TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
WISE POWER 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
FONTANA, CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY 27, 2022

NASCAR TAKES ON THE WEST COAST SWING
With the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season officially underway, the series heads to the west coast to take on three-consecutive race weekends: Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. The first stop on the west coast swing is the much-anticipated return of Auto Club Speedway where NASCAR’s Premier Series will take on the 2-mile California D-shaped oval for the first time since 2020. Auto Club Speedway first hosted a NCS race in 1997, with Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon capturing the inaugural victory. The Wise Power 400 will mark the 32nd NCS event held at Auto Club Speedway after the track was removed from the schedule for the 2021 season due to state COVID restrictions.

Joining the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will head to Auto Club Speedway to make for a doubleheader race weekend. The Production Alliance Group 300 on Saturday, February 26, marks the second race on the series’ schedule. The 2022 season started off strong for the NXS Chevrolet drivers and teams with NXS rookie, Austin Hill, capturing the victory at Daytona International Speedway. With the Camaro SS taking four of the top-five and eight of the top-10 finishing positions at Daytona, momentum is on Team Chevy’s side heading into the three-race west coast swing.

CHEVROLET LEADS IN NCS POLE WINS, RACE WINS
Team Chevy returns to Auto Club Speedway as defending winners after Alex Bowman powered his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory lane in the series last appearance at the track in 2020. The bowtie brand is no stranger to victory lane at the 2-mile California venue. In 31 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Auto Club Speedway, Chevrolet has captured the victory 15 times, leading all manufacturers. Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with six victories at Auto Club Speedway – including back-to-back wins (2009-2010) – making him one of only two drivers in the series’ history to become a consecutive winner. With a victory, Kyle Larson could potentially become just the fifth reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion to win at Auto Club Speedway in the following season, joining the elite list of Tony Stewart (2012), Jeff Gordon (1999), Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010), and Martin Truex Jr. (2018).

A Chevrolet has sat on the pole at Auto Club Speedway 15 times to top all other manufacturers. Chevrolet drivers have earned the pole in four of the past six years at the track. In 2017, California native Kyle Larson won from the pole, making the 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver just one of three drivers in NCS history to make his way to Victory Lane from the pole position.

CHEVROLET WINS IN XFINITY AT DAYTONA:
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill claimed the victory last weekend at Daytona International Speedway in his debut start with the team, giving Chevrolet its 478th all-time win in NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) competition. The victory was the first for the 2022 NXS rookie driver in just his 16th-career start in the series. Chevrolet drivers led 114 of 120 laps in the 300-lap event; 95 percent of the total laps completed. Hill led a Team Chevy podium sweep, with AJ Allmendinger in second and Noah Gragson in third. Eight of the top-10 finishers were behind the wheel of a Camaro SS. Daniel Hemric captured the pole win for Kaulig Racing and swept the stages to claim valuable stage points heading into the Fontana race weekend.

BY THE NUMBERS:
· Victories by current NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet drivers at Auto Club Speedway:
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has one win (March 2020)
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1, has one win (March 2017)

· Of the 31 appearances made in NASCAR’s premier series at Auto Club Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 15 wins, 15 poles, 70 top-five’s, 134 top-10’s, and led 3,442 laps.

· Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Auto Club Speedway with 11: Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999, 2004), Kyle Busch (2005), Jimmie Johnson (2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016), Alex Bowman (2020).

· Chevrolet has won 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships and 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, the most of all manufacturers.

TUNE IN:
FOX will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series Wise Power 400 live at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 27. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 26. Live coverage of both events can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 CASA DEL SOL TEQUILA CAMARO ZL1
DESCRIBE AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY.
“Fontana is a little outside of Los Angeles. It’s the coolest two-mile track we go to as a driver. If you’re a fan of racing and enjoy watching guys struggle to drive cars, then Auto Club is the place.”

YOU’VE DRIVEN AN XFINITY CAR AND KNOW WHAT IT CAN DO, AS FAR AS FLEXIBILITY. HOW DO YOU SEE THAT PLAYING OUT FOR THE CUP CARS THIS YEAR?
“I think that’s to be determined. This car is evolving. Generally speaking, when we have a fender knocked in, it should hold up a lot better.”

WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN FROM LAST SEASON THAT CAN CARRY OVER TO 2022?
“I felt like I took a lot of things on the chin. It wasn’t just the race craft in the Cup Series. I had 70-something starts in the Cup Series going into the 2021 season. I was always just a guy in the pack though. Always a guy racing in the 20s and 30s, and through attrition we would get up in the high 20s. When I was driving the No. 42 car in 2021 it was just different. I had no idea how hard it was. I watched stuff and thought, I’ll make this move or that move and watch film back and SMT, but until you get out there, there’s just no way to know. Especially when it comes to how to race people and make passes. Cup races are long races mentally, you have to be sharper, stay as close to 100 percent as you can, and stay good across 500 miles and not just be good for 200 miles and make a mistake.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZL1
DESCRIBE THE RACING AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY.
“Tire wear is the biggest part. You’re running all the way against the fence, and all the way against the bottom. There’s a good mixture. You have to have speed at the beginning of a run and then hold it for a long run. If you can’t take off you get beat on the restarts and if you can’t hold on they’re going to lap you at the end of a run. You have to have a good balance between the short and the long run. If you can do that, you’ll be pretty good. We’ve done pretty well in the past there, but it’s been a while since we’ve raced at Auto Club Speedway and there are quite a few unknowns this year heading into the race with the Next Gen for the first time. I love the track, though, and feel pretty good about it. The fans are amazing at Auto Club Speedway. Actually, the fans are amazing at all of the races during this west coast stretch so I’m looking forward to getting out there.”

WHERE DOES AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY RANK FOR YOU AMONG THE WEST COAST SWING RACES?
“I think my favorites now are between Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway. I like Phoenix Raceway, too, but between Vegas and Fontana it’s a tight race.

WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT THE NEXT GENT CAR?
“It’s very futuristic compared to what we’ve been driving. I think it’s going to be a breath of fresh air. We have a lot of kinks and things to work out right now. There are a lot of unknowns, but I think that change is good for the sport. I think a lot of the fans are going to love to see the different things we do with the car. We’ll figure a lot out as we go. We had so much time and effort put into the old cars. We’re still figuring out things to make the old cars faster, which is crazy to think about when you look at how long we’ve had them. With the Next Gen, I think the engineers in our sport are going to be learning at a very fast pace, and we’re going to have to try to keep up with them as drivers.”

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE INVENTORY OF CARS?
“I think it goes back to short track racing. When you are coming up through the ranks short track racing you do not have the inventory of cars that we’ve always had in the NASCAR Cup Series. If you wrecked your car, you could be out the next weekend. I don’t know that the inventory situation with the Next Gen car is that serious, but a wreck early in the season definitely could put you behind and put your team in a bind early in the season. Until we get more inventory of these cars, you want to take care of your equipment, but you also want to win and put it all out on the line.”

WHEREVER IT MIGHT BE, IT COULD BE A MARKET, IT COULD BE A TRIP; BUT DOES AUSTIN DILLON HAVE A GO-TO PLACE? WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
“When we’re out on the west coast, we like to stay out there for the entire west coast swing. Last year, my wife Whitney and I took my son Ace, and we took our motorhome to a road course that Ron Fellows runs for Chevrolet. We spent a day at road course school out there. Then, we went to Phoenix Raceway early because I love the Phoenix area. Goodyear, Arizona is a cool area. We stay at the Wigwam and it’s nice and relaxing. It has a couple golf courses that we hit up. I like traveling the west coast swing at the beginning of the year because it gets the year going. When we come home, we don’t do a lot of traveling after that. We don’t do many road trips, but the west coast is the one that I stay out since we’re out there for several weekends in a row.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
LARSON ON WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“I don’t know what to expect. Obviously, we will all learn a lot during practice and qualifying on Saturday. We used to run low for a few laps then move up a couple lanes. Then after seven or eight laps you could run all over the place. But I believe they put resin down, so I don’t know how that will affect it.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
DANIELS ON PREPARING FOR THE WEST COAST SWING:
“The West Coast swing is certainly a lot of work for the teams, but we have gotten accustomed to it over the years. There’s a lot of moving parts and pieces to get the cars and teams back and forth across the country. We don’t have an abundance of Next Gen parts right now, and we’re trying to be smart and diligent about the spare parts we do have. Everyone here at Hendrick Motorsports has done a great job of managing it (the West Coast swing) logistically in the past, and I know we will do so again in the coming weeks.”

DANIELS ON AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“It’s been a couple of years since we have been to Fontana, and I am definitely looking forward to it. Last time we were there (in 2020), we qualified on the front row with Jimmie (Johnson) and had a really strong race but missed an adjustment late that we needed. Now it’s a completely different car, different tire – everything is different. NASCAR is applying resin, which will change the characteristics and dynamics of the track surface. It’s going to be a big ‘guess’ for everyone in the field. And it’s a new weekend format with the short warmup followed by qualifying, but I have a lot of confidence in this HendrickCars.com team that we will be well prepared.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 LENOVO CAMARO ZL1
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU THINK THE RACING IS GOING TO BE LIKE THIS WEEKEND AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY.
“Heading back to Auto Club Speedway for the first time in two years and with the new Next Gen car will bring a lot of unknowns. I’ve only been to Auto Club in the Cup Series once and it was in 2020. It’s just that type of racetrack, even when you’ve got the best car, it’s easy to make mistakes and step over the line. This car has already proved it’s unforgiving, you’ve got to drive the daylights out of it, but it will fight you if you don’t respect it. Maybe the drivers will play it safe, maybe I’m wrong, but I expect some mistakes. I’m expecting a tire management approach. You’re going to really have to keep the tires underneath you, especially because it hasn’t been run on in so long. All of it is going to play out really quickly in our warmup and leading into qualifying but it’s going to be an exciting start to this format that we have because you’re only going to really get maybe 10 to 12 laps, maybe 15 laps, in a practice session. That’s a good amount of time to kind of get an idea of what your comfort level is but it’s barely enough time to know if you have the right setup underneath you.”

WHERE DOES AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY RANK FOR YOU AMONG THE WEST COAST SWING RACES?
“Auto Club is my favorite track on the West Coast swing because of the many racing lanes.”

EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT WITH THIS NEW CAR. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING YOU HAD TO ADAPT TO WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR?
“For me, the biggest challenge is pit road. All aspects of pit road, but especially entering pit road. Exiting pit road at a speedway is about the same- you just hammer down and get through gears as fast as you can, but entering the box is certainly more challenging. Just as the car is more of a fine line and less forgiving on the racetrack, it’s less forgiving on pit road, too. Once you lock up the tires coming in, you want to lock them up when you get about one pit stall away, but it’s much easier to lock them up three or four pit stalls away and then you’re rolling too fast and you roll through the pit box. I actually had that happen to us on our last yellow flag stop at Daytona International Speedway before we were out of the race. Your marks, everything, are so different. It happened a lot throughout the Duels and throughout the race. Drivers were using their old marks from the old car and they’re not even close anymore. It’s been fun learning and getting up to speed on that, but I think it’s going to play a huge role in how the races play out in the first two months of our season. Whoever can clean up the details on pit road the best will find themselves in Victory Lane.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
ELLIOTT ON RETURNING TO AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“It doesn’t feel like it’s been two years. If you had told me we went there last year, I probably would have believed you. That’s how fast things have gone by the past couple of years. With these cars and what we’re doing setup-wise, it will be interesting how teams prepare for this track to not tear the underneath off the car and have it travel the way you need it to travel through the corners. I think that’s going to be a pretty steep learning curve for all of us. Somebody’s going to get it right and hopefully it’s us.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
GUSTAFSON ON RETURNING TO AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“This race is one that I’ve been concerned about for a while. Not that I don’t love racing there. My first win was there. It’s a great track and fun to race on. The surface is really worn out. The back straightaway, they ground it down and are trying to rectify it as much as possible. We haven’t been there in two years, and we have a new car. So just a lot of unknowns, and with just 15 minutes of practice, it’s going to be really hard to get it right.”

GUSTAFSON ON THE TEAM’S EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WEEKEND:
“Our expectation is to be perfect off the truck, but if not, we definitely have the mindset to be able to work through the weekend. For California and these next races coming up, guys are going to work on their cars more through the race and kind of evolve. It’s going to be a very tough race. Nobody’s car is going to drive perfect. Drivers will be able to move around and find some time in different lanes. They’re going to have to manage what they’ve got and get the most out of it. It’s going to be fun, but it’s going to be a challenge.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1
BYRON ON WHY HE FEELS OPTIMISTIC RACING AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“It hasn’t been the best track in Cup for me, but I feel like that will likely change this year. I think I’ll have a better shot to compete there for a good finish if not the win. It’s a dynamic track that you will have to run in every lane to be successful. Honestly it drives a little bit like a short track in the corners. You have to revert back to what that feels like, but it’s also very fast down the straightaways. It’s a tough track that brings the best out of you.”

BYRON ON HOW IMPORTANT LANE CHOICE IS AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“You spend a lot of time listening to your spotter and your team on where other guys are running and what the data says. I think you also can feel a lot and see where other guys are running on track around you. It’s a track where you try to get out of the wake of the guy in front of you and try to find a lane that has clean air. I think that’s what makes it such a good race, you can find different lanes to run and you’re not dependent on the guy in front of you holding you up. It’s fun in that aspect. It really is a race-the-racetrack type of place. You can’t air-block somebody because they’re just going to find a new lane.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1
FUGLE ON WHY HE LIKES AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
“This used to be one of my favorite tracks and I’m excited to get back there. It’s been a while since I’ve been and I’m sure the track characteristics have changed a lot, but that’s what I love about it. This is a track where it takes everything to have a good run. You need the right car setup, great pit stops, the right strategy with tires being such a big factor, and a driver who knows when to be aggressive. It’s really a track that highlights who has it all clicking. One mistake shows a lot. This will be my first Cup start at Auto Club, but I’m more than ready to get there and see what we have.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
BOWMAN ON DEFENDING HIS 2020 FONTANA WIN:
“I’m excited to get back to Fontana. I feel like we had the best car we have had ever when we raced there in 2020. I love the track and how big it is, so going back with a win in my last appearance and a lot of good thoughts gives me a lot of confidence. Obviously, the car is different so we can’t lean too much on our notes from last time, but I know our team will put together a great car for this year’s event.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
IVES ON RETURNING TO FONTANA:
“When Fontana came off the schedule, I was pretty bummed about it especially with the way we ran in 2020. When I saw we got the chance to go back there, I was obviously pretty excited. We are still expecting to race well even though we have the Next Gen car, which is not the same as the Gen Six car. The racetrack is fun to drive. There is a lot of character to it, and you are able to run the bottom apron all the way to the wall, so it gives us a lot of options. There will be a lot of tire wear and I’m sure pit strategy will come into play. I’m looking forward to bringing a lot of speed with another great No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with this high-horsepower package.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1
ARE YOU READY FOR FONTANA?
“It’s been a while since we have been there, but I think it is a fun track. I’m looking forward to the weekend. We have a busy weekend plan and I hope we get to meet some of our fans at the Freeway Insurance store Saturday afternoon. “

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AFTER DAYTONA?
“We were disappointed with the speeding penalty and a loose wheel put us behind and we couldn’t make up the two lost laps. If we can bring that fast of a Chevrolet to the track each weekend we are going to have a great 2022 season.”

HOW IS ROSS CHASTAIN DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TEAMMATES THAT YOU HAVE HAD?
“Well, I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been part of some teams that have a lot of teammates and some of them with a lot of experience, some of them with not so much experience, and everyone is different. Every team is different. Something that I mentioned to (Trackhouse founder) Justin (Marks) and to (President) Ty (Norris) since the very beginning about Ross is that I like ‑‑ at the time I just didn’t know Ross to the point where I know him today, but I knew that he was hungry, and for me and for our team, I think that’s extremely important, having somebody that wants to do something, somebody that is hungry.

“There is a lot of drivers that are talented out there, and not all of them put actually the work to be better. I feel that it’s always good to have a good teammate because you start pushing each other. You start trying to find out what he’s doing better than me and what am I doing better than him and then trying to push each other and in that way be able to bring Trackhouse to the next level.

“Right now we have a lot of good things coming our way in Trackhouse Racing, but the reality is that the plan is to do all our talking on the track, and that is going to be with trophies. The better the work together, the better that journey is going to be.”

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: 0
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 22
Top-five finishes: 0
Top-10 finishes: 1
Stage wins: 0

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 814 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 724
Laps led to date: 241,358
Top-five finishes to date: 4,138
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,556

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,148
       Chevrolet: 814
       Pontiac: 154
       Oldsmobile: 115
       Buick: 65

       Ford: 812                                                         
       Ford: 712
       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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
WISE POWER 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 24, 2022

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1, Press Conference Transcript:

ALEX, UNTIL 2020 THIS HADN’T REALLY BEEN A GREAT TRACK FOR YOU, BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU GO OUT WIN THE RACE LAST TIME, LEAD OVER HALF THE RACE, WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO LEARN LAST TIME HERE AND CAN AND OF THAT TRANSLATE TO THE NEW CAR?

“Yeah, it’s been, it feels like it has been forever. I’m not quite sure really what particular thing we learned. I feel like our mile and a half program had gotten really good at that point, which I guess you would call it the intermediate program in general which applies to there. So, just feel like we had a really good car, and we were really good the entire weekend from the time we unloaded. Made my job a little bit easier than normal and just really had a good car the entire time we were there. As far as applying that to this year’s car, a couple years down the road. I don’t think you can drive this year’s car as loose as you could with the previous gen car. I was really loose that whole weekend, it was really fast. I think kind of going a little different direction than we were then. This car is so different every way so it’s hard to apply much. So excited to get back to it. It’s a really fun and technical racetrack.”

ANY EXPECTATIONS ON HOW THE RESIN IS GOING TO INTERACT WITH OR AFFECT THE WAY YOU DRIVE THE RACETRACK?

“Yeah, it’s definitely laid out in a strange manner. The way it is kind of tapered into Turn 1, I feel like it might make passing harder on entry to one just because if you are inside of somebody you are going to be out of the resin, and they are going to be in it. So, it’s going to be a little interesting to see how it all kind of works out. But yeah, I think we haven’t been there in a long time, we need the track to rubber up quickly, kind of limited practice before we are on track. Hopefully it does what they want it to do and hopefully it works out well, but it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how it holds up. That place is super abrasive, super high tire wear and it might change that for sure.”

YOU MENTIONED THE LIMITED PRACTICE TIME. I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT KIND OF DISCUSSIONS HAVE YOU HAD WITH GREG (IVES) ABOUT IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AS A DRIVER WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TRY TO FOCUS ON IN THAT TIME TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE COMFORTABLE AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE’S MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND FEEDBACK FROM YOU BECAUSE I AM SURE THAT HE HAS ALREADY SPELLED IT OUT FOR YOU?

“Yeah, I mean the biggest thing is you know we really can’t make changes in that amount of time; we might have time make one change. So, kind of just getting a handle on what you have, and you know you can’t go through a normal practice agenda like that. It’s definitely an interesting schedule, really compact when it comes to on-track race time, but the guys are there all weekend anyway so it’s kind of interesting how that played out. Just trying to figure out what we can learn. The racetrack is going to change a lot as it rubbers up, the resin comes in, so kind of seeing the progression of that and seeing how the car drives. Obviously, William (Byron) was there with it a couple of years ago when it was pretty new. It has changed a lot since then, so just trying to get a handle on it at a place it hasn’t been to and a place that is super rough, super slick, got seams all over the place. There’s so many aspects that are really going to test the car and test how the set-up is. Trying to be on the right side of it is going to be key and hopefully we’re guessing at it better than the rest of them.”

EVEN MORE SO THAN DAYTONA, PARTICUARLY IN LIGHT OF YOU GUYS HAVEN’T HAD ANY RECENT ON-TRACK, LIKE YOU MENTIONNED TESTING AT A 2-MILE OR PARTIUCLARLY HERE SUCH WILLIAM’S (BYRON) TEST WAY BACK, DO YOU CONSIDER THIS THE FIRST BIG TEST OF THE CAR AS FAR AS DURABILITY GOES AND ON RACETRACK CONDITIONS?

“I think the car is super durable. I don’t think anybody’s really worries about the durability side of things. I think this is going to be a big test on how it drives and how we I guess, guess at the best set up and how we stack up to start the year. It drives so different than what we have had in the past and obviously not having been there before and how slick of a race it is we haven’t really been to a place like this with yet so just trying to figure it out quick because it’s going to be tough. As far as durability stuff goes, I think that thing is stout. It should be just fine.”

ALEX I WAS TALKING WITH TYLER REDDICK YESTERDAY ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF THE RESIN AND HE SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT DEPENDING ON WHERE IT’S PUT DOWN YOU COULD ACTUALLY CHANGE THE RACING WE SEE AT FONTANA WHERE AS TRADITIONALLY YOU WOULD SEE EVERYONE FAN OUT ALL THE WAY FROM THE INSIDE OF THE RACE TRACK UP TO THE OUTSIDE WALL WHERE AS KNOW YOU CAN THE INSIDE NOW BECOME A DOMINATE GROOVE THERE AND THE OUTSIDE BECOME LESS OF A STRENGTH. I HOPE I AM REPRESENTING THAT RIGHT, BUT DO YOU FORESEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING OR DO YOU THINK THE GROOVE IS GOING TO WIDEN OUT LIKE WE NORMALLY SEE IT DO?

“Well, Fontana is really wide, and I think the way the racetrack is laid out it favors itself to widening out. These cars are really aero critical. The dirty air is tough, so I think we will widen it out regardless of the resin. I think you know the way the resin was put down and laid out is interesting. I don’t necessarily know that it’s going to be great right away, but I think as it wears out it’ll make you move around. You know we saw in Nashville kind of like right at the end of practice it really started to come on but then we kind of wore it out in the race and had to move around. It will still be wide like normal. You’ll still use the seam. You’ll still be slipping and sliding all over the place. It just might take a little bit of time to get there, which I mean it’s a green racetrack, so it is going to take time to get there kind of regardless.”

ALEX, CHASE (ELLIOTT) WAS ON THE MORNING DRIVE THIS MORNING AND CLEARLY FROM HIS PRESPECTIVE GROWING UP IN THE SPORT HE’S FAMILIAR WITH NASCAR’S BOOM, THE HIGHS, THE LOWS IT HAS GONE THROUGH AND HE SAID HE CAN’T REMEMBER A DAYTONA 500 LIKE WE HAD SINCE THE TIME HE WAS A CHILD. KIND OF WONDERING ABOUT WHEN DID NASCAR FIRST HIT YOUR RADAR AND DO YOU KIND OF SHARE HIS SENTIMENTS FIRST OF ALL?

“Um, so yeah I watched NASCAR a lot as a kid. Obviously was not around it in any sort of capacity like he (Chase Elliott) was but watched on TV a lot as a kid, went to a lot of races at Phoenix (Raceway), couple races at Fontana, so was a fan for a long time. Yeah, I think the Daytona 500 was great. There were a ton of people there. I drove since I was down there kind of all month and leaving you knew there was a lot of people. You knew there were a lot of people there kind of all-day but trying to get out there you extra knew there was a lot of people. So, I think it was great, great for the sport, great to see. Happy to be a part of it. It’s definitely refreshing to see that many people at a racetrack, especially after COVID and not having anybody there and then some people allowed back, to see a packed house like that was really cool.”

AND SECONDLY HOW DO WE CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM THAT WE STARTED AT THE LA COLISEUM BUILT INTO DAYTONA AND NOW CARRY IT THROUGH THE WEST COAST SWING?

“I’m glad there are people way smarter than me trying to figure that one out. I am just trying to figure out how to drive the racecar. Yeah, I mean I think as long as we keep putting on good shows and being exciting that’s the biggest thing. You know keeping fans involved, controversy is always great for the sport, and I am sure there will be some of that this year. I think the perception of everything right now is really good, so props to NASCAR for doing a great job at everything they are doing. It’s been really good.”

SO, GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE ABOUT OBVIOUSLY FONTANA IS SUPER ROUGH AND OF COURSE THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT TIRE WEAR WITH THE NEW CAR, DIFFERENT TIRE, SO DO YOU ANTICIPATE MAYBE HAVING TO BE A LITTLE MORE AWARE THAN NORMAL OF YOUR TIRE WEAR AND KIND OF HOW HARD YOU ARE RACING SUNDAY TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS DON’T RUN OUT OF TIRES AND THINGS LIKE THAT?

“Well I think that is why they have the resin on the racetrack to get the track to rubber up quicker and to be better on the tires, but yeah, I mean I think you are still going to drive the car hard. The way Cup racing works, I think you could conserve tires man seven or eight years ago but as the racing has progressed people have stopped kind of letting people go and racing each other easy. Everybody runs each other hard all the time now and I think if you save tires you have to run people so hard to get back by them that you just burn the tires up even worse. I’m not sure there’s much that we can really do as drivers anymore, obviously driving the thing sideways and trying to smoke the right rear tire off of it or just putting a ton of wheel in it and killing the right front is bad, but it’s not like we can ride around and save our stuff and come back through the field at the end because passing has gotten so difficult.”

I WANTED TO ASK, I’M PRETTY SURE YOU LIKE THE 2-MILE FONTANA OVAL, SO WILL YOU BE DOING ANY LOBBYING GOING FORWARD AS NASCAR STILL TRYS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO WITH THIS RECONFIGURATION?

“Yeah, you know I think it is an amazing racetrack. Super bumpy, really slick, the seams add a whole other element to it. It’s a track that drivers really like, but at the same time it typically gets won by like 10 seconds. Once a guy gets out there, dirty air is bad in any type of racecar. You can’t unlearn aero stuff and once you take the air off of them tire wear gets even worse, so the leader just gets a big advantage. It’s tough, so I think I totally understand why they want to go to a short-track. I think the Next Gen car is way better suited to the shorter tracks, so I am all good for a short-track. I love the track the way it is, but I think a short-track will be great for everybody as well.”

CAN YOU GIVE ME A SENSE OF PRESPECTIVE, THIS CHALLENGE THIS WEEK WITH THE NEW CAR, YOU HAVEN’T RUN AT THIS TRACK IN TWO YEARS, YOU GET 15 MINUTES OF PRACTICE, CAN YOU GIVE ME A PRESPECTIVE OF HOW CHALLENGING THIS IS? IS THIS SOMETHING LIKE MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER CHALLENGE OR IS THIS JUST A NORMAL WEEK AS A DRIVER IN A TOP SERIES OR ONE OF THE TOP SERIES IN AMERICAN AUTO RACING?

“It’s a big challenge for sure. Just we’ve never been there with this car. We haven’t been there with a high horsepower, lower downforce package in a couple years, so just trying to know what I need to do to start practice. Lift points, basic stuff is a big question mark right now. Hopefully I adapt to it as quick as anybody and I think it’s difficult from the team side too, right? Like you have your simulation and all that, but until you go do it who really knows? Hopefully our stuff is accurate, and we are good when we get there.”

ALEX, YOU ARE KICKING OFF YOUR WEEKEND BY ENTERING THE WALK OF FAME. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO JOIN THAT GROUP THAT ALSO INCLUDES LIKE MARTIN TRUEX, TONY STEWART, AND JIMMIE (JOHNSON)?

“Yeah, it’s really cool. Kinda cool to get to go back somewhere that I have won. We tend to not let me do that. I got to go back to Richmond last year, but other than that I haven’t gone back anywhere as a winner. Cool to be able to do that and excited for that experience.”

DO YOU HAVE ANYMORE TATTOO WAGERS THIS YEAR?

“No. No and that question has come up a lot this week and I had completely forgot about it. But yeah, we are just going to blame Covid on that one.”

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT AUSTIN CINDRIC’S MOVE AT THE END OF THE DAYTONA 500? WOULD YOU WRECK YOUR TEAMMATE TO WIN THE GREAT AMERICAN RACE?

“Yeah, I don’t really think he wrecked his teammate. I think, obviously, he made a block and did what he had to do to win the race. I don’t think he did anything wrong there. I don’t think, he definitely didn’t do anything that Ryan (Blaney) wouldn’t have done. I don’t think you can really say that he wrecked him. He put him in a situation where he could have lifted and he didn’t and ended up crashing, but he still finished well in the 500 and a Penske car still won. I don’t think either one of them did anything wrong. I think that was just racing.”

I WAS WONDERING WE HAD THIS BIG RACE WEEKEND, SOME OF THE STATISTICS ARE STILL COMING IN. ONE THING THAT HASN’T BEEN TALKED ABOUT A LOT IS TWO AUSTINS THAT WERE ROOKIES WON THE RACE. I GO BACK TO HENDRICK’S STRATEGY, HOW YOU GUYS WERE LOOKING AT STARTING UP FRONT MAKING EVERYTHING WORK. WAS THERE A STRATEGY THERE ANYWHERE WHERE YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BASICALLY THE SAME THING THAT THE PENSKE GUYS WERE DOING SAFELY? MOST OF THE BUMP DRAFTING I SAW IT WAS REALLY BORDERLINE DANGEROUS. SO, I DIDN’T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAD TALKED ABOUT A SAFER WAY TO HANDLE THE BUMP DRAFTING OR IF IT WAS JUST KIND OF WINGING IT AS YOU GO?

“Yeah, I mean anytime that you have two cars pushing each other to go faster it is going to look like that. I mean we tried, obviously at the start trying to work with the five and it didn’t work out. Tried to do our best to make it happen, but it didn’t work out. Obviously two of us crashed out early so our numbers went down from there. The five and the nine were still in it and then the five ended up getting crashed late too. It was definitely a bummer. Not the day that Hendrick Motorsports wanted, but yeah, we definitely tried out best to work together. Just didn’t work out.”

YOU GO INTO FONTANA AS THE DEFENDING RACE WINNER, BE IT TWO YEARS AGO, WHAT’S THE SECRET TO GETTING AROUND THERE?

“Nothing from 2020 is going to apply to 2022 I don’t think. I wish there was a secret. I think the secret is a fast racecar that works really well. That’s what we had in ’20 and hopefully we have a similar thing in ’22. I think it is going to take a much different balance than it took back then. We are doing our best to make that happen.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT A PRACTICE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET THIS WEEK GOING TO BE BEING THAT IT IS THE FIRST RACE AT AN INTERMEDIATE TRACK WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR?

“It’s definitely important, but at the same time when it happens you can’t really change much. We’re pretty locked in with what we have when we get there. Hopefully it works out and it’s the right direction because once you get on track you know we don’t have much time to change anything. Looking forward to it. It’s going to be a big challenge and I know I have some of the best in the business working on getting it right.”

CHASE (ELLIOTT) JUST RE-SIGNED TO STAY WITH HENDRICK (MOTORSPORTS) FOR FIVE MORE YEARS AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WILLIAM BYRON IS NEXT IN LINE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HAVE THOSE GUYS STICK AROUND AS YOUR TEAMMATES, RATHER THAN LIKE HAVING NEW TEAMMATES COME IN?

“Yeah, I think the four of us work really well together so it’s been fun to be teammates with these guys. We all kind of bring our own unique point of view to the table, so it’s good. I think between the four drivers and the four crew chiefs, the communication is really good. We are all friends. I definitely lean on all of them and I think we can all definitely count on each other.”
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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.

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford team are preparing for this weekend’s 400-miler at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif, the two-mile oval where Burton got his first major NASCAR victory in an Xfinity Series race in 2020.

Burton, then a rookie in NASCAR’s No. 2 series, started on the outside pole, led three times for a total of 40 laps, took the lead with 20 laps to go and held on to win the Production Alliance Group 300.

It was just his 12th start in that series. Trailing him across the finish line were Riley Herbst and this year’s Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric.

Burton, while familiar with the track that sat idle last year due to the coronavirus, knows that competing at Auto Club Speedway in the elite Cup Series in a new car is a big step up from his previous race there.

“I’m super excited to get to Fontana and race on that old worn-out surface,” Burton said. “It’s an awesome race track full of character and lane choices. That really puts it in the drivers’ hands.

“The last time I was there I won my first Xfinity race. so that naturally makes it one of my favorites.”

He said there will be lots to learn once he hits the track in the DEX Imaging Mustang.

“One of the biggest challenges I expect is learning how this Next Gen car will handle slipping and sliding and which tools can the driver use to help get through those moments,” he said.

Practice for the Wise Power 400 is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. (2 p.m. Eastern Time), and that will be followed by qualifying at 11:35 (2:35 Eastern).

Sunday’s 200-lap race is scheduled to start just after 3:35 p.m. Eastern Time, with TV coverage on FOX.

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About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.