TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE GRAND PRIX
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
AUSTIN, TEXAS
MARCH 27, 2022

RACE #6 – CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
All three of NASCAR’s national series will head to Austin, Texas, this weekend, where Circuit of The Americas (COTA) will be the host of the first road course event of the 2022 season. NASCAR made its historic debut at the 3.41-mile, 20-turn Texas road course in 2021, where Chevrolet picked up its milestone 800th all-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win. NASCAR’s return to COTA features the 68-lap NCS EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on Sunday, March 27. For the second consecutive weekend, Saturday’s on-track action will include a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) doubleheader.

Saturday’s doubleheader kicks off with the Chevrolet Silverado drivers taking on the NCWTS XPEL 225 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1. The 42-lap/143.22 mile races marks the fourth race on the series’ 23-race schedule. The Silverado made its mark in the series debut at the Texas road course last season, capturing seven of the top-eight finishing positions. Joining the NCWTS field this weekend is Team Chevy NCS driver, Alex Bowman, who will make just his third-career start in the series behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado. Bowman’s last appearance in the NCWTS was back in 2017 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Rounding out Saturday’s doubleheader will be NXS Pit Boss 250 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Last year’s inaugural NXS race at COTA saw the Camaro SS take two of the top-five, and five of the top-10, with road course standout AJ Allmendinger leading the bowtie brigade with a runner-up finish. Heading into the series’ sixth race on the season, Chevrolet continues to sit on top of the NXS driver and manufacturer points standings, scoring 2 wins, 16 top-five’s and 34 top-10’s thus far this season. After making his 2022 debut in the NCWTS last weekend, Team Chevy NCS regular Ross Chastain looks to make his 2022 NXS debut this weekend at COTA, piloting the No. 92 DGM Racing Camaro SS. In his 192 career starts in the series, Chastain has recorded 2 wins, 21 top-five’s and 47 top-10’s.

The NASCAR Cup Series will conclude the highly-anticipated race weekend with the 68-lap/231.88 mile EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The 2021 race saw Chevrolet go 1-2 in the rain-shortened event, with Chase Elliott and his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team prevailing to capture their first victory of the 2021 season. Chevrolet’s unprecedented NCS 800th victory was also celebrated by an impressive four of the top-five of the final running order.

HISTORY MADE IN TEXAS
Circuit of The Americas holds a special place in Chevrolet’s history in NASCAR, as the bowtie brand captured its monumental 800th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory after Chase Elliott made his way to victory lane in the inaugural EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in 2021. The special win also gave Hendrick Motorsports its 268th NCS victory, which tied Petty Enterprises’ all-time win record. The organization went on to break the all-time win record the following weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, making Hendrick Motorsports the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history, a title that still stands today with now 283 all-time NCS wins.

Chevrolet’s rich heritage in NASCAR competition began when Fonty Flock claimed the victory on March 26, 1955, at Columbia Raceway in Columbia, South Carolina in his ’55 Chevy. Chevrolet continues to pace the field with 40 NCS Manufacturer Championships; 33 NCS Driver Championships; and 817 all-time race wins in the series making the brand the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR.

MAKE IT THREE FOR THE CAMARO ZL1
William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team claimed their first victory of the 2022 season last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 24-year-old Chevrolet driver claimed the Stage One win – his second stage win of the year – and went on to lead a race-high 111 laps at the 1.54-mile reprofiled Georgia oval. The feat marks the third win in just five points-paying races for the Next Gen Camaro ZL1, the most of any manufacturer. Heading into the sixth race of the season, Chevrolet remains atop the driver and manufacturer points standings, with Chase Elliott taking over the top spot, seven points ahead of second-place.

The 325-lap race also marked the third time this year that Chevrolet has come home with four of the top-five and six of the top-10 finishing positions. Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing team posted their second-consecutive runner-up finish. The Florida native led 42 laps, battling back from a blown tire while leading, to claim his third top-five finish on the season. Chastain’s teammate, Daniel Suarez, took the checkered flags in the fourth position, making it the first time that Trackhouse Racing has placed both cars in the top-five. Corey LaJoie drove the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1 to a career-best fifth place finish to round out the Team Chevy top-five.

Byron’s victory made him the fifth different driver to win in the NASCAR Cup Series thus far this season. Joining Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman on the 2022 win list, three different Chevrolet drivers have now secured their spots into the 16-driver NCS Playoff field. The victory propelled Byron up through the standings to the fourth-spot, just 21-points behind the leader, Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott.

KING OF THE ROAD COURSES
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season saw a record-high seven road course races on the series 36-race schedule. The bowtie brand showed its strength on road course circuits, powering its way to victory lane in six of those seven races among three Chevrolet drivers: Chase Elliott (COTA and Road America); Kyle Larson (Sonoma, Watkins Glen and Charlotte ROVAL); and AJ Allmendinger (Indianapolis Road Course).

BOWTIE BULLETS
· Heading into the COTA race weekend, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in NASCAR Cup Series wins (3), top-five’s (14), top-10’s (22), stage wins (6) and laps led (614).

· In the seven road course events on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Chevrolet captured the victory in six of those races.

· Chevrolet driver, Chase Elliott, is no stranger to success on road course circuits. Elliott has recorded seven road course victories in his NASCAR Cup Series career, ranking him third on the NCS all-time road course wins list behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight wins).

· Notable road course master, AJ Allmendinger, scored a fifth-place finish in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA in just his fifth-career start in the series. Allmendinger later went on to win the NCS debut on the Indianapolis Road Course in August 2021, his second-career NCS victory and the first in the series for Kaulig Racing.

· Reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Kyle Larson, scored his first-career road course victory in 2021 (Sonoma Raceway). The 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver went on to add two more road course victories to his resume, including Watkins Glen International and the Charlotte ROVAL, making him the first driver in the series history to win at three different road courses in a single season.

· Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1, captured his first-career NASCAR Cup Series pole at the 2021 COTA race, setting the qualifying record at 91.363 mph (132.911 seconds).

· Four Team Chevy drivers have combined for six NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:
Tyler Reddick 2 – (Fontanax2)
Alex Bowman 1 – (Las Vegas)
Ross Chastain 1 – (Las Vegas)
William Byron 2 – (Phoenix)(Atlanta)

· Chevrolet leads in the driver point standing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott leads in the NCS standings by seven points and Noah Gragson leads in the NXS standings by 19 points. The bowtie brand also sits atop both the NCS and NXS manufacturer points standings.

· Trackhouse Racing placed both of their Camaro ZL1 entries in the top-five at Atlanta Motor Speedway, making it the first time in the organization’s history to do so. Ross Chastain recorded his second-consecutive runner-up finish, while teammate Daniel Suarez posted a fourth-place finish.

· A.J. Allmendinger is the only NASCAR Xfinity Series driver to have top-10 finishes in all five events this season thus far. The Chevrolet driver also has the best average finish of all full-time NXS drivers (5.6).

· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships; 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships; and 817 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet holds the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.

TUNE IN
FOX will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 27. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 26. Live coverage of both events can also be found on PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 26. Live coverage of the 42-lap/143.22 mile event can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BENNETT CAMARO ZL1
LAST YEAR, YOU JUMPED INTO THE UNKNOWN AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS DOWN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. WHAT DID YOU LEARN LAST YEAR THAT YOU CAN CARRY OVER TO THIS YEAR?
“I would love to have a race at Circuit of the Americas in better conditions because last year was a monsoon. We want to see the track in regular racing conditions because if it does rain, it definitely changes the line a bit. There’s a wet line and a dry line. It was good to experience that, but I wouldn’t want to do it all the time. I think the new NextGen car is built for much better racing in the rain, but I don’t think there’s supposed to be any kind of race in that kind of condition. That was a bit aggressive, as we learned. I’m just excited to get back to the track. Tyler Reddick and I put in some time there in the offseason, which has us pumped for this weekend. We won an endurance race there this year, which was awesome.”

YOU DID SOME ROAD COURSE RACING AT COTA DURING THE OFF SEASON WITH TYLER REDDICK AND KAZ GRALA. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
“It was pretty awesome. We won both days. There were 98 cars there, and 40 were in our class. I felt like we went down there and needed to win. We had the best driver lineup, and we were able to get the job done. It was a great experience for when we go to COTA, and just learning more about road course racing. We did a lot of passing during the race, so it was good. I think we all started to gain some different knowledge about the track, and different areas you can run to try and find speed. Laps are laps. You can’t beat getting that experience.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
LARSON ON THE DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND AT COTA:
“It will be like a new track for us. Last year, I felt like it was dry for only a couple laps during the entire weekend. We’re definitely looking forward to it because the Hendrick Motorsports road course program has been strong.”

LARSON ON THE FIRST ROAD COURSE RACE FOR THE NEXT GEN CAR:
“I drove it in a test the day after the (Charlotte) ROVAL (race). It was good to have an immediate comparison between the two generations of cars, but a lot of changes and updates (to the car) have occurred since then.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
DANIELS ON RETURNING TO COTA:
“The entire field had only two laps in dry conditions last year, and that was during qualifying. We don’t have many data points to draw from. We will be able to pull a little from the ROVAL, but so much has changed since then. The general characteristics of the car haven’t really changed, but physical parts, pieces, components and rules are way different.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1
COTA IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU WON YOUR FIRST CUP SERIES CAREER POLE AWARD AND IT WAS THE FIRST-EVER RACE AT THE AUSTIN, TEXAS, TRACK. CAN YOU IMPLEMENT ANYTHING FROM LAST SEASON’S RACE TO THIS WEEKEND AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE MOMENTUM ON YOUR SIDE?
“COTA is a huge weekend for all of us on the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro team. With a road course as diverse as COTA, you really have to bring your a-game. It’s exciting to come back to the place where I won my first pole, you don’t forget that and it’s definitely special. Especially with not having practice and qualifying most weekends last season, it was cool to be one of the guys that went out there and won the pole. I’m looking forward to this weekend’s race and adding another one for our team. Last year’s race was rough with the rain and it’s looking like we’re going to have good weather this weekend so that’s a gamechanger. I think with the new car and no rain, you’re going to see different racing. I’m pumped for it; we’ve spent a lot of time working on our road course program and this is our chance to put it all to the test with the Next Gen car. With only having 20 minutes to acclimate to the new Next Gen car on the racetrack, every minute on track will be crucial. I feel very good about where we are as a team and how well the performance of our cars have been. This will certainly be a race that will test every aspect of the team and the driver. With that, we have a lot of excitement, and we are ready to take on the challenge head-on. I’m excited for it, we could use a good result after last weekend at Atlanta.”

DURING THE OFF SEASON, YOU VISITED COTA WITH AUSTIN DILLON AND KAZ GRALA FOR A RACE. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE AND WILL IT HELP YOU AT ALL THIS WEEKEND?
“Racing at COTA during the offseason was really cool. We were running an endurance race and there were almost 100 cars there and 40 were in our class. We ended up winning both days. That’s exactly what we went down there to do; to win. With the lineup that we had of myself, my teammate Austin and Kaz, we knew we could compete and go for the win. It was awesome to be a part of and a great way of having extra experience at COTA. It was a way to learn more about the track and road-course racing in general. It was a completely different experience than when we were there for the race because of weather, and I was able to take some good notes home with me.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1
ELLIOTT ON RACING AT COTA WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR:
“COTA is our first road course race with this car. I don’t think anybody has really driven it a lot on road courses. We had the test at Charlotte there early on, but it seemed like every team was kind of rotating drivers through. So I don’t think any of us got a ton of time with it, but you know these cars, really a lot of the design pieces come from a road race background – some of the things they (NASCAR) see on the IMSA side of things. I really think they’re probably going to suit road racing well. I think they’ll be fine, and I don’t know that the race will look a ton different, honestly. I think the cars will drive fine. Certainly, getting used to those small things that are going to be a little bit different and the shifting and the brakes (will be important). Just how they act at some of those different style of corners. I think it will be fine.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1
GUSTAFSON ON THE FIRST ROAD COURSE RACE WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR:
“I’m excited to do it. I personally didn’t go over to Charlotte (to the test). We were in the middle of a championship battle, so we were focused on that. This will be my first time to work with the car at a road course and start that process. There are certainly a lot of unknowns and a lot of things that we’ve got to understand and adapt. And even from the ROVAL test, the cars and configurations have changed from then, so, yeah, a lot to learn. It’s exciting. This car, on paper, is really well suited to perform at a road course, so I think it will be a lot of fun. The car should be really good and it should be very competitive. We’ll do our best to get as much of an advantage as possible. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve always loved road racing, and it’s a fun challenge. COTA is a great track. It’s got everything. It has fast corners and slow corners and long, sweeping corners, and quick transition corners, and braking zones and elevation changes. The track has every component you could imagine, so it makes it a lot of fun to go out there and race.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1
“We had a really good weekend as a team last year at COTA, so I’m looking forward to keeping the momentum going that we have in the Xfinity Series and then going out and doing it again on Sunday in the Cup Series. With the Next Gen car, I think the braking will be the biggest difference compared to last year. I think we will be able to be more aggressive and reach peak-brake distance getting into the corners. The physicality of the race car will be increased as well – that’s something that makes racing more enjoyable for me, especially at a place like COTA where there’s so many different types of corners, whether you are at high speeds, or more aggressive with the brakes.

I always have a little more confidence at these types of tracks, and if we are at our best, I believe we can go contend with the best teams out there. As a team, our goal is to go out and make the best of the day.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
BYRON ON WHAT HIS ATLANTA WIN MEANS TO HIM:
“This one was a tough win to get. It was really a hybrid between Daytona and a mile-and-a-half. We had to make a lot of adjustments going into Sunday, and I’m really proud of my team to improve on what we had in practice by a significant amount to allow us to be competitive. It’s great to get a win so early, in just the fifth race of the season. With this new car you don’t what can happen, and it’s nice to have that win already. Now we can really be aggressive.”

BYRON ON HIS THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND AT THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS:
“I think it’s going to be crazy. You talk about last year and we were really good in practice in the rain. Unfortunately, we got damage in the race and had a hard time coming back from it. I think this year is going to be a totally different beast. In terms of the No. 24 team, I think we’ve had really good speed on the road courses, but we haven’t’ gotten the win yet at that kind of track. We need to work hard this weekend and hopefully by Sunday we have a good idea of what we have and we can compete for that win. I’m excited for it. I don’t think it will be as unpredictable as last year, but at the same time it’s the first time on a road course with the Next Gen car in competition. It will be a good challenge.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
FUGLE ON WHAT THE ATLANTA WIN MEANS FOR THE TEAM:
“The win at Atlanta was huge. To be able to get a win so early in the season, it not only is an extra boost of confidence, but it opens up the door for what we can do in races moving forward. Last year we won early and were consistent, but we didn’t capitalize on wins or playoff points. This year, we’re looking to change that. With one win already, we can now be aggressive and chase those playoff points to put us in a better position in the playoffs.”

FUGLE ON HIS APPROACH FOR THIS WEEKEND AT COTA:
“This weekend should be interesting to say the least, and a bit of a question mark to be honest. There’s not many notes from last year that can correlate to this weekend with the way the weather is looking right now. Last year we had nothing but rain. This weekend looks warm and sunny. It’s definitely going to take a few laps to get adjusted. With such limited time in practice, too, this year, the hope is to get a couple clean laps in the session to give us an idea of what adjustments to make for not only qualifying but for the race on Sunday. It’s going to be a learning curve for sure though.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
“I’m very excited to get the Next Gen car to our first road course of the year. We had a successful test over the off season at the ROVAL, so I’m looking forward to our first actual road-course race of the season. COTA was one of our better tracks last year at Kaulig Racing, and I’ve had some really good runs there in all the series I’ve raced in. We have a little bit of momentum on this No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection team and some good finishes so far. Hopefully we can capitalize on our strengths this weekend.”

TY DILLON, NO. 42 CHEVYLINERS.COM CAMARO ZL1
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF TRACK TO RACE ON?
“Categorically, I would say road courses are my favorite. The unique challenge of turning left and right, going up and down hills. There are so many things that you have to think through during a road course race from an approach standpoint. I’m looking forward to getting the first road course under our belt with this brand-new car. Every race has had a massive learning curve and it’s about building a notebook for the next race and the next thing you get to do. To break through at COTA is going to be a lot of fun for all of us.”

THE WEATHER LAST SEASON WAS CHALLENGING. EVEN DESPITE THOSE CONDITIONS, YOU WERE ABLE TO MOVE YOURSELF FORWARD. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THIS SEASON GOING BACK FOR A SECOND TIME?
“I learned a lot last season and probably learned the most in the last 15 or 20 laps there in the rain. We were able to get up through the field better at that point, but we had some mechanical issues on the No. 96 car where I think we could have finished inside the top-15 if not better in that race. I’m looking forward to going back – rain or shine. We are all on a pretty equal playing field going into this weekend. I’ve been putting in the hours preparing for this race for weeks now, so I’m really focused on having a great race in COTA to start the road course side of our sport with the Next Gen car in a really positive direction and creating an advantage there.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1
WE ARE GOING ROAD COURSE RACING FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR. YOU FINISHED 16TH AT COTA LAST YEAR. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON GOING BACK THERE AND THE FIRST ROAD COURSE RACE WITH THIS CAR?
“Well, I think our weather is going to be substantially better than what we had last year. I’m looking forward to that part. I don’t really feel like I got a good read on the racetrack last year. I was racing in the rain and didn’t have a sense of what the track was like. I’m looking forward to getting back in the dry and really getting a feel for it. The Next Gen car is really suited well for road courses. I was at the Charlotte Roval test at the end of last year and it went really well. It’s going to be a way different style of racing with this car than what we had with the previous car, so you are going to push a lot harder and run quicker through the whole run. Excited to see how it really handles. Hopefully, we have a strong car again.”

CHEVROLET TEAMS SEEM TO BE WORKING TOGETHER BETTER THAN OTHER MANUFACTURERS. ARE YOU SEEING THIS COLLABORATION AND IS YOUR TEAM GETTING SOME OF THAT INFORMATION?
“Chevrolets have definitely been fast here to start the season and we’ve been getting some good help from them as we look to make our cars better. There is just so much to learn with this car. There are so many things that we just don’t know about it, and we are all trying to learn as fast as we can. We are trying to figure out what this car likes, what it wants from a setup and adjustments, what makes it tick. Chevrolet has been doing a good job of milling through that and figuring out what does make this car happy. We have been able to lean on some of that information to help our car and hopefully help the other teams as well. I’ve been looking forward to working with them. This is my second year with Chevrolet, and it’s been a good partnership to this point. I’ve enjoyed getting to learn them, getting to know their race cars, and hopefully getting to Victory Lane with them this year.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
BOWMAN ON DRIVING IN THE TRUCK SERIES AHEAD OF THE CUP SERIES RACE:
“I am excited to have an opportunity to drive the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports ahead of Sunday’s race. I think any time you can get behind the wheel of a different race car and make laps, it only makes you a better driver. I like putting myself in uncomfortable situations so when I get into my Cup car, I am more relaxed and see things a little bit slower. The ability to slow the race down helps me make better decisions in the moment and ultimately be more competitive and race for more wins.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
IVES ON HIS EXPECTATIONS FOR SUNDAY’S RACE AT COTA:
“I’m excited to get to Austin and take another swing at COTA. Obviously, with last year’s race ending short because of the rain, we didn’t get a good base of what the track is like. We finished eighth last year, so hopefully we can improve on that and take home another win this season.”

IVES ON BOWMAN DRIVING A TRUCK ON SATURDAY:
“To have Alex get in the truck race will help him get some experience in dry conditions and see how the track evolves as the race progresses. He’s a racer at heart, so I know he is excited for another opportunity to get strapped into a new race car and compete with the best in the series.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ATLANTA A FEW DAYS LATER?
“I am very happy for everyone at Trackhouse Racing. It’s not just everyone you see at the track, it’s the people back at the shop. We are building very fast race cars and that starts back at the race shop.

We are just in a good place. We have amazing partners and amazing people. We have to enjoy this, keep the momentum going and keep moving forward.

I truly believe there are even better days coming ahead for us. The trophies are going to start showing up.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON COTA ON SUNDAY?
“We are going to win the race and then have a heck of a party. I love road courses. It’s what I grew up doing in carting. I can’t wait for Sunday.”

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: 3
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 614
Top-five finishes: 14
Top-10 finishes: 22
Stage wins: 6
Tyler Reddick (Fontanax2)
Alex Bowman (Las Vegas)
Ross Chastain (Las Vegas)
William Byron (Phoenix), (Atlanta)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 817 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 724
Laps led to date: 241,950
Top-five finishes to date: 4,152
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,577

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,151
       Chevrolet: 817
       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: 162

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.

EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Circuit of the Americas (COTA)
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Kaulig Racing has one top-10 finish at a non-superspeedway/ non-road course track, which came at Auto Club Speedway (Hemric, ninth)

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1

Allmendinger’s fifth-place finish at COTA in 2021 was Kaulig Racing’s first-career top five in the NCS

AJ Allmendinger on COTA:

“We had a really good weekend as a team last year at COTA, so I’m looking forward to keeping the momentum going that we have in the Xfinity Series and then going out and doing it again on Sunday in the Cup Series. With the Next Gen car, I think the braking will be the biggest difference compared to last year. I think we will be able to be more aggressive and reach peak-brake distance getting into the corners. The physicality of the race car will be increased as well – that’s something that makes racing more enjoyable for me, especially at a place like COTA where there’s so many different types of corners, whether you are at high speeds, or more aggressive with the brakes.

I always have a little more confidence at these types of tracks, and if we are at our best, I believe we can go contend with the best teams out there. As a team, our goal is to go out and make the best of the day.”

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

Haley’s average finish of 18.2 ranks 16th-best (of 33) of all full-time NCS drivers in 2022.
Haley’s one-lap led at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend was Kaulig Racing’s first of the 2022 season

Justin Haley on COTA:

“I’m very excited to get the Next Gen car to our first road course of the year. We had a successful test over the off season at the ROVAL, so I’m looking forward to our first actual road-course race of the season. COTA was one of our better tracks last year at Kaulig Racing, and I’ve had some really good runs there in all the series I’ve raced in. We have a little bit of momentum on this No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection team and some good finishes so far. Hopefully we can capitalize on our strengths this weekend.”

Pit Boss 250

Circuit of the Americas (COTA)
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, March 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1

• Dating back to the 2020 season opener, Kaulig Racing has finished at least one car in the top 10 in 70 of the last 71 NXS races.
• Kaulig Racing finished all three drivers in the top 10 at COTA in 2021 (Allmendinger: P2; Haley: P9; Burton: P10)
• Kaulig Racing has an average finish of 7.0 at COTA in the NXS (second best of any track in the series)
• Kaulig Racing has led six laps at COTA
• Kaulig Racing swept the first two stages in 2021 at COTA (Allmendinger, stage one; Haley, stage two)
• Kaulig Racing has led 152 laps in the NXS season so far
• Allmendinger: 104 laps
• Hemric: 48 laps

Landon Cassill, No. 10 Usio Chevrolet

Cassill finished 22nd in his first start at COTA
He earned his first top-five finish of 2022 last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his first NXS top five since 2011
Cassill has earned back-to-back-back NXS top-10 finishes (three straight) for the second time in his career and the first since 2008

Landon Cassill on COTA:

“I’m really excited for COTA, especially because of the support I’m going to get from my teammates this week. Knowing that AJ (Allmendinger) has run so well on road courses, and how good he is at those tracks, makes me excited to get there and continue to learn. He’s elevated this entire program and the way these cars drive on road courses. Our No. 10 Usio Chevy will be by far the best equipment I have ever had on a road course, which makes me even more motivated to prepare myself for a track like this.”

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 AG1 Chevrolet

Hemric finished 29th in 2021 for the first NXS race at COTA

Daniel Hemric on COTA:

“Circuit of the Americas is a cool venue, and the forecast looks great for this weekend. Kaulig Racing’s road-course program has been so strong the last couple of years with the addition of AJ (Allmendinger). This is one of the places we have circled on our calendars. There’s still some newness surrounding the event, and this time, there is a good section of the racetrack that was repaved. Having one the best drivers on road courses to lean on in AJ makes me even more excited.”

AJheadshot.png
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet

• In Allmendinger’s first start in the NXS, he finished in the runner-up position
• He has led 3 laps at COTA, also won stage one in 2021
• Allmendinger is the only driver in the NXS with a top-10 finish in all five races in 2022

About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. They will continue fielding three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. With multiple wins, Kaulig Racing has come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team made multiple starts in the NCS in 2021 and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The young team has acquired two charters for the 2022 NCS season, with Justin Haley competing as its first, full-time driver in the series. The team’s second entry will be shared by part-time teammates AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Richard Childress Racing at Circuit of the Americas … RCR has one previous start at the 3.41-mile, 20-turn road course in Austin, Texas. Tyler Reddick won the pole for the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas, his first-ever Cup Series pole award. The pole award came in his 52nd career start and he backed up his strong qualifying run with a ninth-place finish in the race. Austin Dillon qualified 16th and finished the race in 12th place.

Introducing the Next Gen … NASCAR’s Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which officially debuted in 2022, is a collaboration of the brightest engineering minds in racing. With technology at the forefront, Richard Childress Racing has played a unique and critical role in helping to bring this new on-track identity to life, working closely with OEMs, other teams and NASCAR to build and test the initial prototype.

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series … RCR has one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Circuit of the Americas. Myatt Snider was credited with a 21st-place finish in 2021, completing all 46 laps of the event.

Catch Saturday’s Action … The Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of the Americas will be televised live on Saturday, March 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Sunday’s Action in Austin … The Echopark Automotive Grand Prix will be televised live on Sunday, March 27 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Circuit of the Americas … Dillon has one previous NASCAR Cup Series start at Circuit of the Americas, finishing 12th in last year’s rain-shortened event. He also has experience at the track competing in World Racing League endurance races in December 2020 and most recently, in December 2021, winning both days of the two-day event. He has enjoyed COTA as a fan at a Moto GP race.

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 DILLON QUOTES:
Last year, you jumped into the unknown at Circuit of the Americas down in Austin, Texas. What did you learn last year that you can carry over to this year?
“I would love to have a race at Circuit of the Americas in better conditions because last year was a monsoon. We want to see the track in regular racing conditions because if it does rain, it definitely changes the line a bit. There’s a wet line and a dry line. It was good to experience that, but I wouldn’t want to do it all the time. I think the new Next Gen car is built for much better racing in the rain, but I don’t think there’s supposed to be any kind of race in that kind of condition. That was a bit aggressive, as we learned. I’m just excited to get back to the track. Tyler Reddick and I put in some time there in the offseason, which has us pumped for this weekend. We won an endurance race there this year, which was awesome.”

You did some road course racing at COTA during the off season with Tyler Reddick and Kaz Grala. What was that experience like?
“It was pretty awesome. We won both days. There were 98 cars there, and 40 were in our class. I felt like we went down there and needed to win. We had the best driver lineup, and we were able to get the job done. It was a great experience for when we go to COTA, and just learning more about road course racing. We did a lot of passing during the race, so it was good. I think we all started to gain some different knowledge about the track, and different areas you can run to try and find speed. Laps are laps. You can’t beat getting that experience.”

This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Circuit of the Americas … Tyler Reddick will return to Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, the home of his first ever NASCAR Cup Series pole award. Reddick’s first ever pole award came at the 20-turn, counterclockwise circuit’s inaugural Cup Series race last season. In the end, Reddick finished ninth. Reddick has shown a lot of improvement on road courses throughout his career. Last season, he tied a career-best finish of second at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (ROVAL).

Eyes on the Prize … Tyler Reddick grabbed the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet team’s first top-five finish of the season at Phoenix Raceway two weeks ago. He finished third and battled for the win at the end of the race and came up just short of his first career NASCAR Cup Series win. In five races so far this season, Reddick has one top five and two top 10s and has led 95 laps. Reddick also jumped to the No. 1 spot in the NASCAR Power Rankings after his performance at Phoenix and has managed to hold onto the spot heading into this weekend’s race at COTA. Unfortunately, last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway didn’t go the way the team had hoped. Reddick was victim of a tire issue while running up front and after the damage sustained, the car was not able to keep up with the rest of the field. After a second tire issue, the No. 8 team’s day was done. COTA was good to Reddick last season so there is some momentum on his side this weekend.

Visit the 3CHI Display at COTA … 3CHI invites everyone to come visit their display this weekend at COTA for samples, swag and the opportunity to win prizes. Tyler Reddick is also scheduled to visit the 3CHI display on Sunday before the start of the race at 11:35 a.m. CT. Come join the fun!

3CHI Blazes 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:
COTA is the place where you won your first Cup Series career pole award and it was the first-ever race at the Austin, Texas track. Can you implement anything from last season’s race to this weekend and do you feel like you have momentum on your side?
“COTA is a huge weekend for all of us on the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro team. With a road course as diverse as COTA, you really have to bring your a-game. It’s exciting to come back to the place where I won my first pole, you don’t forget that and it’s definitely special. Especially with not having practice and qualifying most weekends last season, it was cool to be one of the guys that went out there and won the pole. I’m looking forward to this weekend’s race and adding another one for our team. Last year’s race was rough with the rain and it’s looking like we’re going to have good weather this weekend so that’s a gamechanger. I think with the new car and no rain, you’re going to see different racing. I’m pumped for it. We’ve spent a lot of time working on our road course program and this is our chance to put it all to the test with the Next Gen car. With only having 20 minutes to acclimate to the new Next Gen car on the racetrack, every minute on track will be crucial. I feel very good about where we are as a team and how well the performance of our cars have been. This will certainly be a race that will test every aspect of the team and the driver. With that, we have a lot of excitement, and we are ready to take on the challenge head on. I’m excited for it, we could use a good result after last weekend at Atlanta.”

During the offseason, you visited COTA with Austin Dillon and Kaz Grala for a race. What was that like and will it help you at all this weekend?
“Racing at COTA during the offseason was really cool. We were running an endurance race and there were almost 100 cars there and 40 were in our class. We ended up winning both days. That’s exactly what we went down there to do; to win. With the lineup that we had of myself, my teammate Austin and Kaz, we knew we could compete and go for the win. It was awesome to be a part of and a great way of having extra experience at COTA. It was a way to learn more about the track and road-course racing in general. It was a completely different experience than when we were there for the race because of weather, and I was able to take some good notes home with me.”

This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Circuit of the Americas … Creed will be making his first Circuit of the Americas start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He has five top-five finishes in five NASCAR Truck Series road course starts, including a fifth-place in 2021 at Austin. The Alpine, Calif., native has one Truck Series victory in road course competition, a win on the Daytona Road Course in 2020 where he led 19 of 46 laps (his average running position in that event was 3.78). Creed has three top-10 finishes in five Xfinity Series starts this season. He gained two positions in the series driver standings after his ninth-place finish this past weekend in Atlanta, moving up to 12th place.

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

SHELDON CREED QUOTES:
What’s your mindset heading into this weekend’s race at COTA?
“I love road course racing but I really didn’t do a whole lot of it growing up other than Stadium Trucks and some TA-2 racing in Trans Am. I liked it right away and I think I was pretty good at it right away. I think my worst finish in the Trucks on a road course is fifth. I enjoy the fact that you don’t have to be overly aggressive on road courses to go fast. You don’t have to worry about the aero part of racing like on the ovals. I enjoy it a lot and I look forward to going to road courses and I feel like I put a lot of effort into it.”

How difficult is Circuit of the Americas in Austin compared to other road courses that you’ve been on?
“All road courses have their difficulties for sure. COTA is big and has really big braking zones which makes it a little more difficult than Watkins Glen, where the harder you drive the faster you go. The braking is really hard to manage at COTA and I feel like whoever can do that the best and not burn up their stuff early in runs is who is going to be fast at the end of the race.”

This Week’s Global Industrial Chevrolet Camaro SS at Circuit of the Americas … Hill will be making his first Circuit of the Americas NASCAR Xfinity Series start on Saturday afternoon. He has three previous starts on road courses in the series; two starts at the Charlotte ROVAL (2020 and 2021) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (2021). Hill led 27 laps on his way to a second-place finish this past weekend in Atlanta. He enters the COTA event eighth in the series driver standings, a gain of three positions. He has now led 63 laps this season (118.580 miles). Hill has six NASCAR Truck Series road course starts, highlighted by his victory at Watkins Glen International in 2021. He led 35 of 61 laps (his average running position was 3.23) in a race shortened by lightning. With his victory in the season-opening event at Daytona, Hill has clinched a spot in the 2022 NASCAR Playoffs.

A First for Global Industrial… For the first time this season, Global Industrial will be the primary sponsor on the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro SS driven by Austin Hill. Global Industrial is a Fortune 1000 company based in Port Washington, New York. The company sells industrial products and office supplies through direct to business channels. Established in 1949 by Michael and Paul Leeds, the company now sells over 1 million products via their online sales and call center.

About Global Industrial Company:
Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC), through its operating subsidiaries, is a value-added industrial distributor. For more than 70 years, Global Industrial has gone the extra mile for its customers, and offers more than a million industrial and MRO products, including its own Global Industrial exclusive brands. With extensive product knowledge and a solutions-based approach, Global Industrial helps customers solve problems and be more successful. At Global Industrial, “We can supply that®.”

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
You have two first-year partners with Global Industrial and Bennett Transportation and Logistics. How cool is that to introduce those people to the sport?
“It’s been a great season to have Global Industrial and all these different partners come on board. Everyone at Global has been great to work with and I’m very excited for the remainder of the 2022 season. Hopefully we can have a good showing this weekend and keep the ball rolling.”

How different is Circuit of the Americas compared to other road courses?
“COTA is definitely a different animal as far as the way the road course drives. When you go to a place like COTA there’s a lot of first gear corners so it’s more technical, but I have confidence that at any road course we go to, we can get the job done. I think that road-course racing suits my driving style. You’re up on the wheel and you’re hopping curbs and you’re driving the heck out of it each and every lap. With this being Global Industrial’s first race with us, hopefully we can do just like we did with Bennett Transportation and Logistics and United Rentals back at Daytona and go get the job done.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE GRAND PRIX
TEAM CHEVY TELECONFERENCE TRANSRIPT
MARCH 23, 2022

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

WITH THE NEW CAR IT’S WITH THE COMPOSITE BODY FOR THE CUP SERIES AND THAT’S EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE IN THE XFINITY SERIES AND I’M CURIOUS, HOW MIGHT THAT CHANGE THE RACING THAT WE’LL SEE IN CUP IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WILL DO ON A ROAD COURSE AND PARTICUARLY WITH THE SHORT-TRACKS COMING UP?
“I think it’s not so much about the body on the road courses. It’s the brakes. Much bigger brakes. That’s a thing that really stood out to me at the ROVAL test was just how much later we could be on the brakes and with the sequential box you don’t wheel hop that easy, so that’s another reason you can brake later. That is the biggest difference. The cars are a little more nimble as well, so you can kind of throw them around and lap times were a ton quicker at the ROVAL it seemed like. Speeds will be up, I think physicality of the racecar will be up even more and I think that in a way could make passing a little easier could make it a little harder because you know we’re all that much deeper on the brakes. It’ll be interesting to see. You know COTA’s going to be one of those races that if the weather looks like it the way it is it’s going to be so hard to judge off of last year just because of how wet the race is. Yeah, I think that’s going to be the biggest difference on that. You know the short-tracks remain to be seen. It’s looked like at these races if you do kind of get into the wall the car takes it in one way on the body side of it but with the suspension, I think it’s a little more sensitive. You can’t just beat and bang off of each other and know it’s going to be ok because it seems like it’s a lot easier to have contact and do some suspension damage. I think we’ll kind of see how that plays out, but definitely with COTA braking is going to be the biggest difference to me than what it was last year.”

CERTAINLY, GOING TO BE A LOT WARMER, MID-80S. SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST HOT RACE OF THE SEASON FOR YOU GUYS. I KNOW THAT OFTEN CAN BE A CHALLENGE, JUST THAT FIRST RACE. WHAT MIGHT THAT BE LIKE AND HOW MUCH OF A TEST WILL THAT BE OF THIS CAR? OBVIOUSLY, THERE WERE THE HEATING ISSUES IN THE COCKPIT EARLIER THAT CERTAINLY CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT WHAT KIND OF A CHALLENGE WILL THIS WEEKEND BE FOR YOU GUYS JUST TO STAY COOL?
“Yeah, I mean I’ve only been able to really do one full Cup race so far at Phoenix. It wasn’t overly warm. It wasn’t really cool at that race, so I felt like the cooling was a lot better than the test at the ROVAL. I just remember running three or four laps and thinking wow this is really hot. On that day at the ROVAL it was real overcast. It was kind of cool, so I thought to myself this is going to be tough during the summer. You know that first race that’s warm is always a challenge to the drivers. It being on a road course with all the brake heat and motor heat and things like that makes it a little more extreme. I think everybody’s probably noticing that and seeing the weather and probably trying to hydrate as much as possible to get ready for the race.”

THE LAST 11 RACES HAVE BEEN WON BY DRIVERS UNDER 30. A LOT OF THOSE GUYS YOU’VE RACED IN THE XFINITY SERIES AS WELL, SO I AM KIND OF CURIOUS DO YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT YOUNG DRIVERS ARE DOING OR DO THAT MAY LEND THEMSELVES TO HAVE MORE SUCCESS IN THIS NEW CAR?
“I mean that’s a tough question Bob. I’m not really sure. I think it more shows the talent that is coming into NASCAR. From a young age the opportunities, I think these drivers a lot of them getting it right away whether it’s talent, sponsorship, both. It allows them to develop a lot faster and then you get in the Cup Series and they’re able to stick with those organizations that they come through Xfinity or more importantly get into a really good Cup ride, and it just shows that they got talent. That’s great for the sport to have such a pool of talent coming in, whether it’s through trucks and Xfinity and into Cup. You see guys like Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson that come from the dirt side of it. They’re just so good at anything that they get in. That’s what makes it fun, especially in the Cup side of it, but even on the Xfinity side of it now. When you show up and strap in, you know on the Xfinity side of it just to be at your best, run top-10 let alone go out and win the race. On the Cup side of it looks like it’s 20 to 25 deep at least, so it’s a lot of fun as a driver to show up and know that you have to be at your best just to run inside or even be somewhat competitive.”

DOES HAVING WON THE BRICKYARD LAST YEAR MAKE THE THOUGHT OF WINNING ON SUNDAY ANYMORE BELIEVEABLE? DO YOU GUYS GO INTO THIS RACE NOW SUNDAY WITH MORE CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU WERE ABLE TO DO AT THE BRICKYARD LAST YEAR?
“I wouldn’t say it gives us more confidence. I mean it’s a completely different year, different racecar, right? I feel like with what Kaulig Racing has done so far in the Cup side of it, we’ve had decent amount of speed at these racetracks. I felt like the ROVAL test, although a long time ago it seems like back in October and these cars have developed a lot from that, but we had a good amount of speed the first day there. I think that’s where the confidence comes from. It’s trying to have the same mentality. I mean, on the Cup side of it you know to go out there and try to run inside the top 10 all day and if that gives us an opportunity to win the race then that’s great. Try to make the best of it and you really kind of change your expectations I think based off of practice and qualifying. If you feel like you got speed to go out and win the race, then you go try to do it and if not that’s something that you just try to make the best of the day. I think with the win at Indy, in a strange way kind of takes a little pressure off because we’ve won in the Cup Series, we’ve won one of the best places in the world that you could win at, so for me at least mentally takes a little pressure off because we have done that and it’s just a bonus from here on out. I always have confidence at these racetracks and feel if we’re at our best we can go contend with the best teams out there.”

WHAT SORT OF OPPORTUNITY DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS CAR PROVIDES YOU SPECIFICALLY ON THE ROAD COURSES? WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE BETTER IN THE NEXT GEN CAR THAN PREVIOUS GENERATION CARS?
“Everybody’s so good on the Cup side of it, so I wouldn’t say that this car lends more of an opportunity for myself. I do like how aggressive you can be with it. Braking you can really push the brakes extremely late compared to the old generation car and that’s something that I really enjoy is to kind of peak brake pressure or peak brake distance getting into a corner and try to maximize that. You can kind of toss the car around a bit more, just a little bit more nimble, the steering is quicker, the car reacts quicker. So that’s something that I always enjoy about a racecar. It makes it enjoyable to go out there and attack a race car, especially at a place like COTA where there’s so many corners, so many different types of corners that whether it’s high speed or late on the brakes. You know with that said, somebody like Kyle Larson or Chase Elliott I mean they are so good. They figure it out as well. I think more than anything it just makes it a little bit more enjoyable to go out there and drive.”

BEING A REALLY EXPERIENCED RACECAR DRIVER, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO GO TO A PLACE LIKE AUSTIN AND KIND OF EXPOSE NASCAR TO AN AUDIENCE THAT MAY NOT BE SO MOTORSPORTS SAVY OUTSIDE OF F1?
“I felt like last year the point that we showed up to Austin we were kind of just coming out of what we you know over the past couple years of what we all had to deal with with COVID. The crowd for as bad as the weather was, I couldn’t believe on Sunday how packed the racetrack was for just the monsoon that we all sat in and had to deal with. I feel like the first couple of races of a new market or a new racetrack you get a really good crowd, so I think it’s about trying to keep that crowd there or keep growing the crowd. Austin has shown with the IndyCar race and the F1 races there that motorsports side of Austin, Texas is very savvy. It’s very popular. I hope that this weekend you know good weather, we get a huge crowd again and we go put on a great show for three different races there. That’s what I think is unique about NASCAR is you know you have three great series that show up and go put on a show at a place like this and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Hopefully that crowd shows up and we put on a great show and keep growing what is just an amazing city. I think that’s what it’s about is we’ve got great racetracks that we go to, but you go to new cities, and you know you bring out a new crowd and Austin, Texas for sure is a fantastic city to be a part of. Hopefully we show that again.”

PARKER KLIGERMAN SAID THAT THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A NASCAR FAN OR F1 FAN, YOU’RE JUST MOTOSPORTS FANS WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT. HOW HELPFUL WOULD IT BE FOR NASCAR TO HAVE AN F1 TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY LIKE DRIVE TO SURVIVE BUT WITH NASCAR?
“That’s a really good question, because you know on the F1 side of it it’s relatively to say NASCAR or other motorsports maybe it’s not quite as popular because I think the biggest reason why is we haven’t had American in there full-time since I think Scott Speed. Formula One being around the world you get drawn to it whether you have a favorite driver or it’s a driver from your country that you love and you follow. So, I think with Netflix has shown just all parts of the sport in a relative short amount of time. Our attention spans aren’t very long, so you watch a 45-minute documentary of that week of whatever they’re covering and then you go to the next one and the next one. That’s really grown to allow people that maybe have never been a part of Formula One or never truly watched it, to all of a sudden say well hell I want to watch this race now because look what’s going on. You know, here in the U.S. would it be as popular for NASCAR I don’t know. Maybe it might be, but I think it’s a little bit different just because NASCAR is more implemented here in the U.S. than say around the world like Formula One. I look at it, anything you can do you know the Bubba Wallace documentary; I think is going to help bring some fans to the sport. Anything you can do to get NASCAR mainstream is only going to help grow the sport. By how much, we don’t know but it’s only going to help all the people, the sponsors, the sport itself.”

AS SOMEONE THAT’S BEEN WITH KAULIG RACING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME NOW, HOW DO YOU FEEL THE TEAM HAS HANDLED THEIR MAJOR EXPANSION TO CUP SO FAR?
“It’s been a challenge for sure. All the men and women here at Kaulig Racing, the amount of hours that they’ve had to put in and I’m sure every organization is like that to a certain extent with this new car and the biggest challenge is there’s just not a lot of parts for these cars. It’s hard to get part for the Xfinity cars right now as well. I think as an organization we’ve done it at one of the most difficult times with this new car and with everything that we face right now just to try to get these cars built every week, I know the Cup side of it I think they are going to load the cars at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning to get ready. It’s been tough and all we can do, especially us drivers, is try to show our appreciation for what all the men and women are doing right now, because they’re putting in so many hours that it’s in a way unfair but it’s what has to be done just to get these cars ready to go. With that said, I think we’ve done a great job to put on two new Cup cars, to bring in all the people. I’m sitting in our brand new race shop right now that just got done at the beginning of the season, so moving shops and trying to see how that coordinates between the Xfinity side of it and the Cup side of it, we’re doing the best that we can. I think the results have been pretty decent. Justin (Haley) is definitely moving up through each race. You can see the improvement with him and Trent (Owens). Daniel has been really good at the races that he’s been in it. Phoenix, you know we got a top 20. We managed what we could out of it, so with all that said I think on the Xfinity and the Cup side of it we’re doing a really good job.”

WHAT STANDS OUT WITH COTA COMPARED TO OTHER ROAD COURSES THAT NASCAR GOES TO?
“I think it’s the length of the lap first of all. It’s very long. It’s unique in the sense of, so you take like a Sonoma that is pretty low speed corners all the way around the racetrack. Even take Road America and the length is probably longer than COTA, the lap times are probably a little bit quicker which means that racetrack is more high speed. A lot of the corners are mid-speed corners to high-speed corners. COTA is probably unique in the sense that the flow of the racetrack. Very high speed in certain sections. Long straightaways, but into very tight brake zones. The esses you kind of flow a lot of speed through them, so that is what is probably different than every other racetrack that we go to. Those road courses are kind of just one type of racetrack. They’re either pretty high speed, low speed. COTA’s got a little bit of everything there and you know I felt like on the Xfinity race because that was the dry race that I ran in, passing was more difficult than I expected. Track position is even more critical there than I would say at the other racetracks, but that’s probably what is most different out of that racetrack compared to the other ones that we go to.”

EACH WEEK THIS YEAR YOU’VE HAD A TOP-10 FINISH. HOW MUCH HAS THAT HELPED YOUR CONFIDENCE THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON?
“I feel like on the Xfinity side of it, this was a race that we learned a lot. We finished second, which was a great run, but we got our butts kicked by Kyle Busch that day and it really made us go back to the drawing board with our road course set ups and say ok we need to do something different, because you know Kyle got in and it wasn’t close really. We could match him on lap times early in a run but by the end of the run he was gone. Felt like this race last year really propelled our road course program on the Xfinity side, made us make a lot of changes. So, I’m really excited to go back to it just to see if it works there. On the Cup side of it, I just love road course racing. I’m looking forward to the challenge of this new car at a road course for all the reasons that I’ve talked about. Even though we finished fifth there in the wet, that does nothing to translate to the new car, but I just love road course racing. I think this car, especially, is going to be a lot of fun on the road courses. Can’t wait to go attack it.”

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