NOAH GRAGSON
Daytona Speedweek
Pole Qualifying | Duel | Daytona 500
No. 62 Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro

Event Overview

● Wednesday, Feb. 16: Daytona 500 qualifying (single-lap qualifying to determine pole for the Daytona 500)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 8 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

● Thursday, Feb. 17: Bluegreen Vacations Duel (twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 7 p.m. ET on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio 

● Sunday, Feb. 20: 64th annual Daytona 500 (first of 36 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races in 2022)

●  Time/TV/Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Since its NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2017, Beard Motorsports has proven to be the little team that could, a modern-day David competing against the Goliaths of NASCAR. The family-owned organization has taken a strategic approach to its racing endeavors, forming a technical partnership with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and running only the superspeedway races at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and its sister track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. With a Chevrolet Camaro powered by an ECR-built engine, Beard Motorsports can race at the front, a fact proven by a pair of top-10 finishes in 2020 at the hands of former driver Brendan Gaughan – seventh in the Daytona 500 and eighth in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, also at Daytona.

● Beard Motorsports was the first non-chartered NASCAR Cup Series team to announce its intention to compete in the 64th running of the Daytona 500. The generational race team founded by the late Mark Beard Sr., and now run by his wife, Linda Beard, was the first independent team to procure a NextGen chassis for its use in 2022, beginning with the Daytona 500. Plans are for the No. 62 Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro to compete in subsequent races at Daytona and Talladega with Noah Gragson as its driver.

● What drives Beard Motorsports? Passion. Linda, along with her children, carry on the pursuit of their husband and father, respectively, in racing and in business. Beard Motorsports and its family-owned company, Beard Oil Distributing – a certified women owned business – is a distinctive qualifier in the male-dominated sport of auto racing. Linda is hands-on with the family motorsports business and was alongside her husband as he pursued his passion of racing at Daytona – first as a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver in 1982 and simultaneously as a team owner. Today, Beard Motorsports competes in his honor. The 64th Daytona 500 will be the team’s 18th career NASCAR Cup Series start, its eighth at Daytona and its fifth in the Daytona 500.

● While it’s Linda Beard at the top of Beard Motorsports’ masthead, the team is managed with ample support from her children, Amie and Mark Beard Jr., along with help from crew chief Darren Shaw and Gaughan, the former NASCAR Cup Series driver who made 17 of his 67 career Cup Series starts with Beard Motorsports. It was Gaughan who, upon retiring from racing at the conclusion of the 2020 season, tabbed Gragson to be his successor in the No. 62 Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro. In addition to both being natives of Las Vegas, Gaughan has observed Gragson’s rise from regional racer to a competitor in NASCAR’s top national touring series.

● While Gragson has yet to make his official debut in a NASCAR Cup Series points-paying race, he is not new to NASCAR. The 23-year-old competes fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 2022 marks his fourth season in NASCAR’s stepping-stone division to the elite NASCAR Cup Series. Gragson is a five-time winner in the Xfinity Series, and he scored his first career victory in the 2020 season opener at Daytona. He is coming off his best year yet where in 2021 Gragson won three races and advanced to the Championship 4 where he competed for the series title in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

● Before joining the Xfinity Series fulltime in 2019, Gragson competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2017 and 2018. He won twice – Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2017 and Kansas Speedway in May 2018 – and finished second in the 2018 championship. Those Truck Series results were a continuation of the kind of talent Gragson showcased in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. In 2015 and 2016, Gragson raced in this developmental league, regionally split into two divisions – K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West. Gragson won six races between the two entities and narrowly missed out on the 2015 West title by a scant seven points.

● Even though Gragson has not yet made a points-paying start in a NASCAR Cup Series race, he has driven in NASCAR’s top series. In fact, it was last year for Beard Motorsports in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel – twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500. Gragson started 22nd in his Duel race and drove to the middle of the pack by lap two. The No. 62 Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro was inside the top-10 and, most importantly, in the transfer position for a Daytona 500 starting spot before the caution came out on lap 37. From fifth place, Gragson pitted for four fresh tires and fuel. He restarted in 12th place and battled with the No. 13 car of Garrett Smithley for the transfer spot. With just four laps to go, Gragson was involved in a multicar accident. The Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet was damaged beyond repair, ultimately ending Gragson’s day and any chance of transferring to the Daytona 500.

● Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is unlike any other NASCAR Cup Series race. Before drivers compete in the Duel, they race the clock in single-lap qualifying. The two fastest cars are locked into the field while the rest of the drivers are split into the Duel. Odd-numbered drivers are in the first Duel and even-numbered drivers are in the second Duel. Only 40 spots are available in the Daytona 500 and, for drivers like Gragson, earning one of those coveted spots in the Daytona 500 comes one of two ways – be one of the two fastest independent teams in qualifying, or race your way into the Daytona 500 by way of the Duel. There are only four open spots in the Daytona 500 for independent teams, as chartered NASCAR teams hold the other 36 positions, giving them a guaranteed starting spot for the Daytona 500 and every race on the 2022 Cup Series schedule. A team that holds a charter is akin to a franchise, the way the Las Vegas Raiders and the Vegas Golden Knights are to the NFL and NHL, respectively. Gragson obviously wants to outperform 39 other drivers but, more specifically, any driver racing for the other independent teams looking to make the Daytona 500.

Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 62 Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro

Your fulltime job is racing for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series where your car owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is one of the best superspeedway racers NASCAR has ever seen. What advice has he provided as you prepare to make the Daytona 500?

“I was always the guy to ride around in the back, save your car to the end of the race. Dale said, ‘Screw that,’ and he told me that I needed to go out there and have the mentality of almost like going out to GoPro Motorplex or any go-kart track around the country, where you’re beating and banging and somehow everybody ends up finishing the race even when you’re super aggressive. He said, ‘Do whatever you’ve got to do to be up front and do whatever you’ve got to do to just be able to learn how to pass. Learn your car. Use the first three-quarters of the race to learn your racecar, try to make moves. If you fall back and you get to the tail of the line, who really cares? Just learn because you’re going to want that knowledge for later in the race.’ So, I did that the very next time I went to Daytona and there was a significant difference in the way the stats were at the end of the race. I had a different approach in 2020 and had a lot of success. Just being aggressive, not really daring, just learning the car with a wreckers or checkers mentality.”

Earnhardt tested the NextGen car at Daytona in mid-January. Have you gotten any insights from him about how different it is or how similar it is before you get into the NextGen car yourself?

“I talked to Dale after his test at Daytona and he said it’s a little bit different, but it handles like a speedway car. In fact, it should handle more like an Xfinity car, and the package should be more like that. The Xfinity Series has been my bread and butter these last few years, so it’s going to be a new set of challenges, but we’re excited for it. We’re excited to learn it, we’re excited to get on track down in Daytona and really figure it out, but we won’t know until we get there.”

Before you run the Daytona 500, you have to run the Duel. Last year, you came up a little bit short in the Duel. Have you replayed that race, and is there anything you would’ve done differently?

“I feel like last year’s Duel was one of the best races I’ve ever put together in my career. We kind of struggled on the pit stops just because we don’t have a fulltime crew, so that kind of hurt us. The first lap, we started the race in last – in 21st or 22nd – and by the time we got to turn three on the first lap, I was splitting Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney, who were running 13th and 14th down the back straightaway, and I got up to 12th getting into turn three on the first lap, so I passed 10 cars. I felt really comfortable last year, I felt comfortable with our crew chief, Darren. The car drove great and that has me really confident going into this season. Darren really knows what he’s doing underneath a racecar, and if we can just go and do our job and race to our full potential and minimize mistakes, there’s no reason we can’t get into the race this year.”

Even though it was a limited Daytona experience for four last year, did you have a “pinch me” moment when you were pulling off pit road and onto the track?

“A few times. Walking out, we had a rain delay after the first Duel. We were in the second Duel, and we were heading out to the grid and they’re pushing the 4 car of Kevin Harvick out to the grid, and it was Rodney Childers (crew chief) and Kevin Harvick walking next to me and I looked over and said, ‘Wow.’ I used to play as this guy in a video game and now we’re going to race on the world’s largest stage at Daytona International Speedway and be able to go head-to-head with these guys. Getting laps in there, that was really surreal. I was so focused in the race. Once I put my helmet on, I was so focused and ready to go to work. Once you’re up there with the big dogs and you see all those paint schemes and you see those numbers and drivers, it’s a pretty surreal moment. And then we wrecked and I got out of the car, unfortunately, with two laps to go and I just took a second to look around and thought, ‘Wow, this is incredible.’ Growing up as a kid never even expecting to make it to this level in my racing career – it’s always been a dream – and to be able to just take a second and do a 360 and look around and just really take that moment in – that was a really special moment to me. We just raced against the big dogs and, unfortunately, we came up short, but I really wanted to take that moment in.”

Is it helpful to have that experience in your hip pocket?

“I think it’s great having that experience with those Cup guys. I mean, we ran in the top-10, all the way up to sixth at one point. Kyle Busch was right behind me for 20 or 30 laps. Just trying to gain those guys’ respect and be able to show that while I am an Xfinity driver, I can hang with these guys and keep the car straight and not be tearing up other guys’ equipment. I think just getting the respect from the other competitors is the most important thing from last year, and being able to see what that race craft is in the Cup Series. It’s a big leap up to the Cup Series. It’s a challenge, and those guys are the best stock car drivers in America, and to be able to follow them and learn from them, it’s a big opportunity.”

Racing for an independent team with no guaranteed starting spot means you have to balance speed with self-preservation. How do you run up front in the Duel and make sure you keep a straight racecar and are there at the finish?

“You always have to be patiently aggressive, just trying to stay ahead of things and trying to put yourself in good positions. I’m going to drive my ass off just to do my best job and be aggressive from the start of the Duel. Hopefully, we’re locked in and that’ll mean a different approach, but you’ve got to be on it from the drop of the green flag.”

Last year as you readied for the Daytona 500, Linda Beard told you to “drive the piss out of it.” Does this fit your checkers-or-wreckers mentality?

“Missing qualifying last year due to tech inspection stuff really put us in a position of, ‘Hey, we need to be the highest open team.’ And, like Mrs. Beard said, ‘Go out there, son, and drive the piss out of it.’ And that’s what we did. I don’t know what the entry list looks like this year. We had 44, 45 cars last year. I’m not exactly sure how many we’re going to have this year. It might be less than that. That might stack the cards a little bit differently this year and we might be in a different position this year as far as the task at hand. We’ve just got to wait and see how qualifying goes and that’s really going to set us up for the Duel.”

Everybody loves an underdog. Do you go into Daytona with a chip on your shoulder, knowing you can upset the apple cart with these multicar teams and carry it as a badge of honor?

“Definitely. Even last year, racing up with these guys, there’s a picture of me leading the top line. I had Bubba Wallace behind me, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Leading those cars and being in our 62 Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet – the one that you don’t see every weekend and has one fulltime employee, crew chief Darren Shaw – it’s pretty remarkable what we were able to do. And moments like that, I feel like, definitely earn you respect in the sport. So, I definitely have a chip on my shoulder going into Daytona of, ‘Hey, we can still do it.’ We might be an underdog when it comes to everything on paper, but I know Darren Shaw, he brings really fast racecars to the racetrack. The Chevrolet power is incredible and the cars drive really well. I have everything on the table that I need to go out there and perform. Once we get out there, it’s my job to get the car into the Daytona 500.”

You’ve got more races with Beard Motorsports planned for this year. How important is it to come out of the gate strong and set the tone with your limited Cup Series schedule?

“I think the most important goal for us in setting the tone is completing all the laps. That’s what we want to do. We need to have a racecar – we only have one of them at Beard Motorsports – so we need to be finishing these races with the least amount of damage possible. We know some guys will wreck out, so we’ll just hope we don’t get collected in it. Completing all the laps is our number one goal, and bringing the car home in one piece with as little damage as possible. With the resources that we have, it makes it a challenge and it’s difficult only having one car, so your mindset is a little bit different. Let’s say if you had a backup car and you had another for the second superspeedway race of the season, that’s going to be a challenge, maybe not racing to my full potential and making moves as I normally would if we did have another car back at the shop. It’s definitely going to be difficult adapting to that because I’ve always been a checkers-or-wreckers racer and trying to be aggressing and make big, bold moves in trying to get to the front. This year, it might be hanging around in the back and let the other guys wreck, and don’t dice it up and try to finish the race.”

No. 62 Beard Motorsports Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Noah Gragson
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Darren Shaw
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Drew Mickey
Hometown: Walkerton, North Carolina

Spotter: Earl Barban
Hometown: St. Louis

President: Linda Beard
Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

VP of Racing Ops: Brendan Gaughan
Hometown: Las Vegas

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Tim Sheets
Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Rear Tire Changer: David Mayo
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Damien Wermes
Hometown: Huntersville, North Carolina

Jack Man: DeAndre Smith
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Bobby Grant
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Jack Gagnon
Hometown: Quebec, Canada

Mechanic: Mark Sanders
Hometown: Springfield, Ohio

Mechanic: Nic Hill
Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida

Tire Technician: Mike Harrold
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jason Watkins
Hometown: Ridgeway, Virginia

Transporter Driver: David Boggs
Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina

Daytona International Speedway
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022
2.5-Mile Oval
2:30 PM ET
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
TV: Fox
Event: DAYTONA 500
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st (2021)

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

OH SO CLOSE: On Sunday, defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will seek his first win in NASCAR’s crown jewel event, the DAYTONA 500. In 2017, he led the field with one lap to go in the race before his Chevrolet ran out of fuel and coasted to a 12th-place finish. In 15 starts at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, Larson has five top-10 results, including 10th in last year’s DAYTONA 500.

THE CHAMP: With a victory in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, Larson won the 2021 Cup Series championship to become the record-extending fourth driver to secure a title for Hendrick Motorsports at the highest level of stock car racing. Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team won five playoff races – tying Tony Stewart for most victories during a 10-race playoff. Overall, the team won a series-leading 10 points-paying events in 2021 plus the annual non-points NASCAR All-Star Race.

DAYTONA CLINCH: Before going on to win the 2021 Cup Series title, Larson secured the regular season championship at Daytona in August despite being involved in a last-lap accident and finishing 20th.

CAREER YEAR: In 2021, Larson led the Cup Series in wins (10), top-five finishes (20), top-10s (26), stage wins (18), laps led (2,581) and average start (6.1) – all career-bests. His laps led in 2021 were more than the combined total of the second- and third-place drivers in that statistical category.

PACING THE FIELD: Larson’s 2021 laps led total (2,581) was the most ever during a 36-race Cup season and the most since NASCAR Hall of Famer and former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon paced the field for 2,610 circuits in the 31-race 1995 campaign.

WINNER AT DIS: In July 2018, Larson won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The Elk Grove, California, native led a race-high 40 laps en route to victory there.

QUICK TIME: At 13.63 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew owned the quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2021. The over-the-wall crew returns all five starters in 2022: gasman Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear). Their final performance of 2021 – a 12.345-second four-tire stop – moved Larson from fourth to first for the final restart and propelled the 29-year-old driver to his first Cup Series championship.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: In the DAYTONA 500, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HendrickCars.com.

OVER $200K: In March, Larson launched the Kyle Larson Foundation, which was established to better serve today’s youth, families and communities in need through hands-on support. The Sanneh Foundation and the Urban Youth Racing School are the primary beneficiaries of the foundation, which will also work closely with Hendrick Cares, the corporate social responsibility program of Hendrick Automotive Group. To kickstart the “Drive for 5,” Larson pledged a personal donation of $5 for every Cup Series lap he completed in 2021 and contributed another $5,000 for every top-five finish he earned. After 36 races, he pledged more than $140,000 and raised more than $200,000. To learn more, please visit KyleLarsonFoundation.org.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 4th (2021)

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

DAYTONA STATS: In 12 Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Chase Elliott has two top-five finishes, three top-10s and three pole positions. He’s led 126 laps on the historic 2.5-mile track, including 36 laps last August. Elliott earned a runner-up finish in the 63rd running of the DAYTONA 500 last year, his personal best in the season-opening event. While the Dawsonville, Georgia, native is still looking for his first DAYTONA 500 victory, he has won two Duel qualifying races on the oval (2017 and 2018). Elliott also won a Cup Series event on the track’s road course in 2020.

HISTORY MAKING: In 2016, Elliott became the youngest driver to earn the DAYTONA 500 pole at the age of 20 years, 2 months and 17 days. That record still stands. He earned his second pole for the prestigious event the very next year.

MOST POLES: Alan Gustafson leads all active crew chiefs with four DAYTONA 500 pole positions and is tied with Leonard Wood and Waddell Wilson for the most overall. He won three straight from 2015-2017, with Jeff Gordon taking the top spot in 2015 and Elliott following suit the following two years. Gustafson also won the DAYTONA 500 pole in 2010 with veteran Mark Martin.

RETURNING HOME: 2020 Cup Series champion crew chief Gustafson will make his return home to the “World Center of Racing” for the DAYTONA 500. He grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from the legendary superspeedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, Gustafson enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. This season marks his 18th as a crew chief and his seventh with Elliott.

PUBLIC APPEARANCES: On Sunday, Feb. 20, Elliott will make multiple appearances for fans prior to the DAYTONA 500. At 11:35 a.m. ET, he will stop by the Team Chevy stage for a question-and-answer session. The 2020 Cup Series champ will also participate in a Q&A in the Daytona International Speedway Fan Zone at 12:15 p.m. ET.

NAPA RETURNS FOR 500: For the seventh consecutive year, NAPA AUTO PARTS will kick off the NASCAR Cup Series season on the hood of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the DAYTONA 500. Elliott has never started the “The Great American Race” without primary sponsorship from the Atlanta-based company. This marks the ninth season NAPA has partnered with Elliott.

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL: On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Hendrick Motorsports announced UniFirst Corp. has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will lengthen its primary sponsorship of Elliott and the No. 9 team through 2028. UniFirst will maintain three primary races in both 2022 and 2023 before increasing to five per season from 2024-2028. This year, UniFirst will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 9 on March 13 at Phoenix Raceway, May 15 at Kansas Speedway and Aug. 7 at Michigan International Speedway.

WHEN CHASE WINS, YOU WIN: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles when Elliott finishes in the top 10. If he wins, customers receive free boneless wings with any 10-wing purchase. Get more details at hooters.com/racing.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 10th (2021)

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

BACK AT THE BEACH: During his time in the NASCAR Cup Series, William Byron has eight starts on the legendary Daytona International Speedway oval. The driver has collected one win, two top-five finishes, two top-10s and 92 laps led. However, stats don’t tell the fully story of Byron’s success at the 2.5-mile track. Not only is it the venue where he collected his first pole award (2019 DAYTONA 500) and his first Cup Series victory (August 2020), but he also won the Duel qualifying race there in 2020. Byron was also in position to capture a win during the summer race in 2019 before weather ended the event early and left him with a runner-up finish. In fact, in two of the last five oval races at Daytona, he has collected two top-two finishes. During his 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship campaign, Byron qualified third in the July race, leading 29 laps to score the victory and become the youngest driver with an Xfinity win at Daytona at 19 years, 7 months and 1 day.

NO. 24 TO THE FRONT: In five of the last seven DAYTONA 500s, the No. 24 Chevrolet has started on the front row. The team won pole positions in 2015 with Jeff Gordon and in 2016 and 2017 with Chase Elliott. Byron most recently added to the total after becoming the second-youngest DAYTONA 500 pole winner in 2019, which also marked the Charlotte, North Carolina, native’s first pole in the Cup Series. He then wound up on the front row again, qualifying second for last year’s DAYTONA 500.

SUPER ON SUPERSPEEDWAYS: While superspeedways brings a lot of uncertainty, Byron has embraced the style of racing. In the past six superspeedway events, he has three top-five finishes including his first Cup Series win, which came at Daytona International Speedway in August 2020.

RUDY RETURNS: Entering his sophomore season as a Cup Series crew chief, Rudy Fugle will climb on top of the No. 24 pit box Sunday for his second DAYTONA 500 and his third Cup-level start at the 2.5-mile oval with Byron. Last year, the duo started both races at Daytona from the second position, but despite running up front, misfortune struck the No. 24 car as it was collected in on-track incidents before the checkered flag was shown. Aside from the two Cup appearances, Fugle has seven other starts at DIS, all coming in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Livonia, New York, native has one runner-up result, one top-five finish and two top-10s across those seven events, including one with Byron where the pair qualified and finished 13th.

NEW SCHOOL CLASSIC: After embracing a new look in 2021, Axalta is keeping the bright-colored stripes the No. 24 team found success with last year. Now in its 30th year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta will return as a primary partner on Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 2021. For a better look at Byron’s car, click here.

BACK TO THE ROOTS: Prior to NASCAR festivities getting started at Daytona International Speedway, Byron will get his racing fix just down the street at New Smyrna Speedway. Climbing behind the wheel of the No. 24 Super Late Model for Wilson Motorsports, Byron is taking part in the World Series of Asphalt event. In Sunday’s 35-lap race, he started 20th after issues in qualifying and raced his way to a ninth-place result. Byron will be back at New Smyrna for Monday night’s 100-lap event.

BEACH BUMS: As NASCAR kicks off Daytona Speedweeks in the Sunshine State, two crew members on the No. 24 team will return home for the first points-paying race of 2022. Engineer Brandon McSwain grew up approximately 100 miles from the “World Center of Racing” in Auburndale, Florida. Not far from where McSwain grew up, engine tuner Ben Proctor calls Lakeland, Florida, his hometown.

SEE WILLY B: On Saturday, Feb. 19, Byron will make an appearance at the eNASCAR stage in the Daytona International Speedway fan midway for a question-and-answer session at 9:30 a.m. ET. Then on Sunday, fans will have another chance to see the driver of the No. 24 when he visits the Team Chevy stage in the fan midway for a Q&A at 12:15 p.m. ET.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 14th (2021)

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

LET’S MAKE IT FIVE: Alex Bowman has become a familiar face at the front of the DAYTONA 500 field, having started on the front row for the crown jewel race for four consecutive years. The 28-year-old driver earned the pole position in February 2018 and then again in last year’s event. His 2018 performance made him one of the youngest pole winners in the history of the “The Great American Race” at 24 years, 9 months and 17 days old.

2021 RECAPPED: Bowman is coming off a 2021 season that saw him garner four wins (Richmond Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Martinsville Speedway), eight top-five finishes and 16 top-10s – all career-bests for the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. He also clinched his fourth playoff berth in as many seasons with Hendrick Motorsports.

MAIN MAN: Last week at Volusia Speedway Park, Bowman made his World of Outlaws debut with his Alex Bowman Racing team. The 28-year-old drove a No. 55 sprint car sponsored by Ally, his primary partner in the Cup Series, and made the feature in three consecutive nights of racing. His next event for ABR is tonight at East Bay Raceway.

DYNAMIC DUO: Stepping into his fourth season at the helm for Bowman, Greg Ives will make his 15th Daytona International Speedway start as a crew chief in Sunday’s DAYTONA 500. The 42-year-old has one win, two top-five finishes, five top-10s and four pole positions while calling the shots at the 2.5-mile oval. His victory came with Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. in July 2015.

IVES’ SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESS: Ives has an impressive background on superspeedways, finding success throughout his career as a crew chief. In the Cup Series, the Bark River, Michigan, native has tallied four pole positions, two points-paying wins (Talladega Superspeedway in May 2015 and Daytona in July 2015) and two victories in the Daytona Duel qualifying races (2015 and 2016 with Earnhardt). In addition, Ives led Regan Smith to a NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega in May 2013.

IT’S THE DAYTONA 500: On Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports will make its 39th appearance in the prestigious DAYTONA 500. The team has brought home the Harley J. Earl trophy on eight occasions, which is one shy of Petty Enterprises’ record of nine. Hendrick Motorsports holds the event records for runner-up finishes (seven), pole positions (14), top-five results (29), top-10s (49) and laps led (1,300). It has won the DAYTONA 500 with five different drivers, which is tied with Wood Brothers Racing for the most.

POLE DAY: Hendrick Motorsports has collected 14 DAYTONA 500 pole positions, which is more than double the total of any other organization. The team has won nine of the last 14 poles for “The Great American Race” and 37% overall since it began competing in 1984. It has swept the DAYTONA 500 front row in qualifying seven times and is the only team to ever to earn a 1-2-3-4 qualifying sweep (2019). Hendrick Motorsports has started the race on the front row in each of the last seven years.

SPEEDWEEKS STREAK: Hendrick Motorsports has won at least one race during Daytona Speedways in eight of the last nine years. It earned trophies in the DAYTONA 500 in 2013 and 2014, won both Duel qualifying races in 2015 and one Duel in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The team won the Clash exhibition at Daytona in 2019 and another Duel qualifier in 2020. Its best Speedweeks performances in 2021 came from Chase Elliott, who finished second in both the Clash and the DAYTONA 500.

CARRYING MOMENTUM: Dating back to the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Hendrick Motorsports has won five consecutive points-paying races. The team record is six in a row, which it has accomplished twice: last season and in 2007.

DAYTONA DECADES: A victory in Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 would make Hendrick Motorsports the first team in history to win the event in five different decades. It has won NASCAR’s biggest race in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Petty Enterprises is the only other team to win the DAYTONA 500 in four different decades: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

ON THIS DAY: On Feb. 20, 2005, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon won the DAYTONA 500 while driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. It was the third of his three career victories in “The Great American Race.” Today, Gordon is a NASCAR Hall of Famer and the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports.

WE’LL TAKE THE SPECIAL: Entering Daytona Speedweeks, Hendrick Motorsports holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for wins in special events. The team has 37 combined victories in the season-opening Clash (seven), DAYTONA 500 qualifying races (16), the NASCAR All-Star Race (10) and the All-Star Open (four). Richard Childress Racing ranks second with 28 combined special event wins.

BACK FOR MORE: Entering the 2022 NASCAR season, Hendrick Motorsports will seek to defend as Cup Series champions and extend its current streak of consecutive titles to three. Elliott won the coveted Bill France Cup in 2020, followed by teammate Kyle Larson in 2021. Hendrick Motorsports has earned 14 NASCAR Cup titles – the most in history – and holds series records in every major statistical category, including wins, pole positions and laps led.

BANNER YEAR: The 2021 season was one of the most memorable in the history of Hendrick Motorsports. In May, the team finished 1-2-3-4 at Dover Motor Speedway, won Chevrolet’s milestone 800th race at Circuit of The Americas and broke Petty Enterprises’ long-standing record for all-time Cup Series wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The organization recorded 17 points-paying victories, which rank as its second-most ever (18 in 2007). With its entire four-car stable contributing to the 2021 total, Hendrick Motorsports became the first team in Cup Series history with four race winners under the age of 30 in a single season. The year culminated with Larson’s victory at Phoenix Raceway, which clinched the organization’s record-extending 14th NASCAR Cup Series championship.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on Daytona drafting: “I wasn’t at Daytona for the test (in January), so I don’t know how the new Chevrolet drafts. I’ve watched video of past races and studied how I could have done things differently since I don’t usually finish well in these types of races. I seem to always end up in the middle of the mess, so I watched to see how others stay ahead of it.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on Daytona preparation: “Our team did not participate in the test (at Daytona in January), but we were able to follow a lot of what was going on in the test live. We had a lot of great feedback from our teams that were there and are absolutely leaning on them.”

Daniels on DAYTONA 500 qualifying Wednesday night: “We’d love to qualify on the front row. Hendrick Motorsports cars have a great history of being on the front row because everyone here puts in a lot of hard work to build fast race cars. Wednesday night is important but, ultimately, we want to be in position to battle for the win on Sunday coming off turn four of the final lap.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the 2021 season and how the team can improve for 2022: “Not consistently winning, that was the piece we were kind of missing last year. I actually felt like we ran better last year in a lot of ways than we did in 2020. We just didn’t get hot at the end of the year. I was really proud of a lot of things that we did last season and I think we have a lot to build off of. If we can combine the consistency of last year with the number of wins we had in 2020, I think we really have a shot at another championship in 2022.”

Elliott on the racing in the DAYTONA 500: “The 500 is a race that everyone wants to win. The history behind this event and just how special it is, it’s unlike any other race on the schedule. Last year, we came the closest we ever have (second place), but in the past things haven’t worked out so great for us.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on 2022 goals: “Our goal for a successful season never changes. We want to win the championship and win races. Be there in Phoenix (in November) to compete for it, so that’s really our main goal again. The steps to get there are different than they typically are. It’s going to start in a different place and end in a different place as far as what we’ll focus a lot of our energy on. But the goal is still the same, to be the best team in the series.”

Gustafson on tackling 2022 with a new car: “It’s a new challenge with the car and what I’m most looking forward to is that challenge and then ultimately being successful. Taking that challenge and overcoming all the issues that are there and the challenge it creates and being able to be successful, be competitive and ultimately win. It’s always fun to get to the track. It’s been a busy offseason. I just like getting to the track and getting down to business.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what racing may look like in Daytona with the new race car: “I think it’s going to be similar to what we normally see there. If anything, the test at Daytona in January was more aggressive than we thought it would be. I think the new car allows you to be a bit more aggressive than in the past. I do think the Duels may be somewhat calm just because guys don’t want to tear up their race cars since there’s not many backups available. But the DAYTONA 500 will be just as crazy as it normally is. No one is going to hold anything back and everyone is going to race as hard as they can. Everyone wants to win the DAYTONA 500.”

Byron on how special it is to win at Daytona: “It’s super special to get a win there in any series. Daytona is one of those places that you have to be aggressive to win. That night in (August) 2020 was a big deal for me, trying to get my first Cup Series win but also with the window we were up against to try and make the playoffs. It was stressful, but the DAYTONA 500 is a different feeling than the summer race. It’s a longer race that’s more about setting yourself up for the end. You use the race to learn throughout, but you still want to go for the stage wins to gain points and not start the season in a hole should something happen. You want to make it to the end first and foremost, but you want to really try stay up front all day, if possible, to put yourself in a good spot.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s approach to Daytona: “We are one of only a handful of teams who participated in both tests at Daytona with the Next Gen car this off season. We have some really good notes from those sessions that I think we can apply and will give us a slight advantage heading in. That allows us to work on some more specific areas and changes to really get the car dialed in to William’s liking. I think there will be slight caution from everyone this week given the limited amount of cars teams have, but I think it’s not much more than the normal level of caution you have leading into Speedweeks and superspeedway racing where anything can happen at any moment.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing in the DAYTONA 500: “I am excited to get to Daytona and kick off the season. Greg (Ives) and the guys back at the shop have been working super hard to get the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet ready for this week. Hopefully, we continue our streak of front row starts at the 500 and get the momentum rolling early. We just have to try and stay out of the mess and start the year with a win.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing in the DAYTONA 500: “Heading to Daytona is always a fun and exciting time. Not only are you getting the season started, but everyone here at Hendrick Motorsports always produces fast speedway Chevrolets, so I am looking forward to getting down there. We have started on the front row for four consecutive years because of what everyone does here at Hendrick Motorsports. Our main goal this year is to go down there and have a car capable of having speed and being there at the end. Whether that is pole-winning speed, I’m not sure, but our goal is to have a car that handles well and be there at the end when it counts at the 500. Having the Harley J. Earl trophy in your collection is something that is really cool, so hopefully we can add it to our shelves this year.”