going to have a car that stands out, that is for sure. The purple car is going to look really good on track and glad we get to debut it this weekend in Martinsville.”

How was your Kansas test?

“Yeah, the Kansas test was a good test. We really didn’t have any issues. I think we learned a lot. Goodyear brought a couple of different tires and all of them performed really well. I was really happy either way – whatever decision they did on tires, but the top was fast for sure and that is one thing that we expected or learned to expect and know from the last couple of Kansas races. Very similar to Las Vegas, I think the cars are going to race really well there.”

When do you start worry about making the Playoffs?

“To be honest with you, it has definitely crossed my mind, especially with how the season started. I think we were – we might have been last in points after the first three or so races, so that was not ideal at all. I was really nervous about it, and we looked like we were headed towards an upward trend at Atlanta and got a good finish, looked like we had a good points day and that was taken away, so the situation has not been good. We’ve been able to help ourselves out the last couple of weeks, but we know that we are definitely in a really big hole in points, and we are focused on performing every single stage, and every week, and getting a good finish. But we need to perform in every stage to capitalize on getting as many points back as we can. Making the Playoffs is a big deal, and we are certainly focused on that.”

#

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Roush Fenway Keselowski Weekly Advance | Martinsville I

The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) heads to the Commonwealth of Virginia for its second-straight short track event this weekend, this time under the lights of Martinsville Speedway. The spring event has this year been shortened to 400 laps, as Brad Keselowski is set for his 25th Cup start at ‘The Paperclip,’ while Chris Buescher makes his 14th Saturday night.

NASCAR Cup Series Race at Martinsville
Saturday, April 9 | 7:30 p.m. ET
FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

· Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Fastenal Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

For Whom The Bell Tolls

RFK has earned four Grandfather Clocks at Martinsville with former drivers Mark Martin (two), Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch. RFK most recently went to victory lane with Busch in Oct. 2002.

Rock Around the Clock

RFK had its overall most-successful outing at Martinsville in the spring of 2002 when it placed all four of its cars inside the top 10 with drivers Martin, Burton, Busch and Matt Kenseth.

Closing Time

RFK earned a one-two finish in the April 9, 2000 event at Martinsville with former drivers Martin and Burton. Martin paced the field for 64 laps en route to the victory.

Short-Track Prowess

RFK has started a total of 686 NCS races on short tracks, recording a total of 22 wins, 122 top-five finishes, 244 top-10 finishes and 7,584 laps led.

Tale of the Tape

RFK has started 220 NCS races at Martinsville, recording four victories, 26 top-five finishes, 69 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 17.7 and has led 1,378 laps. RFK also boasts two NASCAR Truck Series wins in 46 starts at Martinsville (fall of ’03 and ’05).

RFK Martinsville Wins

1992-1 Martin Cup

1997-2 Burton Cup

2000-1 Martin Cup

2002-2 Busch Cup

2003-2 Wood Truck

2005-2 Craven Truck

WISE-EV Partners with McDowell for Three Races in 2022

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 6, 2022) – Another new partner has joined Daytona 500 Champion Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports (FRM) Ford Mustang team. The No. 34 WISE-EV Ford will be featured for three races during the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, starting at Texas Motor Speedway in May for the All-Star Race. The No. 34 WISE-EV Ford will return to the track for the Cup Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway in June and for the Kansas Speedway race in September.

WISE-EV Charging, a division of WISE Power, is a renewable energy services provider, building a network of innovative fast charging Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country. Utilizing a “Hub and Spoke” method for plotting its charging locations, the WISE-EV network will feature ultra-fast chargers to enable electric vehicle drivers to extend their trips and improve travel times. Drivers will navigate the network with a mobile app steering them to WISE-EV locations providing relevant information and special offers.

Following successful sponsorships with Kansas Speedway and Auto Club Speedway, WISE-EV now hopes to charge things up on the track with McDowell carrying its bright colors.

“We are thrilled to partner with a well-running team and to be a part of the on-track action,” Kevin Williams, founder and CEO of WISE Power said. “We have seen firsthand how NASCAR events help us grow our business, and we see a lot of potential with Michael and his crew. We can’t wait for the No. 34 WISE-EV Ford Mustang’s debut in Texas next month.”

McDowell and the No. 34 team are looking to build on early season successes. With multiple top-10 runs, and many top-20 finishes, the team is looking forward to featuring WISE-EV on the car for the All-Star Race on May 22.

“It’s awesome being able to welcome new partners to the team,” McDowell said. “We have had amazing new partners this season and it’s great to see WISE-EV join us with their renewable initiatives and game-changing EV charging technology. They are looking to educate fans on how their products can help them. We just want to spread that message.”

WISE-EV continues to attract distribution partners and properties with its innovative financing programs, and turnkey installation and support infrastructure. With the ever-increasing number of electric vehicles on the roads, demand for fast, convenient charging continues to rise. WISE-EV offers smart, sustainable and forward-thinking solutions to meet those needs.

For more information on WISE-EV, visit wise-ev.com.

ABOUT WISE-EV
WISE Power is changing the way the world uses energy through innovative storage and fast EV charging technology. The Las Vegas-based company provides solutions for home, business, industry and utility-scale applications with forward-thinking system design and comprehensive support infrastructure. For more information visit getwisepower.com and wise-ev.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team–from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
BLUE-EMU MAXIMUM PAIN RELIEF 400
TEAM CHEVY TELECONFERENCE TRANSRIPT
APRIL 6, 2022

A.J. ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Teleconference Transcript:

DO YOU MIND JUST TELL US, OBVIOOUSLY I DON’T THINK YOU GUYS APPROACH THE RACE ANY DIFFERENT, BUT HOW FUN IT IS TO KNOW THAT YOUR TEAM HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE HOME ANOTHER BONUS DEPENDING ON YOUR FINISHING ORDER?
“Yeah, for sure. It’s a big deal what Xfinity and Comcast do to allow us to four teams or four drivers through the process of these four races to race for $100,000. It’s a big deal to the exposure of our organization to hopefully getting that money. As drivers, we put that back into the race team so all the men and women at Kaulig Racing get a bigger bonus. For several reasons it’s a huge importance at these races. We were close last week to getting it and we’ve been able to get it before. I actually think Kaulig Racing has gotten it three times. That’s a lot of money to pour back in the organization, especially for all the people that work at the race shop. It doesn’t change how we race the race, but it’s definitely something that you look at. Ultimately, we are trying to win the race, but if you know that maybe you don’t have the car to win the race you start looking at about the three other drivers that you’re racing, and it becomes a race in a race. You’re always kind of looking at those three other drivers and where they’re running and at the end of the race you kind of dictate on if you have a chance to win the race and if not then you work your strategy to try to win that $100,000.”

WHY SHOULD WE SEE MORE DRIVERS LIKE YOU BE CHILL, HAVE A LOT OF CLASS WHEN THE MICS ARE HOT? IS THAT ALSO AS WELL TO AVOID NEGATIVE BACKLASH?
“I mean at the end of the day we all act and react differently. I probably react differently 10 years ago quite honestly. At the end of the day, we have partners and sponsors. We try to react and act how you know be perceived on TV. In the heat of the moment, it’s a tough deal. That’s what really makes this sport unique. Motorsports in general and NASCAR with all of the media that we have at the racetrack, it’s tough sometimes when you walk out of a situation like that and immediately you’ve got a TV camera and microphones to try to say the right thing. What I said was true. It’s how I felt. We react and, in that moment, you act how you want to act, but at the end of the day you put that in the back of your mind and say ok you stash that away and when it’s needed use it when you have to. Every person is different, so they all want to react how they should react. Like I said, it didn’t matter if I was mad or not you know? Ross (Chastain) made the move that he had to make to win the race and that’s how it ended.”

WE ARE 1/5TH OF THE WAY THORUGH THE SCHEDULE. HOW DO YOU BELIEVE KAULIG’S FIRST FULL-TIME RUN IN CUP HAS BEEN GOING?
“I think it’s going as you would expect. Justin (Haley), unfortunately, hasn’t gotten some of the results that he deserves. He can be a lot higher in points. You know, Daytona with the wheel nut issue that caused the suspension of Trent, I think has hurt a little bit for sure. Especially when you’re a rookie, kind of a rookie in Cup, when it comes to Justin being full-time with a rookie team, you know your crew chief you need that time to work together, and they work at the shop and leading up to the race. To not have Trent on the box is a big deal. I’ve gotten to work with Trent. He’s super good as a crew chief, so that’s hurt a little bit. I mean you look at what Justin’s done, Daytona, Atlanta he is going to finish maybe top-five and gets turned coming to the checkered and still gets an ok finish. Last week he was doing a great job of making not really a good day and going to make something out of it and they had another wheel nut issue where it got stuck on the last pit stop that cost them probably anywhere from seven to 10 spots. A lot of drivers can add that up, but with Kaulig Racing I think you can look at and say well that’s kind of a rookie team and how it’s going to go. On the 16 side of it, that’s what hurt at COTA. I mean even not winning the race, but we were going to finish second at worst or maybe third and we finish 33rd. That’s 30 points right there. It’s going as expected. You have some good runs and then you have some runs like last week where you are like wow, we got a lot of work to do.”

WITH THE RECENT SUCCESS YOU’VE HAD IN THE XFINITY SERIES, GETTING THE WIN IN THE CUP SERIES LAST YEAR, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE AFFORDED SOME OF THESE CUP OPPORTUNITIES AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER?
“I mean, I don’t even look at the Cup side of it. I just look at racing cars in general. You know what Kaulig Racing, Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice, and everybody at the shop has really done for me, give me new excitement and new love for the sport. I enjoy going to the racetrack. I’m still probably more intense now than I have ever been, because I know on the Xfinity side of it we have a chance to win every week that we show up. All the men and women are working so hard, so I take it personal when we don’t win because I feel like I’m letting them down. More intense at the racetrack than I have ever been, but I am probably more relaxed away from it. I enjoy it more. Chris and Matt, we have such a great relationship. You know, they are my bosses, but I don’t ever feel like they are. They’re really true, close friends. We have a lot of fun away from the racetrack, so it’s just being part of this organization and I’ve said it many times I just want to help it grow in whatever capacity possible. That’s what I am trying to do.”

IS THERE A PARTICULAR ASPECT ABOUT THAT TRACK (MARTINSVILLE) THAT YOU ENJOY RACING ON?
“It’s the rhythm of it. To me, it’s the closest road course oval that you have in the sense of the way you brake and the rhythm you get into the corners. Just everything that goes with it. Obviously, you are not shifting. Maybe on the Cup side of it we shift this weekend, I’m not sure but just the way it races. I love it. It can be a challenge if you miss the setup, it’s a tough place. You can’t hide. You can’t get out of the way. It’s mentally grueling because you know a late race restart you can run a perfect race and you can just restarts especially can get chaotic and you can not get a finish that you feel like you deserved all race. It’s mentally grueling until the checkered flag falls, but I’ve always enjoyed the racetrack. It’s something that I’ve kind of grown to right away and love showing up and racing at it. I’m really excited that I get to race two races this weekend.”

YOU’VE DONE DOUBLE DUTY NOW A COUPLE TIMES WITH CUP AND XFINITY. HOW ARE YOU LIKING THE NEXT GEN CAR AT THIS POINT AND WHAT’S THE SWITCH BETWEEN CUP AND XFINITY IN EACH OF THOSE WEEKENDS BEEN LIKE?
“I’ve actually enjoyed the Next Gen car. The road course I had so much fun driving it. A really fast car helped. (laughed) Just the way the car is on the brakes, the sequential gear box of how you can attack the corners, I had so much fun at COTA just driving it in general let alone racing and battling for the win. The coliseum we did ok. Phoenix and Richmond haven’t been great races and it’s been a challenge, so I’d like to have been more competitive at those races, but even with that said driving it is still enjoyable. You know the switch back it’s not really that challenging because the way NASCAR does the schedules now, you do your Xfinity stuff then you do your Cup stuff and then you go back to Xfinity. Obviously, the next day it’s just the Cup race, so it’s not like where you’re jumping back and forth where it used to be in the past. That makes it a little bit easier to kind of get done with one car and set your mind to that and say ok now I’m going to focus on this. When you get done with that car then you don’t have to worry about it until the next day.”

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CHAOS THERE (MARTINSVILLE)?
“It’s one of those things where you have to be aggressive, no doubt. Track position’s so critical, but you have to be patient in that way. It’s a little bit like a road course but passing a lot more difficult. You’ve just got to pick and choose you times of when you can be aggressive. First you have to have a car that has the speed to be aggressive, but if you do you have to be patient at times and if you kind of rough somebody up early in the race if they get back around you late in the race it’s going to come back to you. It’s really tough. That’s where the mental side of it really comes from because it is just grueling. You are always around cars. You get frustrated really easy, but if you take it out on somebody early in a race you are going to get it paid back to you. It’s such an easy place to have a payback. First things first, you just see how much speed you have in practice. Then you kind of set your mind to that. Can you be on the offensive or are you going to have to be on the defense all day? That kind of changes, at least my attitude about how I’m going to run the race.”

FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH STANDPOINT, HOW DO YOU GET THROUGH THAT AND BALANCE OUT SOME OF THOSE STRESSES?
“I’m probably still not great at it. I do take it very serious and I’m sure Carly or anybody around me sees it at times when it’s not going well. I don’t hide my emotions. In the past it was one of those things where maybe I thought ok that’s not the right way to be, but I am who I am. I’ve talked about it right? I’m 40, I’m not changing. I always want everybody that works around me to be like yeah, he is intense, but man he cares. And I do. I care about everybody on our race team. When we don’t run well, I personally take it bad because I feel like ok, I’m not doing the right things to help us. It’s a little bit different, especially winning races now, going out there and having Matt and Chris around me, it allows me to be who I am and not maybe feel bad about it. They let me do that and then we go have fun with it. I get over it quicker. It’s always a challenge. The mental health side of it’s always a challenge. There are good weeks and bad, but it’s far better than it’s ever been for me. It’s a daily grind that you keep trying to learn from.”

YOU HAVE QUITE A STRING OF CUP RACES COMING UP THIS SUMMER, HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO TAKE ON THESE TRACKS AND KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A BIT OF DOUBLE DUTY WORK AHEAD OF YOU?
“The oval side of it at least on the 16 side of it, I’m not speaking on Justin’s side of it on the 31 side, I feel like we’ve got some work. Sorry, my dog’s jumping in here. That’s Xena. It’s one of those things that I feel like I’m learning how to drive the car on the oval. We need to improve. The good thing is, even though the races haven’t went well on the ovals, the same characteristics of the car have been there. We’re going to try some new stuff going into Martinsville and see if we can make it better. The road course side of it, especially after COTA, I’m really super pumped to get to some road courses and run the car again. I think we can have a lot of speed. It’s a first year Cup team that we’re going to keep building. We’re going to have our ups and downs and hopefully I can help with going the right direction.”

WHAT’S THE TEAMMATE DYNAMIC BEEN LIKE BRINGING DANIEL HEMRIC AND LANDON CASSILL THIS YEAR KNOWING THAT THEY ARE REALLY VETERANS IN THE SPORT NOW?
“It’s been great, honestly. I’ve really enjoyed Daniel and Landon a lot. I think it’s unique because we’ve all king of had in a way, the same ups and downs in NASCAR. You know you fight to stay in the sport and always kind of grinding a bit. I love having them there. I think we’re, of course we want to win. That’s what it comes down to. We want to be at our best, but with us I think it is a little bit more at ease because we’ve shared all of those ups and downs at times in our career. I love having Daniel there, because he has such an outlook of different Xfinity cars that he has driven, which is something at Kaulig Racing I don’t think really, we’ve had a lot of. Ross (Chastain) had driven some of those races at Ganassi, but at the end of the day between Blake (Koch) and when Ryan Truex was there and with Justin (Haley) there and myself, we’ve only driven really Kaulig Xfinity cars. We don’t have a background of what other cars feel like. Daniel brings a great knowledge of that, of what he’s felt in the past. Landon, he’s working hard. I really enjoy his work ethic. He brings a different kind of thought process to the team. We have a lot of fun. I think we race around each other really well and you have to be like that to help build the organization in the right direction. On top of it, we kind of have the same feel of the racecar so it helps circle in on what we need to work on and keep building the race team. I’ve really enjoyed it and I think it’s only going to get better.”
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.